IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CORK, IN THE PROCESSES OF SHAPING AND MAKING STOPPERS OF CORK, AND IN THE TREATMENT OF CORK TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID PROCESSES, AND 'TO BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1856

page_text: TEKS PATEN to Anton
Seiten,
14, Apa
donian Road, London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
CORK, IN THE PROCESSES OF SHAPING AND MAKING STOPPERS OF CORK, AND
IN THE TREATMENT OF CORK TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID PROCESSES, AND
'TO BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th March 1857, and dated the 11th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anton Bruno Seithen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th October 1856.
I, ANTON BRUNO SEITHEN, of 12, Alpha Place, Caledonian Road,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CUITING, CORK, IN THE PROCESSES OF SHAPING AND MAKING STOPPERS OF
CORK, AND IN THE TREATMENT OF CORK TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE SAID PROCESSES,
AND TO BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting cork relate
principally to machinery or apparatus for cutting veneers. For this
purpose I apply. a circular knife fixed on an upright shaft or spindle.
The piece of cork to be cut is placed upon a horizontal platform or table,
which latter is attached to a vertical spindle connected with a slide.
The slide, and with it the piece of cork to be cut, is pressed against the
circular knife, either by means of weights, or otherwise; and in order

page_text: that, notwithstanding the circular shape of the knife, the direction of
the cut may not differ very materially from a straight line, the knife
spindle is, by means of a rope or chain, or other similar mechanism
connected with the spindle. holding the platform, so that as the knife
revolves it causes the piece of cork to turn slowly towards it.
Instead of a circular knife, an endless band of steel of uniform thick-
ness, and sharpened at one edge may be used. This band passes over
two drums, one of which is moveable in a longitudinal direction, and
serves to give the band the requisite degree of tension. One of the
drums being set in motion round its axis, the band will travel over the
two drums, similarly to a driving strap, and cut the cork as it is pre-
sented to and pressed against it from below. Two pieces of cork may
thus be cut simultaneously, one on each side. This machine.may also,
with suitable modifications, be used for cutting cork stoppers.
My improvements in shaping and making stoppers of cork consist in
cutting the veneer into strips of suitable width and length, and rolling
the same tightly together, either without or in combination with strips
of shave grass, rushes, or sweet wort, the latter more particularly in
cases where the cork is of inferior appearance or quality. After the
strip of cork has thus been rolled together, it is squeezed into a form,
made of sheet steel, in the shape of a parallelepipedon but with one
side removed, the two opposite sides being, however, slightly inclined
towards each other. At first the projecting end of the strip of veneer
is turned slightly upwards, and the internal surface, to the extent of
about a quarter of an inch, is overlaid with a cement, the preparation
of which I shall hereafter explain, and this being done, the overlap is
turned inwards, so as to be firmly compressed by the sides of the form.
After having been left in the form for the space of about three hours,
the stopper is taken out and subjected to the operation of a grindstone,
both on the surface and at the ends, to give it the proper shape and
finish. In order to work up cork of inferior appearance, I roll up the
strips of veneer in the manner above described, but to a smaller size
than that of the stopper required to be produced, and I subsequently
insert this body into a shell or tube, made of a strip of veneer, of smooth
appearance, the two ends of this shell being jointed together by means
of the cement already referred to. In this case I press the body of the
stopper after it has been rolled up into a cylindrical form, of sheet
steel, open to the extent of about one-third of its circumference, and
after having treated the joint as before mentioned, and kept the body
in the form for a sufficient length of time, I hold the form over the
shell and press the body down into the shell.
Another method of making cork of inferior appearance available,

page_text: consists in joining a strip of inferior cork to one of better quality by
means of my cement, in such proportions of length that the strip of
smooth cork forms; after the process of rolling, the external surface of
the stopper. For the purpose of rendering the cork veneers more
pliable and elastic, I pass them through and compress them between
rollers. For shallow stoppers of large diameter (such as for pickle jars,
&c.) I prepare a shell of smooth cork veneer, and after having fitted
it with a thin bottom of the same quality of material I fill up the internal
space with a preparation of cork, which I shall hereafter describe, and
which makes the stopper sufficiently solid and at the same time elastic.
In cases where ground glass stoppers have hitherto been used, I either
line the neck of the bottle or jar with a ring or rings of cork veneer,
prepared in the manner above described, or I surround the stopper
itself with a ring or hoop of veneer, cementing the veneer to the glass,
so as to prevent it from detaching itself. By these means a perfectly
tight fit is obtained without the expense of ground stoppers and necks.
There is a certain kind of thin hard cork which has hitherto remained
useless, and pieces of cork of this description appear smooth and sound
on one side and rough and porous on the other. Such pieces I propose
to cut into suitable lengths for stoppers, to smooth the rough side by
means of the grindstone, and to form them into squares by cementing
two pieces together, each with the better side outwards. After having
confined these squares. in the form described with reference to the
stoppers made of veneer for a sufficient length of time I cut them to
their required shape on the cork-cutting machine. A similar process
can be adopted with any odd pieces of cork, so long as they are large
enough to form stoppers of a useful size.
My improvements in the treatment of cork to be employed in the
processes of shaping and making stoppers of cork relate to the manu-
facture of the cement herein-before referred to. For preparing this
cement I make use of cork dust, such as that produced by the operation
of the grindstone. I mix this cork dust with nitric acid, in the pro-
portion of one pound of cork dust. to one quarter of a pound of nitric
acid; this mixture I place in a close vessel or jar, provided with a tube
which carries off the ammonia into a cistern of water, for the purpose
of preventing explosions. After the lapse of about eight days the
mixture is removed from the vessel and compressed in a bag made of
horsehair. The solid substance remaining in the bag is subjected to
a process of kneading by means of rollers or otherwise, and then forms
a product somewhat analogous to bees'-wax, which on being laid on
wood, cork, or other porous material, and well rubbed, forms a cement
of such tenacity that it is almost impossible to sever the joints formed

page_text: by means of it. The acid which results. from the combination of the
nitric acid and cork dust can, when sufficiently diluted with water, be
used in treating leather, and it has the effect of making the leather
appear and rendering it as pliable as though it had been greased,
although no amount of friction will give off any fatty matter. It can
also be used in the place of alcohol as a solvent, and it may be applied
to the staining of wood, or in combination with varnish or polish, which
latter it renders peculiarly penetrating. When diluted with water it
also produces, after a certain length of time, a kind of clear vinegar,
which has the appearance of wine vinegar. When the cork dust remains
in combination with the nitric acid during one half of the time above
indicated only, it forms after the acid has been drawn off a slightly
adhesive and elastic substance, which I use for filling up the flat
stoppers, as above mentioned. Considerable difficulty being experi-
enced in feeding ordinary mills for pulverizing cork, I propose, in order
to avoid these difficulties, to apply a metallic pulverizer, in the shape
of a cone with its apex upwards. This cone is provided with grooves,
similarly to a millstone, and surrounded with a mantle, sufficient space
being left between the pulverizer and the mantle for the introduction
of the cork, and its effective conversion into dust. The cork to be
pulverized is supplied by means of a funnel placed over the mantle,
and the conical shape of the pulverizer has the effect of drawing the
pieces of cork within its reach without manual labor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Anton Bruno Seithen in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTON
BRUNO SEITHEN, of 12, Alpha Place, Caledonian Road, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Anton Bruno Seithen, Her special licence that
I, the said Anton Bruno Seithen, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Anton Bruno Seithen, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CORK, IN THE PROCESS OF SHAPING
AND MAKING STOPPERS OF CORK, AND IN THE TREATMENT OF CORK TO BE
EMPLOYED IN THE SAID PROCESSES, AND TO BE EMPLOYED TO OTHER USEFUL. PUR-
POSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Anton Bruno
Seithen, 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 Anton Bruno-Seithen, 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
cutting and shaping cork, but more especially to a peculiar mode of
forming various kinds of stoppers of cork, as well as to cork linings for
necks of bottles, jars, or pots, or for stoppers of glass or earthenware;
and also to certain products made of cork which are to be used in the
manufacture of such stoppers and linings, and for other purposes.
My improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting and shaping
cork consist, firstly, in veneer-cutting machines, and secondly, in
machines for cutting cork stoppers: One of my machines for cutting
veneers consists of a circular or disc knife, fixed on an upright shaft or
spindle, which by suitable mechanism is caused to revolve. The cork
which is to be cut into veneers is placed upon a horizontal table, which
rests upon a slide, moveable on a bed in the direction of the knife
spindle, by means of weights or otherwise. A stud or spindle connects
the table with the slide, the latter being provided with a curvelinear
groove, along which the spindle is caused to move whilst the machine
is in operation, at the same time that it turns slightly round upon its
axis. The table receives its combined motion from the knife spindle,
whereby the piece of cork is caused to present itself at all times-tangen-
tially, or nearly so, to the edge of the knife; thus, the cut approaches a
straight line, which prevents the circular knife from binding. I intend,
however, to dispense with this curvelinear groove, and the parts imme-
diately connected therewith and to use in its place compound slides,
as will be explained hereafter.

page_text: In another of my machines for cutting veneers, I use an endless band
sharpened at one edge in place of the circulai knife, and a modification
of the band knife I use for cutting cork stoppers."
And in order that the construction of these machines may be more
fully understood, I will now proceed to describe the same, reference
being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of a machine for. cutting: veneers
with a circular or disc knife. The circular knife a is fixed on the
vertical spindle b, which is supported in bearings on the slide bracket c,
the latter being attached to the standard d, on which it can be raised
or lowered by means of a screw, which is actuated by the handle wheel é,
similarly to the cross slide of a planing machine. The spindle b receives
its rotatory motion through a strap passing over the pulley f, which
is held in its position whilst the knife a is raised or lowered by the
bracket 9, in which the bush of the pulley f is confined. The spindle b
and the bush of the pulley f are fitted with groove and feather in the
usual way. The cork as imported being invariably very rough and
uneven, yields under the ordinary treatment a proportionately very
small number of veneers; I therefore subject all cork to be operated
upon to a process of steaming, whereby it becomes soft and pliable, and.
easier to cut. When the pieces of cork intended for veneer cutting
have been steamed I compress them between two flat surfaces, and it
is one of the peculiar properties of steamed cork that after the pressure
is removed it has no tendency to resume its original shape.
having joined two or three strips together into one piece A, according
to their thickness, I cement them to a flat board, and then fix the latter
upon the cross slide h, which moves on the bed i. The bed i is in its
turn fixed upon the slide, which is moveable longitudinally upon the
bed. When the machine is to be put in operation, the knife a is
raised to the requisite height for the first cut, and the cross slide h is
moved laterally, so that the cork shall be entirely on one side of the
centre line of the knife. The slide with the bed i is thus, by means
of the screw m, moved forward towards the knife the depth of a cut,
whereupon the shaft n, with pinion n' are by means of the pulley o
set in motion. The pinion n¹ gearing into the rack h', fixed or cast
to the cross slide, h, moves the slide with the cork across the knife,
and the first cut is effected. The cross slide h will at the same time
bring into play an apparatus similar to those used for planing machines,
whereby the motion of the shaft n and cross slide h will be reversed,
the slide k having been first moved forward by means of the screw m
for another cut. When one veneer is cut off, the knife a is lowered
After

page_text: for the next cut, and the operation above described repeated., It is
evident that the lowering of the knife a and the moving forward of the
slide at the proper periods may be made self-acting.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a front elevation, of
my machine
for cutting veneers with an endless band of steel. The band knife, a
passes over and is kept at the proper tension by the pulleys 6 & c, the
bearings of the former being adjustable, and the latter having the
driving pulley d fixed on the upper end of its shaft (see Fig. 3). The
pieces of cork A are fixed on a board, in a similar manner as described
with reference to Fig. 1, and the board is attached to the upright slide e,
which moves on the standards f, and is raised towards the knife by the
weight g by means of the rope or band h, which passes over pulleys. I
prefer this mode of raising the slide e, because it will advance the cork
towards the cutting edge of the knife in proportion to the width, and,
the relative hardness of the various portions of the pieces to be operated
upon, whereas a uniform feeding motion would be liable to cause the
knife to deviate and cut the veneers to waste. The standards fare
fixed upon the slide i, which is moved forward on the frame at the
end of every cut by the screw l, worm wheel m, worm n, and handle o,
the slide e having been previously lowered into the pit by means of
the pinion e', gearing into a rack cast on or fixed to the back of the
slide e.
The division plate p is fixed on the bracket q, which forms
the bearing of the worm n, and facilitates the setting of the slide for
veneers of any required thickness. To prevent the slide e from rising
higher than is necessary, brackets f¹ are screwed on to the standards f
at the requisite elevation. If desired, the lowering of the slide e and
the moving forward of the slide i, can be made self-acting.
Fig. 4 represents a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 5 a
ground plan, partly in section, of part of my improved machinery for
cutting cylindrical and conical cork stoppers. The standards for
holding the pieces of cork, and the mechanism for turning them round
whilst being cut, are similar to those described in the Specification of
my former Patent, No. 1536, of 1855, with the exception of the
mechanism for raising and lowering the rack for turning the spindles
between, which the piece of cork is held. The endless band a is furnished
with projecting parts a', which form the knives, and passes over the
large pulley b and tightening pulley c. The pulley 6 moves in V grooves
on a circular bed d, which latter is supported on standards, or otherwise.
Instead of the circular V grooves, the bed d may, if preferred, he fitted
with a suitable number of antifriction pulleys, upon which the rim b'
may rest. Motion is imparted to the pulley b through a pulley on the
vertical spindle e, which latter is keyed to the boss of the pulley b. In

page_text: order to give rotatory motion to the piece of cork when the edge of the
knife a comes in contact with it, I attach by means of brackets fa
strap pulley f to the pulley b, the strap passing over a corresponding
smaller pulley g on the same spindle as the pulley c. Studs or tappets h
are attached to the strap in a position exactly corresponding with the
position of the knives a¹, and in order that the tappets and knives a¹
may at all times keep their rélative positions, the diameters of the
pulleys and g bear the same proportions to each other as the diameters
of the pulleys & c. Every time that one of the 'knives a' approaches
the cork the corresponding tappet h will catch the lever i, and in its
progress carry it round, until on arriving in the position imarked by
the dotted line they become disengaged. The lever i is fixed on the
upright shaft, upon which the bevil wheel is keyed, which latter
gears into the pinion m. On the shaft m of the bevil pinion m the spur
pinion n is keyed, which latter gears into the rack o, which, when thus
raised will communicate motion by means of the rack o' to the pinion p
on the spindle which holds the cork. On the lever i becoming released,
as already explained, the weight q, suspended by a rope which passes
over the guide pulley g', and round the pulley on the shaft, will
bring the lever i back to its original position, and depress the racks o
and o. The guide bushes which hold the racks o and o¹ swivel on the
shaft m², and on the spindle which holds the cork, and when the slide s
with its standards is withdrawn from the knife to admit of cutting corks.
of a larger diameter, the racks o and o' will assume a slanting position.
A pin placed in a convenient position will prevent the lever i from
receding too far when released. The arrangement for disengaging
the cork when cut, is the same as described in the Specification of my
above-named former Patent. The number of stands may be increased
according to the diameter of the platform or pulley b. I also intend
to use the circular bed d with V grooves or antifriction rollers, and
table and pulley b, in connection with the horizontal and vertical
knives, described in my above-mentioned former Patent, instead of
the knives being supported or carried by a vertical spindle. The sharp-
ness of the edges of the knives in the various cutting machines is
maintained by grinding apparatus, similar to those described in my
former Patent. I also intend to use a machine similar to the now well-
known endless saw frames, the blade or band having a cutting edge
Instead of the teeth, for cutting shallow stoppers of large. dimensions,
and a variety of other articles.
1
One of my improvements in shaping and making stoppers of cork
consists in cutting the veneer into strips of suitable width and, length,
and rolling the same tightly up in the form of a spiral, either without

page_text: or with a core of shave grass, rushes, or sweet wort. After the strip of
veneer has thus been rolled up, it is squeezed into a form made of sheet
steel, in the shape of a parallelepipedon but with one side removed,
the two opposite sides being, however, slightly inclined towards each
eather. At first the projecting end of the strip of veneer is turned
slightly upwards, and the internal surface, to the extent of about a
quarter of an inch, is overlaid with a cement, the preparation of which
I shall hereafter explain; and this being done, the overlap is turned
inwards, so as to be firmly compressed by the sides of the form. After
having been left in the form for the space of about three hours, the
stopper is taken out and subjected to the operation of a grindstone,
both or at the overlap and at the ends, to give it the proper shape
and finish. In order to work up cork of inferior
I roll up
appearance,
the strips of veneer in the manner above described, but to a smaller
size than that of the stopper required to be produced, cover it with
cement, and subsequently insert this body into a shell or tube made
of a strip of veneer of smooth appearance, the two ends of the shell
being jointed together by means of the cement already referred to. In
thise case I press the body of the stopper, after it has been rolled up
into a cylindrical form, of sheet steel, open to the extent of about one-
third of its circumference, and after having treated the joint as before
mentioned and kept the body in the form for a sufficient length of time
I insert it into the shell.
Another method of making cork of inferior appearance available
consists in joining a strip of inferior cork to one of better quality by
means of my cement, in such proportions of length, that the strip of
smooth cork forms, after the process of rolling, the external surface of
the stopper.
For the purpose of rendering the cork veneers more
pliable and elastic, I pass them through and compress them between
rollers.
For shallow stoppers of large diameter (such as for pickle jars, &c.),
I prepare a shell of smooth cork veneer, and after having fitted it with a
thin bottom of the same quality of material, I fill up the internal space
with a preparation of cork, which I shall hereafter describe, and which
makes the stopper sufficiently solid, and at the same time elastic.
In cases where ground glass stoppers have hitherto been used, I
either line the neck of the bottle or jar or other apertures with a ring,
shell, or strip of cork veneer, or I surround the stopper or bung itself
with a ing hoop, or strip of veneer, cementing the veneer to the
aperture or stopper, so as to prevent it from detaching itself. By these
means a perfectly tight fit is obtained without the expense of ground
stoppers and necks.

page_text: There is a certain kind of thin cork, which, because of being too thin,
has hitherto remained useless; such pieces I propose to cut into suit-
able lengths for stoppers, to smooth the rough side by means of the
grindstone, and to form them into squares by cementing two pieces
together, each with the better side outwards. After having confined
these squares in the form described with reference to the stoppers made
of veneer for a sufficient length of time, I cut them to their required
shape on the cork-cutting machine. A similar process can be adopted
with any odd pieces of cork, so long as they are large enough to form
stoppers of a useful size when joined together.
My improvements in the treatment of cork to be employed in the pro-
cesses of shaping and making stoppers of cork relate to the manufacture
of the cement herein-before referred to. For preparing this cement,
I make use of cork dust, such as that produced by the operation of the
grindstone. I mix this cork dust with nitric acid, in the proportion
of one pound of cork dust to one quarter of a pound of nitric acid;
this mixture I place in a close vessel or jar provided with a tube, which
carries off the ammonia into a cistern of water for the purpose of pre-
venting explosions. After the lapse of about eight days, according to
the temperature of the room in which the operation is performed, the
mixture is removed from the vessel, put into a bag made of horsehair,
and the liquid portion squeezed out. The solid substance remaining
in the bag is subjected to a process of kneading by means of rollers
or otherwise, and then forms a product somewhat analogous to bees-
wax, which, on being warmed to a certain degree and laid on wood,
cork, or other material, forms a cement of such tenacity, that it is
almost impossible to sever the joints formed by means of it. The acid
which results from the combination of the nitric acid and cork dust can,
when sufficiently diluted with water, be used in treating leather, and
it has the effect of making the leather appear and rendering it as pliable
as though it had been greased, although no amount of friction will give
off any fatty matter. It also can be used in the place of alcohol as a
solvent, and it may be applied to the staining of wood, or in com-
bination with varnish. or polish, which latter it renders peculiarly pene-
trating. When diluted with water, it also produces, after a certain
length of time, a kind of clear vinegar, which has the appearance of
wine vinegar. When the cork dust remains in combination with the
nitric acid during one half of the time above-mentioned, it forms, after
the acid has been drawn off, a slightly adhesive and elastic substance,
which I use for filling up the flat stoppers above referred to. Con-
siderable difficulty being experienced in feeding ordinary mills for
pulverizing cork, I propose, in order to avoid these difficulties, to apply

page_text: a metallic pulverizer in the shape of a cone with its apex upwards.
This cone is provided with grooves, similarly to a millstone, and
surrounded with a mantle, sufficient space being left between the
pulverizer and the mantle for the introduction of the cork and its
effective conversion into dust. The cork to be pulverized is supplied
by means of a funnel placed over the mantle, and the conical shape
of the pulverizer has the effect of drawing the pieces of cork within its
reach without manual labor.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim is,-.
Firstly, the use of a circular bed as a support for the arms or plate
to which the circular knives are attached, as described with reference
to Fig. 4 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly, the forming cork stoppers of veneer, substantially as
herein-before described.
Thirdly; the forming of linings of cork veneer for the necks of bottles,
jars, pots, or other apertures, and for covering stoppers and bungs.
Fourthly, the producing from cork a wax-like substance and the
using it in the manner herein-before described; and I do not claim any
other part of my above-described machinery or processes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anton Bruno Seithen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
ANTON BRUNO SEITHEN. (L.S.)