IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE CUTTING OF CORKS, BUNGS, SHIVES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES INTO PARALLEL, ROUND, OR TAPERED SHAPE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sebastian Anderson, of East Hainault Lodge,
Chigwell Row, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE CUTTING OF CORKS,
BUNGS, SHIVES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES INTO PARALLEL, ROUND, OR
TAPERED SHAPE."
Sealed the 23rd October 1874, and dated the 20th August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sebastian Anderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th August 1874.
I, SEBASTIAN ANDERSON, of East Hainault Lodge, Chigwell Row, in
the County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE CUTTING OF
CORKS, BUNGS, SHIVES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES INTO PARALLEL, ROUND, OR
TAPERED SHAPE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for facilitating
the cutting of corks, bungs, shives, and other similar articles into
parallel, round, or tapered shape.

page_text: The apparatus is as follows:-A circular rotating table or disc is
provided with poppet heads and grippers to hold the material to be cut
or formed. The table revolves upon its shaft or axis, the poppet licads
and grippers are placed near the edge of the table or disc, and rotary
motion is transmitted to them by cams or other suitable appliance
attached to the shaft around which the table revolves, or to the frame on
which it revolves. As the table revolves the material also revolving is
brought into contact with the cutting edge of a fixed knife (plain or
serrated), the combined motions producing the result required. Each
puppet head and gripper is capaple of holding a cork to be cut, the cork
being arranged in the poppet head before it reaches the knife, where it
becomes cut, and then passes on to a blank part of the stand where it
can be removed, and another blank cork inserted for the next knife to
act upon in a similar manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sebastian Anderson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SEBASTIAN
ANDERSON, of East Hainault Lodge, Chigwell Row, in the County of
Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Sebastian Anderson, Her special licence
that I, the said Sebastian Anderson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Sebastian Anderson, 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, use, 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 FOR FACILITATING THE CUTTING OF CORKS, BUNGS, SHIVES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES INTO PARALLEL, ROUND, OR TAPpered Shape," upon the con-

page_text: dition (amongst others) that I, the said Sebastain Anderson, 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 Sebastian Anderson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for facilitating
the cutting of corks, bungs, shives, and other similar articles into
parallel, round, or tapered shape.
The apparatus is as follows :-A. circular rotating table or disc is
provided with poppet heads and grippers to hold the material to be cut
or formed. The table revolves upon its shaft or axis. The poppet head
and grippers are placed near the edge of the table or disc, and rotary
motion is transmitted to them by cams or other suitable appliance
attached to the shaft round which the table revolves, or to the frame on
which it revolves. As the table revolves, the material also revolving,
is brought into contact with the cutting edge of a fixed knife (plain or
serrated), the combined motions producing the result required. Each
poppet head and gripper is capable of holding a cork to be cut, the
cork being arranged in the poppet head before it reaches the knife
where it becomes cut, and then passes on to a blank part of the stand
where it can be removed, and another blank cork inserted for the next
knife to act upon in a similar manner.
The Invention will be well understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a general plan view of a
machine or apparatus for cutting corks, bungs, shives, and other similar
artilces; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through the lines X, X, of
Figure 1, and Figure 3, a partial outside view with the feeding appliance;
Figures 4 and 5 being detail views in section of the same.
A is a standard or upright upon which a skeleton frame or bed plate B
is bolted; C is a vertical shaft stepped into a transverse plate D of the

page_text: standard; E is a revolving table mounted upon the vertical shaft C so as
to rotate with it under the action of a strap F from any prime mover;
G, G, are frames upon the table for carrying the poppet heads between the
clips of which a blank square of, say, cork is taken from a feed trough, two
of which are shown in the plan view, Figure 1. Each of these feeders
is composed of a "hod" shaped holder H' which has a circular
reciprocating motion imparted to it at given times by a bent sliding
lever I fitted to slide in a racc J under the action of a bowl, whose free
end rides against an edge cam K (of which there are four at equidistances)
on the revolving table E, the bent lever being in connection with a
depending rod L forming a stem to the hod, and working in a slot in the
lever, as shown in the detail view Figure 4. The pin on which the hod
vibrates or turns is carried by a plate M, this being adjustable as to
height to suit the size of the blank cork to be operated upon. The
adjustment is governed by a set screw N, and as the plate is raised or
lowered so blanks of different sizes can be pushed into the hod with their
centres or axes in position for the poppet head clips to take them
centrally to the cutting knife N', this being arranged on the frame Bat
the periphery of the bed plate E, as in Figures 1 and 2. P is the feeding
tool having a sharp pointed claw-like end to catch hold of a blank from
a trough or race plate Q, this being kept supplied by hand or by suitable
appliances, as found convenient. The claw tool is centred upon a
sliding block R, and has a tail piece which in the drawback action is
caused to rise up an inclined piece of metal R', the claw still holding
and drawing the blank from the supply race into the "hod," the tail
then descending by passing the incline R¹ to permit of the claw end by
its forward movement releasing itself from the blank, and clearing the
path for the hod to turn over to bring the last fed blank into the path
of the poppet head clips.
The to-and-fro movement of the claw is effected by a bent lever S
centred upon a pin fitted on the under side of the framing B, a bowl T
on the free end of the lever riding against an edge cam T bolted to the
vertical shaft C. I arrange a connecting rod or lever U between the
lever S, and the sliding block and pivot it upon a pin V which is
adjustable in a slot of its supporting plate W, and also in the rod or
lever U, the shifting of which pin determines the travel of the claw, and
makes it suitable for short blanks or for long ones when desired.
The poppet hicad frame has an adjustable sliding plate X, which cau

page_text: be pushed out or set in by a screw Y to suit the thickness of the blank
which has to be cut. Above this plate is another plate Z fitted thereon,
so that it can be set straight for parallel cutting or set slanting for
tapered cutting, the cant of the plate Z being so slight to produce a
sensible taper cutting of a cork that no difficulty is experienced in the
working of that part of the apparatus. The poppet heads embrace a
blank between them; and I effect an automatic take or feed of a
blank to them and also a rotation in the following manner :-One
side of the plate Z has a double standard or head a, between which are a
couple of toothed quadrants b, b, and a couple of pinions c, c, for giving
off about a turn and a half of cach blank, while the blank is in contact
with the knife to ensure its rotundity without leaving a ridge or broken
edge. The first quadrant for this motion is moved by a lever d, whose
lower end is attached to an adjustable turnbuckle or jump link e, this
in its turn being attached to a bent lever centred upon the under side
of the revolving table E, whose bowl rides against an edge cam y fitted
on the bed plate. The other side of the plate Z has a swivelled head or
finger, which moves about its centre i under the action of the spring j,
and of its bowl k riding against another edge cam 1, also attached to the
bed plate. This tumbler clip or poppet head is formed with three arms,
one with a clip picce m to take hold of a blank, one n with a bowl to
ride against the cam l, and one p having the spring jattached so as to
grip the blank whilst being cut, and to keep the bowl home to the cam.
The clip piece is fitted loosely in the head, and is free to rotate in it
without letting go of the hold it has upon the blank while it rotates
under the control of the pinions and quadrant of the opposite head.
The cam is so arranged that the tumbler clip is open until its
opposite clip comes foul of a cork blank, which is in the hod, and
ready to be removed; and as soon as the fixed clip touches the blank
the bowl of the tumbler clip darts along an inclined portion, and the
spring throws its clip round to the blank, which it bites under a
pressure due to the tension of the spring j. The bowl by this time is
raised to clear the cam to permit of the blank being still held and
carried on to the knife, which is at a different part of the periphery of
the frame from the hod portion. The knife is composed of a long thin
strip of steel, which can be bent and inserted in a frame 7, in which it
can be set as to height by bottom set screws s, and clamped in position
rigidly by other screws, these being caused to bear against clamp
plates u, u, shown more particularly in Figure 1.

page_text: I provide an automatic action apparatus for sharpening and setting
the edge of the knife while the machine is in motion. This apparatus
is composed of a revolving emery or sharpening stone, wood, or other
suitable appliance v, see Figure 2, fitted on a spindle set in a projecting
headstock w of a sliding plate or bracket a, this being arranged in a
slot in the rotating table E, and caused to partake of a sliding motion in
and out under the action of a bowl y riding against a cam Z', also fixed
on the bed plate B, the bowl being kept against the cam face by the
spring a', as shown.
The bowl spindle in this case performs a double duty. It acts as the
guide pin for the sliding movement, and as a spindle for imparting a
rotating motion to the sharpening appliances through the intermediation
of the band or gut b', and the guide pullies c' and d¹. I fit a wedge-
shaped piece of steel e' under the head w to bear against the inner face
of the knife, the sharpener acting upon the outer and inclined face. By
this means I prevent the edge of the knife being turned over from any
The outward sliding motion of the head is so adjusted that the
sharpener cone in approaching the end of the knife is slightly beyond
the circle of the knife itself, and as the cone passes the end it inclines
or comes back to bear upon the knife face, and then to travel along to
sharpen the same, the bearing pressure being so regulated that no part
of the knife is acted upon more than another, consequently the edge of
the knife is kept parallel.
cause.
In the machine (Drawing, Figurel) I have shown the table E as having
four poppet head apparatus and one sharpening apparatus fitted, and
the frame as having two feeding hods and two cutter blades, but I do
not limit myself to that number. It will however be observed that two
blanks are fed to each poppet head to one rotation of the table, conse-
quently with this arrangement eight blanks are fed and cut into corks
at each rotation.
I have referred to and shown a revolving sharpener or knife edge
setter fitted in the headstock, but a fixed one can be arranged if
necessary, and this or the revolving setter can be so fitted that it may
yield slightly when its rounded side comes against the end of the knife,
and then to rub against the edge as it passes along.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
-

page_text: Firstly. The employment of a rotating table in combination with a
fixed knife for conveying blanks, and for cutting the same into corks,
bungs, shives, and other similar articles into parallel, round, or tapered
shape, whether the other appliances herein-before referred to are used
in connection therewith or not.
Secondly. The machine or apparatus herein-before described and
shown for feeding and for cutting corks, bungs, shives, and other
similar articles, as set forth.
Thirdly. I claim under the head of improvements, and as part of my
Invention, the apparatus shown and described as the feeding apparatus
by which blanks can be taken from a race or trough, and put into the
path of a clip by which they can be conveyed to a cutter for the
purposes set forth, and whether such apparatus be fitted to a rotating
table or not.
Fourthly. I claim under the same head, and as part of my Invention,
the arrangements of parts forming a poppet head, in or by which a cork
or other similar blank can be automatically received and rotated for the
cutting action, as set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sebastian Anderson, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of February, One
thousand cight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
JOHN B. ROGERS.
S. ANDERSON. (L.S.)