130 



FOREST PRODUCTS 



near the heading turner and as he finishes one pile another is moved up 

 close to avoid loss of time. Piles of about 20 sets are customary. 



The heading turner is probably the most interesting machine in a 

 cooperage mill. Its function is to circle a finished barrel heading with a 

 beveled edge out of each course of heading boards. The jointed and 

 matched boards are placed into a form or clamp which holds the pieces 

 firmly together; the operator, with a foot lever, releases the turner and 

 the boards are swiftly revolved against a combination saw and knife. 

 The saw which is concave in shape cuts the boards in a circle on a bevel 



Fig. 32. — First step in assembling a barrel. 



while the knife cuts the other bevel to meet it. Immediately the heading 

 is turned, the machine automatically throws itself out of gear, discharges 

 the heading pieces and assumes a position ready to receive another course. 

 The speed of the turner saw is about 5000 R.P.M. In some mills the 

 operator works only every other hour. 



As each head is made, it drops down a chute with the waste to a 

 pick-up or assembly man. He sets aside the waste and assembles the 

 boards into regular piles. When enough sets have been piled up, they 

 are carried or sent on live rolls to the baler. It is customary to pack 20 

 sets (40 heading) to the bundle which are baled with 3 wire ties of 11 

 gauge wire and loaded directly into the freight cars. 



