An Improved Wood Turning Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Wood Turning Machine.
I JOHN TITLEY of Princess Street Bilston in the County of Stafford, Wood
Turner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of a series of lathe front and back centres, which rotate
on their own axes and are mounted upon two revolving discs, or wheels. The said
discs and centres revolving upon a spindle or disc shaft. The before mentioned
centres carrying the article to be operated upon round to, and past, a series of
revolving cutter blocks, fixed at any desired part of the circumference of the circle
in which the said centres upon the discs revolve. A releasing gear opens the
back centres after passing the cutter blocks, allowing the article operated upon to
fall out.
3000
I JOHN TITLEY of Princess Street Bilston in the County of Stafford, Wood
Turner do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying drawings:
:-
This invention relates to machinery for rapidly and automatically turning wood
articles such as table legs, balusters, handles &c. The machine is provided with
sets of lathe front, and back centres which are mounted upon two revolving discs or
wheels.
The centres carry the article to be operated upon round and past a series
of revolving cutter blocks mounted in convenient position partly around the axis
of the discs or wheels. The work is released after passing the cutter blocks and
is allowed to fall out.
My invention will be best understood when described with reference to the
accompanying three sheets of drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine,
Fig. 2 is a view of the back of the machine, shewing the revolving discs and
Fig. 3 is a view of front of the machine shewing the revolving cutter blocks.
With reference to Figs. 1 & 2.A is the fast disc corresponding to the fast
headstock and B is the loose disc corresponding to the loose or following head-
stock of a lathe. The disc .A carries four or more spindles a which revolve in
bearings provided near the circumference of the disc. The spindles a are fitted
with suitable centres a¹ for carrying the article to be operated upon. The disc B
is provided with four sliding spindles b which carry the back centres 6' and are
fitted to be in line with the corresponding.centres a¹.
The discs A and B are mounted upon a hollow shaft C which revolves in
bearings in the standards D. D'.
The disc A is fast upon the shaft, but the disc B slides upon the same and can
be moved toward or from the disc A by means of the handwheel c' which turns a
Price 7

page_text: screw which works on a nut c³ fixed to the boss of the disc B. The shaft C
carrying with it the discs A and B is revolved by means of a worm wheel e which
is driven by a worm e¹ ou a shaft which is carried in a bracket mounted on the
standard D. The shaft e² carries a cone pulley e which is driven by a belt from a
countershaft or other driver.
The cutter blocks seen in Figs. 1 and 3 are marked E, E¹, E', and in each case
may be formed in one piece with the spindle d or may be loose sectional blocks to
thread on to the said spindle.
The said blocks may vary in shape as for example they may be triangular square
or hexagonal. In the drawings they are shewu as being triangular and forged in
one piece with the spindle d. An undercut groove extends along each side of the
block for attaching the cutters by means of dovetailed headed bolts.
The spindles & revolve in bearings in the brackets f¹ on the sliding tables f.
These tables slide on brackets g, carried by the standards H, H¹, each table
being formed with V slides and strip 2, for taking up wear as is usual. For
setting up the cutter blocks toward the work and for regulating the cut an eccentric
motion is provided.
In front of the tables f shafts i are mounted in brackets i, upon the
standards H, H'. Each of these shafts is provided with two eccentrics ; having
eccentric straps which are jointed to the tables f. The shaft i is revolved
by a
worm wheel and worm k¹ which is turned by the hand, wheel k². The
worm is fixed or formed upon a shaft k³, carried by arms extending from the
bracket 2.
After the work has passed the cutter blocks the centres are opened and the work
released by the following means. Each of the sliding spindles 6 carrying a back
centre in the loose disc B is adapted to be pressed forward toward the front
centre by a spiral spring 2 which presses against a collar on the spindle, the collar
also limiting the forward movement of the spindle. At 'the "front end of the
spindle is a lug 68. When the centres have passed the cutter blocks this lug
comes in contact with a cam plate which is fixed to the arm m which is
carried by the shafts n n'. The cam plate is shaped to act upon the lug b³
to press back the spindle b thereby withdrawing the centre 6' from the work
which then falls out of the machine. Another article is then placed between
the centres, and when the lug 63 has cleared the cam plate the centre springs back
and holds the article.
Another arm o carries a small wheel p which comes into contact with the outer
end of the spindle b and presses the centre deeper into the work.
Both the arms and o slide upon the shafts n, n' and move together with the
disc B when it is adjusted upon the shaft. Instead of the wheel p acting upon the
spindle I may fix another cam plate on the arm m to act on the lug 6 to press
the centre forward.
The centres a¹ are revolved by a belt or chain indicated by the dotted lines
markeds and acting upon the pullies a on the spindles a. This belt or chain
passes over a loose pulley r on the shaft n at the back of the machine, so that the
pullies a leave the belt before the back centres come in contact with the releasing
gear.
A brake may be introduced to act upon the pullies after leaving the belt, so as
to stop the revolution before the work is dropped from the centres.
+
The method of working the machine is as follows. The attendant stands at the
back of the machine with a supply of wood blanks all cross cut to the same length
and centred.
A blank is held up to the centre a¹ whilst the centre 6¹ is held back by the
camplate . As soon as the centre b' clears the cam plate the centre shoots forward into
the blank and is pressed home by the wheel p. The discs are revolved at a speed to
suit the speed at which the attendant can place the blanks successively between the
centres. As the discs revolve the pulley a² meets the straps at the top of the
machine and the blank is thereby caused to revolve.

page_text: The work first meets the cutter block E which is intended merely to rough out
the work into a cylindrical shape, either parallel or taper as required. The work
then passes on to the cutter block E' which is fitted with cutters to rough out the
pattern leaving only a very fine finishing cut to be taken off by the cutter E²..
After leaving the latter the work is released from the centres as previously
described. In a modification of the machine for turning short articles I fix the
fast headstock disc at about the centre of the length of the shaft C and fix centres.
in each end of the spindle A.
A loose headstock disc B is provided on each side, thus giving the machine
double the capacity of the work.
Having described the nature and object of my invention I would state that I
claim
First. The combination of parts constructed and adapted to act substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Secondly. The combination of revolving discs wheels or frames carrying two or
more sets of revolving and sliding centres with two or more revolving and
adjustable cutter shafts carrying roughing out and finishing cutters substantially as.
and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Dated this 26th day of May 1896.
JOHN TITLEY.