IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN MAKING BILGE BARRELS OR CASKS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Emerson Gibson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, and Donald Pope, of the same Place, Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
MAKING BILGE BARRELS OR CASKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Emerson Gibson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1881.
ROBERT EMERSON GIBSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
and DONALD POPE, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN MAKING BILGE BARRELS OR CASKS."
The Invention relates to that class of machinery or apparatus in which jointed
staves, that is, staves so shaped that they will fit together to form a bilge barrel
or cask, are fed between a collapsible core and hinged or removable forming or
shaping pieces or rings, and in which the ends of the staves whilst around the core
are cut and shaped or finished so as to be ready to receive the heads.
The main objects are to provide more compact, durable, and efficient machinery
or apparatus constructed substantially as and having the advantages hereinafter
set forth for carrying the above mentioned operations into effect.
For the above purposes (a) we so construct the core that the segments or pieces
of which it is formed shall in collapsing and expanding move in a direction at
right angles, or nearly so, to the carrying shaft instead of diagonally thereto, as
has heretofore been the case; (b) we direct the motions of the said segments by
guide pieces secured to the shaft and to the segments; (c) we so connect and
arrange the operating levers that the amount of end notion of the collar or
equivalent device by which the collapsing and expanding of the said core is
controlled is greatly reduced.
In carrying our Invention into practice the segments of the core are made or
provided with guide bars which fit into guides secured to the carrying shaft, or
vice versa.
The said segments are further connected to the carrying shaft through
Doll

page_text: a series of toggle jointed levers, and the centre or toggle joint of each of the said
levers is connected by means of rods or their equivalents to a sliding collar or like
mechanism. Motion is given to the said sliding collar by levers or other suitable
devices when it is desired to expand or collapse the core.
The advantages of the construction and mode of operation aboveset forth are,-
(1) the saws or cutters and the core cannot interfere with each other's motions, as
the core collapses vertically towards the carrying shaft instead of diagonally
thereto as heretofore; (2) the standards can be fixed nearer to the ends of the
staves on account of less end motion being required in the working parts employed
to expand and collapse the core, thereby reducing the amount by which the
moving parts overhang their bearings; (3) the levers or equivalent devices used to
operate the core segments are not subjected to side strains whilst the staves are
being fed, as all such strains are borne by the guide pieces on the segments and
shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Robert Emerson Gibson
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June 1882.
ROBERT EMERSON GIBSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
and DONALD POPE, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN MAKING BILGE BARRELS OR CASKS."
The Invention relates to that class of machinery or apparatus in which jointed
staves, that is, staves so shaped that they will fit together to form a bilge barrel or
cask, are fed between a collapsible coro and hinged or removable forming or
shaping pieces or rings, and in which the ends of the staves whilst around the coro
are cut and shaped or finished so as to be ready to receive the heads.
The main objects are to provide more compact, durable, and efficient machinery
or apparatus constructed substantially as and having the advantages hereinafter
set forth for carrying the above mentioned operations into effect.
For the above purposes (a) we so construct the core that the segments or pieces
of which it is formed shall in collapsing and expanding move in a direction at
right angles, or nearly so, to the carrying shaft instead of diagonally thereto, as
has heretofore been the case; (b) we direct the motions of the said segments by
guide pieces secured to the shaft and to the segments; and (c) we so connect and
arrange the operating levers that the amount of end motion of the collar or
equivalent device by which the collapsing and expanding of the said core is
controlled is greatly reduced.
In carrying our Invention into practice the segments of the core are made or
provided with guide bars which fit into guides secured to the carrying shaft, or
vice versa.
The said segments are further connected to the carrying shaft through
a series of toggle jointed levers, and the centre or toggle joint of each of the said
levers is counccted by means of rods or their equivalents to a sliding collar like
mechanisın. Motion is given to the said sliding collar by levers or other suitable
devices when it is desired to expand or collapse the core.
The advantages of the construction and mode of operation above setforth are,-
(1) the saws or cutters and the core cannot interfere with each other's motions, as
the core collapses vertically towards the carrying shaft instead of diagonally thereto
as heretofore; (2) the standards can be fixed nearer to the ends of the staves on
account of less end motion being required in the working parts employed to
expand and collapse the core, thereby reducing the amount by which the moving
parts overhang their bearings; (3) the levers or equivalent devices used to operate
the core segments are not subjected to side strains whilst the staves are being fed,
as all such strains are borne by the guide pieces on the segments and shaft.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end view; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a transverse
section; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal section, all of our improved machinery or
apparatus for making bilge barrels or casks; Fig. 5 is a plan; Fig. 6, a side
elevation; and Figs. 7 and 8 end views of a barrel or cask making machine fitted
with our improved apparatus. In all these views like letters denote the same
parts. a, framework; b, main shaft carrying the collapsible core on which the
barrel or cask is formed; c, hinged forming pieces for causing the staves to fit to
the surface of the core; d, staves; c, saws and cutters for shaping the ends of the
staves; f, driving gear for imparting motion to the main shaft and core; g, driving
gear for the saws and cutters; h, lever clutch for starting and stopping the driving

page_text: gear fi, levers for moving the saws and cutters into and out of action. The
above machine or apparatus, excepting the collapsible core, the construction and
arrangement of which constitutes the essential feature of our Invention, may be
made in any usual or suitable way, and when so made our improvements may be
combined therewith. The said collapsible core is constructed as follows:-, j, and
,, are four cast iron segments, a greater number, say six, may be used if desired,
but four are found to answer well in practice. 1, lugs or bosses secured to or cast
with the segments. The lugs or bosses are perforated and fit around guide
pins m, the guide pins m are secured to the collar n which is firmly attached to
the shaft b; 0, 0, p, p, toggle levers attached to the segments j and k, and to the
collars q, r, fixed on the shaft b; s, links, coupling the toggle levers o, p; t, rods
connecting the toggle levers o to the sliding collar u; v, lever for giving motion to
the sliding collar u. The rods connected to the toggle levers of the seginents jaro
made with slots w to allow of the segments remaining at rest until the segments
are partly collapsed. Figs. 1 and 2 show the core expanded, and Figs. 3 and 4
show it with the segments indrawn towards the shaft b; when so indrawn the
barrel body may be removed.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-After a barrel body has been made
and it is desired to take it off the core the lever vis moved so as to cause the
collar u to slide in the direction of the arrow. The toggle levers connected to the
segments are acted upon through the rods t, and begin to move towards the
shaft b. The segments j do not begin to move until the rods t have moved the
distance allowed by the slots w, consequently the segments j and are moved into
the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4; the barrel or cask can now be removed.
The core is again expanded by moving the collar in the reverse direction, and
_the_machine is ready to receive staves for making-another-barrel..
It will be seen that cores constructed in accordance with our Invention require
only a small motion of the sliding collar in order to expand or collapse them, and
that there is no danger to the saws and cutters from end motion of the cores; the
leading feature of our core may be stated thus, namely, that it collapses in its own
length, and that feature we claim.
It will be obvious that the guides and toggle joints may be considerably
modified without departing from our Invention.
Having now described the nature of our said improvements, and particularized
the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry our Invention
into practice, we claim,―
First. The combination of segments, guides, toggle levers, and carriers, constituting
the collapsible core, substantially as hereinbefore setforth.
Second. Machinery or apparatus for making bilge barrels or casks, arranged and
combined substantially as and for the purposes herein setforth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Emerson Gibson and Donald Pope,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.