IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODES AND MEANS OF FINISHING THE SURFACES OF TIMBER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Pickering, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODES AND MEANS OF FINISHING THE SURFACES OF TIMBER."
Sealed the 20th July 1869, and dated the 26th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pickering at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1869.
I, JOHN PIOKERING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MODES AND MEANS OF FINISHING THE SURFACES OF TIMBER,"
that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to an improved mode of finishing the
surfaces of timber, consists in applying to the surfaces of the timber to be
finished rapidly moving surfaces of grinding or polishing material, such
as sandstone, grindstone, emery in combination with other substances, or

page_text: other suitable abrading materials. The finishing surfaces of the abrading
and polishing substances are circular, and made to revolve at a high
velocity against or upon the surfaces of the timber requiring to be
treated by them, the effect of the treatment being that heat is generated
by the friction of the abrading surfaces upon the wood, so that the
surface of the wood becomes thereby coloured to the required extent,
besides being rendered very smooth and polished in. a rapid manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Pickering in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PICKERING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Pickering, Her special
license that I, the said John Pickering, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Pickering, my executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODES AND MEANS OF FINISHING THE SURFACES OF TIMBER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Pickering, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Pickering, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to an improved mode of finishing
the surfaces of timber, consists in applying to the surfaces of the timber
to be finished rapidly moving surfaces of grinding or polishing material,
such as sandstone, grindstone, emery in combination with other sub-
stances, or other suitable abrading materials. The finishing surfaces of
the abrading and polishing substances are circular, and made to revolve
at a high velocity against or upon the surfaces of the timber requiring
to be treated by them, the effect of the treatment being that heat is
generated by the friction of the abrading surfaces upon the wood, so
that the surface of the wood becomes thereby coloured to the required
extent, besides being rendered very smooth and polished in a rapid
manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, reference being had, for the sake of more complete
elucidation, to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation, and Figure 3
a plan of an arrangement of machinery by which my said Invention may
be carried into practice.
In the arrangement shown the framing which carries the polishing
mechanism is marked A.; it is fixed to the sole B on the under side, and
at the upper side by the beams C of the building in which the machinery
is placed; or the framing A may be supported entirely by being bolted
down to a sole or foundation in cases where support at the upper side
cannot be conveniently obtained. In each side of the framing A a
circular segmental slot or opening D is formed, the segment having its
centre in the axis of the driving pulley E for the purpose or object
herein-after set forth. In each of the openings D the block or box F
carrying the bearings of the shaft G is situated. The blocks or boxes F
are suspended at their upper ends by the links H from the short arms of
the levers I, which are carried on a shaft or centre in the bearings J.
The outer or longer arms of the levers I are provided with screw nuts a,
into which the adjusting screws K pass, so that as the screws K are
turned in either a right or left hand direction by means of the attendant

page_text: actuating them through the hand wheels L the levers I are corre-
spondingly raised or lowered, and with them the blocks or boxes F. As
the blocks or boxes F carry in their bearings the axle or shaft of the
polishing or finishing wheel M it is obvious that when the former are
elevated or depressed the wheel M is also raised from or lowered down
to the table N below it which carries the timber to be polished or
finished. The object of forming the slots or openings D as a circular
segment whose centre is at x is, that as the distance between the under
side of the wheel M and the table N requires to be adjusted according
to the thickness of the timber to be treated, if the openings. D were
made straight and rectangular the blocks. or boxes. F would be at a
shorter distance from the centre when raised than when lowered, and
consequently as the driving belt Q in this case would be loosened it
would be therefore necessary to shorten it in order that it might hold
with sufficient tightness upon the driving pulley E and the driven
pulley P, but when the slots or openings D are made of a circular
segment, as shown at Figure 1, thon the distance between the centre x
and the centre c is always constant whatever the position the blocks or
boxes F may occupy, in which case it follows that the driving belt O' is
always stretched with an equal tension. The screw shafts K are formed
with a double joint at their lower ends so that they may vary their
angles accordingly as the levers I are raised or lowered, at the same
time allowing of their being rotated for the purposes of adjustment,
herein-before set forth. The table N has a longitudinal travel imparted
to it during the time the polishing or finishing wheel M is acting upon
the surface of the timber being finished or polished. The movement of
the table is effected in the following manner:- -Upon the shaft of the
pulley E a second pulley Q is carried, over which a driving belt e passes
and actuates another pulley on the shaft R below the table N, the
shaft R being provided with fast and loose pulleys & and t¹, as shown, so
that the table N can be set in motion or stopped as required, and that
independently of the movement of the polishing wheel M. The shaft R
carries a pinion S which gears into a toothed wheel T, this again gearing
into the toothed rack U on the under side of the table N. From this
arrangement of mechanism it is obvious that as it is put in motion the
table N is caused to traverse below the revolving finishing wheel M, so
that it may act over or upon the entire surface of the wood to be polished
or finished. It is obvious that the actuating gear may be so arranged
by means of using a cross belt in addition to the open driving belt shown

page_text: in the Drawings as to impart to the table a backward as well as a forward
movement in succession. By means of the arrangement of machinery
herein-before set forth and shown in the accompanying Drawings it is
obvious that any form of wooden surfaces may be polished or finished
provided that the polishing wheels are correspondingly shaped.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I wish to observe in conclusion
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before set
forth, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of my Invention; but what I do consider
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement of machinery for finishing the surface
of wood, as herein-before set forth and shown on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The employment of circular surfaces of grindstone, sandstone,
or emery with an abrading or polishing material in combination with
india-rubber, for the purpose of polishing or finishing surfaces of timber,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pickering, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
JOHN PICKERING. (L.S.)