Improvements in or relating to Milling and Profiling Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Milling and Profiling Machines.
We, ALFRED HERBERT, of "Brantwood," Spencer Road, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, and PERCY VENABLES VERNON, of Priory Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to milling and profiling machines its principal object.
being the construction of an improved type of milling machine in which motion is
imparted by novel means to the work and to the cutter as required, in such a
manner that the motions can be readily compounded and consequently the work
and the cutter can have such relative movement as will enable forms of work
to be automatically milled which could not have been produced by the machines
and methods hitherto usually employed, in which there existed the risks of
stressing the machine or of causing the tool and the work to jam or interlock
when work of very varied or irregular outline was being produced.
A further object of this invention is to construct automatic milling machines
in such a manner that even re-entering angles can be milled with the aid of the
usual dummy or 'former" without risk of interlocking the cutter with the work
or interlocking the bowl or pointer with the profile or former" to be copied.
"
In one construction of machine, according to this invention the work is
carried upon a table or chuck rotatable by means of a cam through a connecting
rod or other gearing or by means of a cam acting on a sliding rack which gears
into a pinion attached to the aforesaid rotary chuck and the cutter is carried upon
a support which is movable in say a straight line by means of another cam.
By this construction the work and the cutter have relatively to each other a
motion compounded of the rectilinear movement of the tool or cutter and the
rotary movement of the work and by a suitable form and disposition of the cams
by which these two motions are obtained any desired outline may be imparted
to the work.
Conveniently the cams before referred to can both be placed on the same shaft
or on shafts connected by positive gearing, weights or springs being employed
if necessary, to hold the cams and the parts which they operate in close
engagement.
An alternative construction according to this invention is one in which the
slide carrying the work is movable backwards and forwards by one of the cams.
whilst the cutter is moved in a direction at right angles to that in which the work
is operated; or the same result may be attained by allowing one cam to move
the table in one direction and the other cam to move the table in a direction at
right angles by means of a compound or supplementary slide-in this arrange-
ment the cutter would remain stationary. This construction is one which is
especially advantageous when the article to be milled or profiled has a length
which is considerable in proportion to its breadth."
'
In another construction of machine, according to this invention, the blank to

page_text: 66
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be milled and the pattern or former" are rotated in company, the latter bearing
against a bowl or pointed fixed to the machine, the head carrying the rotating
work and "former" being mounted on a slide so as in its rotation to give itself
rectilinear movement relatively to the cutter. As it is in this type of machine
that difficulties by reason of the interlocking of the tool and the work or the
"former" and the bowl or pointer have been experienced we not only mount
the work and the former" so that they can have rotary and rectilinear move-
ment in company, but we drive them by means of worm gear so engaged with
them that, in the event of any interlocking or jamming occurring to hinder or
prevent the rotation of the work or the "former" the worm wheel being thereby
prevented from rotation tends to move along the worm in exactly the same
manner as a nut, and is traversed or moved in the direction of the length of the
worm because of the resistance to rotation set up by the said hindering or
jamming; such movement will automatically relieve the tendency to jam, where-
upon rotation in the normal manner will immediately recommence, and in
milling certain portions of the work the motion automatically combines exactly
the required amounts of both rotary and rectilinear movement required to follow
the shape of the "former."
In this case also it is to be understood that weights springs or other means
are employed to keep the "former" in contact with the bowl or pointer against
which it is desired that it should rub.
In the constructions hereinbefore referred to the motions imparted to the work
are considered as occurring in different directions in one plane. If desired, how-
ever, a cam can be employed to impart movement to the work relatively to the
cutter in a second plane, this being an advantageous construction in cases in
which the work varies not only in plan, for instance, but also possesses different
outlines at different parts of its thickness.
Dated this 14th day of December 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the 'Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Milling and Profiling Machines.
We, ALFRED HERBERT, of "Brantwood," Spencer Road, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, and PERCY VENABLES VERNON, of Priory Street,
Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to he performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
--
This invention relates to milling and profiling machines its principal object
being to improve the construction of automatic milling machines of the type
having a rotary reciprocating pattern bearing against a fixed abutment, such
improvement enabling even re-entering angles to be milled with the aid of the
usual rotary reciprocating pattern or dummy without risk of interlocking the
cutter with the work or of interlocking the bowl, pointer, or other fixed abut-
ment with the pattern to be copied according to this portion of the invention,
worm driving-gear employed to rotate the pattern is specially arranged in the
manner hereinafter exemplified to operate also as a relieving gear, that is to say,
a gear which under circumstances involving the risk of such interlocking as is
above referred to, operates the pattern and the work to relieve it, the abutment,
and the cutter, from the injurious stresses which would otherwise be set up
in them.

page_text: A further object of this invention is the construction of an improved type of
milling machine in which motion is imparted by positively-connected cams to
the work and to the tool-carriage as required, in such a manner that the motions
of work and cutter can be readily compounded and consequently they can be
given such relative movement as will enable the work to be automatically milled
to an outline which could not well have been produced by the machines and
methods hitherto usually employed, in which there exist the risks of stressing
the machine or causing the tool and the work to jam or interlock when work of
very varied or irregular outline is being produced. This portion of the present
invention may include the employment, in the manner hereinafter exemplified,
of a rack or slider and pinion as the operative connection between one of the
cams and the part which it actuates.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a milling machine fitted with worm driving and
relieving gear according to this invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an end view of the machine illustrated in Figure 1 viewed in the
direction of the arrow thereon;
Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, of the principal
portion of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an end elevation, partly in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;
Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate in plan, side elevation, and end elevation respec-
tively, a construction of milling or profiling machine in which a rotary work-
table is actuated by a cam, rack, or slider, and pinion, according to this
invention; and
Figures and 10 are respectively front and side elevations of an additional
construction of machine according to this invention, which is provided with a
sliding work-table and with a tool carriage sliding above the table in a direction
transverse to that in which the work-table reciprocates. The work-table is
actuated by a cam and the tool carriage by another cam, these cams being
operatively connected so as to run always in proper accord with each other; each
cam acts directly upon the part it operates, that is to say, without the intervention
of connecting-rods, gearing or other devices which would complicate the relation-
ship of the cam to the part operated, and impair the precision of operation of
the machine.
Figures 4 and 5 are drawn to a larger scale than that of the Figures 12 and 3
to which they are related.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 to 5, the bed A of the machine supports a
headstock B constructed to reciprocate in a direction transverse to the length of
the machine upon a fixed guide A¹ with which it engages by means of dove-
tails B. A spindle C, rotatable in the headstock B has a pattern 1) secured
upon one end of it; this pattern may form part of, or may serve as, a chuck or
face-plate to carry the work, or the work may be secured to any other work-
support on the spindle C, the only essential being that the work should receive
the same linear and rotary movements as the pattern D, which reciprocates when
the spindle C moves with the headstock B along the fixed guide A¹ and rotates
when that spindle rotates in its hearings in the headstock.
Fixed upon the bed A is a stationary abutment E with a bowl or roller E¹ at
its end against which the circumference of the pattern D bears, being kept always
in contact with it by springs or by a counterbalance B2 which maintains a con-
stant pull upon the headstock B by means of a chain B³. Upon rotation of the
spindle C the pattern D turning with it, gives itself a rectilinear reciprocatory
movement in relation to a milling cutter G rotatable in the usual manner in a
stationary head A².
The work or blank H to be milled which is generally so placed as to be con-

page_text: centric with the pattern D and in this instance is secured upon it, receives the
same motion.
As it is in this type of machine that difficulty by reason of the interlocking of
the tool and the work or the pattern and the abutment E has been experienced,
the work and the pattern are not only mounted so that they have rotary and
rectilinear movement in company, but are driven by worm driving-gear arranged
to operate also as relieving gear. In the construction illustrated the worm driving
and relieving gear is arranged as follows: The worm shaft J is journalled, so as
to have no endwise movement, in supports A³ stationary upon the bed of the
machine. A worm on this shaft gears into a worm wheel C fixed upon the
spindle Cor adapted to be engaged therewith by any convenient form of clutch.
In the event of any interlocking or jamming or tendency thereto increasing the
resistance to rotation of the work and the worm wheel C by the worm J', the
worm will move the worm wheel along it in the same manner as it would move
a nut, so that the worm wheel and with it the headstock B, pattern D, and blank
or work H move in the direction of the length of the worm and automatically
relieve the abutment E from any tendency to interlock with the pattern D, after
which, rotation of the worm wheel in the normal manner will immediately be
resumed. In milling certain portions of certain kinds of work, these relieving
and rotary actions of the worm gear automatically combine to give exactly the
required amounts of both rotary and rectilinear movement necessary to enable
all the parts of the pattern to rub or run properly and easily past the end of the
abutment. In the construction illustrated by Figures 6, 7 and 8 a shaft K
journalled in the standard A and normally driven by power, is provided with a
worm K (Figure 8) which gears with the worm wheel L' fixed upon a shaft L
journalled in bearings A+ A. Upon the shaft L and operatively connected to
each other thereby, are secured cams M and N. The cam M is appropriated to
the operation of the tool carriage 0, whilst the cam N is for the purpose of
operating the rack or slider P which latter is adapted to move endwise in
guides Qin the base of the headstock Q.
The tool-carriage O has the tool spindle O¹ journalled in it and carrying the
milling cutter 02; this carriage is adapted to reciprocate across the bed of the
machine on a dovetail-guide A in a direction transverse to the length of
the spindle O; it is given this reciprocation by the cam M which bears against
the anti-friction bowl 03 carried on the carriage; a counterbalance 04 acting by
means of a chain 05 on the carriage O keeps the bowl 03 always in contact with
the circumference of the cam M.
The headstock Q is not movable; the spindle Q2 journalled in it and provided
with a work support Q3 upon which the blank or work H is held in proximity
to the cutter 02, unlike the spindle O¹ has no motion of translation but only a
motion of rotation, which is imparted to it from the cam N by means of the toothed
rack P which gears with a pinion Q fixed upon the spindle Q2. P¹ is an anti-
friction bowl carried in that end of the rack 1' which bears upon the circumference
of the cam N. By this construction an oscillatory or rotatory motion may be
imparted to the spindle Q2 either constant during the action of the cutter on the
work or varying so as to give it any required speed either forwards or backwards,
& thus enabling the work to feed past the cutter at a constant rate, no matter how
irregular its form. Upon the outer end of the spindle Q2 is a pulley Q round
which passes a cord Q from which is suspended a counterbalance Q. This
counterbalance tends always to turn the spindle Q and pinion Q in such a direc-
tion that the latter takes up all slack and keeps the friction bowl at the end of the
rack bearing against the circumference of the cam N. A spring might be
substituted for this counterbalance for the same purpose.
With reference now to Figures 9 and 10 a sliding worktable R reciprocates
between the front and rear of the machine therein illustrated in guides A, being
directly operated by a cam N which is secured upon the shaft L journalled in fixed
bearings at the rear of the machine and driven from the belt pulleys S by way

page_text: Devel
of the shaft K¹, worm K2, worm wheel T, intermediate shaft U, and
wheels U U2. An extension R¹ from the under side of the table R carries at its
end a friction bowl R2 which is kept always against the circumference of the cam N
by the action of a counterbalance R connected to the table R by means of a
chain R passed over a guide pulley A7 in a manner well understood.
The tool carriage O in this construction slides above the worktable R in a
direction transverse to that of the motion of the latter; it travels on a bridge A8
and is moved along it in one direction by a cam M secured at the upper end of a
vertical shaft L2 which rotates in stationary bearings carried by an extension A"
of the bed or standard A and carrying at its lower end a bevel pinion L³ by which
it is geared to the pinion U on the intermediate driving shaft U. The movement
of the tool carriage O in the reverse direction is effected by a counterbalance 0%
which is connected to the carriage by the chain 05 passing over the guide
pulley A9; the counterbalance 04 keeps the carriage 0 always in contact with the
circumference of the cam M.
In the construction illustrated the carriage O is provided with a bar 06 adjust-
able endwise therein and retained by a clamp 07 in any position to which it may be
adjusted; at the end of this bar is carried an anti-friction bowl 08 bearing
against the circumference of the cam M so that the contact between the cam and
the carriage may be as free from friction as possible. By adjusting the bar 06
endwise the position of the extremes of travel of the carriage O and of the milling
cutter 02 carried thereby may be adjusted transversely in relation to the table R.
The milling cutter 02 above referred to is carried at the lower end of a vertical
spindle O journalled in the carriage and driven by a belt V passing round the
pulley on the cutter spindle and round a drum V₁ carried on a fixed portion A10
of the framing and having its axis parallel to the direction of motion of the
carriage so that the belt V can shift along the drum V₁ during the movement
of the carriage and maintain during such movement its original relationship to
the driven pulley 09.
As an alternative construction of the tool illustrated by Figures 9 and 10, the
tool carriage could be stationary and the work supported on a work table arranged
as a compound slide, that is to say, that its lower portion sliding like the work-
table R in Figures 9 and 10 and with an upper portion carried by slides on that
table and travelling in a direction transverse to that of the motion of the lower
portion; in such a construction the cam for operating the transversely-moving
upper slide would have to be mounted on the lower portion of the compound
table. As that lower portion is itself movable in relation to the stationary
framing of the machine, the cam shaft would have to be connected to the driving.
mechanism by a sliding connection, such as telescopic shafting connected by
feather-keys or any other well-known equivalent.
The tool illustrated by Figures 9 and 10 and its alternative form above
suggested are especially advantageous when the article to be milled or profiled
has a length which is considerable in proportion to its breadth.
In the construction hereinbefore referred to the motions imparted to the work
are considered as occurring in different directions in one plane. If desired, how-
ever, a cam can be employed to impart relative motion to the work and cutter
in a second plane, this being an advantageous construction in cases in which
the work varies, not only in plan, for instance, but also possesses different outlines
or contours at different parts of its thickness.
Although the tool spindle is horizontal in the machine shown in Figure 7 and
vertical in the machine shown in Figure 9, the former could easily be arranged
to be vertical and the latter to be horizontal.
Although the machine illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is shown as having a head-
stock B which reciprocates in a right line, it might alternatively be arranged to
vibrate in the arc of a circle, say on curved guides, or about a fixed centre-pin or
pivot; a similar pivotted construction of the reciprocatory tool carriages and
headstocks is possible in the other types of machine hereinbefore referred tọ. . ..

page_text: •
It is possible also that the bar P (Figure 6) instead of being connected to the
pinion Q by toothed gear, should be a slider with a chain secured to one end
extending along it, taking a turn around a sprocket pinion substituted for the
toothed pinion Q and extended to the opposite end of the slider to which it would
be fixed.
The machines hereinbefore described are provided with automatic stop gear,
and hand driving and adjusting gear additional to the power gear described.
The automatic stop gear in the machine illustrated by Figures 1 to 5 comprises a
dog or projection W, (Figure 3) which may be secured by a bolt at any desired
point in the circumference of a slot W in a friction disc Y on the spindle C.
In the rotation of the spindle C the dog comes into contact with the bell crank
lever W controlling a clutch on the driving shaft.
Automatic stop gear of a similar character is applicable to the rotary work
support Q in the machine shown in Figure 7. With regard to hand-controlled
gear, in the machine illustrated by Figures 1 to 5 the worm wheel C is free to
rotate on the spindle C, but when it is desired that the spindle should rotate in
company with it, the friction dise Y, movable endwise along the spindle C but
not rotatable relatively thereto, is forced endwise along it by the nut C2 provided
with a hand wheel C and carried on a screw-threaded portion of the end of the
spindle C; in this endwise movement the worm wheel C is gripped fast between
the edge of the friction disc Y and a fixed collar on the spindle C and thus the
latter becomes frictionally locked to it and turns in company.
At the conclusion of a complete revolution of the spindle C in this machine,
it is stopped automatically by the stop gear above referred to, the cutter remain-
ing in contact with the work and the bowl or roller E¹ in contact with the
pattern D. This renders it difficult to remove the finished article and to replace
it by a new blank. In order to overcome this difficulty an eccentric pin Z is
provided on the end of a spindle Z turning in the body of the fixed guide A¹
and operated by a lever Z³. This pin acts upon a plate Z³ adjustable in a slot 7*.
Upon the automatic stoppage of the machine the spindle Z is given half a
revolution by means of the lever 72 so that the pin Z acts upon the plate 7 and
draws the headstock B clear of both the cutter G and the bowl or roller E and
permits the easy changing and setting of the work. The plate 73 is made adjust-
able in order that it may be moved to a greater or lesser extent by the pin Z to
suit the different diameters and forms of work dealt with in the machine;
similar gear could be applied to the tool carriage O of the machine illustrated in
Figure 6.
a
In a machine, illustrated by Figures 6, 7 and 8 the worm wheel L' is rotatable
by hand by means of the shaft L provided with the hand wheel L³, a clutch of
any convenient type being provided to disconnect the power shaft when
desired to turn the worm wheel L¹ by means of the hand-gear; a similar arrange-
ment is applied to the machine shown in Figures 9 and 10.
is
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a milling or profiling machine having a rotary reciprocating pattern
bearing against a fixed abutment the employment of worm driving-gear arranged
to operate also as relieving gear for the purpose described.
2. In a milling or profiling machine the combination of a reciprocatory head-
stock carrying a rotary work-support a rotary reciprocating pattern a fixed
abutment and worm driving gear arranged to operate also as a relieving gear for
the purpose described.
3. In a milling or profiling machine comprising a tool-carriage and a work-
table one reciprocatory the other rotary and each actuated by a cam the employ-
ment of a rack or slider and pinion as the operative connection between that
rotary member and its cam.

page_text: 4. In a milling or profiling machine the combination with a sliding work-
table and transversely-sliding tool-carriage with or without the adjustable part 0
of cams positively connected and directly actuating the table and carriage
substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a milling or profiling machine the combination with a two-part or
compound work-table of cams positively connected and directly actuating the
parts of that table substantially as described.
6. In a milling or profiling machine the worm driving-gear arranged to operate
also as relieving gear substantially as and for the purpose described and illus-
trated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a milling or profiling machine the complete headstock substantially as
and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accom-
panying drawings.
8. The complete milling or profiling machine substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, or Figures 6, 7
and 8, or Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1898
ALFRED HERBERT,
PERCY VENABLES VERNON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.
ALFRED HERBERT,
PERCY VENABLES VERNON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.