IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING VENEERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Stone, of 46, Lime Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING VENEERS."-A communication from abroad by John Ahsbohs,
residing at New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Stone at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th August,
1859:
I, EDWARD STONE, of 46, Lime Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING VENEERS," to be as follows:-
In this machine the log of wood is fastened by screws, or otherwise, to a.
reciprocating carrying slide; this carrying slide, or log holder, has either a
vertical reciprocating action given it by means of pitmans which receive their
motion from revolving cranks or wrist pins attached to wheels beneath, but
the requisite up and down, or reciprocating motion of the log holder, may be
given in any other suitable manner. The reciprocating action of the log
holder is not strictly a right line one, but is an up and down movement in a
double curvilinear direction, or it may be said in one curvilinear direction, and
one inclined direction without departure, however, from a horizontal position,
by reason of: the said holder sliding by grooves in its up and down, or to and
fro play on rails or guiding strips which are part of the. stationary frames, and
which strips fitting the grooves in the back, of the holder, and the holder pre-
vented from falling forwards from said strips by projections overlapping the
strips at their back, or otherwise, are of a bow form in front, struck from centres

page_text: some distance in the rear, and on a level, or thereabouts, with the cutting edge
of a stationary knife, and said strips are further curved or set inclined laterally,
so that the log and its holder will, in the down stroke, which is the cutting one,
travel so as to cause the log to be drawn downwards in a curvilinear direction
against and past the stationary cutting knife in front with a simultaneous side
action or longitudinal movement of the log in relation to the knife, and which
secures to the log a "drawing cut" without departure of the log in any part
of its stroke from a horizontal position. This "drawing cut" of the log not
only eases the operation of cutting the veneer, which passes out over the knife,
and under the knife guard, but ensures a smoother surface to the veneer, and
is preferable to giving the knife a drawing stroke as in other machines opera-
ting a knife for various cutting purposes. As the knife, when stationary, may
be held steadier, which is important in cutting thin veneers, and is not so liable
to work from its proper "set" in relation to the log and guard or guage, in
determining which the greatest particularity has to be observed; also the
weight of the descending log serves to insure a steady cut.
Other veneer cutting machines only moving the log over or against the
knife without giving the log the drawing stroke employing sometimes a sta-
tionary, and sometimes a travelling knife or cutter fail to accomplish so perfect
an action, and in other machines in which the log is reciprocated in a straight
line over the knife instead of gradually meeting the edge of the knife by a
gentle curve or sweep, and in which the knife is sometimes placed obliquely
(that gives but an imperfect drawing cut) the veneer is less smooth, and is
imperfectly formed by reason of the knife "digging" into the wood, or the
wood against the knife as the grain presented to the cut varies. But a mere
curvilinear action of the log against the knife, apart from the simultaneous
"drawing" stroke of the log does not effect the result that is here attained, as
for instance, the log hung on a holder supported by long radius rods, or formed
of a hinged frame does not give the same close, firm, and steady bearing to the
log (whilst being cut) against jerk, spring, or varying strain that the holder, and
its guides as here arranged and operating do, and which is of such importance
in cutting thin veneers, and is here provided for, both as regards the cutting
stroke proper, and the "draw," by one and the same device, while the power
working the log is applied in a more positive and direct manner to the log
than by the employment of a hinged frame or log holder as (without the drawing
stroke) previously used. Reference having been made to other veneer cutting
machines, it is only necessary in that connection to mention that this arrange-
ment is essentially different from what is known as "Dresser's patented
machine," which causes the log to revolve while the cutter is fed up con-

page_text: tinuously, so as to give a scroll cut to the log, which produces inequality of
bend, and thickness in the veneer produces no similarity of "figure," but
produces a veneer of mixed "figure" or mark of the wood throughout, and
is only applicable in many instances on that account to the cutting of veneer
for a few certain articles, or to the working of such woods as maple and so
forth, and by which machine also there is much waste of the costly wood from
which the veneer is formed, and extra labour requisite in the necessity which
there is for previously "rounding" the log. But in the present arrangement,
as also in some others before referred to, there is no previous "rounding"
requisite, thus expensive wood and labour are economized, and in working
such woods as rosewood and mahagany, the side of the log presenting the
bandsomest "figure" may be selected to cut from during the cutting up of the
whole log, which preserves a similarity of "figure" in all the veneers. Also
there is here a parallelism of curve in the veneer cut, and an equality of its
thickness kept up which avoids much after dressing and labour. The knife
is, as before observed, stationary, that is, while the cut is being made, but
is moveable to effect the feed each successive double stroke, and its own adjust-
ment by means of the following devices:-The knife which is set inclining
upwards, is firmly secured to its holder; this holder forms part of a hinged
frame adjustable by screws up or down in the rear, the hinges of said frame
being in front, and connecting it with the main sliding or feed frame that
slides on ways to or from the log in a horizontal direction, which combination
of hinged frame and sliding frame gives to the knife its proper forward and
backward adjustability, and its inclined one to suit varying cuts and different
descriptions of wood. The feed frame has its horizontal movement given it by
means of screws operating by bevil gear, which is set in motion by a chain or
cord passing around pulleys, a pull by hand on the chain in one direction at
or immediately before the commencement of the down stroke of the log, giving
to the knife its proper feed forward to cut a veneer of a certain thickness, and
a pull on the chain in the opposite direction on the return stroke of the log
easing the knife from rubbing and being dulled by contact with the log, and
so on for each successive up and down travel of the log, the cord or chain
being knotted, or any suitable means employed for determining regularity in
the feed. The guard and guage above the knife is likewise carried by the
hinged frame, and is adjustable by screws in various directions relatively to
the cutting edge of the knife according to the wear of the latter, and the
thickness of veneer required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Stone in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3. 15th February 1860.
1.. +
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STONE, of 46, Lime Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for. Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward. Stone, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Stone,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Stone, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING VENEERS," a. communication from abroad by John Ahsbobs, residing at
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edward Stone, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 imme:
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW, YE, that I, the said Edward Stone, 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 thereof, that is to say :---
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for cutting
veneers. Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing represents a top view or plan of
the improved arrangement of veneer cutting devices. Figure 2 a vertical
section taken as indicated by the line x, x, in Figure 1, and shewing a log in
the process of being cut. Figure 3 a vertical section taken at right angles to
the former Figure as indicated by the line y, y, in Figure 1, and seen by
looking in the direction of arrow ; and Figure 4 a side elevation. In this.
machine the log A is fastened by screws, or otherwise, to a reciprocating carrying
slide B; this carrying slide or log holder B is represented as having a vertical
reciprocating action given it by means of pitmans a which receive their motion

page_text: from revolving cranks or wrist pins attached to. wheels beneath, but the up
and down motion of the log holder may be given in any other suitable manner.
Though spoken of as "vertical," (according to the arrangement shown in the
accompanying Drawing,) the reciprocating action of the log holder B is not
strictly a vertical one, but is an up and down movement in a double curvilinear
direction or it may be said in one curvilinear direction and one inclined direction
without departing however from a horizontal position by reason of said holder B
sliding by grooves 6 in its up and down play on rails or guiding strips c. which
are part of the stationary frames C. and which strips fitting the grooves 6 in
the back of the holder, and the holder prevented from falling forwards from
said strips by projections overlapping the strips at their back or otherwise, are
of a bow form in front struck from centres some distance in the rear and on a
level, or thereabouts, with the cutting edge of a stationary knife D, and said
strips care further curved or set inclined laterally, as clearly seen in Figure 3,
so that the log A and its holder B,.will in the down stroke, which is here
shown as the cutting one, travel so as to cause the log to be drawn downwards
in a curvilinear direction against and past the stationary cutting knife D, in
front with a simultaneous side action or longitudinal movement of the log in
relation to the knife, and which secures to the log a "drawing cut" without
departure of the log in any part of its stroke from a horizontal position. This
"drawing cut" of the log not only eases the operation of cutting the veneer
which passes out over the knife and under the knife guard E, as represented
in Figure. 2,, but ensures a smoother surface to the veneer and is preferable to
giving the knife a drawing stroke as in other machines operating a knife for
various cutting purposes, as the knife when stationary may be held steadier,
which is important in cutting thin veneers, and is not so liable to work; from
its proper set in relation to the log. and guard or guage E, in determining
which the greatest particularity has to be observed; also the weight of the
descending log serves to ensure a steady cut. The knife D is, as before
observed, stationary, that is, while the cut is being made, but is moveable to
effect the feed, each successive double stroke and its own adjustment by means
of the following devices:-The knife which is set inclining upwards is firmly
secured to its holder F. This holder forms part of a hinged frame G, adjus-
table by screws & up or down in the rear, the hinges e of said frame being in
front and connecting it with the main sliding or feed frame H, that slides on
ways to or from the log in a horizontal direction, which combination of
hinged frame G and sliding frame H, gives to the knife its proper forward
and backward adjustability, and its inclined one to suit varying cuts and
different descriptions of wood. The feed frame E has its horizontal move-

page_text: ment given it by means of screws 9 operating by bevil gear h, i, which is set
in motion by a chain or cord : passing around pulleys l, m; a pull by hand
on the chain in one direction at or immediately before the commencement of
the down stroke of the log giving to the knife its proper feed forward to cut a
veneer of a certain thickness, and a pull on the chain in the opposite direction
on the return stroke of the log easing the knife from rubbing and being dulled
by contact with the log and so on for each successive up and down travel of
the log, the cord or chain being knotted, or any suitable means employed for
determining regularity in the feed. The guard and guage E above the knife
is likewise carried by the hinged frame G, and is adjustable by screws n, 0, 1,
in various directions relatively to the cutting edge of the knife according to
the wear of the latter and the thickness of veneer required.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described, but what I claim is,―
First, in combination with the up and down curvilinear movement of the
log to effect the cut, giving to the log a simultaneous lateral action or drawing
stoke essentially as specified.
Second, the arrangement here shown and described of the reciprocating
log carrier B, travelling on fixed guiding strips c of bow form in front, and
curved or inclining laterally in combination with a stationary knife or cutter D
for operation, together as and for the purposes set forth.
Third, hinging the knife holding frame G to the main knife feeding slide H,
to secure the double adjustability of the knife as set forth.
Fourth, the employment of an upper adjustable guard and guage E to
the knife.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Stone, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.