Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-06-15
Stearn's Patent Eccentric II ad Blocks
for Circular SaW-MiIls.

SOheAiy Iub6T6SISu nlnS6H, VIII call aJUen
ton to it. To the casual observer it would
seem of little Importance, but it is mat
ter OF vital Importance to nearly everyone
IN this country. We use the language of the
inventor himself in describing this
: great improvement in the manufacture OF
lumber. His invention was first patented
IN 1896, and has been before the public for
fourteen years, and on the 18th of April,
1870 the patent was extended for seven
years longer. The construction of the
Head Blocks for a circular saw-mill is of
much more importance than many are ant
to suppose. The saw must run well TO
make good lumber; but if, from any cause.
it inclines one-sixth or one-eighth of an inch
sideways, 1t matters not so much as to
have blocks which do not set the logs accu-
: ratey, for fthe boards are set 3-16 or Of an
6 inch or more in thickness than others,
nothing will correct the error. The boards
will be sawed as badly ss they are set. But
on the other hand, if the saw is so filed or
: set that it draws sideways, it does not show
= 1t so much in the lumber, as it ordinarily in
: chnes the same way every time. This can be
2 corrected in the filing and setting.
To get a perfect head block, many difficult
$ ties are TO be overcome, apparent only to
: those experienced in building and running
mills, and who have also devoted much atten-
tlon to learn the causes of and the remedy
AOA iLIpeIl0Cb SdMiuS. 1ue accuracy OF THICK
, ness desirable, can never be secured by me-
: chanical principles heretofore employed
) Neither the rack and pinion, screw, in
cline plane, or anything of the kind,
Will give 1t, quick motion will give thicker
board than a slow one. A light log will be
thrown farther than heavy one. The twist
ing OF a connecting shaft used in connection
, with rack and pinion, or screw, increases the
variation; one part of the gearing gets
clogged with saw DUST while The other parts
are free, another cause of rregularity. The
screw blocks are slow, laborious things
There Is no self-adjusting principle connected
with them. The handle must be stopped
with precision or there will be great variations
of thickness. Much time is lost in adjusting
the thickness, and anything Ike accuracy is
out OF the question. The cogs in the rack
and pinion blocks soon wear loose, and leave
the knees free to be thrown too far
by quick movements of the lever, or to be
AIRED and drawn forward under the motion
of the saw with light cant. Cogs also wear
very lrregular-one cog more than another.
The force of logs turned against the knees
often break off the corners of the cogs, caus-
] ing great irregularity in the lumber. The
screws in screw blocks, with much turn
ing under pressure to move the logs, wear
loose very fast, in two places, viz: The
| threads in the nuts on the knees, and between
| the collars where they are attached to the
frames. They soon get very loose, and per-
NIT the jarring of the mill and the drawing of
| the saw to move the cants, as they become
|
even IN thickness. The erowning excellency
claimed for the Stea1ns Blocks, lies in the
delicate and nearly absolute mathematical
precision and uniformity in the adjustment
ofthe thickness.
This point OF so much Importance js secur-
| ed by the use of eccentrics, so applied In Civ
| ing lateral motions to the log, as to be reach
| ing or passing their centers when completing
| the motion and adjusting the thickness. It's
| motion will be fastest when first started and
| INvIn aN7lfIT 1lXy 11T1tI
| reaching q dead centre. This gives a slow
movement when nearing the required thick
ness, and leaves no momentums for cOntinu-
ing the motion beyond. The advantage over
all resistance is complete. The heaviest logs
are adjusted with the same precision as the
| Highest. The setting arms work In psirs-one
advancing while the other is receding, so
that the log is set forward by the back
ward as well as the forward motion of
the handle This prevents a retrogade
motion of the log. 1t also doubles the pur-
chase, making the movements light and easy.
| This application Of the eccentric secures a
most perfect self adjustment of thickness
! without any trouble and delay on the part of
the sawyer. SO perfect is the eccentric move
ment as to accuracy, that we do not gain or
| lose the thickness of paper in saving up a
large log. In The first place, we have the self
| adjusting principle, giving such slab as
will leave board at last neither too thick
nor too thin; and then as we neither gain or
| lose as much as the thickness of paper in
cutting up log, the last board is sure to
come out right every time. Though the
movement Of the handle be continued the
knees cannot be thrown forward nearer
| the saw than the thickness Of a board.
| Thus the cants for boards are sawed,
leaving either a perfect board, or an
inch and half or two inch plank, as the
sawyer chooses, without stopping even to
look at the blocks, and the last board as
quickly as any. The wear of the eccentrics,
or their journals, or the yokes, never causes
h. lnnc NAr1,a
plenty of surplus rise, and if they should
wear sixteenth of inch less, it could
make no variation in the setting-not the
thickness of a greenback in saving up a
whole log-so perfect is the adjustment
| made by an eccentric on reaching q dead
center. Tapering lumber may be sawed as
one block may be thrown out of gear while
the other is moving the difference. The
| beauty an excellence of this
arrangement cannot be fully un-
derstood without seeing the blocks,
and watching their separation on the
| mill The simplicity, directness and power
! of the movement, the evident durability of
| the blocks, and the ease. dispatch and per-
feet accuracy in setting the various thick
nesses in the dark pleases all who witness
tnem. The neat and uniform appearance of
the lumber, also, which is sawed on the Ec-
| centric Blocks and piled about the mills, sel-
dom fails to arrest the attention of visitors
Owners of planning mills know well that too
much Is wasted IN reducing lumber to uni
in the United States are lessened annually
many millions OF dollars by unnecessary
waste from the use of imperfect mach nery
Probably 3-16 of al inch is planed off in
dressing, when lie of an inch
should suffice. This is an unnec-
essary waste of about one-tenth of the lum-
Der. Suppose it worth $40 per one Thousand
feet, the loss is 50 per thousand feet in guam
tity from the logs. Then there is, at least,
81 per thousand feet in quality; for boards
| sawed even will bring, at least, 81 more per
thousand feet than as usually sawed. They
look better, and are better for every pur-
pose. Ii only for a root, the shingles will lay
better, and there Is a saving of transporta-
ton of unnecessary waste. Allowing, thus,
| a savingsof So per thousand feet, it would
amount, per day, to $50, when saving only
10000 feet; $45 when saving $4,000 feet; $50
when saving 90, 900 feet, and many mills saw
more than that daily. A mill saving only
500, 900 feet year would save 81 800; saw
ing 100000 feet would 5000; saw
ing 5000, 900 feet would save SIS, 900 year.
Many lumbermen lose half of the profits of
the business by poor head blocks, which waste
and spoil the timber. Some lose the whole,
and fail of success altogether from this cause
mainly. Ali may make money in good times,
but those having good mills will make the
most; and in hard times those who waste
| handsome profit by cheap mills, may work
| just as hard, and make nothing. Lumber can
| be sawed 11eH on q good mill cheaper than il
can be sawed badly on a poor one. It is a
| OIlOuSdHu tlllC6 DOGGOI dill olOuHo W save Gu6
| unnecessary waste, and make a perfect ar
| ticle. It is better for him who sells the trees
| by the thousand, if a tenth is saved-he
! gets tenth more for them. SO for one who
| stocks the mill for the job; he receives one
| tenth more for the same labor. So for the saw
yer saving by the thousand; he receives one
tenth more for saving the same logs, he
gives good satisfaction and gets reputation
as good sawyer. SO for the mill owner, who
saws for others; he receives one-tenth more
for saving the same logsi gets reputation
for his mill; it helps him to good contracts
and brings custom to his mill; lumber inspect
ors see the improvement in the lumber, and
| influence mill owners to get the Stearns'
blocks Builders are glad to find lumber
sawed true; it is so much getteT for their
use. They patronize yards where they find
it; it is better for lumber dealers, they can
afford to pay more for well sawed lumber
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