AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL PLANING MACHINES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
I, FRANCIS BERNARD WELCH of Manchester Chambers, Market Street, Manchester
in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL PLANING MACHINES" to be as
follows:-
--
This invention applies principally to metal planing machines employed for planing
the edges of metal plates and relates to a device to be employed for securing the plate
to the bed of the machine during the operation of planing its edges.
The plates are usually secured to the bed of the planing machine by a beam provided
with a number of screw bolts, each of which has to be tightened separately, which upon
a long plate, and especially such as may be slightly bent or cast entails a considerable
expenditure of time and trouble.
My invention consists in providing the above named beam with a suitable number
of small cylinders in connection with a hydraulic main or other convenient source of
hydraulic pressure, each cylinder being furnished with a hydraulic ram.
The simple admission of water into the cylinders will force out all the rams
simultaneously, and the latter will hold the plate to be planed securely against the bed.
The rams are provided with projecting flanges or collars, and the cylinders with
suitable glands, forming annular spaces into which water is also admitted from the
main; and thus upon turning off the pressure from the top or head of the ram, the
water beneath these flanges will raise the said rams simultaneously and the plate will
thus be released from the bed.
It will be understood that the pressure above the hydraulic rams when turned on
will overcome the pressure below the flanges.
1000
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improvement in the Construction of Metal Planing Machines.
I FRANCIS BERNARD WELCH of Manchester Chambers Market Street Manchester
in the County of Lancaster Engineer 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:-
This invention applies principally to metal planing machines employed for planing
the edges of metal plates, and relates to a device to be employed for securing the plate
to the bed of the machine during the operation of planing its edges.
The plates are usually secured to the bed of the planing machine by a beam provided
with a number of screw bolts each of which has to be tightened separately which upon
a long plate, and especially such as may be slightly bent, or cast, entails a considerable
expenditure of time and trouble.
The object of my invention is to save this time and trouble and to afford means for
securing the plate from end to end by a single operation.
The nature of my invention consists principally in the employment of hydraulic
pressure for this purpose, and the manner in which the same may be carried into
practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the annexed sheet of drawings
and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. in the annexed drawing is an elevation of the bed of a planing machine
showing the application of invention thereto.
my
a, a is the bed of the machine and b, the beam employed for holding down the
plate whilst its edges are being planed. This beam b, b instead of being provided with
a series of screw bolts as usual is fitted with a number of small cylinders c, c which
may be either bolted thereto or cast therewith, and these cylinders are in connection
with a hydraulic main or other convenient source of hydraulic pressure. Each of
these cylinders being furnished with a hydraulic ram d, d.
The simple admission of the water into the cylinders will force out all the rams
simultaneously and the latter will hold the plate (to be planed) securely against the
bed notwithstanding any irregularity of thickness or shape which may occur in the
length of the plate.
One of these hydraulic cylinders is shown detached, and drawn to a larger scale
at Fig. 2: the cylinder e is provided with an upper inlet at c¹ and a lower inlet at c²
each of which can be used as an outlet when required.
The ram d, d is provided with a projecting annular collar e, e which acts as a piston,
and the upper part of the ram is of a smaller diameter than the lower part by which
means the upper surface of the piston e, e has a larger area presented to the pressure
of the water than the under surface thereof, and hence if both inlets c¹ and c² are open
the excess of pressure above the collar or piston e, e will cause the ram to be projected
as shown at Fig. 2.

page_text: The upper part of the ram d, d passes out of the cylinder through a gland or
stuffing box ff and the lower part is provided with a hydraulic cup-leather g, g.
When it is desired to remove the plate the pressure is taken off from the
upper
side of the collars or pistons e, e of all the cylinders by means of a suitable tap which
converts the inlet c' into an outlet passage and the pressure below the collars or pistons
will then raise all the rams simultaneously and release the plate from the bed a, a.
It will be obvious that the same effect may be produced by having only one inlet
for the hydraulic pressure to force down the rams, and they may be raised by means
of springs, weights or other mechanical equivalent.
In cases where it is occasionally required to leave a plate in the machine all night
or for a considerable time a simple locking arrangement may be devised for holding
all the rams in position so as to obviate the effects of possible leakage or reduction of
pressure.
I would also remark that it will be evident that my invention is equally applicable
for other analogous purposes such as holding down plates on the bed of a drilling
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination with the holding-down beam of a plate planing machine of a
series of hydraulic rams (in place of the ordinary holding down screws) substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
T
5 TA 1
1007
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.