The present invention relates to coopering and involves method and apparatus used in the process of manufacturing wooden staves. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for mitring the edged profiles of elongate wooden pieces or blanks based on their width and shape to form wine and/or spirit barrel staves.
It is to be understood that although the present invention relates specifically to wooden staves used in the construction of barrels, it could equally well be applied to the dimensioning of plastic or even metal staves using the same principles.
In the process of manufacturing staves for use in the construction of wooden barrels, tubs, planters, and other containers of similar shape, hardwood trees such as oak are first cut into billets or tree sections of random lengths and widths. Typically, the size and shape of the sections depend upon the size of the wooden barrels for which the staves are being manufactured. These irregular wooden pieces are typically quarter sawn, cut into wedged or substantially pie shaped cross sections which are then cut to form rough or unfinished barrel staves.
The opposing side edges of the partially formed staves must be further processed by mitring the edged profiles for the purpose of forming joints with like surfaces of other staves forming a barrel. There are various known methods of mitering the edges of an unfinished stave.
For example, one such method is to mitre the edges by passing the stave through a power driven cutter to mitre a first edge and then positioning the stave on a second power driven cutter to mitre the opposite longitudinal side. The mitering operation is accomplished by visually or mechanically aligning the stave with the plane of the respective mitering cutter, and many times results in forming a stave with its side surfaces converging toward one end. This is undesirable and the stave must be rejected. Furthermore, such apparatus requires multiple personnel to operate.
More recent mitering techniques have involved the use of semi-automated equipment whereby an unfinished stave is made to travel along a track and is exposed to a pair of motor driven cutters which are arranged on either side of the track. Some of these apparatus include means to adjust the spacing between the cutters in response to a measured dimension of the unfinished stave. However, there are a number of problems associated with such equipment.
Firstly, prior art equipment which adjusts the spaced apart distance between cutters based on a dimension of the unfinished stave, is only suitable for producing staves having straight longitudinal sides. This is because the saws do not move during the cutting process, they are simply locked in the position governed by the measured dimension. This is not suitable for barrels such as wine or spirit barrels which require accurate profiled longitudinal sides.
Secondly, barrel forming staves often arrive at such workstations having variable widths along the length of the staves. Therefore, where the cut is based on only the leading or trailing edge width for example, this may result in an inaccurate cut because the width at the leading or trailing edge may be greater than the width at other points along the stave length. In other words, if the distance between saws is based solely on the leading edge width, there will be points along the stave where there is no material to be cut and will result in an uneven edge.
Most importantly though where an arcuate cut is required, that is, where the edge angle and profile is a function of barrel diameter, the width of the unfinished stave needs to be determined along its entire length to ensure that a maximum amount of material is used and that a minimum amount of material is wasted. No equipment known to the applicant is capable of producing such staves.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.
Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed an apparatus for producing a barrel stave for use in barrels of predetermined diameter, said apparatus including: sensing means used to measure at least one dimensional parameter of a stave work piece including a width of said stave work piece; and
cutting means adapted to cut the stave work piece as a function of at least one measured dimensional parameter, including being adapted to cut a longitudinal side edge of said stave work piece at an angle determined as a function of said barrel diameter and said measured stave work piece width, the resultant side edge being adapted for flush abutment at an inner surface of said barrel with the longitudinal side edge of an adjacent stave formed by said apparatus.
Preferably said apparatus further includes means to transport the stave work piece through said sensing means and cutting means.
In preference said apparatus includes twin sensing means and twin cutting means.
In preference the twin sensing means is in the form of at least one pair of pivotable arms, each arm being positioned oppositely and on either side of the transport means such that a free end of each arm is biased against the stave work piece.
Preferably said sensing means is associated with the at least one pair of pivotable arms, said sensing means adapted to measure the extent of rotation of the arms as the work piece is transported therebetween.
Preferably the sensing means are in the form of electro-mechanical potentiometers.
In preference said apparatus further includes a computing means used to process data from the sensing means to thereby obtain a profile of the stave work piece width as a function of said arm rotation.
Advantageously, said sensing means obtain multiple data readings continuously along the entire length of the stave work piece.
In preference the transport means is in the form of a stable track including teeth adapted to grip a surface of said stave work piece.
Preferably said cutting means are movable with respect to opposing sides of the stable track, said movement determined as a function of said barrel diameter and said measured stave work piece width.
In preference said cutting means comprises twin rotary cutters positioned adjacent opposed sides of said track in a substantially horizontal plane, said rotating cutters being moveable between said horizontal plane and a position whereby said planes become disposed in a converging relationship toward opposing sides of the stable track, to thereby form said angled longitudinal side edges.
Preferably said twin rotary cutters are further moveable along said horizontal plane in a direction toward and away from opposing sides of the stable track.
Preferably the apparatus further includes a centring means for centring the stave so that it is received centrally on said transport means.
In preference said centring means is in the form of two further pairs of pivotable arms positioned prior to the sensing means pivotable arms, whereby each of said centring pivotable arms is located on either side of the transport means such that a free end of each arm is biased against the stave work piece.
In preference said apparatus further includes a hollower attachment adapted to shave the upwardly facing side of the stave.
In preference the hollower attachment is in the form of a cutting spindle positioned above the transport means, said cutting spindle being pivotably moveable toward said transport means.
Preferably the apparatus further includes a backing apparatus adapted to shave the downwardly facing side of the stave prior to being received through the sensing means and cutting means.
In preference the stave workpiece is centred prior to the backing apparatus using at least one pair of centring arms positioned on opposed sides of a centring arm conveyor transporting said stave work piece to the backing apparatus, wherein a free end of said arms is biased against said work piece.
Preferably the apparatus further includes a means of cutting the ends of the stave to a predetermined length prior to the backing apparatus.
In a further form of the invention there is proposed a barrel stave produced using the above defined apparatus.
In a still further form of the invention there is proposed a barrel including a plurality of barrel staves produced using the above defined apparatus.
In a yet further form of the invention there is proposed a method of producing a barrel stave of predetermined diameter, said method including the steps of:
measuring a dimensional parameter of a stave work piece, including the width of said stave work piece;
processing data relating to the measured width of the stave work piece and the barrel diameter to thereby calculate an optimum cut angle along the longitudinal side edge of the stave, enabling flush abutment at an inner surface of said barrel with the longitudinal side edge of an adjacent stave formed by said method; and
cutting the stave work piece in accordance with said calculated optimum cut.
Preferably said method includes the further steps of:
processing data relating to the measured width of the stave work piece to thereby calculate an optimum cut along the longitudinal edge of the stave which ensures maximum use of material; and
cutting the stave work piece in accordance with said calculated optimum cut.
In preference the above defined steps are performed simultaneously.
In preference the method includes a preliminary step of cutting opposed ends of the elongate stave work piece to form a stave work piece of predetermined length.
Preferably said method includes a further step of shaving a face of the stave work piece to a predetermined convex curve, said shaved face forming part of the external surface of a barrel.
Preferably said method includes a further step of hollowing a face of the stave work piece to a predetermined concave shape, said hollowed face forming part of the internal surface of a barrel.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,
a illustrates a side perspective view of a stave work piece entering the measuring apparatus of the present invention;
b illustrates a top view of the measuring apparatus of
a illustrates a top view of a stave being cut by the jointing apparatus of the present invention;
b illustrates a front view of a stave being cut by the jointing apparatus of
a illustrates a lower side perspective view of a pivotable hollower attachment used to hollow the upper surface of the stave work piece to form a concave inner barrel surface; and
b illustrates a side view of a stave being hollowed by the pivotable hollower attachment of
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.
The present invention relates primarily to a stave jointer apparatus used in the manufacture of barrel staves 10.
The stave jointer apparatus described herein is responsible for forming the mitre joint and profile cuts along the longitudinal edges of the stave, and also concaving the inner surface and concaving the outer surface of the stave. However, the unfinished staves must also be cut to a measured length before the width is measured and cut. A docking machine 16 is responsible for this and is illustrated in
The backing in-feed conveyor 22 is responsible for delivering staves 14 from the docking machine 16 to the backing apparatus 37, which is responsible for concaving the face of the stave which will ultimately form part of the outer surface of the barrel. The backing apparatus is followed by the measuring 38 and jointing 40 apparatus respectively, which are later described. The operation of the in-feed conveyor 22 is interlocked with the operations of the measuring 38 and jointing 40 apparatus, and stops whenever there is an interruption in the jointing program. The mechanism which determines when there is an interruption in the jointing program is described further below. It is to be understood that the speed of the in-feed conveyor 22, as well as the speed of all of the conveyors described herein is adjustable.
Before arriving at the backing apparatus 37, the stave workpiece 14 must first be centred on the conveyor 22. Accordingly, the in-feed conveyor includes a centring arm area 42 which is illustrated in
The centring arm area 42 includes spaced apart centring arm pairs 44 and 46. Opposed arms of each centring arm pair 44 and 46 are biased toward one another in such a manner that when the workpiece 14 moves therethrough, they contact the longitudinal edge of the stave and thereby position it directly in the centre of the conveyor 22. There are two adjoining conveyors shown, however, these are both described as a single conveyor having the same reference number 22. This process is aided by a guide roller 48 positioned between the arms of the first arm pair 44. The biasing means 50 and 52 is the same for each arm pair and involves an arrangement of pivoting members and elastic bands which, in the interest of brevity, will not be described here in any great detail. When the leading edge of the stave 14 reaches the second centring arm pair 46 the trailing edge is still moving through the first pair 44. This ensures that the stave is centred along its entire length.
The backing apparatus 37 is shown in detail in
As mentioned, the stave is fed onto a further conveyor 70, which us used to transport the stave to the measuring 38 and jointing 40 apparatus. This conveyor 70 includes a sensor (not shown) used to sense when there is a back up of material, for example, where a stave may have become jammed in the measuring 38 and jointing 40 apparatus. The sensor sends a signal to a control computer (not shown) to halt the entire process so that someone can locate where the stave is jammed and remedy the problem.
The stave is now ready to be measured and jointed and the apparatus involved is shown clearly in Figures is process is shown clearly in
Measuring is achieved using a further pair of opposed arms 86, similar to the abovementioned measuring arms 78 and 80, which are spaced further along the drive chain 74. The measuring arm pair 86 continuously measures the width of the stave 14 as it passes through using electro-mechanical potentiometers (not shown). Rather than measuring a single width, for example at the leading edge or in the middle or at the trailing edge of the stave 14, the apparatus 38 allows for measurements to be taken along the entire longitudinal edges of the stave 14. This information is then sent to the abovementioned control computer for processing.
The control computer analyses the input from the measuring arm pair 86 and translates that information into a unique stave shape profile based on the type of barrel selected for production, and the shape, contour and width of each stave. All of the settings, such as the barrel type, trim settings and cutter diameters can be adjusted or modified, and predetermined barrel settings can be stored for future use. For example, hogs head barrels, barrique barrels and puncheon barrels will each have different predetermined end circumferences, belly circumferences, and stave lengths, and the control computer compensates for each of these requirements.
The control computer then sends operating instructions to the jointing apparatus 40 shown in
At this stage, the length of the stave has been cut, the stave has been backed, the profile of the stave mapped, and the stave edges cut accordingly. Finally, the inner surface of the stave (the surface facing upwardly) must be hollowed out, or convexed, to thereby form the internal surface of the barrel 12. A hollower attachment 96 is shown in
Following the hollowing process, the finished stave 10 enters a discharge conveyor (not shown) which delivers the jointed staves for raising a barrel 12.
It is to be understood that the stave jointer apparatus of the present invention includes other features which have not been described herein but which are also important in its operation. Some of these additional features include:
The present invention therefore provides an improved apparatus and integrated method for producing barrel staves 10. The apparatus measures the profile of unfinished stave work pieces and based on the width and shape of the stave, as well as other parameters such as the type of barrel that is required, the edges of the stave are trimmed accordingly. This ensures fewer rejected staves, less waste in that the width of the unfinished stave is continuously measured across its entire length with minimum depth of cut required, and most importantly, barrel staves having extremely accurate jointed edges ensuring superior finished barrels have an internal surface that is free from undesirable spacing between the staves, utilising less labour than hitherto known apparatus.
Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.
In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006202071 | May 2006 | AU | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/AU2007/000665 | 5/17/2007 | WO | 00 | 10/15/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2007/131294 | 11/22/2007 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3710836 | Busch | Jan 1973 | A |
5343911 | Humphrey | Sep 1994 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20120186701 A1 | Jul 2012 | US |