IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE PATENT SAFETY RAILWAY KEYS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS TO THE CHAIRS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ferguson Strong, of Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Timber Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
MAKING THE PATENT SAFETY RAILWAY KEYS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS
TO THE CHAIRS."
Sealed the 1st December 1876, and dated the 26th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ferguson Strong at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th: September 1876.
"
ROBERT FERGUSON STRONG, of Sunderland, in the County Durham, Timber
Merchant. IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE PATENT SAFETY RAILWAY
KEYS FOR SECURING RAILWAY RAILS TO THE CHAIRS."
My Invention relates to improved machinery for making keys for securing rail-
way rails of the kind known as the Patent safety railway key, which is shaped or
curved on the top surface, and has a V shaped slit cut in one end; and the machine
is designed to shape the top surface of the key and cut the V shaped slit in the end
at one operation, whereby these keys may be turned out in much larger quantities
and at less cost than by the present slow method of shaping the key and cutting
out the slit with a sweep saw.
The machine comprises a feed motion for feeding the keys, and horizontal
revolving cutter for shaping the top of the key, and vertical revolving cutters or
saws for cutting the slit in the end.
The feed motion, which is at one end of the machine, consists of heavy fluted
rollers and frictional wheels placed beneath the former, being slowly rotated by
gearing from a vertical shaft. The keys to be shaped having been previously sawn
square are fed by the rollers between two fences to the machine cutters. The keys
first pass beneath and are subjected to the action of revolving steel cutters attached
to a cutter block mounted on a horizontal shaft driven at a high speed from the
vertical shaft, whereby the top surface of the keys is brought to the desired shape.
The keys then pass under a long saddle block corresponding in shape to the top
surface of the keys, which then pass on to revolving cutter heads, also running at a
high speed, mounted on vertical shafts and arranged at one side of the macbine.
These cutter heads may be from, say, three to six in number, and they are con-
structed and arranged to successively cut a deeper V slit in the keys as the latter
are fed past them.

page_text: Instead of the ordinary cutters they may be saws or small circular cutters blunted
on the edge like a rasp, or the different kinds may be used in combination.
The cutters may be kept cool by jets of water playing on them if necessary.

page_text: the axes of the top rolls C, and also with another intermediate cog wheel G¹ gearing
with the cog wheels Cs, Cs, keyed on the axes of the bottom rolls C¹. The top and
bottom rolls and their gear wheels are of corresponding diameters, so as to move
with equal surface speeds.
Motion is imparted to the feed mechanism by a belt Z on the cone of pulleys H,
having a pinion H₁ keyed on their shaft gearing with a cog wheel H² keyed on a
shaft on which is also keyed a pinion H³, which gears with a large cog wheel I
keyed on the same shaft with the intermediate wheel G¹, above mentioned, or any
other convenient arrangement of gear may be adopted.
K is a cover plate bolted down on the guides B¹, thus forming a rectangular
passage for the key blanks a to prevent them tilting or being fed irregularly by the
feed rolls, of which the upper pair project through apertures in the said cover K.
The
L is the top cutter block fixed on a horizontal shaft L', driven at a high speed by
a belt Y from a vertical or horizontal shaft (not shown). The shaft L¹ is mounted
in bearings in an adjustable frame L, sliding in dovetail guides on an inclined
frame L³ fixed to the side frames A, the height of this frame L², and consequently
that of the revolving cutter block L, being regulated by a hand screw L
cutter block L carries two steel cutters of proper shape to bring the side surface of
the keys (which are passed through the machine with the side to be shaped upwards)
to the form desired, the cutters being secured to opposite faces of the block L.
A third cutter may be added, if desired, to chamfer the ends of the keys.
M is a saddle piece between the fences or guides B¹, and extending the whole
length of the machine behind the top cutter L; this saddle piece has its lower face,
which presses on the keys, shaped to correspond to the shape to which these are
brought by the cutters ; this saddle piece is bolted to flanges N' on levers N,
jointed at one end N° to the machine, and working between upright guides N³, and
having weights N* attached at the other end to press the saddle piece firmly down
upon the keys whilst the latter are having the end slit cut in them by the rotating
side cutters or saws. M1 is a short saddle piece in front of the cutter block L,
pressed down by weighed lever M². O is a weighted lever on the end of a hori-
zontal shaft O¹ mounted in the frame L³, and carrying a short lever arm 0³, which
presses on the saddle piece M immediately behind the cutter block L.
P, P1, P2, P3, are four cutter heads or blocks mounted on vertical spindles, and each
carrying a cutter R for taking out the end slit in the key. Four of them are shown
in the Drawing, but a greater or less number may be employed, say, from 3 to 6.
The cutters are of progressively increasing size, so that each successive cutter makes
a deeper cut, as represented by the dotted circles. The cutters R are secured to the
blocks P by nuts and bolts, whose heads are received in dovetailed grooves in the
blocks. The form of the cutters R and the way in which the spindles of the blocks P
are mounted is more clearly seen in the separate Figures, which are drawn to a
larger scale.
Figure 6 represents in elevation one of the blocks P and its spindle S mounted in
upper and lower bearings T¹ in a frame T, which is bolted to the side frame A of
the machine.
Figure 7 represents in face view a set of four cutters; Figure 8, a side view of one
of the cutters; and Figure 9, cross sections of two forms of cutter, showing that the
leading edge r of the cutter may either be plain or fluted.
Figure 10 shows a side view of another form of cutter with the leading edge,
which may be fluted or not, formed with rasp-like teeth.
Figures 11 and 12 show two forms of saw which may be substituted for the
blocks P and cutters R. The teeth extend only partly round the saw, so that its
action is not continuous to avoid heating. To increase the depth of cut the toothed
portion of the saw only is increased in size, the plain part remaining always the
same size, so that the saw, represented in Figure 12, becomes oval instead of
circular.
Instead of these saws ordinary circular saws may be used, and to cut the slit of

page_text: wedge shape some of the saws are inclined by tilting or inclining the frame T in
which the saw spindle is mounted.
Figure 13 shows another form of saw or circular cutter having concentric circular
cutting edges U on both its faces, the saw being slightly bevelled or decreased in
thickness towards the edge, which has rasp-like teeth entirely around its circum-
ference, as shown in part at V, Figure 13; this circular cutter cuts with both faces
and its edge at once, and a set of, say, four are used of progressively increasing
diameter and gradually decreasing thickness at the edges, as shown in section at
Figure 14, so as to cut a slit of the desired shape. With circular cutters of this
shape it is not necessary to incline the spindles, as the cutters acting with their two
inclined faces and the circumference form the slit of proper shape.
The kind of cutter or saw to be used depends on the nature of the wood
operated on.
All these side cutters or saws are driven by separate belts from the same vertical
shaft as the horizontal shaft L¹; or if driven from a horizontal shaft, only one belt
with binding pulleys would be employed for the four cutters or saws.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the machine
for shaping and end slitting railway keys, substantially as herein shown and
described.
2nd. In a machine for shaping and end slitting railway keys as described, the
combination with any convenient arrangement of mechanism for feeding the key
blanks of a table with guides, a horizontal revolving cutter or cutters for shaping
the side of the key, and a set of cutters or saws of progressively increasing size on
vertical spindles arranged at one side of the key guides for cutting a V slit in the
ends of the keys, substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd. In a machine for shaping railway keys as described, the combination with
the table and guides or fences of the cover plate K, both the table and cover plate
having apertures for the feed rolls, as shown and described.
4th. In a machine for shaping railway keys, the combination with the table and
guides for the keys of the weighted saddle piece shaped of a form corresponding to
that of the keys after being operated on by the top cutter or cutters, the saddle
piece pressing on the keys and holding them in position firmly, yet allowing them
to be fed through easily while the V slit is being cut in their ends by the series of
cutters or saws, substantially as shown and described.
5th. In a machine for shaping railway keys, the employment of cutters, as shown
in Figures 7 to 10, so formed and arranged that there is no friction caused by cutters
following the preceding ones.
6th. In a machine for shaping railway keys, the employment, as herein described,
of a set of circular saws of progressively increasing size having teeth around a part
only of their circumference, as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
7th. In a machine for shaping railway keys, the employment of circular cutters
of the form shown in Figures 13 and 14 of the Drawings, having cutting teeth on
their two faces and entirely around their circumference for cutting the V slit in the
ends of the keys, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ferguson Strong, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven