The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-01
Middlebury Inventors.

Editor Register and JOurHal BY re-
quest | again call attention to the facts
connected with the building and putting
in operation of the FIRST sash factory by
Norman Upper. As before stated, and
without doubt it is true. the FIRST circular
saw-mill was built by Collins Andrews
for Mr.. Upper and put in successful
operation in his sash factory in 1888,
The mill was SO constructed that after
the log was stabbed, trimmed down and
logged it was cut into boards or planks of
the required thickness without stopping
the carriage. When the last board was
cut the carriage moved back and set for
the next and so continued until the log
was sawed. 1t was thought to be. and
was. a very ingeniously constructed ma
chine, but the largest circular saw to be
found at that time was Is inches and
therefore only small logs could be saw
ed, foot being the widest board that the
mill would cut. Large logs that world
split freely with wedges were sawed to
some extent.
The demand for a larger saw led to
the conception of the idea, by Mr.. Tup-
per. of grating in teeth, leaving the
CRAFTS to project two inches beyond the
periphery, so as to cut II inches instead
of u. He had first a steel saw grated !;
after that Il larger iron plate was drawn
by Il. III. Cobb at the forge in East Mid
dlebury, which was subsequently turned,
finished and grated in the same manner
as the steel saw. But it did not work
well and was not much used. The mill
was burnt in 1850.
In IS, Mr.. Topper put into his sash
factory planning machine, which was
of novel construction and IA great i'm
provement upon the first one used in
making sash. This new planning ma
chine was also the work of Andrews.
The machine was a SIX or seven-foOt
wheel with four plane irons set at equal
distances from the upper to the under
side in the out edge of the wheels, which
was fastened to II perpendicular shaft 50
that the under side of the wheel was
level. The plane irons we set in about
the same manner as an ordinary hand
plane. Two carriages with gearing were so
arranged as to pass under this horizontal
wheel as far as to the center shaft, then
dropped about inches and passed up to
the front of the machine, where it came
up and stopped long enough to allow the
tender to put on board to be planed,
when it passed under the wheel and was
pldllCi' Ilt oliltl Ndll aye
returned into place to receive its share
of lumber to be planed and so they pass
ed one in the other and out at the same
time.
This was the best planer then in use
and for aught | know the only one, as
the first had been abandoned for planning
purposes. This machine only planed
boards four feet in length. 1t was su-
perceded, think, by the Woodwork
planer, but was used until 1850. At the
time it was put in operation Mr.. Upper
had the contract to supply the Lake
Dunmorc Glass Co. with glass boxes
(about hundred boxes a day, consev
quently it was a necessity, This method
of planning originated with Mr.. Topper.
Collins Andrews, Charles Nichols and
Boswell Smith assisted in planning and
constructing the machine, and at that
time il was thought to be ii wonderful
success.
A number of other machines of lesser
Importance were invented and put in
operation in that sash factory.
A. Il. TUPPER.