IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CHANNELS IN STONE AND FOR WORKING IN QUARRIES
Year: 1867

page_text: 1
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for,
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CHANNELS
IN STONE AND FOR WORKING IN QUARRIES." -A communication from abroad
by George Jeffards Wardwell, of Rutland, in the State of Vermont,
United States, of America.
Sealed the 28th May, 1867, and dated the 25th March 1867
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A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on .the
25th March 1867
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane,iin; the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, FOR CUTTING CHANNELS
IN STONE AND FOR WORKING IN QUARRIES;" to be as follows:
This. Invention relates to certain novel improvements on stone cutting
machinery designed for cutting vertical or inclined channels in the beds. of
quarries preparatory to cutting under and separating the blocks of stone.
Stone cutting machines have been operated by a steam engine located behind
the cutter carrying carriage or frame, and moving upon the same track there-

page_text: with. Under some circumstances this arrangement of the driving power and
the cutting mechanism upon the different frames is objectionable, particularly
for want of compactness and portability where a quarry is small and economy
in working it is desired.
The first part of this Invention consists in supporting the steam boiler, the
engine, the stone cutting devices, and the feed mechanism upon a single
frame or carriage which is mounted upon and adapted to travel on a rail
track; this frame or carriage is constructed in a rigid and substantial manner,
so as to afford a firm unyielding bed or support for the machinery.
The second part of the Invention consists in arranging the toothed rails
(upon which the carriage of a stone channeling machine travels forward and
backward) upon the outer vertical sides of the sleepers so as to prevent their
lateral displacement.
The next part of the Invention is to construct a stone channeling machine
with a single frame for carrying the several parts for driving, cutting, and
feeding so that the engine shaft shall, communicate motion direct to the chisel
stocks and also to the feeding mechanism.
The next improvement is to employ a reversible pawl upon a vibrating
feed arm for admitting of the reversal of the carriage at pleasure without
reversing the engine or its crank shaft.
Another improvement consists in employing a friction brake upon the feed
shaft for preventing the carriage from moving further forward or backward
than it will be carried by the alternate feeding strokes of the pawl arm.
Another improvement is to employ solid chisel carrying stocks stepped upon
those ends which receive the chisels or bits for the purpose of obtaining
stocks possessing greater strength than the section stocks hitherto employed.
Another improvement consists in communicating rectilinear reciprocating
movements to the chisel carrying stocks by means of vibrating segment levers
which are connected to the stocks at the centres of their width. The standard
guides between which the chisel stocks move can be reversed end for end so
as to cause them to wear equally.
↑
Another improvement consists in employing removable cutting points or
chisels upon the stepped ends of the chisel stocks, whether such stocks be
made solid or in detachable, sections for the purpose of admitting of the
removal of the chisels, one or all, for sharpening or repairing without
removing the stocks from their guides.
The last improvement consists in arranging the feeding spur wheels, upon
the outside of the carriage in rear of the chisel stocks in conjunction with
toothed rails which are arranged upon the outer vertical surfaces of the

page_text: sleepers, so as to prevent the track upon which the machine travels from
spreading or getting out of gauge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CHANNELS IN STONE AND FOR WORKING IN
QUARRIES," being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executor's
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said. Letters
Patent.
...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to certain novel improvements on stone cutting
machinery designed for cutting vertical or inclined channels in the beds of

page_text: quarries preparatory to cutting under and separating the blocks of stone.
Stone cutting machines have been operated by a steam engine located behind
the cutter carrying carriage or frame, and moving upon the same track
therewith. Under some circumstances this arrangement of the driving power
and the cutting mechanism upon the different frames is objectionable,
particularly for want of compactness and portability where a quarry is small
and economy in working it is desired.
The first part of the Invention consists in supporting the steam boiler, the
engine, the stone cutting devices, and the feed mechanism upon a single
frame or carriage which is mounted upon and adapted to travel on a rail
track; this frame or carriage is constructed in a rigid and substantial
manner, so as to afford a firm unyielding bed or support for the machinery.
The second part of the Invention consists in arranging the toothed rails
(upon which the carriage of a stone channeling machine travels forward and
backward) upon the outer vertical sides of the sleepers so as to prevent their
lateral displacement.
:
The next part of the Invention is to construct a stone channeling machine
with a single frame for carrying the several parts for driving, cutting, and
feeding, so that the engine shaft shall communicate motion direct to the chisel
stocks and also to the feeding mechanism.
The next improvement is to employ a reversible pawl upon a vibrating feed
arm for permitting the reversal of the carriage at pleasure without reversing
the engine or its crank shaft.
Another improvement consists in employing a friction brake upon the feed
shaft for preventing the carriage from moving further forward or backward
than it will be carried by the alternate feeding strokes of the pawl arm.
Another improvement is to employ solid chisel carrying stocks stepped upon
those ends which receive the chisels or bits for the purpose of obtaining stocks
possessing greater strength than the section stocks hitherto employed.
Another improvement consists in communicating rectilinear reciprocating
movements to the chisel carrying stocks by means of vibrating segment levers
which are connected to the stocks at the centres of their width. The standard
guides between which the chisel stocks move can be reversed end for end so
as to cause them to wear equally.
Another improvement consists in employing removable cutting points or
chisels upon the stepped ends of the chisel stocks, whether such stocks be
made solid or in detachable sections for the purpose of admitting of the
removal of the chisels, one or all, for sharpening or repairing without removing
the stocks from their guides.

page_text: The last improvement consists in arranging the feeding spur wheels upon
the outside of the carriage in rear of the chisel stocks in conjunction with
toothed rails, which are arranged upon the outer' vertical surfaces of the
sleepers so as to prevent the track upon which the machine travels from
spreading or getting out of p
gauge.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., is an elevation of the
left-hand side of the improved machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the
machine; Fig. 3.is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 4 is an elevation of
the right-hand side of the machine; Fig. 5; Sheet II., is a section through
the machine taken in the line'x, x, in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a transverse section
of part of the machine taken through the line y, y, in Fig. 3; Fig. 7 'is an
enlarged view in detail shewing the manner of connecting the chisel stocks
to the vibrating levers; Figures 8 and 9 shew the manner of applying the
chisels or bits to solid or to sectional chisel stocks.
A, A; represent the parallel sleepers of the track upon which the machine
is caused to move backward and forward; these sleepers are firmly connectedl
together by cross ties A¹, which also serve as braces for preserving the paral-
lelism of the sleepers and preventing lateral displacement thereof. On the
outside of the sleepers A, A, rails a, a, are firmly secured, so that their upper
surfaces project above the surfaces of the sleepers and serve as guides for the
machine during its reciprocating movements. The outer vertical surfaces of
the rails a, a, have spur teeth formed on them, as shewn at a', with which two
pinion spur wheels a², a³, engage. The track thus constructed is firmly
secured upon the quarry bed at the point desired to cut or channel the same,
and the length of the track will be regulated by the length of the channels
which it is desired to cut. The pinion spur wheels a, a, are keyed on the
lower ends of vertical shafts b, b; which are arranged on the outside of the
frame or carriage B, as shewn in Fig. 6; and which have their bearings in
journal boxes b', 6', projecting from the sides of the frame B, and also in cap
-plates B', B', which are bolted firmly. upon this frame. Upon the upper ends
of the vertical. shaft b, b, bevil spur wheels 63, 6 keyed, which engage
with and are driven by bevil pinion spur wheels 63, 6, that are keyed on a
horizontal transverse shaft C; this shaft C has its end bearings in the cap
plates B, B, and carries the vibrating feed arm, the feed spur, and brake, as
will be herein-after described. The frame or carriage B is 'constructed of
plates of iron firmly bolted together and braced so as to afford the required
strength and rigidity to sustain the several parts employed in the work of
channeling stone; this frame should be made sufficiently strong to admit of
its being moved about bodily without straining or deranging the mechanisin
are

page_text: upon it. Upon both sides of the frame or carriageB o ffsets B2, B³, are applied,
which form housings for the spur wheels above described and also supports
for the standards of the chisel stocks, as will be herein-after described. The
rear part of the frame or carriage B is sustained upon the rails a, a, by means
of flanged shoes or slides a, a, which embrace the rails and prevent lateral
displacement of the carriage at this point. The front end of the carriage is
sustained upon the rails a, a, by means of flanged wheels as, a³, which prevent
lateral displacement at this point. In front of the feed shaft C is the engine
shaft E, through which motion is communicated to the channeling devices and
the feed mechanism; this shaft E extends transversely across the top of frame
or carriage B, and is supported upon pillow blocks c, c, which are firmly bolted
upon the longitudinal sides of frame or carriage B, and also upon the offsets B¹
thereof. To the crank of the shaft. E a connecting rod d is attached, the
rear end of which is pivotted to the piston rod d' of the engine F; the slide
valve of this engine receives its movements from the shaft E through the
medium of an excentric d² and connecting rod d³. The pump d', which is on
top of the steam cylinder of the engine, is operated by a rod connecting with
the cross head of the piston rod d¹, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3, Sheet I.
The engine may be constructed in the manner represented in the Drawings
or in any other suitable manner.
The steam boiler is constructed somewhat like that of a locomotive or
portable steam engine. The fire-box G is firmly secured centrally between
the longitudinal sides of the carriage B, and the forward end of the cylindrical
boiler G¹ is sustained by striding braces G2, which are rigidly bolted to the
said carriage, as shewn in the Drawings. Near the end of the main driving
shaft E cams or toes f, f, are keyed upon it in such manner as to operate
alternately upon the shortest arms of segment levers H, and thus give a
vibrating motion to them; these levers vibrate in vertical planes, and have
their fulcra in the pillow blocks c, c; their longest arms are connected
by means of lifting and pulling down ropes or chains c¹, c', to the chisel
carrying blades I, I, so as to reciprocate these blades vertically in their
standard guides J, J. The front ends or segment faces of said levers H
are grooved so as to receive and keep in place the ropes or chains c¹, c¹, one
of which latter is carried upward and attached to an eye c2 upon the chisel
stock, and the other is carried downward and attached to the lower clamp of
the chisel stock. The ropes or chains should be attached to their respective
stocks I at such points as will cause the levers H to lift and pull down these
stocks without any tendency to tilt them or cause them to bind in their guides,
therefore I located the said points of attachment in the middle of the width

page_text: of the stocks. The eyes c² are removable, and they can be attached nearer
to or further from the upper ends of their respective stocks as circumstances
may require, a number of holes being made through the stocks for this purpose.
The clamps D, to which the lifting ropes are attached, are also moveable, so as
to be capable of attachment at different points to their stocks. The chisel
carrying stocks I, I; may be made solid, as shewn in Figures 1 and 9, or
they may be made of longitudinal sections clamped together, as shewn in
Figures 7 and 8, or in any suitable manner. These stocks are guided and
kept in place in their vertical reciprocating movements by means of the
standard guides J, J', which have shouldered tenons formed on their inner
parallel faces that fit into corresponding grooves formed in the clamps D, D,
which are applied to the stocks I, as shewn in Fig. 3. The standard guides J,
which are on the inner sides of the chisel stocks, are secured rigidly at their
lower ends to oscillating boxes K2, which are sustained by forward and rear
trunnions bearing upon the frame or carriage outside of the rail track. The
upper ends of said guides J have horizontal yokes K³ secured to them, as
shewn in the Drawings. The outer standard guides J₁ are secured to the
outer side plates of the boxes K2, which plates are hinged, as shewn in the
Drawings, so as to allow the said standards to be swung open (as shewn in
Fig. 2) for removing the chisel carrying stocks. The upper parts of the
standard guides J¹ are binged to the yokes K³ by means of horizontal bars K*.
The standard guides are all constructed so as to be reversible, (that is to say,)
they can be turned end for end by detaching them from their oscillating boxes
and the yokes K³ for the purpose of preventing unequal wear of the clamps
upon the guiding tenous. The standard guides are held firmly in the desired
position by means of transverse braces K, K, which are connected by joints.
to the ribs on the inner standards J, and by means of nuts to a plate K upon
the boiler G. By turning the nuts on the ends of the rods the standard
guides may be adjusted and set at any required angle with respect to the
frame or carriage to which they are applied, so that should the carriage incline
the chisel stocks can be set to work in vertical planes. The standard guides
are also braced by inclined rods L, L, which are secured to the inner
standards, and which extends backwards and are secured to the carriage
frame, as shewn in Figures 1, 3, and 4, Sheet I. The feed shaft G has a
toothed wheel g keyed to it, into the teeth of which a reversible pawl or
dog h engages. This pawl is pivotted to an arm g', which is applied so as to
vibrate loosely upon the shaft G, and which receives its vibrations from an
excentric N upon the crank shaft E through the medium of a connecting
rod N', as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, Sheet I. The excentric N is constructed

page_text: in such manner and so secured to the balance wheel P that it can be adjusted
for shortening or lengthening the strokes of the lever arm g¹ so as to increase
or diminish the forward or backward movements of the machine upon its track.
On the inside of the vibrating arm g¹ and keyed on the feed shaft C is a brake
wheel M having an annular groove formed in its periphery; this brake wheel
is acted upon by a weight S upon the one end of a spring brake S', which is
secured at its other end to the frame or carriage B in front of the shaft C, as
shewn in Figures 3 and 4. The weight S is adjustable upon the brake arm for
increasing or diminishing the friction or resistance offered to the rotation of the
shaft C at pleasure. The pawl h is pivotted to the vibrating feed arm in such
manner that it can be reversed at pleasure so as to cause the frame or carriage
to move forward or backward without reversing or stopping the engine or its
shaft E. In practice the rear ends or short arms of the segment levers H, H,
will have blocks of india-rubber beneath them, which are designed to over-
come the inertia of said. levers when their forward ends are thrown up to their
highest points, and by a quick elastic reaction upon the chisel stocks sud-
denly force them down, thereby producing more effective blows upon the
stone. The lower ends of the chisel stocks are stepped, as shown in Figures 8
and 9, and these stepped ends are bored out so as to form sockets for
receiving the shanks of removable chisels t, t, which are secured in place by
transverse bolts, or in any other suitable manner. By thus employing
removable chisels frequently removing the stocks I from the standard guides
will be avoided. In the operation of the machine the balance wheel P upon
the crank shaft E will equalize the movements of the feeding and channeling
mechanism and also the engine without in any manner interfering with the
arrangement of the cutters in close proximity to the walls of the quarry, such
wheel being arranged between the longitudinal sides of the carriage will also
operate with less strain upon its shaft than would be the case if it was applied
outside of the carriage upon one extreme end of the shaft.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me
as aforesaid, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,
First, sustaining the steam boiler, the steam engine, the feeding and
other mechanism, and the channeling devices upon a rigid carriage B, as
described.
Second, arranging the toothed rails a, a', upon the outer vertical sides of
the sleepers A in combination with the feed spur wheels a³ arranged on the
outside of the carriage of the stone channeling machine, as specified.
Third, communicating motion to the chisel carrying stocks I and also to
the feed shaft G from the engine shaft E, as described.

page_text: Fourth, the application of a reversible pawl h upon the vibrating arm g¹
in combination with feed wheel g and a friction brake on the feed shaft C, as
described.
Fifth, providing for increasing or diminishing the friction upon the brake
wheel M on feed shaft C by means of an adjustable weight S upon the brake
rod S¹, as described.
Sixth, the use of solid chisel carrying stocks which are stepped upon their
lower ends and adapted for receiving and having secured to them removable
chisels, as described.
Seventh, the application of removable chisels to a sectional stock which is
stepped on its lower end, as described.
Eighth, communicating a rectilinear reciprocating motion to a chisel stock
of a stone channeling machine by means of vibrating segmental levers and
flexible connections, as described.
Ninth, the combination of reversible standard guides with a yoke and
hinged bar and an oscillating box, as described.
Tenth, the arrangement of the balance wheel P upon the crank shaft on
the inside of the carriage, as described.
Eleventh, the arrangement of the engine shaft and feed shaft upon the
carriage at intermediate points between the fire-box and the standard guides,
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)