FR2796586A1 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING, BENDING AND JOINING SADDLES TO MANUFACTURE BARRELS OR BARRELS - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and device making it possible to successively carry out the bending, compression and jointing operations of staves of any width, even very small. After the current operations of shortening, dolage, hollowing out, the stave (D) stored on a supply chain (11) is introduced into a press which compresses it according to its thickness first in the center then gradually towards the ends all by simultaneously and gradually bending the stave which can then be compressed more strongly over its entire thickness and thus make it possible to limit its porosity if necessary. Two cutting tools (13) allow very precise jointing while the stave is bent. This avoids the risks of cracks, blisters and leaks, we can use staves more difficult to implement and increase productivity and reliability.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a method of compression, bending and

  joining of staves to manufacture barrels or barrels, as well as a device for setting

work of this process.

  Oak has the property of possessing transverse fibers in large quantities called medullary rays; these rays are more impermeable than other fibers so that they form properly arranged

  in the staves a kind of sealing barrier.

  The staves are planks with particular properties used in the field of the Cooperage obtained by cutting logs generally in oak in the direction of the medullary rays and therefore according to the grain of the wood; the orientation of the medullary rays of the staves is essential with regard to their sealing properties and their oenological virtues; if the shaft used has a significant curvature, then the staves will be cut also according to this curvature, likewise if the shaft used has an exaggerated spin, then the staves can

  also be debited twisted.

  However, the oaks used in Europe for the manufacture of barrels often have very different qualities in terms of tightness because their channels are more or less blocked by natural substances, thyls or minerals; these substances can also be degraded depending on how the logs or staves are stored and

  according to the process used to manufacture the barrels.

  The staves are stored outdoors for a period ranging from 6 to 36 months, without particularly protecting them from the weather, for a beneficial modification

  of their physical and chemical structure.

  The porosity of the staves is very variable and depends mainly on several factors: origin, forestry and condition of the trees, conservation and treatment of logs and

staves.

  A barrel or a barrel is composed of a set of long machined and curved staves called staves, the set -2- of staves forming the body is also called shell, two bottoms assembled with short machined and flat staves are necessary for the the hull is closed, all of these pieces of wood are held in place by powerful wooden or metal circles, the bottom pieces are assembled using wooden or metal studs; the tightness of the assembly is obtained only by the quality of the assemblies and the tightening of the parts together, the use of sealants being highly detrimental to the virtues

oenological of the barrels.

  The different machining operations of a stave are: 1 shortening or cutting to length; dollage or planing in convex shape to the external mean radius of the barrel; the recess or planing in concave shape at the interior mean radius of the barrel; the perfect jointing or cutting of the two faces forming the joints between the spindle-shaped staves and at the angle necessary to obtain the shape of the barrel; the trimming or milling of the two ends of the stave to form the jable consisting in particular of a

  groove to receive the bottom of the barrel.

  The method currently most used in the manufacture of barrels consists of joining the staves without first modifying their curvature or natural twist therefore by proceeding to the joining operation according to the flat development of the subsequent shape which the stave will take, then partially assemble the staves to form a rose which is strongly heated by means of a wood fire placed in the center of the rose or any other means in order to obtain a sufficient temperature to succeed in bending all of the staves simultaneously using a cable wrapped around the rose for example and then obtaining the closure of the rose which becomes a shell similar to a barrel without its two bottoms; the shell is then tightened strongly by powerful mounting circles which compress the staves against each other, this circular compression comes to compensate for any machining faults, then it is reheated inside more or less -3 - strongly for change the taste of wood, the rim is machined

after cooling.

  This process does not keep the wood fibers in areas subject to high stresses; it is not satisfactory with regard to the rate of repairs made necessary as a result of leaks or ruptures of staves; this rate is frequently of the order of 10% of the number of hulls manufactured; the staves must be perfectly oriented and machined and despite this and in a random manner, there are many problems with the manufacture of barrels

  and later on the use of these barrels.

  In addition, this process does not easily make it possible to obtain satisfactory staves in twisted or curved staves or in staves having small knots or having slight movements of fibers, defects which are encountered very frequently and which coopers do not hardly appreciate because

  of their implementation difficulties.

  The staves from these staves are therefore not all capable of retaining liquids and may need to be replaced or clogged at the time of manufacture or

  during use which is highly detrimental.

  There are also very frequently blisters on the concave part of the staves, these cavities in the wood considerably weakening the solidity, the tightness and

the quality of the barrels.

  Indeed, the bending of a piece of any thickness involves two strings of different lengths, therefore of different radii, the concave face being more curved than the convex face. Wood fibers are compressible but not very stretchable, bending a piece of wood means mastering especially the compression of the fibers of the concave face and

  avoid stretching the fibers of the convex surface.

  The glass transition temperature can be assimilated to the temperature at which a material softens and can maintain its lasting shape without deterioration in its mechanical qualities until

  cooling to a lower temperature.

  -4- The glass transition temperature of stave oak is between 40 and 70, it is this temperature which is sought in the traditional process, but which is largely exceeded on the surface inside the hull and rarely reached early enough in the heart of the staves at

moment of their bending.

  After bending and to modify the taste of the wood inside the shell compressed by mounting circles, the second heating makes it possible to reach the glass transition temperature of the oak oak, which favors the adjustment of the staves between them; as the shell is left assembled in this way until complete cooling, the shape given to the staves is therefore

permanently printed.

  It is therefore in particular the operation of bending the staves which is delicate and source of problems in the traditional process, in particular breaking and / or detachment of fibers at the central area of the stave.

  say blisters and / or staves broken or split.

  The possibility of bending and compressing the wood therefore depends very much on the intensity of the pressures exerted by the

  temperature and humidity of the wood.

  The return to the initial state or the resumption of initial shape of a piece of compressed wood also depends a lot on the state of the fibers: intensity of compression

  which has been exercised, cycle and thermal stage, blindness.

  Controlling the bending of staves therefore amounts to permanently deforming the fibers making up the staves without significantly altering their structure and resistance

mechanical.

  Document FR 2 154 032 dating from 1972 describes a device by which the barrels are surrounded by a set

of push arms.

  Document FR 2 385 508 dating from 1977 describes a

  process for embossing wood panels.

  -5- The document GB 2051725 A dating from 1981 describes a machine for shaping the staves of a shell by bending them all simultaneously. The document GB 2050992 A dating from 1981 describes a machine for setting up the barrel bottoms. The document PCT / DE83 / 00023 dating from 1983 describes a method for compressing wood particles and thus

  reduce the capillarity of the material obtained.

  Document FR 2 587 268 dating from 1986 describes a method and a device for obtaining identical staves by placing them one after the other in a profiled clamping mold while maintaining a pressure and heating the assembly; before removing the part, we use

  edges of the mold to cut the joints.

  Document EP 0 197 674 Ai dating from 1986 describes a

  process for compressing and densifying wood.

  The document FR 2,613,976 dating from 1987 describes a device by which the staves, previously manually assembled and held in place, are bent simultaneously.

  position, on the first side, by metallic circles.

  The document FR 2 675 421 A1 dating from 1992 describes a process for manufacturing curved laminated glued staves. The PCT document FI94 // 00222 dating from 1994 describes a method and a device for bending pieces of solid wood in the form of blanks with fibers compressed longitudinally. However, none of these documents mentions a process or device for bending and joining staves of any width by compressing them according to their thickness, first in the center and then gradually towards the ends, having the possibility of modifying

simultaneously their porosity.

  The present invention relates to a method and a device for bending, compressing and joining staves for the manufacture of barrel or barrel hull with a productivity, productivity and reliability -6optimized while also optimizing the qualities

  oenological of barrels or barrels.

  After having shortened beforehand, with the doll completely or partially hollowed out, these staves by known and commonly used means, this process consists in carrying out the following steps automatically or not: - put the stave at the desired curvature along the longitudinal axis, compressing the stave according to its thickness first in the center then gradually towards the ends while simultaneously and gradually bending the whole of the stave; also compressing the fibers of the inner side of the barrel in the longitudinal direction without breaking the longitudinal fibers

  of the external face at the time of bending or later.

  -While the stave is at the desired curvature: compress the stave over its entire surface to reduce its initial thickness to a thickness slightly or markedly less in proportion and automatically or not, to the porosity of the stave observed initially; While the stave is at the desired curvature and after having more or less compressed its fibers over its entire surface: cut its joints one by one by milling or planing according to the desired radius; -after these operations: immediately or later assemble the hull with these staves by circles of

metal mounting.

  The hulls thus produced can be heated to modify the taste of the wood and then the other known and current operations are completed, making it possible to obtain barrels.

or barrels.

  Whatever the shape or the initial weakness of the stave following the presence of small knots or movements of fibers or excessive porosity, such a process allows obtaining real staves with mechanical and oenological qualities much more reliable than by the classic process used most commonly which consists, after jointing, of simultaneously bending the staves by heating and tightening in pink, without maintaining the fibers of the

  wood in areas subject to high constraints.

  The advantage of the process therefore appears here avoiding the degradation of the initial sealing qualities avoiding the risk of rupture of the external fibers of the stave, avoiding the risk of leaks linked to excessive porosity or to the presence of small knots or slight movements of fibers, making it possible to adjust the staves between them in a much more precise way, the joining being made curved stave, and eliminating the problems consecutive to the replacement of defective staves not waterproof or broken thus minimizing the loss of wood which is the weakness of the

traditional process.

  The bending operations whatever the shape and the initial quality of the staves are greatly facilitated both in speed and in safety of execution as in effort to produce, therefore the yield and the productivity are also optimized; In order to optimize the production of barrels or barrels giving appreciated oenological results, the possibility of pushing back the limits of difficulty

  is an appreciable and non-negligible element.

  The present invention also relates to a device

  associated, implementing the method of the invention.

  To this end, the associated device for implementing the method of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a set of means making it possible to bend, compress, join staves of any width, even very small, automatically or not so as to to make hulls of barrels or barrels with staves previously shortened, dolled, hollowed out completely or partially; these means are: bending means to the desired shape, used simultaneously with; - means for holding and compressing according to the thickness, used simultaneously with; -8- -means for maintaining the length of the external face of the staves, used simultaneously; means of longitudinal compression of the internal face of the staves; then while maintaining arched to the desired shape; means of compression and reduction of the thickness according to the porosity of the staves; means of precise cutting of the two faces forming the joints between the staves and along the radius of the barrel; means for placing, moving and ejecting the staves before, during and after the bending, compression and jointing operations; - means of command and control, automatic or not

of all of these operations.

  All the bending, holding and compression means will preferably include a press of shape corresponding to the desired final curvature, the stave being disposed between the upper and lower parts of this press: its lower heating part preferably and convex in the direction transverse and longitudinal corresponding to a portion of the interior of the barrel; its upper part corresponding to the same symmetrical portion of the interior of the barrel will preferably be: -concave in shape in the transverse direction, -mobile in the vertical direction, -deformable in the longitudinal direction of a very small inverse curvature to bend of the barrel sought up to an identical curvature, being capable of exerting pressure first at the center of the bend sought, then gradually towards the ends to reach the shape of the bend sought and maintain in priority the areas or fibers of the stave are subjected to strong stresses, slightly and simultaneously reducing its total length when the latter is brought to the desired hanger relative to its length when this lower part is in a rectilinear position which ensures the maintenance of the external fibers and therefore allows the longitudinal compression of the fibers of the internal face of the stave during the bending operation; -being deformed until parallel to the lower part to somehow form a mold of the stave; -being capable of compressing the stave previously bent over its entire surface in order to reduce its initial thickness to a thickness slightly or markedly less in proportion and automatically or not, to the porosity of the stave observed initially. The means for precise cutting of the two faces forming the joints between the staves and along the radius of the barrel will preferably be associated with the press described above and will include two cutting tools, one on each side of the press, each being capable of one after another to cut the joints of the stave according to a plan

  passing through the central axis of the barrel.

  The precise means of placing, moving and ejecting the staves before, during and after the bending, compression and jointing operations will preferably include: a chain or a belt at the entrance and at the exit of the press; -two stops articulated along the axis of the barrel on each side of the stave, capable of positioning the stave in the press during each of the steps described above and which can serve as a retractable stop to position the stave very precisely on one side then on the other side of the press, in an alignment for jointing; All the bending, holding, compression and cutting, positioning, displacement and ejection means can be automated according to an optimization program for the different sequences defined by the

  general or particular characteristics of staves.

  - 10- The whole device can be adapted according to the desired curvature thanks to different sets of shims and

  stops corresponding to the different shapes sought.

  Other features and advantages of this

  invention will emerge from the following description of

  embodiments of the invention given by way of example only, representing a device allowing the implementation of the method described above and with reference to the appended sketches in which: FIG. 1 is a partial schematic view in section of the assembly of bending means, maintains, compression

  and cutting, placing, moving and ejecting.

  FIGS. 2, 3 are schematic front views of a press ensuring the bending means, maintains,

compression.

  In the three figures, the numbering corresponds to the same global element; The described assembly will preferably be

in steel.

  The lower part (1) of the press is fixed, - it corresponds to an angular portion of the interior of the barrel, its surface is therefore convex in the direction

transverse and longitudinal.

  -It is maintained at the desired temperature (120 for example) & using electrical resistors or by

  internal circulation of liquid or vapor.

  The upper part (2) of the press is mobile and deformable, - it always remains concave in shape in the transverse direction; -it is movable in the vertical direction; -it is deformable in the longitudinal direction, from a very small curvature opposite to the hanger of the barrel sought in Figure 2 to an identical curvature in Figure 3; -it is capable of exerting pressure firstly in the center of the desired hanger thanks to the jack (4) which retracts into the movable block (3), then gradually towards the ends to reach the shape of the desired hanger and 11 - maintain as a priority the areas where the fibers of the stave are subjected to high stresses; - It is fragmented into small lengths proportional to the desired curvature, articulated together according to a certain rigidity obtained for example using a powerful spring leaf; these lengths will be sufficiently spaced from each other to allow a reduction in the total length of the upper part when the latter is brought to the hanger which ensures the maintenance of the external fibers and therefore allows the longitudinal compression of the fibers of the internal face of the stave during the bending operation; it deforms until it is parallel to the lower part, forming in a way a mold and the stave; -it is guided by a movable block (3) serving as

  template on which it comes into abutment.

  The movable block (3) is itself guided by two walls constituting another element (5) of the press; this block is actuated for example using two coupled cylinders and

  hidden by these walls (5) and not shown in the diagrams.

  The staves (D) are first of all stored on a chain (11), The stops (10) are symmetrical and articulated according to the radius of the barrel (13), they are able to move the stave (D) of the chain (11) as far as the interior of the press in the desired position; that is to say either in the center of the press for bending, or alternately on one side then on the other for their positioning according to a very precise alignment of jointing; these stops also allow the ejection of the stave from the press on the chain (14), they are actuated for example by jacks (12), they are capable of tightening the stave on the central third of its length, they are d '' a thickness slightly less than the stave so that they are able to hold it in place very precisely during all the compression and bending operations. For a question

  for clarity, a single cylinder (12) has been shown in FIG. 1.

  The cutting tools (13), for example two milling discs are arranged in symmetry on either side of the press and are movable in back and forth translation according to

  the longitudinal axis of the stave and the radius of the barrel.

  For the sake of clarity, only one disc (13) has been shown in FIG. 1 with the position of its axis.

  but without its displacement system.

  The sequence of operations is as follows: -first opening of the press according to FIG. 2 making it possible to insert the stave (D) by means of the stops (10) so that the upper part (2) is in the rectilinear position, the cylinder (4) in the extended position and the movable block (3) in the retracted position; -setting up of a stave (D) at the entrance of the press, by the chain (11); -clamping then positioning of the stave (D) in the center of the press by the stops (10); -first compression by the central part of the stave then on the whole of its surface by the upper part (2); the jack (4), retracting in the movable block (3), acts beforehand and remains at a pressure lower than the latter; the duration of this compression operation can vary from a few seconds to a minute, the temperature of the lower part (1) can vary from 40 to 120, these two values are established according to the nature of the stave and in particular according to its shape and its initial porosity; -second opening of the press so as to release the curved stave, the upper part being held in the curved position, the jack (4) being locked in the retracted position, the movable block (3) being only raised very slightly value; very precise positioning of the stave by the movable stops (10) in a first alignment for jointing;

- 13 -

  -second compression according to the desired hanger by simple compression of the stave between the lower and upper parts over its entire surface;

  -cutting of the first joint by rotation and forward translation-

  return of the first milling disc; -third opening of the press similar to the second opening; very precise positioning of the stave by the movable stops (10) in a second alignment for jointing; -third compression identical to the second;

  -cutting of the second joint by rotation and forward translation-

  return of the second milling disc; -fourth press opening similar to the first opening; -ejection by the stops (10) on the chain (14) of the stave (D) which has become bent, compressed and joined, therefore ready to be assembled in pink; -new press opening similar to the first allowing to insert a new stave (D) and

  reproduce all of the previous operations.

  The entire device can be managed for example using a programmable automaton using a set of sensors and safety devices informing it of the respective position of each element so as to optimize the sequence and the duration of the different sequences according to the general or particular characteristics of the staves; so that the operator only has to modify two or three parameters according to the initial nature of a batch of staves and according to the characteristics sought, his work consisting essentially in placing a large quantity of staves on the chain (11) simultaneously which gives him enough time to take the staves thus machined from the chain (14) and assemble them

in pink, or any other work.

- 14 -

Claims (6)

  1 - Method of bending, compressing and joining staves of any width, even very small, for the manufacture of barrel hulls or barrels, characterized in that it consists, after the current operations of shortening, dolage, total emptying or partial, cutting or not, to carry out the following steps: - put the stave at the desired curvature along the longitudinal axis, compressing the stave according to its thickness first at the center then gradually towards the ends while simultaneously bending and gradually the entire stave; also compressing the fibers of the inner side of the barrel in the longitudinal direction without breaking the longitudinal fibers   of the external face at the time of bending or later.   -While the stave is at the desired curvature: compress the stave over its entire surface to reduce its initial thickness to a thickness slightly or markedly less in proportion and automatically or not, to the porosity of the stave observed initially; While the stave is at the desired curvature and after having more or less compressed its fibers over its entire surface: cut its joints one by one by milling or planing according to the desired radius; -after these operations: immediately or later assemble the hull with these staves by circles of metal mounting.   The hulls thus produced can be heated to modify the taste of the wood and then the other known and current operations are completed, making it possible to obtain barrels. or barrels.   2 - Device for bending, compressing, joining staves of any width, even very small, in order to manufacture shells of barrels or barrels with staves previously shortened, splayed, hollowed out completely or partially, characterized in that it comprises a set - 15 - means allowing the implementation of the method according to claim 1; these means are: bending means to the desired shape, used simultaneously with; means for maintaining and compressing according to the thickness, used simultaneously with; means for maintaining the length of the external face of the staves, used simultaneously; means of longitudinal compression of the internal face of the staves; then while maintaining arched to the desired shape; means of compression and reduction of the thickness according to the porosity of the staves; means of precise cutting of the two faces forming the joints between the staves and along the radius of the barrel; means for placing, moving and ejecting the staves before, during and after the bending, compression and jointing operations; - means of command and control, automatic or not of all of these operations.   3 - Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a press of shape corresponding to the desired final curvature, the stave being disposed between the upper and lower parts of this press, its lower part corresponds to a portion of the inside the barrel, is heated between 60 and 120 and convex in the transverse and longitudinal direction, its upper part: - corresponding to the same symmetrical portion of the outside of the barrel; - of concave shape in the transverse direction - mobile in the vertical direction; -deformable in the longitudinal direction, from a very small inverse curvature to the desired hanger up to an identical curvature; -being capable of exerting pressure first at the center of the desired hanger, then gradually towards the ends to reach the shape of the desired hanger and to maintain in priority the areas where the fibers of the stave are subjected to strong constraints; - slightly and simultaneously reducing its total length when it is brought to the desired hanger compared to its length when this lower part is in the rectilinear position, this being ensured by the fragmentation into sections of the concave upper part into small lengths proportional to the curvature sought, hinged together and sufficiently spaced from each other to allow this reduction in length which ensures the maintenance of the external fibers and therefore allows the longitudinal compression of the fibers of the internal face of the stave during the operation of bending; -being deformed until parallel to the lower part, forming in a way a mold of the stave; -being capable of compressing the stave previously bent over its entire surface to reduce its initial thickness to a thickness slightly or markedly less in proportion and automatically or not, to the porosity   of the stave initially observed.   -being able to slightly release the stave while keeping it curved to allow its displacement at inside the press.   4 - Device according to one of claims 2 or 3,   characterized in that it comprises two arms on each side of the press articulated along the axis of the barrel, capable of positioning or ejecting the stave in the press during each of the steps described above, and which can serve as a stop retractable to position the stave very exactly on one side then on the other of the press according to a alignment for jointing.   - Device according to one of claims 2 to 4   characterized in that it comprises two rotary and independent cutting tools situated and fixed on either side of the press, mobile in translation, and cutting one after the other -17- the joints of the already bent stave according to a plan   passing through the central axis of the barrel.   6 - Device according to one of claims 2 to 5   characterized in that it comprises a supply chain and a discharge chain located on either side of the press on which the staves are arranged transversely and centered, the first chain bringing the staves one by one to the press.   7 - Device according to one of claims 2 to 6   characterized in that the means making it possible to move bend, compress, join staves comprises a centralization of the various commands and an optimization of the sequences according to the general or particular characteristics of the staves, all of these commands   which can be automated or not according to a predefined program.