IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BORING, MILLING AND SLOTTING, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER TOOLS AND MACHINERY.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ford Smith and Arthur Coventry, of Gresley
Iron Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Tool Makers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BORING, MILLING
AND SLOTTING, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER
TOOLS AND MACHINERY.
"
ealed the 8th March 1878, and dated the 26th September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ford Smith, and
Arthur Coventry, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
September 1877.
WILLIAM FORD SMITH and ARTHUR COVENTRY, of Gresley Iron Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Tool Makers. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR BORING, MILLING, AND SLOTTING, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER TOOLS AND MACHINERY."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to machines for boring, and consists in an improved
combination and arrangement of mechanism, viz. :-There is a pillar mounted on a
slide, so as to be adjustable to and fro, and upon this pillar there is a vertical slide-
way for a slide which carries the boring spindle, which has a bevel wheel upon it
that gears with one on a vertical shaft. This shaft has its lower bearing in the slide
and its upper bearing in the boss of a bevel wheel, through which it can slide when
the vertical slide is raised or lowered, the vertical shaft being connected with the
wheel by a key and key groove. The boss of this bevel wheel has its bearing at
the upper end of the pillar upon which a headstock is fitted, so that it can be
turned round the vertical shaft as a centre, and fixed in any required position for
driving. In this headstock there is driving gear similar to that in a lathe, and this
gear is in connection with a short shaft in the headstock, having a bevel wheel upon
it in gear with the one having its bearings in the pillar. This headstock may be
driven from swivel driving gear by an endless belt or rope, so that the machine
may be placed in any required position in respect to the driving apparatus. The

page_text: vertical slide is raised and lowered by a horizontal shaft, having bearings in the slide,
carrying a bevel wheel that gears with one which has its bearings also in the slide,
the boss of this latter wheel being screwed to fit a fixed vertical screw having its
upper end secured in the pillar. The spindle of the boring bar is tubular, and the
spindle carrying the boring or other tool is moved to and fro by a screw, and when
this screw is allowed to turn or is turned at the same speed as the spindle is rotated,
the boring spindle has no end motion, but when the rotary speed of the screw is
greater than the spindle, the latter is fed forward, and when the screw has less speed
than the spindle, the latter is drawn backward.
The screw can be turned either by hand or self-acting means; in the latter case an
internal cone sliding on a key on the screw shaft is forced against an external cone
loose on the screw shaft, and on the boss of this internal cone a disc is formed or
secured which passes between two discs rotating on a stud carried in a lever or slide,
and between two latter discs, there is another disc on the opposite side of the axis
which is upon a stud carried by the framing; the boss of the last-named disc has a
wheel upon it which is geared by an intermediate wheel with a pinion on the end of
the hollow spindle for boring. The faces of the two discs on the same stud which
are towards each other are very slightly coned, being widest apart at their peripheries
and less wide near their axis, so that their faces will only touch and bite upon the
part near the peripheries of the sides of the discs coming between them. The
two discs on the same axis are pressed towards each other and against the
edges of the discs coming between them by a spring on the stud forming their
axis.
It will be seen that one of the discs drives the double discs, which latter drives
the disc on the screw shaft, and the stud of the double discs being moveable by the
arm or slide on which it is carried, the largest diameter of the driving disc can be
made to act either upon the largest or smallest diameter of the double discs, and
when the driving disc is acting upon the smallest diameter of the double discs,
they will be acting upon the largest diameter of the driven discs and vice versa, and
hence there is a great range of speed obtained by which the screw shaft can be driven
faster, slower, or at the same speed as the boring spindle. When the speed is
adjusted (which adjustments is facilitated by an index) the arm or slide carrying the
double disc is secured by a screw or other means.
"
Secondly. Our Invention relates to machines known as milling machines," which
act by means of a toothed cutter carried upon the vertical spindle of the machine,
and which may be used for drilling or boring when required.
Our Invention consists in an improved combination and arrangement of mechanism
The machine is formed by a casting arranged to carry vertical and horizontal slides
and bearings for shafts and other mechanism. The casting upon its pillar or vertical
part has a vertical slideway for a slide carrying the lower bearing of the vertical
spindle, which can slide up and down through the boss of the bevel wheel to which it
is connected by a key and key groove, and which wheel has bearings in an upper arm or
bend of the pillar. The bevel wheel is in gear with a bevel on the end of a
horizontal shaft, having bearings in the pillar, and this shaft is in gear with " speed
pulley" driving mechanism, similar to that of a lathe, which is carried upon the pillar
part of the casting. On a shaft of this last-named mechanism there is a "speed
pulley" which drives a corresponding pulley on a shaft, baving bearings upon the
lower part of the pillar, which pulley actuates the mechanism that gives self-acting
feed movements to the slides and table carrying the work to be operated upon, which
slides consists of a longitudinal slide carrying a cross slide, the latter carrying a face
plate or table for the work to be secured to, which table is rotated by a worm and
worm wheel.
The screws for the slides are arranged so that they can be actuated by hand, and the
worm shaft for the table is also arranged in like manner, and they are also arranged
as to be actuated by being brought in and out of gear with the self-acting
mechanism above referred to. When self-acting, the feed for the lathe for curved
work, there is a range of change and carrier wheels, which can be readily geared up

page_text: to obtain a greater or less speed, but for giving the self-acting motion for various
speeds we prefer to employ the arrangement of discs described under the first head
of our Invention, in which case we rotate the driving discs either by gearing
or by a driving belt, and place this disc gearing on the side of the pillar of the
machine.
The slide carrying the lower bearing of the milling spindle is raised and lowered
by a screw, which may be rotated by hand or by self-acting means, for drilling and
other purposes.
The upper horizontal slide carrying the table is also arranged so
as when required to be detached from its screw and acted upon by a weight or
spring, so that the slide and table, and consequently the work secured upon it, will be
forced forward against the cutter when acting to form irregular curves, the
shape of such curves in the work being obtained by a "shaper" secured to the work
above the cutter, which has a plain boss above it and in line with its teeth
to rest and rotate against the "shaper," against which it is pressed, while the cutter
is acting upon the work by the said spring or weight acting the slide as before
explained.
Thirdly. Our Invention also consists in applying and combining the disc gearing,
described under the first head of our Invention or modifications of it, for self-acting
the feeding motions of slotting machines, or in combining with such machines gearing
and change wheels for self-acting the circular motions of the table.
Fourthly. Our Invention consists in an improved mode of making disc gearing
by forming them of a series of discs, that is, the driving and driven disc instead of
being a single disc may be formed of any convenient number of discs, with a
corresponding increase of the number of the intermediate discs, which latter may be all
pressed together towards each other and against the edges of the driving and driven
dises by the same spring; or there may be a spring on the axis of each set of discs.
By this combination greater power may be transmitted by the increase of
bite" or adhesion obtained. This improved combination of disc gearing is
applicable to the tool or machines above described and to other tools and machinery
requiring mechanism for varying speeds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Ford Smith and Arthur Coventry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th March 1878.
WILLIAM FORD SMITH and ARTHUR COVENTRY, of Gresley Iron Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Tool Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR BORING, MILLING, AND SLOTTING; PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER TOOLS AND MACHINERY."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to machines for boring, and consists in an improved
combination and arrangement of mechanism, viz.-There is a pillar mounted on a
slide, so as to be adjustable to and fro, and upon this pillar there is a vertical slide-
way for a slide which carries the boring spindle which has a bevel wheel upon it
that gears with one on a vertical shaft. This shaft has its lower bearing in the slide
and its upper bearing in the boss of a bevel wheel, through which it can slide when
the vertical slide is raised or lowered, the vertical shaft being connected with the
wheel by a key and key groove. The boss of this bevel wheel has its bearing at
the upper end of the pillar upon which a headstock is fitted, so that it can be turned
round the vertical shaft as a centre, and fixed in any required position for driving.
In this headstock there is driving gear similar to that in a lathe, and this gear is in
connection with a short shaft in the headstock, having a bevel wheel upon it in gear
with the one having its bearings in the pillar. This headstock may if desired be
driven from swivel driving gear by an endless belt or rope, so that the machine
may be placed in any required position in respect to the driving apparatus. The
vertical slide is raised and lowered by a horizontal shaft having bearings in the slide,
carrying a bevel wheel that gears with one which has its bearings also in the slide,
the boss of this latter wheel being screwed to fit a fixed vertical screw having its
upper end secured in the pillar. The spindle of the boring bar is tubular, and the
spindle carrying the boring or other tool is moved to and fro by a screw, and
when this screw is allowed to turn or is turned at the same speed as the spindle
is rotated, the boring spindle has no end motion, but when the rotary speed of the
screw is greater than the spindle the latter is fed forward, and when the screw has
less speed than the spindle the latter is drawn backward.
The screw can be turned either by hand or self-acting means; in the latter case an
internal cone sliding on a key on the screw shaft is forced against an external cone
loose on the screw shaft, and on the boss of this internal cone a disc is formed or
secured which passes between two discs rotating on a stud carried on a lever or
slide, and between two latter discs; there is another disc on the opposite side of the
axis which is upon a stud carried by the framing; the boss of the last-named disc has
a wheel upon it which is geared by an intermediate wheel with a pinion on the end
of the hollow spindle for boring. The faces of the two discs on the same stud which
are towards each other are very slightly coned, being widest apart at their peri-
pheries and less wide near their axis, so that their faces will only touch and bite
upon the part near the peripheries of the sides of the discs coming between them.
The two discs on the same axis are pressed towards each other and against the
edges of the discs coming between them by a spring on the stud forming their
axis.
It will be seen that one of the discs drives the double discs, which latter drives the
disc on the screw shaft, and the stud of the double discs being moveable by the arm
or slide on which it is carried, the largest diameter of the driving disc can be made
to act either upon the largest or smallest diameter of the double discs, and when the
driving disc is acting upon the smallest diameter of the double discs, they will be
acting upon the largest diameter of the driven disc, and vice versa, and hence there
is a great range of speed obtained by which the screw shaft can be driven faster,
slower, or at the same speed as the boring spindle. When the speed is adjusted
(which adjustment is facilitated by an index), the arm or slide carrying the double
disc is secured by a screw or other means.

page_text: Secondly. Our Invention relates to machines known as milling machines, which
act by means of a toothed cutter carried upon the vertical spindle of the machine,
and which may be used for drilling or boring, when required.
Our Invention consists in an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism. The machine is formed by a casting arranged to carry vertical and
horizontal slides and bearings for shafts and other mechanism. The casting upon
its pillar or vertical part has a vertical slideway for a slide carrying the lower
bearing of the vertical spindle, which can slide up and down through the boss of the
bevel wheel to which it is connected by a key and key groove, and which wheel has
bearings in an upper arm or bend of the pillar. The bevel wheel is in gear with a
bevel on the end of a horizontal shaft having bearings in the pillar, and this shaft
is in gear with "speed pulley" driving mechanism, similar to that of a lathe, which is
carried upon the pillar part of the casting. On a shaft of this last-named mechanism
there is a speed pulley which drives a corresponding pulley on a shaft having
bearings upon the lower part of the pillar, which pulley actuates the mechanism
that gives self-acting feed movements to the slides and table carrying the work to be
operated upon, which slides consist of a longitudinal slide carrying a cross slide, the
latter carrying a face plate or table for the work to be secured to, which table is
rotated by a worm and worm wheel.
The screws for the slides are arranged so that they can be actuated by hand, and the
worm shaft for the table is also arranged in like manner, and they are also arranged
so as to be actuated by being brought in and out of gear with the self-acting
mechanism above referred to. When self acting, the feed for the lathe for curved
work, there is a range of change and carrier wheels, which can be readily geared up
to obtain a greater or less speed, but for giving the self-acting motion for various
speeds we prefer to employ the arrangement of discs described under the first head
of our Invention, in which case we rotate the driving disc either by gearing or by
a driving belt, and place this disc gearing on the side of the pillar of the
machine.
The slide carrying the lower bearing of the milling spindle is raised and lowered
by a screw, which may be rotated by hand or by self-acting means, for drilling and
other purposes. The lower horizontal slide carrying the slide for the table is also
arranged so as when required to be detached from its screw and acted upon by a weight
or spring, so that the slide and table, and consequently the work secured upon it
will be forced against the cutter when acting to form irregular curves, the shape of
such curves in the work being obtained by a shaper or pattern secured to the work
above the cutter which has a plain boss above it and in line with its teeth to rest
and rotate against the shaper, against which it is pressed, while the cutter is acting
upon the work by the said spring or weight acting upon the slide, as before
explained.
Thirdly. Our Invention also consists in applying and combining the disc gearing
described under the first head of our Invention, or modifications of it for self-acting
the feeding motions of slotting machines, or in combining with such machines gearing
and change wheels for self-acting the circular motions of the table.
Fourthly. Our Invention consists in an improved mode of making disc gearing
by forming them of a series of discs, that is, the driving and driven disc instead of
being a single disc may be formed of any convenient number of discs, with a corre-
sponding increase of the number of the intermediate discs, which latter may be all
pressed together towards each other and against the edges of the driving and driven
discs by the same spring; or there may be a spring on the axis of each set of
discs. By this combination greater power may be transmitted by the increase of
bite or adhesion obtained. This improved combination of disc gearing is applicable
to the tool or machines above described and to other tools and machinery requiring
mechanism for varying speeds.
The first part of our Invention is illustrated by Fig. 1, a front and Fig. 2, a side
elevation, and by Fig. 3, a partial plan section, these views showing our improved
boring machine. a is the base plate, on which the pillar 6 can be adjusted by

page_text: T headed bolts, the pillar being moved by a short shaft 61 having its bearings in
the pillar, which shaft has a pinion that gears with a rack on the base plate; b is
the headstock, carrying the speed pulleys 63 and driving gear. This headstock can
be adjusted and secured in any position round the vertical shaft 6, which is driven
by a bevel wheel on a short shaft 6 in the headstock that gears with a bevel wheel
having its bearings in the pillar, and through this bevel the vertical shaft b* slides
on a key, the lower end of the shaft having its bearings in the slide c, which moves
vertically on the slideways on the pillar b, and the vertical shaft 6 has a bevel
wheel at its lower end that gears with one on the hollow spindle c¹, having its
bearings in the slide. This slide is adjusted up and down on the pillow (b) by a
short shaft c², having its bearings in the slide (c), which has a bevel wheel secured
to it that gears with one which has also its bearings on the slide (c), but this last-
named wheel is formed to screw upon a screw c³, having its upper end secured in a
projection from a pillar. The hollow spindle c' bas another hollow spindle in it
which is the boring spindle, and can slide in and out of, but is carried round with,
the exterior spindle c¹. The internal hollow spindle (c) has a screw thread for a
central screw c, which is fixed endways but can rotate, and thus force out or draw
in the boring spindle (c).
Upon the end of the hollow spindle c¹, or upon a part secured in it, there is a
spur wheel which gears with a wheel on a moveable stud that drives another
spur wheel on a stud c' fixed in a bracket secured to the slide c. On the boss for
the last-named wheel there is a disc d secured, which comes between two disces d'
on the adjustable stud, and these discs come one on each side of a disc d² secured
to one part of a cone clutch, which can rotate loosely on the screw shaft, or can be
brought in gear when the other part of the cone clutch d, which slides on a key on
the screw shaft c³, is forced in contact with it by a screw nut d' on the screw shaft.
There is a hand wheel d³ for turning the screw shaft by hand when required.
The edges of the discs d, d', and d³ drive by the friction of adhesion to one another.
The sides of the two middle discs d, which have the single discs between them, are
slightly coned from the centre to the circumference, so that their faces will only
come in contact with the side edges of the other discs d and d². The double discs (di)
are upon a bush or boss that rotates on the stud, and they are pressed towards each
other, and so as to pinch the two single disc d and d between them by a spring d*
on the said bush. This axis is carried by an arm do that can oscillate on a fulcrum
on a stud d in the bracket, and the arm de is adjusted and held by a screw shaft d³,
which screws through a swivel nut formed in the arm, and rotates in a swivel
bearing attached to an index segment dº secured to the bracket. By this arrange-
ment of discs any required speed may be given to the screw (c) in the boring
spindle (4), either the same speed or a faster or a slower speed than the boring
spindle, and thus it may be made to remain stationary, or may be fed forward or
backwards as required.
Fig. 4 (Sheet 2) is a side, and Fig. 5 a front elevation, showing one modification
of our improved milling machine, according to the second part of our Invention;
and Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing another modification; and Figs. 7 and 8 are
detached views illustrating other improvements according to the second head of
our Invention.
a is the casting, forming the frame of the machine, and it carries
the pulleys and driving gear which give motion to an horizontal shaft b, which by
a bevel wheel drives a bevel wheel on the vertical shaft c, in the lower end of which
the milling cutter or tool is placed. The lower bearing of the vertical shaft c is
carried by an arm a¹ that can slide vertically on the face of the pillar part of the
casting, and this arm (a¹) is slided up and down by a screw a³, which at its upper
end is held from moving endways by having a bearing on the pillar, and its lower
end screws through a nut in the arm a¹, the rise or fall of which slides the vertical
shaft 6 in its upper bearing. The screw a² is rotated when required by a worm on
a cross shaft a³, having bearings on the pillar, which worm gears with a worm
wheel on the screw shaft. The cross shaft a³ is driven by another shaft a*, having
bearings on the pillar, by bevel wheels, and this last-named cross shaft is driven,

page_text: when required, by a belt working on a pulley on the shaft, and one on the long
boss of one of the discs, similar to those herein-after referred to:
The bed part of the casting has horizontal slideways for a slide b to move to and
from the pillar part, and this slide has slideways for another slide c to move at a
right angle to the first-named slide, which second slide (c) has the table e upon it,
which can rotate. The lower slide is moved to and fro by a screw b' in the usual
manner, which is rotated by a hand wheel 68, and has a clutch box to bring it in
and out of gear with a spur wheel working loose on the screw shaft. This wheel
gears with one on the end of a side shaft 63 in bearings on the casting. There is a
similar screw c' and clutch and hand wheel c² and gearing for the second slide c,
and there is a shaft e¹ to give circular motion to the table e by a worm on the shaft
el gearing with the worm wheel e³ on the table, and there is a clutch box for bringing
this shaft e' in and out of gear. There is a spur wheel on the shaft e' which gears with
an intermediate wheel on a stud that gears with one loose on the screw shaft c¹ for
the upper slide c, and this spur gears with one on a short shaft g, having bearings in
a bracket from the slide b, which shaft, by a bevel upon it, drives one upon a sliding
key on the side shaft b³.
The spur wheel on the shaft e' is connected with a worm wheel e³, that is driven
by a worm e on a shaft e³, having its end bearing in a part from the lower slide b.
This shaft can slide through the boss of one of the discs d³, having its bearing on a
bracket from the casting, the shaft e and disc d³ being connected by a key and key-
way. The disc d² is driven by two discs d', which are driven by a single disc d,
having bearings in a bracket from the casting, this last-named disc being driven by
a belt and speed pulleys from a short shaft in the headstock, as shown. The
double discs d are moved and adjusted, as described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of milling machines similar to that above described
in reference to Figs. 4 and 5, except in the mode of obtaining the self-acting
variations of speed. Motion is conveyed from speed pulleys on a short shaft h in
gear with the headstock, by a belt to speed pulleys h¹ on a shaft h2, in bearings on
the casting, and from the shaft of these speed pulleys, by a series of change wheels
hs, to the shaft b³, which drives, when required, the two screws for the two slides b
and c, and by change wheels the shaft e¹ for giving the circular motion to the table
c, the change wheels for this latter purpose being carried on studs adjustable in an
arm e* that can swivel partly round the shaft e¹.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the arrangement of the lower slide when the machine is
cutting an article to an irregular given shape. In this case the article y to be cut,
and the shaper x or pattern to which it is to be cut are secured together, and upon
the upper table, so that the edge of the shaper or pattern can be pressed against the
smooth boss above the teeth of the cutter, but which smooth boss is of the same
diameter as the points of the teeth of the cutter.
The screw b¹ for the lower slide b is left loose in its bearings, and the lower slide
is then acted upon through a rod 6 by a weight 65 and lever be, or the slide is acted
upon by a weight, rope, or chain and pulley, to pull the slide b towards the milling
tool until the edge of the shaper x comes close against the boss; this is illustrated
by Fig. 7, but a spring 67 may be used for the purpose, as shown in Fig. 8, the
shaper and object y being placed on the opposite side of the milling tool, if the
spring (6) acts by compression; but if arranged to act by tension or by compression
in the opposite direction, then the shaper and article y may be placed on the front
side of the milling tool, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.
The upper slide c gives the feed motion to traverse the shaper and article to be
formed against the cutting tool.
Fig. 9 is a side clevation showing the combination of driving discs with a slotting
machine. The slides and table for the work are arranged and actuated, as herein-before
explained, and the gearing for giving the self-acting circular movement to the table
e is the same as that shown by Fig. 6. The shaft 63 is driven by disc gearing,
arranged as herein-before described, but in this case the disc d is driven by a paw!
and ratchet, the ratchet wheel being fast to the boss of the disc d, and the arm for

page_text: the pawl which oscillates upon the axis of the disc d is connected by a rod w with
one end of a lever w¹, acted upon by a cam upon the shaft w for giving motion to
the tool slide w³.
Fig. 10 illustrates the mode of arranging disc gearing when formed by a series of
them, according to the fourth part of our Invention.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the mode
of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our Invention,―
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of boring machine with adjustable
headstock, and with friction discs for giving variable feed motion to the boring
spindle, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of milling machine, and the
mechanism for giving variable speeds to the slides and table by disc gearing or
change wheels, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the
Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangements for producing irregular shapes from a shaper (x) in a
milling machine, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the
Drawings.
Fourthly. The combination of slotting machine mechanism with arrangement of
change wheels and disc gearing for giving variable speeds to the feed motions, sub-
stantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
Fifthly. The construction of disc gearing by forming them of a series of two or
more driving or driven disc with corresponding intermediate discs, substantially as
herein-before described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Ford Smith and Arthur Coventry,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.