IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING AND OTHERWISE CUTTING TIMBER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McDowall, of Johnstone, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SAWING AND OTHERWISE CUTTING TIMBER."
Sealed the 29th April 1870, and dated the 3rd November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James M'Dowall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd November 1869.
I, JAMES MCDOWALL, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING AND OTHERWISE CUTTING TIMBER," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates in the first place to certain improvements
in machinery for sawing timber, wherein either circular saws or vertical
or band saws are employed, consists in so applying the rollers for
feeding the timber towards the saw that they are capable of being

page_text: rapidly removed away from the remainder of the mechanism, so that
the table is left clear for cross cutting and other purposes or work for
which such clear table may be required.
Under one modification this is carried into effect by employing a frame
affixed to the ground framework by a vertical pivot or hinged joint; in
this frame a screwed shaft is arranged in bearings, and its screws which
are right and left handed respectively gear into worm wheels in the
lower ends of spindles carrying toothed wheels or pinions which gear
into similar toothed wheels or pinions on the axis of the feed rollers.
One of the rollers is made adjustable relatively with the fence, and the
other roller is carried on a saddle, the position of which is adjustable by
means of a screw slide, so that the distances between the feed rollers
can thus be varied according to the thickness of timber being operated
upon.
In order to produce the necessary friction between the feed rollers
and timber for advancing the latter forward the outer feed roller is
acted upon by a weight for that purpose. When the feed rollers are to
be used the frame in which they are carried is turned round on the
joint herein-before referred to, so that it stands parallel with the feeding
end of the table; but when the table is required to be free for cross
cutting purposes, then the frame carrying the rollers is turned back
from the table.
In place of carrying the frame with the feeding rollers on a vertical
pivot it may be carried on a horizontal pivot, by which arrangement
the rollers can be adjusted to any angle relatively with the saw or saws,
so as to saw or cut the timber at any desired angle. This arrangement
also enables the feed rollers to be removed, so as to leave the table free
for cross cutting or other purpose by removing it far enough round in a
vertical plane.
Another improvement consists in arranging the feed rollers so that
one is adjustable to an angle relatively with the other, so that a piece
of timber having a bevilled or inclined side may be fed to the saws.
The feeding rollers are also made to be driven by bevil gear instead
of right and left hand screws, and the rollers instead of being carried
on an arm geared with spur wheels are placed direct on the spindles
to which the bevil wheels are attached, and are held firm to the wood
by a spiral spring, so as to yield to any inequality of the wood to be

page_text: operated upon. The adjusting of the fence to the roller is effected in this
case by having the fence and roller slides connected to each other so
that the fence is carried to and from the saw by the back slide being
connected to the fence by a link which works in an adjustable slot in
the fence, so that it can if required be shifted to or from the roller
according to the nature of the wood to be operated upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James M Dowall in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MCDOWALL, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most "Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 33rd
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto I, the said James McDowall, Her special license that
I, the said James McDowall, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James McDowall, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 MACHINERY
FOR SAWING AND OTHERWISE CUTTING TIMBER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James M'Dowall, by an instrument 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James McDowall, 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 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 in the first place to certain improve-
ments in machinery for sawing timber, wherein either circular saws or
vertical or band saws are employed, consists in so applying the rollers
for feeding the timber towards the saw that they are capable of being
rapidly removed away from the remainder of the mechanism, so that
the table is left clear for cross cutting and other purposes or work for
which such clear table may be required.
Under one modification this is carried into effect by employing a
frame affixed to the ground framework by a vertical pivot or hinged
joint; in this frame a screwed shaft is arranged in bearings, and its
screws which are right and left handed respectively gear into worm
wheels in the lower ends of spindles carrying toothed wheels or pinions
which gear into similar toothed wheels or pinions on the axes of the
feed rollers. One of the rollers is made adjustable relatively with the
fence, and the other roller is carried on a saddle, the position of which is
adjustable by means of a screw slide, so that the distances between the
feed rollers can thus be varied according to the thickness of timber
being operated upon.
In order to produce the necessary friction between the feed rollers and
timber for advancing the latter forward the outer feed roller is acted
upon by a weight for that purpose. When the feed rollers are to be
used the frame in which they are carried is turned round on the joint
herein-before referred to, so that it stands parallel with the feeding end
of the table, but when the table is required to be free for cross cutting
purposes then the frame carrying the rollers is turned back from the
table.
In place of carrying the frame with the feeding rollers on a vertical
pivot it may be carried on a horizontal pivot, by which arrangement the
rollers can be adjusted to any angle relatively with the saw or saws, so
as to saw or cut the timber at any desired angle. This arrangement also
enables the feed rollers to be removed so as to leave the table free for

page_text: cross cutting or other purpose by removing it far enough round in a
vertical plane.
Another improvement consists in arranging the feed rollers so that
one is adjustable to an angle relatively with the other, so that a piece
of timber having a bevilled or inclined side may be fed to the saws.
The feeding rollers are also made to be driven by bevil gear instead of
right and left hand screws, and the rollers instead of being carried on
an arm geared with spur wheels are placed direct on the spindles to
which the bevil wheels are attached and are held firm to the wood by a
spiral spring or lever so as to yield to any inequality of the wood to be
operated upon. The adjusting of the fence to the roller is effected in this
case by having the fence and roller slides connected to each other so
that the fence is carried to and from the saw by the back slide being
connected to the fence by a link which works in an adjustable slot in
the fence, so that it can if required be shifted to or from the roller
according to the nature of the wood to be operated upon.
This Invention consists under the second head in applying the herein-
before mentioned improvements to machinery for planing, shaping, and
moulding timber.
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, that is to say :-On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 an end elevation, and Figure 3 a
plan of one modification of my Invention shown applied to the table of
a circular saw. On these different Figures corresponding parts are
indicated by the same letters of reference.
The mechanism consists of a frame A attached or fixed to a sole or
ground framing B by means of the pivot or joint C, and the frame A is
provided with an arm or bracket D, (seen more particularly at Figures 2
and 3), in which arm or bracket the rollers E and F are carried, as shown,
these rollers feed the timber to be cut to the saw G. The bracket or
arm D also supports a shaft H, which shaft is provided with bevil
pinions I; these pinions gear into corresponding wheels J. situated on
the ends of transverse spindles, and thereby actuate the feed rollers E
and F through the intervention of the bevil gearing K situated re-
spectively on the other end of the transverse shafts and on the lower

page_text: ends of the spindles or axles of the feed rollers, as shown particularly
in side elevation at Figure 1.
In lieu of the arrangement above described a screwed shaft may be
employed to actuate the feed rollers E and F, the screws of which
shaft are right and left handed respectively, and may be made to gear
into worm wheels on the ends of the transverse shafts and thence to
impart motion to the rollers through the medium of the bevil gearing K
herein-before described and shown. The shaft H is caused to rotate by
the spur wheel L actuated by the corresponding pinion M, which in its
turn is actuated by means of the driving belt 6 and pulley N, or the
shaft H may be rotated by any other suitable mechanism. The feed
roller E is made adjustable with the fence O (which fence is provided
in order to lead the timber to be operated upon direct to the saw G)
being connected thereto by the links or levers P as shown in plan at
Figure 3, and these feeding rollers are so arranged that they may be
caused to lead the wood to the saw at an angle, as shown at Figure 2,
so that when cut the planks may have a bevilled or inclined surface, at
the same time the distance between the rollers is regulated according
to the thickness of timber to be operated upon by the screws Q and R,
as shown more particularly at Figure 2. Any inequality which may be
on the surface of the timber to be operated upon, and which would tend
to hinder the passage of the timber between the feeding rollers is gaurded
against by providing the screw Q attached to the bearer of the roller F
with a spiral spring x, as shown at Figure 2, which spiral spring causes
the roller to yield and allow the timber to pass between it and the other
feeding roller E.
In order to produce the necessary friction to cause the timber to
advance between the feed rollers the outer feed roller F is acted upon
by a weight for that purpose (not shown on the Drawings), or it may be
acted upon by a lever or any other suitable contrivance. When the
feed rollers E and F are to be brought into action, the frame A by
which they are carried is turned round on the pivot or joint C, so that
the arm or bracket D of the frame stands parallel with the end of the
table S, and when the table S requires to be free for cross cutting,
jobbing, or other purposes, then the frame is turned back and the arm
or bracket caused to assume the position shown in dotted lines on the
plan at Figure 3.

page_text: At Figure 4 is shown a side elevation, at Figure 5 an end elevation,
and at Figure 6 a plan of another modification of my Invention. On
these Figures corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of
reference. In this arrangement the frame which carries the feeding.
rollers A and B is supported on the end of the saw table D, as shown,
and the shaft F which actuates the feed rollers is placed above the
rollers as shown, instead of on the under side thereof as in the previous
modification. That part of the frame which supports the rollers A
and B consists of two bars G tied together at each end by cross
beams H, and supported at one end by a pillar I of the frame and at
the other end by a standard or bracket J likewise supported on the
saw table D. The feeding rollers are supported on the bars G of the
framing by means of brackets V seen more particularly at Figure 4,
these brackets being provided with eyes K, which are placed over the
bars of the framing, so that on the screws L by which the distance
between the rollers is regulated being turned either in one direction or
The feeding
the other, the eyes K move freely along the bars G.
rollers A and B are actuated by the step pully M shown at Figures 4
and 5 through the intervention of the bevil gearings M' and N, which
gearing N is substantially similar to that shown and described in
reference to the preceeding modification, and therefore need not be
further specified, or the feed rollers may be actuated by means of a screw
shaft, as herein-before described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
When it is required to turn back the feeding rollers A and B from the
table D, the fence O being attached to the frame is therefore carried
along with it, and in order to supply the place of this fence so removed
the frame is provided with an arm P, as shown in plan at Figure 6,
to which arm a second fence Q is attached, which on the framing
being turned full back is brought into and occupies the position of the
fence O.
In lieu of carrying the frame with the feeding rollers on a vertical
pivot as herein-before described and shown, it may be carried on a hori-
zontal pivot; by this arrangement the rollers can be adjusted to any
angle relatively with the saw or saws so as to cut or saw the timber to
any desired angle; this arrangement also enables the feed rollers to be
removed by turning the framing which supports the rollers far enough
round in a vertical plane, so as to leave the table free for cross cutting,

page_text: jobbing, and other purposes, or the feed rollers may be carried in a slide
placed under the table and arranged so as to rise and fall through a slot
formed in the table for that purpose by means of a screw or other
suitable mechanism.
In lieu of adjusting the rollers by means of screws as herein-before
described and shown they may be adjusted by an arrangement of levers,
one of which is provided with a weight. The feed rollers may also be
arranged so that one is adjustable relatively at an angle with the other;
by this arrangement a piece of timber having a bevilled or inclined side
may be fed to the saw or saws. At Figure 7 is shown an end elevation
of a planing or shaping machine with the feeding rollers so applied,
that is, the upper feeding roller A is set at an angle relatively with the
under feeding roller B, as above described. The feed roller A is carried
in an adjustable frame C, and the distance between its under surface and
the upper surface of the roller B is regulated by means of the screw and
hand wheel D, a spiral spring being also provided and attached to the
screw as herein-before described in order that the roller A may yield to
any inequality on the surface of the timber being passed between it and
the roller B. The bushes of the upper rollers are lined with india-rubber
or other elastic material, in order to still further facilitate the yielding of
the rollers.
In lieu of employing two feeding rollers as herein-before described and
shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings any other suitable number
of such rollers may be so employed, it being understood that I do not con-
fine myself to the particular arrangement or construction of mechanism
herein-before set forth as such mechanism may be still further modified.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I 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 arrangement and construction of the roller feed guide,
substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The arrangement of the roller feed guide on a pivot or joint
so that it may be thrown out of the way of the saw table, as and for the
purpose herein-before described.

page_text: Third. The so arranging of the feed guide, that one of the rollers
may be adjusted at an angle relatively with the other as and for the
purpose herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McDowall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.