IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR BARRELS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1882.
SAMUEL WRIGHT of 36 Lord Nelson Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR BARRELS
"
This invention has for object improvements in machinery or apparatus employed
in the manufacture of casks or barrels and has reference to mechanism or apparatus
for cutting, grooving, bevelling and delivering staves. The said apparatus may be
used independently, or in conjunction with barrel forming machinery such as that
described in the specification of Letters Patent No 2886 of 1881 granted to
Frederick McClure Scott of Liverpool (a communication from abroad by James
Stark of Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada). The staves are fed between upper and
lower sets of rollers and are carried in a direction transverse to their length. The
upper rollers are mounted in a suitable frame and are guided by springs, levers, or
other means which will allow for the various thicknesses of staves to pass, and
at the same time will exercise sufficient pressure to ensure the staves being fed
forward in a continuous and regular manner. A circular saw, and grooving and
bevelling cutters are arranged at each side of the apparatus and are so situated as
to cut each end of the staves to the required length, also to bevel and groove
them at the same time as they are carried along by the feed rollers. A roller may
also be placed directly over the centre of the circular cutters to prevent the staves
bending or giving way whilst they are being treated.
The staves after being cut to the required length and bevelled and grooved pass
between end guides provided to keep them from working longitudinally When
the apparatus is used in conjunction with barrel forming machinery the guides
deliver the staves on the barrel drum. In such case the shafts or spindles on
which the rollers are fixed and which are driven by an arrangement of toothed
wheels, or other gearing may be actuated from the main shaft on which the barrel
drum is fixed
The circular cutters may also be driven by a belt, or belts, from one of the other
shafts provided in the barrel machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th November
1882.
SAMUEL WRIGHT of 36 Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CASKS OR BARRELS
"
This invention has for object improvements in machinery or apparatus employed
in the manufacture of casks or barrels and has reference to mechanism or apparatus
for cutting, grooving, bevelling, and delivering staves.
The said apparatus may be used in conjunction with barrel forming machinery
such as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 5017 of 1879,
granted to Herbert John Haddan for an invention communicated to him from
abroad by me, or such as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2886 of 1881 granted to Frederick McClure Scott of Liverpool for an
invention communicated to him from abroad by James Stark of Ingersoll Ontario,
Canada.
According to my present invention the staves are fed between upper and lower
sets of rollers and are carried in a direction transverse to their length. The upper
rollers are mounted in a suitable frame and are guided by springs, levers, or other
means which will allow for the various thicknesses of staves to pass and at the
same time will exercise sufficient pressure to ensure the staves being fed forward
in a continuous and regular manner A circular saw and grooving and bevelling
cutters are arranged at each side of the apparatus and are so situated as to cut
each end of the staves to the required length, also to bevel and groove them at the
same time as they are carried along by the feed rollers. A roller is also placed
directly over the centre of the circular cutters to prevent the staves bending or
giving way whilst they are being treated.
The staves after being cut to the required length and bevelled and grooved, pass
between end guides provided to keep them from working longitudinally. When
the apparatus is in use the guides deliver the staves on the barrel form or drum
of the barrel forming machine;--the shafts or spindles on which the rollers are
fixed, and which are driven by an arrangement of toothed wheels, may be actuated
from the main shaft on which the barrel form or drum is fixed.
The circular cutters are driven by a belt or belts from one of the other shafts
provided in the barrel making machine.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig 1 shows a side elevation of a
barrel forming machine with the present invention applied to it.
Fig 2 is a plan of the machine with a barrel in course of formation.
Figs 3 and 4 are end elevations.
Two standards D D are fixed to the foundation E, and upon them is bolted a
table F Figs 1 and 3 supporting the pedestals which carry the feed roller shafts
G G G G and the saw spindle H. To the table are bolted four vertical stay
bolts I forming guide rods for the upper sliding frame F¹. They are of sufficient
length to accommodate distance plates and spiral or other springs between the
frame and the screw nuts as shewn in Figs 3 and 4, the object of the lower nuts
being to prevent the wheels slipping too deeply in gear when the last stave has
passed the rollers, also to allow of the upper frame F¹ being raised slightly when
required. To the roller shaft pedestals angle iron guides J are fixed for preventing
the staves from riding one over the other and for guiding them evenly to the

page_text: barrel form or drum C. A centre lower guide bar is provided but not shown.
It rises rather higher than the other two and is employed to bend the staves into
the required shape and to assist in guiding them on to the collapsible barrel form
or drum. This central guide bar increases in height slightly between the rollers
and the barrel form or drum. Circular guide hoops K encircle the form or drum C
leaving a sufficient annular space for the accommodation of staves. Each hoop is
made in two pieces jointed together at its lower end, which is held in the proper
position by cranks keyed on to the shaft L Fig 1. The upper ends of the shorter
segment of guide hoops are pivotted at X to the lower angle iron guides J Fig 3.
This arrangement of the guide hoops forms part of the invention the subject of
my application for Letters Patent No. 3589 dated 28th July 1882 and is not
claimed under my present patent, but it is shewn as being the most convenient
to use in conjunction with my present invention. The staves are fed one by one
between the upper and lower set of guide bars and feeding rollers the latter rollers
press the staves forward towards the saws and cutters by means of which the
staves are grooved, bevelled and cut to the required length during their forward
motion. These rollers are milled or provided with small teeth or corrugations to
enable them to take a firm grip of the staves and obviate slipping. After leaving
the saw the staves pass between another set of rollers and end guides (these end
guides are not shewn as their arrangement will be obvious) thence to the slowly
revolving barrel form or drum. If desired the lower guides JJ may be lengthened
upon the side where the staves are fed to serve as a table for holding a reserve of
staves. Directly over the saw spindle a roller shaft M is provided the rollers of
which are placed near the ends of the staves for the purpose of holding them
The roller
against the revolving cutters, thus securing a uniform depth of groove.
shafts G G G G carry spur wheels the upper and lower ones gearing into each
other as shewn in Fig 4. The central shaft M is provided with a spur wheel of
rather larger diameter than the others which gears into another wheel of the same
size keyed to one of the lower roller shafts. Thus the five roller shafts are caused
to revolve in the required direction for feeding the staves on to the barrel form or
drum. In order to procure a medium speed of driving pulleys and saw shaft
without using very large or small driving pulleys, I provide a back gear shaft, as
shewn at R in figures 2 and 4, the spur wheel and pinion on the second motion
shaft R being cast or otherwise secured to each other. The large wheel on the
main shaft is keyed thereon, while the pinion on the same shaft is provided with
a long boss to which the main driving pulley N Figs 1 and 2 is fixed. N₁ is a
loose pulley. With the larger wheel on the main shaft another wheel is geared
driving a short counter shaft S placed between the standards D and P. This shaft
carries another spur wheel which gears with the beforementioned wheels keyed to
the two lower shafts G shewn in Fig 4. The teeth in the train of wheels are so
arranged that the surface speed of the feed rollers shall equal the speed of the
mean diameter of the core barrel. A counter shaft T provided with a fast and
loose pulley is employed for driving the saw spindle H. The support U Figs 1
and 3 is pivotted to the frame D which shows it lowered ready for the removal of
the barrel rim
The dotted circle K in Fig 3 represents the pitch circles of the spur gearing
while the single dotted segment indicates the position of the circular guide hoops
when thrown back. V V are catches pivotted to the top frame F' their use being
to retain the circular hoops or guides in position.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the manner in which
it is to be carried into practical effect I wish it to be understood that what I claim
as new and secured to me under the Letters Patent first hereinbefore in part
recited is ;-
1. The use in conjunction with a barrel forming machine of an arrangement of
guides and guide rollers between which the staves are fed on to the barrel form
or drum substantially as herein before described.

page_text: 2. The arrangement by which the upper frame F' with the upper rollers G G
are caused to accomodate staves of slightly different thicknesses substantially as
hereinbefore described
In Witness whereof I the said Samuel Wright have hereunto set my hand
and seal this seventh day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
SAMUEL WRIGHT (L.S.)