IMPROVED MACHINES FOR TURNING, BORING, SHAPING, GRINDING, AND POLISHING METAL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Robertson, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVED
MACHINES FOR TURNING, BORING, SHAPING, GRINDING, AND POLISHING METAL,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Robertson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th June 1871.
I, JAMES ROBERTSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED MACHINES FOR TURNING, BORING, SHAPING, GRINDING, AND
POLISHING METAL, STONE, GLASS, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES,” to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to new and improved combinations of mechanism
for accomplishing the operations of turning, boring, shaping, and polish-
ing metal, stone, glass, and other substances, such as are generally

page_text: done in the common turning lathe and on or by rotatory cutting and
grinding machines and tools.
The first part consists mainly in certain forms of face plates, drivers,
chucks, and cutter blocks or rings adapted to revolve in suitable guides
or bushes or on antifriction rollers without an axis spindle, such as is
used in the fixed headstocks of a common lathe. The face plate, chuck,
or driver thereby occupies less floor space, is readily accessible to turning
and boring tools on both sides, and possesses many working advantages
over similar chucks placed on a spindle in the fixed headstock of a
common lathe.
The second part of my Invention relates to new and improved
mechanism for shaping, grinding, and polishing articles, and consists in
forming internal annular hollow chucks or rings adapted to revolve at
high speeds in bushes, on antifriction rollers, or by being keyed on a
spindle and set in bushes, and filling the internal annular hollow space
with sand, emery, or other sharp granular matter, to which also may
be added water, acids, or other fluids. The centrifugal force com-
municated by the rings in motion to the grinding matter in the annular
space mainly holding it in position. An article presented to the surface
of or partially immersed in the said sharp or other granular matter
while in motion will be rapidly shaped and polished.
Under one modification of the first part of my Invention suitable for
face plate and chuck turning work, and for turning shafts and other
long articles on centres, the bed plate, moveable headstock, and slidė
rest may be similar to those of a common lathe. The fixed headstock
than the face plate
consists of a standard somewhat larger in diameter
and about the same thickness or somewhat less than the face plate.
The standard or headstock is bored out to the full diameter of the face
plate, by preference slightly tapering or conical, and is formed with slots
cored out at various points throughout its circumference to receive guiding
bush slips or wedges for maintaining the face plate in position. The
face plate is formed similar to the ordinary face plate of a lathe, but is
without the centre spindle boss having slot holes for bolts and dogheads
for fixing objects on it. The centre is fitted with an ordinary lathe
centre for turning shafts and spindles when required. The periphery
has wheel teeth or gearing cast on it, and a flange piece a little larger in
diameter than the diameter over the points of the teeth to form a collar
for guiding the face plate on the face of the headstock or standard. The

page_text: points of the teeth and the periphery are to be turned so as to make an
easy fit for the internal tapering rim surface of the headstock, and are
to be placed in it in this state. A groove is to be cut in the periphery
of the face plate for the insertion of the bush or collar slips to be
inserted through slots in the periphery of the rim of the standard into
the groove in the periphery of the face plate, being also made adjustable,
whereby to cause the face plate to revolve without injurious side play
in its bearing. When turning objects supported on centres a back stay
and back centre to relieve the friction from the rim of the face plate is
also provided. A recess is cast in the periphery of the standard at the
back part of the rim of the standard, in which is placed a toothed pinion
which is keyed on a spindle, and made to gear into the teeth cast in the
periphery of the face plate, and the spindle of this pinion made to work
in suitable bearings affixed to the standard or lathe bed, and provided
with a lathe speed belt cone or with reducing gear like a common lathe;
toothed back speed reducing gear may also be provided where slow
motions are required.
Instead of the headstock being cast in one piece and the face plate
fitted in as described, the rim of the headstock can be formed of two or
more pieces bolted together, and the periphery of the face plate may be
formed with collars to act on both sides of the headstock, or be formed
vee shape, or with a number of vee grooves, the internal surface of the
headstock being formed correspondingly.
Any number of face plates may be used for one headstock for
variously shaped objects, and be readily interchangeable when required,
and the actuating gear may also be placed on the side of the face plate,
and may consist of toothed, spur, bevel, worm wheel, frictioned or belt
gearing.
One very advantageous application of lathe of this kind having the
face plate with a large hole cored out of the centre of it, consists in
presenting the inside of the object, such as a wheel placed on the face.
plate to a tool guided by a slide rest or other means for facing or turning
it through the hole in the face plate, while it is being turned and bored
by another slide rest placed at the other and ordinary working side of
the face plate.
For boring and boring mill purposes it will be an advantage to cause
a boring bar to pass through a hole in the centre of the face plate, and
have sliding guides placed on the bed at each side of the face plate to be
2

page_text: passed or fed through the object to be bored by screw feed gear or other
means automatically from the revolving chuck or by hand..
When boring cylinders the cylinder may be inserted half through the
hole or opening in the centre of the face plate, and made to revolve
whilst the boring bar and block or tool is being fed through the cylinder.
Tools worked by slide rests or other means can be applied to face and
turn up simultaneously both of the flanged ends.
The cylinder or other objects can be readily fixed on knee plates.
bolted to the face plates, or the face plates or chucks for boring mill
purposes can be formed like a bell chuck, or provided with screws and
dogheads in any of the well-known methods of fixing the ordinary
objects operated on in common lathes.
The openings through these face plates may be also made oblong or
otherwise shaped to suit particular objects, their easy and inexpensive
adaptability being very advantageous for many kinds of work. The bar
guide brackets can also be bent back out of the way of the slide rests,
and the same headstock used for chuck work on both sides of the chuck
or face plate.
These simple lathes from their occupying so little space can with
much advantage in many cases be placed on the bed of common lathes,
which have frequently bed room to spare, and instead of having a guide
bracket at both sides of the face plate for a boring bar a long one at
one side will be suitable for some descriptions of work.
The slide rest saddle can be supported from the inside of the head-
stock while it is made to operate on an object fixed on the outside of the
face plate, and thereby be made to answer for the same kind of work as
a break bed lathe in turning articles of large diameter.
To save floor space the speed gear of these lathes can be placed
underneath the headstock in the bed or in a suitable space or tunnel
underneath the floor, leaving the narrow headstock only where the work
is to be done, and it is intended to use varying speed frictional motions
as well as ordinary lathe speed cone motions.
These lathe headstocks by having a series of cutters fixed in the
face plate and made to revolve as described are very suitable and
advantageous for facing flat surfaces by traversing an object across them
by hand or automatically by any well-known description of lathe feed
gear; the objects being operated on being placed on a sliding. saddle or

page_text: rest in the ordinary way, a cutter or set of these facing cutters can be
fixed on each side of the revolving face plate and objects fixed on
separate slide rests placed at each side and traversed onwards and across
the revolving tools. The headstocks can also be fitted with eccentric
pieces and slides for being automatically worked so as to turn objects
oval or irregular shaped or to present objects to revolving drills for
slotting out articles to various shapes whilst at the same time the simple
face plate can be fixed in the same headstock for doing ordinary turning
and boring work for facing both ends or sides of objects, or a number
of objects to one size, or for large objects, like building stones. They
may be inserted through openings in the face plate near the periphery
and tools made to operate at both sides simultaneously.
Instead of the peripheries of the face plates and chucks being placed
in sliding guides or bushes as described they may be supported on
antifriction rollers, and a vee shaped groove may be cut in the periphery
of the face plate or disc for holding it in its position laterally, and in
this arrangement a wedge shaped frictional pulley may be keyed on the
driving spindle to work in the vee groove or grooves in the periphery of
the face plate to actuate it by frictional contact instead of toothed or
belt gear. In these arrangements of lathe headstocks and boring mills
the face plates and chucks support overhanging weights mainly by
guiding and resisting surfaces and pullies with the plane of their guiding
surfaces placed at right angles to the axis line of the face plate and
lathe instead of parallel to the axis as guided by the bushes of a common
lathe. This mechanical difference of the action of the guiding bushes
necessarily accompanies this arrangement of rotating chucks and face
plates.
Under the second part of my Invention one modification consists of
a chuck or disc with a rim and flange turned up inwards a short
distance, so as to form an internal annular cavity for the reception of
'sand or other sharp granular matter. The chuck is to be bored out
truly and keyed on a spindle provided with a belt pulley or other
rotative gear to communicate to it swift motion. When in motion the
annular cavity is filled with the grinding material, which will readily fill
the annular space. A shield and trough may be provided to retain the
grinding material and prevent it from flying off at the sides. When
filled and in action there will be little tendency to fly off at the sides,
the centrifugal force causing the material to keep within the annular

page_text: recess in which it is placed. To further secure it in its position the
annular recess may be of a dovetail form in cross section.
Instead of granular matter pieces of sandstone or other solid grinding
substances may be filled in for some grinding purposes, the internal
arrangement of these rings also providing a safe arrangement for
working at high speeds with solids as well as granular matter, and also
providing the means of retaining water on their surface.
For some purposes it will be an advantage to place a lining of india-
rubber or other soft substance and work with a small quantity of
grinding materials.
For shaping and polishing irregular surfaces, shaping and polishing
pieces may be placed in the annular space to give to the sand any
required formation before the object to be ground is presented to it.
Instead of the said chucks or rings being mounted on spindles they
may be set in bushes or placed on antifriction rollers in a similar way
to the lathe face plates described in the above first part, thereby securing
the advantage of free access to both sides of the revolving grinding
materials placed in the said chucks or rings. The axis line of these
chucks or rings may be in a horizontal or vertical position, and for
grinding purposes it will be an advantage for retaining the grinding
materials and fluids while the chuck is at rest, and will be more
accessible, especially for light grinding purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBERTSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Robertson, Her special licence that I,
the said James Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: or such others as I, the said James Robertson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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,
5 within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Ohannel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINES FOR
TURNING, BORING, SHAPING, GRINDING, AND POLISHING METAL, STONE, GLASS,
AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Robertson, my executors or administrators, by an
) instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 James Robertson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying four
) Sheets of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to new and improved mechanism for accom-
plishing the operations of turning, boring, shaping, and polishing metal,
stone, glass, and other substances, such as are generally done in the
common turning lathe, and on or by rótatory cutting and grinding
machines or tools.
The first part consists mainly of certain forms of face plates, drivers,
chucks, and cutter blocks adapted to revolve in suitable guide bushes
or on antifriction rollers without an axis spindle, such as is used in
the fixed headstock of the common lathe. The face plate, chuck, or
driver thereby occupies less floor space, is readily accessible to turning
and boring on both sides, and possesses many working advantages over
similar chucks placed on a spindle in the fixed headstock of the
common lathe.
Under one modification of this part of my Invention suitable for
face plate and chuck turning work and for turning shafts and other
long articles on centres, the bed plate, moveable headstock, and slide
rest may be similar to those of the common lathe, of which on Sheet 1

page_text: of the Drawings hereunto appended Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing
fixed and moveable headstocks with the bed plate broken short; Fig. 2,
a plan of the fixed headstock with the bed plate broken off; Fig. 3, an
end elevation of the fixed headstock and bed plate; Fig. 4, a side
elevation of the fixed headstock and portion of the bed plate, showing
the face plate A, headstock B, and part of the bed plate O in section;
and Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of portion of the face plate A and its
driving pinion D gearing into the teeth formed in its periphery, being
in this example the mechanical means used in transmitting motion to
the face plate.
In describing the several modifications of my Invention in the four
Sheets of Drawings hereunto appended I shall use the same letters
of reference to denote like parts to avoid as far as possible needless
repitition in describing them.
The face plate A in this example is cast of the usual form of lathe
face plate for the facility of fixing objects to be revolved with and
turning upon it, and having the slots A¹, A¹, cast in it to receive bolts
and for placing and fixing dogheads, or for other means for securing
objects on the face plate. The actuating wheel teeth A' are in this
example cast in the centre of the breadth of the rim of the face plate,
shown by Figs. 4 and 5, and the points of the teeth and rim there shown
turned slightly conical; a strong flange A³ being formed and turned on
the face plate to act upon the face of the headstock B and secure it
from going too far inwards into the headstock, thus causing it to revolve
truly in its position. A groove A⚫ is cut in the periphery of A and the
faces on both sides trued up, and in this state said face plate B is
placed in the headstock. The headstock B is bored out truly to fit the
periphery of the face plate A accurately, but sufficiently easy to allow
it to revolve freely, the face of the headstock B being also turned or
faced to allow the flange A% of the face plate to work upon it truly.
The headstock B has, in this example, three slot holes formed in it
at about equal spaces on its circumference apart B¹, B', B¹, opposite
the groove A* formed in the periphery of the face plate, and into and
through which is inserted the brass wedge or tongue shaped guiding
pieces E, E, E, of which face and edge views are shrown in Fig. 6.
These guiding tongue pieces E project inwards beyond the rim of the
headstock into the groove A' formed in the periphery of the face
plate A and serve to secure the face plate in its position. A set.
.

page_text: screw E with jam nutt being placed opposite each in the rim of the
headstock B. The pinion D, shown in Figs. 3 and 5, gearing into the
teeth cast into the periphery of the face plate A is placed in a recess
formed in the rim of the headstock B and is keyed upon a spindle D',
which is carried by the bush bracket N, shown bolted to the headstock.
This spindle D' has keyed upon it the belt cone F to which motion is
transmitted through the spindle D' and pinion D to the face plate A.
The headstock B has formed on it a strong base flange bolted to the
bed plate C.
Motion being communicated to the face plate as described
any object fixed on the face plate A. by the dogheads A³, or any other
well-known means, can be operated on by turning or boring tools in
the same way as work can be done on the face plate of an ordinary
lathe. In this example of these new and improved lathe headstocks the
face plate has fitted in it an ordinary conical steel centre A' for carrying
shafts and other long objects in centres, and has also placed in the face
plate at the opposite side the flat steel centre piece A', on which is
made to act the back stay centre G supported by the back centre
stay G³, shown bolted to the headstock B, for relieving the end pressure
caused by the load on the centre A' from the flange A³ on the face
plate when objects are being carried on centres. The bed plate C, slide
rest H, saddle H³, and moveable headstock I being of the ordinary lathe
construction require no description. A shaft J is shown as an object
being operated upon or being turned by this application of these lathes.
The headstock B may have adjustable pads and set screws placed in its
periphery to adjust up for any wear that may take place on the acting
surfaces of the face plate A and headstock B, but it is preferred to
make them a good working fit to each other, and in that case the
wearing surface is so great as not to require adjusting for a long time.
The face plate being inexpensive is easily replaced if required. The
headstock may also have its bush rim in halves or sections bolted
together, and instead of the tapering or conical form of the working
surface shown they may be of V or other shape, but the conical form
shown answers thoroughly well and is both simple and inexpensive.
The back speed gear may have, instead of the arrangement shown, a
train of wheels, or be of the ordinary form of lathe back speed reducing
gear.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation and Fig. 8 an end elevation of a modifica-
tion with face plate A. formed with slot holes A¹ for bolts and dogheads,
as ornlained in connection with Fies 1. 2. 3. 4. and 5 but having a

page_text: back speed cone gear, which is reduced in speed by the pinion and spur
wheel F and F connected to the cone gear keyed upon the pinion
spindle D of the face plate, causes the cylinder to revolve and the feed
gear giving a slow motion on end to the boring bar K and boring
block K' boring out the cylinder smoothly. The boring bar is prevented
from revolving by a groove cut its entire length K³ and corresponding
feather fitted into the bushes G and G. Whilst the cylinder is being
bored out the flange J' is being turned up by the tool fixed in the
slide rest H; the flange J' at the opposite end of the cylinder may
also have a rest and tool operating on such cylinder at the same time,
thereby all these three parts of the cylinder are operated on at the same
time.
Various arrangements of back stays or guiding stays for carrying the
boring bar K. of these boring machine bars and feed gear may be made.
Instead of having one stay at each side, one at the back side of the face
plate only will be convenient for some descriptions of work affixed near
to the face plate with a long guiding bush. Objects, such as wheels,
when fixed on the face plate, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, on Sheet 1,
can be turned whilst being bored by a boring har tool being passed
through the eye of the wheel at the same time. Instead of the guiding
back stay being also bolted to the bed plate it-may only be fixed to the
headstock and leave the lathe, bed more accessible for the slide rest,
saddles being brought close to the face plate.
Fig. 11 is an end elevation and Fig. 12 a sectional plan of a lathe
face plate A and headstock, B, with the bed C broken off short. The
form of the face plate and headstock is similar to that described in
connection with Figs. 7 and 8, on Sheet 1. The face plate is held in
position by the tongue piece E in the same way, but instead of toothed
wheel gear the face plate has formed on its periphery my wedge and
groove frictional surface as the actuating gear and a corresponding
frictional driving pinion D keyed on the cono spindle D¹. The cone
spindle is carried in the long bush bracket N shown bolted to the head-
stock which is bored out and fitted with an oscillating eccentric bush N¹,
which is turned externally to fit the bush bracket N and bored out
6 eccentrically to receive the cone & pinion spindle D¹. The bush N¹
has also keyed on it the working lever N³ for oscillating the bush N³,
and on the lever being pressed downwards the pinion is moved into
driving contact with the corresponding driving surface A' of the face

page_text: plate A. It is drawn out of gear by the lever N³ being raised, thereby
forming an instantaneous mode of starting and stopping the face plate,
this contrivance being a well-known connecting and disconnecting
arrangement by my system of wedged and grooved frictional gearing.
By the use of a back balance weight on the face plate the said wedge
and groove frictional gearing is very suitable for segmental work, as
well as smooth working for general work. Instead of the lever Ns being
wrought by hand it may easily be wrought automatically by various
well-known arrangements used in engineers' tools.
Fig. 13 is an end elevation and Fig. 14 in part a sectional plan of a
face plate similar generally to that above described in connection with
Figs. 11 and 12, but having formed in the face plate an internal wedge
and groove surface A' and an external surface A³, the frictional pinion D
revolving in one direction in the annular space between these driving
surfaces. The pinion D and the eccentric bush connecting and discon-
necting gear being also the same as described in connection with Figs.
11 and 12. On the lever N° being raised the eccentric bush N¹ prosses
the pinion into contact with the inclined surface A³, and motion is given
to the face plate A. in one direction, and on the lever being depressed the
pinion D is brought into contact with the inner external grooved
surface A and driven in the opposite direction at a higher specd.
These face plates may also be used for segmental work by being reversed
by lathe or planing machine reversing gear of the ordinary construction,
and for articles of large diameter they are very suitable.
Fig. 15 is an elevation, and Fig. 16 a plan of a face plate A and head-
stock B, also similar to that described in connection with Figs. 7 and 8
on Sheet 1, but also adapted for segmental work by having the slot crank
pin wheel F" forming with the cone motion slot crank pin; F® a returning
motion adjustable to any required length with the connecting rod O and
pin O¹ fixed in the face plate, a means of transmitting a segmental
motion within certain limits of any required arc. A forward and back-
ward motion is given by each revolution of the wheel Fs in the manner
of the ordinary slotting and nibbling machine motion. A knee plate A³
and object J to be operated upon is shown bolted to the face plate. In
operating on objects bolted on the face plate where there may be several
segmental portions or parts to face the connecting rod pin O' may
be shifted to other holes O³, O³, in the face plate, and the necessity

page_text: thereby avoided of changing the position and refixing the object being.
operated on.
Fig. 17 is a side elevation, and Fig. 18 an end elevation of a face
plate A and headstock B, in which the face plate A is retained in its
position and revolves on the antifriction wedge-shaped pullies B³, B',
and the driving wedge-shaped frictional pulley or pinion D, the conc
driving motion being provided with an eccentric bush connecting and
disconnecting arrangement entirely similar to that described in con-
nection with Figs. 11 and 12. The antifrictional pullies B³, B‘, are:
shown working on studs or spindles fixed in the headstock B. The
face plate A is held in position if desired by the back centre stud G
indicated by dotted lines in connection with the driving and connecting
and disconnecting frictional pinion D. The form of the antifriction.
pullies B³ and B' and headstock B for supporting the face plate can be
modified in many ways. The face plate A. will revolve as here arranged.
with little retardation from friction and is more convenient for changing
than any other arrangement and very suitable for obvious descriptions
of work.
Fig. 19 is a side elevation, and Fig. 20 an end elevation of a face
plate A and headstock B, (similar to that described in connection with
Figs. 7 and 8 on Sheet 1,) adapted for facing objects by revolving cutters
fixed in the face plate. It is here provided with cone back speed
reducing gear to give a very slow motion to the face plate A, and has
fitted into it a series of cutting tools A", A", which are shown placed
concentrically of uniform length and shape and projecting from the
working face of the face plate. The bed plate C is shown fitted with
a large slide rest H on which a steam engine cylinder J is delineated,
having the flange of the valve casing presented to the rotating cutters
A1, A2, to be traversed accross them while in motion by the slide rest H.
The slide rest can be worked by hand or automatically in various ways
by well known means. This arrangement of facing machine may have.
the cutters A", A", projecting from both sides of the face plate, and
the object operated on traversed across them by another slide rest..
For some purposes where a number of articles require to be dressed
5 of uniform length or thickness; such as building stones, it will be.
convenient to place and fix them in a series of openings through
the face plate as shown A", A", and operated on by tools in slide

page_text: rests at each side of the face plate A, this may be done on both sides
simultaneously.
In these arrangements of lathe headstocks, boring mills, and tools
above described, the face plates support overhanging weights mainly
by guiding and resisting surfaces and antifriction pullies with the plane 5
of their guiding surface placed at right angles to the axis line of such
face plate A instead of paralell to the axis as is the case in the guiding
of the spindle by bushes in the common lathe. The form of face plates
and headstocks shown with the arrangement of stays and back centres
for fixing objects on their face, and their combination with guiding 1
bushes for actuating boring bars and tools, together with the general
arrangement and modes of operation shown for the purpose set forth, are
the essential features of novelty of this part of my
Invention.
The second part of my Invention relates to new and improved
mechanism for shaping, grinding, and polishing articles, and consists 1
in forming internal annular hollow chucks or rings adapted to revolve
at high speeds in bushes on antifriction rollers, or by being keyed on、
a spindle and set in bushes and filling the internal annular space with
sand, emery, or other sharp granular matter, to which also may be
added water, acids, or other fluids, the centrifugal force communicated 20
by the rings in motion to the grinding matter in the annular space
mainly holding it in position. An article presented to the surface or
partially immersed in the said sharp or other granular matter while in
motion will be rapidly shaped and polished.
Fig. 21 is a side elevation partly in section; Fig. 22, an external front 25
elevation; and Fig. 23, an external plan of one of these chucks with
details complete, the main parts being the chuck A, the standard B,
and sole plate C, adapted for articles to be presented to the surface of
the grinding materials in motion by the hand. The chuck A, shown in
section in Fig. 21, is in this example composed of malleable iron to 30
withstand the centrifugal force of a very high speed, the rim A¹ being
composed of a welded ring turned up a short distance at the front edge
to form the cavity A* for the reception of the grinding materials. The
malleable iron ring is rivetted at the opposite side to the disc or bottom
plate A³; this plate is bolted to the centre cast-iron plate A*, which 35
latter is bored out and turned up truly and keyed upon the spindle D.
Spindle D has necks formed upon it, and is set in the bearings B¹ and B³

page_text: formed in the standard B, the fast belt pulley D and loose pulley D¹
being placed on it to give the chuck A motion, and ready facilities for
stopping it. The sole plate C to which the standard B is bolted has under-
neath the chuck the cavity or pan C', C', which is greater in breadth and
projects slightly farther forward on the front side than the face or opening
into the chuck. This pan C', C', cast in one piece with the sole plate O
has at its extreme ends the snugs C³, C³, and to these is bolted the light
sheet iron shield E, E, E, which rises up at each end from the ends
of the pan C³, and spans over the chuck A. A is open at the front side
and is shown projecting a short distance in advance of the chuck A,
also seen in section in in Fig. 21. On sand or emery being thrown into
the cavity A when motion is communicated to the chuck it will
readily assume the annular form and fill the cavity A' as shown coloured
in Fig. 21. These chucks when well made in this form may be driven.
with safety at 20,000 circumferential feet per minute, or at about 5
times the acting surface speed of grindstones, and proportionally swifter
grinding and shaping effect will be obtained. A small quantity of
water will be sufficient to keep the grinding materials moist on the
surface, as when the cavity A' is once exactly filled there is little
or no tendency of the grinding materials to fly past the side and escape
to the pan C¹ or shield E, whilst the motion is maintained sufficiently
high to produce proper grinding effect. Any point of the internal
surface of the .sand in the annular cavity A³ will act on an object
presented to it, and in the most accessible parts cross rests or radial rests
or tables can be set inside the circumference of the chuck to suit various
kinds of objects. Sand and water and emery and water will suit most,
grinding purposes, and it will be generally convenient to allow them
to fall out into the pan C³, when the chuck is brought to rest and refill
it into the chuck from the pan when the chuck is set in motion afresh,
as the refilling will tend to present fresh sand as a grinding surface.
For fine polishing any granular sharp matter or masses will answer, and
by making the cavity A³ very shallow, or the internal surface of the
chuck plain altogether, a lining of leather, india-rubber, textile, or other
substance may be placed and fixed on the internal surface A³ of the
chuck, and be used as polishing buffs with the usual polishing materials.
This contrivance can be used with perfect safety at high speeds, and
is comparatively free from injurious sparks or grinding dust flying off
in the direction of the operator. Glutinous liquid may also be used
along with emery, sand, or other sharp matter to cause it to retain

page_text: its position when the chuck comes to rest, and which also can be aided
by dovetailed recesses being formed on the internal surface A* of the
chucks.
Where liquid or similar grinding materials are used it will be an
advantage to have hair or small wire set radially inwards from the
surface of the cavity A like the hair of a brush to prevent slip of
the fluid when in motion and at the same time to offer no material
obstruction to objects presented to the surface of the grinding
materials.
.
Fig. 24 is a side elevation of one of these grinding chucks with:
driving and other details complete, also adapted for the objects to be
ground, being presented by hand, but in which also cross rests may
be fixed for resting the objects being operated upon. The axis of the
chuck A in this modification is placed vertically, and motion is com-
municated from the belt pulley D¹ through the horizontal shaft D:
and mitre wheels G to the spindle F and grinding chuck A. The
chuck A and shield E in this example are formed of cast iron, and
shown in section in Fig. 24, both the chuck A and the shield E being
open at the top side and closed at the bottom side. The grinding
materials in this arrangement when the chuck is brought to rest, though
loose matter should be used only, fall into the bottom of the chuck, and
will again fly back into the cavity A³, forming a smooth annular surface
so soon as motion is communicated to it afresh. Several operators will
have room to stand round about one chuck of this kind, and for some
classes of work will be more convenient than that shown by Figs. 21, 22, 2
and 23.
Fig. 26 is a section of portion of a chuck A in which the upper edge
of the cavity A² has an annular dovetail groove formed in it, and a ring
of india-rubber A³ inserted into A. This will be found advantageous
when these machines are being used for cutlery and similar fine grinding a
and polishing work to avoid the risk of the edge of the metal being
brought into contact with the object being ground. Leather or any
substance of a like nature sufficiently rigid to keep the grinding
materials from escaping will be suitable for this purpose and may be
variously employed.
Fig. 27 is a front elevation, and Fig. 28 a plan of a grinding chụck A.
open at both sides, being an annular ring with a wedge-shaped ridge A.6,.
formed on its periphery to act as a wedge frictional driving wheel, and

page_text: for the purpose of being guided by the antifrictional pullies H and H'
set on spindles in the standard B. The driving V-shaped grooved pulley
keyed on the spindle D assists to keep the chuck A in position whilst
it imparts motion. The annular cavity A³ for the reception of the
grinding materials is seen in section in Fig. 28. This form of grinding
chuck permits of long objects being passed through the ring formed
chuck. With india-rubber placed in the edges of the cavity A³, as
described in connexion with Fig. 26, long rods or other long objects
can be ground up in it. Chucks of small diameters of this form may
be made long, and the antifrictional pullies dispensed with and placed
in bushes and mounted with a fast and loose pulley for being driven.
Fig. 29 is in part a sectional elevation, and Fig. 30 a front elevation
of a grinding chuck similar to that described in connection with Figs. 21,
22, and 23, with driving goar shown broken off, and with an appliance
for grinding cylindrical objects up truly, a belt pulley J being the object
shown being operated upon. The chuck A is shown in section in
Fig. 29. The pulley J to be ground up truly is fixed on the spindle I
and placed in the bush bearing I, which latter is fixed on the lover K.
The lever K is hinged by the pin K to the sole plate O, and its opposite
and is guided laterally by the slot standard K' formed on the sole
plate C. An adjusting lever and hand wheel K³ is made to raise and
dopress this lever when desired. Lover K carries with it the bush
bracket I', spindle I, and pulley J, to be operated upon. A belt pulley L
gives motion to the spindle I and pulley J, and whilst the chuck A. is
in swift motion the pulley J operated upon is made to move at a slow
speed in a reverse direction to the chuck A. By moving the set
screw K the pulley is depressed to or forced against the grinding
materials in the chuck and thereby gets speedily ground or turned up
truly.
Fig. 31 is a front elevation of a chuck A having a segmental block ♫¹
formed convex on its under surface to the same radius as the grinding
materials placed in the chuck. The segmental block is depressed by a
lever in a similar way to that described in connection with Figs. 29
and 30, or otherwise to the face of said block elastic articles such as
saws may
be fixed as shown at J and ground up when in that position.
Fig. 32 is in part a sectional elevation, and Fig. 38 is a front elevation
of the same form of chuck A as those just described and with the same
lever guiding arrangement for presenting and pressing articles upon
B

page_text: the grinding materials in motion, lever K being shown broken off.
The spindle I in this application is turned round a portion of a circle,
and then the lever depressed and the article being operated on pushed
into the grinding materials to produce flat surfaces on bodies, two
hexagonal bolt nutts J are shown being formed, in this way the gauge
index wheel L being readily adjustable and set to any number of sides
required on the article to be shaped by the handle I³ and detent I³.
On Sheet 4 of my Drawings Fig. 34 is a front elevation and Fig. 35
a sectional plan of a grinding chuck A with a rest I' for supporting the
article to be shaped bolted to the sole plate O and provided with the 1
bushes I', I', in which is placed the spindle J having the disc J' fixed
on the end of it next to the acting surface of the chuck. The spindle J
has placed on it the tubular bush J' on which are keyed the fast and
loose pullies L. The spindle J by the application of a lever at the
collar end J' is adapted to move endwise through the bearings I, I, and 1
tubular bush J³ in the manner of the spindle of a vertical boring
machine. Any convex object like a telescope lens can be fixed with
pitch or other cement on the circular block J, and made to rotate by
the belt pulley L whilst the chuck with the grinding matter A³ is in
swift motion. The object J can be thus pressed against the grinding a
surface, and by this compound action be made with a convexity corre-
sponding to the diameter of the surface of the grinding materials. For
purposes similar to lens grinding it will be an advantage to mix the
grinding material with glue or other cement to give to the said grinding
material a firm surface and cause it to remain steadily in its position.
Fig. 36 is a side elevation, and Fig. 37 a front elevation of a
grinding chuck of the form above described with a rest of another shape
for grinding or turning up other forms of round bodies. The rest I'
is shown bolted to the sole plate O and has a square groove on the top
and a cover I* set concentric to the centre of the chuck A. A square
bar I having a boss I³ and a pulley J keyed upon it is placed on the
said rest I³ and is secured by the cover I'. The pulley J to be operated
upon is placed into the centre of the chuck A. The internal edges of
the chuck A. are shewn provided with an india-rubber ring as described
in connexion with Fig. 26, the internal edge of which ring is slightly
sınallor in diameter than the diameter of the pulley J to be operated
upon, but so small a difference as to allow the pulley J to be thrust
into the position shown. On starting the chuck A. the grinding matter
2

page_text: is gradually filled into the cavity A³ until its internal surface reaches
up to the external surface of the pulley J and thereby turns and polishes
said pulley.
Fig. 88 is a side elevation shewing a chuck A in section, and Fig. 39
a front elevation with driving gear and connections for grinding up
round articles of various forms, such as hand wheels, circular saw blades,
or any round article with a smooth surface that can be conveniently
fixed at its centre. In this modification the chuck A. & A' is in
halves, the lower half A being keyed on the hollow spindle D which
has necks formed in it, and placed in the bearings B' and B', fitted
also with a fast belt pulley D¹ and loose pulley D³, the upper half of the
chuck A' is keyed upon the spindle D³ which works in the bush B',
formed in the standard B. The spindle D³ has a pair of collars D'
formed on its top end on which the hand lever O works, and is adapted
to raise upwards a considerable distance the upper half A' of the
grinding chuck for the admission of the article to be ground. A round
spindle I with a square I³ at its bottom end is placed in a square hole
in the sole plate O to keep the spindle I from revolving. This spindle
is passed up the hollow spindle D having a boss I³ upon it inside the
chuck A for fixing the object J to be ground, the object to be ground
up being the rim of a hand wheel. In the under half A of the chuck
an india-rubber joint ring A' is shown as means for forming a water-
tight joint with upper half A' when it is pressed down on the under
half by the lever O. When the object J is fixed in position and the
3 half chuck A' closed on it, motion is communicated to the under half
of the chuck A, which by contact with the upper half A' also causes
the latter to revolve. The grinding material is thereafter thrown into
the chuck through the opening A³, A³, in the chuck A' until the object
or rim of the hand wheel is immersed in emery or other grinding
O material and speedily becomes polished.
Fig. 40 is a side elevation shewing a grinding chuck A in section
similar to the upper half of the chuck just described in connection with
Figs. 38 and 39 for polishing copper pans and other spherical shaped
objects, a portion of the driving gear is also shown. A copper pan J
5 is shown being operated upon, and the chuck A has a moveable flange A'
bolted to its lower side, with an internal leather or caoutchouc ring A³
fixed in a groove in the flange A', and fitting to the diameter of the
dome shaped pan J. The object J is broken off, but is designed to be

page_text: fixed to a plate underneath the chuck A. On motion being given to
the chuck A the grinding materials are thrown into the openings A³, A³,
in the top of the chuck until the space A³ is filled, thereafter the chuck
is revolved until the object J is polished:
Fig. 41 is a side elevation, and Fig. 42 a plan of a large grinding
chuck A for shaping and polishing building stones. In a machine of
this kind with a guiding chuck about 60 feet diameter for stones, about
two or three feet on the side, the size of the arc on the face of the stone
is so small that stones for building purposes of this size would be
practically straight and by presenting the stones lengthwise vertically
on the grinding rests, such stones can be speedily prepared for ashlar
masonry. The frame for supporting the parts of this machine consists
mainly of four cast-iron columns P, P¹, P³, and P³s set on a stone foundation,
the columns P and P* supporting the malleable iron cross girders on
which the pillow block for the top neck of the chuck spindle D is
fixed. The forked girder R is bolted to the cross girder Q on one side,
extends over the large chuck, and has its other end rested on and fixed
to the column P¹. The girder S is also fixed on the centre of the cross
girder Q, and extends to, rests upon, and is fixed in a similar manner
to the top of the column P³. In Fig. 41 the column P³ and girder S
are broken off to show the details of the machine, the chuck A being
in section, and of the form described in connexion with Figs. 24, 25,
and 26. The chuck A is keyed on the spindle D which is set in the
foot step B³ and its top neck is carried by the pillow block B³. Motion
is communicated to the spindle and chuck through the bevel wheels G,
by the steam engine crank shaft F. A strong platform T, T, is shown
in Fig. 41 suspended inside the chuck A by the four suspending
stays U, U¹, U³, and U³, on which the slide rests V, V, V³, and V³ are
shown placed with glands for fixing the stones and feed screws for
pressing the stones J forward on the grinding materials. Modifications
of some of the rests above described will be available for turning round
stone columns and other useful pieces in this machine, and rests formed
somewhat like a railway turntable would be suitable for some descriptions
of square stones. In a machine of this kind of 60 feet diameter 20 rests
could be employed simultaneously and overhead steam cranes could be
fixed to the iron girders.
For the purpose of shaping stones it will be an advantage to use a
large quantity of waton along with

page_text: for the grinding materials sharp chips of hard stone of two or three pounds
weight, when the chuck is brought to rest the grinding materials will
flow into the bottom of the chuck below the platform T. This modi.
fication of machine can also be used with advantage for many other
purposes.
The essential features of novelty in this part of my Invention consists
in rotaining grinding materials in internal cavities or surfaces formed
in revolving rings or chucks, all as herein described, for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Robertson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
5 J. T. KING,
Witness.
JAMES ROBERTSON.
(L.S.)