Improvements in Apparatus for Dressing and Levelling Flag Stones and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Dressing and Levelling Flag Stones
and the like.
I, ALBERT TAYLOR of Town Gate, Hipperholme, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
At present paving flags for footpaths landings, steps and such like stones are
dressed to an even and level surface either by hand planing, rubbing or scouring.
If the stones are rubbed or scoured in mills where one stone rubs down the surface
of another one by a grinding agent such as sand and water between them, and
the stones travel always in the same paths whether radially or longitudinally
grooves are liable to be formed on the surfaces in contact by hard flinty lumps or
pebbles.
.
I
The object of my invention is to overcome this grooving for which purpose
cause the flags to travel in different paths during the rubbing operation, it may be
by moving or altering the centres about which the upper or lower flags are caused
to turn.
In an arrangement according to my invention instead of laying and fixing the
lower floor of Hags to be rubbed down on the ordinary floor of the mill, I provide
a movable floor or table which may be constructed of longitudinal girders and cross
fixings and covered with wrought iron plates. This table is supported on anti-
friction ball or roller bearings to facilitate the movements thereof.
Suitable slides are provided to prevent the lower table being carried around by
the upper floor of stones which may also consist of flags, landings, steps, sills and
the like.
This table may be moved longitudinally by a screw and worm gearing rotated
first in one direction and then in the other by belts and an automatic reversing gear
from the main driving shaft, or by other suitable means.
This movable table is preferably of circular form provided with an external kerb
or ring, whilst an opening of the proper shape to permit the motions of the shaft
is left in the centre through which projects a vertical driving shaft carrying beams
to which the upper stones are connected by dragging chains. The flags on the
lower table are laid close together and cover the whole of the circular table, the
corners being filled up with smaller pieces and wedged against the kerb.
By the arrangement described the paths of the upper and lower stones constantly
change relatively to one another thus preventing deep grooves being formed by
the hard particles on the stones whilst being rubbed.
I would have it understood that I may modify the antifriction bearings and the
means for moving either the upper or lower set of stones without departure from
the essential features of my invention.
Dated this 14th day of December 1901
ALBERT TAYLOR,
By L. W., per F. B.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Dressing and Levelling Flag Stones
and the like.
I, ALBERT TAYLOR of Town Gate, Hipperholme, in the County of York,
Engineer, 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:-
Paving flags for footpaths, landings, steps and the like (hereinafter included in
the term flag stones) are usually dressed to an even and level surface by planing,
rubbing, or scouring by hand. If the flag stones be rubbed or scoured in mills
where one stone rubs down the surface of another by the aid of a grinding agent
such as sand and water introduced between them, and the stones travel always in
the same paths, grooves are liable to be formed on the surfaces in contact by hard
flinty particles or pebbles contained in the grinding medium.
The object of my invention is to overcome this grooving action for which
purpose I cause the flag stones to travel in different or varying paths during the
rubbing operation.
In an arrangement of apparatus for this purpose according to my invention,
instead of laying and fixing the lower set or series of flag-stones to be dressed to
the ordinary floor of the mill, I provide a movable floor or table which may be
constructed of longitudinal girders and cross fixings and covered with wrought
iron plates.
This table is supported on antifriction ball or roller bearings to facilitate the
movements thereof, and suitable slides are provided to prevent it being carried
around by the upper set or series of stones which may consist of stones of various
shapes and dimensions and intended for pavements, landings, steps sills and
the like.
This table may be caused to reciprocate by any suitable means such as a screw
and worm gearing driven from the main driving shaft first in one direction and then
in the other, by belts and automatic reversing gear; or a crank and connecting rod
may be used for this purpose.
The table is preferably of circular form provided with an outer kerb or ring, an
opening of the proper shape to permit the desired motion being imparted to it
being left in the centre. Through this opening projects a vertical driving
shaft carrying beams to which the upper set or series of stones are connected by
drag chains.
The lower set or series of flag stones are laid close together and cover the whole
of the circular table, the corners or open spaces not filled by the flag stones
being filled up level with such stones by smaller pieces wedged between them and
the kerb.
By this arrangement the paths described by the upper and lower stones are
caused to constantly change relatively to one another thus preventing deep grooves
being formed in the stones by the hard particles during the rubbing operation.
The construction and arrangement of the bearings, and the means for operating
the upper and lower set or series of flag stones can be variously modified.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of so much of a machine constructed according to this
invention as will enable the nature of my invention to be clearly understood. This
figure shews a portion of the movable table, covered with flag stones upon which
are shown some of the flag stones composing the upper set or series.
Fig. 2 is a half plan showing the under side of the movable table and ball bearing
fixings secured thereto.

page_text: Figs. 3 and 4 are sections to a larger scale and at right angles to each other
showing a portion of the movable table, two of the ball bearings, and two. of the
fixed foundation beams.
Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of one of the ball bearing fixings secured to the
underside of the table.
Fig. 6 is a plan shewing the position of the fixed girders and foundations for the
movable table which is shown removed.
Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional elevations taken on the lines 9. 10 and 11. 12
respectively of Fig. 6.
A is a vertical central shaft supported laterally in the bearing B and carried by the
footstep bearing C; it is rotated by a bevel wheel D with which gears a smaller
toothed bevel wheel E fixed upon the underground rotary shaft F. The upper end
of the vertical shaft A projects through the centre of the table G and to it wooden
beams H are suitably attached so as to revolve with it.
To these beams the upper set of stones to be dressed on their lower sides are
connected by drag chains has indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.
dragging chains have a suitable hook at one end that engages in a suitable recess
These
cut in the edges of the stones, their other ends encircle the wooden beams and take
on to one or more spikes driven therein.
The table G on which the lower set of flag stones to be dressed are laid,
is strongly and substantially made of longitudinal girders GG, between which
suitable bearings G G for antifriction balls G³ are so fixed as shown in Figs. 2, 3,
4 and 5 as to give approximately an equal bearing to the table and so as to also
truss or tie the girders G' firmly together and thereby form a rigid structure which
is covered by plates secured to the said girders as shewn in Fig. 3. The other or
lower halves J. J of the bearings for the antifriction balls G are secured to fixed
girders JJ as shewn in Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 8, whilst the outermost of the
bearings J. J are secured to the foundation stones K K Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The
fixed girders JJ are connected by tie-bolts not shewn. The two longitudinal
girders G G nearest the centre of the table G are made somewhat longer than the
diameter of the 'table, their ends projecting beyond the floor plates and angle iron
kerb L and into suitable guides M M Figs. 1. 6 and 7.
These guides are formed to allow the table to travel longitudinally, motion being
communicated to by any convenient means such as by a screw rotated first in one
direction and then automatically reversed after the table has reached the end of its
stroke, or preferably by a crank N as shewn, fixed to a vertical shaft O driven by a
worm wheel P and worm Q from an underground shaft R which may be driven by
a belt and pulley, not shewn, froin the shaft F, the crank pin being connected to the
table G by a connecting rod S pivotted to the table fixing S Fig. 2. By the
construction described it will be readily understood that as the top stones are
dragged or carried around by the cross beams H. H, and chains h, h, the table G
carrying the lower stones will have a horizontal reciprocating motion imparted to it,
thereby constantly changing the relative paths of the upper and lower stones and to
a great extent preventing pieces of hard substances or pebbles contained in the
grinding mediums from rubbing constantly in the same lines and thereby causing
deep grooves in the surfaces of the flag stones under treatment.
By reference to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive it will be seen that the foundation
girders J J are at such a distance apart as to afford free access to all of the ball
bearings from beneath the table.
The bearings G' and J forming the seats for the antifriction balls G' are
preferably bored out to a little larger curvature than that of the ball to work
therein, and each of them is provided near the ends with removable stops G that
prevent the balls escaping from between the bearings. These stops can be easily
aken out so as to permit of a ball being extracted for any purpose 'without
disturbing the table. The said bearings, which may be provided with one or more
balls according to requirements can be made of steel, or of chilled cast iron.
The speed of the traversing table may be regulated as required according to the

page_text: class of work to be done. Thus for example the crank N may be arranged to make
four revolutions whilst the vertical shaft A makes three revolutions.
Around the foundation stones K carrying the outer most bearings J and
foundation girders J', a channel not shewn, is or inay be formed for conducting
away the moisture of water sand and ground material escaping from the table and
which is prevented from dropping on to the main driving wheel D, by a centrally
arranged rib or kerb L.
It is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the use of ball or other
antifriction bearings for supporting the traversing table and flag stones to be
dressed, or to any particular arrangement of mechanism for imparting a traversing
or reciprocating motion to the table G as the same can obviously be varied without
departing from the nature of iny invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A machine or apparatus for dressing or levelling flag stones and the like,
comprising a movable table adapted to receive and hold one set of flug stones upon
which a second set is placed, a rotary body for moving the second or upper set of
flag stones, and means for simultaneously imparting a reciprocating motion to the
table and a circular motion to the rotary body so that the paths described by the flag
stones in one set will be caused to constantly vary in relation to the paths described
by the flag stones in the other set substantially as hereinbefore described for the
purpose specified.
2. In a machine or apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, a
movable table constructed of longitudinal girders, plates, and bearings and with
outer and inner kerbs such as LL, the said table being mounted on antifriction
balls or rollers and reciprocated by a crank or equivalent mechanism substantially
as described and illustrated for the purpose specified.
3. Apparatus for dressing and levelling flag stones and the like, constructed
arranged and operating substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 13th day of September 1892.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.