Improvements in Stave Trimming and Jointing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stave Trimming and Jointing Machines.
We WILLIAM JAMES WRIGHT, Inventor, of Main Street, Cooperstown,
Venango County, Pennsylvania, and JAMES MCGAVIN MCKERROW, Hardware
Dealer, of 10 Seneca Street, Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania, and
DAVID LEWIS TRAX, Waggon Manufacturer, of 126 State Street South Oil City,
Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States of America 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
Our invention relates more particularly to that class of stave making machines,
in which the billet is first trimmed to a proper width, after which it is automatically
fed into the machine, such billet in its course through the machine serving to
automatically control and set the bevel cutting, and the bilge forming devices,
whereby such devices will be operated to cut the bevel and form the bilge in exact
proportions, relative to the different widths of the billet. The invention has for its
object to provide a machine of this character, simple and durable in its construction,
of great capacity, positive and effectual in its operation and easy to manipulate;
and to these ends it consists in the peculiar and novel combination of parts, and
details of construction all of which will hereinafter be fully described in the
Specification and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings forming part of this Specification, in which
Figure is a top plan view of the improved stave machine; Figure 2 is a
vertical longitudinal section of one end thereof on the line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the machine taken on the line 3-3, Figure 1,
looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Figure 4 is a detail transverse section on the line 4-4, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a detail side view, and Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of one of
the head blocks hereinafter referred to.
Figure 7 is sectional view of a modified way of supporting the trimmer saw
shafts.
Figure 8 is a detail view of a portion of the carrier link chain.
Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view hereinafter referred to.
Figures 10 and 11 are detail views hereinafter referred to.
Referring to the accompanying drawings A indicates the main frame formed with
the end legs or supports a a¹ and a centre leg a², such legs being of a form shown
most clearly in Figures 3 and 4. B indicates a central longitudinal bed rail,
extending from the front to the back leg, and such bed has a longitudinal V groove
in its top to receive the endless chain carrier C, presently referred to.
On the front end of the machine is an extension D, which we term the billet bed,
as it forms a rest for the billet before it is pushed into the machine.
E indicates a dovetail guide rail mounted transversely on the upper side beams a*
of the main frame upon which are mounted movable boxes H, which are adapted to
be set towards or from each other by a lever F, pivoted centrally on the rail E
between the inner ends of the boxes H; the inuer end of such lever being extended
as at f, while the outer end f' is extended over the billet bed D and formed with a
handle portion as shown.
By referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be noticed that to each of the
sliding boxes H is pivotally connected a link arm h h', one of which is pivotally
connected to the inner end of the lever F, while the other is connected to such lever
at a point forward of its fulcrum, and such construction it will be seen provides
simple means for moving the slide boxes H inward or outward by the different

page_text: movements of the lever F. Thus should the lever be swung in the direction
indicated by the arrow the boxes H will be drawn inward while an opposite
movement of such lever will spread them outward.
Each of the boxes H has a downwardly and forwardly extending clutch arm H¹H¹
which engage the clutch collars of the laterally movable saws I, mounted on the
main frame in a manner most clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, by
reference to which it will be seen that each saw is fixedly mounted upon a
shaft J, held for longitudinal movement in a hollow shaft J' and to turn therewith.
The shafts J are mounted at their outer ends in fixed bearings ; formed on the
outer ends of the transverse supporting yoke j* while their inner ends are journaled
in bearings hung in boxes secured to the side beams a* as shown.
K indicates drive pulleys on the shafts J¹ belted with any of the main drive
shafts in the usual manner, and L are pulleys held on such shafts which are
connected with the drive pulleys of the cutters hereinafter referred to.
By arranging the trimmer saw mechanism as shown and described, the operator
by adjusting the lever F will move the slide boxes H laterally, which in turn moves
the saw carrying shafts and the saws to the desired positions."
In some kinds of work and especially when great speed is desired, a single
shaft J is inserted into the hollow shafts J' which extends entirely across the
machine, and ou such shaft the saws are held for lateral movement, they being
formed with the clutch hubs, keyed to the shaft in a manner clearly shown in
Figure 7.
:
The endless carrier C before referred to is formed of a series of links connected
in the ordinary manner; but having their bottom faces tapered as shown most.
clearly in Figure 8, whereby such bottoms will fit the triangular or V groove in
the top of the bed B and the V groove in the front bearing wheel L* and also over
the drive wheel L' mounted on the shaft M in the rear end of the machine, such
wheel having an annular V groove formed with sprocket teeth 1, over which the
parallel links c¹ fit and engage, and by which it is driven.
In operation the stave before reaching the trimmer saws, will engage the upper
faces of the endless carrier links, which faces have prongs c*, and it will be carried
along by such carrier over the bed B and under a series of pressure rolls N N, the
shafts of which are journaled in boxes n n, each having vertical extensions n' n¹
fitting in sockets OO in the side beams a* of the frame, such extensions being held
in such sockets for vertical movement therein by means of adjusting screws o o,
which pass through apertures in the upper part of the beams a*, the heads of such
screws serving to limit the downward movement of the extensions.
To hold the stave down in tight frictional contact with the carrier C, some of
the rolls N are held down by means of yoke arms P arranged to bear against the
heads of the screws o o, and such yoke arms have their outer ends guided in slotted
standards QQ, the rear ends thereof being formed into a single member R upon
which is secured a weight Z.
"
The trimmed stave as it is carried along engages a pair of arms A', which we
term the "spreader arms as they serve to spread the cutters apart to their proper
positions respectively to the width of the stave to be beveled and bilged. These
arms which are most clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 are formed of members A
which are pivotally connected with the cutter heads at a, their rear ends being
fitted in blocks a held to slide on a transverse rod a, the ends of which fit in
blocks a longitudinally adjustable on guides a", fitted upon the under side of the
side beams a*. These arms A' are projected to a point in advance of the cutters B
and are bent inwards towards each other to a point nearly in line with the cutter
blades 6 and are then flared outward and forward with flattened enlarged heads A³
which are normally arranged in the path of the moving billet.
By connecting the spreader arms to the cutter heads as shown most clearly in
Figure 1, the relation of the heads A" and the cutters is such, that as the arms A
are spread apart the distance of the heads A8 will be slightly greater than the
distance between the cutters; this provides for the cutters beginning to cut on the

page_text: end of the stave at a point inside of the outer edges, so as to get the proper.
bilge cut.
It should be here stated that the bilge forming devices presently specifically
referred to are adapted to be set to different adjustments, whereby they can be set
to form bilges of different curvatures. It will also be understood that the greater
the bilge, the further inward from the outer edges of the stave, must the cutters
begin to make the bilge cut. For this purpose the ends of the spreader arms are
connected in the manner before described. Thus, by moving the blocks a' towards
the cutters to change the fulcrum of such arms, the proportional increase of the
sweep of the front ends of the spreader arms, over that of the outward movement
of the cutters will be increased, thereby setting the cutters to begin their cut
nearer the centre of the end of the stave, and by adjusting the said blocks a
outward to increase the distance between the fulcrum of the arms A' and their
connection with the cutter heads, the proportionate increase of the sweep of the
ends of the said arms and the lateral movement of the cutters will be decreased,
thereby causing the cutters to engage the stave at a point nearer its outer edges, as
clearly shown in the diagrammatic view Figure 9.
The cutter head or supporting frames are most clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of
the drawings, and consist of yoke shaped frames C formed with downwardly and
inwardly projecting curved arms C, which are pivoted at the lower end upon a
central longitudinal shaft C', mounted on the middle leg a³ and a cross-bar C's and
such frames are normally forced inward by means of springs C interposed between
them and the side beams a" of the main frame, such inward movement being
however limited by the stop set screws C on the upper extension C" of the yoke
frames which are adapted to engage the upper side beams a* of the frame. The
cutter shafts C* are mounted in the yoke frames and are provided with drive
pulleys c which receive motion from the belts which connect them with the
trimmer saw shaft, as shown.
In brackets a projected outwardly from the side beams a10 of the main frame
are mounted the bilge forming devices which consist of the tubular head
blocks D D fulcrumed near the upper ends between the brackets a" in which
are held to slide plunger rods D to which are centrally pivoted the lower ends of
connecting rods d', the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to studs don
the outer ends of the yoke bearings, the said lower ends passing through elongated
slots in the upper face of the tubular head blocks, as shown most clearly in
Figures 1 and 5. At their upper edges the tubular head blocks have ears to
which are pivotally connected by approximately universal joint couplings E the
lower ends of pitman rods F, the upper ends of which are adjustably fitted in
similar coupling blocks E adjustably held on slotted crank arms g', g, projected
from a transverse shaft G journaled upon the side bars a* of the main frame.
The shaft G is also formed with a slotted crank arm 9 to which is adjustably
pivoted a jointed bearing block to which is connected one end of a pitman
rod H the opposite end of which is connected with a block j pivotally connected
to a crank arm J' on the outer end of a transverse shaft G mounted upon the
upper beams a* at the rear end of the machine.
Fixedly mounted upon the shaft K is a gear wheel L' which meshes with an
idler M' mounted in a swinging bearing M supported on the shaft K* and which
normally is adjacent to, but out of contact with, a gear N' mounted upon a
transverse shaft n the outer end of which has a sprocket wheel O' which is driven
by the chain belt P which passes over a sprocket wheel on the drive shaft M of
the endless carrier drive wheel L'. Rindicates a cross-head disposed above and
at a point in front of the cutters, centrally of which is hung a lifting arm S the
lower end of which projects down in the path of the moving stave, the rear end of
such arm S having an apertured ear in which is pivotally connected the forward
end of the pitman rod Ts the front end of which projects through an apertured.
block U which is pivotally connected to the swinging frame M®.

page_text: It will be noticed by reference to Figure 10 that the rod T' has a fixed collar t.
in advance of the block V and about such rod between such collar and the
block V is disposed a spiral spring U while upon the opposite end of the block V*
the rod T has an adjustable collar t
The manner in which the bilge forming devices are operated is as follows-So
soon as the trimmed billet passes forward and engages the spreader arms, the cutter
frames and cutters will be rocked outward and such movement of the cutter frames
will, through the pivoted rods (d³) move the plunger rods D in the tubular head
blocks D out to a degree proportionate to the outward movement of the cutter
frames. Immediately after the billet sets the spreader arms, and before it reaches
the cutters, it engages the lifting arm S and swings it rearward, which movement
through the rod T swings the frame M so that the gear M will be brought into
mesh with the gear Ns from which it then receives motion which is then imparted
to the gear L' and the shaft K³ revolved thereby. In practice the several gear
wheels are of such a size that one revolution is imparted to the shaft K³ during the
time it takes the stave to pass between the cutters and to bring such shaft to a
complete and accurate revolution, even in case such a stave be of a fraction less or
more in length; such shaft has a collar K' formed with a flat face K' upon which a
flat spring K normally bears and which will act to always bring the shaft to its
proper normal position (see Figure 2).
It will be readily seen by referring to the aforesaid Figure 2 that as a rotary
motion is imparted to the shaft K³ a reciprocating or rocking motion will be
immediately imparted to the shaft G' and as the parts are arranged to travel in the
direction indicated by the several arrows in Figure 2 the shaft G' as it is rocked
will serve by its first movement to elevate the rods F and thereby cause the head
blocks to be rocked upon their pivots, their front ends being as it were gradually
elevated and the rear ends depressed, such movements through the rods (d³) serving
to gradually pull the cutter frames outward until the centre of the billet shall have
passed between the cutters. At this time the shaft K* will have made one half of
a revolution and the shaft G' reciprocated in a forward direction. A further
movement of such shaft K' then imparts a rearward reciprocation to the shaft G
which in turn, through its end crank arms, causes the rods F to move downward
and depress the inner ends of the head blocks and consequently elevate their outer
ends which in turn then swings the cutter frames gradually inward to their place of
beginning.
As a simple means for holding the plunger rods D to their adjusted positions su
soon as the billet sets the spreader arms, cams W' are provided which are pivoted
to ears on the under face of the tubular head blocks and such cams have their
bearing faces projected up through slots in the head blocks, as clearly shown in
Figure 6. Normally such cams are held so as to allow for a free movement of the
plunger rods, such position being maintained by means of adjusting screws as on
the side beams a¹ against which inwardly projecting arms 10 on such cams W
are held to rest, springs to secured thereto and to the lower beams of the main frame
being provided to hold these clamps against the screw stops although they may be
held thereagainst by gravity.
It will be readily understood from Figure 2 that so soon as the plunger rods
have been set and the front ends of the head blocks are elevated, the springs will
draw against the cams and cause them to bite against the plunger rods and hold
them to their adjusted positions. By constructing the head blocks, pivotally
supporting them, and arranging the plunger rods in the manner shown and described,
it will at once be apparent that as such plunger rods are set by the different width
staves so its pivotal axis will be moved to or from the head block axis and a greater
or less bilge movement will be imparted to the cutter frames, such movement being
governed entirely by the set of the plunger rods. By connecting the lifting
rods F to the slotted cranks o as shown, such connections can be quickly adjusted
towards or from the shaft Go and thereby increase or diminish the lifting of such

page_text: arms, which adjustment provides for differential rocking motions to the head blocks,
such adjustment thereby providing a simple and effective means for setting the
entire bilge forming devices to form bilges of different curvatures.
As it is necessary that the shaft KB should remain geared with the shaft n
during the entire operation of cutting the stave, the rod T' is formed at a point
below its connection with a rearwardly-extending arm To which projects to a point
in line with the rear edge of the cutters. It will thus be seen that after the rear
end of the billet passes the lifter S' it will engage the arm To and hold the rod T
up, but so soon as the billet passes the arm To the lifter S' will be forced down by
the spring S to its lowermost position, thereby pulling the idler M out of contact
with the gear N°. As some of the billets are thicker than others and too great a
lifting pressure is imparted to the arm S and the rod T' such arm after the
gears M and N' have been moved into mesh will have a limited movement in the
block V (see Figure 10) A* indicates a drive shaft journaled on the main frame
upon the upper end of which is a worm A' which meshes with a worm wheel /* on
the shaft (see Figure 2). In practice it is preferred to arrange such shaft A' for
frictional contact with a frictional pulley on the main drive shaft B', as shown in
Figure 11, and, while not so shown, it is manifest suitably arranged shifting levers
can be connected therewith for shifting them into or out of contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
1. In a stave trimming and jointing machine, in combination, the main frame, a
transverse guide bar mounted thereon, the laterally movable boxes held on said
guide.bar, mechanism for adjusting such boxes towards or from each other, the
laterally movable saws, and connections between such boxes and the saws whereby
such saws are set by the movement of the boxes, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a stave trimming and jointing machine, the combination, with the main
frame and the laterally adjustable trimmer saws mounted thereon, of the dovetail
guide rail E, the movable boxes H held thereon, the lever F pivoted thereon
between the boxes, the link arms h¹ connecting such boxes with the lever F to
the front and rear of its fulcrum, and the arms H¹ connecting such boxes and the
saw hubs, all as and for the purpose described.
3. In a stave trimming and jointing machine, the combination, with the main
frame and the transverse yoke jx formed with bearings ; at its outer ends, and the
boxes and bearings supported on the side beams a* of the main frame, of the
hollow shafts J' mounted in the bearings, the shafts J longitudinally movable in
and held to turn with the hollow shafts and saws I mounted on the inner ends of
the shafts J, lever mechanism for simultaneously adjusting the saw shafts J inward
or outward and means for rotating the shafts J, all substantially as shown and for
the purpose described.
4. In a stave jointing machine, in combination, the endless carrier, the cutter
frames and cutters held to be rocked laterally to such carrier, bilge forming devices
connected therewith, spreader arms connected with the cutter frames projected in
advance thereof to be engaged by the passing stave, such arms having adjustable
fulcrums on the main frame at the rear of the cutter frames, all arranged sub-
stantially as shown, whereby the front contact faces of the arms can be adjusted
to set the cutters to cut a greater or less bilge by adjusting the fulcrums of such
arms to or from the cutters, as and for the purpose described.
5. In a stave jointing machine, the combination with the main frame, the endless
carrier, and the laterally swinging cutter frames, of-the spreader arms A' pivotally
connected near their front ends to the cutter frames, such front ends having contact
faces adapted to be engaged by the passing stave, the longitudinally arranged
guide rods all on. the main frame, the transverse rod a adjustably held thereon,
and the slide.blocks a' longitudinally adjustable to the rear ends of the arms A*

page_text: and transversely adjustable on the rod a, all substantially as and for the purpose
described. :
6. In a stave jointing machine, the combination, with the main frame, the
swinging cutter frames and cutters, and the endless carrier passing between euch
cutter frames, bilge forming devices including rocker head blocks and plungers
operating therein, link arms on the cutter frames pivotally connected with the
plunger rods, intermittently operated gear devices including reciprocating arms
connected to the swinging head blocks, and lock cams for holding the plungers to
their adjusted positions, all arranged to be automatically and successively operated
by the moving stave and whereby the movement of the cutter frames will set the
plungers to determine the bilge movement of such cutter frames whereby such
movement is rendered continuous during the passage of the stave between the
cutters, as set forth.
7. In a stave jointing machine, the combination, with the swinging cutter frames,
the rotary cutters mounted thereon, and mechanism for carrying the billet between
such cutters of bilge formers arranged to be set to their initial position by the
lateral or swinging movement of the cutter frames, devices for holding such formers
to their adjusted position, and intermittent gear mechanism arranged to be set in
operation by the passing stave and adapted to impart a reciprocating motion to the
formers whereby to move the cutter frames on a proper bilge curve, as and for the
purpose described..
8. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination, with the,
swinging cutter frames and the rotary cutters mounted thereon, of a bilge forming
device comprising tubular rocker frames pivoted on the main frame, plunger rods
movable therein, link arms pivotally connected to such rods and to the swinging
cutter frames whereby to move such plungers as the cutter frames are swung on
their pivotal axis, means for holding the tubular frames to their normal position,
and locking devices adapted to lock the plunger rods from movement when the
tubular frames are rocked, substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination, with the
laterally swinging cutter frames and the revolving cutters mounted therein, of
the tubular head blocks D' slotted on their upper and lower faces, the plunger
rods D operating therein, the link arms a pivotally connecting the plungers and
the swinging cutter frames, the cams W pivoted on the head blocks D adapted
to be out of contact with the plungers when the head blocks are in their normal
positions and to engage the said plungers when such blocks are swung on their
pivots, and means for rocking such head blocks, all substantially as and for the
purpose described.
10. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination, with
the laterally swinging cutter frames and the revolving cutters mounted therein,
the swinging tubular head blocks pivoted to the sides of the main frame, the plunger'
rods longitudinally movable thereon, the pivoted link connections d and the cam
devices for engaging the plunger rods, of the drive shaft M, the shaft n geared
therewith provided with a gear N, the rotary shaft K', a swinging gear connection M
mounted thereon, the rock shaft G connected with the shaft K' and operated
thereby, the crank arms 9' on said shaft G', the rods F³ connecting such crank
arms and the head blocks, and mechanism connected to the swinging gear con-
nection M adapted to be engaged by the passing stave whereby to gear the
shafts K and together during the operation of cutting, all substantially as and
for the purpose described.
11. In a stave jointing machine of the class described, the combination with
the frame A the drive wheels L L the endless carrier mounted thereon, the
laterally swinging cutter carrying frames, the bilge former head blocks pivotally
mounted for a rocking movement on the main frame connected with the cutter
frames, the shafts D' formed with slotted crank arms dd, the rods F' adjustably
secured at their upper ends in said slotted cranks 'd, their lower ends pivotally
connected with the rocking head blocks, and mechanism for imparting a rocking :

page_text: motion to the shaft D' during the operation of forming the bilge cut on the billet,
all substantially as and for the purpose described.
12. In a stave jointing machine substantially as described, the combination with
the cutter and the bilge forming mechanism including the head blocks adapted to
be set to their initial point of operation by the passing billet and the shaft n
geared with one of the drive shafts of the machine, of the shaft K' provided with a
gear, the swinging frame M' held on the shaft K carrying an idler M* the
lifting arm S hung in the path of the moving billet in advance of the cutters, the
rod T connecting the frame M' and the arm S* and formed with their rearward
extension to and connections between the shaft K³ and the head blocks for imparting
a rocking motion thereto, all as and for the purpose described.
13. In a stave jointing machine substantially as described the combination with
the shaft K' the drive shaft n the swinging gear carrying frame M' and the pivotal
lifter arm S of the rod T pivotally connected with the arm S at its front end a
block. U pivotally connected to the swinging frame M' such rod T having a
yielding connection in the block U' at its lower end as-and for the purpose
described.
14
W. J. WRIGHT,
J. M. McKERROW,
D. L. TRAX,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chaucery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.