Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Staves for use in the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, and the like
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Staves for
use in the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, and the like
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, of 105 Newsham Park, Newsham Drive, West Derby,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for treating undressed staves for
use in the manufacture of casks barrels or the like, and is specially designed for
bollowing and backing rough staves, with the grain of the wood, such as are employed
for making palm oil casks and similar classes of tight casks.
The arrangement is such that the portion of a warped stave that is between the
cutters will be straightened as it passes through the machine, so that when the finished
stave leaves the machine it will have been cut with the grain of the wood and will
still be warped and twisted, and will have been reduced to the required thickness
without wasting any wood.
An arrangement of apparatus according to my invention is as follows:-
A table or frame is provided on which the rough staves to be treated are fed and
from which they are carried by weighted feeding rollers arranged between revolving
cutters provided with knives ground to the required shape. The feeding rollers, which
are in upper and lower sets, are placed as close to the cutters as possible and are
driven by suitable means such as pitched driving chains or other flexible gearing that
will allow of the bodily movement of the rollers. The lower feeding roller near the
feeding end of the machine rotates in pedestals secured to the frame or table of the
machine. The roller directly above it is carried in sliding pedestals that are heavily
weighted by suitable means such as levers and weights guided in a frame so as to be
capable of bearing on the staves under treatment. On the opposite side of the cutter
blocks there is another pair of feed or delivery rollers, the lower one being carried in
a framework which also supports the lower cutter spindle the arrangement being such
that the two (i.e. the feed roller and the cutter spindle) will move together. This
framework can be made to rise or fall above or below the frame or table by means of
an eccentric shaft, screwed spindle or other mechanism, so that its position can be
readily regulated to suit the thickness of cut intended to be taken off the lower side of
the stave. Conveniently such sliding framework may be hinged to the frame or table
to allow of its being moved downwards to enable the cutting knives to be set &c. The
upper cutter spindle and top rollers are carried in a suitable fixing or framework
pivotted to the main table or frame of the machine in such a way as to allow of
adjustment for cutting staves of various thicknesses. The upper framework is secured
to the lower framework by screwed bolts and regulating nuts in such manner that the
two frames are firmly held together and may be moved up or down together by the
before mentioned eccentrics or similar mechanism, the distance between the cutter
blocks always remaining the same whether little or much be cut off the lower side of
the stave. By this means the machine may be quickly changed so as to take a light
or heavy cut from the lower side of the stave as required, this depending on the
thickness and quality of the wood.
For fine work it may in some cases be advantageous to insert spring holding-down
bars for further supporting the staves close to the edges of the revolving knives.
It is to be understood that I may variously modify the details of my apparatus to
suit different classes of staves without departure from the essential features of my
invention.
A. DUNBAR,
Per L. W.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Staves for
use in the Manufacture of Casks, Barrels, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER DUNBAR late of 105 Newsham Drive but now of 65 South John
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Barrister-at-Law, 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 or apparatus for treating undressed staves for
use in the manufacture of casks, barrels, or the like, and is specially designed for
hollowing and backing in the direction of the grain of the wood, rough staves such as
are employed for making palm oil casks and similar classes of tight casks.
The arrangement is such that the portion of a warped stave that is between the
cutters will be straightened as it passes through the machine. When the finished
stave leaves the machine it will have been cut almost in a direct line with the grain
of the wood but will still be warped and twisted to some extent. By this method of
treatment the stave will be reduced to the required thickness without excessive waste
of wood.
An arrangement of apparatus according to my invention is as follows:-
A table or frame is provided on which the rough staves to be treated are fed and
from which they are carried by weighted feeding rollers between which are arranged
revolving cutter spindles provided with knives ground to the required shape.
The feeding rollers, which are in upper and lower sets, are placed as close as
possible to the cutters and are driven by suitable means such as pitched driving
chains or other flexible gearing that will allow of the bodily movement of the rollers.
The lower feeding roller near the feeding end of the machine rotates in bearings
secured to the frame or table of the machine. The roller directly above it is. carried
in sliding bearings that are heavily weighted by suitable means such as levers and
weights and is guided in a frame so as to be capable of bearing on the staves under
treatment. On the opposite side of the cutter spindles there is another pair of feed
or delivery rollers, the lower one being carried in a frame which also supports the
lower cutter spindle, the arrangement being such that the two (i.e. the feed
roller and the cutter spindle) will move together. This frame can be made to rise or
fall above or below the main frame or table by means of an eccentric shaft, screwed
spindle or other mechanism so that its position can be readily regulated to suit the
thickness of cut intended to be taken off the lower side of the stave. Conveniently
such sliding frame may be hinged to the main frame or table to allow of its being
moved downwards to enable the cutting knives to be set &c. The upper cutter spindle
and top rollers are carried in a suitable upper frame hinged to the main table or
frame of the machine in such a way as to allow of adjustment for cutting staves of
various thicknesses. The upper frame can be secured to the lower frame by screwed
bolts and regulating nuts in such a manner that the two frames can be firmly held
together and can be moved up or down together by the before mentioned eccentric
shaft or similar mechanism, the distance between the cutter spindles always remaining
the same whether little or much be required to be cut off the lower side of the stave.
By this means the machine may be quickly changed so as to take a light or heavy
cut from the lower side of the stave as may be required, this depending on the
thickness and quality of the wood.
It is to be understood that I may variously modify the details of my apparatus
to suit different classes of staves without departure from the essential features of my
invention.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1. is a side elevation of a
machine or apparatus according to this invention for treating staves. Fig. 2. is a plan
or top view. Fig. 3. is an end elevation of the delivery end of the machine. Fig. 4.
is a similar view shewing the feeding end of the machine. Fig. 5. is a sectional
elevation taken on the line 6. 7. of Fig. 2.

page_text: Similar letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
A. is the main frame of the machine carrying a feed driving shaft B. provided
with fast and loose pulleys B' B2 and also with a toothed pinion B³ that gears into a
toothed wheel B fixed upon the shaft C. Upon the other end of this shaft C. is
fixed a toothed wheel that gears with a similar wheel (2 fixed on the shaft D.
This shaft D. is supported in bearings or brackets A¹ A¹ made with and extending a
short distance above the flat upper part of table of the frame A. so as to allow of
staves being slipped or fed beneath the shaft. These bearings or brackets A' also
form guides for an upper frame E. that is capable of turning upon the shaft D. as
hereafter described.
The frame A. is also provided with brackets F. F. to support an adjustable lower
frame G. hereafter described. H. is a lower feeding roller that projects a little above
the upper surface of the table and is driven by an endless pitched chain 'H' (shewn
by the dotted lines in Fig. 5.) from a small chain wheel on the shaft C. J. is a
delivery roller that projects a short distance above the upper surface of the frame G.
and is rotated from the upper delivery roller K. by a pair of toothed wheels J¹ and K¹
each having long teeth. The toothed wheel K' is driven by another endless pitched
chain L. from a chain wheel on the shaft D. Figs. 1. and 2. The delivery roller J.
may be turned a little less in diameter at its central portion than at its ends in order
that it may form a better support for the rounded staves. M. is the main feeding
roller driven by an endless pitched chain M' from another chain wheel fixed on the
shaft of the delivery roller K. This chain M' is of sufficient length to allow of the
feed roller M. rising, falling, and canting according to the varying thicknesses of
the staves to be dressed, the necessary slack being taken up by a tension pulley N.
journalled on a pivotted arm N¹ as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The upper feeding roller M. and delivering roller K. are placed directly over the
lower rollers H. and J. their shafts revolving in sliding bearings guided in suitable
slots formed in the sides of the frame E. The roller M. which must be capable of
canting to suit the shape of stave being treated, is forced downwards by heavily
weighted levers P. P. acting on the cap bearings of the roller spindle with sufficient
pressure to take practically the whole of the twist out of a warped stave and press
it flat onto the roller H. The roller K. is pressed tightly on to the top of the
finished part of the stave, but as its movement up or down is not great, strong spiral
springs Q. Q. are placed above the cap bearings of the shafts of roller K and
compressed by the screwed spindles QQ₁ sufficiently to retain that portion of a
twisted or warped stave between the feed and delivery rollers flat whilst being operated
on by the circular cutters.
The centres of the feed and delivery rollers are placed as close as possible to the
cutter spindles in order that short bends in the staves may be approximately
followed.
Between the rollers M and K. on the frame E. suitable bearings are provided for
a cutter spindle R. to revolve in; the sliding frame G. is also provided with bearings
for the lower cutter spindle S. to revolve in.
These cutter spindles are provided with ordinary plane irons the upper ones being
ground convex and the lower ones concave, and are driven by strap driving
pulleys R¹ S¹ in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. that is to say in
the same direction as the feeding rollers; by this means the wood is not so liable to
be split, & the danger of the wood flying out against the attendant is avoided.
the space between the cutter spindle S. and the delivery roller J. is inserted a bar S'
secured to the frame G. as shewn in Fig. 5.
In
The upper surface of this bar may be slightly hollowed to suit the shape of the
rounded stave and be about level with the edge of the cutters, the roller J. projecting
sufficiently above the bar to grip the stave.
Between the feeding roller H and the cutter spindle S. is inserted a bar S³ fixed
to the frame A. so as not to move with the frame G. The roller H. projects suffi-
ciently above the upper surface of this bar S3 (which is made level) to grip the
stave.
6

page_text: The frame G. is supported and adjusted by an eccentric shaft G1 which also acts as
a hinge pin and is provided with a handle G2 for turning it. The ends of the
. shaft Gare turned down eccentrically to the body of the shaft and take into blocks
arranged to slide in the slots formed in the brackets F. F.
.
It will thus be understood that by raising the frame G. the cutter spindle S. and
attached plane irons can be caused to project more or less above the fixed bar S³
and thus regulate the amount of wood to be cut off the lower rounded or convex side
of the stave which is always placed downwards on the feeding table. The adjacent
surfaces of the frames G. and A. are planed V shape to form centering slides and
these frames are held tightly together by long, pointed set screws G³ G³ screwed
into the frame A. These set screws are provided with internal collars and plates to
prevent them from falling out when the fixing or frame G is swung open as previously
described and are also provided with hand wheels for screwing or unscrewing them
as shewn in Fig. 5. The holes in the frames G. through which the set screws G³
pass are made sufficiently large to admit of the required vertical movement of the
frame.
The frames E. and G. are connected by screw bolts E' E' that pass through swivel
pins E2 mounted in the frame E. and are provided with screw threaded hand
wheels E3 E3. The lower ends of the screw bolts E.-are made square and adapted to
slip easily into slotted lugs E* on the frame G. (Figs. 1 and 3.) and are formed with
collars to take against the opposite sides of the lugs. Between the frames E. and G.
screws (not shewn) are inserted for regulating the distance between the upper and
lower circular cutters, so that when the bolts E¹ E are screwed up tight the two
frames E. and G. will move together when the eccentric shaft GI is turned thus
quickly regulating the amount of wood to be dressed off the upper and lower sides
of an undressed split or riven stave without interfering with the set thickness
thereof.
The upper frame E. can when the lower ends of the screw bolts E' E' are with-
drawn from the lugs E be turned upwards on the shaft D. thus serving as a hinge
pin about which the frame can turn. Also when the set screws G³ G³ are unscrewed
from the frame A. the frame G. can turn outward and downwards on the eccentric
shaft G¹ as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5.
The feeding and delivery rollers can be fluted or grooved as shewn to enable them
to act more effectually upon the stave to be treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for treating rough staves a lower revolving cutter spindle, a
delivery roller mounted in a frame hinged or jointed to the main frame A. and capable
of adjustment by an eccentric shaft substantially as described.
2. In a machine of the kind. referred to in the previous claim, the combination with
the lower frame carrying a circular cutter spindle and a delivery roller, of an upper
frame also hinged or jointed to the main frame and likewise carrying a revolving
cutter spindle and a delivery roller substantially as described.
3. In a machine for treating rough staves two revolving cutters placed directly one
above the other in combination with holding down or feeding and delivery rollers
placed as close as possible to the said cutters the arrangement being such that the
stave is dealt with in short portions thus allowing the cutters approximately to follow
the grain of the wood substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a machine for treating rough staves the arrangement substantially as described
and shewn of the weighted feeding roller M. driven by the endless pitched chain M¹
and the movable stretching roller N and lever N' capable of accomodating itself to
the varying thicknesses and shapes of a rough stave, and of pressing the same
aproximately flat on the lower feeding roller H.
5. In a machine for treating rough staves having upper and lower hinged or
jointed frames with cutter spindles delivering rollers as referred to in claim 2. means

page_text: substantially as described for connecting and adjusting the frames so that the cut on
either side of the stave may be varied without altering the final thickness thereof.
6. My improved machine for treating rough staves constructed substantially as
described with reference to and as shewn in the annexed drawings.
TL of Tonvory 1800
Witness,
F. M. C. SCOTT,
89, Victoria Street, Liverpool.
ALEXANDER DUNBAR.