Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of Polygonally-shaped Balusters and other articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 15th Dec. 1890-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of
Polygonally-shaped Balusters and other articles.
I, ELLIS CUTLAN, of Everleigh House, Everleigh Street, Tollington Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to apparatus for turning or shaping balusters, newels,
chair-legs and other articles to a square or other polygonal shape.
In turning articles of this kind it is usual to fix a number of strips or pieces of
wood upon a series of flattened surfaces upon a drum and to form grooves of any
required shape in the outermost sides of such strips or pieces the latter being
partially turned from time to time until all the sides are grooved in a similar
manner. Considerable time has heretofore been occupied in securing the strips or
pieces in place, and owing to the drum having having flattened surfaces a consider-
able amount of space is unoccupied if the strips or pieces are not of approximately
the same width as the said flattened surfaces.
The chief object of my invention is to provide means whereby the strips or
pieces can be quickly and firmly applied and easily removed and whereby the
whole of the surface of the drum can be covered notwithstanding the width of the
strips. My invention also comprises improvements relating to the tool holders
or rests for use in connection with machines of the kind hereinbefore referred to.
According to my invention one end of the drum is provided with a flange against
which the strips or pieces to be turned are pressed, which flange is provided with
what I will term a holding flange. This holding flange is adapted to enter kerfs
of corresponding shape formed in the strips or pieces at one end and in order to
prevent them from slipping the said holding flange is preferably serrated or
roughened to bite into the wood.
Each strip is held at its other end by an independent clip secured by a bolt or
other suitable means.
To allow the strips or pieces to be placed closely together on the drum, the
latter, instead of having flattened sides as heretofore, is made round so that there
are no angles formed by the sides to interfere with the placing of the strips.
The tool holder is pivoted on a horizontal axis
relatively to the work may be varied as required.
rest is preferably notched to receive a part of the
rigidly held while the drum is rotating.
Dated the 15th day of February 1890.
so that the angle of the tool
When using hand tools the tool
tool whereby the latter can be
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of
Polygonally-shaped Balusters and other articles.
I, ELLIS CUTLAN, of Everleigh House, Everleigh Street, Tollington Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to apparatus for turning or shaping balusters, newels,
chair-legs and other articles to a square or other polygonal shape.

page_text: In turning articles of this kind it is usual to fix a number of strips or pieces of
wood on a series of flattened surfaces upon what is usually termed a drum, and to
form grooves of any required shape in the outermost sides of such strips or pieces,
the latter being turned partly round from time to time until all the sides are
grooved in a similar manner.
Heretofore, owing to the drum having flattened surfaces, a considerable amount
of space was left unoccupied if the strips or pieces were not of approximately the
same width as the said flattened surfaces, and considerable time was occupied in
securing the strips or pieces in place.
According to my invention the flattened surfaces are dispensed with, that is to
say, the drum is made perfectly cylindrical, whereby the whole of its surface can
be covered notwithstanding the width of the strips; and in order to hold the said
strips or pieces firmly one end of the drum carries a flange or plate provided with
what I term a holding-flange, adapted to enter kerfs formed in the strips or pieces
at one end, the said holding-flange being preferably serrated or roughened to bite
into the wood, to prevent the strips or pieces from slipping circumferentially
thereon. The said strips at their other ends are held by independent clips or
clamps secured by bolts or other suitable means.
The tool-holder for use with my improved drum; is pivoted on a horizontal
axis so that the angle of the tool relatively to the work may be varied as required.
When using hand-tools the tool-rest is preferably notched to receive a part of the
tool whereby the latter can be rigidly held while the drum is rotating.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of apparatus constructed according
to my invention; and,
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line a .
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views of a portion of one end of the drum, drawn
to an enlarged scale, illustrating the construction of the holding-flange.
Figure 5 is a plan of the tool-holder and its connected parts.
Figures 6 and 7 are front and side elevations respectively of the tool-rest which
I advantageously use in conjunction with my improved apparatus.
Figures 8 and 9 are a longitudinal section and an end view respectively illus-
trating a modification of my invention.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a indicates the frame of the machine, and 6 the improved drum which is hereinafter
referred to as the cylinder and which, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, is represented
as composed of wood carried upon wheels or centres c mounted upon the main-
shaft d supported in bearings e in the frame a.
f indicates the flange or plate on one end of the cylinder b; g the serrated flange
formed on the said plate and shewn most clearly in Figures 3 and 4; h, the
holding clamps, and i, i the screw studs by means of which the clamps are fixed.
The said studs i, i are secured to the flange j of a ring & designed to be adjusted
longitudinally upon the cylinder according to the length of the strips to be turned,
and to be fixed by screws or other suitable means.
As hereinbefore stated a saw-cut or kerf is formed in one end of each strip,
and this kerf should be of, such depth that, when the said strip is applied to the
cylinder so that the holding-flange is in engagement with the kerf, one end of the
strip will be in contact with the plate f. The other end of each strip may be
held by a single clamp, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 in which the dotted lines l
indicate strips secured to the cylinder, or if it be of considerable width, by two or
more clamps h.
L'.
י
m is the tool-holder which slides upon a bed n adapted to partially rotate on the
horizontal shaft o, carried in bearings p, p, these bearings being provided with
shanks, which are vertically adjustable in two hollow pillars p², p² movable
upon the part a¹ of the frame a, the said hollow pillars being clamped to the said
part a' by ordinary means such, for instance, as shewn. The tool-holder bed n is

page_text: composed of two bars, one of which is carried on the shaft between the
pillars, p² whilst the other is carried upon the said shaft by means of flanges 9,9,
as shewn in Figure 5. The flanges have formed in them slots r, r concentric with
the shaft o, and bolts or studs s are arranged in conjunction with the slots,
as shewn in Figure 2, for holding the said bed in any position in which it may be
placed.
t is a screw for traversing the tool-holder along its bed, the said screw being
rotated from the shaft o (which is capable of being rotated by a hand-wheel o¹)
through the medium of the gear-wheels o*, 02.
u is the tool-rest I advantageously employ when using hand turning tools, the
said tool-rest having formed in it a series of notches u', u', as shewn in Figures 6
and 7. This tool-holder is designed to be introduced into one of the pillars p²
after the tool-holder and its bed have been removed.
In the modification of my invention shewn in Figures 8 and 9 I have provided
in lieu of the cylinder herein before described two discs v, v', each of which
has a supporting flange v2 and a serrated flange g, and between which the strips
are clamped by bolts w, w and nuts w¹, w. The disc is secured to the driving-
shaft whilst the disc is loose thereon and is formed in halves to enable it to
adapt itself readily to any slight inequalities in the lengths of the strips to be
turned.
Between the discs I advantageously place the narrow drum y which can
be fixed upon the driving-shaft in any desirable position by screws, or other
suitable means, and which serves when turning long strips to support the same at
or near the centre to avoid vibration. When, however, it is desired to turn short
strips I prefer to use in conjunction with the said narrow drum a ring & carrying
a series of studs i, i for clamps h, h. This ring, as shewn in Figure 8, is formed
of two pieces of angle iron having a space between them to receive the heads of
the bolts, which space permits of the said bolts being adjusted to any desirable
position.
In order to permit of sharpening the serrations of the flanges g I advantageously
form slots or openings, 3 beneath the same, as shewn in Figure 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for turning polygonal shaped balusters and other articles,
the employment of a cylinder for carrying the strips to be turned, for the purpose
specified.
2. In a machine of the kind referred to in the preceding clause, the employ-
ment of serrated flanges, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. The combination with a machine of the kind hereinbefore described, of a
tool-holder adapted to be oscillated upon a horizontal axis, substantially as
described.
4. In a machine of the kind hereinbefore described the employment of a tool-
rest constructed substantially as set forth with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
5. The manufacture and use of the improved turning-machine or apparatus
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. The modification of my invention, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 15th day of December 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.