IMPROVEMENTS IN ÅDRADATUS USED IN FORMING THE HEADS OF WOOD CASKS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hodgson, of Limehouse, in the County
of Middlesex, Cooper, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ÅDRADATUS USED IN FORMING THE HEADS OF WOOD CASKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hodgson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th April 1875.
I, RICHARD HODGSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
3 Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN FORMING THE HEADS OF WOOD CASES," to be
as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to facilitate the giving of the required
form to the edge and bevels of the heads of wood casks and the ready
adaptation to variations in the sizes of different heads.

page_text: For this purpose the pieces of wood jointed together to form a head
are placed upon a table capable of revolving, and are then clamped by
the pressure thereon of an adjustable clamping plate.
The holding table and clamping means are supported in a frame, with
capability of revolving at the speed required, and the axis of this table
is supported in this frame not only with facility for shifting the position
of the head in relation to the cutters, according to variations in the
diameters of heads under operation, but the support to this axis has also
motion given to it so as to vary its distance from the cutters during each
revolution so as to obtain the desired oval figure to the respective heads,
To effect this there is applied to the axis of the table a toothed wheel,
the teeth of which take into those of another wheel of half the size,
and this wheel, by eccentric or such like motion, operates an L or other
suitable lever, with variable adjustment adapted to the extent of
variation in motion required, or this variation may be obtained by cam
motion.
The desired rotary motion is given to the axis of the table by worm or
other wheel acting on a tooth wheel affixed to that shaft, or by other
suitable means.
Cutters are applied to a shaft caused to revolve at a high speed by
endless band or strap, and these cutters arc applied in sets, one or more
for the outer or flat edge, one or more for the upper bevel, and one or
more for the lower bevel, all adjustable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Hodgson in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 15th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HODGSON, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Cooper, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-

page_text: eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Hodgson, Her special
license that I, the said Richard Hodgson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Hodgson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN FORMING THE HEADS OF WOOD CASKS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Hodgson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Hodgson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement theroof, that is to say :—
The object of the Invention is to facilitate the giving of the required
form to the edge and bevels of the heads of wood casks, and the ready
adaptation to variations in the sizes of different heads.
For this purpose the pieces of wood jointed together to form a head
are placed upon a table capable of revolving, and are then clamped by
the pressure thereon of an adjustable clamping plate.
The holding table and clamping means are supported in a frame, with
capability of revolving at the speed required, and the axis of this table
is supported in this frame not only with facility for shifting the position
of the head in relation to the cutters, according to variations in the
diameters of heads under operation, but the support to this axis has also
motion given to it so as to vary its distance from the cutters during each
revolution for the desired oval figure of the respective heads. To effect
this there is applied to the axis of the table a toothed wheel, the teeth of
which take into those of another wheel of half the size, and this wheel,

page_text: Figure 1 shows a front view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a 1
sectional plan view of an arrangement of apparatus according to my
Invention.
In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, represents the main framing, which, as shown, is formed to be
applied to a vertical wall b, and to be there held by bolts c, or by other 2
suitable means, or it may be arranged to stand on the flooring, or on
other suitable foundation. The dotted lines & represent the wood for a
head formed as usual of several pieces jointed together, and being held
in position to have the edges thereof cut to the desired form. For this
purpose these pieces d to form a head are placed upon the table e, and
such head is there clamped by the action thereon of the clamping plate
f, as hereafter more fully described.
The holding table e and clamping plate fare supported with capa-
bility of revolving together in a frame g, and this frame is supported
by another frame h, with capability of movement towards and from the
revolving cutters i, i, i*, during the rotation of the spindles e' of the
table c, and f¹ of the clamp f, in order to produce the desired oval form
of the head. According to one arrangement for effecting this to-and-fro

page_text: movement there is applied on the axis e¹ a toothed wheel e³, the teeth of
which take into the teeth of another tooth wheel e³, with half the
number of teeth in it to that of the wheel e³, and which is supported to
turn upon a fixed stud e' carried by the frame g, and to which wheel e³
is affixed an eccentric es, the rod e" of which is connected to an adjust-
able pin e' fixed with capability of adjustment in one arm of the lever
plate e³, which is supported to turn on the stud e', carried also by the
frame 9, whilst the other end of this lever plate e³ receives in a slotted
opening the sliding block e¹, through which passes the stud eu carried
by the other frame h. By these means the desired extent of oval to the
edge of a head is obtained during rotation, with capability of varying
the amount of eccentricity of the oval. The frame is guided in
sliding on the frame / by means of the inclined surfaces g¹ and g² acting
with corresponding inclined surfaces formed on the frame h. The bar gå
is adjustable.
The frame his supported also to slide on the stationary frame a in
order to afford facility for varying the distance of the axes of the table e
and clamp to different sizes of heads.
For this purpose the edges of the bearing parts ¹ of the frame h are
also bevelled to move between the corresponding stationary bevelled
surface a¹ and the adjustable one a² carried by the frame a.
The adjustable motion to the frame h is obtained, as desired, by the
screw j, which is formed with a neck, by which it is supported to revolve
freely in the stationary bearing a³ formed on or applied to the stationary
› framing a. The thread of this screw turns in a corresponding thread
formed for it in the brass he carried by the frame h, and the screw j is
turned by means of the handle wheel j' thereon.
Rotary motion is obtained to the axis e² of the table e by a worm
wheel kaffixed thereon, the teeth of which are taken into by the worm
k' affixed on the axis, which axis is supported to revolve in bearings
carried by the frame g, and is driven by a band or strap from a steam
engine or other suitable power acting on the drum or pulley le³ affixed to
that axis. The axis f¹ of the clamp f is capable of freely rotating
in a hollow spindle f*, and this spindle f* is guided to move vertically in
5 a suitable bearing g³ provided for it, as shown and carried by the frame
g, and the hollow spindle f* is formed with a screw thread, which is

page_text: taken into by a corresponding thread formed in the interior of the brass
Z affixed to and so as to be capable of revolving when required with the
collar, to which is also affixed the ring & formed in two halves to pass
into a groove formed for it in the guide g³, so that by turning the collar
by means of the handle wheel thereon, or by other suitable means,
the clamp may be raised or lowered. A key g* between the parts ƒ³
and prevents the hollow spindle f from turning in the bearing g³
when that spindle is moved vertically by the action of the nut / upon
the thread of the spindle f
taken into by a corresponding thread formed in the interior of the brass
Z affixed to and so as to be capable of revolving when required with the
collar, to which is also affixed the ring 12 formed in two halves to pass
into a groove formed for it in the guide g³, so that by turning the collar
by means of the handle wheel & thereon, or by other suitable means,
the clamp may be raised or lowered. A key g* between the parts f
and prevents the hollow spindle f from turning in the bearing g³
when that spindle is moved vertically by the action of the nut / upon
the thread of the spindle f
Small studs or pins project from the surfaces of the table e and clamp
f into the head to be operated upon to facilitate the correct holding
of it.
The cutters i, i, are applied by set screws, with capability of adjust-
ment as to angle and distance of their cutting edges one from the other
on bosses or arms i¹ affixed on the axis. The cutter or cutters i* are
affixed also with capability of adjustment to a square formed on such
axis, and this axis is supported to revolve at the required speed in
bearings as applied to the main framing a, and rotary motion is given to
this axis by means of a strap or band from a steam engine or other
suitable power acting on the pulley or warve affixed on that axis &².
Figure 4 shows a modification of the arrangement already described
for effecting the desired relative motion between the frames g and h.
In this case in place of the tooth wheel e³ there is applied upon the axis
or spindle e¹ a cam m to act on the bowl n carried by the lever n³, and
this lever n¹ is supported in the frame to turn on the stud n³, whilst ?
by an adjustable stud ³ it is connected to one end of the link n', the
other end of which is by pin joint n³ connected to the frame h. The
frame is constantly drawn upon so as to cause the cam m to bear
against the bowl n by weights applied to the cords o, which cords pass
over guide rollers o¹ carried by the frame a, and are attached to the a
frame g.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangements as shown and described, as
variations may be made therein without departing from the peculiar a
character of the Invention, but what I do claim is the arranging or

page_text: combining parts of apparatus for use in forming the heads of wood casks
by cutting the edges of such heads whereby the wood to be cut is
operated to move to and fro the cutters during the cutting operations for
the desired oval form, substantially as desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hodgson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.