Improvements in Lathes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes.
I MANUEL RUL of 21 Calle de la Acequia in the City of Mexico in the
Republic of Mexico, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in lathes, especially to the construction
of an automatic polyhedral lathe, and has for its object to provide a lathe,
simple, durable and capable of being successfully manipulated by even a person
inexperienced in the art of turning, the said lathe being capable of forming straight
prisms with regular bases; and a further object of the invention is to provide a
means whereby a number of pieces or blocks of wood or metal may be simul-
taneously operated upon, and whereby the faces operated upon may be conveniently
and expeditiously turned inward and other faces presented to the cutters.
In carrying out the invention, the apparatus may be said to be composed of two
stocks and a bed similar to those used in other forms of lathe, the only difference
being that the head stock allows the prolongation of the mandrel, the prolongation
being such that the mandrel' passes far enough through the outer barrel of the
stock to carry a pulley which communicates movement to a lower pulley mounted
upon the outer end of a horizontal shaft, journaled at the front of the machine.
This shaft carries a' pulley which cominunicates motion by belt to another pulley
secured upon an upper shaft, the belt connecting the pulleys passing over an
idler. The upper shaft is provided with a longitudinal, groove, throughout its
length, which is formed for the purpose of impeding the circular movement of the
cutters or bits placed upon it, and to admit of the movement of the bits or cutters
longitudinally on the shaft, as the cutters or Bits have a splined connection with
the shaft. This cutter shaft is mounted to revolve, in two supports, and these
supports are adapted to make a portion of a revolution around the lower shaft.
As has heretofore been stated, on the upper shaft are placed the bits or knives.
necessary for imparting the desired shape to the metal or wood under treatment.
The supports carry at their lower portions below their centres, a slide-way
provided with a pressure screw which when adjusted limits the movement of said
parts, and consequently defines the depth of the cuts made by the cutters in the
wood or metal.
This arrangement by means of which anyone, although having but little or no
knowledge of such work can turn more or less complicated shapes, would not
warrant the name of a polyhedral lathe and be able to form prisms unless recourse
is had to a system of chucks, which I will hereinafter describe, as the chucks
för än integral part of the apparatus, and, as has been stated, can be used for
ordinary lathe work.
1.
The chucks consist of an iron disc in which are formed, recesses, dividing it
into twelve equal parts, six of which descend, to the centre while the others
terminate some distance from the centre. This
ement admits, of the operator
iniparting to the faces which compose a prism a greater or less diameter or
curvature, as in each one of the recesses, which are parallelogrammatic, there is
a screw adapted to raise and to lower quts through which the screws pass. The
nüts therefore are capable of a sliding movement lengthwise of the recesses, and
are provided at one end, that end toward the front or main face of the chuck,
with a head, the said head having the form of a polygon, and these heads are
adapted to receive and serve as bases for the prisms to be turned. The heads.
may be hollowvedt out or shaned në soclate to hold the tenons o
tenons of the nicces to he
$15.

page_text: which serve to maintain the sliding nuts in those portions of the slide ways of the
chucks in which they have been placed, which result is accomplished through the
medium of the screws. It will be understood that the heads of the main nuts vary
in size and shape according to the character of prismns to be turned.
Each chuck is represented as carrying twelve heads, but the number may be
varied indefinitely. However, in order to make it easily understood the number
has been limited to twelve. Two chucks are adapted to be adjustably connected
by a screw shaft and they complete practically the system necessary for turning
.prisms.
When the chucks are placed one in front of the other and so that the edges of
the recesses in the heads carried by the chucks are in horizontal alignment and
parallel to the shaft, I then place in the chucks as many pieces of wood or metal of
uniform length as are required and on which tenons have previously been formed,
so that these portions of the wood or metal pieces may be placed in the heads of
the chucks. When the pieces of wood or metal to be acted upon are in place, the
chucks are screwed up to a close contact with them by means of the screws upon
the shaft and the necessary adjustments are made by means of the screws con-
trolling the heads; that is to say, the surfaces of the blocks located between the
chuck heads are carried outward or inward according to the radius upon which
their outer faces are to be cut.
The connection between the articles to be operated upon and the chucks having
been effected, the latter are mounted between the points of the lathe and on the
upper shaft the cutters are placed, at first only one, which cutter is adjusted by
means of two screws to prevent its moving from the place in which it is fixed,
and the screws in accomplishing the adjustment act in conjunction with two arms
capable of sliding on the cutter shaft, and the lower ends of these arms are
apertured to receive the main or motor screw by means of which all of the cutters
may be given longitudinal movement on their shaft. When the cutter is once
placed as described, a rotary movement in a common direction is given to the
lathe, which has its maximum velocity when turning wood and minimum velocity
when turning metal. By means of the lathe adjusting screw the distance that
the cutter is set with relation to the parts to be operated upon is regulated for
the purpose of roughly rounding the pieces to be turned; in other words, forming
straight prisms without mouldings.
After all is ready the operator gives a rotary movement to a crank connected
with the motor screw and by means of which the screw is rotated; and the rotation
of the screw will impart a horizontal movement to the cutter longitudinally of the
shaft, but as the latter has to cut as much as is marked by the lower or adjusting
screw, it is evident that at the end of the operation its shaft will have worked or
evened the surface of a cylinder, which as it is formed of twelve pieces will con-
stitute the twelve first faces of as many prisms or one face for each of the prisms.
After this all of the pieces will be turned over between the chucks to present
another face to be acted upon, and the same operation will be performed on the
other faces of the articles to be turned until the desired number of faces for the
prisms are formed.
It is necessary to make prisms with mouldings, and when this is the case the
necessary cutters, that is those in which have been formed either cords, beadings, etc.,
or any kind of mouldings, are placed upon the cutter shaft one beside the other,
and in this manner the most complicated mouldings may be produced, changing
the prisms which are simply straight, into moulded straight prisms.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that this apparatus will
enable anyone, even though 'unskilled in turning, to turn either common work or
prisms. Besides, it saves much time, as, for instance, it may be supposed that a
man with the ordinary implements requires half an hour to turn a piece, but should
he take the same time with this lathe, we have the advantage that one face of
twelve prisms is turned at once, and if we suppose that these have triangular bases,
at the end of three operations twelve completely formed pieces will have been

page_text: formed or turned, while a man in an hour and a half with the ordinary tools will
have turned three moulded cylinder pieces.
Dated this 21st day of April 1892.
AL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes.
I, MANUEL RUL of 21, Calle de la Acequia, in the City of Mexico, in the
Republic of Mexico, Machinist, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in lathes and especially to that class
known as polyhedral lathes, and has for its object to provide a lathe of exceedingly
simple, durable, and economic construction upon which articles ordinarily turned
upon lathes may be conveniently manipulated and the results obtained be equal to
those obtained from an ordinary lathe and whereby work may be performed in a
more expeditious manner and further whereby prisms of any character may be
turned and whereby also a number of articles may be placed in the lathe and
presented consecutively to the turning or cutting tool or tools.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lathe.
Figure 2 is a plan view, and Figure 3 is an end view thereof.
Figure 4 is a face view of one of the chucks.
Figure 5 is a vertical section taken practically on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the controlling mechanism of the tool spindle.
Figure 7 is a section taken through the base of one of the supporting arms of
the tool spindle, illustrating the connection therewith of a friction roller.
Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the articles produced by the lathe.
Figure 9 is an end view of the articles shewn in Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a plan view of an article also produced upon the lathe differing in
external contour from that shewn in Figure 8.
Figure 11 is an end view of the product of the machine shewn in Figure 10;
and
Figure 12 is an end view of a purely polygonal figure capable of being produced
upon the machine.
The base A of the machine is supported preferably upon suitable legs 10 located
ordinarily at the corners thereof and this base consists of side pieces 11 and 12 and
end pieces 13 and 14. The end piece 13 may be denominated the front end of the
machine and upon it a frame is attached comprising a base 15 and uprights 16
spaced some distance from each other. This frame is ordinarily secured to the
base but may be adjustable thereon if in practice it is found desirable. At the
outer end of the frame 16 a bracket 17 is attached and in the bracket and in
the frame the main shaft 18 of the machine is journaled. Between the uprights 16
upon the drive shaft 18 a step or conical pulley 19 is securely fastened, this pulley
being the speeding pulley and upon the outer end of the shaft 18 a live centre 20
of any approved description is located and secured. At the opposite end of the.
base a standard 21 is placed in which a dead centre 22 is located, the centre being.
adapted to be laterally adjusted in the standard and secured in any suitable position.

page_text: by means of a set screw 23 or the equivalent thereof. At one side of the machine
at the end in which the live centre is located a drive shaft 24 is journaled and this
drive shaft carries a pulley 25 at its outer end which is connected by a belt 26 with
a pulley 27 located upon the drive shaft 18. In connection with the parts of the
lathe above described two chucks B and B are employed. These chucks are
identical in construction and are shewn in detail in Figures 4 and 5 and the
chucks are of circular construction or of disc-like form. Each chuck comprises
a face plate 28, preferably of disc-like form as stated and provided with a series
of radial slots 29 and 30 extending from a point near the centres of the plates to a
point near their peripheries. It is desirable that as many slots should be produced
in the face plate as possible so as to render' the chucks of a multiple character.
Twelve slots are ordinarily produced in cach of the face plates, but the number of
slots may be varied as occasion may demand or the character of the work may
require. When twelve slots are utilized, as shewn in the drawings especially in
Figure 4, six of them are longer than the remaining six, the longer slots having
been designated as 29 and the shorter by the numeral 30 and these slots are
alternately arranged. Through the periphery of each face plate a number of
adjusting screws 31 is passed corresponding to the number of slots. These
adjusting screws pass through the slots longitudinally and turn in the base wall
thereof and in the outer or upper walls of the slots and each screw extends beyond
the peripheral surface of the face plates in which they are located, their outer
projecting ends being preferably made polygonal as shewn at 31" in the drawings
in order that the screws may be turned by a wrench or like tool. Each adjusting
screw as shown in Figure 5 carries a socket 32 and these sockets correspond to the
ordinary jaws of a chuck. The sockets shewn in Figures 4 and 5 are of somewhat
triangular shape and are therefore adapted to receive a triangular tenon produced
upon the articles to be manipulated, but the contour of the sockets is made to
correspond to the contour of the tenon produced upon the article to be turned ;
therefore the sockets may be of any polygonal shape or they may be rectangular,
oval, or circular. Each socket is provided with a set screw 33 to clamp the tenon
inserted into it and each socket is further provided with an integral horizontal
shank 34 at back provided with an aperture which is threaded to receive the
adjusting screw 31 and the shank of each socket is likewise provided with a
clamping screw and nut 35 whereby after the socket has been brought to a proper
position by the manipulation of its adjusting screw, the shank by the tightening up
of the clamping nut upon its screw will prevent the socket from being moved, even
though the clamping screw be tampered with, and it is evident that the further the
sockets are carried inward toward the centres of the chucks the less will be the
radius of the face of the article to be turned while when the sockets are carried
upward or outward to their utmost limit approximately square surfaces may be
turned upon the articles clamped therein and in fact a surface may be produced
similar to that shewn in Figure 11 or in Figure 12. The two chucks B. and B' are
connected by a screw-shaft 36 which turns loosely in the chuck B. The outer end
of the shaft which receives the live centre 20 is preferably provided with a
diametrically projecting pin 37 whereby the chuck B and likewise the screw shaft
may be readily revolved. The shaft 36 is threaded at its outer end and the thread
extends some distance in the direction of the chuck B which is loosely mounted
upon the shaft and the shaft 36 is likewise provided with a longitudinal groove or
channel 38 extending entirely through its threaded surface. The chuck B¹ is
adapted to slide somewhat loosely over the threaded surface of the shaft and said
chuck is provided with a key or feather which enters and is adapted to slide in the
channel 38 of the shaft. Upon the threaded end of the shaft outside of the
chuck B¹ one or more lock nuts 39 are located. It will be observed by reference
to Figure 5, that the chuck B turns upon the plain surface of the shaft 36, but
without sliding thereon. Thus, in operation, when the tenons 40 of the articles
to be turned, wood or metal, are placed in the sockets 32 of the chuck B for
example, the opposite chuck B¹ is slid along the shaft 36 until the tenons at the

page_text: opposite ends of the articles to be turned enter the sockets of that.chuck and when
a secure binding engagement has been effected between the sockets of the two
chucks and the pieces to be turned, the lock nut 39 is screwed up by holding it
with a wrench for instance and turning the shaft 36 by means of the pin 37 or the
lock nut may be carried to position in any other suitable or approved manner..
If in practice it is found desirable, the shaft 36 may be rigidly secured to the
chuck B.
. It will be understood that each piece to be turned is provided with a tenon at its
ends which tenons have been referred to and are designated as 40 and they are
shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. These tenons may be of any desired cross-
sectional shape and the sockets 32 of the chucks have the same interior shape as
the tenons they are adapted to receive. The shaft 41 which is adapted to receive
the cutters 41 to produce the desired shape upon the articles held between the
chucks, is mounted in the upper ends of the arms 42 and 43 (Figures 1 and 2) the
lower ends of which are somewhat downwardly and inwardly curved as shewn in
Figure 3, the principal arm being shewn in detail in Figure 6. The shaft 41 turns.
loosely in the upper ends of the arms which are boxed to receive the shaft and
these arms support the shaft near its ends. The lower end of the arm 42 is
pivotally attached to an offset 44 located upon one side of the machine near its rear
end as shewn in Figure 1. The opposite arm 43 which is actually the guide arm
is near its lower end loosely pivoted upon one extremity of the shaft 24, the latter
shaft as has heretofore been stated being journaled at the front end of the machine,
as shewn in Figure 1. The arm 43 below its pivot point is provided with a
downwardly extending foot-section 44" and this foot-section carries upon its rear
face a friction roller 45 (Figure 7) made to travel within a link 46 which link at its
inner end is pivotally attached to or has a hinge connection with the side of the
frame A of the machine, as shewn in Figure 6. As both of the arms 42 and 43
are connected through the medium of the cutter shaft 41 any guided movement
imparted to the arm 43 will be transmitted to the arm 42, such guided movement
being obtained through the medium of a spring 47 or the equivalent thereof, secured
to one side of the machine base as shewn in Figure 6, the spring having a bearing
at its outer end against the lower inner portion of the foot section 44° of the guide
arm 43 and the tendency of the spring is such that the cutters upon the shaft 41 are
normally pressed in engagement with the articles carried by the chuck and to be
operated upon and shaped. The arms 42 and 43 together with the cutter shaft
may have a slight outward movement and the outward throw of the shaft and arms
is regulated at pleasure through the medium of an adjusting bolt 48 located in the
link 46 the head of the bolt engaging with one side edge of the link and the opposite
end of the bolt being provided with a lock nut 49 whereby the bolt may be securely
connected with the link at any point in the length of the latter and according to the
position of the bolt 48 in the link 46, the outward throw of the cutter shaft and the
arms will be greater or less, as the moment that the friction roller 45 travelling
in the link 46 and attached to the foot of the arm 43 engages with the bolt 48, the
outward movement of the cutter shaft and the arms will be stopped. The cutter
shaft 41 is driven by means of a belt 50 which passes over a pulley 51 secured upon
the driving shaft 24 and this belt likewise engages with an idler or tension pulley 52
carried by the guide arm 43 and from this idler or tension pulley the belt passes
upward over a pulley 53 located preferably upon the outer end of the cutter
shaft 41 as shewn in Figure 3. The cutters 41 are adapted to have sliding
movement upon the shaft 41 and are also intended to turn with that shaft, for
which purpose the cutters are provided with feathers or splines adapted to enter
and to travel in longitudinal grooves 54, produced in the cutter shaft. The
cutters 41ª are also held or clamped between two clamping arms 55 and 56, located
one at each end of the mass or gang of cutters, the adjustment of the cutters upon
the cutter shaft being effected through the movement of these clamping arms 55
and 56. As the movement of the cutters should be more or less varied, the clamping
arms should be capable of independent and also of concerted movement. For this
;

page_text: purpose an adjusting screw 57 is passed through a threaded aperture in the arm 56
for instance and is fitted to loosely turn in the arm 55 by rotating which adjusting
screw 57, the arm 56 may be carried in the direction of the free end of the cutter
shaft 41 as both the arms 55 and 56 have free movement upon said cutter shaft.
Below the adjusting screw shaft 57 a second and similar shaft 58 is located which
has free movement in the arm 56 but engages with a threaded aperture in the
arm 55. By the manipulation of the shaft 58 the forward arm 55 may be carried.
in the direction of either end of the cutter shaft; it is thus evident that through
the medium of the two adjusting screw shafts 57 and 58 each of the clamping arms
may be independently adjusted." When both arms are to be carried in one direction
whether in the direction of the forward or of the rear end of the cutter shaft this
object is effected through the medium of the main adjusting screw-shaft 59, which
passes through bearings 60 in the supporting arms of the cutter shaft and through
the lower ends of the clamping arms 55 and 56, the main adjusting shaft being
usually manipulated through the medium of an attached crank arm 61.
In Figures 8, 10, and 12, and in Figures 9 and 11, a few of the shapes which it
is possible to turn upon the machine are illustrated.
In operation when the material to be turned has been clamped in the manner
heretofore set forth between the chucks, the cutters 41* are placed upon the cutter
shaft and are adjusted thereon in such a manner as to bring them to a proper
bearing upon the articles and the supporting arms of the shaft having an inward
tendency produced by the spring 47 the cutters are normally held in engagement
with the outer faces of the articles carried by the chucks. Thus at one revolution
of the chucks, it is possible to turn one face of all the articles carried by the chucks
and when one face of all these articles has been turned, the machine is stopped,
the articles are reversed to offer another face upward, the machine is again
started and the new faces are presented to be shaped. This operation is repeated
until all the predetermined faces of the articles have acquired the chosen shape.
By this means articles may be rapidly, accurately, and conveniently shaped and the
faces may be turned more or less flat and with a greater or less degree of radii by
means of the adjusting screws 31 of the chucks and the setting of the adjusting
bolt 48 controlling the outward movement of the supporting arms of the cutter
shafts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what inanner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
1. In a lathe of the character described, a chuck consisting of a face or head
plate provided with a series of radial slots, adjusting screws located in the slots and
sockets carried by the adjusting screws, substantially as shewn and described.
2. In a lathe of the character described the combination, with two opposing
chucks each consisting of a head or face plate provided with a series of radially-
disposed slots, adjusting screws located in the slotted portion of the face or head
plates, sockets carried by the adjusting screws, retaining screws carried by the
Bockets, and a connection between the chucks whereby they may be carried toward
or away from each other as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a lathe of the character described the combination, with opposing chucks
each chuck consisting of a face or head plate provided with radially-disposed slots,
of adjusting screws passed through the peripheries of the plates and longitudinally
through the slots, sockets carried by the adjusting screws, retaining devices
connected with the sockets, a screw-shaft connecting the two chucks and a lock
nut carried by the shaft as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a lathe of the character described the combination, with opposing chucks
adjustable toward and from each other and provided with a series of radially
adjustable sockets and a connecting shaft, of a cutter shaft, cutters adjustable upon
said shaft the cutters being arranged opposite the space between the chucks, arms
fulcrumed upon fixed supports and supporting the cutter shafts, a tension device

page_text: exerting pressure upon one of the arms and an adjustable limiting device arranged
adjacent to one of the arms, as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a lathe of the character described the combination, with opposing chucks
provided with adjusting screws, sockets carried by the adjusting screws, retaining
devices carried by the sockets and a connecting shaft uniting the chucks, of a cutter
shaft, arms supporting the cutter shaft which arms are adjustable to and from the
chucks, a tension device bearing against the lower portion of one of the arms, a
limiting device located on front of one of the arms, cutters arranged to slide upon
the cutter shaft and an adjusting mechanism connected with the cutters as and for
the purpose set forth.
6. In a lathe of the character described the combination, with opposing chucks, a
screw uniting the same the chucks being provided with radially-disposed slots,
adjusting screws located in the slots of the chucks, sockets carried by the adjusting
screws and retaining devices carried by the sockets, of a cutter shaft, arms
supporting the cutter shaft and fulcrummed upon a fixed support, said arms being
adapted to move to and from the chucks, a tension device bearing against one of the
arins, a retaining device located in front of the arm operated upon by the tension
device, cutters adjustably located upon the cutter shaft, guide arms having
movement upon the cutter shaft and arranged one at each side of the cutters,
adjusting screw shafts passing through the cutter arms, each shaft acting upon one
arm only, and a common or main screw adjusting shaft acting upon both of the arms
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
GILES
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
M. RUL,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.