Improvements in or relating to Machinery Applicable for Planing Short Boards and other Pieces of Timber.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Machinery Applicable for
Planing Short Boards and other Pieces of Timber.
I, FREDERICK MYERS, of Chapel Street, Bootle in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to plane quickly and expeditiously short pieces of
boards after being cut to proper size used for box making and the like. It is
however, applicable for planing other articles of a like nature. The size of the
machine may also be increased to plane much larger boards, its main use will
however, probably be that for which it was originally designed.
The machine consists of 1st a table having V-shaped gibs to allow of vertical
adjustment for the different thicknesses of material to be planed within reasonable
limits, so between it and the pressure or feed roller as hereafter described.
2nd. A feed or compressing roller fixed to a rotating horizontal shaft a little
above the working face of the table; this roller is preferably perfectly cylindrical
with a straight and smooth face.
3rd. A box having one or more knives fixed therein with proper set screws for
adjusting the same, so that the cutting edge will project through a slot or opening
sufficient to cut the thickness of shaving necessary to properly plane the material
worked upon, the box fits in an opening in the table beneath the axis of the feed
roller and can easily be withdrawn for sharpening and re-adjustment.
4th. A gate placed parallel with the roller that can be adjusted vertically so as to
easily admit a single thickness of board through between its lower edge and the
table, but not admit two at once.
5th. A space on the table separated by side edges, if desirable, by the gate and
a back guard, to be afterwards described from the rest of the table. The space is
for the pile of blanks or rough boards to be planed.
6th. The presser or weight having anti friction rollers below it which rests on the
pile of blanks and is free to rise and fall vertically, but otherwise guided by
suitable vertical guides to prevent horizontal and side movement.
7th. The back guard or fence, adjustable so as to take in any required length of
board between it and the gate before described, and having a horizontal space or
slit betwixt it and the table, just large enough to freely pass the pusher hereafter
described, but not admit the thickness of a board.
8th. A pusher consisting of a preferably metal plate with a rectangular edge a
little thinner than the thinnest boards to be planed, and provided with a lug or
attachment to which the actuating mechanism is attached.
9th. A pusher actuating mechanism in which a link connects the pusher by
means of the last mentioned attachment with a radial arm oscillating in a vertical
plane parallel with the centre line of the table and having its point of attachment
in some stationary part of the bed plate or framework. A second link connects
this radial arm with a crank on the driving shaft; this crank the pullies and

page_text: belting or other gearing connecting the driving shaft with the feed pulley and the
points of attachment of the links with the radial arm are all so proportioned that
the pusher and the surface of the feed roll shall travel at about the same average
speed.
10th. A clutch mechanism to throw the machine in and out of action by a treadle.
The arrangement of clutch I prefer is as follows. The driving pulley (or spur
wheel) rides loose upon its shaft and has studs projecting inward from its hub.
With these studs engages a gib or clutch which slides in a groove in the main shaft
and is secured in position by a hub, collar or ring firmly fixed upon the same and
having a groove corresponding to that in the said shaft. The said gib or clutch is
forced between the studs on the hub of the driving pulley by a spring, which acts
on a projection on the gib and enters a socket in the hub. Motion is cominuni-
cated through the driving pulley to the shaft only when the gib is engaged with
the studs and when it is disengaged the shaft remains stationary. The gib is
disengaged by the beveled end of a lever being forced by a weight or spring
between a projection on the end of the gib and the collar, ring or hub. As the
main shaft revolves and when the lever is in normal position the beveled end of the
same holds the gib back and disengages it from the studs of the driving pulley, so
that the latter revolves loosely upon the shaft. When however, the beveled end of
this lever is raised from the projection on the end of the gib and the hub and thus
disengaged from the clutch or gib, the latter is forced between the studs on the
driving pulley by the spring, and motion is again communicated to the shaft. The
beveled end of the lever is raised by a treadle combined with one arm of said lever
by a connecting rod. This treadle consists of a rod so bent as to pass around the
frame and form a foot piece. This treadle rod is held by set screws in sockets or
arms extending from a rod having bearings in the foot of the frame or other con-
venient stationary part. By depressing the treadle, the connecting rod and arm of
the lever to which it is attached are drawn down, and the beveled end of the lever
is disengaged from the gib or clutch when by the force of the spring, the gib or
clutch is engaged with the studs. When the said treadle is released the force of the
spring attached to the sides of the frame and to the said treadle assists the weight
to raise the foot piece to its original position, and to engage the beveled end of the
lever with the gib or clutch, and withdraw the latter from engagement with the
pins or studs upon the driving pulley.
11th. The table instead of resting clamped to the frame, rests on an adjustable
support in the frame; this support is preferably screwed through a nut in the
frame or otherwise, finely adjusted and has a rubber cushion between it and the
table. The kind of cushion, I prefer is as follows: I form a hollow in the under-
side of the table and in this place a block of india rubber, a cap bears against this
and the head of the adjustable support against the cap.
12th. As the link motion if rigidly connected with the pusher would cause an
accident in case the wood jammed, or other like stoppage of feed occurred I form
the pusher propelling link with a hollow top and the end of the radial lever with
jaws grasping the trunnions of a box placed round the said link, a key is placed in
an aperture formed by the top of the box, and the hollow of the link and a set
screw presses against the key instead of against the link. If then a jam occurs,
the key and box slide on the link. Other forms of frictional catch will do, but this
is the most convenient known to me.
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
328, High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: pass.
the shaft in the centre, where it is pinned fast by means of set screw g³ entering a
small hole g. The shaft G where the pulley g is fixed to it is rounded as shown
at g and on each side of this in the hub of pulley are two recesses, filled with
india rubber rings go kept from slipping out by shoulders 97. These are (in
working) compressed more on one side than the other, if the board is of uneven
thickness, and compensate for any irregularity in the timber, causing the pulley to
bear evenly on the entire width of the board, insuring the same to be planed
entirely across. H is an upright bracket fastened to the frame C, and having a
projecting piece or bridge h on the top. His a similar bracket, attached to the
table immediately opposite. In vertical grooves in these two uprights, and parallel
with the face of roller g slides a gate h³ suspended from h by the screw h* resting
on bridge h, which screw regulates the height of the gate from the table. I I is a
pile of rough boards placed on the table (between side guards, if desirable) ready
to be passed beneath the gate successively, the opening between the gate and the
table being so regulated to allow only a single board at a time to
J J are
two pillars or guides attached to the table on which is guided to rise and fall
vertically a weight J. This weight has anti friction rollers J¹ resting on the
boards to be cut, and keeps them down, and also from springing when very thin,
but is not absolutely necessary if the pile be always kept several boards deep.
K is a swinging arm clamped to a slot in the side of the table by fly bolt k, and
can be swung or moved so as to stand at any distance from gate within reason-
able limits, so as to enclose a space between it and said gate for the pile of boards,
keeping them in true pile, and prevents the under board being pulled back by the
pusher when on its backward stroke. It swings at a sufficient distance above the
table to clear the pusher L, hereafter described. L is a sliding pusher plate with a
This is linked
rectangular edge a little thinner than the thinnest board to be cut.
to the bar M below, by means of a lug or bracket 7 attached to the pusher, and
passing through a longitudinal slot in table A. M is a connecting rod, Na rocking
arm pivoted at N¹ in frame C, the upper end of said arm is forked having pivoted
therein a hub n, through this hub, the rod M passes, the two are secured together
by means of a key N³, resting on the concave surface of the connecting rod, and
pressed against same by set screw N³. The object of this arrangement is to
prevent accidents, as while the key will give enough friction to actuate the pusher
under normal circumstances, yet if a jam occur, the strain causes the key N* to
slidė on the rod in defiance of the stud, and relieve the strain.
O is a connecting rod, pivoted to the rocking arm N by means of pin O¹, and at
other end to crank-pin P of crank P' on main shaft P2, the said crank has a slot
to allow for adjustment, so that the stroke of the pusher can be increased or
lessened. The driving pulley P³ rides loose upon its shaft, and has studs R* R*
projecting outward from its hub. With these studs engages a gib or clutch R,
which slides in a groove in the main shaft P³, and is secured in position by
a hub, collar, or ring R' firmly fixed upon the same, and having a groove
corresponding to that in the shaft P2. The gib or clutch R is forced between
the studs R on the hub of the driving pulley P³ by a spring R', which acts
on a projection on the gib, and enters a socket in the hub. Motion is commu-
nicated through the driving pulley P³ to the shaft P2 only when the gib R is
engaged with the studs R2 and when it is disengaged the shaft remains
stationary. The gib R is disengaged by the beveled end Q of a lever Q being
forced by a weight (or by a spring) between a projection on the end of the gib R,
and the collar, ring or hub R³. As the main shaft P' revolves, and when the
lever Qis in normal position, the beveled end Qe of the same holds the gib R
back, and disengages it from the studs R' of the driving pulley P, so that the
latter revolves loosely upon the shaft. When however the beveled end Q of
this lever Q is raised from the projection R¹ on the end of the gib R and
the hub R³, and thus disengaged from the clutch or gib R, the latter is forced
between the studs R on the driving pulley by the spring R, and motion is again
communicated to the shaft P. Qis a treadle on shaft Q1 resting in bearings in

page_text: frame C, Q' is an arm on same, Q" connecting rod to clutch arm Q*, rocking on
centre Q, by pressing on treadle Q therefore, the arm Q is raised. By depressing
the treadle Q the connecting rod and arm of the lever to which it is attached are
raised, and the beveled end Q of the lever Q is disengaged from the gib or
clutch R, when by the force of the spring R', the gib or clutch is engaged with
the studs R³. When the treadle Q is released the force of the weight raises the
foot piece to its original position, and engages the beveled end Q of the lever with
the gib or clutch R, and withdraws the latter from engagement with the pins or
studs R2 upon the driving pulley.
The mode of action is as follows; the pile of boards I, being placed on the table
under carriage J, and K being set in its proper place and clamped, the gate h²
being adjusted to allow only one board at a time to pass, and the table being
adjusted in height by wheel d', so as to regulate the distance between knife e and
the roller g for the thickness of material to be planed, the operator presses down
the treadle Q, the clutch motion Q, R comes into play, and the machine is set in
action. The roller g revolves, and pusher L at the same speed pushes the bottom
board through under the gate and between the roller and knife e. This done, the
pusher returns, and pushes the next board (which has now dropped down into
the place lately occupied by the previous board just planed) and so on, till all the
boards have passed beneath the roller. The operator now liberates the treadle,
the machine stops, and puts on the table a fresh pile of boards. Or instead of
this, he can, when the pile of boards is placed in position fasten down the treadle,
and keep the pile continuously at a good height, say 18 inches, and dispense with
the weight J³.
In Figure 6 a slight modification is shown in this, the box d is shown lower
down than in Figure 1, as I find from experience this is an improvement, the
frame C is also extended at S, and has a bearing for a stout stud at this point.
This is to support the table, so as to have the table hinged to the frame at this
point. The slides on which the table slides at the other end, are either simple
vertical side guards, as shown, or may be V slides, curved at an are of a circle
having its centre at the pin a. This is to avoid the objection more theoretic than
real that the table is over hung too much in the first described arrangement.
I am well aware that rubber rollers have been tried as feed rollers for planing
machines, but they are very expensive and speedily wear out. That solid metal
rollers against a solid table, both being unyielding have been tried and failed from
two causes, first, the rollers had not grip enough, and second, they were unyielding,
and so did not allow for variation in the thickness of the timber; now by my
invention the table resting on a rubber cap D and the metal roller having rubber
rings g or even (though I do not consider it as well as the plan shown) an entire
india rubber core, any irregularities are compensated, even better than in rubber
rollers, without the heavy wear and cost of the latter, and any deficiency of grip
is vastly more than made up by the use of the pusher, travelling at the same speed.
In conclusion, I wish it to be understood that it is not absolutely necessary
that the roller g should be driven by power, it can run loose and be rotated
by the boards as they are pushed beneath it by the pusher, in such case, though
still running at the same speed as the pusher, the rollers sole duty is holding the
board down against the knife. It may be fluted or covered with india rubber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The process of planing boards, which consists in piling them on a table
between guides, and pushing each bottom board in succession through a slit, and
between a roller and a stationary knife, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of a roller g above the knife e to hold down the material
(to be planed) to the knife, and a pusher L, both roller and pusher travelling at
the same speed or nearly so.

page_text: 3rd. The combination of a cylindrical metal roller
with the table A, and
adjustable knife e arranged immediately beneath the roller, both table and roller
being arranged with india rubber cushions (98 and D) whereby slight irregularities
in the timber are overcome.
4th. The combination of a gate and a guard holding between them a pile of
boards and the pusher having rectangular face a little thinner than the thinnest
board to be pushed, pushing the bottom board of a pile below a gate, said pusher
being connected with the driving gear by means of a frictional device, which will
give way without breaking, if a board jams against the gate.
5th. The manufacture and use of planing machines constructed and arranged as
a whole, substantially as described and illustrated.