Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-01

When ! was working with her she was
shaking me an over; had to stand on
my toes, and shaking me all over"
q. Where was the machine shaking
what part of the machnep
a. me whole machine was shaking
and the top most.
O. Was the machine loose?
A. The top of the machine. there was
a cover. the bolts. nuts were loose: it
WAS moving up and down and the knife,
the belt was, that was going one way
and another. not right.
G. Was the machine moving from the
floor.
a. Everything WAS shaking loose; my
machine was right near the electric box
and it was shaking me awfully all over,
the machine and myself" tH
To fully understand the application of
the plaintin' description of the manner
upon which the end of the machine
to have quite a complete description Of
the machine which was given by Edward
Parker.
That machine in its construction ana
operation IS similar to buzz plner The
machine is - inches high. it is made OF
cast iron: the base is cast iron. cast iron
pedestal with cast iron bed plate; sitting
on this base ana on this bed plate the
shaft is supported b. boxes; it has ;
3-16 inch shaft 3S inches long, with a steel
<rif" head on each end. This knife head
suppose. is shrunk onto that shaft, |
don't know, of course. we never loosenrd
one and never bad one get loose, and fur
ther than that it is held on by a nut on
the end of the shaft. 1t is driven by II
pulley in the centre of the shaft: that is
driven by a belt over this pulley: and il
is used for peelng edges and slabs. saw
mill waste. \ man stands at one side of
the machine, taking an edsinG which is
four feet long, commences in the middle
of this edginS draws the edaing towards
him and never letting the knife touch
the edsing when it is going from him:
then if the knife catches the ed2ing and
pulls it out of his hand his hands will be
coming towards him. Further than that
there is a guard on the back side of the
machine which is two feet from the
centre of that shaft: this is simply some
uprishts four by four pieces of loist
with boards nailed up and down; this is
about the length Of that guard on top of
the machine there: 50 it would be impos-
sible for an edSinS to go the full length
over this knife. The man would have
two feet to hold on to: he needn't get his
hands within Is inches of the knife any
way
This piece on top of the machine is to
that might fly out and hit this guard ana
rebound and strike the man in the head.
That is put up there to prevent that, to
protect the man from the knots or pieces
of wood And this little piece of wood
here, hard wood board which sets on
there horizontally. was put or there to
guard the caps, if a man should slip or
anything of that kind, he would naturally
grasp llldl lISttsl VI putting MS iidItl
on the machine.
The knives are six inches in length
Now the width OF the knives when they
We're new. ] don't remember; Of course,
now they may vary some.
@. How are the knives protected?
A. The knives are protected by a bon
net going over the top. with an opening
in this bonnet 3A by 6l4 ! think"
the machine consists of two cutters, one
at each end and run by pulley in the
centre, the whole resting upon one frame.
1t may also be said that the description
herein contained is accurate in COMPARE
son with the machine itself which was
in the court house during the arguments
for the inspection of the court The very
construction of the machine rendered
the existence of the defects as described
by each of the plaintiffs, practically i'm
possible and this evidence upon this point
utterly fallaciOuS. If true, it would APP
pear that one of these cutters at the end
of a shaft SO inches long was described
by the plaintiff as follows: when | was
working with her. she was shaking me all
over: had to stand on my toes and
shaking me all over while at the other
same frame the machine was running all
right and smoothly. This could not be
and the plaintiffs description must nee
eSsariy be erroneous. The cause of all
this commotion The plaintiff would have
it understood was produced by loose bolts
or nuts. but an inspection of the machine
itself shows this contention to be with
out any foundation. If loose. the knives
revolving at the great speed at which
they We're turning, would have struck
the edge of the frame and broken into Il
thousand fragments.
An inspection Of the machine clearly
shows that every danger connected With
the operation of it was apparent to any
person of ordinary intelligence The
knives We're in plain sight: they were
exposed only to a sufficient degree to
enable them to catch the bark of the
edginSs. The way i'm which they opera
ted was perfectly plain. in fact right be-
fore the eyes of the operator. The pull
ing effect which they had upon the edg
ing held by the operator was necessary
warning that his hands We're drawn to-
wards the knives.
1t therefore appears to us that all the
dangers attending the operation of this
machine would become perfectly appar-
cnt to any person of ordinary intelli-
sence and that instructions with refer
ence to the method Of operation or of the
dangers attending it, would be superliu-
Gus. They could add nothing to what
was already obvious. 1t is the opinion
of the court therefore, that the verdict
in each case was clearly wrong and
should be set aside.
Motion in each case sustained.