IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MORTISING OR CUTTING HOLES OR MORTISES IN WOOD
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Clark, of Rathbone Place, in the County
of Middlesex, Revolving Shutter Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MORTISING OR CUTTING
HOLES OR MORTISES IN WOOD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
February 1866.
1, ALEXANDER CLARK, of Rathbone Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Revolving Shutter Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MORTISING OR
CUTTING HOLES OR MORTISES IN WOOD," to be as follows:-
The apparatus of my Invention is principally applicable to making mortises
for joinery purposes, such as mortising the stiles of doors and window frames,
but may also be applied for other like purposes where the mortise hole is made
quite through the wood, and where the hole passes through a considerable thick-
ness. Mortises are usually made by a mortising chisel having a reciprocating
motion and actuated by machinery, and by a great number of strokes and
cuts of the chisel; whereas according to my improvements I cut holes or
mortises in wood by what I may describe as a combination of cutting and
punching operations; for which purpose I employ a bed or die on which the
wood rests, having a hole the size of the mortise made therein. Directly above
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the hole in the die 1 mount what may be termed the punch, which has two
prong-like projections somewhat like two mortise chisels disposed back to
back, so that the two parallel sides form the extremes of the punch and
determine the size of the mortise. At a considerable distance from the points
they unite in one as a solid punch. The action is similar to that of punching
metals, excepting that the material to be removed is not forced out bodily
from the commencement as in metals. The prongs enter the wood and com-
press the material to be removed in the space between them until they are
about through, more or less, they then enter the die, and continuing the stroke
of the punch until the solid part passes quite through the wood, and entering
the die cuts and thrusts all the material before it through the bottom die. A
second stroke of the punch may be made before removing the stile or piece of
wood in order to better clean the mortise. In stiles of doors and other pieces
in which more than one mortise is made, I prefer to make them all at one
time, it being simply necessary to construct the machine with the duplicates
of the parts disposed at the proper distances apart, which may be adjustable
according to the work to be done. In cutting mortises in stiles in this way I
prefer to compress the substance of wood between metal surfaces to prevent
it bursting, but if the wood be of great thickness this precaution may be dis-
pensed with. Instead of making the punch with two chisel-like prongs to
receive the compressed material between them as above described, it may be
a hollow tubular-like punch having its outer sides parallel, the cutting edge
being formed by sharpening from the inside. The material in this case would
be compressed sideways as well as lengthways of the mortise, and for the most
part pass up within the hollow punch, a provision for its escape being provided
above the die or hole in the hed, for this punch will be the same as before
described. Other kinds of mortises and holes in wood may be cut by like
apparatus in same manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. ALEXANDER
CLARK, of Rathbone Place, in the County of Middlesex, Revolving Shutter
Manufacturer. send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Clark. Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Clark. executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I. the
said Alexander Clark, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MORTISING OR CUTTING
HOLES OR MORTISES IN WOOD," upon the condition (amongst others) that I.
the said Alexander Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Alexander Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention. and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The apparatus of my Invention is principally applicable to making mortises
for joinery purposes, such as mortising the stiles of doors and window frames,
but may also be applied for other like purposes where the mortise or hole is
made quite through the wood. When a holc or mortise passes through a
considerable thickness of wood mortises are usually made by a mortising
chisel having a reciprocating motion actuated by machinery, and by a great
number of strokes and cuts of the chisel; whereas according to my im-
provements I cnt holes or mortises in wood by what I may describe as a
combination of cutting and punching operations: for this purpose I employ a
hed or die on which the wood rests, having a hole the size of the mortise to be
made. Directly above the hole in the die I mount what may be termed the
punch, which has two prong-like projections somewhat like two mortise chisels
disposed back to back, so that the two parallel sides form the extremes of the
punch and determine the size of the mortise. At a considerable distance
from the points they unite in one as a solid punch. The action is similar to
that of punching metals, excepting that the material to be removed is not
forced out bodily from the commencement as in metals. The prongs enter

page_text: the wood and compress the material to be removed in the space between them
until they are about through, more or less, they then enter the die. the stroke
of the punch being continued until the solid part passes quite through the
wood, and entering the die cuts and thrusts all the material before it through
the bottom die. A second stroke of the punch may be made before removing
the stile or piece of wood in order to better clear the mortise. In stiles of
doors and other pieces in which more than one mortise is made. I prefer to
make them all at one time, it being simply necessary to construct the machine
with the duplicate of the parts disposed at the proper distances apart, which may
be adjustable according to the work to be done. In cutting mortises in stiles in
this way compress the substance of wood between metal surfaces to prevent
it bursting, but if the wood be of great thickness in proportion to the size of
the mortise, this precaution may be dispensed with. Instead of making the
punch with two chisel-like prongs to receive the compressed material between
them as above described, it may be a hollow tubular-like punch having its
outer sides parallel, the cutting edge being formed by sharpening from the
inside. The material in this case would be compressed sideways as well as
lengthways of the mortise, and for the most part pass up within the hollow
punch, a provision for its escape being provided above the die or hole in the
bed, for this punch will be the same as before described. Other kinds of
mortises and holes in wood may be cut by like apparatus in same manner.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure represents a side elevation of a machine adapted for cutting
mortises according to my Invention: Figure 2 is a plan of the die and
cramping slide for holding the wood while being punched or mortised;
Figure 3 is an edge view of a solid tool for cutting mortises according to my
Invention, and Figure 4 a side view of the same: while Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8
represent a hollow tool for mortising according to my Invention, Figure 5
being a side view with section of die. and Figure 6 an edge view, while
Figures 7 and 8 show a transverse and lateral section of the same.
The machine is very similar to ordinary mortising machines, consisting of a
strong upright frame or standard A. from which arms B. B, project, which
carry dovetailed guides in which the plunger or mortising stock C slides,
being actuated by a connecting rod D from a crank pin E fixed in an arm F
keyed on the shaft G, on which the spur wheel H is fixed, the said spur wheel
receiving motion from a pinion I keyed on the rigger shaft K, which is furnished
with a fly wheel L and fast and loose pullies M, M, as usual. P is the
plate with cramping parts R and S. in which the wood is to be fixed for

page_text: 9.
An
and pinion e fixed
traversed in a trans-
the base W of the
instrument X, say,
mortising. The surfaces bearing against the wood should extend beyond the'
length of the mortise, as also the depth. the wood being forcibly compressed
by the hand-wheel screw a, not alone for the purpose of holding it in position.
but to prevent it bursting by the force of the perforating or mortising instru-
ment. The plate R is a fixture to P, while plate S is moved up by screw a.
The plate P is furnished with a die or bed b, being a piece of steel dovetailed
therein. having a hole c of the same area as the mortise: below the die b
a hole is formed in the casting plate P of larger area than the largest
mortise to be formed by the machine: plate P is mounted on a slide T,
and may be traversed laterally thereon by a rack
on the shaft of hand wheel / slide T may also be
verse direction, being fitted on a dovetailed slide on
machine, and adjusted thereon by a screw
that represented at Figures 3 and 4. being fixed in the plunger Cas
in the ordinary manner of fixing mortising tools or tools in slotting
machines, and as seen in Figure 1. The die with the hole c is brought
under the instrument X, to which it is somewhat accurately fitted. On a
piece of wood V being inserted and fixed as seen and the machine put in
motion, the instrument X will descend and perforate the wood and form a
mortise hole through it, the woody fibre removed being at first compressed
within the hollow or recess h in the instrument, see Figure 4, but is ultimately
forced through the hole c in the dic below, two strokes may be given before
removing the wood the more effectually to clear the mortise hole. It will be
observed that the instrument begins to cut at the points 1, 2, that is to say,
at each end of the mortise, these points becoming embedded a considerable
distance in the wood before any great pressure is encountered in forcing the
severed wood bodily through, and that the said points keeping always in
advance penetrate the wood readily, and with the shear-like cutting action
taking place as it enters the die assists in producing a clean cut. The space h
adapted to receive the compressed and severed material also relieves the
cutting instrument and contributes to its easy passage. in fact renders the
operation practicable, which would not be the case with ordinary punching.
When mortises are large I sometimes use a hollow instrument such as exhi-
bited at Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8. This instrument consists of a square steel
tube, being hollow throughout the greater part of its length and sharpened on
the inside to an edge all round the cutting point. An opening I is formed near
the upper part for the escape of the wood removed or a portion thereof, which
will pass up the hollow of the tool or instrument, while the remainder will
pass through the die as in the first instance; this instrument is substituted for

page_text: Xin the machine, and works with a die b below the wood as before described.
For single mortises and with the die and cutting instrument once set, the
slides supporting the die will not require to be moved, but where a double
mortise is required it may be necessary to move the wood V along a short
distance, which can be done by the hand wheelf moving the pinion and rack
and with it the slide on which the wood is mounted. In this case the die b
must be provided with two holes c. c. at the distance apart of the double
mortise required, and a stop should be provided against which to move the
sliding plate P, so that the die holes will be accurately under the cutting
instrument in each position. Instead of placing the die b in the slide P,
that slide may only surround the die, which in some respects will be better
arranged as a fixture to the base W of the machine and mounted on a piece
projecting upwards therefrom within the area of the slides, so as to sustain
the die face on a level with the face of the plate P. In this case the manoeuvring
the wood on the slides will not interfere with the die, which when once accu-
rately adjusted to the punch, or vice versa, will remain so. The wood may be
moved a sufficient distance by the slides to form a double mortise in two
strokes of the instrument, the wood being moved in the interval between each
descent. Where mortises are at distances apart in the same piece of wood it
is obvious the wood must be released from the cramp and its position shifted.
to perform which it may be necessary to stop the machine. If desired, two,
three, or more mortises at considerable distances apart may be made simul-
taneously by providing a bed with die holes and with suitable punching
instruments mounted on a beam or guider suitably guided and receiving a
reciprocating motion communicated by any suitable means, the wood being
cramped or pinched between metal surfaces at each point of perforation or
mortising. Instead of the apparatus shown in the Drawing for operating the
mortising instrument it may be operated in a screw or lever press or even by
hydraulic apparatus, as it is simply necessary to cramp the wood in the desired
position and bring a force to bear on the mortising instrument sufficient to
force it through the wood and down into the die below. The direct force of
a piston in a cylinder operated by steam or air may also be rendered available,
the instrument being secured to the piston rod. In some respects the direct
force from a steam, air, or hydraulic cylinder is very advantageous, as the
instrument will only descend when the pressure of steam, air, or water is
turned on instead of at regular intervals as in a mortising machine, where it
might be apt to allow insufficient time for manoeuvring the wood unless the
machine were stopped altogether.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing

page_text: the same. I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the formation of mortises and
other like holes in wood by a half-cutting. half-punching operation, as herein-
before described, and by the use of tools or instruments such as described and
shown in the Drawings at Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
In witness whereof. I, the said Alexander Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
ALEX CLARK. (L.S.)