IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING WATER TO GRINDSTONES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Craig, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, and Frederick Leonardt, of Birmingham aforesaid, Merchant, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING WATER TO GRINDSTONES."
.
"
Sealed the 24th April 1878, and dated the 7th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Craig and Frederick
Leonardt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th November
1877.
JOHN CRAIG, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist; and
FREDERICK LEONARDT, of Birmingham aforesaid, Merchant,
SUPPLYING WATER TO GRINDSTONES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
In the ordinary method of supplying water to grindstones the grindstone is
mounted over a trough filled with water to such a height that the lowest portion of
the grindstone is immersed in it.
The grindstone after use generally comes to rest in the same position, the weight.
of the winch or handle by which it is turned causing it to rest with the winch in
its lowest position. The consequence of this is that the saine part of the grindstone
is immersed in the water during its intervals of rest, and the portion of the grind-
stone thus exposed to the prolonged action of the water is much injured.
According to our Invention, we mount the grindstone in such a way that no
part of it is immersed in water, and we supply the water required in the following
manner-When we mount the grindstone on a trough we place an axis underneath
the grindstone, and by preference under the lowest part of the grindstone, the said
axis being parallel to the axis of the grindstone, and working in bearings in the
sides of the trough. An arm or lever outside the trough is connected to the axis,
and by means of the said arm or lever motion can be given to the said axis.
said axis carries a fork, and the arms of the said fork carry a roller, the cylindrical
surface of which is of the same breadth as that of the grindstone.
1
The
By means of the said arm or lever the said roller can be raised and pressed against

page_text: the acting surface of the grindstone, or depressed therefrom. Over the said roller an
endless band of felt or other absorbent material passes, the lower end of the endless
band dipping in the water in the trough. When the grindstone is used the lever is
depressed, and the roller brought into contact with the grindstone. The motion of
the grindstone gives rotation to the roller and to the endless band, by which latter
water is brought up to and delivered on the grindstone.
By weighting the lever the roller may be kept constantly pressed against the
grindstone. The trough is open at its sides below the lowest part of the grindstone,
so that water cannot accumulate in it to a height sufficient to submerge any portion
of the grindstone.
When we mount the grindstone without a trough we mount an axis and roller
of the kind described on the framing on which the grindstone is supported, and the
endless band is made to dip in a vessel of water situated at a convenient distance
from the grindstone.
Although we prefer to make the roller and lever an integral part of the.grindstone
fittings, yet where desirable they may be quite detached and brought into connection
with the grindstone only when the latter is about to be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Craig and Frederick Leonardt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd May 1878.
JOHN CRAIG, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, and
FREDERICK LEONARDT, of Birmingham aforesaid, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUPPLYING WATER TO GRINDSTONES."
In the ordinary method of supplying water to grindstones the grindstone is
mounted over a trough filled with water to such a height that the lowest portion of 2
the grindstone is immersed in it.
The grindstone after use generally comes to rest in the same position, the weight
of the winch or handle by which it is turned causing it to rest with the winch in
its lowest position. The consequence of this is that the same part of the grindstone
is immersed in the water during its intervals of rest, and the portion of the grind- a
stone thus exposed to the prolonged action of the water is much injured.
According to our Invention we mount the grindstone in such a way that no part
of it is immersed in water, and we supply the water required in the following
manner-When we mount the grindstone on a trough we place an axis underneath
the grindstone, and by preference under the lowest part of the grindstone, the said
axis being parallel to the axis of the grindstone, and working in bearings in the
sides of the trough. An arm or lever outside the trough is connected to the axis,
and by means of the said arm or lever motion can be given to the said axis. The
said axis carries a forked frame, and the arms of the said forked frame carry rollers,

page_text: the cylindrical surfaces of which are of the same breadth as that of the grind-
stone.
By means of the said arm or lever one of the said rollers can be raised and pressed
against the acting surface of the grindstone or depressed therefrom. Over the said
rollers an endless band of felt or other absorbent inaterial passes, the lower loop of
the endless band dipping in the water in the trough. When the grindstone is used
the lever is depressed, and one of the rollers brought into contact with the grind-
The motion of the grindstone gives rotation to the pressing roller and
to the endless band, by which latter water is brought up to and delivered on the
grindstone.
stone.
By weighting the lever the roller may be constantly pressed against the grind-
stone. The trough is open at its sides below the lowest part of the grindstone, so
that water cannot accumulate in it to a height sufficient to submerge any portion of
the grindstone.
When we mount the grindstone without a trough we mount an axis and rellers
of the kind described on the framing on which the grindstone is supported, and the
endless band is made to dip in a vessel of water situated at a convenient distance
from the grindstone.
.
Although we prefer to make the rollers and lever an integral part of the grind-
stone fittings, yet where desirable they may be quite detached and brought into
connection with the grindstone only when the latter is about to be used.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in vertical section, and Figure 3
in end elevation, a grindstone supported over a water trough to which one of the
arrangements of our Invention for supplying water to the grindstone is applied.
In Figure 1 the water-supplying apparatus is represented in its raised position for
supplying water to the grindstone, and in Figures 2 and 3 the said apparatus is
shewn in its depressed position and out of action.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a is the grindstone turning on the axis b, supported in bearings carried by the
trough c, the said axis b being turned by the winch d as usual. The trough c con-
taining the water to be supplied to the grindstone a is perforated at its sides a², a²,
below the lowest part of the grindstone, so that water cannot accumulate in it to a
height sufficient to submerge any portion of the grindstone. Under the grindstone,
and parallel to its axis, is a second axis e, working in bearings in the sides of the
water trough c.. On the said axis e are forked arms f, f, constituting an oscillating
frame, the ends of the frame carrying rollers marked respectively g and h, the
cylindrical surface of the said rollers g, h, being of the same breadth as the grind,
stone (see Figure 3). Over the said rollers g, h, of the oscillating frame f, f, an end-
less band i of felt or other absorbent material passes. By turning the oscillating
frame ff, through a small angle in the manner herein-after described, the endless
band may either be placed in a horizontal position, as represented in Figures 2 and
3, or in an inclined position, as illustrated in Figure 1. In the latter position the
loop of the endless band i on the lower roller h of the oscillating frame dips in the
water in the trough c, while the loop of the endless band on the upper roller g is in
contact with the grindstone a, as illustrated in Figure 1.
.
When the oscillating frame f, f, and endless band i are in the horizontal position,
Figures 2 and 3, the apparatus is out of action, that is, the endless band is both
removed from the water in the trough c and from contact with the grindstone.
The endless band i and parts carrying it are put into and out of action by means of
the weighted arm or lever K on the axis e of the oscillating frame f, f, the said arm
or lever being situated outside the trough c.
When the weighted arm or lever K is in the position, Figure 1, its weight causes
the oscillating frame f, f, and endless band i to take the inclined position repre-
sented in the said Figure 1, and to press the top roller g into contact with the

page_text: frame having at its opposite ends rollers, over which an endless band of felt or other
absorbent material passes, which said frame may be inclined upon its axis so as to
make the roller at its higher end press against the grindstone, and the roller at its
lower end dip in the water in the trough of the grindstone, the rotation of the
grindstone giving a travelling motion to the endless band and its rollers, and thus
supplying water to the grindstone, the several parts being constructed, combined,
and operating substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of parts substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying Drawings,
for supplying water to grindstones, in which the water trough or vessel is situated
outside the grindstone stand, or at a distance from the grindstone.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Leonardt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.