Improvements in the Manufacture of Cork Stoppers for Bottles and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application. 22nd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cork Stoppers for Bottles and
in Apparatus therefor.
A communication from abroad by LOUIS DEBOICE BECK, of Aster House,
New York City, in the State of New York, and United States of America.
1, JAMES BASSNET ATHERTON of Mayfield, Huyton, near Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention, bottle-stoppers are made by first treating blocks of
cork in a steam box to render them soft and pliable and to prevent the fibre from
separating or crumbling during subsequent treatment. When sufficiently treated in
a steam box, the blocks are cut up into small blocks or slabs, and from these
slabs, small cylinders of the diameter of the stoppers to be produced are punched
out. These cylinders are cut to the desired length in other apparatus, and are then
carried to machinery for forming the usual taper.
A
The blocks of cork are steamed in a tight box of wood or other suitable
material, and is hermetically sealed. It is provided with a slatted false bottom,
under which is the inlet of a steam pipe, provided, near the box, with a valve.
waste-pipe having a valve is used to draw off water of condensation which
accumulates under the false bottom. Blocks of cork are piled upon the slatted or
perforated bottom, and subjected to the action of the steam by which they are
rendered soft and pliable, and better fitted for passage through the machines which
form the stoppers. When the blocks are put into the steam box, they are often
very dry and are apt to crumble, but, after treatment with steam, no such liability
is encountered.
The softened blocks are now cut into slabs on a frame, in which is mounted, in
suitable bearings, a disc cutter, the shaft of which is driven by any suitable prime
motor. A hood may be arranged over the upper part of the cutter to protect the
attendant and shield the blade from injury. The block of cork to be cut into
slabs is placed on the table and is guided by an adjustable gauge as it is fed to the
cutter. Before passing through the block of cork, the cutter passes through a
wiper, which may be employed to oil the blade and also remove therefrom any
small particles of cork which may adhere thereto.
The cork, having now been reduced to a size convenient for handling it, is cut
into cylinders by a tubular cutter mounted in bearings on a frame. The cutter bar
is rotated by a belt and reciprocated preferably by means of a pivotted lever,
having a forked upper end engaging with the rear end of the cutter bar. An arm
of the said lever is operated by a pitman, and normally the arm and lever are held
by a spring to hold the cutter in its retracted position. An ejector, in the form of
a rod extending through the tubular cutter bar, is adjustably secured to the frame
in a bracket. While the cylinders are being cut, the slab is supported in a holder
adjustably secured in a bracket. Below the cutter and holder is a shute into which
the cylinders fall when they are ejected. An oiler bears against the cutter near
its front end, to enable it to pass freely through the cork when it is moved forward.
The operation of the apparatus is readily understood. The tubular cutter may be
continuously rotated, and it is intermittently reciprocated towards and from the
slab to cut the cylinders. The ejector, being stationary and being held a suitable
distance from the slab, does not interfere with the cutting operation, but, when the
cutter is retracted, the ejector forces the cylinder from the cutter and delivers it to
the shute.

page_text: The cork cylinders are cut to the desired length by means of a rotary disc cutter
mounted in suitable bearings on a frame. A drum, provided on its periphery with
a series of pockets, is provided, secured to a shaft geared by cog-wheels to the
shaft of a driving pulley, and the gearing is such as to revolve the cutter at a much
higher speed than the drum. A vertically adjustable inclined table is secured to
the frame in front of the drum, and this table is provided with an adjustable gauge
for guiding the cylinders into the pockets of the drum. The cylinders are moved
axially on the drum, the requisite distance to project. their ends beyond the edge
of the pockets, by a guide bar having an inclined edge. This guide bar is curved
.concentrically with the drum, and it is adjustable vertically on a hanger secured to
the upper part of the main frame. The hanger is adjustable laterally on this
frame, so that the guide bar may be moved to any desired extent to regulate the
lengths of the cylinders. An adjustable rod bears on the top of the cylinders over
the drum and holds them in their pockets while being cut, and another adjustable
rod bears on the protruding ends of the cylinders. As the drum revolves, the
cylinders are presented to the rotary disc 'cutter, and the waste ends, as they are
cut off, fall into a shute from which they pass to a suitable receptacle. The
cylinders which remain in the pockets are carried forward by the continued
rotation of the drum and are ejected by an ejecting arm or finger, the working end
of which lies in a peripheral recess in the drum. The cylinders may be received
in a suitable receptacle in the lower part of the apparatus.
The cork cylinders are now cut to the desired taper by means of a rotary disc
cutter mounted on a vertical shaft, which may have its bearings in an upper cross
piece of the main frame and in a cup-bearing carried by a screw adjustably secured
to a beam at the lower end of the machine. This beam may be secured at opposite
ends to cross beams of the frame, at one end the connection between the bean and
the cross-beam is such as to permit the beam to rise and fall a short distance. A
spring aids in depressing the beam. The purpose of giving to the beam this
vertical movement is to move the cutter into and out of position to engage with the
cork cylinder when moved into position for being tapered. The cutter may be rotated
by belting, while other parts of the apparatus may be operated from the main driving
pulley, mounted on the driving shaft. This shaft, by suitable gearing, operates
duplicate mechanism on opposite sides of the machine for tapering the corks. On
each side of the machine, is an inclined side bar supported at one end by a hanger,
secured at its lower end by a bolt adjustable longitudinally in a slot in the side bar.
This end of the side bar is also supported by an upright secured at its lower end
to a bracket, and having its upper end bifurcated and adjustably secured by a bolt
to the side bar. The opposite or lower end of the side bar is slotted longitudinally
and a bolt secures it adjustably to the bifurcated end of an upright secured to a
bracket. A screw, adjustable in this bracket, bears against the under side of the
bar, and, by means of this screw, the bar can be adjusted to give it the desired
inclination. Similar mechanism is employed for adjusting the side bar on the
opposite side of the machine. Each side bar is formed with brackets projecting
inwardly and formed with a bracket and a hanger. The hanger on each side
carries one of the bearings for a shaft, on which are mounted a gear wheel and
cams. In the bracket on each side of the machine is hinged an oscillating frame,
which carries a shute and the bearings for the chuck and spindle, which holds and
rotates the cork while being tapered. On each side of the machine, is a cork
holder to which the cork cylinders are féd by hand and which carries and delivers
them to the chuck and spindle. This holder consists of two fingers, one of which
is a spring finger between which the cork is grasped and held in front of a gauge
piece. The fingers are carried on the upper end of an arm pivotted at its lower end
to brackets secured to the frame. This bracket may be made adjustable to vary
the elevation of the holder to correspond with adjustment of other parts of the
machine. The holder is oscillated by a pivotted arm having a bifurcated end
engaging with the arm and, when free, forced by a spring to move the holder
towards the tapering devices. The cam on the shaft engages with a roller on the

page_text: arm, and moves the arm intermittently to withdraw the holder. The chuck and
spindle, to which the cylinders are delivered by the holder, may be of suitable
construction to securely hold the cylinder between them, and to rotate it when in
position. The chuck on one side of the machine is arranged on the end of a shaft,
which carries a pulley driven by a belt on a pulley carried by a shaft. This shaft,
at its opposite end, carries a pinion engaging a pinion on the driving shaft. The
spindle is fixed eccentrically on a shaft free to slide in the brackets or bearings.
The shaft may be moved back and forth in the brackets by a rod adjustably secured
to a lever carrying a roller engaging a cam on the shaft. A weight attached by a
rope to the lever and passing over a pulley tends to move the spindle toward the
chuck. The mechanism is so timed that the spindle moves toward the chuck when
the holder presents a cylinder between the chick and the spindle, and the cylinder
is held and rotated when it is presented to the cutter. After the taper is cut and
the cork recedes from the cutter, the spindle is moved away from the chuck and the
stopper drops into the shute. An adjustable guide is secured to the frame and
brings the cylinder into proper position to be grasped by the chuck and spindle,
and a counter-weighted ejector operated by the cam disengages the stopper after it
has been cut by the disc. The frame is raised by a cam on the shaft engaging a
roller carried by the frame. The frame descends by its own weight. The shaft
on each side of the machine is driven from the main driving shaft by a cogwheel
engaging the gear wheel on the shaft and a small gear-wheel on the driving shaft.
The chuck on one side of the machine, instead of being driven by the apparatus
before described, may be driven by a cog-wheel on the shaft engaging a cog or in
any other suitable manner. The belt also passes over idlers which alternately
tighten and loosen the belt, so that the chuck is driven only when the cork cylinder
is in position to be operated upon by the cutter.
Just before the disc cuts the taper on the cork, it is raised slightly to bring it
into proper working position. This is effected automatically by the cam on one of
the shafts which, twice in each revolution, engages a roller on the end of an arm
which is connected by means of an adjustable rod with the beam. The spindle on
one side of the apparatus may be moved away from the chuck by means of suitable
devices. A rod may be connected with the shaft of the spindle and also with a
rod adapted to slide into bearings and carrying at one end a roller adapted to be
engaged with a cam. A weight on each side of the machine may be employed
to assist the cams in raising the frames. These frames are limited in their upward
movement by stops having hooked upper ends against which the upper edges of the
shutes abut when they are raised.. By the above operation the corks are finished
and are ready for use.
Dato this Starday of May 1903
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cork Stoppers for Bottles and
in Apparatus therefor.
A communication by LOUIS DEBOICE BECK, of Aster House, New York City, in
the State of New York, and United States of America.
I, JAMES BASSNET ATHERTON, of Mayfield, Huyton, near Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
According to this invention, bottle-stoppers are made by first treating blocks of
cork in a steam-box to render them soft and pliable to prevent the fibre from

page_text: cork cylinders as is necessary to illustrate the invention;
"PT
Figure 5 a detail view in section showing the tubular cutter:
Figure 6 a plan of the machine shown in Figure 4;
Figure 7 an end view of a machine for cutting the cylinders into proper
lengths;
Figure 8 a front view of the same;
Figure 9 a plan view;
Figure a vertical central section with some of the parts in elevation of the
tapering machine;
Figure 11 a detail view in section of part of the tapering mechanism;
Figure 12 an elevation of one side of the tapering machine; and
Figure 13 an elevation of the other side, parts being modified.
For the sake of clearness, the various parts of the apparatus have been described
as separate machines, and they may be so used if desired. It may, however, be
preferable to mount them on a common base plate and connect them together by
gearing, using one prime motor to actuate all the various members.
The blocks of cork are steamed in a tight box A made of wood or other suit-
able material which is hermetically sealed. It is provided with a slatted false
bottom, under which is the inlet of a steam pipe a¹ provided, near the bottom.
with a valve a². A waste-pipe as having a valve a' is used to draw off water of
condensation which accumulates under the false bottom. Blocks of cork are piled
upon the slatted or perforated bottom and subjected to the action of the steam
by which they are rendered soft and pliable and better fitted for passage through
the machines which form the stoppers. When the blocks are put into the steam-
box, they are often very dry and are apt to crumble, but after treatment with steam
no such liability is encountered.
The softened blocks are now cut into slabs on a frame B, Figures 2 and 3, in
which is mounted, in suitable bearings, the disc cutter B', on the shaft of which
is the driving pulley B connected by a belt B3 driven by any suitable prime
motor. A hood B is arranged over the upper part of the cutter to protect the
attendant and shield the blade from injury. The block of cork to be cut into slabs
is placed on the table B and is guided by an adjustable gauge B as it is fed to the
cutier. Before passing through the block of cork, the cutter passes through a
wiper which may be employed to oil the blade and also remove therefrom any
small particles of cork that may adhere thereto.
The cork having now been reduced to a size convenient for handling, it is cut
into cylinders by a tubular cutter C (Figures 4 to 6 inclusive) mounted in bearings c
on a frame C'. The cutter bar is rotated by a belt C2 and reciprocated by a
lever C³ pivoted to a hanger C and having a forked upper end engaging with the
rea end of the entier bar. An arm C of the lever C³ is operated by a pitman C
and normally the arm and lever are held by a spring to hold the cutter in its
retracted position. An ejector in the form of a rod 2, extending through the
tubular cutter bar, is adjustably secured to the frame C¹ in a bracket. While
the cylinders are being cut, the slab is supported in a holder C7 adjustably secured
in a bracket C. Below the cutter and holder is a shute C into which the cylinders

page_text: all when they are ejected. An oiler e¹ bears against the cutter near its front end
o enable it to pass freely through the cork when it is moved forward. The
operation of the apparatus is readily understood. The tubular cutter may be con-
tinuously rotated and it is intermittently reciprocated towards and from the slab
to cut the cylinders. The ejector, being stationary and being held a suitable
distance from the slab, does not interfere with the cutting operation, but, when the
cutter is retracted, the ejector forces the cylinder from the cutter and delivers it to
the shute C⁹.
The cork cylinders are cut to the desired length by means of a rotary disc
cutter D (Figures 7, 8 and 9) mounted in suitable bearings on a frame D³. A
drum D', provided on its periphery with a series of pockets d, is secured to a
shaft geared by cog-wheels 2, d³, to the shaft of a driving pulley D. The
gearing is such as to revolve the cutter at a much higher speed than the drum. A
vertically adjustable inclined table D is secured to the frame in front of the
drum D, and this table is provided with an adjustable gauge d* for guiding the
cylinders into the pockets of the drum. The cylinders are moved axially on
the drum the requisite distance to project their ends beyond the edge of the pockets
by a guide bar having an inclined edge d³. This guide bar is curved concen-
trically with the drum, as shown in Figure 7, and it is adjustable vertically on a
hanger D' secured to the upper, part of the main frame. The hanger is adjustable
laterally on this frame so that the guide bar may be moved to any desired extent to
regulate the lengths of the cylinders. An adjustable rod do bears on the top of the
cylinders over the drum and holds them in their pockets while being cut, and
another adjustable rod bears on the protruding ends of the cylinders. As the
drum revolves, the cylinders are presented to the rotary disc cutter, and the waste
ends, as they are cut off, fall into a shute DB from which they pass to a suitable
receptacle. The cylinders which remain in the pockets are carried forward by
the continued rotation of the drum and are ejected by an ejecting arm or
finger D, the working end of which lies in a peripheral recess in the drum.
The cylinders may be received in a suitable receptacle in the lower part of the
apparatus.
The cork cylinders are now cut to the desired taper by means of a rotary disc
cutter E, (Figures 10, 12 and 13) mounted on a vertical shaft E' having its bearings
in the upper cross piece E' of the main frame and in a footstep bearing e carried
by a screw E3 adjustably secured to a beam E' at the lower end of the machine.
This beam is secured at opposite ends to the cross-beams E5 of the frame; at one
end, the connection between the beam E and the cross beam is such as to permit
the beam E to rise and fall a short distance. A spring el aids in depressing the
beam. The purpose of giving to the beam E this vertical movement is to move
the cutter into and out of position to engage with the cork cylinder when moved
into position for being tapered. The cutter is rotated by belting applied to a
pulley E, while other parts of the apparatus are operated from the main driving
pulley F, mounted on the driving shaft F', mounted in bearings at one end of the
frame. This shaft, by suitable gearing, operates duplicate mechanism on opposite
sides of the machine for tapering the corks. On each side of the machine is an
inclined side bar G; that shown in Figure 12 is supported at one end by a
hanger G, secured at its lower end by a bolt adjustable longitudinally in a slot g
in the side bar. This end of the side bar is also supported by an upright G² secured
at its lower end to a bracket (³ and having its upper end bifurcated and adjustably
secured by a bolt g² to the side bar. The opposite or lower end of the side bar G
is slotted longitudinally, and a bolt 3 secures it adjustably to the bifurcated end of
an upright G secured to a bracket G³. A screw G, adjustable in this bracket,
bears against the under side of the bar, and, by means of this screw, the bar can
be adjusted to give it the desired inclination." Similar mechanism is employed
for adjusting the side bar on the opposite side of the machine. Each side bar is
formed with brackets H projecting inwardly and formed with a bracket H and a
hanger h. The hanger on each side carries one of the bearings for a shaft H²,

page_text: on which are mounted, as shown clearly in Figure 11, a gear wheel H³ and
cams H, H, H. In the bracket on each side of the machine is hinged an
oscillating frame I, which carries a shute I' and the bearings for the chuck and
spindle, which holds and rotates the cork while being tapered. On each side of the
machine is a cork holder K, to which the cork cylinders are fed by hand and which
carries and delivers them to the chuck and spindle. This holder consists of two
fingers k, k, one of which is a spring finger between which the cork is grasped and
held in front of a gauge piece ². The fingers are carried on the upper end of an
arm Kpivoted at its lower end to brackets K secured to the frame. This bracket
may be made adjustable to vary the elevation of the holder to correspond with
adjustment of other parts of the machine. The holder K is oscillated by a pivoted
arm L having a bifurcated end engaging with the arm K, and, when free, forced
by a spring to move the holder towards the tapering devices. The cam H on
the shaft engages with a roller on the arm L and moves the arm inter-
mittently to withdraw the holder to the position shown at the left hand side of
Figure 10. The chuck and spindle to which the cylinders are delivered by the
holder K may be of suitable construction to securely hold the cylinder between
them, and to rotate it when in position. The chuck on one side of the machine, as
shown in Figure 12, is arranged on the end of a shaft. M which carries a pulley M
driven by a belt m on a pulley M² carried by a shaft M³. This shaft, at its opposite
end, carries a bevel pinion m² engaging a bevel wheel m² on the driving shaft.. The
spindle m³ is fixed eccentrically on a shaft M' free to slide in the brackets or
bearings. The shaft may be moved back and forth in the brackets by a rod M³
adjustably secured to a lever Me carrying a roller m' engaging a cam H on the
shaft H2. A weight N, attached by a rope to the lever and passing over a
pulley N, tends to move the spindle toward the chuck. The mechanism is so
timed that the spindle moves toward the chuck when the holder presents a
cylinder between the chuck and the spindle, and the cylinder is held and rotated
when it is presented to the cutter. After the taper is cut and the cork recedes
from the cutter, the spindle is moved away from the chuck and the stopper drops
into the shute 1. An adjustable guide O is secured to the frame and brings the
cylinder into proper position to be grasped by the chuck and spindle; and a counter-
weighted ejector P, operated by the cam H, disengages the stopper after it has
been cut by the disc. The frame 1 is raised by a cam Hon the shaft H, engaging
a roller carried by the frame 1. The frame descends by its own weight. The
shaft H on each side of the machine is driven from the main driving shaft by a
cog-wheel F2 engaging the gear-wheel H³ on the shaft H2 and a small gear-
wheel F3 on the driving shaft. The chuck on one side of the machine, instead of
being driven by the apparatus before described, may be driven from the shaft M³
by a cog-wheel R on the shaft engaging a cog R¹ on a shaft carrying a pulley R2,
over which passes a belt R³ driving a pulley R on the shaft of the chuck. The
belt also passes over idlers 15 which alternately tighten and loosen the belt, so that
the chuck is driven only when the cork cylinder is in position to be operated upon
by the cutter.
Just before the disc cuts the taper on the cork, it is raised slightly to bring it
into proper working position. This is effected automatically by the cam S on one
of the shafts H2, which, twice in each revolution, engages a roller s on the end of an
arm S' which is connected by means of an adjustable rod S2 with the beam E' (see
Figure 13). The spindle on one side of the apparatus may be moved away from
the chuck by means of devices shown in Figure 13. In this instance, a rod T is
connected with the shaft of the spindle and is also connected with a rod T¹ adapted
to slide into bearings and carrying at one end a roller adapted to be engaged
with a cam H*. A weight U on each side of the machine may be employed to
assist the cams H in raising the frames I. These frames are limited in their
upward movement by stops V having hooked upper ends against which the upper
edges of the shutes abut when they are raised.
By the above operation, the corks are finished and are ready for use.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
1. The process of making cork stoppers for bottles, which consists in first
treating blocks of cork by steam to render them soft and pliable, and prevent the
fibre from separating and crumbling during subsequent treatment, then cutting said
blocks into slabs, and from these slabs punching out cylinders of the diameter of
the stoppers to be produced, reducing such cylinders to a uniform or required
length, and finally giving them the usual taper, substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for treating blocks of cork to fit them for being operated by
mechanism for cutting them into bottle stoppers, consisting of a box having a
slatted or perforated false bottom to which steam is admitted and from which water
of condensation is withdrawn, substantially as described.
3. In the manufacture of cork stoppers for bottles, the apparatus for cutting
blocks of cork into slabs of convenient size for handling, consisting of a rotary disc
cutter shielded by a hood or its equivalent and provided with a wiper, the said
cutter being mounted in proximity to a table carrying an adjustable guide or gauge
for said blocks, whereby the slabs produced may be of a uniform size, substantially
as described and shown.
4. In the manufacture of cork stoppers for bottles, the apparatus for cutting
cylinders from blocks or slabs, consisting of a rotary tubular cufter containing a
concentric ejector and rotating in contact with an oiler, means for reciprocating
said cutter longitudinally in such manner as to cause it to enter a block or slab
placed between its cutting end and a chuck opposed thereto, or to retract said
cutter and so eject the cut out portion and leave room for the feeding of another
block of cork by suitable feed devices, the various parts of the apparatus being
adjustable substantially as described.
5. In the manufacture of cork stoppers for bottles, the apparatus for cutting cork
cylinders into proper lengths, consisting of a rotary disc cutter, a rotatable drum
provided with peripheral pockets to carry said cylinders to the cutter, a guide for
adjusting said cylinders longitudinally in said pockets, adjustable pressure rods for
maintaining the same in place, and suitable feed ejecting and collecting devices all
combined and arranged substantially as described.
6. The apparatus for cutting a taper on cork cylinders, comprising a rotary disc
cutter, one or more oscillating holders to deliver the cylinders to a rotary inclined
chuck which rotates them and presents them to the cutter, and an ejector to deliver
the tapered stoppers to a shute, substantially as described and shown.
7. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved apparatus for making cork stoppers for bottles, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.