IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR WOODEN VESSELS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Booty Couséns, of 50, Halliford Street,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR WOODEN
VESSELS."
Sealed the 21st December 1853, in pursuance of an order of the Lord
Chancellor, and dated the 7th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Booty
Cousens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th June 1853.
I, ROBERT BOOTY COUSENS, of 50, Halliford Street, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR
WOODEN VESSELS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the so holding and arranging the blank staves
for casks that they may be cut to the required shape with perfect
accuracy, regardless of all twists and distortions in the wood. Instead
of supporting the blank upon a table, it is laid upon an arrangement of

page_text: three bearing pulleys set somewhat like the three wheels of a carriage,
two being parallel, with a third a little before them. The blank laid on
these three pulleys or rollers is thus carried as it were on three points,
so that the tendency of the wood is to go along staight and evenly.
By this arrangement each increment of length of the wood is held down
so as to be cut to the required shape and thickness, without being
subject to the distortions of the original blank. The blank is passed
in this condition beneath a pair of circular saws set at a bevil as
regards each other, one on each side the blank. These saws are
formed with circumferential teeth in the usual manner, and in addition
to these teeth the flat side of the saw is cut with an annular set of
teeth, so that the saws can cut both in the plane of revolution and at a
right angle thereto. The blank is first of all set lower than the level
of the cutting edges, and the saws being set in motion, the blank is
elevated to the cutting level, and is then traversed forward. To guide
the saws along the lines of the stave edges a model stave is arranged
beneath, with guide rollers and levers passed upwards to the saw shafts.
This model stave passes along with the blank, and directs the cutting
edges along the required lines, the bevil being secured by the angle at
which the saws stand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
and of the above Order, filed by the said Robert Booty Cousens
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 24th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J,
ROBERT BOOTY COUSENS, of 50, Halliford Street, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Booty Cousens, Her special
license that I, the said Robert Booty Cousens, my executors, admi-

page_text: nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Booty
Cousens, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR WOODEN
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Booty Cousens, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on or before
the Twenty-fourth day of December One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Booty Cousens, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
This Invention relates to the so holding and arranging the blank staves
for casks that they may be cut to the required shape with perfect accuracy,
regardless of all twists and distortions of the wood, and of the cutting
the edges of such staves. In all staves it is desirable that the bevilled
edges thereof should maintain the same angle with the face from end
to end to insure water-tight joints in the casks, and therefore in hand
coopering the workman, when jointing a twisted stave, varies its angular
position with reference to the jointing iron in accordance with the
varying twists of the wood. By this Invention, instead of supporting the
blank upon a table, it is laid upon an arrangement of three bearing
pulleys set somewhat like the three wheels of a carriage, two being
parallel, with a third a little before them. The blank laid on these three
pulleys or rollers is thus carried as it were on three points, so that the
tendency of the wood is to go along straight and evenly. By this
arrangement each increment of length of the wood is held down so as

page_text: to be cut to the required shape, without being subject to the distortions
of the original blank. The blank is passed in this condition between a
pair of saws or cutters set at a bevil as regards each other, one on each
side the blank. These saws are formed with circumferential teeth in
the usual manner. To guide the saws along the lines of the stave
edges, a model stave is arranged beneath. This model stave passes
along with the blank, and directs the cutting edges along the required
lines, the bevil being secured by the angle at which the saws stand.
In order that the Invention may be properly understood I shall now
proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto attached. Figure 1, is a side elevation, Figure 2, an end
elevation, and Figure 3, a part plan of the apparatus; the same letters
are used in all of these views to denote the same parts. a, is the stave,
which rests upon the narrow rollers b, b, b, mounted upon spindles
revolving in the plummer blocks c. These plummer blocks are bolted
to a carriage d, mounted upon wheels e, which have their peripheries
grooved to travel upon the upper edges of the girders f. f, the girders
being supported by standards g, g, bolted to the foundation plate. The
cutters are saws h, h, attached to spindles of the usual form, and driven
by band pullies. The saw spindle carriages k, are jointed at 7, with
curved faces for the purpose of setting the saws to the requisite bevil.
Another joint occurs at m, by which to regulate the height of the
saws. The shoes m, have cast upon them bosses n, n, into which are
These
tightly keyed the upper extremities of the upright swivels o, o.
swivels are carried by the plummer blocks p, p, which plummer blocks
are portions of the rocking tables 7, 7. Each rocking table is attached
o upright arms 1, 7, by gudgeons passing through both at s, and the
arms themselves are keyed to gudgeons t, t, which work in plummer
1, ocks u, u, bolted to the foundation plate. Each swivel o, has firmly
The friction rollers
keyed to it a block fitted with friction rollers w.
are always kept in contact with the faces of the model staves a, by
means of the weights y, y, which, being suspended to bell crank levers,
as shewn, continually press the rocking tables q, in the direction of the
arrows. The model staves a, are bolted to a carriage y, which is
mounted on wheels, and travels upon the railway. Referring to

page_text: Figures 2, and 3, it will be seen that the sides of the model staves are
curved and shelving, so that the curve of the upper side is flatter than
that of the lower one; and these two curves being respectively the least
and greatest required in cask making, it follows that all intermediate
curves lie between them, and may be brought into use by raising
or lowering the models, for which purpose slots are provided in the
carriages A, A. Figure 1, exhibits a stave just fed into the machine
prior to being cut; the manner of entering it being as follows:-One
attendant standing at I, raises the press roller B, carried by the
weighted lever C, by means of the lever and weight shaft D; and the
other attendant standing at 2, takes a stave in both hands, and placing
a foot upon the treadle E, (see Figure 4) brings forward the stop F,
which, having been adjusted to the size of the staves then being cut,
determines the true position of each stave at the middle of its length.
Thus if we suppose that six-inch staves are about to be cut, the stop F,
is so adjusted that by means of the treadle it can be brought forward
within a little more than three inches of the centre line of the
machine, and one edge of the stave being pressed against it, the posi-
tion of that part of the stave is correctly determined with reference
to the cutters. The position of the stave lengthwise is determined
by the upright indication G, which being marked to the finished width
of the stave, at the same time indicates precisely where the saws will
finish their work; while the saws themselves, from their proximity
to the other extremity of the stave, indicate where the cuts will be
commenced. Thus the attendant is able to set every stave, however
irregular its edges may be, in the position necessary to insure perfect
work as regards the curvature. The stave having been so placed,
the attendant at I, lowers the press roller B; the other attendant
releases the treadle from the pressure of his foot, and the stop F, is
drawn out of the way by the counter-weight H. The wood is thus
held between the three rollers b, b, b, and the upper one B; and as the
summits of the three rollers b, are in a horizontal plane, it follows that
the part of the stave then resting upon them must also be in that
plane. The carriage y, with the model staves and other attachments,

page_text: is driven backward and forward upon its railway by a rack and pinion
or other ordinary means, after the manner of a planing-machine table,
excepting that in this case the carriage remains stationary at each end
of its stroke until started again by the attendant. That being the case,
the next act of the attendant at 2, is to start the carriage in the direc-
tion of the arrow, (Figure 1.) and by an arrangement of catches about
to be described the top carriage d, travels in the same direction and
at the same speed, until the centre line i, of the roller carriage is in
juxta-position with the centre J, of the saw spindles, where the carriage
d, becomes stationary; the carriage y, continuing to advance. To the
tops of the standards A, is attached a girder K, to the side of which is
bolted a tappet L; and to the spindle N, is pendant loosely a three-
tailed catch M, one extremity of which carries a friction roller, which is
shewn resting upon a ridge o, cast upon the girder f, (see Figure 4.) By
this arrangement, when the carriage y, moves in the direction of the arrow,
the tappet L, necessarily drags with it the upper carriage d, until the
friction roller of the catch reaches the end of the ridge o, when it will
suddenly drop to the general level of the girder, and release the right-
hand tail of the catch from the notch of the tappet, and the carriage d,
will therefore remain stationary during the return stroke; the round
Hose of the tappet pressing against the left-hand tail of the catch lifts
the friction roller out of its notch on the girder, and then acts as a pro-
peller as far as the end of the stroke, when both carriages become
stationary together, ready to start together again on the return stroke.
To the spindles of the rollers b, b, are keyed spur wheels p, p, gearing
with a pinion Q, keyed to the spindle N, to which is also keyed another
spur wheel R. gearing with the rack S, which is bolted to the girder K.
Thence it follows that when the carriage d, becomes stationary, the
rack S, continuing to advance with the carriage y, causes the rollers to
revolve in the direction of the arrows, and they being roughed on their
edges cause the stave to travel in the same direction and at the same
speed as the model stave, the wheel work being rightly proportioned
to the circumference of the rollers. Now the rocking tables g, which
carry the saws, being pressed towards each other by weights, as before

page_text: described, it will be seen that during the travel of the carriage y, from
one extreme position to the other, a compound movement will be im-
parted to each saw by the model stave; that is to say, during the passage
of the carriage from the end of its stroke to the middle position the
models act as a driven wedge in separating the saws, which at the same
time, by the action of the friction rollers w, w and the swivels 0, 0,
are made to alter their relative positions, so that instead of forming an
acute angle with each other, as in Figure 3, they gradually become
parallel to each other, and then, during the completion of the stroke
from the middle to the end position of the carriage, the models act
upon them in the manner of a wedge withdrawn, thus allowing them
to approach each other again by like gradations, and at the same time
assume their former angular positions, but in the opposite direction;
in other words, while a stave is being cut the saws are separated or
drawn together, and at the same time swivelled, so as to be always
tangents to the curved sides of the model staves, and consequently
tangents to the curves which are being cut upon the work. The
summits of the rollers b, b, b, have been described as being in a
horizontal plane; and as that part of the stave which rests upon them
must of necessity be in the same plane, it follows that during the
passage of a twisted stave over them from end to end (see Figure 1,)
each succeeding portion thereof must be brought into the same
horizontal position; and as the stave is made to travel over the rollers
when the lines I, and J, are identical, and when consequently the
saws are cutting that level portion, it follows also that the bevels
so cut must be everywhere true to the face, as required. Another
useful effect of the three rollers b, b, b, is the guiding the stave in a
direct line on the principle of a three-wheeled carriage travelling on
a road where, if the axles be not parallel to each other, the carriage
describes a curved path; but if parallel, it travels in a straight line.
This law, therefore, is of great utility in precluding the necessity for
any sort of fence to guide the stave in its passage, because the wood is
often so irregular on the edge as to render such a guide useless.
When the stave is completed the upper carriage d. is hooked to the
lower one, and made to travel with it to the end of the stroke, by

page_text: means of another catch, similar to the one already described, and is
thus freed from the cutters, when it can be safely removed. This will
be clearly understood by supposing the stave in Figure 1, to have been
entered at the right hand by the attendant standing at I, and to have
arrived in a finished state at the position in which it is represented.
Then by raising the press roller B, the stave can be withdrawn, &
another uncut one substituted. The machine is double acting; staves
being entered at each end alternately, and cut backwards or forwards
without the saws being reversed. Figures 5, and 6, shew the manner
in which flat wood may be cut without the aid of the top carriage d
previously described. Figure 5, is a repetition of the carriage y,
with the model stave a, standards A, and girder K; a, is the stave,
clamped by a bar U, to a rest T, attached to the girders K; the
carriage, model stave, &c., with the stave to be cut, are thus made to
travel from end to end of the railway; the saws being swivelled and
otherwise acted upon as before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do
not confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main
features of my said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the system or mode herein-before described of holding and
arranging the blank staves for casks during the cutting operation, and
also the cutting mechanism, whereby they are cut to the required
shape irrespective of all twists or contortions in such blank staves.
Second, the system or mode of retaining and of carrying the blank
staves for casks during the cutting or reducing them for use by means
of three ollers, one of such rollers being in advance of the others,
or of a single roller, and of a double flanged single roller, arranged to
take the place of two of the said rollers.
Third, the system or mode of cutting or reducing the edges of

page_text: staves into the required shape for casks by means of saws or cutters
swivelled according to the contour of a model arranged in connection
therewith.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Booty Cousens, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ROBT. B. COUSENS.