Improvements in Packing-blocks, Adjustable in Thickness, for Use in Supporting Articles or Objects Requiring to be Set Accurately and Rigidly in Position while being Operated on by Machinery, or for any other purpose.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packing-blocks, Adjustable in Thickness, for Use
in Supporting Articles or Objects Requiring to be Set Accurately
and Rigidly in Position while being Operated on by Machinery,
or for any other purpose.
1, HAROLD FLETCHER MASSEY of Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to packing-blocks adjustable in thickness for use in
supporting articles or objects requiring to be set accurately and rigidly in
position while being operated on by machinery or for any other purpose.
The first part of my invention relates to adjustable packing blocks adjustable to
any thickness within the extreme limits of their ranges of adjustability.
The object of this part of my invention is the provision of adjustable packing-
blocks which shall be simple in construction and more convenient and efficient in
use than those hitherto constructed.
In constructing an adjustable packing according to this part of my invention I
provide two wedges each of which may be formed hollow in great part and provide
in one of such wedges a half nut or other suitable part of a nut or equivalent device
and in the other mount a screw capable of being screwed in the said half-nut or other
suitable part of a nut or other equivalent device and of being revolved in suitable
bearings provided in the wedge in which such screw is mounted and provide such
screw with a knob or handle by means of which it may be readily turned.
I arrange the said wedges so that one may be capable of being lified so as to
disengage the said half nut or other suitable part of a nut or equivalent device
and screw from each other whenever it may be necessary to quickly adjust one
wedge in position in relation to the other. I provide one of such wedges with a
rib or projection or ribs or projections capable of being placed in or between or
acting in conjunction with a recess in or ribs or projections or rib or projection on
the other so that such wedges may be guided when being moved in relation to one
another. I make the screw above mentioned of such length that it may be used to
move the wedge on which the half nut or other suitable part of a nut or equivalent
device aforesaid is provided throughout the whole extent to which the said wedge
may be intended to be moved upon or in relation to the wedge in which the said
screw is mounted. I may when it may be desirable to do so provide a scale on the
one wedge and a mark or index on the other or provide any other suitable means
to enable the thickness of the packing-block in any relative position of the two
wedges employed in it to be readily ascertained or to enable the packing-block to
be readily adjusted to any desired thickness.
The second part of my invention relates to adjustable packiugs the thickness of
which is adjustable by the addition or removal of definite thicknesses.
The object of this part of my invention is the provision of adjustable packings
which shall be simple in construction and convenient and efficient for use in cases
in which packings, the thickness of which is adjustable by the addition or removal
of definite thicknesses are requisite or convenient.

page_text: In forming an adjustable packing according to this part of my invention I secure
a suitable number of flat pieces of metal of suitable thickness together by means of
a suitable flexible or elastic connection or suitable flexible or elastic connections so
arranged that each of the said pieces of metal may be turned on to or turned away
from the next one in order that such pieces of metal may be made to form bodies
of different thicknesses according to the number of pieces which may be turned so
as to lie together from time to time. The pieces of metal forming an adjustable
packing made according to this part of my invention may all be made of equal
thickness or some may be made of one thickness while others are of another thick-
ness or other thicknesses, and the thickness or the two or more thicknesses of
pieces provided may be whatever may be considered desirable according to the
changes which it may be convenient to make in the thickness of the packing
frutn time to time.
Dated this Eighth day of January 1896.
HOWARD CHEETHAM,
Mauchester, Agent to the Applicant.
Improvements in Packing-blocks, Adjustable in Thickness, for Use
in Supporting Articles or Objects Requiring to be Set Accurately
and Rigidly in Position while being Operated on by Machinery,
or for any other purpose.
1, HAROLD FLETCHER MASSEY, of Openshaw, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to packing-blocks adjustable in thickness for use in
supporting articles or objects requiring to be set accurately and rigidly in position
while being operated on by machinery or for any other purpose.
The first part of my invention relates to adjustable packing-blocks adjustable to
any thickness within the extreme limits of their ranges of adjustability.
The object of this part of my invention is the provision of adjustable packing-
blocks which shall be simple in construction and more convenient and efficient in
use than those hitherto constructed.
In constructing an adjustable packing according to this part of my invention,
I provide two wedges each of which may be formed hollow in great part and
provide in one of such wedges a half-nut or other suitable part of a nut or
equivalent device and in the other mount a screw capable of being screwed in
the said half-nut or other suitable part of a nut or other equivalent device and of
being revolved in suitable bearings provided in the wedge in which such screw is
mounted and provide such screw with a knob or handle by means of which it may
be readily turned. I arrange the said wedges so that one may be capable of being
lifted so as to disengage the said half-ut or other suitable part of a nut or
equivalent device and screw from each other whenever it may be necessary to
quickly adjust one wedge in position in relation to the other. I provide one of
such wedges with a rib or projection or ribs or projectious capable of being placed
in or between or acting in conjunction with a recess in or ribs or projections or rib
or projection on the other so that such wedges may be guided while being moved
in relation to one another. I make the screw above mentioned of such length that
it may be used to move the wedge on which the half-nut or other suitable part of

page_text: a nut or equivalent device aforesaid is provided throughout the whole extent to
which the said wedge may be intended to be moved upon or in relation to the
wedge in which the said screw is mounted. I may when it may be desirable to do
so provide a scale on the one wedge and a mark or index on the other, or provide any
other suitable means to enable the thickness of the packing-block in any relative
position of the two wedges employed in it to be readily ascertained or to enable
the packing-block to be readily adjusted to any desired thickness.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a longitudinal
vertical section of a packing-block constructed according to this part of my inven-
tion, Fig. 3 is a transverse section of such packing-block taken on the plane
indicated by the line X Y of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a plan of the lower part of
the said packing-block.
The same letters of reference are employed to indicate similar parts in each of
the said figures.
In the packing-block illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, (a) and (b) are the two
wedges employed. The wedge (a) is provided with a half-nut or other suitable
part of a nut (a¹) and the wedge (6) is provided with a screw (c) capable of being
screwed in the said half-nut or other suitable part of a nut (a) and of being
revolved in suitable bearings provided in the wedge (6) in which such screw (c) is
mounted. The screw (c) is provided with a knob or handle (c) by means of which
it may be readily turned. The half-nut or other suitable part of a nut (a¹) may
be formed or secured in the wedge (a) in any suitable manner and may con-
veniently be secured in a recess formed between lugs or projections (a 2) formed
on the lower part of the said wedge (a). The said wedges (a) (b) are formed aud
arranged so that the one may be capable of being lifted so as to disengage the said
half-nut or other suitable part of a nut (a) and screw (c) from each other when-
ever it may be necessary or desirable to quickly adjust one welge in position in
relation to the other. The wedge (a) is provided with a rib or projection (a 3)
capable of being placed in a recess (B) formed in the wedge (b) so that the edges
of such recess (B) shall act as guides for the rib or projection (a 3) when the
wedges (a) (b) are being moved in relation to each other. The screw (c) is
prevented from being moved longitudinally in the wedge (b) by means of the
knob or handle (c) and the collar (c2) secured upon such screw (c) which are
made to bear respectively against a face provided upon one end of the wedge (b)
and against a face formed upon a cross-bar (6) formed in such wedge (b) in order
to act as a bearing for one end of the screw (c). The screw (c) is made of such
length that it may be used to move the wedge (a) throughout the whole extent to
which such wedge (a) may be intended to be moved upon or in relation to the
wedge (b) in which the said screw (c) is mounted and the said screw (c) is formed
with a thread of the kind illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings, or with a square thread or other thread which will not tend to press
the balf-nut or part of a nut (a') out of engagement with such screw (c) in moving
the wedge (a) upon or in relation to the wedge (b) in the direction indicated by the
arrow (A).
The wedge (b) is shown as being hollow in great part and in cases in which it
may be desirable to so form it, the wedge (a) may also be formed hollow to any
extent which may be thought desirable. The wedges (a) (b) are also so formed
that when the wedge (a) is in position upon the wedge (6) the upper surface of the
wedge (a) shall be parallel to the lower surface of the wedge (b).
Instead of the half-out or other part of a nut (a¹) there may be employed
a tooth or any other means which may be placed in engagement with the
screw (c).
Instead of the wedge (a) being provided with one rib or projection (a 3) passing
into the recess (B) in the wedge (b) the wedges may be guided in their movements
in relation to each other by either or each being provided with two or more
recesses or projections acting in conjunction with ribs or projections on the other.

page_text: When the packing-block illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 is to be used the
wedge (a) may be raised from the wedge (b) so that the half-nut or other part (a')
of a nut or equivalent device may be moved out of engagement with the screw (c)
and then the said wedge (a) can be quickly moved into any desirable position in
relation to the said wedge (b) so that the thickness of the packing-block may be
roughly adjusted and then be again placed thereon so that the half-nut or other
rart (a) of a nut or other equivalent device shall be again in engagement with the
screw (c) and then by the screw (c) being turned a finer adjustment of the thickness
of the said packing-block may be readily made.
A packing-block constructed according to this part of my invention is simple in
construction and more convenient in use than those hitherto provided and enables
the accurate setting of articles to be operated upon in machine-tools to be very
readily and quickly accomplished, and the wedge (a) being easily lifted off and
moved in relation to the wedge (b) and the screw (c) being always ready to act
upon or in conjunction with the half-nut or other part (a) of a nut or other
equivalent device in the wedge (a) there is no occasion for the person desiring to
adjust the thickness of the packing-block to perform any preliminary turning of
the screw (c) or any preliminary adjustment such as has been necessary in the
adjustable packing-blocks hitherto constructed to be operated by the action of
screws upon wedges.
The second part of my invention relates to adjustable packings, the thickness of
which is adjustable by the addition or removal of definite thicknesses.
The object of this part of my invention is the provision of adjustable packings
which shall be simple in construction and convenient and efficient for use in cases
in which packings, the thickness of which is adjustable by the addition or removal
of definite thicknesses are requisite or convenient.
In forming an adjustable packing according to this part of my invention, I secure
a suitable number of flat pieces of metal of suitable thickness together by means of
a suitable flexible or elastic connection or suitable flexible or elastic connections so
arranged that each of the said pieces of metal may be turned on to or turned away
from the next one in order that such pieces of metal may be made to form bodies
of different thicknesses according to the number of pieces which may be turned so
as to lie together from time to time. The pieces of metal forming an adjustable
packing made according to this part of my invention may all be made of equal
thickness or some may be made of one thickness while others are of another
thickness or other thicknesses, and the thickness or the two or more thicknesses of
pieces provided may be whatever may be considered desirable according to the
changes which it may be convenient to make in the thickness of the packing from
time to time.
In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are side elevations and Fig. 8 is
a plan, illustrating a packing-block constructed according to this part of my
invention, and Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the
line V W of Fig. 8 through one of the flat pieces of metal employed in the said
packing-block.
The adjustable packing-block illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accom-
panying drawings is formed of seven flat pieces (d) of metal which are connected
together by means of two leather or other laces (e). Each of the flat pieces (d) of
metal is formed with one edge or side semicircular in vertical section in order that
it may be easily turned on to or away from that or either of those adjacent to it,
and is formed with two holes through each of which passes one of the two leather
or other laces (e). In order that the leather or other laces (e) may not project
above the upper surface of the uppermost piece (d) of metal or below the lower
surface of the lowermost piece (d) of metal either when the packing-block is
arranged with all the flat pieces of metal employed in it laid together as is
indicated in Fig. 5 or when one or two or more of the flat pieces (d) of metal is or
are turned away as is illustrated by Figs. 6, and 7 from the other or others so that
a packing of less than the maximum thickness may be formed, the portion (d) of

page_text: metal at one side of each of the holes formed in each flat piece (d) of metal for the
passage of the laces is as is clearly indicated in Fig. 9 made approximately
semicircular in vertical section and is made of such size that between its upper and
lower parts and the adjacent upper and lower flat faces of the said flat piece (d) of
metal there are spaces in which the leather or other lace passed through the said
hole may lie without projecting above the upper surface or below the lower
surface of the said flat piece (d) of metal. The ends of the leather or other
laces (e) after being passed through the holes in the flat pieces of metal which are
respectively uppermost and lowermost when the packing is arranged in the manner
illustrated in Fig. 5 are beut around the portions (d) of the said flat pieces of
metal to which they are respectively adjacent and connected by rivets to the
intermediate portions of the said laces so that the said laces (e) are secured to the
portions (d) of the pieces (d) of metal which are respectively uppermost and
lowermost when the packing is arranged in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, and so
serve to keep all the pieces (d) of metal employed in the packing together while
allowing each of the said pieces (d) of metal to be turned on to or away from that
or either of the two to which it is adjacent so that such pieces (d) of metal may be
made to form bodies of different thicknesses according to the number of pieces (d)
of metal which may be turned so as to lie together from time to time.
When the packing-block illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 is to be used any
suitable number of the pieces (d) of metal forming such packing-block may be
placed together so as to form a packing-block of the thickness required.
Five of the flat pieces (d) of metal forming the adjustable packing illustrated in
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are shown as being made of one thickness while the other two
are shown as being of another thickness but the number of flat pieces of metal and
the thickness of each of the flat pieces of metal employed in the construction of a
packing according to this part of my invention may be adapted to the changes
which it may be convenient to make from time to time in the thickness of the
packing.
Although two laces e) are shown as being employed in the construction of the
packing illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, it is
obvious that in the construction of a packing according to this part of my invention
there may be employed a single flexible or elastic connection or two or more
flexible or elastic connections as may be convenient according to the size of the
packing to be constructed.
A packing-block constructed according to this part of my invention is simple in
construction and convenient in use and enables the accurate setting of articles to
be operated upon in machine-tools to be very readily and quickly accomplished in
cases in which packings of definite thickness are requisite or desirable.
Having nor particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an adjustable packing-block for use in supporting articles or objects which
require to be set accurately and rigidly in position while being operated upon by
machinery or for any other purpose the combination of two wedges capable of
being readily separated by one being lifted off the other, and of being moved in
relation to each other and guided while being moved in relation to each other by
means of a rib or projection or ribs or projections on the one wedge engaging with
a recess or recesses or projections on the other, a screw capable of being revolved
but incapable of being moved longitudinally in bearings provided in one of the
said wedges and a half-nut or other suitable part of a nut or other equivalent
device provided in the other of the said wedges and capable of being placed in
engagement with the said screw, all arranged and employed for the purposes and
substantially in the manner herein before described.
2. In an adjustable packing-block for use in supporting articles or objects which
require to be set accurately and rigidly in position while being operated upon by

page_text: machinery or for any other purpose the combination of a suitable number of flat
pieces of metal either of equal thickness or different thicknesses and a flexible or
elastic connection or flexible or elastic connections to connect such flat pieces of
metal, all arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described and so that each of the said flat pieces of metal may be turned on to or
away from the next in order that such pieces of metal may form bodies of different
thicknesses according to the number of such pieces of metal which may be turned
so lie together from time to time.
Dated this Eighth day of October 1896.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.