Improvements in Machines for Grinding Dies and Work-holders Used in the Manufacture of Cutlery, applicable also to other purpose.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Grinding Dies and Work-holders Used
in the Manufacture of Cutlery, applicable also to other purpose.
I, JOSEPH NATHANIEL NUTT, of 3, Market Place, Derby, in the County of
Derby, Secretary to Charles Peach & Co., Ltd., do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The blades of table knifes, as generally formed, taper along the back edge
from the thickest part at the handle to the point of the blade, while the cutting
edge is of substantially uniform thickness from end to end.
The blade also has a transverse taper from its thick back edge to its thinner
cutting edge, which we will for convenience refer to as the twist of the surface,
the amount of said transverse taper gradually decreasing from the handle end
of the blade to the point thereof in accordance with the longitudinal taper of
the back edge.
The faces of the blades having these characteristics while usually and prefer-
ably slightly convex in a transverse direction, may also be straight.
In rolling or otherwise forging knife blank blades to impart thereto the form
above referred to, it is customary to employ dies, the acting surfaces of which
have been ground to the proper corresponding form.
Heretofore these dies have been ground entirely by hand, so far as I am
aware; that is to say, the workman holds the die in his hand and by proper
movements thereof against the grinding wheel endeavours to impart the desired
shape to the acting surface. The proper manipulation of the work under such
circumstances requires the greatest skill and experience, and even these quali-
fications in the workman fail to produce anything approximating satisfactory
results.
The object of my present invention is to provide a machine for grinding the
acting surfaces of dies such as above referred to, whether straight or curved, in
the operation of which little, if any, dependence is placed
operator, and whereby the desired results can be attained the skill of the
precision, accuracy and uniformity.
with mechanical
Said machine is also adapted for grinding surfaces other than the acting sur-
faces of dies having the peculiarities above referred to, as for example, the face
of a plate against which one face of a knife blade rests while the opposite face
is being ground or polished. These plates, in order to prevent yielding, spring-
ing, or rocking of the blade with relation to the knife-holder, must closely con-
form to the shape of the blade.
With this object in view, the principal novel features of my machine reside
in the relative arrangement of the grinding wheel and work-holder, according
to whether the surface is to be ground straight, convex or concave in a trans-
verse direction, and in means for tilting the work-holder with relation to the
grinding surface, (or vice versa,) whereby the desired twist is imparted to the
surface ground.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I provide a frame having suitable bearings
formed thereon for the shaft of a ring-shaped grinding wheel, a table is formed
on the said frame having suitable ways thereon in which a slide is adapted to
be moved in a direction parallel with the axis of the grinding wheel, by hand
wheel and screw, whereby the work-holder may be adjusted to compensate for
wear on the face of the grinding-wheel; a turntable is mounted to rotate on a
pivot on the said table and may be moved by hand or by any suitable well-
known mechanism.
A work-holder of rectangular form fits closely in a transverse recess in the
upper face of the turn-table resting at its forward end on a fulcrum point pro-
jecting upwardly from the said turn-table, and at its rear end supported by an
adjusting screw passing therethrough and bearing against a curved inclined
track on the table.
This track has pins on its underside engaging openings in the top of the afore-
said table whereby the track may be readily removed and replaced by one of
opposite or different inclination, according to the twist that it is desired to
impart to the surface being ground. The work, such as a die block, is held in
place by clamping screws.
From the foregoing description it will be observed that the work-holder is so
mounted that a line drawn through its axis of rotation and at right angles to the
plane of the flat face of the grinding wheel intersects said plane at a point out-
side of the periphery of said wheel, so that the work-holder in rotating on its
axis will feed the work across the flat face of the curved peripheral edge of the
grinding wheel, whereby a concave surface is ground, the line of travel of the
work and work-holder with reference to the flat grinding surface being approxi-
mately in the direction of a line forming an angle of less than 90° with the said
surface. When it is desired to grind a convex surface, the work-holder may be
correspondingly arranged with reference to the inner edge of a ring-shaped grind-
ing wheel.
Also, by arranging the work-holder so that the line intersects the flat surface
of the wheel, a transversely straight surface may be ground.
The rotation of the work-holder on its axis causes the adjusting screw to
travel up or down the inclined track thereby tilting the work-holder from a
practically horizontal position, when the set screw rests on the lowest point of the
track, to a position of maximum inclination when said set screw rests on the
highest point of the track.
This tilting of the' work-holder imparts the twist to the surface ground.
In applying my invention to grinding the surfaces of other dies or plates the
rotary work-holder herein before described is displaced by a work-holder to
which the work is secured by screws (or otherwise held). Said work-holder and
the work carried thereby are adapted to be moved by hand along suitable tracks,
the former being formed on a plate which takes the place of the turn-table of
the construction already described. One track is cut away to expose the work
to the action of the grinding, wheel and the other track is pivotted so as to be
inclined in one direction or the other according to the end of the die or block
at which the twist is to begin and whereby the same mechanism may be used for
forming pairs of dies or plates.
An adjusting screw passing through the extremity of work-holder runs on
the latter track.
In the same construction just described, as in the previously described con-
struction, the line of travel of the work in moving across the edge of the grind-
ing wheel is on a line forming an angle of less than 90° with the plane of the
flat surface of the grinding-wheel, and whereby, in the arrangement described
the work is ground with a lateral concavity, while the travel of the adjusting
screw on the track tilts the work-holder to impart the desired twist to the surface
ground.
As described in connection with the work-holder first mentioned this latter

page_text: work-holder and plate may also be arranged in such manner that a transversely.
straight or convex surface may be ground.
Modifications of the precise constructions herein described may be made within
wide limits without departing from my invention.
Dated this 28th day of September 1898.
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machines for Grinding Dies and Work-holders Used
in the Manufacture of Cutlery, applicable also to other purposes.
I, JOSEPH NATHANIEL NUTT, of 3, Market Place, in the County Borough of
-Derby, Secretary to Charles Peach and Company Limited, 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:
The blades of table knives, as generally formed, taper along the back edge
from the thickest part at the handle to the point of the blade, while the cutting
edge is of substantially uniform thickness from end to end.
The blade also has a transverse taper from its thick back edge to its thinner
cutting edge, which we will for convenience refer to as the twist of the surface,
the amount of said transverse taper gradually decreasing from the handle end
of the blade to the point thereof in accordance with the longitudinal taper of
the back edge.
The faces of the blades having these characteristics while usually and prefer-
ably slightly convex in a transverse direction, may also be straight.
In rolling or otherwise forging knife. blank blades to impart thereto the form
above referred to, it is customary to employ dies, the acting surfaces of which
have been ground to the proper corresponding form.
Heretofore these dies have been ground entirely by hand, so far as I am
aware that is to say, the workman holds the die in his hand and by proper
movements thereof against the grinding wheel endeavours to impart the desired
shape to the acting surface. The proper manipulation of the work under such
circumstances requires the greatest skill and experience, and even these quali-
fications in the workman fail to produce anything approximating satisfactory
results.
The object of my present invention is to provide a machine for grinding the
acting surfaces of dies such as above referred to, whether straight or curved, in
the operation of which little, if any, dependence is placed upon the skill of the
operator, and whereby the desired results can be attained with mechanical
precision, accuracy and uniformity.
Said machine is also adapted for grinding surfaces other than the acting sur-
faces of dies having the peculiarities above referred to, as for example, the face
of a plate against which one face of a knife blade rests while the opposite face
is being ground or polished. These plates, in order to prevent vielding, spring-
ing, or rocking of the blade with relation to the knife-holder, must closely con-
form to the shape of the blade.
With this object in view, the principal novel features of my machine reside
in the relative arrangement of the grinding wheel and work-holder, according
to whether the surface is to be ground straight, convex or concave in a trans-
verse direction, and in means for tilting the work-holder with relation to the
grinding surface, (or vice versa,) whereby the desired twist is imparted to the
surface ground.

page_text: These features of my invention as well as others of importance will be fully
understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a view in elevation of two dies adapted for use in a rolling machine
for rolling knife blades or similar articles, the acting surfaces of said dies being
curved circumferentially,
Figure 2 represents five sectional views taken on the dotted radial lines 1, 2,
3, 4 and 5 of Fig. 1 respectively, beginning with the sectional view to the extrem
left,
Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 of a straight form of div
or plate.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention,
Figure 6 is a side elevation partly in section, the section being taken on line 6,
Fig. 5,
Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view on line 7, Fig. 5,
Figure 8 is an end elevation from the left of Fig. 5,
Figure 9 is a detail view of the grinding-wheel and slide shewing a work-
holder mounted thereon suitable for use in grinding dies or plates such as shewn
in Figs. 3 and 4,
Figure 10 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on line 10,
Fig. 9, and
Figure 11 is an elevation from the left of Fig. 9.
Referring to the drawings, A. represents the frame of the machine having
suitable bearings aa formed thereon for the shaft of the ring-shaped grinding-
wheel B. A¹ is a table formed on frame A and having suitable ways thereon
on which slide C is adapted to be moved in a direction parallel with the axis
of wheel B, by hand-wheel c and screw c¹, whereby the work-holder may be
adjusted to compensate for wear on the face of the grinding-wheel. Dis a
turn-table mounted to rotate on a pivot d on table A. It may be moved by
hand by means of handles d'd', or by any suitable well known mechanism (not
shown). A work-holder E of rectangular form fits closely in a transverse re-
cess e (see Fig. 7) in the upper face of turn-table 1), resting at its forward end
on a fulcrum point f, projecting upwardly from turn-table D), and at its rear
end supported by the adjusting screw g passing therethrough and bearing against
a curved inclined track on slide C. Track has pins h³ on its underside (sea
dotted lines Fig. 5) engaging openings in the top of slide C whereby the track
may be readily removed and replaced by one of opposite or different inclination
according to the twist that it is desired to impart to the surface being ground.
The work, such as die block (shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8) is held in
place by clamping screws ele².
From the foregoing description it will be observed that the work-holder is
so mounted that a line 6 Fig. 5 drawn through its axis of rotation and at right
angles to the plane of the flat face of the grinding-wheel intersects said plane
at a point outside of the periphery of said wheel, so that the work-holder in
rotating on its axis will feed the work across the flat face of the curved peri-
pheral edge of the grinding-wheel whereby a concave surface is ground, the line
of travel of the work and work-holder with reference to the flat grinding surface
being approximately in the direction of line, Fig. 5, forming an angle of less
than 90° with said surface. When it is desired to grind a convex surface, the
work-holder may be correspondingly arranged with reference to the inner edge
of a ring-shaped grinding-wheel. Also by arranging the work-holder so that the
line 6 intersects the flat surface of the wheel, a transversely straight surface may
be ground.
The rotation of the work-holder on its axis causes adjusting screw g to travel
up or down the inclined track h, thereby tilting the work-holder from a practi
cally horizontal position, when the set screw rests on the lowest point of the
track, to a position of maximum inclination when said set screw rests on the
highest point of the track.

page_text: This tilting of the work-holder imparts the twist to the surface ground.
In Figures 9 to 11, I have illustrated my invention as applied in grinding the
surfaces or dies or plates such as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, in which case the
rotary work-holder of Figs. 5 to 8 is displaced by a work-holder H to which
the work y is secured by screws h (or otherwise held). Said work-holder and
the work carried thereby are adapted to be moved by hand along suitable
tracks ik, the former formed on a plate L (which takes the place of turn-table D
of the construction shewn in Figs. 5-8). Track is cut away at i to expose
the work to the action of the grinding-wheel, and track is pivotted at 1 so as
to be inclined in one direction or the other according to the end of the die or
block y at which twist is to begin, and whereby the same mechanism, may be
used for forming pairs of dies or plates. Adjusting screw h¹ passing through
the extremity of work-holder H runs on track k.
In the construction just described (as in the construction of Figs. 5-8) the
line of travel of the work in moving across the edge of the grinding-wheel is on
a line forming an angle of less than 90° with the plane of the flat surface of the
grinding-wheel, and whereby, in the arrangement shewn, the work is ground
with a lateral concavity, while the travel of screw h¹ on track' k tilts the work-
holder to impart the desired twist to the surface ground.
As described in connection with the work-holder of Figs. 5-8, the work-
holder H and plate L may also be arranged in such manner that a transversely
straight or convex surface may be ground.
Modifications of the preciso constructions herein shewn and described may be
made within wide limits without departing from my invention.
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:―
1. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a mov-
able work-holder, means for guiding said work-holder so that its line of travel
in presenting the work to the action of the edge of the flat face of the grinding-
wheel will form an angle of less than 90° with said flat face, whereby the lateral.
curvature is imparted to the surface ground, and means (such as an inclined
track) for tilting the work-holder during its feed-movement, whereby the desired
twist may be imparted to the surface ground, substantially as described.
2. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel and a
movable work-holder arranged approximately at right angles to the flat face
surface of the grinding-wheel, means for guiding the work-holder during its
feed-movement, and means for tilting the work-holder to impart the desired
twist to the surface ground, substantially as described.
3. In a machine for grinding dies having guides so arranged as to impart such
movement to the die as will produce a concave and twisted surface thereon while
being fed across the grinding-wheel, substantially as described.
4. In a machine for grinding dies for shaping table knife blades and other
articles having guides so arranged as to impart such movements to the die with
reference to the grinding surface as to form a longitudinally curved and twisted
surface on the die, substantially as described.
5. In a machine for grinding dies for the manufacture of table knife blades,
means for guiding the die across the grinding surface of a suitable grinding-
wheel and for imparting such movement to the die as that a twisted surface will
be formed thereon, substantially as described.
.
6. In a machine for grinding dies for shaping table knife blades, means for
guiding the die across the grinding-wheel and for imparting such movement to
the die as will produce a concave and twisted surface thereon, substantially as
described.
7. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a
movable work-holder mounted to tilt on a suitable support at one end, and

page_text: means (such as an inclined track) for raising or lowering the other end of the
work-holder to tilt the same at varying angles with reference to the grinding-
wheel during its feed-movement, substantially as described.
8. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a
movable work-holder mounted to tilt on a suitable support at one end thereof
adjacent to the grinding-wheel, and an inclined track on which the work-holder
is supported at its other end substantially as described.
9. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a work-
holder mounted to rotate on a suitable axis and to tilt on a suitable support at
one end thereof, of means (such as an inclined track) for raising or lowering
the other end of the work-holder on rotation thereof, substantially as described.
10. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a
work-holder mounted to rotate on an axis so located with reference, to the flat
grinding face of the wheel that a line drawn through said axis and parallel to
the axis of rotation of the grinding-wheel intersects the plane of the flat face
of the grinding-wheel at a point outside of the periphery of said wheel, and
means for tilting the work-holder during its rotary feed-movement, substantially
as described.
.
11. In a grinding machine, the combination with a ring-shaped grinding-
wheel, of a work-holder mounted to rotate on an axis so located with reference
to the flat grinding face of the wheel that a line drawn through the axis of rota-
tion of the work-holder and parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel intersects
the plane of the flat grinding surface of the latter at a point outside of said sur-
face, and means for tilting the work-holder during, its rotary feed movement,
substantially as described.
12. In a grinding machine, the combination with the grinding-wheel, of a
movable work-holder mounted to tilt on a suitable support at one end thereof,
and a pivotted track on which the holder moves at its other end adapted by move-
ment on its pivot to be inclined in opposite directions, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of June 1899
W. SWINDELL,
Imperial Chambers, Albert Street, Derby,
Agent for the Applicant.