IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CARVING WOOD, STONE, AND OTHER MATERIALS.”
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Pollock, of the Firm of M. and J. Pollock, of
Beith, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Cabinet and Chair Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CARVING WOOD, STONE, AND OTHER MATERIALS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pollock at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1877.
JOHN POLLOCK, of the Firm of M and J. Pollock, of Beith, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Cabinet and Chair Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CARVING WOOD, STONE, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
This Invention relates to a new or improved machine for carving wood, stone,
metal, or other substances, and has for its object to produce a number of copies of
any given design at one operation with rapidity and certainty.
A machine constructed according to this Invention consists of two main parts,
namely, a bed plate or carriage for carrying the patterns or designs to be reproduced,
and the articles or pieces of wood or other substance upon which the said patterns
or designs are to be so reproduced, and of an upper part supported upon and turning
in bearings carried upon columns or other suitable framework.
The bed plate or carriage has backward and forward motions imparted to it in a
manner similar to the manner in which such motions are imparted to an iron planing
machine.
The upper part consists of a framing mounted upon sleeves or centres, turning in
bearings on columns, or a framework, as aforesaid, its fore part overhanging the
bed plate or carriage, and having a cross head for carrying a guiding point and
spindles, which hold the carving tools. Each spindle carrying the carving tools is
provided with a pulley, by which the said spindles are driven through bands upon
pulleys on a driving shaft passing through the sleeves upon which the upper part
turns, by which means the motions of the shaft and of the upper part will not
interfere with each other.

page_text: The pattern from which the carvings are to be made is formed in metal or other
hard substance, and is fixed upon the bed plate under the guiding point, and upon
the table under each spindle carrying the carving tools are fixed the articles or pieces
of wood or other substance upon which the reproductions are to be made, the said
pattern and articles or pieces of wood or other substance being secured to the table
by clamps or by other suitable means, as in a planing machine. The bed plate or
carriage is brought to such a position that the guiding point is at one side of the
pattern underneath it, each carving tool being at a corresponding side of the article
or piece of wood or other material beneath it to be operated upon. The travelling
of the bed plate or carriage causes the pattern to be carried underneath the guiding
point, and consequently the material upon which the reproduction is to be made to
be carried under the carving tools in longitudinal lines, the said guiding point and
the cross head upon which it is fixed rising and falling (by turning upon its sleeves
as aforesaid), following the elevations and depressions of the pattern beneath it, and
giving the like rising and falling motions to the carving tools. The table at the
termination of each line receives a slight side movement as in a planing machine,
which will bring a fresh portion of the pattern underneath the guiding point, and a
corresponding fresh portion of the material being operated upon underneath the
carving tools. The same movement will take place continuously until the guiding
point has travelled in longitudinal parallel lines over the whole of the surface of the
pattern, and consequently until the carving tools have cut or carved by the revolving
motion imparted to them through the bands as aforesaid, and by the travelling
motion of the table, a reproduction of the said pattern upon the articles or pieces of
wood or material beneath them.
At the termination of each forward traverse of the table the end of the upper
part carrying the guiding point and carving tools is raised by a projection on it
coming against an incline on the table, or by other suitable means, and is retained
in this raised position by a suitable catch until on the back traverse of the table a
projection on the said table releases the catch, and allows the guiding point and
carrying tools to descend to their work on the fresh line which the side movement
of the table has presented to them.
The upper part is mounted in its bearings near to the centre of its length in such
a manner that the end carrying the guiding point and carving tools will have a
slight preponderence sufficient to allow the carrying tools to penetrate the wood or
material being operated upon, but at the same time to allow the guiding point to
follow easily and surely the depressions and elevations of the pattern being re-
produced.
The Invention is also applicable to the reproduction of carving or ornamentation
on turned or other circular work. In this case the patterns of metal or other hard
substance, and the wood or other material to be operated upon, are centred between
heads carried on the bed plate after the manner in which the material to be operated
upon is fixed in an ordinary turning lathe. An equal and corresponding motion of
revolution is imparted to the pattern and to each of the articles or pieces of wood or
other material to be operated upon by suitable gearing from a shaft under the bed
plate, and a continuous feed motion is imparted to the pattern and material being
operated upon until the whole surface of the pattern is travelled over by the guiding
point in a helical direction after the manner of the cut made in screw cutting, and
consequently the pattern is reproduced upon the wood or other material operated
upon. The bed plate receives no side motion or backward and forward motion as
described with reference to the arrangement for flat work, but only the before-
mentioned continuous feed motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Pollock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March
1878.
JOHN POLLOCK, of the Firm of M. and J. Pollock, of Beith, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Cabinet and Chair Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CARVING WOOD, STONE, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
My said Invention relates to machines for carving upon wood or other substances
copies or reproductions of designs or ornaments, and has for its object the attain-
ment in such machines of so much automatic action that when adjusted and started
to operate on the material to be carved they contiuue to perform all the movements
necessary for completing the work without requiring hand labour or personal atten-
tion during the time that the work is being executed.
Further, the construcion or arrangement of the machines is such that they are
not liable to get out of order, and also such that the carving tools are extremely
sensitive in following the movements of their guiding point over the pattern, as
herein-after set forth, so that designs of greater delicacy and minuteness of detail can
be readily reproduced.
A machine constructed according to this Invention consists of two main parts,
namely (a), a bed plate or table for carrying the patterns or designs to be repro-
duced, together with the articles or pieces of wood or other substance upon which
the said patterns or designs are to be so reproduced; and (b), an upper part sup
ported by and moveable on bearings carried upon columns or other suitable frame-
work.
The bed plate or table has backward and forward motions imparted to it in a
manner analogous to that by which such motions are imparted to the reciprocating
bed plate of machines for planing metal.
The upper part consists of a framing mounted upon sleeves or centres turning in
bearings on columns, or a framework, as aforesaid, its fore part overhanging the bed
plate or table, and having a head for carrying a guiding point and spindles, which
hold the carving tools. Each such spindle carrying the carving tools is provided
with a pulley, by which the said spindles are driven through bands actuated from
pulleys on a driving shaft passing through the sleeves upon which the upper part
of the machine moves, and by this means the motions of the shaft and of the upper
part do not interfere with each other.
The pattern of which reproductions are to be made is formed in metal or other
substance sufficiently hard to resist the penetration of the guiding point, and this is
fixed upon the bed plate or table under the guiding point. Upon the bed plate or
table, and under each spindle carrying the carving tools, are fixed the articles or
pieces of wood or other substance upon which the reproductions are to be made, the
said pattern and articles or pieces of wood or other substance being secured to the
table by dogs or clamps, or by equivalent means, as in a planing machine. The
bed plate or table is brought to such a position that the guiding point is at one side
or edge of the pattern below it, and each carving tool at a corresponding side of the
article or piece of wood or other material on which the design or pattern has to be
reproduced. The travelling of the bed plate or table causes the pattern to be
travelled backwards and forwards underneath the guiding point, and consequently
the material upon which the reproduction is to be made is similarly moved under
the carving tools, the said guiding point and the head upon which it is fixed rising
and falling, that is to say, following the elevations and depressions of the pattern
beneath it, and giving like rising and falling motions to the carving tools. The
upper part carrying the guiding point and tool spindles receives at the termination
of each alternate traverse of the bed plate or table a slight sideways movement,
which brings the said point and tools respectively over a fresh portion of the
pattern underneath the guiding point, and a corresponding fresh portion of the
material being operated upon (or the side movement may be given to the bed plate

page_text: instead of to the upper part). The same movements take place continuously until
the guiding point has travelled in parallel lines over the whole of the surface of the
pattern, and consequently until the carving tools have cut or carved, by the
revolving motion imparted to them through the bands as aforesaid, and by the
travelling motion of the bed plate or table, a reproduction of the said pattern upon
the articles or pieces of wood or material beneath them.
At the termination of each forward traverse of the bed plate or table the end of
the upper part carrying the guiding point and carving tools is raised by a projection
on it coming against an incline on or attached to the bed plate or table, or by other
suitable means, and is retained in this raised position by a catch until on the return
traverse of the bed plate or table a projection on the said bed plate or table releases
the catch and allows the guiding point and carving tools to descend to their work
on the fresh line which the aforesaid side movement has presented to them.
The upper part is mounted in its bearings near to the centre of its length in such
a manner that the weight of the end carrying the guiding point and carving tools
has a slight preponderance over that of the other end of the said upper part,
sufficient to allow the carving tools to penetrate the wood or material being operated
upon, but which at the same time allows the guiding point to follow easily and
surely the depressions and elevations of the pattern being reproduced.
Where the design to be reproduced is upon circular or turned work the pattern
and material may be mounted between centres similar to the manner in which
material is mounted in a turning lathe, and a motion round their axes be given to
the pattern and material under operation at the termination of each line of work
performed by the machine to enable the tools to operate in parallel lines, as herein-
before stated with regard to flat work. Neither the bed plate or table, nor the
tools in this case, receive any side movement. Or for such circular or turned work
an equal and corresponding motion of revolution may be imparted to both the
pattern and to each of the articles or pieces of wood or other material to be operated
upon, a very slow continuous feed motion in one direction being at the same time
imparted to the bed plate or table carrying the pattern and material being operated
upon; thus the whole surface of the pattern is travelled over by the guiding point
in a helical line, and the design of the pattern is similarly reproduced upon the
wood or other material operated upon.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say,-
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent side elevations (taken
at opposite sides of the machine) constructed according to my said Invention for
reproducing upon flat surfaces (or upon curved surfaces, such, for instance, as the
backs of chairs) designs in relief or intaglio; Figure 3 represents a front elevation,
Figure 4 a back elevation, and Figure 5 a plan of the same.
The remaining Figures represent details and modifications herein-after described.
The bed plate or table A is mounted and capable of sliding in V shaped grooves,
as is the bed plate of an ordinary planing machine, such as is used for planing metals.
Upon this bed plate are carried the pattern a (of cast iron or other suitable hard
material), and the pieces of wood or other material b upon which the design of the
pattern is to be reproduced, the said pattern and pieces of wood or other material
being held firmly upon the said table by dogs or equivalent clamps, not shewn in
the Drawings. The bed plate has backward and forward motions imparted to it
from the driving shaft C by means of bands driven from any convenient shafting,
and passing over pullies c and c¹. The one pulley c is for driving the bed plate
forward during the operation of the tools, and is of large diameter, so as to give a
slow forward movement to the table. The other pulley c¹ is of smaller diameter for
driving the bed plate or table backwards at a higher rate of travel when the tools
are not operating. One or other of these pulleys is driven by an open band and the

page_text: other by a crossed band, so that on each traverse of the bed plate, the clutch D being
geared alternately with the one and the other of the clutch boxes of the said pulleys,
the bed plate is driven alternately backwards and forwards by the bevel wheel E
on the shaft C, gearing into the bevel wheel F keyed on the screw f upon which the
said bed plate runs, as in ordinary planing machines. The clutch D is brought
alternately into gear with either clutch box by the arrangement now to be
described: Adjustable upon a rib on the under part of the bed plate A are
strikers d, d', which are not in the same vertical plane (as seen in Figure 3), and
upon a short shaft projecting from the framing of the machine is mounted a bevel
wheel G having at its back two horns g, g¹, one of which lies in the path of the
striker d and the other in that of the striker d. The bevel wheel G gears with a
wheel H mounted upon the shaft h, turning in bearings projecting from the framing,
the said shaft having koyed to its other end a lever I which is connected by rods i, i,
(as shewn clearly in Figure 4) with the tail of the clutch shifter e. At the end of each
traverse of the bed plate one or the other of the strikers d, d', will by striking one
or other of the horns g, g', cause the wheel G to receive a motion of partial rotation
in one or the other direction, which motion will be transmitted through the wheel H,
shaft h, lever I, and connecting rods i, i, to the tail of the clutch shifter e, whereby
the clutch will be withdrawn from the clutch box of the open band pulley and
engaged with that of the cross band pulley or vice versu at the termination of each
traverse of the bed plate, and thus the change of the traversing motion of the bed
plate A is effected through the shaft C, wheels E, F, and screw f, being alternately
rotated by the pulleys c, c', in opposite directions. The weighted lever ¹ is con-
nected with the rods i to ensure the engagement of the clutch with the clutch boxes
of the pulleys.
The upper part of the machine consists of a framing B hung upon sleeves or centre
pieces 6, 6', turning in bearings le, k, upon a slider or table K moveable upon a
slide L mounted upon pillars l,l. The fore part of the said framing B overhangs
the bed plate A and carries at the centre of its cross head B₁ the guiding point M
adjustable vertically by a screw m. On either side of the said guiding point are
arranged the spindles N which carry the carving tools n.
Figure 6 represents a cross section of the head B¹ and a side elevation of one of
the spindles N. The said spindles N are mounted in carriers n' which slide in
guides n bolted to the said head. By means of screws n³ passing through the head
the spindles may be adjusted to a height which will bring the points of the carving
tools and the grinding point M all in the same horizontal line. Each spindle is
provided with a pulley n³. A rapid rotatory motion is given to the said spindles and
to the tools carried in them by means of the bands n from pulleys p (one for each
spindle), mounted upon a shaft P, turning at either end on bearings p' in the sleeves b',
upon which the framing B turns, and at its centre in a bearing p². The shaft P is
driven by a band (from the driver from which the machine is driven), passing over
the pulley p³ upon the said shaft.
Figure 7 is a section of one side of the framing B and one of the bearings k in
which its sleeves turn. This Figure also shows one of the end bearings p' for the
shaft P, the said bearings being adjustable by the screw p* to compensate for wear.
The screw p³ holds the immoveable part of the bearing p' firmly in position. It
passes through a slot in the bearing K, which allows of the oscillation of the framing B.
By thus mounting the framing B and the shaft P, so that they both turn upon the
same centre, the motions of the spindle driving pulleys p and the framing B do not
interfere with each other, that is to say, during the oscillations of the framing B,
caused by the travelling of the guiding point M over the pattern, the pulleys p and
those of the spindles always remain at the same distance from each other, and con-
sequently the driving bands n are always at the same tension.
The rear part of the framing B carries counterbalance weights 62, which are so
proportioned that the preponderance in weight of the fore part of the framing B is
only such as is necessary to allow the requisite penetration of the tools n into the
material being operated upon. At the side of the bed plate A are inclined pieces

page_text: J, J, adjustable vertically in holders j, j³, which are again adjustable to a greater
or less distance from each other in a slide j, bolted to the bed plate A. Upon
the framing B is a projecting piece 3, which, at the termination of the forward
traverse of the bed plate, comes into contact with the inclined surface J, and raises
the fore part of the said framing so as to elevate the tools out of contact with the 5
material under operation upon the bed plate A during the back traverse of the
said bed plate, the said fore part being held in its raised position during such back
traverse by the catch d³ on the rear part, taking under a projecting piece ¹ from
the framing or from the slider. At the termination of the back traverse of the bed
plate A, a striker a' coming into contact with the tail of the catch d³ releases the
said catch from the projecting piece , allowing the carving tools to descend to their
work; the projecting piece ³, falling upon the incline J, by which the tools are.
allowed to descend gently. The striker a¹ is bolted to the bed plate A in such
manner as to be adjustable in the length of its projection from the said bed plate, to
come into contact with the tail of the catch d³ at any required period of the back 1
traverse of the bed plate.
The side movement requisite to bring the guiding point and tools at each forward
traverse of the bed plate to a fresh line or portion of the pattern, and of the pieces
of material under operation, is given to the slider or table K carrying the framing
B by means of a bevel wheel 9 affixed to the shaft h, and deriving its motion from
the rotation of the said shaft under the action of the strikers d, d¹, upon the horns
g, g', as described with regard to the mechanism for reversing the motion of the bed
plate A. The said wheel q gears with another bevel wheel r, upon a shaft 8, turning
in bearings t. To the end of this shaft 8 is keyed a lever s¹, which through a rod
8 operates a bell-crank lever 83, carrying a pawl 84, which gears with a toothed
wheels affixed to the end of a screw Q, upon which the slider K travels. Thus
at each alternate traverse of the bed plate a slight side movement is given to the
framing B, carrying the guiding point and the carving tools, which are thus brought
over a fresh line or portion of their work.
I will now proceed to describe the action of the machine :-A pattern of the
design to be reproduced, formed of iron or of other suitable hard material, namely,
one which will resist the penetration of the guiding point M, having been fixed
upon the bed plate A underneath the said guiding point, and the pieces of wood or
other material upon which the design is to be reproduced (previously brought to a
thickness about equal to the thickness of the pattern at those parts where the
ornament thereon is of highest elevation) are fixed one piece under each tool n. The
tools n and guiding point M are adjusted so that their points are all in the same
horizontal line. The inclines J are set in the slide, at such distances apart,
according to the length of the pattern, as to elevate and lower the fore part of the
framing at the termination of each operation of the tools, and the strikers d, d¹, are
adjusted and fixed upon their rib at such distances apart, according to the length of
the pattern, as that the said strikers will come into contact with their respective
From an over-
horns g, g¹, at about the termination of each traverse of the table.
head or other shaft driven by any suitable motive power bands are led over the
pulleys and c² on the shaft C, and over the pulley 23 on the shaft P, the band
over one of the pulleys c, c', being a crossed band, and the band over the other of
For the sake of
the pulleys c, c¹, being an open band as herein-before stated.
simplicity I suppose the bed plate A to be at about the extremity of its back
traverse and the catch 63 released from the retaining projection P, so that the fore
part of the framing B rests upon the incline J¹. The machine being set in motion
the shaft P rotates, driving the pulleys p, p, and through the bands n', n*, the
spindles N carrying the carving tools n, the driving being such that the tools receive
a high velocity of motion. The shaft C is also driven by the band passing over the
pulley c, the clutch D being in gear with the clutch box of that pulley, as shewn in
the Drawings. The bed plate A thus receives from the shaft C, through the wheels
E and F, and the screw f, a forward traversing motion whereby the fore part of the
framing B descends gently down the incline J, the guiding point M coming into

page_text: contact with the pattern a, and the tools n coming into contact with the pieces of
material b upon which the design of the pattern is to be reproduced, the slider or
table K of the said framing B being in such a position upon its slide L that the
guiding point and the tools are respectively at one side of the fore part of the
pattern and the pieces of material to be operated upon.
By the continued forward traverse of the bed plate A, the fore part of the framing
B being caused by the pattern a travelling underneath the guiding point M to rise
and fall according as the elevations and depressions of the said pattern pass
beneath it; the tools n are caused by rising and falling with the said head to cut
the pieces of material underneath them to a greater or less depth, and thus produce
a copy upon each of the said pieces of the portion of the design which lies in the
path of the line of travel of the guiding point over the pattern a.
At the end of the forward traverse of the bed plate A, the striker d₁, striking
against the horn g¹, gives a motion of partial rotation to the wheel G and through
the wheel H, shaft h, lever I, and connecting rods i, i, the clutch shifter e is turned
so as to shift the clutch D from the clutch box of the pulley c to that of the pulley cl.
At the same time the motion of the shaft h is transmitted through the wheels q and r
to the lever 8¹, which, through the rod 82 and lever ³, causes the pawl 84 to give a
motion of partial rotation to the wheel and to the screw Q, upon which the
slider or table K runs, whereby the said slider and the framing B carried by it
receive a slight side movement, which brings the guiding point M over a portion of
the pattern, and the tools n over a portion of each of the pieces of material beneath
them, slightly to one side of the portion or line previously travelled over by the
said point and tools.
The projection on the framing has, during the last portion of the forward
traverse of the bed plate, been urged up the incline J, causing (by the elevation of
the fore end of the framing B and the consequent descent of the rear part) the
catch b³ to take under the projection l', whereby the tools n and guiding point M
are held out of contact with the pattern and pieces of material during the back
traverse of the bed plate A. The pulley c¹ now being the driving pulley in con-
sequence of the clutch D being in gear with its clutch box, and the said pulley
revolving as it does in the opposite direction to that of the pulley c, the bed plate A
receives a back traversing motion, which may be rendered more rapid than the
forward traverse by the pulley c¹ being smaller than the pulley c, as shewn in the
Drawings. At the termination of this back traverse of the bed plate A, the
projection a¹ from the bed plate A will strike against the tail of the catch bs, and
release it from the projection, whereby the fore part of the framing B will descend
and rest upon the incline J¹ preparatory to descending again to its work. The
striker d coming against the horn g, will give a motion of partial rotation to the
wheels G, H, and shaft h in the opposite direction to that given to them at the
termination of the forward motion of the bed plate, and consequently the clutch D
will be shifted into the clutch box of the pulley c to give the forward traverse to
the bed plate. The motion of the shaft h in this reverse direction being imparted
through the wheels q, r, shaft 8, and levers 81, 83, the pawl 84 is raised over the teeth
of the wheel & into a position to engage with and turn the said wheel, at the
termination of the next forward traverse of the bed plate A, as herein-before
described. The forward traverse of the bed plate A causes the guiding point M
and tools n to descend to their work, and the said tools n to carve upon the pieces
of material b under the said tools, that portion of the ornament or design which
travels under the guiding point M in its new position, and so on, the machine
repeating the already described motions, viz., the alternate forward and backward
traverse of the bed plate A; the alternate retention and release of the framing B;
the shifting of the clutch D; and the slight side movement of the slider or table K,
by which at each alternate traverse of the bed plate A the pattern and the pieces
of material under operation are brought into positions to travel under the guiding
point and the tools respectively, in lines. which lie slightly to the side of the lines
in which they have previously so travelled. The pattern a thus travels under the

page_text: guiding point M, and the pieces of material b under the tools n in a series of parallel
lines in the direction of the traverse of the bed plate A, the tools n, by their
operation in the said series of parallel lines, producing upon the pieces of wood or
other material b beneath them, reproductions of the design or ornament of the
pattern a beneath the guiding point M.
I have illustrated in the Drawings a machine constructed to carve eight repro-
ductions of designs at one operation, but it will be evident that the said machine
may be constructed to carve a number more or less than eight of such reproductions
at one operation.
Where the designs are to be reproduced upon pieces of material of greater width
than will allow a piece of material to be placed under each of the spindles N, the
tools may be removed from, say, every alternate spindle, and those in the remaining
spindle will carve four reproductions of the design of the pattern upon these wider
pieces of material.
Where the design is to be reproduced upon turned or circular work I mount the
pattern and the pieces of wood or other material under operation upon heads or
carriers between centres in a manner similar to that in which the material operated
upon is mounted in an ordinary turning lathe, and in place of giving a side move-
ment to the framing B, as herein-before described, I give to the said pattern and
pieces of material a slight movement of partial rotation at each alternate traverse
of the bed plate A.
I will describe this part of my Invention with reference to the reproduction of
designs or ornaments upon cylindrical pieces of wood or other material.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 represent respectively in plan and side elevations (taken
from opposite sides) a bed plate A, provided with mechanism suitable for effecting
this last-mentioned movement, the design to be reproduced being upon a cylinder a.
Heads or carriers R, fastened to the bed plate A, are provided for the cylindrical
pattern a (formed of cast iron or other suitable hard material), and for each piece of
material to be operated upon, the said pieces of material being cylinders of a
diameter equal to the diameter of the pattern at the highest points of the ornament
thereon. The said pattern a and pieces of material b are mounted in the said
heads or carriers R between centres r, r, and rl, r¹, so as to be capable of revolving
with the centres r¹, r¹. Each of the said centres r¹ has upon it a worm wheel 12, with
which gear worms u (see Figure 9) upon a shaft U, carried in adjustable bearings u¹
upon the bed plate. At one end of this shaft U is keyed a toothed wheel V, the teeth
of which at each alternate traverse of the bed plate A striking against a stud v (see
Figure 10), projecting from the framing upon which the bed plate slides, causes a
motion of partial rotation to be given to the shaft U, which motion is imparted by
the worms to the wheels 22, and thus to the pattern and pieces of material
mounted between the centres of the heads or carriers R, whereby the pattern is
fed under the guiding point, and the pieces of material being operated upon under
the carving tools, so that the said tools reproduce the ornament or design by
operating in a series of lines parallel with the axes of the cylinders.
In order to give the shaft U motion only during each alternate traverse of the
bed plate A, and to prevent it receiving motion on each traverse of the bed plate,
that is, a motion in one direction during, say, the forward movement of the bed
plate, and then a motion in the reverse direction (which would bring the pattern a
and pieces of material 6 back to their original position). I form upon the back of
the wheels V ratchet teeth v¹, in which a pawl engages to prevent the rotation of
the wheel in one direction. To prevent the bed plate jumping by riding over the
stud when the wheel V is thus prevented from turning I make the bracket
carrying the stud v, so that in one direction it will yield against the action of a
spring, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure 10.
Or the reproduction of designs upon turned or circular pieces of material may be
effected by causing the bed plate A to have, instead of a reciprocating motion, a
slow movement in one direction, the pattern and pieces of material having at the
same time a rotatory motion imparted to them. Figures 11 and 12 represent in

page_text: plan and side elevation respectively an arrangement suitable for producing these
movements. The bed plate A is driven slowly in one direction by a band passed
over the pulley c upon the shaft C, upon which shaft is formed a worm c, which
gears into a worm wheel F' keyed upon the end of the screw f, upon which the
bed plate A runs. An extension of the said screw carries a stepped pulley f', bands
from which pass over another stepped pulley w upon a shaft W, carried in bearings
from any convenient immoveable part of the framing of the machine. Upon this
shaft is a bevel wheel w¹, running upon a feather w* on the said shaft, which wheel
revolves with the said shaft, but is compelled to follow the movement of the bed
plate A by a holder or bracket a fixed to the said bed plate, whereby the said
wheel w is kept in gear with the bevel wheel y upon the worm shaft Y during the
traverse of the bed plate. The shaft Y when the machine is driven receives a
continuous rotatory motion whilst the bed plate is receiving a continuous slow
traversing movement in one direction. The pattern and pieces of material are
mounted in heads or carriers similar to the heads or carriers R (Figures 8, 9, and 10),
and like them provided with worm wheels, with which gear the worms of the
shaft Y, so that the said pattern and pieces of material receive continuous rotatory
motion from the said worms. In this arrangement the framing B does not receive
side movement, as herein-before described with respect to Figures 1 to 5.
By these combined motions of the pattern and pieces of material under the
guiding point and tools, namely, that in a line parallel to their axes due to the
traverse of the bed plate, and that around their axes the tools reproduce the design
upon the said pieces of material by operating in a helical line.
Figures 13 and 14, represent in side elevation and cross section respectively, tools
which I prefer to employ in reproducing ornaments or designs upon stone. The said
tools somewhat resemble an ordinary chisel, but have a narrow cutting edge. I fix
these tools in the fore part of the framing B, in positions to operate upon the work
as herein-before described, but I prefer to fix them rigidly therein, that is to say,
without giving them rotatory motion similar to that given to the spindles N.
Although with reference to Figures 1 to 5 I have described one arrangement for
imparting a side movement to the slider or table K carrying the framing B, yet the
side movement might be given to the bed plate A, instead of to the said slider. In
this case the bed plate would be mounted upon an under framing, the said framing
sliding backwards and forwards (as described with respect to the bed plate A,
Figures 1 to 5), carrying the bed plate A with it. The bed plate would be capable
of running upon a screw on the said framing in a direction at right angles to the
direction of the forward and backward traverse of the under framing carrying the
said bed plate. At the termination of each alternate traverse of the said framing
and bed plate, a motion of partial rotation would be given to the said screw upon
which the bed plate runs, so as to feed the pattern and pieces of material carried
on the said bed plate underneath the guiding point and tools. This could be effected
by an arrangement similar to that described with respect to Figures 8, 9, and 10,
the worm shaft U representing the screw upon which the bed plate would have its
side movement.
It will be evident from the foregoing description that the tools would be capable
of operating during both the forward and backward traverse of the bed plate A, by
dispensing with the arrangements for the raising and retention in its raised position
of the fore part of the framing B, so that the guiding point and tools would remain
in contact with the pattern and material being operated upon.
In this case a slight
side movement would be given to the framing B, or to the bed plate A, to bring the
guiding point and tools to a fresh line or portion of the pattern and pieces of material
at the termination of each traverse, both forwards and backwards, of the said bed
plate, instead of at every alternate traverse only. The back traverse too, would of
course be effected in this case at the same slow rate as the forward traverse.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I

page_text: consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First. The improved machine for carving or re-producing designs or ornaments
upon wood, stone, and other material, whether upon flat or upon curved or circular
contours, in which a pattern by travelling under a guiding point carried by a recip-
rocating upper part or framing, causes carving tools, also carried by the said upper
part or framing, to operate upon the pieces of wood or other material beneath them,
and thereby re-produce thereon copies of the design or ornament of the said pattern,
the said machine being constructed and arranged essentially as, or equivalent to,
that herein-before described with-reference to, and illustrated in Figures 1 to 10,
both inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the oscillating framing carrying
the guiding point and carving tools, essentially as or equivalently to that
illustrated in and described with reference to Figures 1 to 7, both inclusive,
of the accompanying Drawings, the said framing oscillating upon sleeves, centres,
or equivalent bearings, as the guiding point follows the elevations and depressions
of the pattern travelling beneath it and the shaft upon which the spindle driving
pulleys are fixed, turning in bearings in the said sleeves, so that the said shaft and
framing turn upon the same centre, whereby the bands which drive the tool spindles
are kept at the same tension, irrespective of the position of the said framing.
Third. The arrangement of mechanism illustrated in, and described with reference
to Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying Drawings (or the equivalent of the said
arrangement), for causing the tools to reproduce designs or ornaments upon turned
or circular work by operating in a helical line.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pollock, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN POLLOCK. (L.S.)