IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS PROVISIONAL SP
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilson Hulse, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
METALS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilson Hulse at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1883.
WILLIAM WILSON HULSE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS"
The chief objects of these improvements are to give greater steadiness and truth
to the cutting operation, to diminish the wear and tear, and to provide improved
means for counteracting the wear.
In turning screwing and surfacing metals in a gap lathe the objects of the
present improvements are attained by the following means viz:-
The guide screw is arranged in the same position which it would occupy if the
lathe had no gap, it is driven from the right instead of (as usual) from the left
band end, and is adjustable endwise. By means of the adjustability endwise the
guide screw may as occasion requires, be kept either wholly or partly clear of the
gap, and be set into position for turning and screwing work as near to the face
plate as may be desired.
In a gap lathe as usually constructed the guide screw is (in order to permit work
of large diameter to be put into the lathe) arranged in a position which causes its
action to produce excessive cross winding strains in the carriage of the lathe, and
to impair the steadiness of the cutting operation as compared with the results
obtained, when the screw occupies the position provided for by the present
improvements consequently these improvements give increased steadiness to the
cutting operation, and diminish wear & tear. For filling up the gap, according to
the present improvements, two pieces instead of (as usual) one are employed;―
each piece is carried upon a suitable support cast upon the bed, and is also secured
to the bed by bolts. In some cases the pieces may be hinged to the bed.
arrangement of filling up pieces renders unnecessary the fitting of the gap piece
between the edges of the gap, which is required in the usual practice, and the level
of the bed of the lathe is better maintained.
This
In shaping metals in shaping machines the objects of the present improvements
are attained by the following means, viz:-The sliding saddle has a bearing surface
upon the back of the bed in addition to the ordinary bearing surface on the top of
the bed, and suitable adjusting strips are provided for taking up the strains and
wear. The additional bearing thus obtained gives greater steadiness to the sliding
saddle and to the cutting operation, and, by causing the overhanging weight of the
driving gear etc. to be more suitably distributed than in the usual practice,

page_text: diminishes wear and tear. The cutter slide may be actuated by means of a screw
which is so situated as to have its axis in or near the plane of the main bearing
surface of the cutter slide; the object in so placing the screw, being to actuate the
cutter slide in such a manner as to produce great steadiness in the cutting
operation and a minimum of friction between the cutter slide and the guides in
which it moves. For causing the screw to impart the necessary forward and
return movements to the cutter slide (the return movements being accelerated), two
respective driving shafts (one of which passes through the other) are employed,
having a common axis; each shaft has a belt pulley keyed upon it, the two
pulleys are situated with a loose pulley, between them and all three are actuated
by one driving belt. Each of the two driving shafts, by means of respective inter-
mediate gearing, drives a spur wheel; these two spur wheels are in gear with each
other, and one of them is in gear with a spur wheel fixed upon the screw which
actuates the cutter slide. The result of this arrangement is, that the spur wheel
which gears into that upon the screw is rotated in one direction or the other,
according as the driving belt is actuating one or other of the two fast pulleys, and
the speed in the direction which produces the return movements of the cutter slide
is accelerated by suitably proportioning the diameters of the toothed wheels. For
making the to and fro movements automatic the driving belt is shifted from one
fast pulley to the other through the intervention of a rotating disc or barrel, driven
by suitable mechanism; the disc or barrel is provided with two adjustable stops,
which cause the belt fork to move to and fro alternately. The length and position
of the stroke of the cutter are determined by the positions of the two adjustable
stops on the discs or barrel. The improvements just mentioned in the form of,
and for actuating the cutter slide for shaping metals in shaping machines, apply
also to the form and actuation of the cutter slides for cutting metals in slotting.
machines; and according to the present improvements the cutter slides in the last
named case are arranged for holding the cutters at any desired point along their
length.
In planing metals in a planing machine the objects of the present improvements
are attained by the following means:-In addition to the usual guides in which
the table moves upon the bed, one or more adjustable strips are secured to the bed
and bear against or upon the table as it moves along; the effect being to prevent
the table from being displaced in its guides by any lateral or upward pressure
arising from the cutting operation, and to increase the steadiness of the cutting
operation.
The auxiliary resistance afforded by the adjustable strip or strips renders it less
necessary to depend upon the weight of the table for insuring its steadiness, and
consequently the wear and tear may be diminished by employing a lighter table
than is necessary in the usual arrangement.
In drilling and boring metals in drilling and boring machines, in which the feed
traverse is obtained with a screw at the end of the spindle, the objects of the
present improvements are attained by the following means vis:-The screw is
provided with a nut in two lengths which are adjustable either towards or apart
from each other for the purpose of taking up the play of the screw which may
arise from wear, and of imparting steadiness to the cutting operation.
The standard of the machine is so formed that no part of it extends over the
cone driving pulley and consequently the driving belt may be led to this pulley at
any angle which is likely to be desired in practice. The top slide of the table is
made of an inverted L form, the vertical side thus obtained being grooved as well
as the top, for the purpose of affording additional facilities for securing work in
the machine. The table is movable upon transverse guides, which form part of a
slide which is movable vertically in guides on the standard of the machine. In
some cases the vertical movement of the table and of the slide which carries it may
be produced by power instead of by hand.

page_text: by the said William Wilson Hulse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th November 1883.
WILLIAM WILSON HULSE of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS.
The chief objects of these improvements are to give greater steadiness and truth
to the cutting operation, to diminish the wear and tear, and to provide improved
means for counteracting the wear.
In turning screwing and surfacing metals in a gap lathe the objects of the
present improvements are attained by the following means, namely:-The guide
screw is arranged in the same position which it would occupy if the lathe had no
gap, it is driven from the right instead of (as usual) from the left hand end, and is
adjustable end wise-By means of the adjustability endwise the guide screw may,
as occasion requires, be kept either wholly or partly clear of the gap, and be set
into position for turning and screwing work as near to the face plate as may be
desired
In a gap lathe as usually constructed the guide screw is (in order to permit work
of large diameter to be put into the lathe) arranged in a position which causes its
action to produce excessive cross winding strains in the carriage of the lathe, and
to impair the steadiness of the cutting operation as compared with the results
obtained, when the screw occupies the position provided for by the present improve-
mente consequently these improvements give increased steadiness to the cutting
operation, and diminish wear and tear-For filling up the gap, according to the
present improvements, two pieces instead of (as usual) one are employed; cach
piece is carried upon a suitable support cast upon the bed, and is also secured to the
bed by bolts-In some cases the pieces may be hinged to the bed-This arrange-
ment of filling up pieces renders unnecessary the fitting of the gap piece between
the edges of the gap, which is required in the usual practice, and the level of the
bed of the lathe is better maintained.
In shaping metals in shaping Machines the objects of the present improvements
are attained by the following means, namely: The sliding saddle has a bearing
surface upon the back of the bed in addition to the ordinary bearing surface on the
top of the bed, and suitable adjusting strips are provided for taking up the strains
and wear-The additional bearing thus obtained gives greater steadiness to the
sliding saddle and to the cutting operation, and, by causing the overhanging weight
of the driving gear &c to be more suitably distributed than in the usual practice,
diminishes wear and tear. The cutter slide may be actuated by means of a screw
which is so situated as to have its axis in or near the plane of the main bearing
surface of the cutter slide; the object in so placing the screw, being to actuate the
cutter slide in such a manner as to produce great steadiness in the cutting operation
and a minimum of friction between the cutter slide and the guides in which it
moves For causing the screw to impart the necessary forward and return move-
ments to the cutter slide (the return movements being accelerated), two respective
driving shafts (one of which passes through the other) are employed, having a
common axis; each shaft has a belt pulley keyed upon it, the two pulleys are
situated with a loose pulley between them, and all three are actuated by one
driving belt-Each of the two driving shafts by means of respective intermediate
gearing drives a spur wheel; these two spur wheels are in gear with each other and
one of them is in gear with a spur wheel fixed upon the screw which actuates the
cutter slide.. The result of this arrangement is, that the spur wheel which gears

page_text: into that upon the screw is rotated in one direction or the other, according as the
driving belt is actuating one or other of the two fast pulleys, and the speed in the
direction which produces the return movements of the cutter slide is accelerated by
suitably proportioning the diameters of the toothed wheels-For making the to
and fro movements automatic the driving belt is shifted from one fast pulley to the
other through the intervention of a rotating disc or barrel, driven by suitable
mechanism, the disc or barrel is provided with two adjustable stops, which cause
the belt fork to move to and fro alternately-The length and position of the stroke
of the cutter are determined by the positions of the two adjustable stops on the
discs or barrel-The improvements just mentioned in the form of, and for actuating
the cutter slide for shaping metals in shaping machines, apply also to the form and
actuation of the cutter slides for cutting metals in slotting machines; and according
to the present improvements the cutter slides in the last named case are arranged
for holding the cutters at any desired point along their length.
In planing metals in a planing machine the objects of the present improvements
are attained by the following means:-In addition to the usual guides in which
the table moves upon the bed, one or more adjustable strips are secured to the bed
and bear against or upon the table as it moves along: the effect being to prevent
the table from being displaced in its guides by any lateral or upward pressure
arising from the cutting operation, and to increase the steadiness of the cutting
operation The auxiliary resistance afforded by the adjustable strip or strips
renders it less necessary to depend upon the weight of the table for insuring its
steadiness, and consequently the wear and tear may be diminished by employing a
lighter table than is necessary in the usual arrangement.
In drilling and boring metals in drilling and boring machines, in which the feed
traverse is obtained with a screw at the end of the spindle, the objects of the
present improvements are attained by the following means namely:-The screw is
provided with a nut in two lengths which are adjustable either towards or apart
from each other for the purpose of taking up the play of the screw which may
arise from wear, and of imparting steadiness to the cutting operation-The
standard of the machine is so formed that no part of it extends over the cone
driving pulley and consequently the driving belt may be led to this pulley at
any angle which is likely to be desired in practice-The top slide of the table is
made of an inverted L form, the vertical side thus obtained being grooved as well
as the top, for the purpose of affording additional facilities for securing work in
the machine-The table is moveable upon transverse guides, which form part of a
slide which is moveable vertically in guides on the standard of the machine-In
'some cases the vertical movement of the table and of the slide which carries it
may be produced by power instead of by hand.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings:
Fig A. is a part front elevation and Fig B a part end elevation of a Lathe
.constructed according to the present improvements; Fig. C is a transverse section
illustrating one arrangement of the improved gap pieces, and Fig D a similar
section illustrating another arrangement of the same; Fig E is another transverse
section showing a method of supporting the guide screw-In these figures the
same numbers are used throughout to indicate the same parts respectively-1 is
the bed of the Lathe having a gap as shown in Fig A., 2 is the guide screw driven
from the right hand end through the intervention of the back shaft 3 of the spur
wheels 4. 5. 6 and of the hand wheel 7 (bolted to 6) as shown with most clearness
in Figs A and B; as shown in Fig: A, the spur wheel 6 has a long boss which
revolves in and projects through, a bearing formed in the end of the lathe; the
projecting end of the boss is fitted as shown with lock nuts, by means of which,
and of a shoulder which rests against the outer end of the bearing the spur wheel 6
is prevented from moving endwise; any wear end wise is taken up by the lock
nuts; the boss of the spur wheel 6 is screwed internally as a nut to fit the guide
screw 6; the heads of the bolts which secure the hand wheel 7 to the spur wheel 6
rest in an annular groove formed in the spur wheel 6 so that when the nuts of the

page_text: bolts are slackened, the hand wheel 7 can be rotated (carrying the bolts round
with it) while the spur wheel 6 remains stationary; the -hand wheel 7 has a
feather key which fits into a long keyway in the guide screw; it will be seen that
by means of the arrangement described, when the nuts of the bolts which connect
6 and 7 are slackened, the guide screw 2 can be adjusted end wise, in either direction
by turning the band wheel 7 in one direction or the other; this adjustability
endwise allows of the left hand end of the guide screw being moved either towards
the face plate of the lathe so as to enable screws to be cut close up to the face
plate as in an ordinary straight bed lathe, or away from the face plate so as to be
either partly or wholly clear of the gap as may be required; at the same time the
position of the guide screw is such as to render the cross winding strains in the
carriage as small as in a straight, bed lathe, and thus to increase the steadiness of
the cutting operation and diminish the wear and tear in gap lathes; 8, 8¹ are pairs
of removeable gap plates for filling up the gap when required; these plates when,
in position, rest firmly at the bottom on a suitable support planed on the bed and
are also bolted to a plane surface on the side of the bed as shewn clearly in Fig C;
in this latter Figure the gap plates are shown without hinges, and in Figs A and D
they are shewn with hinges; with the ordinary system it is important that the
gap piece should be a tight fit endways in the gap, but with the present improve-
ments this tight fitting is unnecessary and as a consequence the level of the bed is
better maintained-In some cases the guide screw is provided with supports as
shown in Fig E, 9 being a support secured to the lathe bed at or near the end of
the gap which is furthest from the fast headstock, and 10 being a support secured
to the carriage of the lathe The guide screw nut is so formed that it can pass by
the support 9.
Fig G is a part side elevation, partly in section of a slotting Machine constructed
according to the present improvements, and Fig H is a sectional plan of the cutter
slide and adjacent parts 1 is the standard of the machine, 2 is the cutter slide
3, 4 are two fast driving pulleys, 5 is a loose pulley, 6 is a bevel wheel which and
the fast pulley 3. are both keyed upon a hollow horizontal shaft; 7 is another
bevel wheel which, and the fast pulley 4, are both keyed on the shaft 8, which
passes through the hollow shaft already mentioned and is concentric with it; the
bevel wheels 6, 7 gear into other respective bevel wheels as shown which latter,
and the respective spur wheels 9, 10 are keyed upon respective vertical shafts as
shown; the spur wheels 9, 10 (of which 10 is the greater in diameter) gear into
each other, and 10 gears into a spur wheel 11 keyed upon one end of a screw 12;
the screw 12 rotates in a thrust bearing in the standard 1 and works in a nut
fixed in the cutter slide 2, which last is thus operated by the screw- - When the
driving belt is acting upon the fast pulley 3, the cutter slide 2 is forced down-
wards by the screw 12 at a relatively slow speed; and when the driving belt is
acting upon the fast pulley 4, the cutter slide is drawn upwards by the screw at a
relatively high speed, the speed at which the cutter slide moves depending upon
whether the smaller spur wheel 9 or the larger one 10 is the driver for the time
being From Fig. H it will be seen that the screw 12 is in the plane of the main
bearing surface of the cutter slide 2, the object in so placing the screw being to
reduce the excessive cross winding strains which arise when the propelling force is
applied at a distance behind the back surface of the cutter slide-From Fig. G it
will be seen that the cutting slide is formed with bolt slots for enabling the cutters
to be held at any desired point along its length-13 is a disc formed as a worm
wheel and driven in alternate directions (as the driving belt acts on pulleys 3 and 4
alternately) from the hollow horizontal shaft through spur wheels, shafting and a
worm as shown, two stops adjustable (for the purpose' of determining the length
and "locus" of the stroke of the cutting slide) in a circular slot as shewn, formed
in the disc 13, alternately come in contact with and act upon opposite sides of a
lever 14 on shaft 15; the shaft 15 is thus caused at suitable intervals to vibrate
in alternate directions, and, through the lever 16 and connecting rod 17, to actuate
the belt fork 18, which thus shifts the belt alternately on to pulleys 3 and 4; by

page_text: means of the hand lever 19 the belt can be shifted by hand on to either of the
three pulleys 3, 4, 5-The shaft 15 serves also for transmitting the automatic feed
movements to the slides of the table on which the work to be operated upon is
fixed.
Fig F is an end, elevation of a shaping machine constructed according to the
present improvements as regards the formation of the sliding saddle-1 is the bed
of the machine 2 is the sliding saddle which has a bearing upon the back of the
bed as shown, in addition to the ordinary bearing upon the top of the bed, and
which is provided with adjusting strips 3, 4, for taking up the strains and wear.
The additional bearing surface thus obtained gives greater steadiness to the cutting
operation, and, by causing the overhanging weight of the driving gear & to be
more suitably distributed than in the usual practice, diminishes wear and tear.
Fig M is a part plan of a shaping Machine constructed according to the present
improvements as regards the method of actuating the cutter slide and shifting the
belt fork-1 is the bed of the machine, 2 the sliding saddle, and 5 the cutter
slide The arrangement of the mechanism for actuating the cutter slide and for
shifting the belt fork is, as will be seen from the drawing, of a similar character
to that already described for the slotting machine and will be readily understood
with the aid of that description and of the following further explanations-The
fast and loose pulleys are keyed respectively upon a hollow shaft 6 and upon a
shaft 7 which passes through it concentrically From the hollow shaft rotation is
transmitted by spur wheels as shown to a shaft 8-The shaft 8 drives the spur
wheel 9 through bevel wheels as shown, and similarly the shaft 7 drives the spur
wheel 10; the spur wheels 9 and 10 are both in gear with, and alternately drive
and are driven by, the spur wheel 11 which is keyed upon the screw 12; the
cutter slide 5 is actuated by the screw 12 in a similar manner to that described for
the slotting Machine; 13 is the disc provided with adjustable stops for shifting
the belt fork bar 14, through the intervention of a lever 15 and connecting rod 16
the disc is actuated through a worm and worm wheel as shown-By means of
suitable mechanism (not shown in the drawing) the ratchet 17 upon the screw
which traverses the sliding saddle is actuated by the adjustable stops on the
disc 13.
Fig K is a part end elevation of a planing machine constructed according to
the present improvements 1 is the bed of the machine, 2 is the table, 3, 3 are
adjustable strips which are secured to the bed by means of set screws as shewn,
and which bear upon the table 2 so as to prevent it from being displaced in its
guides by any lateral or upward pressure resulting from the cutting operation―
The auxiliary resistance afforded by these strips renders it less necessary to depend
upon the weight of the table for insuring its steadiness, and consequently the wear
and tear may be diminished by employing a lighter table than is necessary with
the usual arrangement.
Fig L is a part side elevation partly in section of a Drilling Machine constructed
according to the present improvements-1 is the standard of the machine, 2 is the
screw for producing the feed traveise of the drill spindle 3; the screw works in a
nut formed in two lengths 4, 41 as shown; the part 4 has a shoulder which bears
upon the upper end of the socket which holds the nut, and the part 4' has its
lower end screwed externally and provided with a nut which bears against the
lower end of the socket which holds the nut; both the parts 4, 41 of the nut are
fitted with keys which enter into a key groove formed in the socket which holds
them, and prevent the nut from turning round; by means of the nut in two
lengths 4. 4 and of the nut on part 41 the end play of the screw arising from
wear can be readily taken up, and unsteadiness in the cutting operation arising
from end play of the screw can be avoided-The standard of the machine is
formed as shown so that no part of it extends over the cone driving pulley, and
consequently the driving belt may be led to this pulley at any angle which is
likely to be desired in practice-The top slide 5 of the table is planed and grooved
on the upper horizontal surface, and has also either one or two of its vertical sides

page_text: similarly planed and grooved for the purpose of giving additional facilities for
securing work to the table.
Having described my Invention and shown how it may be carried into practice,
I wish it to be understood that what I claim as novel is:-
1st In a Gap Lathe, the use of a guide screw driven from at or near the end
furthest from the fast headstock (commonly the right hand end) and adjustable
end wise, substantially as described and shown, and for the purposes specified.
2nd In a Gap Lathe the use (for filling up the gap) of two gap pieces supported
and fixed substantially as shown and described.
3rd In a slotting Machine the general arrangement of mechanism for actuating
the cutter slide, for shifting the belt fork and for transmitting motion to the feed
traverse mechanism, all substantially as described and shown.
4th In a shaping Machine the use of a sliding saddle having a bearing upon the
back of the bed and provided with suitable adjusting strips for taking up the
strains and wear, substantially as described and shown, and for the purposes
specified.
5th In a shaping Machine the general arrangement of mechanism for actuating
the cutter slide and for shifting the belt fork all substantially as described and
shown.
6 In a Planing Machine the use of adjustable strips for preventing the table
from being displaced in its guides by the lateral or upward pressure resulting
from the cutting operation; substantially as described and shown.
7th In a Drilling Machine the use of a nut for the feed screw formed in two
lengths which are adjustable towards or apart from each other for the purpose of
taking up any looseness or wear end wise in the feed screw or nut substantially as
described and shown.
8th The general arrangement of a Drilling machine substantially as shown in
Fig L and described in the accompanying specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilson Hulse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this third day of November in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three