A NOVEL METHOD OF CUTTING VENEERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "A NOVEL METHOD OF CUTTING VENEERS."--A
communication from abroad by John Burns Wilson, of New York City,
in the United States of America.
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 28th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th February 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NOVEL METHOD OF CUTTING VENEERS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to produce from a plain log veneers with
considerable variety of grain, and from logs possessing "figure" a greater
variety of "figure" than has been attained by the method of cutting heretofore
practised. It has been customary to slab off the veneers or thin boards from
a log with a plain or straight knife in such manner that each cut would take
off a stratum of wood equal in length and width to the cut surface of the log,

page_text: and in shape almost a perfect plane, baving only the curvature of the arc in
which the log was vibrated in the machine.
Now this Invention consists in producing veneers by cutting them from the
log in a corrugated or crimped shape, for which purpose a corrugated or
crimped entting or shaving tool or knife is used, which cuts different planes
of the log simultaneously, and thus brings to one surface (which is subse-
quently flattened out) fibres which originally lay at different depths in the
log.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "A NOVEL METHOD OF CUTTING VENEERS," being a communication to me
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object to produce from a plain log veneers with
considerable variety of grain, and from logs possessing "figure" a greater.
variety of "figure" than has been attained by the method of cutting hereto-
fore practised. It has been customary to slab off the veneers or thin boards
from a log with a plain or straight knife in such manner that each cut would
take off a stratum of wood equal in length and width to the (cut) surface of
the log and in shape almost a perfect plane, having only the curvature of the
are in which the log was vibrated in the machine.
It has however been dis-
knife or cutting tool of a
covered by my correspondent that by making the
corrugated or crimped shape during its length, and cutting with such shaped
knife a veneer which shall be correspondingly corrugated (crosswise of the
veneer) the veneer will possess a much greater variety of grain or figure when
pressed out flat or smooth, and, it is found that by so cutting a perfectly plain
log a figured veneer can be produced and from a log possessing "figure" a
more highly or beautifully figured veneer is attainable.
Now the present Invention consists in producing vengers by cutting them
from the log in a corrugated or crimped shape, substantially as herein-after
more fully described.
To enable those skilled in the art to fully comprehend the Invention I will
proceed to describe it more in detail, referring by letters to the accompanying
Drawing, which illustrates a veneer cutting machine adapted to carry out the
Invention.
Fig. 1 is a top view of a veneer cutting machine having its cutting device
so constructed as to produce veneers according to the new method of cutting
them; Fig. 2 is a vertical section at line a, a, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an edge
view of a veneer as it appears when it comes from the machine.
.
The general construction and operation of the machine shewn, with the
exception of the cutting device, is about the same as that of machines already
in use and with which those skilled in the art are familiar. I need therefore
only allude to it in a general way.
A is the frame of the machine, arranged and supported upon a suitable
Hoor or foundation: B. On the frame A is mounted in suitable bearings
.
carried in sliding boxes C a rock shaft D, to which is attached the vibratory
frame E, to the face of which the log F is secured (by bolts in the usual.
manner); opposite the face or log surface of the vibratory frame Ę is arranged

page_text: on the frame of the machine the knife stock or stand G, in which is located
the cutting or shaving device. The frame E is vibrated or rocked on its
shaft D in the usual manner by means of rocking armis H, H, connected to.
the cranks of any suitable driving machinery. The boxes C are constructed
and arranged so as to slide on ways I, I, formed on the frame A in order
that the log F may be fed towards the cutting or shaving mechanism. The
feed is effected by means of feed screws K, K, working through the boxes C, C,
The screw shafts are-
and supported in bracket bearings M, as clearly seen.
provided on their outer ends with band wheels N connected by a belt O, and
may be operated by band or automatically from the driving mechanism if
deemed expedient. S is the corrugated or crimped cutting or shaving tool or
knife, which is arranged in and fastened to the tool stock G (as clearly shewn)
in such manner as to shave or cut off a thin stratum of the log F or a
"veneer" each time the frame E is fed toward the cutter and caused to
descend, as illustrated at Fig. 2, where T represents the veneer (in section)
being cut the knife S. As the veneers are cut or slabbed off they are
discharged or passed out of the machine in the direction of the arrow,
Fig. 2.
The shape of the veneer cut is clearly illustrated in the edge view of the
same at Fig. 3, from which it will be seen to be of a wave-like or crimped
shape; after the veneer is cut off of this shape it may be smoothed or pressed
flat, and when ready for use may be applied like to the ordinarily cut veneer.
It will be seen that by thus cutting or shaving off the wood in corrugated or
crimped strata, in lieu of slicing it in straight lines, the different grains of the
wood will be penetrated in each cut and shew in the surface of the veneer,
and thus the great desideratum of producing a figured veneer from a plain log
or increasing the figures of a log possessing" figure" herein-before alluded to
is accomplished; of course the form and size of the corrugations in the knife
may be infinitely varied without departing from the spirit of the Invention,
and it may be even possible to cut the veneer in the manner or shape
described without a corrugated knife by shaving it off longitudinally; I
therefore wish it to be understood that I do not propose to limit my claim
of Invention to the peculiar form of knife shewn, or to any details of
machinery.
Having now explained the objects and advantages of the Invention, and the
mode in which it has been successfully carried out or practiced, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the
method substantially as described of cutting veneers, that is to say, of a

page_text: corrugated or crimped shape, whereby I am enabled to produce from a plain
log veneers with considerable figure, and to increase the figure of veneers cut
from logs having figure, as therein-before explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
year
of
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)