IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SHAPING OR FORMING THE TEETH OF WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVE-BLE TO
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Houldsworth Grierson of Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Engineer and Thomas O'Maher of Manchester aforesaid
Foreman for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING SHAPING OR FORMING THE TEETH OF WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Houldsworth
Grierson and Thomas O'Maher at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 27th April 1883.
HENRY HOULDSWORTH GRIERSON of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineer, and THOMAS O'MAHER of Manchester aforesaid, Foreman "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SHAPING, OR FORMING THE
TEETH OF WHEELS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES.
"
'
Our invention relates to machinery or apparatus commonly known as wheel
cutting machines, and consists in arrangements whereby we are enabled to cut
shape or form the teeth of bevil or other similar wheels with greater facility and
accuracy than heretofore.
.
For this purpose we employ two or more revolving cutters mounted upon
spindles capable of being revolved within brackets. Carried by the brackets
aforesaid so as to be capable of being rotated therein, are tubes or bushes upon
one end of each of which tubes or bushes are mounted toothed wheels, the
remaining ends of the said tubes or bushes are provided with collars by means of
which the tubes or bushes aforesaid are prevented from sliding longitudinally.
Passing longitudinally through the aforesaid tubes or bushes is a shaft provided
with slots and keys by means of which rotary motion is transmitted from one of
the before named tubes or bushes to the other.
One or both of the above named tubes or bushes we provide with a pulley or
pulleys by which rotary motion may be imparted to the tubes or bushes aforesaid,
D

page_text: such tubes or bushes by means of the wheels mounted thereon and gearing into
toothed wheels mounted upon the cutter spindle, impart rotary motion to the cutter
aforesaid.
Around the shaft aforesaid we form a groove which is embraced by a fork
secured to a plate or bracket to be hereafter referred to, the said fork preventing
the said shaft from moving longitudinally. The brackets above referred to are
mounted upon slides capable of being slidden within frames or guides in which
they are retained by means of V or guides, the said V or guides being adjusted
by means of screws or bolts. The frames or guides previously named are carried
upon a plate or bracket, such plate or bracket being secured to the main frame-
work of the wheel cutting machine by means of journals so that it can be placed
in any desired angular position relative to the blank or wheel which is to be
operated upon by the above named cutters. The blank or wheel is mounted upon
a mandrel provided with any ordinary dividing arrangement used in setting out
the teeth of wheels.
The above named slides I provide with toothed racks secured thereto and
taking into the teeth of wheels mounted upon a shaft carried upon the frame
before referred to, by means of the aforesaid shaft wheels and racks the aforesaid
slides may be slidden longitudinally in their guides, the said shaft is provided with
a handle or hand wheel by means of which it may be rotated. The racks above
mentioned are secured to the slides aforesaid by means of studs upon which they
are capable of being oscillated so that when the slides are placed at an angle to
the above named shaft, for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to, the said wheels
will remain in gear with the racks, the said wheels being provided with flanges
which keep the said rack at right angles to the previously mentioned shaft. The
slides above referred to we provide with nuts acted upon by right and left handed
screws, formed upon a short shaft, by means of which screws and nuts the afore-
said slides may be adjusted in position so as to be parallel or at an angle to each
other. In order that the said slides may be placed at an angle to each other as
aforesaid the brackets attached thereto, which carry the revolving cutters and the
shaft by which they are driven, the said brackets are provided with studs or pivots
and curved slots through which pass bolts by means of which the said brackets
are secured to the slides after such slides have been adjusted into the position
desired. The short shaft provided with right and left handed screws has an
annular groove formed therein, which groove is embraced by a fork carried by the
plate or bracket before referred to by which the said short shaft is prevented from
moving longitudinally. By means of the above described arrangements the cutters
above referred to may be placed in such angular position relative to the wheel or
blank upon which they are to operate, that when they are traversed in the longi-
tudinal direction of the tooth by means of the racks and slides above referred to,
we are enabled to form such tooth with greater facility and accuracy than
heretofore.
The above described apparatus may be used either for cutting the teeth of
patterns to be subsequently cast in metal, for shaping the wooden teeth of mortise
wheels or cutting or trimming the teeth of metal wheels, the cutters employed
being of the form and construction best adapted to the material to be operated
upon.
We have above referred to cutting or forming the teeth of wheels only, but it
will be readily understood that such apparatus may be also employed for other
similar purposes.
a

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Houldsworth Grierson and Thomas O'Maher in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th October 1883.
HENRY HOULDSWORTH GRIERSON of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineer and THOMAS O'MAHER of Manchester aforesaid Foreman. IMPROVE
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SHAPING OR FORMING THE
TEETH OF WHEELS SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES
Our Invention relates to machinery or apparatus commonly known as Wheel
cutting machines and consists in arrangements whereby we are enabled to cut
shape or form the teeth of bevel or other similar wheels with greater facility and
accuracy than heretofore-For this purpose we employ two or more revolving
cutters mounted upon spindles capable of being revolved within brackets-Carried
by the brackets aforesaid so as to be capable of being rotated therein are tubes or
bushes upon one end of each of which tubes or bushes are mounted toothed wheels,
the remaining ends of the said tubes or bushes are provided with collars by means
of which the tubes or bushes aforesaid are prevented from sliding longitudinally.
Passing longitudinally through the aforesaid tubes or bushes is a shaft provided
with slots and keys by means of which rotary motion is transmitted from one of
the before named tubes or bushes to the other
One or both of the above named tubes or bushes we provide with a pulley or
pulleys by which rotary motion may be imparted to the tubes or bushes aforesaid
such tubes or bushes by means of the wheels mounted thereon and gearing into
toothed wheels mounted upon the cutter spindle impart rotary motion to the cutter
aforesaid-The brackets above referred to are mounted upon slides capable of
being slidden within frames or guides in which they are retained by means of Vs
or guides, the said Vs or guides being adjusted by means of screws or bolts-The
frames or guides previously named are carried upon a plate or bracket such plate
or bracket being secured to the main framework of the wheel cutting machine by
means of journals so that it can be placed in any desired angular position relative
to the blank or wheel which is to be operated upon by the above named cutters―
The blank or wheel is mounted upon a mandrel provided with any ordinary
dividing arrangement used in setting out the teeth of wheels The above named
slides we provide with toothed racks secured thereto and taking into the teeth of
wheels mounted upon a shaft carried upon the frame before referred to; by means
of the aforesaid shaft wheels and racks the aforesaid slides may be slidden longi-
tudinally in their guides, the said shaft is provided with a handle or hand wheel
by means of which it may be rotated-The racks above mentioned are secured to
the slides aforesaid by means of studs upon which they are capable of being
oscillated so that when the slides are placed at an angle to the above named shaft
for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to the said wheels will remain in gear with
the racks the said wheels being provided with flanges which keep the said rack at
right angles to the previously mentioned shaft-The slides above referred to we
provide with nuts acted upon by right and left handed screws formed upon a
short shaft by means of which screws and nuts the aforesaid slides may be adjusted
in position so as to be parallel or at an angle to each other In order that the
said slides may be placed at an angle to each other as aforesaid the brackets
attached thereto which carry the revolving cutters and also the shaft by which
such revolving cutters are driven, are provided with studs or pivots and curved
slots through which pass bolts by means of which the said brackets are secured to
the slides after such slides have been adjusted into the position desired-The short

page_text: shaft provided with right and left handed screws has an annular groove formed
therein which groove is embraced by a fork carried by the plate or bracket before
referred to by which the said short shaft is prevented from moving longitudinally-
By means of the above described arrangements the cutters above referred to may
be placed in such angular position relative to the wheel or blank upon which they
.are to operate that when they are traversed in the longitudinal direction of the
tooth by means of the racks and slides above referred to we are enabled to form
such tooth with greater facility and accuracy than heretofore
The above described apparatus may be used either for cutting the teeth of
'patterns to be subsequently cast in metal, for shaping the wooden teeth of mortice
wheels or cutting or trimming the teeth of metal wheels, the cutters employed
being of the form and construction best adapted to the material to be acted
upon
We have above referred to cutting or forming the teeth of wheels only but it
will be readily understood that such apparatus may be also employed for other
similar purposes
In order that our Invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect we will now proceed to more particularly describe the same reference
being made to the drawing hereunto annexed Fig: 1 is a front elevation Fig: 2
a side view and Fig: 3 a plan partly in section of our improvements and so much
of a wheel cutting machine as is requisite to illustrate our invention the same
letters of reference being applied to corresponding parts through the whole series
of figures-At a is the bed or frame of a wheel cutting machine supporting by
means of brackets 6 (one only of which is shewn) a spindle c upon which the
wheel or pattern to be operated upon is secured in any convenient manner the
spindle c being rotated by means of the arrangements of change wheels or gearing
ordinarily employed in wheel cutting machines-The upper part of the bed or
frame a is formed so that a bed plate or carriage d may be slidden thereon so as to
be capable of being placed nearer to or farther from the spindle c for a purpose to
be hereinafter referred to. To the bed plate or carriage d by means of bolts are
secured standards e. f carried by the upper ends of which is a frame g the ends
g' g of which are pivoted upon the standards e. f so as to allow the frame g to
turn upon the centre A the frame g being secured in any desired position by
means of nuts h, j. Mounted upon the frame g is a base plate k secured to the
frame g by means of bolts l. m and nuts the bolts l. m passing through curved slots
formed through the base plate k aforesaid. The said curved slots permit the base
plate to be turned around the centre B-The base plate k is provided with a
stud or projection n passing into a hole formed in the frame g for the purpose of
retaining the base plate k in a central position while being turned-The parts
hitherto referred to being similar to those of an ordinary wheel cutting machine
will be readily understood by persons conversant with such machines
Mounted upon the base plate k are two guides or frames o. p and as the
parts carried by each of the said guides or frames are similar in construction we
shall only describe those upon one of them and to corresponding parts upon the
other we shall affix similar letters of reference with the addition of an asterisk (*)
At o is the frame or guide secured to the base plate k at its upper end by means
of a bolt q secured at one end to the frame or guide o and furnished at its other
end with a nut r-The bolt a serves as a stud upon which the guide or frame o
may be turned for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The lower part of the
frame or guide o is provided with a projection S through which is formed a curved
Blott passing through which is a bolt u secured at one end to the base plate k
and provided at its other end with a nut such nut securing the frame or guide o
to the base plate k
Atv is a slide capable of being slidden within V guides w. secured to the
frame or guide -Upon the slide v is mounted a bracket y secured to such slide v
by means of bolts z. 1 and nuts 2. 3 the bolt 1 passes through a curved slot 4
formed through the bracket y so as to permit such bracket y to be turned sideways
..
:

page_text: upon the bolt which when the bracket y is turned forms a stud upon which such
bracket y turns-Upon the bracket y is formed a bearing 5 within which is a tube
or collar 6 capable of being rotated within such bearing 5-The tube or collar 6 is
provided at one end with a toothed wheel 7 and at the other end of the said tube
or collar 6 is a collar 8-The collar 8 and the enlarged part 9 of the tube or
collar 6 serve to prevent the said tube or collar 6 from being moved longi-
tudinally Formed with or secured to the toothed wheel 7 is a grooved
pulley 10 The bracket y is also provided with a tube 11 within which and
capable of being rotated therein is a spindle 12 carrying at one end a toothed
wheel 13 the teeth of which take into the teeth of the wheel 7-The remaining
end of the spindle 12 is formed with an enlarged part or boss 14 diametrically
through which is formed a slot or mortice within which a cutter 15 of any desired
form may be placed and secured therein by means of set screws 16. 17-Within
the tube 6 previously referred to is a shaft 18 such shaft 18 also passing through
the interior of the tube 6* carried by the bracket y* mounted upon the slide p-
The bosses 9. 9 formed upon the tubes 6 6* are provided with keys 19. 19* such
keys passing through slots or mortices formed diametrically through the shaft 18
The keys 19. 19* transmit rotatory motion from the bosses 9. 9* to the shaft 18 as
will hereinafter be described-Within the slides are formed recesses 20 20*
within which are placed racks 21. 21* which are secured at their upper ends to the
slides v. vby means of bolts 22. 22-The racks 21. '21* are capable of being
turned sideways upon the bolts or studs 22. 22 for a purpose to be hereinafter
described-Upon the lower ends of the frames or guides o p are formed pro-
jections 23. 23 (seen more clearly in Fig 4 which is a back view of Fig 1 within
which are formed curved slots 24. 24* in which are placed nuts 25 25* passing
through which is a spindle 26 the ends of which are provided with right and left
hand screw-threads] taking into corresponding screw threads formed within the
nuts 25. 25*. Upon the spindle 26 are two collars 27. 27* between which is a
recess 28 into which pass the ends 29¹ of a forked. piece 29 secured to and
projecting from the base plate k The collars 27. 27* are formed square so that
upon applying a suitable key thereto the spindle 26 may be rotated such rotation
serving to separate or draw nearer together the frames or slides o. p as the
spindle 26 is rotated in one direction or the other-In the base plate k are formed
bearings passing through which and capable of being rotated therein is a shaft 30,
inounted fast upon the shaft 30 are two toothed wheels 31. 32 the teeth of which
take into the teeth of the racks 21. 21* respectively Fast upon the end 30¹ of the
shaft 30 is mounted a hand wheel 33 by means of which the shaft 30 and
wheels 31. 32 may be rotated-The teeth of the wheels 31. 32 are formed with
shrounds 31 31 321 322 such shrouds preventing the teeth of the racks 21. 21*
from passing out of gear with the wheels 31-32-The rack 21 and toothed
wheel 31 are shewn more clearly in the detached view Fig: 5 which is a vertical
section upon the line C. D of Fig 1
The machine or apparatus is shown in the drawings as arranged for
cutting the teeth in the pattern for a spur wheel-The action of the parts is as
follows:-
Two endless bands or cords receiving motion from any convenient source of
power pass each around one of the pulleys 10. 10* respectively and impart rotary
motion to the shafts 11. 11* carrying the cutters 15. 15* by means of the wheels
7. 13 7*. 13*—The shaft 18 is rotated by means of the keys 19. 19* and serves to
maintain the two shafts 11. 11* in the same angular relation to each other as they
rotate and thereby prevents the cutters 15 15* from arriving in contact with each
other-The cutters 15. 15* are shown more clearly in in the detached view Fig: 6-
The edge 15 of the cutter 15 shapes one side of one tooth of the pattern or wheel
which is being operated upon and the edge 15* of the cutter 15 shapes one side
of the tooth next to that operated upon by the cutter 15 the side of the tooth E
having been formed by the cutter 15 and the side of the tooth F by the cutter 15*
As the cutters 15. 15* revolve they are traversed upward and downward by turning

page_text: the hand wheel 33 in one direction or the other such turning of the hand wheel 33
acting through the shaft 30 wheels 31. 32 racks 21. 21° and slides v. v* will cause
the cutters 15. 15* to be traversed at right angles to the plane of the pattern G in
which the teeth are required to be formed which pattern G is carried by the
spindle After the cutters 15 15* have been traversed through the pattern G so
as to have formed one side of each of two teeth the shaft c is rotated by means of
the usual change wheels before referred to so as to give the pattern G the
requisite amount of rotation according to the number of teeth required in such
pattern G and the cutters 15, 15* are again passed through the circumference of
the pattern so as to form the sides of another pair of teeth and so on until the
pattern is completed
:
*
When it is desired to form the teeth upon a pattern for a bevel wheel the
nuts hj upon the standards e. f. are slackened and the frame g is rotated around
the centre A until the slides v. v* upon turning the hand wheel 33 will be slidden
in a direction parallel with the pitch line of the tooth of the bevel wheel pattern
which it is desired to form after which the nuts hj are again tightened―The bed
plate d is then moved horizontally upon the framework a until the cutters 15. 15*
are moved so far from the spindle c that a wheel pattern of the desired diameter
will be produced-The nuts u u* by which the guides o p are secured to the base
plate are then slackened as are also the nuts 3. 3* which secure the brackets y y*
to the slides v v✶ respectively-The spindle 26 is then turned by means of a key
applied to either of the bosses 27. 27* so that the guides o. p are turned upon their
respective studs q. q* until the slides v. v* are placed in such position that when
they are slidden longitudinally one of the said slides v. v* and the cutters 15, 15*
carried thereby will move in a path parallel with the centre line of one of the teeth
intended to be formed upon the pattern which we will still refer to as G for
convenience of description although such pattern will of course have been prepared
so as to be of suitable form for being made into a bevel wheel pattern and the
other slide and the cutter carried thereby will move in a path parallel with the
centre line of the next tooth to be formed upon the pattern G as shown in the
diagram Figs 6. 7. Fig: 6 being a side view and Fig: 7 a plan of the pattern G
the teeth to be formed therein being indicated by the dotted lines H-The slide v
will be adjusted to move in a direction parallel with the line J. K and the slide v*
to move in a direction parallel with the line J. L. The separation of the lower
ends of the slides vv caused by turning the spindle 26 will have caused the
guide o to turn upon the bolt q and the guide p to turn upon the bolt q* such
movements of the guides o. p. and their respective slides v. v will have caused the
brackety to turn upon the stud z and the bracket y* to turn upon the stud z'
the curved slots 4. 4* allowing such movement of the brackets y. y to take place-
The tubes 6. 6* will by the separation of the guides o. p. have been traversed
longitudinally upon the shaft 18 the slots formed within the said shaft 18 allowing
the keys 19. 19* to be moved longitudinally When the guides o. p. and brackets
y. y have been moved to the desired position the nuts 3. 3* are tightened so as to
secure the said brackets y. y* and guides o. p in position-Rotatory motion is then
imparted to the pulleys 10. 10° and the hand wheel 33 is then rotated so as to
carry the revolving cutters 15. 15 through the blank intended to form the
pattern-As the cutters 15. 15* pass through the blank aforesaid in a downward
direction they become separated such separation being caused by the slides v. v*.
sliding in directions which are inclined to each other the said separation of the
cutters 15. 15* as they descend will cause them to form the sides of the teeth of
the pattern to the angle required-One of the cutters 15. 15* is shown detached
in Fig 8 the part of the cutter between the points M and N forming one portion
of the tooth the other portion of the tooth being formed by the curved part of the
cutter included between the points N and O-The slides v. v* are moved in a
longitudinal direction by means of the hand wheel 33 toothed wheels 31. 32 and
racks 21. 21 and the tubes 6. 6* are slidden longitudinally upon the shaft 18 the
keys 19.19* and slots in the shaft 18 through which they pass allowing such

page_text: movement to take place without interfering with the transmission of motion from
the pulleys 10. 10* to the shaft 18
Fig 5 is a vertical section taken on the line C. D of Fig 1 the rack 21 and
toothed wheel 31 being shown in full lines for clearness-The rack 21 is connected
to the slide v by means of the bolt 22 upon which it is capable of being turned
sideways when the slide vis moving in a direction inclined to that of the slide v❤
which is similar in construction and arrangement to the slide v-The teeth of the
wheels 31. 32 are formed with shrouds 31' 31' 32' 32' as before described for the
purpose of maintaining the racks 21. 21* in gear with their respective pinions 31. 32
while such racks 21. 21* are being raised and lowered during the operation of
cutting the teeth of the pattern G the racks 21. 21* always remaining perpendicular
or nearly so to the axis of the shaft 30
Patterns for bevel wheels of greater or less pitch can be formed by the one pair
of cutters 15.15* so that the only alteration required is to place such cutters 15.15*
at such distance from the centre line J. Q. Fig: 7 by turning the spindle 26 that
the said cutters 15 15* will form the sides of the teeth at the desired distance
apart
We find in practice that the teeth of bevel wheels may be formed with sufficient
accuracy for practical purposes by means of one pair of cutters 15. 15* but any
desired degree of accuracy may be obtained by forming the teeth of the patterns
by a series of cutters shaped in the form of the tooth desired
To the base plate k we attach studs 34. 35 mounted loosely upon which are guide
pulleys 36. 37. 38. 39 over which pulleys the bands employed for imparting rotatory
motion to the cutters 15. 15* may be passed
We have hitherto for simplicity of description referred to the formation of teeth
upon patterns from which wheels may be subsequently cast in metal but the
apparatus above described may be employed for shaping the teeth of mortice
wheels or for trimming the teeth of metal wheels-In the case of metal wheels the
cutters will require to vary in form and to revolve at varying speeds according to
the nature of the material acted upon
We have hitherto referred to cutting or forming the teeth of wheels only but it
will be readily understood by persons conversant with wheel cutting apparatus
that the machine or apparatus above described may be also employed for a variety
of other similar purposes
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed we desire it to be understood that
we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters Patent
Firstly The use in machinery or apparatus for cutting shaping or forming the
teeth of wheels, of two cutters, each of which is mounted upon a separate slide,
which may be placed and slidden parallel or at an angle to each other substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown
Secondly The general construction and arrangement of the apparatus for cutting
shaping or forming the teeth of wheels or other similar articles substantially in
the manner hereinbefore described and shown
In witness whereof we the said Henry Houldsworth Grierson and Thomas
O'Maher have hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty sixth day of October
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.