Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
We STANLEY COOPER, Engineer and THOMAS COOPER junior, Flax Merchant both
of Brookfield Heaton near Bolton in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery used in the manufacture of what is known as
"wood wool" or "wood straw" which consists of wood cut into long narrow shavings
or strips and which is used for packing and similar purposes.
Our improved apparatus consists of two wheels or pulleys of equal diameter
mounted in the same horizontal plane upon vertical axes and carried by a suitable
framework.
One of these wheels or pulleys is mounted upon a vertical shaft provided with
a driving pulley and the other wheel or pulley is carried upon a stud mounted
on a slide which is adjustable by means of a screw or otherwise so as to tighten
an endless band or belt of suitable flexible material which passes round the two
wheels or pulleys aforesaid.
On either side of the frame and opposite to the straight portions of the belt or
band between these two wheels or pulleys we mount a block of wood (preferably
cylindrical in shape) parallel to the said belt or band and capable of revolving as
hereafter described.
Upon the belt or band we fix a pair or a series of pairs of brackets; the first
bracket of each pair carries a number of cutters set in a direction parallel with the
blocks of wood and at any desired distance apart from each other so that they cut
longitudinal grooves in the wood. The second or following bracket of each pair
carries a steel blade resembling a planing iron, and this blade shaves off the projecting
ridges between the grooves or furrows made by the preceding cutters.

page_text: The axes upon which the blocks of wood to be cut are mounted are carried in
suitable bearings upon sliding frames on either side of the apparatus, each frame
being caused to rise automatically by suitable gearing as the diameter thereof
diminishes, and as each pair of cutters have passed the block the latter is caused to
revolve a certain distance to present a fresh surface to the next pair and so on.
As the diameter of the block decreases the portion of a revolution required to present
a fresh surface to the cutters will increase, we therefore actuate the axes of the wood
blocks by differential gearing.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus Employed in the Manufacture of
"Wood-wool" or "Wood-straw."
We STANLEY COOPER, Engineer and THOMAS COOPER junior, Flax Merchant both
of Brookfield Heaton near Bolton in the County of Lancaster 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 relates to machinery used in the manufacture of what is known
as wood wool
or wood-straw," which consists of wood cut into long narrow
shavings or strips and which is used for packing and similar purposes.
The nature of our said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference
to the two sheets of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation
thereof.
Fig. 1. or Sheet 1. of the drawings is a plan view of our improved apparatus and
Fig. 2 a sectional plan view of one side of the same. Fig. 3 illustrates a modified
form of cutter.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus Fig. 5 a
transverse section of a portion thereof, and Fig. 6 a detached view hereinafter more
particularly referred to.
C
Our improved apparatus consists mainly of two wheels or pulleys a, a¹ of equal
diameter mounted in the same horizontal plane upon vertical axes carried by a suitable
frame b. The wheel a is mounted upon a vertical shaft c which is driven by the bevil
gearing d or otherwise, and the other wheel or pulley a is carried upon a stud e
mounted in a slide which is adjustable by means of a screw or otherwise so as to
tighten an endless band or belt of suitable flexible material (preferably thin steel
lined with leather) which passes round the two wheels or pulleys a, and a before
described.
On either side of the frame band opposite to the straight portions of the belt or
bandh between these two wheels or pulleys we mount a block of wood i (preferably
cylindrical in shape) on an axis parallel to the said belt or band and capable of
revolving as hereinafter described.
Upon the belt or band we fix a pair (or two or more pairs) of brackets preferably
both attached to one fixing k bolted onto the belt or band h. The first bracket of each
pair carries a number of vertical cutters or slitting knives / set in a direction parallel
to the axis of the block of wood, and at any desired distance apart from each other.
so that they form a series of parallel grooves or slits in the surface of the wood thus
cutting or dividing the fibres longitudinally.
The second or following bracket of each pair carries a steel blade set at an angle
like a planing iron and covering the whole width of the surface which has been cut or
divided longitudinally by the preceeding cutters or knives as above described, and this

page_text: blade shaves off the projecting ridges or fibres left between the furrows or slits made
by the said cutters or knives thus at one continuous operation removing the
whole surface covered by the cutters, in the form of fine narrow shreds, fibres or
shavings which constitute the "wood-wool" or "wood straw" which it is desired
to produce.
The axes m, m upon which the blocks of wood i are mounted are carried in suitable
bearings upon sliding frames n upon either side of the apparatus each frame being
caused to rise automatically by suitable gearing as the diameter of the block diminishes
and as soon as each pair of cutters or knives bave passed the block the latter is
caused to revolve a certain. distance to present a fresh surface to the next pair
and so on.
*
These feeding" operations may be performed by any suitable mechanism, that
represented on the drawing (as an example) being found to act satisfactorily.
A spur wheel o keyed at or near the lower end of a vertical shaft o¹ drives a
pinion p. This pinion (see detached view Fig. 6) is provided with a stud
against a similar stud on a loose discs.
g acting
A crank pin on this disc is connected by a rod to the vertical arm of a bell
crank lever the horizontal arm of which is weighted.
To the vertical arm u is pivotted a pawle acting on a ratchet wheel w which is
connected by mitre and spur gearing a to the driving axle of the wood block i.
The study turns the discs and causes the pawl to take up a certain number of
teeth of the ratchet wheel w raising the weighted lever during the time that one
pair of cutters is acting on the block i but just as this pair of cutters has completed
its work and before the next pair of cutters has arrived at the block, the crank pin on
the discs passes the centre and the weighted lever a¹ immediately pulls the lever u
over and causes the pawl e to give a portion of a revolution to the ratchet wheel w
and by means of the gearing a before named give a portion of a revolution to the
block so as to bring a fresh portion of its surface under the operation of the next
pair of cutters or knives..
As the diameter of the block decreases the portion of a revolution required to
present a fresh surface to the cutiers will vary also and this may be compensated by
differential gearing if required, but in practise we do not find it necessary.
In order that this movement shall always take place at the corresponding position
of the cutters or knives, a slotted army is keyed at the top of the shaft o' and a
connecting rod passes through the slot thereof, and as the other end of this rod is
jointed to an attachment fixed to the belt or band the movement of the latter drives
the vertical shaft o¹ and thus controls the revolution of the block i which cannot get
out of time" even though the belt should slip on its pulleys.
"
To keep the cutters or knives and the planing iron always true to their work,
the back of each tool carrier (see Figs. 4 and 5 Sheet 2) is provided with a
"tec-head", which at each cut enters between the guide rails 2, which hold the
tools firmly to their work during the cut.
To raise the frames as the diameter of the block decreases the shaft 3 which
carries the ratchet wheel w is also provided with a tappet 4 (see Fig. 5) which acts
once at each revolution on a pawl. 5, driving a ratchet wheel 6..
On the shaft of this wheel is a worm 7. giving a slow motion to a worm wheel S, on
a shaft 9., and on this same shaft are fixed two grooved pulleys 10), to which are
attached chains 11, which after passing over guide pulleys 12, are connected to the
sliding frames n; and the position of the tappet 4. is so regulated that the slight
intermittent upward motion of the frames n (and consequently of the blocks i) always
takes place just before a fresh pair of cutters or knives, come into operation.
In the modification of the cutting tools shown at Fig. 3, Sheet 1. of the drawings
the grooving or dividing knives instead of being a series of fixed blades are thin
discs of steel mounted so that they can revolve.
It is obvious that other forms of knives might also be used for this purpose.
Rollers a support the pulleys a, a¹ and ensure their true horizontal position as
1 & 1

page_text: 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
::
"
33
First. The improved apparatus to be employed in the manufacture of "wood-wool
ог wood-straw substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings annexed wherein grooving or slitting knives or cutters for dividing the
fibres of the wood longitudinally are followed by a blade or plane iron such knives
and blade being set in pairs so as to cut in the same direction, and acting continuously
by means of an endless band or belt passing round pulleys.
Secondly. In machines for the manufacture of "wood-wool" or "wood-straw" the
use of a combined tool formed of a series of cutting or slitting knives for dividing
the fibres longitudinally in combination with a blade or plane iron for removing the
fibres so divided, such cutters and plane iron being so mounted and driven as
both to cut continuously in one and the same direction substantially as shown and
described.
Thirdly. In machines for the manufacture of "wood wool" or "wood straw"
mounting the cutters and planes on an endless travelling band in such a way
that they act immediately after each other in succession and always in the same
direction.
Fourthly. In machines for the manufacture of "wood-wool" or "wood-straw"
mounting a cylindrical block of wood upon centres upon a sliding frame and imparting
thereto an intermittent partially revolving motion, such "feed" and partial revolution
taking place just before the commencement of each " cut substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.
Datad this 16th day of August 1888
GEORGE DAVIES,
4. St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicants.