Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Cork Cutting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Cork Cutting Machines.
I, JOSEPH ADELARD LAFRANCE of No. 860 Berri Street, in the City of Montreal, in
the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Cork Cutter,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means for automatically placing in the
usual receiver of a cork cutting machine the individual corks in the same manner as
now performed by hand, thus dispensing with the services of a separate attendant for
each machine.
The main features of the invention may be said, briefly, to consist in the combination
of a receiving hopper, a conveyer preferably consisting of a travelling belt for conveying
the corks from such hopper to the receiver of the cutting machine; adjusting devices
comprising a movable grooved guide strip contained in, and an agitator drum operating
in the receiving hopper for adjusting the corks to the required position relatively to
said conveyor; means, for controlling the movements of the corks produced by the
conveyor, consisting of alternately reciprocating slides and suitable means for operating
same and a longitudinally and a laterally adjustable "pusher" moving transversely of
the conveyer for conducting the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver
of the machine and cam-rod-and-lever mechanism for operating such "pusher" and
suitable pulleys for driving the travelling belt, and the agitator drum.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1896.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Cork Cutting Machines.
I, JOSEPH ADELARD LAFRANCE, of No. 860 Berri Street, in the City of Montreal, in
the District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Cork Cutter,
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 :--
This invention has for its object to provide means for automatically placing in the
usual receiver of a cork cutting machine, the individual corks in the same manner as
now performed by hand, thus dispensing with the services of a separate attendant for
each machine.
The main feature of the invention consists in the combination of a receiving hopper,
a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting machine,
and means for conducting each cork from the conveyer to the receiver; other features
of the invention embodying devices in the receiving hopper for adjusting the corks to
the required position relatively to the conveyer, and devices for controlling the
movement of the corks by the conveyer; as well as arrangements for securing the
adjustment of the several parts.

page_text: Having thus referred to the principle and the main features of my invention, I will
now describe what is considered to be the best embodiment thereof in an operative
feed mechanism and although details of construction are specified, 1 do not limit
myself thereto.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the feeding mechanism and part of the receiver of the
cork cutting machine the receiving hopper and agitating drum mounted therein being
shown in section.
Figure 2 a detail plan view of the hopper:
Fig. 3 an enlarged detail plan view of the devices for controlling the movement
of the corks by the conveyer and for transferring them from the latter to the receiver
of the machine.
.
Figure 4 an end elevation of the delivery end of the conveyer.
Fig. 5 a plan view of the underside of the supporting plate.
a is a portion of the usual intermittently rotating receiver of the cork cutting
machine, the remainder of the machine being omitted since it forms no part of my
invention and is not necessary to the illustration of the operation thereof.
c is the receiving hopper of my feed mechanism. It is situated over the receiving
end of the conveyer being supported on the framing c' of the feed mechanism and
provided with devices for adjusting the corks to the required position on the conveyer,
such devices preferably consisting of a rotating agitator drum. d, the periphery of
which is hollowed somewhat centrally of its length for guiding purposes, and bas
projections or nail heads d' adapted to toss the corks about, and a guiding groove e,
in the inclined bottom of the hopper, which groove is slightly larger than the diameter
of the corks that it guides and consequently they can only enter the groove with
their longitudinal axes lengthwise of the groove.
is
In order to feed corks of a larger or smaller diameter the guiding groove
preferably formed in a strip f which is interchangeable with other strips, having
wider or narrower grcoves, either of which strips can be fitted in a groove g in
the floor of the hopper, to receive it.
The conveyer is preferably in the form of a travelling endless belt h mounted on
rollers 2 having their bearings in the frame c' and has stationary side guards
or walls arranged above the belt with their lower edges in close proximity to the
surface thereof for the purpose of securing the travel of the carks endwise or in the
position in which they reach the belt from the receiving hopper. The walls k are
supported by lateral wing projections k' which bear on similar projections c 2 from the
framing and they are rendered adjustable, to accommodate different sizes of corks
laterally, through the slots 2 in the horizontal portion of the wing projections k¹ and
set screws k 3 and longitudinally through slot k 4, in the vertical portion of such wing
projections, and screws k 5.
The belt h is driven in the direction indicated through any suitable band and pulley
or other driving connection with the spindle of roller at the receiving end thereof;
the agitating drum d of the receiving hopper being rotated from the same source.
At the delivery end of the conveyer the several devices for controlling the movement
of the corks by the conveyer are situated, being carried by an adjustable supporting
plate c3 connected with the framing e' by thumb screw e 4, and the first of these to
act upon the corks is the "holder in the form of an adjustable transversely operating
finger m adapted to be adjusted to work through any one of a series of slots m¹ in one
of the walls of the conveyer and to bear against the side of a cork and hold it stationary
by forcing it against the opposite wall of the conveyer.
The next controlling device is the "gate" also in the form of an adjustable
transversely operating finger n adapted to be adjusted to work through any one of a
series of slots n' in the wall of the conveyer so as to be located in the path of the corks.
The purpose of the two controlling devices just mentioned is to prevent more than one
cork at a time passing into a position to be moved from the conveyer to the usual
rotary receiver a of the cutting machine, while each cork is finally arrested in the
proper position opposite the receiver by means of an adjustable stop in the form of

page_text: plate p extending transversely of the belt h and having a slotted extension p
through which it is secured to the framing e' by set screw p 2.
The finger m constituting the "holder" is carried by an arm m 2 that is adjustable in
a line parallel with the conveyer so that the finger can be arranged to work through
either of the slots m³ according as the corks are longer or shorter; the arm being
slotted and set in position by screws m 3 entering an upward projection m 4 from a
reciprocating slide or carrier m 5 supported by the bed plate or framing c' and held in
place by retaining plates m 6 which also form guides for same.
The finger n constituting the "gate" is secured to an upward projection n 2 from a
second reciprocating slide or carrier n 3 and its adjustment is secured by withdrawing
its retaining screw and adding or removing washers such as n 12. The carrier n3 is
supported and held in place similarly to the slide 5 and each of these slides
carries adjustable stops, the slide m 5 baving one, m 7, and the slide 3 having
two, n 4 and 5, through which, and other mechanism to be presently described, they
are operated.
The means for conducting each cork from the conveyer to the receiver is in this
case shown as a pusher in the form of a slide q operating transversely of the bearing
plate c 3 in a guide plater adjustably secured to said bearing plate c3 by means of
set screws and slots r2 r2 said guide plater being further ensured against
displacement by the operation of pusher q, by means of downwardly projecting
ribs r3r3 which take into corresponding recesses r4r4 in the hearing plate.
This pusher slide has a bearing head q carrying an adjustable connecting or bearing
plate 9 2 through which it is connected with the operating mechanism which latter
I will now describe:
The holder" is moved in the direction to engage the corks by means of a retractile
spring y beneath the adjustable supporting plate c3 of the framing, and having one
end connected to such plate and the other end connected with a pin m 8 projecting
from the underside of the slide m 5, through a slot c5 in the plate c 3. The
"pusher" is moved in the direction to transfer the cork from the conveyer to the
rotary receiver by means of a bent expansion spring s one end of which is secured to
the framing c' and the other bears behind a pin s' projecting from the underside of
the slide through a slot r5 in the plater and an opening c6 in plate c3 large
enough to allow of the lateral adjustinent of such plater and the movement of pin st
with pusher slide q' and these parts are returned in the opposite direction and the
gate" operated both in the direction to obstruct the corks and to allow of their
passage, by the following mens forming another part of the operating mechanism :
A lever t is fulcrumed at t upon the plate c 3 and one end of it extends in front of
the stop m 7 on the "holder" slide m 5 while the other end is pivotally secured at t 2
to the gate" slide n 3 between the stops n 4, n 5, thereon.
."
A cross bar u is rigidly connected with the pusher slide 9 through the connecting
or bearing plate g2 and a set screw u', and one end of this bar extends between the
stops n 4, n5 of the "gate" slide above the end of the lever t secured to such slide,
while the other end of the cross bar has connected with it the end of a connecting
rod (held in place by nuts ) leading from the free end of a lever w fulcrumed
at to any convenient stationary part of the machine and in such a position
relatively to any continuously rotating shaft, such as indicated at w 2, as to be borne
upon and be moved to the dotted position shown in Fig. 4 by a rotating arm or cam
piece to 3 on such shaft, its movement in the opposite direction being secured by the
expansion spring & acting on the "pusher" slide.
To regulate the throw of the lever by the arm w 3 the portion coming in contact
with the lever is made in the form of a stud w4 adjustable in a radial slot w5 in the
arm, and in order also to accommodate the stroke of the connecting rod and
consequent thrust of the pusher slide, the conducting rod passes loosely through an
eye in the end of the lever and carries a yielding cushion in the form of a coiled
expansion spring 6 2 encircling the rod between and bearing against the lever at one
end and at the other end against a nut v 3 on the end of the rod.

page_text: The operation of the feeding mechanism is as follows
"
The corks are fed from the hopper individually and so as to be carried end wise by the
Conveyer. Before each cork finally reaches the position shown in Fig. 3 between the
pusher and rotary receiver and bearing against the stop p, it is in turn held by
the "holder" and arrested by the "gate so as to effectively prevent a second or
following cork or the d portion of one approaching and entering the
space between
the pusher and rotary receiver until the required time for it to do so and to such end
the holder, gate and pusher operate relatively to each other as follows:
As the pusher is moved forward to transfer the cork in front of it to the rotary
receiver, and has about half completed its thrust the cross bar u engages the stop n 5
on the "gate" slide and so causes the finger n to be projected across the conveyer to
the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and simultaneously with this movement
of the gate the "holder" slide is withdrawn by the lever t thus freeing the cork held
by its finger m with the result that such cork is carried forward by the conveyer
until arrested by the gate finger when it in turn arrests the following cork at a point
opposite the holder finger and before the gate finger is totally withdrawn by the
cross bar acting on the stop x 4, to allow the first cork to be carried forward the
holder finger is released by levert and projected by the spring 9, acting on its
slide m 5 to engage the second cork.
To vary the extent of travel of "pusher" 9, "gate" carrier n 3 and "holder"
carrier m 5, it is only necessary to adjust the connecting plate q 2, and stop nA,
n 5, and m 7.
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 feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine; adjusting devices comprising a grooved guide strip contained in, and an
agitator drum operating in the receiving hopper for adjusting the corks to the
required position relatively to said conveyer means for controlling the movement of
the corks produced by the conveyer, and means for conducting the corks individually
from the conveyer to the receiver for the purpose set forth.
2. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a
receiving
hopper, a conveyer having adjustable slide guards for the corks between such
hopper and the receiver of the cutting machine, adjusting devices comprising a
grooved guide strip contained in, and an agitator drum operating in said receiving
hopper, for adjusting the corks to the required position relatively to said conveyer,
means for controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, and
means for conducting the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver for the
purpose set forth.
3. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a travelling conveyer having stationary adjustable side guards for the corks
between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting machine, adjusting devices
comprising a grooved guide strip and an agitator drum in said hopper, the guide
strip being interchangeable with other guide strips and detachably set in a groove
in the floor of the hopper, devices for controlling the movement of the corks
produced by the conveyer, and means for conducting the corks individually from the
conveyer to the receiver, for the purpose set forth.
4. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a travelling conveyer having stationary adjustable side guards, for the corks
between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting machine, adjusting devices
comprising a grooved guide strip and an agitator drum in said hopper, the guide strip
being interchangeable with other guide strips and detachably set in a groove in the
floor of the hopper and the agitator drum being hollowed centrally of its length and
having an uneven or studded surface; devices for controlling the movement of the

page_text: corks produced by the conveyer, and means for conducting the corks individually
from the conveyer to the receiver for the purpose set forth.
5. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting-
machine, means for controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer,
a longitudinally and laterally adjustable "pusher" moving transversely of the conveyer
for conducting the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver, and means.
for operating such "pusher" for the purpose set forth.
6. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, alternately reciprocating slides and means for operating same for controlling
the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, a "pusher" moving in a
horizontal line trausversely of the length of the conveyer for conducting the corks
individually from the conveyer to the receiver, and means for operating such "pusher"
for the purpose set forth.
7. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine adjustable alternately reciprocating slides and means for operating same for
controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, a pusher" moving
transversely of the conveyer for conducting the corks individually from the
conveyer to the receiver, and means for operating such "pusher" for the purpose
set forth.
8. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, alternately reciprocating slides and means for operating same for controlling
the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, a longitudinally and laterally
adjustable "pusher" moving transversely of the conveyer for conducting the corks.
individually from the conveyer to the receiver, and means for operating such "pusher".
for the purpose set forth.
9. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving.
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, adjustable alternately reciprocating slides and means for operating same, for
controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, a longitudinally and
laterally adjustable "pusher" moving transversely of the conveyer for conducting
the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver and means for operating such
"pusher" for the purpose set forth.
10. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, adjustable alternately reciprocating slides and means for operating same, for
controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer a longitudinally and
laterally adjustable "pusher" moving transversely of the conveyer for conducting the.
corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver, and means comprising a rotating
cam piece or arm, a lever, a connecting rod and cushion bearing between said
rod and lever, with connections for operating such "pusher" for the purpose set
forth.
"
11. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, adjusting devices in said receiving hopper, for adjusting the corks to the
required position relatively to said conveyer, a "holder" and an obstructing "gate
moving transversely and adjustable longitudinally of the conveyer, and a stop, for
controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, means for operating
and securing the adjustment of snch holder and gate, and nieans for conducting the
corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver for the purpose set forth.
12. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a horizontal conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of
the cutting machines, adjusting devices in said receiving hopper, for adjusting the
corks to the required position relatively to said conveyer, a "holder" and an

page_text: obstructing "gate" moving transversely of the conveyer, and an adjustable stop, for
controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, means for
operating such holder and gate, and for securing the adjustment of such stop and
means for conducting the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver
for the purpose set forth.
13. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a horizontally travelling conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the
receiver of the cutting machines, adjusting devices in said receiving hopper, for
adjusting the corks to the required position relatively to said conveyer, a "holder"
and an obstructing "gate" moving transversely of the conveyer and an adjustable
stop, for controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, means
for operating such holder and gate, and for securing the adjustment of such stop
and means for conducting the corks individually from the conveyer to the receiver
for the purpose set forth.
14. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, having an agitator drum, and a strip with a guiding groove, said strip being
interchangeable with other strips having guiding grooves, a horizontally travelling
conveyer belt with adjustable stationary walis, means for operating such belt,
controlling devices consisting of an adjustable "holder" and its carrier; an adjustable
gate and its carrier, and an adjustable stop, an adjustable "pusher" an adjustable
stop on the carrier of the "holder," adjustable stops on the carrier of the "gate,"
all suitably guided and supported, and means for securing the adjustment and
operation thereof, for the purpose set forth.
15. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, a conveyer for the corks between such hopper and the receiver of the cutting
machine, adjusting devices in said receiving hopper, for adjusting the corks to the
required position relatively to said conveyer, a "holder" and an obstructing "gate"
moving transversely and adjustable longitudinally of the conveyer, and an adjustable
stop, for controlling the movement of the corks produced by the conveyer, means for
operating and securing the adjustment of such holder and " gate "and for securing
the adjustment of such stop, and means for conducting the corks individually from
the conveyer to the receiver for the purpose set forth.
16. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of a receiving
hopper, having an agitator drum, and a strip with a guiding groove, said strip being
interchangeable with other strips having guiding grooves, a conveyer composed of a
travelling endless belt with adjustable stationary walls, means for operating such belt,
controlling devices consisting of an adjustable holder" and its carrier; an
adjustable "gate" and its carrier, and an adjustable stop; an adjustable "pusher,'
an adjustable stop on the carrier of the "holder"; adjustable stops on the carrier of
the "gate" all suitably guided and supported, and means for securing the adjustment
and operation thereof, for the purpose set forth.
"
17. In feed mechanism for cork cutting machines, the combination of the receiving
hopper c, having agitator drum d and guiding groove e; the conveyer composed
of travelling endless belt and adjustable walls ; with means for operating such
belt; the controlling devices consisting of the "holder" m and its carrier; the
gate n and its carrier, and the stop p; the "pusher" g and the adjustable stop m7
on the carrier of the "holder ; the adjustable stops n 4 n 5 on the carrier of the
gate" and the connecting plate 9 2 on the "pusher" slide; all suitably guided and
supported, and together with the operating lever t, springs 9 and s, cross bar u ;
a main shaft and intermediate cam lever and rod operative connections and means
of adjustment, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
"
Dated this 26th day of January 1897
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.