or Ornamental Woodwork.
Year: 1886

page_text: or Ornamental Woodwork.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agenta,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a machine for cross-cutting the surface of wood for the
purpose of producing on said surface a new configuration, ornamental in character.
By "cross-cutting" I mean forming channels, grooves, recesses, or indentations in
and upon the surface of the wood, transversely or at an angle to the natural
direction of the grain of said wood. By the employment of rotary cutters of
various forms and by presenting the work to the same at various angles, I am
enabled to produce relief patterns upon the solid wood. Such patterns have
hitherto been made by forming the portions in relief separately and securing them
to the surface.
My invention is adapted for the production of decorative or ornamental wood-
work for walls, ceilings, furniture or the like, and consists more particularly in the
combinations of mechanism instrumentalities, and parts, hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my cross-cutting machine.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a partial section of the same on the line, of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan view showing the adjustable table for supporting the work
during diagonal cross-cutting.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts...
A is a metal casting forming the base of the machine. From this rise the
standards B which support the bed C, on which the frame which supports the work
table traverses, as hereinafter explained. From the rear of the base extends upward
the standard' D, which branches into two horizontal arms or supports E. These
arms extend over the bed C and carry the cutting mechanism.

page_text: I make the base A, standard B, bed C and standard D up to the flanged joint F
Figure 1, in a single casting. The remainder of the joint F and the arms E form
another casting, and, therefore, the whole frame of the machine consists simply of
these two castings bolted together at F. The cutting mechanism is usually run at
high speeds, and hence the machine is subjected to much jar. In order that the 5
cuts made shall be true, straight and even, it is desirable to reduce this vibration
or jar to a minimum. This I find best accomplished by making the frame of the
two heavy castings above described.
The machine embodies two principal mechanisms, namely, the cutting apparatus
which produces the new configuration upon the surface of the work; and the 1
work-table and its adjusting and feeding mechanism, whereby the work is
presented as may be desired to the action of the cutters.
I will first describe the cutting apparatus and associated appliances.
On the front vertical faces of the supporting arms E are ways or projections G,
Figure 2, of dovetail shape in horizontal section, which enter corresponding recesses
on the rear sides of the sliding plates H. On the upper sides of the arms E are
standards I, which support adjusting screws J, whereby the sliding plates H may
be moved vertically upon the ways or projections G. Bolted to the front and rear
sides of the plates H, are angle-iron supports K. Between the supports are
secured the bearing L of the horizontal shaft M. This shaft between its bearings,
supports the cutter-head N, which is provided with longitudinal dovetail grooves O.
As shown in Figure 3, the cutting blades P are secured on opposite sides of the
head N by bolts, nuts and washers in the usual well known way.
Inasmuch as the bearings of the cutter shaft M are supported upon the slide-
plates H, and as these may be moved up and down by the screws J, it follows
that by means of said screws the cutting device may be raised or lowered, and in
this way the depth of the cut upon the work may be regulated.
I will refer now more particularly to Figure 3. On the lower portion of each
plate H is a supporting piece Q which carries two sleeves R. Through said sleeves
pass short rods S. On eacli rod S above the sleeve R is a fixed collar T, which
rests on the upper side of sleeve. On the lower ends of the rods S, are bearings for
the rollers U, V. Secured to said bearings and extending between the same on
each side of the machine is a shoe or presser plate W. The rollers U, V are placed
at each side of the cutter and their function is to press upon steady and hold the
work while passing under said cutter. The lower surface of the shoe W also bears
upon the work and aids in steadying the same and preventing vibration.
Pivotted to the supporting piece Q are weighted levers X which rest in notches.
in the upper ends of the rods S.
1
When the work passes under the rollers U, V and shoes W, the rods S supporting
the bearings of said rollers are free to rise in their sleeves R, against, however, the
downward pressure of the weighted levers X. The object of this arrangement is
to allow the shoes and rollers while constantly pressing down upon the work, to.
yield slightly to any variations in its surface, so that a uniform pressure thereon
will always be maintained.
t
The cutter shaft is actuated by the belts Y, which pass over pulleys on the ends.
of said shaft. Said belts pass over idlers as shown in Figure 1, and receive
motion from a pulley on the counter shaft Z.
I will next explain the work table and feeding mechanism.
Upon the bed C are ways a, a, upon which travels the frame b in a' direction
longitudinally of the machine. In the central portion of the frame is a rack-bar c
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. With said rack-har meshes a pinion d, on the.
upper end of the vertical shaft 6, Figure 1. At the lower part of the shaft e is a
bevel pinion e, (dotted lines), Figure 1, which engages with a corresponding gear
wheel on the shaft e¹¹ of the gear wheel ƒ Figure 1.
Said gear wheel is rotated by a pinion on the counter-shaft g, same Figure. Ou
said shaft is a well-known reversing gear, consisting of two fixed pulleys and an
intermediate loose pulley. Over said pulleys pass the open belt h and the crossed.

page_text: belt . Connected with said belts are the shifting arms j, k, which are controlled
by the lever 1, to throw either the crossed belt or the open belt on the loose pulley
at will. The details of this belt-shifter are well known and constitute no part of
my invention, and hence they are not here described. It will readily be under-
stood that when the crossed belt is in action, the counter shaft g will turn in one
direction, and when the open belt is in action, said shaft will turn in the opposite
direction. In this way, the movement of the pinion d may be reversed, and the
frame b caused to reciprocate forward and backward on its ways.
I cause this reversal of motion of the frame b to be effected automatically by the
following means; The right hand side bar m Figure 1 of the frame b extends over
and outside the way a on that side of the machine. Said bar, on its exterior
surface has a dove-tail recess n, in which at any desired point may be secured the
stops o and p by means of the set-screws shown. Pivotted to the belt shifting
lever, is a bell-crank lever q having its fulcrum at r, Figure 1. The vertical arm
of said lever is connected by a rod 8 to the shouldered plate t, which is pivotted to
the side of the bed C.
It will be readily seen that when the frame b reciprocates, the stop o strikes the
pivotted plate t and moves it in one direction when the frame is at the end of its
travel; while, when the frame reaches the opposite extremity of its course, the
stop p will meet the plate t and move it in the other direction. The consequence
therefore is that the belt shifter is thus controlled, through the intermediate levers,
to throw the cross belt and the open belt alternately on and off the loose pulley,
and so to cause the reciprocating movement of the frame b. The stops o and p are
both adjustable upon the bar m, so that the extent of travel of the frame 6 may
thus be easily regulated.
Connected to the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever q is a rod u, which is
attached to the pivotted handle on the front portion of the bed of the machine.
By means of said handle the attendant may control the lever q and hence the
belt-shifter, and so change the motion of the frame b at will.
I will now refer more particularly to the work-table A¹, which rests upon the
frame b, between the guides B¹. Said table may be moved in its guides trans-
versely upon the frame b. This is done by means of the rack-bar C₁ on the lower
side of the table, with which engages the pinion D¹, supported on the end of the
shaft E which is journalled in the frame b. Said shaft extends through to the
front side of the machine, as shown in Figure 2, and may have at its extremity, a
crank handle (not shown). By rotating said shaft, the operator, through the
engagement of the pinion D' and the rack bar C¹, can move the table A' laterally
of the machine and upon the frame b at will.
The devices for securing the work, which is shown at F1, upon the table, consist
of the fixed toothed bar G secured to the upper side of the table, and the sliding
blocks H', having a toothed edge for engaging with the edge of the material. Said
blocks are received and slide in openings in the table, as shown in Figure 2. Each
block is actuated by means of the fixed screw J' journalled in the table, upon which
screw the block moves as a nut, Figure 3. On the ends of the screw J¹ are bevelled
pinions K¹, with which engage the bevelled pinions L on the shaft M¹, which is
journalled at the rear edge of the table A¹. By means of a crank handle (not
shown) applied to the end of said shaft M¹ to rotate said shaft, the sliding
blocks H may be moved up towards the fixed bar G¹, so that the work F¹ may be
firmly grasped between the bar G¹ and the blocks H¹.
For the purpose of accurately gauging the travel of the work-table laterally of
the machine, I employ a detachable gauge bar N¹. This is secured in any suitable
way, as by nuts and bolts, upon a ledge on the front edge of the table A¹
Pivotted to the front edge of one of the guides B' is a spring latch O¹, Figure 2,
the engaging end of which is adapted to enter one of the series of notches formed
upon the end of the gauge bar N¹. The gauge bar N¹, as here shewn has a series
of notches on each edge; but it will be observed that the notches on one edge are
separated by wider intervals than those on the other edge, I may employ either

page_text: series of notches at will. The object of the gauge bar N and latch O' is to enable
the operator to move the work-table A in a direction laterally of the machine over
regular and uniform distances, and thereby to produce on the work supported on
said table correspondingly spaced cute.
The operation of my machine will now easily be followed. The plank, board, or
block F which is to be cross-cut upon its upper surface is secured between the
fixed bar Gand the sliding blocks H¹ upon the table A¹. The cutter shaft M. is
then set in motion by the belts Y. From the driving shaft of said belts Y, a
belt P¹ extends to the counter shaft on which are the pulleys which drive the
belts h and i. Hence as the cutter shaft revolves, the table A¹ is moved beneath
the cutter which cross cuts the surface of the material. Meanwhile the work while
passing under the cutter is seadied by the rollers U, V and shoes W. When the
frame b has reached the desired limit of its travel, the stop o strikes the plate t and
causes the belt to shift. The frame b then travels in the opposite direction, and at
the same time the table A¹ is moved by the operator in a direction laterally of the
machine, so that when the motion of frame b is once more changed, a new surface
of the plank or board will be presented to the cutter. This is repeated until the
whole length of the board, plank or block is cross-cut.
I will now describe the appliance for holding the work when it is desired to
produce the cross-cutting diagonally thereupon; or at an angle to the natural
direction of the grain of the wood, other than a right angle. This appliance is
shewn in Figure 4. It consists of an elongated frame or support 1, which is placed
upon the work-table and pivotted thereon by means of the central pivot pin 2
shewn in dotted lines. Upon said frame, and in suitable guideways thereon is a
work-table 3. On the lower side of said table is a rack-bar 4, with which engages
the pinion 5 on the frame 1. Said pinion is rotated by the pinion 6 also pivotted
on said frame and provided with a crank handle 7. When the said bandle is
rotated the table 3 is moved longitudinally upon the frame 1. The work F¹ is held
upon the table between a fixed bar 9 and sliding block 10, which block is actuated
by screws and bevel gearing in communication with the shaft 11, in substantially
the same way as the sliding blocks H¹ are arranged and operated as already
described.
Inasmuch as the frame 1 is carried by the table A¹ which, as already described,
is carried by the frame b under the cutter, it follows that the scores or channels
formed by the cutter will be made diagonally across the work F¹, and that the
angle which said scores make to the longitudinal edges of the work Ft will be
governed by the angle at which the frame 1 is placed with reference to the line of
the cutter shaft M. As the frame 1 is pivotted at 2, said frame may be adjusted
at any angle with reference to the line of the cutter shaft. For this purpose, near
the end of frame 1 is formed an arc-shaped slot 8 through which passes the set-
screw 12, secured in a suitable opening in the table A¹. By loosening this screw,
the frame 1 may easily be turned by hand to the desired angle and then clamped
in place by said set screw 12. Along one edge of the frame 1 divisions 13 are
laid off, by which means the extent of movement of the table can be observed
and regulated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination of a rotary cutter adapted to cross cut the surface of
wood at an angle to the grain thereof; a support, and means for rigidly holding
the object to be cross-cut thereon; and feeding mechanism for moving said support
beneath the said cutter and thereby subjecting said object to the action thereof,
substantially as described.
Second. The combination of a rotary cutter adapted to cross-cut the surface of
wood at an angle to the grain thereof; means of vertically raising and lowering
said cutter; a support, and means for rigidly holding the object to be cross-cut

page_text: upon said support; and feeding mechanism for moving said support beneath the said
cutter and thereby subjecting said object to the action thereof, substantially, as
described.
Third. The combination of a rotary cutter adapted to cross-cut the surface of
wood at an angle to the grain thereof; a support, and means (such as clamp) for
rigidly holding the object to be cross-cut thereon; feeding mechanism for moving
said support beneath the said cutter and thereby subjecting said object to the
action thereof; and yielding presser rollers adapted to bear upon said object in
front and in rear of said cutter, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of a rotary cutter adapted to cross-cut the surface of,
wood at an angle to the grain thereof; a support, and means for rigidly bolding
the object to be cross-cut thereon, feeding mechanism for moving said support
beneath the said cutter and thereby subjecting said object to the action thereof;
yielding pressure rollers adapted to bear upon said object in front and in rear of
Baid cutter; and yielding presser shoes adapted to bear upon said object at each
side of said cutter, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of a rotary cutter adapted to cross-cut the surface of
wood at an angle to the grain thereof; a support, and means for rigidly holding
the object to be cross-cut thereon; mechanism for reciprocating said support
beneath the said cutter and thereby subjecting the object to the action thereof;
and mechanism for moving said support in a direction at an angle to the direction
of reciprocation substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination, in a machine for cross-cutting wood, of the base A, the
bed C, the support (as standards B) for said bed, the jointed standard D, and the
arms E, the said base, the bed, the support for said bed, and the standard below
the joint being formed in one piece, and the arms and the standard above the
joint also in one piece, substantially as described.
Seventh. The combination of the bed C, the frame b; means for securing the
object to be cross-cut upon said frame, a rotary cutter support above said frame,
and means for reciprocating said frame beneath said cutter, substantially as
described.
Eighth. The combination of the bed C, the frame b, means (such as a work
table and clamps) for securing the object to be cross-cut upon said frame, a rotary
cutter support above said frame, the rack-bar c, the pinion d, the shaft c, and
means for rotating said shaft alternately in opposite directions, substantially as
described.
Ninth. In combination with a rotary cutter having a horizontal axis or shaft,
and a horizontal support reciprocating beneath aaid cutter at right angles to said
axis, a work table resting upon said support and adjustable thereon at various
angles with reference to said cutter axis, substantially as described.
Tenth. In combination with a rotary cutter having a horizontal axis or shaft,
and a horizontal support reciprocating beneath said cutter at right angles to said
axis, a detachable work table pivotted upon said support and adjustable thereon at
various angles with reference to said cutter axis, substantially as described.
Eleventh. In combination with a rotary cutter having a horizontal axis or shaft,
and a horizontal support reciprocating beneath said cutter at right angles to said
axis, a work table resting upon said support and means (such as described) for
moving said table on said support in a direction parallel to said cutter axis,
substantially as described.
Twelfth. In combination with the reciprocating frame b, the work table A¹ and
means (such as described) for moving said table upon said frame in a direction
transversely of said frame, the gauge bar N₁ and the latch O¹, substantially as
described.
Thirteenth. The combination of a reciprocating support, the frame 1 pivotted
thereon, the work table 3, means for moving said table upon said frame 1, and a
clamping device for securing said frame to said support and thereby preventing the
turning of said frame on its pivot.

page_text: Fourteenth. The combination of vertically sliding plates H and supports for the
same, means (such as screws J) for vertically adjusting said plates, supports Q
carried by said plates and carrying the vertical sleeves R, rollers U, V, having, their
bearings supported on rods S, collars T on said rods, and weighted levers X
bearing on said rods and pivotted to said supports Q, substantially ав described.
Fifteenth. The combination of two vertically adjustable supports, a rotary shaft
carried by said supports,, a cutter on said shaft between said supports, and two
yielding presser rollers also carried by and between said supports and disposed
parallel to and respectively on each side of said cutter shaft, substantially as
described.
:
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.