Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Grinding Corks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Grinding Corks.
I, PETER JENSEN of 77 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Hakon Sigvart Larsen of 29 Brinkens Gade, Christiania, Norway,
Engineer,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for cutting and grinding corks, the machine
in question being of the automatic type in which the cork pieces are automatically
fed to the tool by means of which the corks are cut or ground to the desired
form.
My improved machine is shewn in the accompanying drawings which illustrate
the machine in its form as a grinding machine.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine, the frame-table being partially broken
away to show parts below the same.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of part of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the swinging frame Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4
Fig. 1.
The rough cork pieces are marked X. A A are teeth on the periphery of a
horizontal wheel B between which teeth and springs E the corks are put by the
operator. The wheel B is moved step by step forwards in the direction of the
arrow by means of pawl C, that engages with pins D, projecting on the bottom
side of the wheel, and is moved to and fro by a mechanism of well known
construction presently to be described. K is a swinging arm or frame movable in
the horizontal plane between the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 (the working
position) and the one shown in Fig. 2 (the cork catching position) indicated in
dotted lines Fig. 1. This swinging arm which is pivoted between the centres I
serves as frame or carrier for the spindles N and O, by means of which the corks
are caught and made to rotate. O is the catch spindle which is free to rotate in
its bearing and at its lower end has a pointed disc M and above the bearing by
means of a collar O¹ it is connected to and journalled in the forked end of a
lever P on top of the arm K, said lever serving to move the spindle O axially at
certain intervals; a spring R keeps the lever and the spindle in its downmost
position. The turning spindle N has also a pointed disc L and is provided with a
bevel wheel S meshing with a similar wheel on a shaft T journalled in the swinging
arm and carrying on its other end a bevelled friction wheel U.
V is the grinding disc mounted on the driving axle W; the grinding surface V',
which is on the inside of the disc may be prepared in any well-known manner.
1 is a
The several parts receive motion by means of the following mechanisms.
shaft journalled underneath the frame table and driven from the driving axle W
by means of endless cord and pulleys as shewn, or in any other suitable way.
The axle W makes several revolutions for each revolution of the shaft 1. The
latter carries a friction wheel 2 corresponding with the wheel U on the shaft T of
the swinging frame K. It will be seen that the wheel U is only in contact with
the wheel 2, when the frame or arm K has the position shown in full lines Fig. 1.
When in the dotted position, that is to say, the catching position the shaft T will
therefore not be rotated. The shaft 1 also carries the groove cam 3, in the groove
of which the end of the arm 4 projects; this arm extends from the frame K,
which latter as previously stated, is pivotally mounted on centres I, these being
fitted in a bracket 5. The cam 3 will move the arm 4 sideways and thereby

page_text: cause the aforesaid rocking movement of the spindle holder or frame K. The
raising of the catch spindle O, when the turning or grinding operation has been
finished is performed by the cam 6, acting on the lever 7, which is connected with
the rod 8, hanging down from the lever P, and the feeding movement of the
aforenamed pawl C is performed by the cam 9, acting on the lever 10.
H is the forwardly projecting arm of a lever 12, which is actuated by a cam 11
on the shaft 1. When the arm H is in its foremost position, which occurs each
time a cork has been finished and the swinging frame K is about to shift from the
position drawn in full lines to the dotted position it will be struck by the cork and
the latter loosened from the points on the disc M of the spindle so that it can fall
down.
When the machine is used as a grinding machine, it is sometimes preferable
that the corks may be ground to an oval cross section. The corks are then cut
from a piece of cork having a rectangular cross section, so that there remains a
small flat surface on two sides of the cork.
To enable the machine to grind such oval corks the shaft W carrying the
grinding disc V is made to move longitudinally to and fro, twice for each revolution
of the cork. This reciprocating movement of the shaft is performed by the
following means. 15 is a cam on the shaft 1, and 16 a lever, one end of which is
in contact with the cam surface, while its other end through the rod 17 is
connected with a lever 18, which is pivoted at 19. This lever has a fork shaped
end 20 and the shaft W has collars 21 between which the fork end 20 passes.
A spring 22 holds the arm 18 and thereby the shaft W in its innermost position,
and by means of the setscrew 23 the backward movement of the shaft W may be
regulated at will according to the desired difference between the smaller and the
greater diameter of the cork. As will be seen the cam 15 has a wave-shaped
surface, so that the lever 16 during the corresponding part of the revolution of
the shaft 1 is moved several times to and fro, in which movement the grinding
disc must partake in the just described manner.
The shaft W has its bearings mounted on a separate plate 25, which is adjustably
secured to the frame table of the machine, by means of screw bolts 26 passing
through oblong holes 27 in the plate 25. The plate and the grinding or cutting
disc may thereby be adjusted horizontally. By means of a number of set
screws 28 the plate may be adjusted in the vertical plane and thereby the disc if
desired given an inclined position, so that conical corks may be produced.
Fig. 1 shows the construction of a circular cutting disc, which may be placed
on the shaft W instead of the disc V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a machine for cutting or grinding corks the combination with a rotary
disc, having a circular cutting edge or a plane grinding surface of means for
catching hold of and rotating the cork piece while it is treated by the said tool,
said means consisting in a pair of spindles adapted to be rotated at certain intervals
and carried by a swinging frame adapted to be moved to and fro between the said
cutting or grinding tool and a holder for the rough cork pieces substantially as
set forth..
2. In a cork grinding machine the combination with a rotary disc having a
grinding surface on one of its sides and the shaft upon which it is fixed of means
for imparting to the shaft at intervals an axially reciprocating movement
substantially as and for the purposes as described.
3. In a cork grinding or cork cutting machine means for catching hold of and
rotating the cork piece while it is treated by the cutting or grinding disc and for
transporting the cork pieces one by one from a holder or magazine for the corks,
consisting in the combination with a swinging frame which is swung laterally at
intervals of a turning spindle (N) and a rotary catch spindle (O) said spindles

page_text: being adapted to hold the cork pieces between pointed discs on their ends, the
turning spindle being at intervals put in rotation by a shaft T journalled in the
swinging frame and having a friction wheel U, which only gears with a friction
wheel on the driving shaft of the machine when the swinging frame is in its
working position substantially as described.
4. In a cork cutting or grinding machine means for holding and automatically
feeding the corks, consisting in a wheel B having on its periphery teeth A, between
which and springs E the cork pieces are placed, said wheel being moved step by
step so that the corks are transported one by one in front of the cutting or
grinding tool to be caught between the ends of the spindles in the 'swinging frame
substantially as described.
5. The construction of machine shown on the drawing.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.