Improvements in Dowelling Machines for Use in connection with the Manufacture of Barrel Heads, Boxboards, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dowelling Machines for Use in connection with
the Manufacture of Barrel Heads, Boxboards, and the like.
I, AUDERS GUSTAF WILLIAM BERN, of 42 Tudor Road, Hackney, London,
N.E. Engineer, 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 improvements in machines for fixing dowells into pieces
of wood as used for the heads of barrels for boxboards, and like purposes to secure
the pieces together, ensuring them being forced in true, and, in the case of pointed
dowells, leaving the points sharp.
Usually the dowells used in making boxes and barrel heads are forced in by
means of a hammer or similar means, and are consequently often bent and have their
points blunted, bad jointing and often splitting the pieces of wood being the
result.
Now according to my invention the dowells which consist of short pieces of wire
or wood (the metal ones being similar to nails only having both ends sharpened,)
are placed in a hopper or receptacle, having a small grooved cylinder at the bottom.
The groove in this cylinder is of sufficient depth to allow a dowell to lie in it without
projecting above the surface of the cylinder. The sides of the hopper are contracted
and almost meet above the groove so as to guide the dowells which lie horizontal
and parallel with the cylinder into the groove. The ends of the cylinder are
reduced and form bearings in the sides of the hopper, one end being lengthened
and having an arm or crank secured thereto, which on being operated causes the
cylinder to partly revolve or rock sufficiently for the groove containing the dowell
to come underneath, so allowing the dowell to drop on to a holder to receive it
and allow its front point to project a short distance. At the back of this holder is
a small couical hole or recess to receive and protect the rear point or end of the
dowell, preventing the end from slipping.
In the manufacture of barrel heads the wood to be dowelled is placed on the
table carrying the dowell machines and is caused to advance towards the said
machines by depressing a foot plate connected by suitable levers and rods.
The dowells thus partly enter into the edge of the wood which with the dowells
projecting, is then removed from the table, the backward motion causing the
cylinder to be operated through the aforesaid arins so as to allow another dowell
to drop into the holder ready for the next piece of wood.
The wood with the dowells projecting from the edge is then placed on another
table, and the second piece of wood is brought towards the first, the dowells
entering into the second piece and fixing the two together.
Several dowell machines may be employed acting at one time, causing as many
dowells to enter the edge of the wood at one time.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference is had to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figs. 1 and 2 show a front and side elevation respectively.
Fig. 3 shows a section of my improved dowelling machine.
Fig. 4 shows the cylinder,
Fig. 5 shows a pointed metal dowell, and
Fig. 6 shows the dowell machine applied to a table.

page_text: The hopper A of the machine is formed with a lid or cover B hinged at the top a
to the metal back C, extending over the top and sides of the case, and secured by
the pivoted plate b. The sides of this hopper are curved as shown at their lower
part, and almost meet, a small mouth or gap of the width of a single dowell only
being left between them. The cylinder D extends through the case and is formed
with the reduced ends d and d' forming bearings, in the front and back of the
machine, an arm E being provided operated by means of the levers e shown in
chain lines and passing through a slot c provided in the back C for the purpose.
The groove d in the cylinder receives the dowells one at a time from the hopper
through the aforesaid gap, and when the cylinder is rocked or turned over, the
dowell drops from the groove into a holder G fixed to the back C of the machine
and having a groove or recess g to retain the dowell. The front point of the
dowell projects from this recess, so that when the wood finto which the dowell
is to be fixed is pressed against the machine, the dowell is caused to partly enter
into the wood, the small conical hole f¹ at the end of the recess g receiving the
rear end or point of the dowell and protects the said point and also prevents the
dowell getting out of position. Small guide pieces a¹ and g' ensure the dowell
falling into the recess, screws being employed to fix the several parts to the
back C.
The metal dowells having both ends pointed as shown in Fig. 5 are placed in the
case borizontally, a few being shown in Fig. 3, the gap at the bottom of the hopper
allowing one only at a time to be removed.
Suitable levers e are employed to cause the connecting arm to rise on the table
being operated. Thus there is always a dowell in the recess g ready for use, each
operation of the table causing a dowell to drop ready for the next operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A dowelling machine having a hopper beneath which is arranged a grooved
cylinder, rocked or partly rotated by the movements of the table of the machine,
and serving to transfer the dowells one by one from the hopper to a holder in
which they are held without injury to their points while being forced into the
wood, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. In a dowelling machine the combination with a hopper A having a hinged
lid B secured by a pivoted plate b, of a grooved cylinder D having its ends
reduced to form bearings, and one of which ends carries an arm E whereby the
cylinder is operated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
3. In a machine of the kind referred to, the combination with a hopper and
grooved cylinder, of a holder and guiding pieces, said holder having a recess
from which the front point of the dowell projects, and a conical hole to receive
the rear end of the dowell, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
4. My improved dowelling machine constructed and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 17th day of September 1896.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.