Heads or Ends of Casks, Barrels, and other like Articles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
Heads or Ends of Casks, Barrels, and other like Articles.
1, SAMUEL WRIGHT, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows :-
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of machine, or
arrangement and combination of the parts thereof, for the turning or the shaping of
the heads or ends of casks, barrels, hogsheads, and other like articles, which is more
simple in construction and efficient in action than machines heretofore in use for this
purpose.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist all as follows:-Of strong open
side or end frames securely stayed together, with a table plate or frame at or near the
height convenient for persons to apply and secure the roughly prepared pieces of
boards or wood to the machine and remove them when cut and turned or finished.
The roughly prepared boards with their edges jointed and scored to suit each other,
or previously grooved or dowelled as desired, are mounted horizontally on the top of
a flat circular disc boss preferably with sharp spikes on the top, to hold the pieces in
the position they are set. This holding boss is mounted on the upper end of a
vertical rotating spindle in bush bearings in the free end of a horizontal oscillating or
reciprocating frame and fulcrumed on the upper side of the said table frame. This
spindle and its boss with the wood on it to be dressed to the circular form of the
cask head is actuated to be turned at a slow speed by toothed spur wheels or other
gearing, carried on the oscillating frame and the fixed frame placed and driven at
right angles to a line through the axial centres of the rocking frame, carrying the
rotating spindle, driven from the first motion shaft of the machine or any counter
intermediate shaft. So that when the spindle with its frame is shifted forward into
gear it is turned, and when reciprocated outwards is stopped for the taking off of the
finished heads and the putting on of new wood. This oscillating or reciprocating
frame would be moved to and from a circular saw and cutters for shaping the head
secured on its rotating spindle, by rods and levers or other equivalent, preferably

page_text: connected to a treadle lever below, so that the attendant could oscillate this to draw
it towards the cutters, while a spring or weight might be made to draw it back from
the cutters and raise the treadle ready for performing the next forward action towards
the cutters. Different sized boss heads would be screwed on the top of the vertical
spindle to suit the size of heads of casks being formed, each with sharp points or
spikes on their upper surface, and have a moving ring or other equivalent below for
raising the finished wood off the spikes or points; and the wood would be held down
on these spikes by a disc or cross bar or other equivalent on the lower point of a lever
spindle in line with the axis of the shaft below, mounted on a bow arm or bracket on
the oscillating arm or frame carrying the vertical spindle on the opposite side to the
saw and cutters, and which I term the head spindle. The cutting and shaping
mechanism consists of a moving open rectangular frame with right angle or hori-
zontal and vertical webs or plate slides, for carrying the bearings of a saw spindle,
and that of a rotating knife planing or cutting head, in slides on this frame; which
I term the tool cutting stock-head, constructed and actuated all as hereinafter
described.
This right angle framed stock-head carries. the spindle of the saw, and that of the
rotating planer or cutters; the former a little below the line of the holding boss of
the wood head which the saw has to cut and shape round the edge; and that of the
latter, higher up and beyond that of the saw to clear this and allow its cutting knives
and boss to turn or dress the upper face edge of the wood head as the saw has shaped
it to the required angle and thickness, and work just clear of and beyond the saw;
both spindles being mounted nearly horizontal and parallel to each other and to their
slides and guides in the top bed plate, so that the slide stock-head and spindles of the
saw and cutter traverse forwards, or nearly radially towards the vertical-spindle
carrying the wood of the barrel head, to cut and shape this nearly tangentially at the.
circumference. This traversing of the head-stock, and its saw and cutters to or from
the wood to be cut, may be effected, by a screw spindle mounted below each bed
slide with hand wheel outside (similar to that of the slide rests of turning lathes) to
suit the different sized barrel heads to be cut, or hand levers may be fitted to act
quicker when this is found desirable and have stops to regulate and secure the lever
and slide frame of saw and cutters in their acting position for the time being. The
horizontal bed, of the said slide reciprocating cutting head-stock, carries the journal
bearings of the rotating and reciprocating spindle of a circular saw, which is secured
on its front screwed end by gripping collars and a screw nut or nuts. The saw is
concave on its front side, so that when it is traversed forwards by it spindle in its
bearings, or with the slide carrying these, to the proper distance or radius from the
vertical spindle carrying the jointed wood boards, the saw cuts these trangentially at
or near the level of its axis to the round shape, or it might be oval or other shape,
desired, while, or according as, the head spindle is slowly rotated in relation to the
position the saw is from the spindle while cutting, all as will hereinafter be described ;
and the front end collar which secures the saw would in some cases have cutting
knives on it so as to dress or bevel the under face of the wood head close to and just
as the edge is cut by the saw. The saw spindle is turned at a very high speed by a
small band pulley on it, actuated by a band from a larger longish pulley on a first
motion, or counter-shaft of the machine for the purpose. The said driving band allows
the spindle of the saw to be traversed to some extent in its bearings, by a slide guide
or rod fitted on its sole plate; this guide has a gab arm taking into a collar boss
secured on the spindle, so as to shift, guide, and hold this, according as the slide
guide is actuated. This slide rod is traversed automatically in one direction by levers
and fittings and a weight or a spring, and has a lateral guide arm on its forward end,
in front of the saw, made to rub, or roll by a small roller, on a guide pattern, or
dummy shaping disc on the boss or head spindle under the wood to be cut, (and move
the spindle in the opposite direction to that in which the weight or spring moves it)
and to the round, oval or other shape or contour the wood or head of the cask or
barrel is desired to be cut to by the saw; and be also simultaneously beveled or
chamfered on the top to finish the edge to the desired thickness to enter and fit the

page_text: chime groove of the cask or barrel all as will hereinafter be described. The said
beveling of the upper side or surface of wood, to reduce its edge to the desired
thickness, just as it has been cut to the proper shape by the saw, is effected by a
tapered or conoidal rotating bosshead with cutting knives or blades screwed on it,
and formed or secured on the front end of a second fast rotating spindle carried
horizontally in bearing blocks on a vertical slide plate or open frame mounted in
angled edge or dove-tailed guides in the vertical side plate, of the rectangular head-
stock traversed in the slides of the top bed, and carrying the saw spindle on its
horizontal plate as before described. The spindle of this rotating cutter is actuated
by a small band pulley and band from a pulley on the first motion or counter-shaft all
as described in reference to the spindle of the saw, and so that its spindle may he
traversed to and fro in its bearings in the same manner as the saw is shifted, and it
might be by the same automatic slide bar with an adjustable connection to be able to
set the one more or less distant from the saw to suit the diameter of the head or ends
of the casks and the best cutting position. The up and down motion of the slide
plate or frame of this rotating cutter spindle in its guides may either be effected by a
screw in the slides and hand wheel or by a hand lever with suitable quadrant or other
guides with stops or pinching screws for securing the slide in the position required to
thickness the edge of the wood at the edge as required. Although the longitudinal
shifting and setting of the spindles, of the saw, and of the rotating planer or cutter,
have been described as effected automatically against the action of a weight or by a
dummy shaping pattern rotating on the vertical spindle carrying the jointed wood
boards to be cut, this is not necessary in many cases, as the two spindles can be set
and fixed in their relative position to each other longitudinally and have their
carrying head-stock set and held in its slide guides by its moving screw or equivalent
lever gear for the saw and cutters to form and finish the wood to the desired size of
round heads or ends of the casks or barrels when these are being made.

page_text: A New or Improved Machine for the Turning or Shaping of the
Heads or Ends of Casks, Barrels, and other like Articles.
I SAMUEL WRIGHT, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction of machine, or
arrangement and combination of the parts thereof, for the turning or the shaping of
the heads or ends of casks, barrels, box-barrels, hogsheads, and other like articles,
which is more simple in construction and efficient in action than machines heretofore
in use for this purpose.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended an
explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my new or improved construction of machine for turning
or shaping the heads or ends of casks. barrels, and other like articles; and Figure 2
is a corresponding plan also showing broken away, the arrangement of counter-shaft
driving band gearing for operating the working parts of the machine. While
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine and driving gearing, looking on the
concave saw I with the oscillating frame E to E which carries the head-boards X
removed, the arrows indicating the direction of motion of the several bands and
spindles. Figures 4 and 5 are an end view and sectional plan respectively of the
concave saw I and cutters i, i, and part of their driving spindle I detached to a large
scale to show the details more clearly than in the general views of the machine
Figures 1 to 3 And Figures 67 and 8 show plan views of the table discs D, D¹, for
receiving the wood boards X to be cut into heads or ends of barrels or box-barrels,
the edge of which forms guides for shaping them to the round, oval or square shape
with rounded corners respectively.
Referring to the machine shown in Figures 1 to 3 the nature and novelty of the
invention consist all as follows:-This machine is constructed of strong open side
frames A, A, strongly secured together by rails A" at their opposite ends, with a
slide table plate or frame A2 bolted on the top of these frames A A¹, all at or near a
height convenient for persons to apply and secure the roughly prepared pieces of boards
or wood X to the machine, and remove them when cut and turned or finished. The
roughly prepared boards X with their edges jointed and scored to suit each other, or
previously grooved or dowelled as desired, are mounted horizontally on the top of the
Hat circular disc or plate D with bored eye or boss D¹, preferably with sharp spikes or
screws with points & on the top, to hold the pieces X in the position they are set. This
holding boss D is mounted and secured by a pinching screw d¹ on the upper end of
a vertical rotating spindle E, in bush bearings E¹ in the upper and lower ends of a
horizontal oscillating or reciprocating vertical frame E2, and adjusted to a proper
height by a centre screw spindle E", secured in a bracket to the lower arm of the
oscillating frame E², and fulcrumed to oscillate preferably on centre screw spindles e in

page_text: brackets e¹ screwed to the upper and lower ends of the one side frame A. This spindle E
and its disc D D', with the wood X on it to be dressed to the circular or other form of
the cask head, is actuated to be turned at a slow speed, preferably by a screw spur
wheel F secured on the lower end of the spindle E, gearing into the screw F¹ on the
horizontal shaft F2 carried in the bearing brackets 3 bolted to the lower part of the
back main frame A, and driven nearly at right angles to a line through the axial
centres e, e, of the rocking frame E2 carrying the rotating spindle E, and actuated at
different slow speeds through the screw shaft F2, from the first motion shaft of the
machine, or any counter intermediate shaft as G shown carried in bush bearing
standards G from the floor : some distance behind the main frame A A¹, of the machine.
So that when the wheel F on the spindle E with its frame E2 is shifting forward into
gear with the screw F¹ it is turned, and when reciprocated outwards is stopped for the
taking off of the finished heads X and the putting on of new wood. This oscillating
or reciprocating frame E2 is moved to and from a circular concave saw I and cutters i, i,
hereinafter described, for shaping the head X secured on its rotating spindle E by
hand through rods and levers, or the back arm E³, or it might be connected to a
treadle lever below, so that the attendant could oscillate this to draw it towards the
cutters I,, while a spring or weight might be made to draw it back from the cutters
and raise the treadle ready for performing the next forward action towards the saw
and cutters. Different sized disc boss heads D would be screwed on the top of the
vertical spindle E to suit the size and shape of heads X of casks, as indicated in
Figures 6, 7, and 8, being formed or fitted each with sharp points or spikes d projecting
above their upper surface, and it might have a moving ring or other equivalent below
for raising the finished wood off the spikes or points. The wood X would be held
down on these spikes d.by a disc f, or it might be a cross bar or other equivalent
mounted loose by a boss on the lower point of a screw spindle f¹ with hand wheel fu
above, in line with the axis of the shaft E below, mounted through a bow arm or
bracket, secured in the back arm E³ of the oscillating frame F2 carrying the vertical
spindle E on the opposite side to the saw I and cutters i, i, and which I term the head
spindle E. The screw shaft F2 is turned at different slow speeds by an open belt g
passed over large stepped pulleys g₁ on it, and over corresponding stepped small
pulleys g on the first motion counter shaft G, which is driven from any convenient
motive shaft of the works, by the belt G₁ passed over fast and loose pulleys G², on
one end of the shaft G fitted with shifting belt fork G¹¹ and slide hand rod G³. The
cutting and shaping mechanism consists of a moving open rectangular vertical frame B,
with right angle or horizontal and vertical webs or plate slides B2, B1, the former B²
working in the guide slides A2, A2, on the top of the frames A A¹, and carrying the
bearings I2 of the saw spindle I¹; and also the spindle of a rotating knife planing or
cutting head in the bearings 62 of the vertical slide frame B³, mounted in the
vertical guide slides B₁, carried and shifted and set by the screw spindle and hand
wheel B4, at top on this frame B B", which I term the tool cutting headstock
constructed and actuated all as hereinafter described. The cutters and their spindle b, b,
are shown detached, to a large scale in end and plan view, respectively, in Figure 36
to show their construction more clearly than can be seen in Figures 2 and 3.
This right angle framed bead-stock B carries the spindle of the saw I and the
spindle of the rotating planer or cutter ; the former I¹ a little below the horizontal
line of the holding plate D of the wood head X which the saw I has to cut and shape
round the edge; and that of the latter 6 higher up and behind the spindle 11 of the
saw I to clear this and allow its cutting knives b¹ and boss to turn or dress the upper
face edge of the wood head as the saw I and its cutters i shape it to the required size
and thickness at its edge and underside, and work just clear of and beyond the saw I ;
both spindles I 'being mounted nearly horizontal and parallel to each other and to
their slides B2, B1, B3, and guides A2 in the top bed plate, so that the slide headstock B
and spindle I and of the saw I and cutters & traverse forwards, or nearly radially
towards the vertical spindle E carrying the wood X of the barrel head to cut and
shape this nearly tangentially at the circumference, indicated by a dotted line in
Figure 2. This traversing of the head-stock B, B2, B, and its saw I and cutters 6¹

page_text: to or from the wood X to be cut, is effected, by the screw spindle C with hand wheel ("
outside mounted in the journal bracket Cand'nut C³ below its bed slide B2 (similar to that
of the slide rests of turning lathes) to suit the different sized barrel head X to be cut ; or
hand levers may be fitted to act quicker when this is found desirable, instead of the screw (),
and have stops to regulate and secure the lever and slide frame of the saw I and cutters
in their acting position for the time being. The said slide reciprocating cutting head-
stock B, supported on the bed A2, carries the long journal bush bearings 12 of the
rotating and reciprocating spindle I of the circular saw I, which is secured on the
front screwed end or boss I¹, by the gripping boss [111 of the cutters i, i, or it might
he by a collar and a screw nut or nuts. The saw I is concave on its front side, so
that when it is traversed forwards by its spindle I' in its bearings 12, or with the slide
carrying these, to the proper distance or radius from the vertical spindle E carrying
the jointed wood boards X, the saw I cuts these tangentially at or near the level of its
axis to the round shape, or it might be oval or other shape desired, while or according
as, the head spindle E and dise D are slowly rotated in relation to the position the
saw I is from the spindle E while cutting, all as will hereinafter be described; and
the front end boss I, which secures the saw 1, would in some cases have cutting
knives i, i, on it, so as to dress or bevel the under face of the wood head X close to and
just as the edge is cut by the saw I. The saw spindle is turned at a very high
speed by a small band pulley c on it, actuated by a band c from a larger broad
pulley on the first motion or counter shaft G of the machine for the purpose. The
said driving band c¹ allows the spindle I' of the saw I to be traversed to some extent
in its bearings I2, by a slide guide or rod fitted in guides h' on the frame B.
This guide has a gab arın or cross-head " taking into a collar boss secured on the
back end of the spindle I, so as to shift and hold the spindle according as the slide
guide is actuated. This side rod is traversed automatically in one direction by the
bell crank lever H H', fulcrumed at FI" and a weight H2, or it might be a spring, and
has a lateral guide arm secured on its forward end, in front of the saw I, made to
rub, or it might be roll by a small roller, on the edge of the disc D under the wood X,
or it might be a guide or dummy pattern secured under the disc, or the wood to he
cut, (and retain and move the spindle I' in the opposite direction to that in which the
weighted lever H₁ moves it) and to the round, oval, rectangular, or other shape or
contour the wood or head X of the cask or barrel is desired to be cut by the saw I,
as indicated at D in Figures 6, 7, and 8; and be also simultaneously bevelled or
chamfered on the top to finish the edge to the desired thickness to enter and fit the
chime groove of the cask or barrel, all as will hereinafter be described. The said
bevelling of the upper side or surface of wood X, to reduce its edge to the desired
thickness, just as it has been cut to the proper shape by the saw I, is effected by a
tapered or conoidal rotating bosshead, with cutting knives or blades b¹ screwed or
secured on it, and secured on the front end of a second fast rotating spindle 6 carried
horizontally in bearing blocks 62, on the vertical slide plate or open frame B³ mounted
in angled edge or dovetailed guides B" in the vertical side plate B₁ of the rectangular
headstock B traversed in the slides A2, of the top bed, and carrying the saw spindle I
on its vertical plate B' as before described. The spindle 6 of these rotating cutters b¹
is actuated by a small band pulley 611 and band from the pulley C2 on the first
motion or counter shaft G, all as described in reference to the spindle I¹ of the
saw I, and so that its spindle b may be traversed to and fro in its bearings in the
same manner as the saw spindle I' is shifted, and be effected by the same automatic
slide bar and crosshead ", with an adjustable collar or slot connection at 11, to be
able to set the one more or less distant from the saw I to suit the thickness and
diameter of the head or ends X of the casks and the best cutting position, and
actuated by the bell crank weighted lever H, H1, H2, all as before described.
Although the longitudinal shifting and setting of the spindle 1 of the saw I, and
the spindle 6 of the rotating planer or cutters have been described as effected
automatically against the action of a weight or spring by the edges of the discs D or
equivalent dummy shaping pattern, rotating on the vertical spindle E, carrying the
jointed wood boards X to be cut, this is not necessary in many cases, as the two

page_text: spindles I, b, can be set and fixed in their relative position to each other longitudi-
nally and have their carrying headstock B set and held in its slide guides by its moving
screw or equivalent lever gear for the saw I and cutters i and b¹ to form and finish the
wood X to the desired size of round heads or ends of the casks or barrels when these
are being made.
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 1
claim is
First. In a machine for turning or shaping the heads or ends of casks, barrels, box-
barrels, and other like articles, whether of round, oval, rectangular, or other shape, the
constructing of a traversing slide head-stock, consisting of a moving open rectangular
frame B with horizontal and vertical web or plate slides B, B3, carrying the
bearings 12, 62, of the rotating and reciprocating spindles 1', b, of the adjustable
saw I, and planing or cutting knives i, i, and b¹ towards or from the oscillating head
carrying frame E2, substantially as and in the manner herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a machine for turning or shaping the heads or ends of casks, barrels,
box-barrels, and other like articles, whether of round, oval, rectangular, or other
shape, the securing of a concave saw I, with cutters i, i, on its spindle I¹, and
regulating the traverse of the spindle and saw and cutters by a slide guide or
rod h, h², traversed by a dummy pattern plate or disc D, under the head X being cut,
so as to shift and hold the spindle and cutting tools in position to cut the head or end
to the shape desired, substantially as and in the manner herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a machine for turning or shaping the heads or ends of casks, barrels,
box-barrels, and other like articles, whether of round, oval, rectangular, or other shape,
the bevelling of the upper side or surface of the wood head or end X, to reduce its
edge to the desired thickness, by means of a tapered or conoidal rotating boss-head,
with cutting knives or blades 6 screwed or fitted on it, said boss-head being formed
or secured on the front end of a second horizontal rotating and reciprocating spindle 6
carried in the slide traversing frame B2, B3, substantially as and in the manner
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. In a machine for turning or shaping the heads or ends of casks, barrels,
box-barrels, and other like articles, whether of round, oval, rectangular, or other
shape, the constructing of an oscillating or reciprocating frame E³, E³, with a rotating
vertical spindle E, having a retaining disc boss D D¹, on its upper end on which the
wood for the cask head or end X to be formed is carried, so as to bring the wood to
the saws and cutters i where it is rotated at a slow speed, substantially as and in
the manner herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth. In a machine for turning or shaping the heads or ends of casks, barrels,
box-barrels, and other like articles, whether of round, oval, rectangular, or other
shape, the turning of the oscillating or reciprocating head carrying spindle E at a
slow speed by spur or screw gearing F, F1, when the head and spindle are oscillated
or reciprocated towards the saw I and cutters i, i, and is stopped when oscillated out
of gear, substantially as and in the manner herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
1000