IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ROUND FILES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ROUND
FILES." A communication.
Sealed the 24th February 1857, and dated the 6th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1856.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ROUND
FILES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of round files, with teeth formed
in rows running spirally around the file blank; this is effected by turning the
file upon its axis, and at the same time feeding it forward as it is cut.
The file blank is carried by a screw shaft, which by its rotation feeds up the
blank to the cutters. The upper end of the blank is steadied by a bent
sliding rod. Immediately beneath the point where the cut is made, suitable
supports are provided to sustain the blow of the cutters. By this means the
thread of the finished portion of the file is protected from the injury which
would result from allowing it to bear directly against the support.

page_text: The cutters are circular discs or segments, capable of receiving an axial
adjustment on the helves which carry them, to bring a sharp cutting edge into
action when the portion presented to the blank has become dull. The cutters
are thrown forwards by springs, which come into action when the pressure of
a pair of rotating cam wheels is momentarily taken off an arm projecting from
the helves. A fixed spring is provided to receive the helves, and thus to
regulate the force of the blow expended by the cutters on the file blank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ROUND FILES," being a communication from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: Round files, as heretofore cut, have their teeth formed in rows parallel with
the axis of the file, and in order to finish up a round hole, it becomes necessary
to turn the file constantly as it is operated.
Now, the object of the Invention (communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent) is to produce round files, with teeth formed in rows running.
spirally around them. This is effected by turning the file upon its axis, and at
the same time feeding it forward as it is cut.
The Invention also consists in supporting the file upon a bed immediately
beneath the point where the cut is made, whereby the thread of the finished
portion of the file is protected from the injury which would result from
allowing it to bear directly against the bed. The Invention further consists in
certain details, which will be more fully set forth hereafter.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine;
Fig. 2, a plan of the bed or rest which. sustains the blank while it is cut. A is
the foundation or base, from which rises the vertical post B, near the top of
which is secured the table C, that sustains the operating parts of the machine.
The driving shaft D is actuated by power applied to the crank E or to the
pulleys F; to this shaft are secured the wiper wheels G, which actuate the
cutting chisels. The file blank H to be cut is sustained at its lower end. in
the vertical shaft I, that is caused to revolve by the bevil wheel K, through:
which it slides with a spline, the screw L working in the nut M; by which
means the shaft, together with the blank which it carries, is gradually raised
as it is revolved. The nut M is made in two parts, which are secured together
by the latch and pin P, and may be separated whenever it is necessary to drop
the shaft preparatory to beginning with a new file blank. The upper end
of the blank is steadied by the bent rod O, that slides freely up and down in
the post B. During the operation of cutting, the blank is sustained in an
angular or semicircular bearing a, Fig. 2, in the bed R, which is secured to
the top of the post Q, rising from the table C; the blank while being cut is
held against the bed by the spring S. The cutters T are carried by helves U,
secured to the vibrating axles V; these axles are sustained in the standards W,
rising from the table C, and have each a projecting arm X, that rests upon the.
periphery of the wheel G, and down upon which it is pressed by the. spring Z.
As the wheels G revolve, their wipers b raise the arms X, and as the latter
escape from off the wipers, the cutters are thrown against the file blanks by
the spring Z, and a cut is made. A² are springs, secured to the post Q,
which receive the cutter helves as they are projected, and throw them off from
the file as soon as the cut is completed. It is evident that a lighter blow will
be required upon the small portion of the file than upon the larger, as a

page_text: smaller cut is to be made, and this is effected by means of the spring A². The
cutter having a longer distance to travel to reach the small portion of the file,
will be more resisted by the spring, and a lighter blow will be transmitted to
the blank. Were the file permitted to rest against a solid bed directly oppo-
site to the point where the cut is made, it would be defaced as fast as cut; to
remedy this, the cut is made at a point directly beyond that at which the
blank is supported, and thus the uncut portion of the blank only is allowed to
rest upon the bed. The cutting edges of the cutters T are circular, or they
may be formed of only portions of circles. When dulled at one point they
may be instantly shifted by loosening the nuts d, and revolving them a short
distance. If made entirely circular, or even when they are formed of only
portions of a circle, as in the machine represented in the accompanying
Drawing, they may be shifted round as they are dulled, and may easily be
ground by hand or sharpened in a lathe.
Having now explained the nature of the Invention of "Improved Machinery
for Cutting Round Files," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I wish it to be understood that what I claim, and desire to secure under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, is,---
First, operating upon the blank immediately beyond its point of support, in
the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described.
Secondly, feeding the blank forward and rotating it upon its axis as the
cutting proceeds, for the purpose set forth.
Thirdly, the method herein described, of operating the cutters by means of
the wipers 6 and the springs A² and Z, whereby the force of the blow is
diminished as the size of the blank decreases.
And, fourthly, forming the cutters of circular discs or of portions thereof, in
the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)