CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, TOOLS, OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR PLANEING METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN SECURING OR FASTENING THE KEYS OR COTTARS USED IN SUCH MACHINERY, AND OTHER MACHINERY WHERE KEYS OR COTTARS ARE COMMONLY APPLIED
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NASMYTH, of Patricřoft, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twentieth day of September, in the second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Nasmyth, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Nasmyth, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said James Nasmyth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, TOOLS, OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
OR PLANEING METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN SECURING OR FASTENING THE
KEYS OR COTTARS USED IN SUCH MACHINERY, AND OTHER MACHINERY WHERE KEYS
OR COTTARS ARE COMMONLY APPLIED;" in which Letters Patent is contained
proviso that I, the said James Nasmyth, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Nasmyth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in machinery, tools, or apparatus for cutting or planeing
metals and other substances, and for fastening the keys or cottars used in
such machinery and other machinery where keys or cottars are commonly
applied," consist, firstly, in a novel and peculiar arrangement of mechanism,
or construction of apparatus, for the purpose of cutting or planeing mortices or
slots in metals and other substances, such as key grooves, or beds in the eyes
or bosses of wheels, and all other situations where such or similar work is to
be performed. The main feature in such improved construction of the above
description of machinery, is the peculiar situation of the bed or table upon
which the work to be operated upon is placed. In all ordinary morticing,
slotting, key grooving, or paring engines, the cutting tool has been made to.
descend to its work by being supported in suitable bearings above the table,
and has also had its motion given by geering and the necessary driving
apparatus also situated above the table of the engine, which have necessarily.
limited the extent of work or the diameter of the wheels to be operated upon,
besides making the machine or engine of unwieldy dimensions and exceedingly
unsteady in its operation. These inconveniences are entirely obviated by the
improved arrangement and novel construction of such machinery claimed
under this Patent, and the table upon which the wheels or other work to be
submitted to the operation of the cutting tool, is placed uppermost and above.
the whole of the other necessary parts and driving apparatus of the machine,
and the cutting tool is caused to rise and fall to perform its office, by being
mounted in a central shaft or spindle rising through the middle of the table,
and being drawn down to its work by a suitable arrangement of mechanism.
And, secondly, with respect to fastening keys or cottars used in such machinery
and other machinery where keys or cottars are commonly applied, my im-
provement consists in perforating the tail or smaller end of keys or cottars with
a number of small holes in a line, and placed equidistant from each other,
and after the cottar and gib have been drawn up tight, a small coil of wire is

page_text: to be wound round the cottar and passed through the holes until the end of
the coil bears against the link, strap, or other situation where the cottar may
be placed, the last coil or extreme end of the wire being made of a greater or
lesser pitch (the lesser being the best) than the other coils, so that in
tightening up the cottar by turning the coil of wire, the extreme end shall bear
against the space left between two of these holes, and thus prevent the coil
from being shaken or forced back, and entirely secure the key or cottar from
being displaced by any vibration or concussion of the machinery. In order
that these improvements may be more definitely explained and better under-
stood, I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings, and marked
similar letters of reference upon corresponding parts of the mechanism in all
the Figures. In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a front or side
elevation of my improved machine; Figure 2, a plan or horizontal view, as
seen from above; Figure 3, an end view; and Figure 4, a vertical section,
taken through about the middle of the machine. The main or principal
framing of machine is shewn at a, a, a, a, having a V or other shaped
groove b, b, formed upon the top; in this groove b, the bed c, c, is supported
by means of the V edges d, d; another bed or table e, e, is placed above the
bed c, c, and moving in angular slides in a rectangular positition to the
V groove b, b, and thus any width or depth of cut may be given to the cutting
tool. Above these two sliding beds the main or work table f, f, is placed,
being the uppermost part of the apparatus, and having mortices g, g, formed
around it, for the purpose of fixing or securing the work while under the
operation of the cutting tool. This table or bed f, f, has notches h, h, also
formed around its periphery for the purpose of fixing the table in any
positition by means of the catch or holdfast i, i, as the table is turned upon its
central boss k, k, in cutting any number of key grooves around the eyes of wheels
or otherwise. The cutting tool is shewn at l, mounted in the upper end of the
shaft or spindle m, m; this shaft is keyed into another shaft or bar n, n, having
angular planed sides, and moving in corresponding bearings o, o, in which it is
supported. (This shaft or spindle m, m, carrying the cutter, may be shifted
and varied in its diameter according to the hole in the wheel under operation.)
A vertical reciprocating motion is given to the cutter 1, by means of a driving
strap being passed around the speed pulley p, which, being fixed upon the end
of the driving shaft q, and carrying the pinion r at its other end, drives the
spur wheel 8, carrying the crank plate t and crank pin u. The crank pin 24
is attached to the upper end of the connecting rod v, v, and the lower end of
this rod is attached by a pin and sliding boss w, w, to the lower end of the

page_text: shaft n, and being made fast by the tightening screw x, it will be evident that
as the crank pin u revolves, the cutting tool 7 will thus perform the ne-
'cessary action. In order that the work under operation shall make the
necessary progressive action to obtain the whole depth of the cut desired, the
same shaft y, upon which the spur wheels is mounted, also carries an
eccentric z, which revolving between the forked arms 1, 1, of the lever 2
will give motion to the shaft 3, upon which the other end of this lever is
keyed. Another lever 4 being also keyed to this shaft 3, raises the connecting
link 5, and thus vibrates the ratchet or catch 6 at every revolution of the
excentric. As this catch 6 is kept fast by its tail spring in the space between
the teeth of the spur wheel 7, and that wheel keyed upon the boss 8, having
a nut formed upon its interior driving the screw 9, which is fixed in the bed
c, c, will thus slide the table c, c, upon its V edges, and advance the work to
the cutting tool at every descent of the same. A similar action may be given
to the table carrying the work, but in a rectangular positition to the one just
described, by means of the connecting link 10, also attached at its lower end
to the excentric rod or lever 2, which will thus vibrate the click or ratchet 11,
and cause the ratchet wheel 12 to advance one or more teeth at every
revolution of the excentric, and by means of the nut 13, driving the screw 14,
the upper table will be caused to slide in its angular edges and thus advance
the work to the cutting tool; any slight degree of draft or taper may be
given to the mortice or key groove desired, by raising or lowering the set
screws 15, 15. The improved method of fastening the cottar or key in this
and all other machinery is shewn at the upper end of the connecting rod v, v,
and the coil of wire 16 wound in its proper position through the small holes
perforated in the tail or end of the cottar. This contrivance is also shewn
detached and upon an enlarged scale at Figures 4 and 5. It will be evident
to persons conversant with such machinery, tools, or apparatus for cutting or
planeing metals and other substances above described, that it would be
adviseable in large machines designed for heavy work, that the whole of the
apparatus should be placed in a pit or chamber, and that the surface of the
upper table to receive the work should be level with the ground line, so that
any work of almost any dimensions may be easily brought under the operation
of the cutting tool.
Having now particularly described my said improvements, I desire it to be
understood that I claim as my Invention, the peculiar arrangement and
construction of such or similar machines or engines as above described, and
shewn in the Drawings annexed, and having the table or bed for the work

page_text: upon the top or above all the other mechanism, and also in the above
described mode or method of fastening or tightening keys or cottars in such
machines, and in all other machinery or situations where keys or cottars are
commonly applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Nasmyth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.