IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Holgate, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE."
Sealed the 18th April 1878, and dated the 20th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Holgate at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1877.
JAMES HOLGATE, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster.
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to machinery employed for cutting, facing, or shaping
stone, in which a travelling or sliding bed is employed for carrying the stone and
presenting it to the action of a series of knives or cutters mounted on a revolving
shaft or cylinder.
My improvements consist,-
Firstly. In the employment of an adjustable table carried upon the ordinary
travelling table, and resting either upon a ball-and-socket joint or other suitable
bearers in such manner that by the use of screws or other equivalent the plane of
the table may be set at any angle, so that when a stone with irregular surface or of
uneven thickness is placed thereon, a proper adjustment of the table will bring the
whole of the surface of the stone under the action of the cutters without wasting
the stone by cutting more away in some places than is absolutely necessary.
Secondly. My improvements consist in imparting to the cylinder or shaft
carrying the cutters a lateral motion in addition to the revolving one, which lateral
motion tends greatly to preserve a straight line in the points of the cutters. Owing
to the irregularity in shape and quality of stone and also uneven temper in the
cutters, it has been found impossible hitherto to prevent the points from wearing
away unequally; but by my improvements this defect is obviated, as the most

page_text: prominent cutters by being traversed across the stone Interally are subjected to n
greater amount of wear than the less prominent ones.
I arrange my cutters around the cylinder in a spiral form, and so regulate them
that not more thau one cutter may be acting at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Holgate in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th April
1878.
JAMES HOLGATE, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster.
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE."
“IMPROVEMENTS IN
$
This Invention relates to machinery employed for cutting, facing, or shaping
stone, in which a travelling or sliding bed is employed for carrying the stone and
presenting it to the action of a series of knives or cutters mounted on a revolving
shaft or cylinder.
My improvements consist,-
Firstly. In the employment of an adjustable table carried upon the ordinary
travelling table, and resting upon either a ball-and-socket joint or other suitable
bearers in such manner that by the use of screws or other equivalent the plane of
the table may be set at any angle, so that when a stone with irregular surface or of
uneven thickness is placed thereon, a proper adjustment of the table will bring the
whole of the surface of the stone under the action of the cutters without wasting
the stone by cutting more away in some places than is absolutely necessary.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood I herein give reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of machine; and Fig. 2 is front elevation of same.
A is the ordinary travelling table upon which is carried a second table B, which
rests upon screwed supports C having a ball joint or steadying pillar D at one end,
and a slotted guide E at the other. The screws C are attached to the table B by
ball joint, and pass through openings in the table A, being raised and lowered by
hand wheels F.
Instead of this arrangement the table may be hung in gimbals similar to a mill-
stone and have screws as above described for fixing it in position.
Secondly. My improvements consist in imparting to the cylinder or shaft carrying
the cutters a lateral motion in addition to the revolving one, which lateral motion
tends greatly to preserve a straight line in the points of the cutters. Owing to the
irregularity in shape and quality of stone, and also uneven temper in the cutters, it a
has been found impossible hitherto to prevent the points from wearing away
unequally; but by my improvements this defect is obviated, as the most prominent
cutters by being traversed across the stone laterally are subjected to a greater
amount of wear than the less prominent ones. G are the cutters fixed in a cylinder
or bearings H, and working on an axis or shaft J. On one end of this shaft is a 4
worm K, gearing with a worm wheel L mounted on a shaft M, which is carried in

page_text: brackets N attached to the framework. On the face of the worm wheel L is an
eccentric P working within a yoke or fork Q fixed on the shaft M. As the shaft J
revolves the worm K imparts rotation to the worm wheel and eccentric, and causes
the yoke Q to reciprocate endwise, carrying with it the shaft J, and also worm K,
thus changing the ground on which the cutters operate.
It will be seen that the worm wheel L has an oscillatory motion imparted to it
by the reciprocatory motion of the worm K, as well as a continuously revolving
motion caused by the revolution of the worm.
The cutters are arranged around the cylinder in a spiral form, and so regulated
that not more than one cutter on each cylinder is acting at the same time.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention I would have it understood
that I claim,
Firstly. The employment of an adjustable table for carrying the stone, sub-
stantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The employment of cutter cylinders having a lateral reciprocatory
motion imparted to them, as and for the purpose herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Holgate, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JAMES HOLGATE. (L.S.)