IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING MACHINES FOR SLITTING OB RE-SAWING PLANK AND OTHER TIMBER BY MEANS OF CIRCULAR SAWS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of
16, Castle Street, Holborn, City, London, Patent Agent, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING MACHINES FOR SLITTING
OB RE-SAWING PLANK AND OTHER TIMBER BY MEANS OF CIRCULAR
SAWS." A Communication.
Sealed the 2nd November 1858, and dated the 2nd May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 2nd May 1853.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, (City,) London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING MACHINES FOR
SLITTING OR RE-SAWING PLANK AND OTHER TIMBER BY MEANS OF CIRCULAR
SAWS" to be as follows, viz.:-
In employing a circular saw with both faces convex or swelled, so
that it shall present a thin edge where the teeth are cut, to avoid waste
of the timber and reduce the resistance in cutting, and be gradually

page_text: thicker towards the shaft, to give it the requisite thickness to prevent
buckling, and insure a steady motion at the periphery, when this is
combined with a fixed beveled gauge placed near the periphery of the
saw, on that side of the shaft opposite to where the planks are
presented to the teeth, so that the said gauge shall separate or spread
the two parts of the planks as they are being cut, and prevent them
from binding against the two faces of the saw.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, is a plan of a sawing machine
constructed according to my improvements; Fig. 2, is a side elevation
of the same; Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical section of the. same
through the axis of the saw, looking in the opposite direction to that
in which the plank is fed towards the saw; Fig. 4, is a transverse
vertical section taken in the same plane as Fig. 3, but looking in
the same direction as the plank moves; Fig. 5, is a horizontal section
of the beveled gauge;--and Fig. 6, is a section through the axis of a
.saw. of the same. form as, but differently constructed to, that shown in
the other. Figs. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the several Figs.
A, represents a circular saw mounted upon an appropriate shaft B,
which runs in bearings in the usual manner in a frame c, of proper
form. The shaft is provided with a pulley d, as usual, to receive a belt
from any first mover. This saw is made convex on both sides; so as to
be of considerable thickness towards the shaft, and thin at and near
the periphery. The extra thickness, or convexity may be produced in a
solid plate, as shown in Fig. 3, and 4, or by securing a plans-convex
'plate on each side of a saw constructed in the usual way. Back of the
saw, and firmly attached to the frame, is the guide or gauge E,
which is of metal, in form of the segment of such a circle that when
placed near the periphery of the saw it shall be concentric, or nearly
so, therewith. The edge of it next the saw is sharp, or nearly so, and
it is gradually thicker towards the back, for the purpose of so spreading
the plank as to prevent binding or rubbing against the edge of the
(saw. The plank. f, is presented to the edge of the saw by two sets of
rollers, the one set F, F, F. constituting the guide or bed rollers.
They are mounted in a frame G, which can slide laterally in the main

page_text: frame, and be adjusted to determine the thickness of one part of the
plank to be slit, by means of a set screw.g. One, F¹, of these rollers
has its lower journal connected with a vertical shaft J, in the lower
part of the frame by a rod K, and two universal joints, so that the
roller may be changed in position, and still receive motion from the said
shaft J; which shaft has a spur wheel L, which engages with another
spur wheel M, of equal diameter, on another shaft N, which carries
a level wheel P, engaging with a corresponding level wheel O, on the
shaft of a band wheel Q, over which passes a band R, from a pulley
on the end of one of a pair of conical pulleys, which receive motion
by a band S, from the shaft of the saw. In this way the feed motion
for the plank is obtained, and the conical pulleys admit of varying
the feed in the usual manner. By the side of the rollers just described
is the other set T, T, T', mounted two in one frame U, and the third
in another frame V, and the two frames are connected by a strong
spring W, with an adjusting screw X, by means of which the two sets
of rollers can be brought nearer together or farther apart, to suit the
thickness of the timber to be slit or re-sawed, the spring giving
the requisite play to the rollers to enable them to adapt themselves
to the varying thickness of the plank as it passes through, whilst at the
same time its tension should be sufficient to bend out of the plank
any warps, and ensure its presentation to the edge of the saw in a
proper manner, so that one part of the plank when it is slit shall be of
equal and uniform thickness. The roller T', of this set is connected
with the shaft N, by means of a rod Y, and two universal joints, .só
that one of the rollers of each set, taken together, act as feed rollers
to propel the plank" towards the saw, although this gearing may
be dispensed with, and the plank be fed forward by other known
mechanical means, such as an endless chain. When the two geared
rollers are used for the purpose of feeding the plank one or both
should ho Anted

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 2nd November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn,
(City) London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
Her special licence that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the snid Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention, communicated to
me by a foreigner residing abroad, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING
MACHINES FOR SLITTING OR RE-SAWING PLANK AND OTHER TIMBER BY MEANS
OF CIRCULAR SAWS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say):
This Invention relates to the circular saw, which presents, in some

page_text: respects, important advantages over the reciprocating saw, but yet has
not, to my knowledge, been heretofore successfully applied to re-sawing
or slitting planks and other timber, except very narrow timber, for the
reason that, when such saw is made of the requisite diameter for wide
timber, it will buckle, unless made so thick as to be wasteful of the
timber and of the power applied to drive it. This difficulty has been
overcome for the purpose of sawing veneers by making the saw of
a convex form on that face of it over which the veneer passes as it is
cut from the log; but this method cannot be used for what is called
re-sawing or slitting planks or timber, for the reason that from the
thickness of the two parts they are too stiff and rigid to pass over the
thick part of the saw, when the additional thickness is made all on
one face, and even if it were made equally on both faces the binding on
the saw plate would be so great as to present a serious resistance to its
rotation. The object of the Invention is so to construct and apply the
circular saw to the slitting or re-sawing of planks or other timber, as
to avoid all the objections above pointed out in employing a circular
saw with both faces convex or swelled, so that it shall present a thin
edge where the teeth are cut, to avoid waste of the timber and reduce
the resistance in cutting, and be gradually thicker towards the shaft to
give it the requisite thickness to prevent buckling, and insure a steady
motion at the periphery; when this is combined with a fixed beveled
gauge placed near the periphery of the saw, on that side of the shaft
opposite to where the planks are presented to the teeth, so that the
said gauge shall separate or spread the two parts of the planks as they
are being cut, and prevent them from binding against the two faces
of the saw.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, is a plan of a sawing
machine constructed according to my improvements; Fig. 2, is a side
elevation of the same; Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical section of the same
through the axis of the saw, looking in the opposite direction to that
in which the plank is fed towards the saw; Fig. 4, is a transverse
vertical section taken in the same plane as Fig. 3, but looking in the
same direction as the plank moves; Fig. 5, is a horizontal section of
the beveled gauge; and Fig. 6, is a section through the axis of a saw

page_text: of the same form as, but differently constructed to, that shown in the
other Figs. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
the several Figs.
A, represents a circular saw mounted upon an appropriate shaft B,
which runs in bearings, in the usual manner, in a frame C, of proper
form. The shaft is provided with a pulley D, as usual, to receive a belt
from any first mover. This saw is made convex on both sides, so as to
be of considerable thickness towards the shaft, and thin at and near
the periphery. The extra thickness or convexity may be produced
in a solid plate, as shown in Figs. 3, and 4, or by securing a plano-
convex plate on each side of a saw constructed in the usual way.
Behind the saw, and firmly attached to the frame, is the guido or
gauge E, which is of metal, in form of the segment of such a circle
that when placed near the periphery of the saw it shall be concentric,
or nearly so, therewith. The edge of it next the saw is sharp, or
nearly so, and it is gradually thicker towards the back, for the purpose
of so spreading the plank as to prevent binding or rubbing against the
edge of the saw. The plank f, is presented to the edge of the saw by
two sets of rollers, the one set F, F, F', constituting the guide or bed
rollers. They are mounted in a frame G, which can slide laterally
in the main frame, and be adjusted to determine the thickness of one
part of the plank to be slit, by means of a set screw g. One, F', of
these rollers has its lower journal connected with a vertical shaft J,
in the lower part of the frame by a rod K, and two universal joints,
so that the roller may be changed in position, and still receive motion
from the said shaft J; which shaft has a spur wheel L, which engages
with another spur wheel M, of equal diameter, on another shaft N,
which carries a bevel wheel P, engaging with a corresponding bevel
wheel O, on the shaft of a band wheel Q, over which passes a band R,
from a pulley on the end of one of a pair of conical pulleys which
receive motion by a band S, from the shaft of the saw. In this way
the feed motion for the plank is obtained, and the conical pulleys
admit of varying the feed in the usual manner. By the side of the
rollers just described is the other set T, T, T, mounted two in one
frame -U, and the third in another frame, V; and the two frames are

page_text: connected by a strong spring W, with an adjusting screw X,
by means of which the two sets of rollers can be brought nearer
together or further apart, to suit the thickness of the timber to be slit
or re-sawed, the spring giving the requisite play to the rollers to
enable then to adapt themselves to the varying thickness of the plank
as it passes through, whilst at the same time its tension should be
sufficient to bend out of the plank any warps, and ensure its presenta-
tion to the edge of the saw in a proper manner, so that one part of the
plank, when it is slit, shall be of equal and uniform thickness. The
roller T, of this set is connected with the shaft N, by means of a
rod Y, and two universal joints, so that one of the rollers of each set
taken together act as feed rollers to propel the plank towards the saw,
although this gearing may be dispensed with, and the plank be fed
forward by, other known niechanical means, such as an endless chain.
When the two geared rollers are used for the purpose of feeding the
plank one or both of them should be fluted.
I claim the employment, substantially as and for the purpose
specified, of a circular saw with both faces convex, whether the said
convexity is produced in a solid plate, or made by securing other plates
to the sides of a saw constructed in the usual way, when this is com-
bined with the guide or gauge E, for spreading apart the plank or
other timber to prevent the binding of the saw.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-
sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
sické hundred and fifty-three.
A. E. L. BELLFORD. (L.S.)