US 8,720,503 B2 · Apparatus and method for producing barrel staves

Abstract

The present invention therefore provides an improved apparatus and integrated method for producing barrel staves. The apparatus measures the profile of unfinished stave workpieces 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, utilizing less labor than hitherto known apparatus.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for producing a barrel stave for use in a barrel of predetermined diameter, said apparatus including:

twin sensing means used to measure the width of a stave work piece along the entire length of said stave work piece;
and
twin cutting means adapted to cut the stave work piece as a function of the width of said stave work piece along the entire length of said stave work piece, including being adapted to cut a longitudinal side edge of said stave work piece at an angle and at a depth determined as a function of said barrel diameter and said measured stave work piece width along the entire length of said stave work piece, 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.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for producing barrel staves

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for producing barrel staves

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17