IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR RENDING WOOD FOR LATHS AND OTHER USES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomson, of Westbourne Green, Harrow
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR RENDING WOOD FOR LATHS
AND OTHER USES."
Sealed the 27th March 1857, and dated the 21st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1856.
I, GEORGE THOMSON, of Westbourne Green, Harrow Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR CUTTING OR RENDING WOOD FOR LATHS AND
OTHER USES," to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a band composed by preference of thin steel, but
may be of other suitable material, and is by preference endless, and carried by
two wheels, one of which receives motion by means of a band from a drum on
a crank axis, driven by hand or by other power. The wheels which carry the
endless band have teeth or projections on their peripheries, which take into
holes in the endless band, and thus is motion given to such band. Cutters are
fixed (each by one of its ends) at suitable distances apart on the band, so as to
project out therefrom, the other end of each cutter being free and unsupported.
The wood to be cut. or rended is first cut into proper lengths, which are fed

page_text: into the machine between two upright screws (the lower ends of which are
roughed), and supported in suitable bearings. The pieces are moved a proper
distance (after the passage of each cutter) by a lever, or otherwise, acting by
suitable gearing, so as to move the two feeding screws at intervals, the
quantity of movement being regulated according to the thickness to be cut or
rended. The mode of feeding may be varied, but provision is to be made for
accommodating the same, so that when winding or irregular pieces of wood are
fed into the machine, they may only be held at each end near where the cut is
to be made. The endless band passes over a spring near the end of the wood at
the point where the cutters enter, so as to regulate the entrance of each cutter
into the wood. By thus arranging the cutters they are free to follow and to
accommodate themselves to the irregularities of the grain of the wood. It may
be stated that although it is preferred that an endless flexible band should be
used for carrying the cutters, and that such band should revolve continuously
in one direction, the band which carries the cutter or cutters may be made
to reciprocate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Thomson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
THOMSON, of Westbourne Green, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanist, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year, of our, Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Thomson, Her special licence, that I, the said George
Thomson, my executors, administrators, and, assigns, or such others" as
I; the said George Thomson, my, executors, administrators, 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, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland,.. the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR RENDING. WOOD FOR, LATHS
AND OTHER USES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Thomson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument rin

page_text: 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 George Thomson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed,. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The apparatus consists of a band composed by preference of thin steel, but
may be of other suitable material, and is by preference endless, and carried by
two wheels; one of which receives motion by means of a band from a druin on
a crank axis, driven by hand or by other power. The wheels which carry the.
endless band have teeth or projections on their peripheries, which take into
holes in the endless band, and thus is motion given to such band. Cutters are
fixed. (each by one of its ends) at suitable distances apart on the band, so as to
project out therefrom, the other end of each cutter being free and unsupported.
The wood to be cut or renderd is first cut into proper lengths, which are fed
into the machine between two upright screws (the lower ends of which are
roughed), supported in suitable bearings. The pieces of wood are moved a
proper distance (after the passage of each cutter) by a lever or otherwise
acting by suitable gearing, so as to move the two feeding screws at intervals,
the quantity of movement being regulated according to the thickness to be cut
or rended. The mode of feeding may be varied, but provision is to be made
for accommodating the same, so that when winding or irregular pieces of wood
are fed into the machine, they may only be held at each end near where the
cut is to be made.. The endless band passes over a spring near the end of the
wood at the point where the cutters enter, so as to regulate the entrance of
each cutter into the wood: By thus arranging the cutters they are free to
follow and to accommodate themselves to the irregularities of the grain of the
wood. It may be stated that although it is preferred that an endless flexible
band should be used for carrying the cutters, and that such band should
revolve continuously in one direction, the band which carries the cutter or
cutters may, be made to reciprocate.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, Figure 2 part of a plan, and
Figure 3 shows a transverse section, of a machine constructed according to my
Invention.
•
a, a, is an endless band composed of plates of thin steel, rivetted firmly
together; the endless band a is carried by the two wheels 6, 8, the wheel b¹
being fixed on the axis b, and the wheel 6 running loose on the axis b*. The
axes 6, 6*, are supported in bearings formed on the side framings of the
machine. The wheels 61, 6, have teeth or projections fixed on their peripheries,
which take into suitable holes formed in the endless band a, to give motion
thereto, motion being communicated to the pulley c, fixed on the axis b, by a
band from a drum or pulley fixed on a crank axis driven by hand or by other
motive power. a¹, a¹, are cutters fixed (each by one of its ends) at suitable
distances apart on the endless band a, so as to project out therefrom, the other
end of each cutter being free and unsupported. The wood to be cut or
rended is first cut into proper lengths, which are then fed into the machine
between the two upright screws d, d, supported in bearings d², d³, fixed on the
cross bars, which connect the side framings of the machine. The pieces of
wood are moved down a proper distance (after the passage of each cutter) to
present an additional thickness to be cut by the next cutter in the following
manner is a bell-crank lever moving on a stud or pin fixed on the cross
bar f¹, which connects the two side framings of the machine. The lever f
receives motion by means of the link f, one end of which is connected by a
pin joint to the lever f, its other end being slotted, and having trucks or rollers
which are acted upon by the cam surfaces 9, 9¹, fixed on the axis b. The
other arm of the cranked lever f is connected by a link f to the sliding
toothed rack f, which slides to and fro in bearings f³, fs, fixed to the framing.
The toothed rack f* takes into and drives the toothed wheel h, turning loose
on the axis of the feeding screw d. The toothed wheel h carries a driver h¹
on its under side, which is pressed on by a spring so as to take into the teeth of
the ratchet wheel i fixed on the axis of the feeding screw, by which arrange-
ment of parts motion will be given at intervals to the screw. axis d, and from
it to the screw axis d by means of the connecting rod or link d*, which
connects the sliding toothed rack f with a corresponding sliding toothed rack
and parts in connection with the screw axis d', the parts being marked with
similar letters of reference to those previously described. The quantity of
movement given to the feeding screws may be regulated, according to the
thickness to be cut or rended, by varying the amount of motion given to the

page_text: cranked lever f. The mode of feeding may be varied and the feeding screws
and parts connected therewith may be dispensed with, the pieces of wood in
that case being simply guided down grooves at each end, and they would be
supported after the passage of a cutter by projecting surfaces upon the edge of
the endless band. i, j, are rollers (or it may be a spring) over which the band
passes, near the end of the wood at the point where the cutters enter, so as to
regulate the entrance of each cutter into the wood; and is another. roller
placed near to the point where the cutters leave the wood, in order to support
and steady the endless band a; k is an incline to conduct the laths or pieces
of wood away after they drop from the cutters. By thus arranging the cutters
they are free to follow and to accommodate themselves to the irregularities of
the grain of the wood.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim generally
the rending or cutting wood for laths and other uses, by means of knives or
cutters carried by flexible bands, former Letters Patent having been granted
to me for an Invention wherein knives or cutters were held at both ends by
bands; what I claim is, the mode herein described of combining machinery
for cutting or rending wood for laths and other uses.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Thomson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
GEORGE THOMSON. (L.S.).