Improvements in Staves for Wooden Casks or Barrels and the like, and in Machinery or Apparatus for Forming the same, which Machinery is also applicable for other Wood Working Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Staves for Wooden Casks or Barrels and the like,
and in Machinery or Apparatus for Forming the same, which
Machinery is also applicable for other Wood Working Purposes.
I, CHARLES ELIS BRATT, of Norrlandsgatan 47, Stockholm, in the Kingdom
of Sweden, Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to staves for casks or barrels and the like, and to machinery
or apparatus for forming the same, and comprises the improved stave and machine
or apparatus hereinafter described.
Staves made in accordance with my invention are tongued and grooved or
similarly interfitted; such tongues and grooves or their equivalents are of equal
height and depth throughout their lengths, but, instead of extending to the whole
lengths of the staves, they terminate abruptly at a point short of the crozes or
places intended for the reception of the heads.
My improved stave cutting or forming machine is adapted to produce the above.
described staves of different kinds and dimensions, without changing the pattern
wheels, and is also applicable for planing boards and the like, and for striking
mouldings and other purposes.
In the accompanying drawings:--
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing a complete machine.
Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the said machine drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line C, D, Figures 1 and 2 drawn to the
same scale as Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line E, F, Figure 1 also drawn to the
same scale as Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows in plan and longitudinal central section one of my improved
staves.
Figures 6 and 7 are views showing my improved stave patterns or templates.
Figures 8 and 8 are a plan and vertical central section drawn to a still further
enlarged scale, showing details of construction hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figure 1, a, a, a, a are feeding rollers by means of which the
stave blank is fed in the usual manner over a cutter block 61, a roller 62 and spiral
spring & maintaining the said blank against the said cutter block.
is a platform hung by means of bolts or rods v2, v3, (Figure 1) the upper ends
of which latter are fixed in the bearing pieces supporting both ends of the feed-
rollers al and a. The platform v can be loaded. so as to cause the said feed-
rollers a', a to engage sufficiently with the stave blank to feed the latter over the
cutter block and cutters 6' and to force the line of stave blanks through the
machine.
The shaft or spindle of the cutter block b' is provided with a pulley 64 (shown
in dotted lines in Figure 1) and is driven through a suitable belt from a pulley
upon another shaft which receives its rotary motion by means of a belt y' and a
pulley (Figure 1).
c is a cross or guide piece acted upon at each extremity by spiral springs (one
only of which is shown in the drawing) which serves to keep the stave blank

page_text: firmly pressed against the table by means of an ordinary wooden slide piece not
shown in the drawing.
d' is another cutter block mounted in a bracket d³, adjustable or movable by
means of the hand wheel d' and screw d. d' is a pulley (shown in chain lines in
Figure 1) fixed on the shaft or spindle of the cutter block d', and do is a belt for
imparting rotary motion thereto. e and are cross pieces which are provided
with wooden slides not shown in the drawing, and are acted upon by spiral springs el
and in a similar manner to that shown at c', to maintain the stave blank in
position during its movement along the table.
.
b¹ and d¹ are blocks upon which cutters are mounted to shape the sides of the
staves.
11
f² are pattern or template wheels mounted on shafts or spindles f
9, 9, 9 are patterns or templates fixed upon the pattern wheel f', and ', h2, h3 are
patterns or templates fixed upon the pattern or template wheel. Upon the
spindle is keyed or otherwise secured a wheel i, as more clearly shown in
Figure 3. On the inner face of the said wheel i are rotatably mounted, upon
suitable studs, rollers, h, k, k³; and upon the spindle is secured in like
manner a similar wheel carrying rollers k, k, k. In the arrangement shown
three templates or patterns are mounted upon each of the template or pattern
wheels, and three rollers upon each of the wheels i, .
Any other
suitable number of templates or patterns, however, may be mounted upon each
of the said pattern wheels f, a corresponding number of rollers being in
such case provided upon the wheels i', . For this purpose the studs carrying
the above mentioned rollers on both the wheels and may be moved to other
holes provided in the said wheels or additional ones added so as to adapt the
machine for making staves of different lengths as hereinafter described.
1, are levers which are adjustably fixed or pivoted at their adjacent ends
by means of bolts or otherwise, in grooves m¹ m² in the framing, and. which
levers are provided at their other or free extremities with weights 13, 1. Each
of the said levers 1, 1 rests, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, upon two of the above
named rollers on each of the wheels i¹, 2.
n', n², n³, n are rollers rotatably mounted upon projections or extensions on
the heads of studs or bolts so as to be eccentric to the axes of the latter
(as more clearly shown in Figure 8) in the extremities of arms or exten-
sions m², m³, m³, m, upon pieces or brackets q, q, q, q, pivoted to vertical
spindles or rods 9, 9. The rollers n', n² are. adapted to engage with the patterns
or templates g', 9, 9, and the rollers n³, n', with the patterns or templates h, 2, h³,
as hereinafter described. The object of mounting the rollers n-n, n³, n' in this
eccentric manner is to admit of their adjustment relatively to the bearings. is
a bolt or rod passed through the cutter block arms 9, 93 and having between its
head and the arm 92 a spiral spring, and at its other end adjusting nuts, and is
a similar bolt or rod passed through the cutter block arins 93, 9. The rods 2¹, ²
and springs, serve to keep the respective arms together and the cutter blocks
up to their work.
o', and o are two side cutters mounted upon upright or vertical shafts or
spindles o supported in suitable bearings in the arms or extensions m', m³, upon
the pivoted pieces or brackets g¹, g². o and o' are two other side cutters, the
shafts oof which are supported in bearings on the extremities of arms or exten-
sions m³, m upon the pieces or brackets q³, q' which are also pivotally mounted
upon the vertical spindles or rods 9³, 1°. Kotary motion is imparted to the shafts
or spindles o*, o** through pulleys p, p, p, and belts a¹.
The amount of cut to be removed from the stave blank can be regulated by
adjusting the rollers n', n², n³, n which is effected by slackening the nuts of the
bolts in the arms or extensions m, m³, m³, m and turning them in either direction.
The amount of adjustment possible is limited to the degree of eccentricity which
the axes of the said rollers bear to the axes of the bolts.
, are rollers or wheels for feeding the stave blanks past the cutter blocks o, o,

page_text: and o, o. The feed-roller is supported in suitable bearings in a fork prece
pivotally mounted upon a shaft or spindle s; and the feed-roller is supported
in like manner in bearings in a fork piece s which latter is pivoted to a shaft s
so as to be free to move in a longitudinal direction thereon but is normally held in
position by suitable collars. is a spring which acts upon a stem or projection on
the other end of the fork piece s so as to depress the same, and thereby raise the
forked end carrying the feed roller r, and to press the said feed roller against the
stave blank. is an adjustable weight mounted upon a stern or projection on
the other end of the fork piece s', which acts to raise the forked end thereof
carrying the feed roller and likewise to press the said feed roller upwards
against the stave blank. The stave blanks are thus tightly gripped between the
pattern or template wheels and their respective feed rollers. Rotary motion is
imparted to the feed roller r through toothed or spur wheels 3, 6, and a chain or
sprocket wheel i and pitch chain &, which latter passes over the idle rollers t
and (Figure 1) and receives motion from a sprocket wheel te upon the shaft u
(Figures 1 and 2). The feed roller 2 is driven by means of toothed gearing,
and a pitch chain and sprocket wheel t¹, t³.
u' is a gear wheel fixed upon a shaft u and meshing with another gear wheel u
mounted upon a shaft u**. The toothed wheels u' and u are shown in chain lines
in Figure 1. The shaft u moreover is extended and upon the said extension
is keyed a speed cone not shown in the drawing, which is connected by a belt u
with another speed cone u fixed upon one end of a shaft u***, at the other end of
which are mounted a fixed pulley u and a loose pulley us which latter are connected
to any available source of power through a belt u.
The template or pattern wheel f1 can be used for making staves of any length
provided, however, that such length does not exceed the circumference of the
wheel. When staves of a certain length, for instance corresponding to 3rd of the
said circumference of the template or pattern wheel, are to be made, three
patterns 91, 92, 93, of equal length are applied to the inner side of the pattern
wheel, as shown in Figure 1. One of these patterns is shown in plan in
Figure 6, and they are intended as already mentioned to form guides for the
rollers n' and 2 so that the cutter blocks o' and o2 will be caused to move along a
line similar to that presented by the edges of the pattern, and reproduce a
corresponding surface upon the stave blank.
The studs or pins supporting the rollers k³, k², k³ are, as already mentioned,
mounted in holes in the wheel, such holes being situated at equal distances from
each other and at equal distance from the shaft supporting the said wheel. The
weighted lever is raised and lowered during the rotation of the wheel i¹ and is
so arranged that when the template or pattern wheel is in a proper position to
commence forming a stave it will rest upon two of the rollers k, k, k³, at a time.
At the termination of the formation of a stave, if the said lever be not resting
upon two of the said rollers it will press upon the one with which it may be in
contact so as to rotate the wheel and consequently also the pattern wheel f¹, and
so bring the latter into a proper position after finishing each stave, that is into such
a position that the front end of the template or pattern will be stopped
distance from a vertical line drawn through the shaft of the wheel, when the
template or pattern wheel f¹ will be in a proper position for receiving the next
stave blank.
a short
In cases where staves, the lengths of which correspond to 1, th, th, thor
other portions of the circumference of the pattern wheel, are to be made, 2, 4, 5, 6 or
other number of rollers must be mounted on the face of the wheel at equal
distances from each other, and the same number of patterns or templates must be
secured to the face of the pattern wheel f'.
The template or pattern wheel f, the wheel 2, and weighted lever. are
substantially the same as the pattern wheel, wheel, and weighted lever, the
patterns or templates, however, on the wheel fare of the form shown in plan in
Figure 7.

page_text: As has been already mentioned, moreover, with regard to the pattern or template
wheel, the construction of the pattern or template wheel admits of staves of
any desired length, not exceeding the circumference of that wheel intended to
receive the patterns or templates, being made with the same wheel, and the stave
or pattern wheel to form or shape a stave has only to rotate or turn an amount
corresponding to the length of one of the said patterns or templates.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The stave blank is first inserted between the feeding rollers a' and a², from which
it is passed to the feeding rollers a³ and a', which latter force the said stave blank
over the cutter block and cutters & whereby the inner side of the stave is shaped.
The stave blank is then forced along by the following stave blank, and continues
its passage under the cutter block and cutters d¹ which shape the outer side thereof
to correspond with the periphery of the cask or barrel to be made.
The partly formed stave then continues its travel along the table of the machine,
being propelled by the succeeding stave blanks until its foremost end is caught
between the template or pattern wheel 1 and the feed or driving wheel r¹, the
latter imparting to the said stave a somewhat increased speed, which movement is
communicated through the latter to the said template or pattern wheel f'. Whilst
being thus moved forward between the wheels and f' at an accelerated velocity,
the edges of the stave are cut or shaped by the side cutter blocks and cutters o
and o², which cutter blocks are guided by the rollers n' and n², running on one of
the patterns or templates 9, 9, 9, the swinging or pivoted arms carrying the
said cutter blocks being slightly turned around the shafts q, q during the said
operation.
The forward end of the stave is next caught between the template or pattern
wheel and feed or driving wheel 2, and is moved forward at the same speed, in
like manner imparting motion from the feed or driving wheel to the template or
pattern wheel. The templates or patterns upon the template or pattern wheel ƒ³,
through the rollers and n guide the cutter blocks and cutters cand o so that
they will move along a suitable line or arc and tongue and groove the staves
throughout any desired length, simultaneously with which operation the stave is
completed and receives its proper shape.
The spiral springs c², el and e* and cross pieces or guides c', e², e³, upon which are
mounted suitable wooden shoes or slides, are intended, as already mentioned, to
keep the stave blanks pressed against the table whilst travelling along the latter.
My improved arrangement for guiding the cutter blocks admits of one long, or
a number of shorter staves being shaped at every complete revolution of the
template or pattern wheel. Whereas in machines of this class as hitherto
constructed a complete revolution of the template or pattern wheel has been
necessary to form or shape each stave, and were an attempt made to shape or form
shorter staves with the said wheel, it could not be brought to its original position
at the termination of one stave before the stave next following would again put it
in rotation, consequently the staves would be formed narrowest at their middle
parts and broadest at their ends and would be useless.
For planing boards, and striking mouldings the pattern or template wheels f
and fand the corresponding feed or driving wheels and can be removed, and
the pivoted or swinging arms carrying the side cutters fasteued back to the framing
of the machine.
Having now particularly, described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In staves for casks or barrels and the like wherein the tongueing and grooving
or interfitting does not reach the ends of such staves, tongues and grooves or their
equivalents of equal height and depth throughout their lengths substantially as set
forth.
2. In staves for casks or barrels and the like, tongues and grooves or their

page_text: equivalents terminating abruptly at a point short of the crozes or places intended
for the reception of the heads substantially as set forth.
3. Improved staves for casks or barrels and the like substantially as described
with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination, in a device for shaping the edges of staves for casks or
barrels and the like, of a wheel carrying one or more patterns or templates, another-
wheel carrying rollers, and a weighted lever resting upon one or more of such
rollers and serving to govern the movement of the said wheels substantially as set
forth.
5. In a machine for forming staves for casks or barrels and the like, the.
combination of two or more devices each comprising a wheel carrying one or more
patterns or templates, another wheel carrying rollers, and a weighted lever resting.
upon one or more of such rollers and serving to govern the movement of the said
wheels, the said devices together operating to shape the edges of the staves and to.
form tongues and grooves or the equivalents thereon, substantially as set forth.
6. In a device for shaping the edges of staves for casks or barrels and the like,.
a roller, mounted upon an extension of a shaft so as to be eccentric to the axis of
such shaft, engaging with the pattern or patterns on a pattern wheel, and capable.
of adjustment substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The improved machine constructed substantially as described with reference-
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1896.
A. F. SPOONER,
124 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..