Improvements in or relating to Rasp and File Cutting Machinery.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb.,
1895
Improvements in or relating to Rasp and File Cutting
Machinery.
I, AMBROSE SHARDLOW, of Ealing Works, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Yorkshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for object; improvements in or relating to rasp and file
cutting machinery.
The machine consists of a base with a head carrying a shaft in or by which the
various motions to the moving mechanism, or appliances are operated, said base
also having a side cheek, on or from which a travelling bed can be carried, either
for straight or for a rocking travel according to the shape of the rasp or file to be
cut. In some cases, the motion can vary or diminish in the length of the rasp or
file blank, such as with "half round points" or "cabinets." Över or above the
bed, the head carries a plunger governed by a spring or springs preferably near
the bottom of the plunger for giving the necessary blows to the punch or tool which
fits a lower socket or holder with a yielding spring at the back, the upper part of
said plunger being arranged for adjustment by a worm and wheel from a hand wheel
within easy reach of an attendant.
The tool holder slides in the socket under the action of a feed cam and levers
from gearing operated by a link and rod of the main shaft, the feed being inter-
mittent by ratchet and paul.
The feed cam has its edge irregular, and its circumference is struck from
various centres, the roller which bears against it being of eccentric formation.
The ratchet is on the end of tool operating shaft, and can be readily removed.
for the fixing of another for change of cut.
The carrier bed is at an angle, and the rasp or file blank is arranged to travel
downwardly by screw and coupling nut, but side angle travel either straight or
curved can be provided for to accommodate the machine for straight, half round,.
or other shape of blank. The blank carrier is in connection with a chain, a hand
wheel, and a weight for returning the carrier when a cut rasp or file has to be
removed, and a fresh blank put in place.
The handles for all the appliances for effecting the various operations, are within
easy reach of an attendant from one side of the machine in order that he may have
perfect control without shifting his position.
D 1
.הנ
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Ambrose Shardlow.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Rasp and File Cutting
Machinery.
I, AMBROSE SHARDLOW, of Ealing Works, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Yorkshire,
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 has for object improvements in or relating to rasp and file
cutting machinery.
"
The machine consists of a base with a head carrying a shaft in or by which the
various moving mechanism or appliances are operated, said base also having a side
cheek on or from which a travelling bed can be carried either for horizontal or for
an angular rocking travel according to the kind of rasp or file to be cut.
In some
cases the motion can vary or diminish in the length of the rasp or file blank such
as with "half round points or " cabinets." Over or above the bed, the head
carries a plunger governed by a spring or springs preferably near the bottom of
the plunger for giving the necessary blows to the punch or tool which fits a lower
socket on holder with a yielding spring at the back, the upper part of said plunger
being arranged for adjustment by a worm and wheel from a hand wheel within
easy reach of an attendant.
The tool holder slides in the socket under the action of a feed cam and levers
from gearing operated by a link and rod of the main shaft, the feed being inter-
mittent by ratchet and paul.
The feed cam has its edge irregular and its circumference is struck from various
centres, to give irregularity to position of teeth and thereby avoid straight rows in
the length of the rasp.
The ratchet is on the end of the tool operating shaft and can be readily removed
for the fixing of another for change of cut.
The carrier bed is at an angle and the rasp or file blank is arranged to travel
downwardly by screw and coupling nut but side angle travel either straight or
curved can be provided for to accommodate the machine for straight, half round, or
other shape of blank.
The blank carrier is in connection with a chain, a hand wheel, and a weight for
returning the carrier when a cut rasp or file has to be removed and a fresh blank
put in place.
The handles for all the appliances for effecting the various operations are within
easy reach of an attendant from one side of the machine in order that he may have
perfect control without shifting his position.
My invention will be clearly understood upon reference to the accompanying
3 sheets of drawings in which like parts are designated by like letters throughout the
several views of which
Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a front elevation of a rasp cutting machine with its
head in section to show the spring adjusting mechanism more fully.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the left hand side of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a
similar elevation of the right hand side.
For the purpose of obtaining a more comprehensive grasp of the construction
and operation of the machine, I have divided the different actions under the
following headings, viz. :
1. Construction and operation of the file punching or cutting mechanism.
2. Method of feeding the blank in the direction of its length and varying the
pitch of cut.
3. Means for moving the punch or cutter transversely across the blank, and
varying the pitch of cut.

page_text: 1. The construction and action under the first heading consists of a head A
preferably cast in one piece with the general framework of the machine, and within
which is fitted a hollow sleeve B formed with an externally cut screw C for move-
ment up or down by the wheel D that fits over the screw C of the sleeve B as a
nut, and which when turned by means of the hand wheel E and worm F causes the
sleeve B to compress the springs G, G, more or less according to the size and depth
of cut required.
The plunger H has its movement in the guide bearings J, J, under the action of
the beforementioned springs G, G, and an involute cam K fixed upon the end of
the main driving shaft L, and so arranged relatively to the plunger that it engages
with a projection M of a sleeve N which moves in the bearings J, J. The plunger H
moves in the sleeve N and has a tongue H which projects through a slot N² in the
sleeve N and comes into contact with the middle portion K2 of the cam K at the
same time as the projection M; but as will be seen on reference to Figure 1A
the plunger H falls first and gives a light blow by the small spring for the punch
to enter a little way into the blank after which the outside edges of the cam breaking
contact with the projection M causes the sleeve to fall on the shoulder of the
plunger, the outer or strong spring by its expansion giving a second blow to drive
the punch to the required depth.
The tool or punch P is held in the socket Q by the set screw R, said socket Q
having a transverse movement in the holder S forming part of or affixed to the end
of the plunger H. The holder S moves in the guide T and can be lifted by a
cam U when the handle V is moved and by sliding the lever W into a notch X
of the holder S it is held in a raised position to enable the attendant to check
the fall of the plunger at will so as to punch round the name or mark on the
blanks.
Assuming that a blank is fixed in the position shown in Figure 1 and the punch
is set free for action, the attendant by his foot then depresses the lever A' which
being pivoted to a pedestal or bracket B¹ and connected by a rod D' to the forked
lever E forces the cone F of the friction clutch in contact for motion to be
imparted to the shaft L by the pulley G¹ from any source of power.
As the
shaft L turns it will cause the involute cam K by its engagement with the projec-
tion M to raise the plunger H, holder S, socket Q, and punch P, and thereby
compress the springs G, G, which as soon as the major arc of the involute cam
passes the projection suddenly forces the punch P in the blank to a depth
corresponding to the amount of compression put upon the springs G, G, by the hand
wheel E.
The punch socket Q is not rigidly held in the holder S but has a yielding action
imparted to it by the spring H¹.
2. The method of feeding the blank in the direction of its length and varying
the pitch of cut consists in making the table J' upon which the "blank" is secured,
slidable in the groove K' of the bed Y, said bed being formed with a slot Li
through which passes the depending cheek M of the table J and is connected by
means of say a nut to the feeding screw N. The end of the screw N¹ is fitted with
a bevil wheel P¹ that gears with the bevil wheel Q¹ fixed to one end of a spindle
carried by the bracket R', the other end having a ratchet wheel S₁ which is inter-
mittently operated by the spring paul T that is pivoted to the lever U¹. One end
of a screw link V₁ is connected to the lever U₁ and is adjustable in a slot W₁
thereof, and the other end is connected to another lever X' carried upon the end of
a spindle supported by the bearing Y¹. The opposite end of this spindle is fitted
with a nose piece Z¹ that engages a notch a cut in the rod b that slides in guides c, c,
and is depressed at every revolution of the countershaft f by a cam d and lifted by
the rebound of the spring e. The countershaft is supported in bearings g, g, and
is revolved by either one of the pinions h, i, j, ou the main shaft L which gear with
the wheels k, l, m, respectively. These wheels and pinions are of varying diameters
and only one couple are in gear at one time such as the pinion with the wheel/
shown more particularly in Figure 3.

page_text: The pinions h, i, are fixed upon a sleeve p that slides upon a feather in the shaft L
and movable by a handle q to withdraw the pinion out of gear with the wheel
and cause the larger pinion to gear with the wheel k should an increased rate of
feed be required. If however, a slower feed is wanted, then the pinion is moved
into gear with the wheel m, the pinion remaining in gear with the wheel k but
the handle on the opposite side is moved over to disengage a clutch s from the
wheel k, thereby allowing said wheel to freely revolve upon the countershaft f
without affecting its motion.
The pitch between the series of cuts in the direction of the length of the blank
is regulated by causing the table J¹ to move a greater or less distance by a change
of ratchet wheels, a wheel having a greater number of teeth being substituted if a
close pitch is required, or with a less number of teeth if a wide pitch is wanted as
by this means the screw will be rotated more or less at each operation, as the case
may be.
3. The feed of the punch P transversely across the blank is effected by means of
an eccentric t keyed in position upon the main shaft L which when rotated imparts
motion to the lever u for the spring paul v to engage and intermittently rotate
the ratchet wheel w fixed upon one end of a spindle a carried by the bearings y, y.
About midway between the bearings is a mitre wheel that gears with a similar
wheel z fixed to a shaft that carries a cam a¹ with its circumference struck with
different radii, said cam a' bears against a roller fixed at the lower end of a
lever e¹. The lever e¹ is mounted upon a pin or pivot projecting from and
forming part of the lever d', said lever e' has a slot in the top end for adjustably
attaching one end of a link 2, the other end being connected to the slider
which is attached to the tool socket Q in any convenient manner and to which
is imparted a transverse movement in its holder S in the manner hereinafter
described.
The lower end of the lever e¹ carries a roller b¹ which is kept in contact with the
cam a by the pull of a spring g', the tension being regulated by means of the
screw hook h¹.
The lever d' is pivoted at its top end to the main frame of the machine and
is connected at its lower end to a rod a³ that passing through the bed of the
machine terminates in a screwed end upon which is fitted a screw wheel 6³.
Assuming that a taper blank is to be cut, the link 2 is adjusted in the slot ¹ to
cause the bar j¹ to travel a distance equal to the widest part of the blank, as the
cutting proceeds, and the blank is fed longitudinally down the bed, the blank
becomes narrower as it proceeds, the attendant therefore can by screwing the
wheel 3 draw the rod a³, and thereby shift the position of the pin upon which the
lever e¹ is mounted, and consequently limit the travel of the punch to the right as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3A. The travel to the left is caused by the
pull of the spring g¹ but is limited by the pin 2 of the roller b' abutting against
the end of the slot c¹, within which it works.
The cam a¹ is so struck with different radii as to allow the punch to fall at
relatively different places across the blank upon the out and return transverse
movement of the same, thereby avoiding straight rows or gaps in the length of
the rasp.
The weight of the table J' is counterbalanced by a weight m¹ that is connected
to the end of the table J¹ by a chain n' passing over a pulley p¹, so that when one
rasp has been finished and another blank is inserted, it is only necessary to disengage
the nut from the screw NI by turning the handle q¹ to enable the attendant by
turning the wheel to bring the table back to its original position with the blank
under the tool.
The bed is arranged at an incline or angle to the vertical centre of the
machine, and it is also arranged at an angle to the horizontal centre. The vertical
angularity of the bed Y can be altered at will by slacking the nut and moving it
upon the wheel spindle h³ as a centre to give a greater or less angularity to the
teeth of the rasp.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for cutting rasps or files, the particular method of and arrange-
ment of appliances for imparting a cutting action to a tool or punch, and regulating
the percussive force of said tool or punch, as shown in the drawings and described
under the first heading of the Specification.
2. In a machine for cutting rasps and files, the particular arrangement of
appliances for feeding the file blank in the direction of its length, and varying the
pitch or distance between each cut, as shown and described under the second
heading.
3. In a machine for cutting rasps and files, the particular arrangement of
appliances for feeding or moving the punch or cutter transversely across the blank,
and varying the pitch or distance between each cut and giving an irregularity to
the rows of teeth as regards the length of the rasp, as shown and described under
the third heading.
4. In a machine for cutting rasps and files, the combination of the appliances
referred to in the preceding claims, all acting in their sequential order for cutting
teeth in a blank fixed upon an automatic travelling table that is arranged at an
angle to the vertical and horizontal centres of the machine, as described and
shown.
H. GARDNER,
. Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Ambrose Shardlow.