Improvements in Lathes or Machines for Turning or Shaping Wood and other Material.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1090
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1899
Date of Application, 27th June, 1098
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes or Machines for Turning or Shaping Wood
and other Material.
A communication from W. P. PREBLE, of Havemeyer Building, New York,
U.S.A., Patent Expert.
1, JULIUS HERMANN WEISS, of 9, Endsleigh Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of turning machinery commonly known as
baluster lathes and it has for its object the production of a lathe or machine which,
by reason of the improved steadiness of action, speed of the moving parts, and
accuracy and quickness of adjustment, can be made to produce both in round
and many-sided work a much larger quantity of work and of better finish in a
given time than has heretofore been possible.
To this end the invention comprises a lathe or machine provided with suitable
chucks mounted upon a reciprocating carriage, and mechanism for imparting a
proportionate rotation and reciprocation to the wood carried thereon; a revolving
cutter arbor capable of a high speed of revolution and armed with suitable cutters
and operating mechanism therefor, and with novel devices for securing steadiness
of the reciprocating bed-plates and preventing the jarring of the machine: novel
devices for moving the chuck to replace the finished article or work by a fresh
piece of work; a novel cutter adjusting device; a novel clutch for starting and
operating the revolving chuck; and a novel centre chuck and tail-stock.
More particularly described, the first part of this invention consists in a lathe
or machine designed for the production of the most perfect work and which is
provided with all of the above mentioned devices.
All lathes or machines of the class referred to are provided with a reciprocating
bed-plate upon which is mounted a chuck which supports the wood from which
the object desired is to be cut, and at the same time allows the said wood to be
rotated freely. This chuck is generally in the form of a reel with two subordinat?
centres of rotation or chucks proper, each capable of independent rotation so
that while the article carried by one of these chucks is revolving and subjected to
the action of the cutter, the other rotating chuck is stationary and within reach
of the operator so that the finished work may be removed and another piece of
wood substituted and held in readiness to replace the first when needed.
These lathes or machines are also provided with a cutter carriage capable of
to-and-fro movement for bringing the cutters into and out of reach of the chuck.
The cutter carriage carries an arbor of greater length than that of the baluster,
chair-leg, table-leg or other article to be cut (herein referred to generally as a
baluster), and upon this arbor are mounted as many cutters of the desired length
and shape as the particular character of the work requires.
It is well-known that by changing the character of the individual cutters or
their arrangement in sequence along the arbor, variations in the outline of the
baluster can be easily produced.

page_text: Such machines always have mechanism for imparting revolution to the cutter
arbor, for moving the cutter carriage both rapidly and slowly along its recipro-
cating path, and for rotating the work in the chuck at a speed proportionate to
the reciprocation of the chuck-carriage or bed-plate, and also mechanism for
giving the desired reciprocation to the said bed-plate.
When round or cylindrical work is desired, the proportion of reciprocation to
revolution of the bed-plate and chuck is unity, or the bed-plate may be allowed
to remain stationary and not reciprocate at all during the cutting operation, but
when many-sided or polygonal work is desired, the bed-plate upon which the
chuck is mounted should move back and forth as many times for every complete
revolution of the work in the chuck as sides are desired on the baluster or other
article to be produced.
These facts are well known and have been embodied in lathes of this character
before, and my improved machine coincides with previous lathes or machines of
the kind referred to the extent of embodying what I have found to be the most
convenient and effective type of reciprocating bedplate, revolving chucks and
cutter arbors, and mechanism for imparting the desired character of motion to
the various moving parts of the machine. In this general type of lathe or
machine I have embodied a number of detailed improvements the presence of all
of which conjointly results in the production of a lathe or machine of highly
increased efficiency and of substantially novel character.
These detailed improvements relate to an improved clutch for engaging and
disengaging the chuck from the chuck operating mechanism; improved means
for opening and closing the chuck for the removal and insertion of the work;
an improved means of supporting the centre of a long piece of wood or other
material to be operated upon, or the end of a short piece while in the chuck and
which improvement I call a combined centre-chuck and tail-stock; an improved
means for steadying the transmission of reciprocating motion to the bed-plate and
rock-shaft from the driving gear, whereby all dangerous vibration of the machine
is eliminated; and an improved cutter-head by the use of which any individual
cutter can be removed from the cutter arbor and replaced by another or can be
readjusted without being removed both acts being capable of being performed in
much less time and with much less interruption to the operation of the lathe than
has heretofore been possible.
All of these detailed improvements can be used in the same lathe and when so
used, the improved lathe is rendered of the highest degree of efficiency. The
ordinary lathe or machine of the kind known as a baluster lathe however, is very
much improved by the use of any one or several of these detailed improvements.
In one arrangement of lathe or machine embodying my improvements there is
provided a reciprocating bed-plate capable of receiving a to and fro transverse
movement in suitable guideways on the framing of the machine. Upon this bed-
plate is mounted a chuck or reel (hereinafter called a reel) provided with two sub-
ordinate chucks for holding each a piece of work and each capable of independent
rotation. The reel is also capable of rotation by means of a hand-wheel upon
its own axis so that while the work carried by one of these chucks is being dealt
with or turned. the other chuck is stationary and within reach of the operator
so that the finished article can be removed and replaced by a fresh piece of work.
The reel is carried by a longitudinal shaft extending approximately from one
end of the machine to the other and it comprises two heads one at each end, that
are fixed, as to longitudinal movement, and one intermediate head that is capable
of being adjusted longitudinally on the aforesaid shaft to suit the length of the
article being turned, and is provided with tail-stocks. To provide for this adjust-
ment, there are, say, four screw threaded spindles extending from one fixed head
to the other and passing through screwed nuts in the movable intermediate head.
One end of each of these spindles carries a pinion each of which engages with a
gear wheel common to all of them, the arrangement being such that when any
one of the spindles is rotated (as by a removable crank handle) a corresponding

page_text: rotation is imparted to all the other spindles thus imparting a longitudinal move-
ment to the movable head and tail-stocks.
A
The chuck on the reel which holds the work that is being turned receives
rotation from a main driving shaft at the rear of the machine by means of a bevel
gear wheel carried by the said shaft and which engages with another bevel gear
wheel fixed on a transverse shaft provided at its front end with a worm.
This
worm gears with a worm wheel the sleeve of which rotates a short shaft in line
with the chuck to which the rotary motion of the said worm wheel is imparted
through a suitable clutch. In order to put this clutch in and out of gear as
required, there is provided on the outer end of the said short shaft, which carries
one of the clutch members, a sleeve that freely rotates thereupon but reciprocates
therewith. One end of a forked lever embraces this sleeve (the lever being
fulcrumed on the framing) and the other end is adjustably connected to one end
of a longitudinal bar extending along the front of the machine and carried by
suitable brackets so as to be capable of longitudinal reciprocating movement.
hand lever is fulcrumed on a pin carried by the framing and has its free end
formed as a bell-crank lever which is connected by a link or rod to the aforesaid
longitudinal bar. The arrangement is such that when the hand lever is pressed
down a powerful leverage is obtained by means of the bell crank and link by
which the longitudinal bar is moved against the action of a spring so as to cause
the members of the clutch to engage. In this position the bell crank and link
are in line thus resisting the thrust of the spring and holding the parts in the
locked position. Upon a slight movement being given to the hand lever, the two
parts assume a relatively angular position whereupon the spring acts to quickly
disengage the clutch. It will be obvious that both of the work-holding chucks
on the reel are provided with a clutch member capable of engagement in turn
with the reciprocating member of the clutch.
As already stated, the reel can be rotated by hand so that the position of the
two chucks carried thereby can be interchanged when one article is finished and
another is to be commenced. In order that each piece of wood shall be held in
exactly the same position relatively to the cutters, the head which carries the
chucks is formed with two diametrically arranged notches adapted to be engaged
in turn by a dog or tooth that is carried by a bell crank lever connected to a rod
to which can be given a longitudinal or other suitable movement for the purpose
of disengaging the dog from the reel-head, by means of a suitable hand lever at
one end of the machine. A spring acts to push this rod so as normally to hold the
dog in engagement with the corresponding notch, thereby preventing the reel from
rotating and holding the work to the cutters.
For imparting a reciprocating movement to the bed-plate which carries the
reel, there is provided a cam shaft rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the
framing at the rear of the machine. This cam shaft is rotated at the desired
speed from the main driving shaft by means of suitable change wheels the inter-
mediate wheel or wheels of which is or are carried in a swing frame, the said
change wheels being so arranged as to communicate a suitable number of revolu-
tions to the said cam shaft and consequently of reciprocations to the bed plate and
reel proportionate to the speed of rotation of such work so as to produce the
required pattern as already set forth. The cam shaft has removably fixed upon
it a suitable cam the acting periphery of which is adapted to suit the pattern or
shape of the article to be produced. Two bowls or rollers bear upon the cam
surface and are carried by two levers that communicate their rocking motion
derived from the cam to a rock shaft upon which they are fixed. At each end
of this rock shaft is fixed a crank that is connected to one end of a connecting rod,
the other end of each of the said rods being connected to the reciprocating bed-
plate carrying the reel so as to impart a transverse motion thereto. Means are
provided by which the length of each crank can be varied to suit certain patterns
or shapes to be produced. This may be effected by forming each crank pin with
a head arranged to slide in a dove-tail or other slot, in the crank web, and adapted

page_text: to be moved radially, so as to vary its throw, by means of a screw bolt having a
handwheel or thumb nut at one end. By regulating the throw of the crank
variations in the pattern can be obtained; for example, if the cam and crank are
arranged to produce a straight sided figure, then by increasing the length of the
throw of the crank the sides can be made concave, or by decreasing the throw,
convex sides can be produced. As will be seen by means of this mechanism,
which is an important feature in the machine, work of various kinds can be
readily produced.
The cutter carriage is capable of to and fro transverse movement in suitable
guide ways on the framing of the machine for the purpose of moving the cutters
into or out of reach of the work. These movements are imparted by means of
a hand wheel which carries on its spindle toothed pinions that gear with toothed
racks conveniently located on the underside of the carriage. To enable the cutter
carriage to be accurately adjusted to the size of the work when commencing a
fresh pattern, there is mounted loosely on the hand-wheel spindle a worm wheel
that engages with a worm on a transverse spindle provided with a suitable hand
wheel. A clutch enables the worm wheel to be fixed to the hand wheel when it
is required to accurately set the carriage, the latter being adjusted to the desired
position by means of the transverse spindle and worm and worm wheel acting
upon the hand wheel and its spindle. When set, suitable screw stops are corre-
spondingly set to the correct position, whereupon the worm wheel is disengaged
from the handwheel which can then be used to freely and rapidly move the
carriage in and out of operative position, the said screw stops serving to ensure
that the cutter carriage shall be returned each time to the adjusted position. A
guard or fork is provided on the cutter carriage which engages a corresponding
part on the reel so as to prevent the said reel from being reversed or turned until
the cutters have been retracted from their operative position.
The cutter bar is a screw threaded shaft having a series of cutter heads, each
head comprising a ring loose on the said shaft and a serew threaded clamping
ring on each side of the said loose ring, so that on screwing up these rings in
opposite directions they lock the central ring on the shaft and retain the cutter
in place. For the purpose of enabling the cutter bar to be easily and rapidly
removed from the lathe and another bar substituted with cutters arranged for a
fresh pattern, the bar is journalled in removable bearings, preferably of
rectangular shape and capable of being removed with the bar. These bearings
are seated in suitable recesses or brackets on the cutter carriage and are locked
therein by means of a hinged yoke that can be turned up against one side of the
removable bearing and held thereto by means of a hinged plate which is turned
over the top of the said bearing and engages with the said yoke, the parts being
then locked together by means of an eccentric formed on the hinge pin of the
yoke, a handle on one end of the said hinge pin serving to turn the eccentric so
as to lock the hinged plate and yoke together.
For putting the chuck of a lathe or machine of the kind herein before referred
to, in and out of engagement with its rotating mechanism, when required, there
is provided a conical clutch comprising a male member which is mounted on the
inner end of the aforesaid short shaft. This shaft moves freely longitudinally
through or turns with the shaft or sleeve upon which is mounted the aforesaid
worm wheel which, as hereinbefore explained, derives motion from the main
shaft through a worm. The said short shaft is journalled in a box secured to
the framework. The other member of the conical clutch comprises a conically
recessed extension of the chuck which is adapted to turn freely in the disc or head
which forms part of the reel hereinbefore described.
It is obvious that when the two parts of the clutch are engaged, the shaft and
the chuck will rotate together as if they were made integral with each other, thus
communicating the desired rotation to the wood supported between the said chuck
and the tail-stock, as herein before described. When, however, the two members

page_text: of the clutch are disengaged, the shaft revolves freely but communicates no
motion to the chuck with which it is no longer in contact.
The advantages of the conical clutch over other forms of clutch heretofore used
are very great. When the clutch is called into use, it communicates motion
instantaneously to the chuck and thereby not only saves delay in the starting of
the mechanism, but as, by reason of its conical shape, the clutch is always in
position to engage its two parts, it does away with the very serious dangers which
have been found to exist in other forms of clutch and which arise from the fact
that such clutches being more or less out of line as to their engaging parts have
to feel their way into complete engagement, a process which sometimes involves
the breaking of the clutch, sometimes lack of finish in the product, and always
delay and jar in beginning the rotation of the new piece of wood.
For polygonal work I sometimes use a form of clutch whereby engagement
can only take place in a suitable position so that the various faces of the work
are disposed symmetrically to one another. For example in turning square or
octagonal work, it is necessary to ensure that the face to be next cut is not at a
wrong angle to the faces already formed on the bar. For this purpose I employ
a positive clutch having a male member adapted to engage a corresponding slot
or recess, or two such slots or recesses at right angles to each other, the outer faces
being suitably bevelled so that at whichever position the clutch members are
brought into contact, the male member is directed into one or other of the slots
in the other member.
Another part of my invention consists in providing a lathe or machine of the
kind referred to with an improved chuck movement, that is to say, an improved
device by which the tail-stock can be reciprocated to allow the removal and
replacing of the work held between the chuck proper and tail-stock and rotated
by the former. The movable member of the reel carries two tail-stocks each of
which is mounted in a sleeve or journal box secured to the movable head. A
portion of the rear end of the tail-stock is toothed to engage with similar teeth
on a swivel post mounted in a box on
the said movable head. To
the lower end of the swivel post is hinged a lever the outer end
of which is provided on its upper surface with a number of bevelled teeth to
engage bevelled teeth of a rack or segment. The swivel post is surrounded by
a spiral spring which keeps it normally in its raised position so that the teeth
on the lever are held in engagement with the teeth of the rack or segment. An
independent or detachable rod is adapted to be inserted in the recess of the outer
end of the lever. The operation of this device is as follows:
When it is desired to throw back the tail-stock so as to permit the removal or
insertion of the wood or other material operated upon, the removable rod is
inserted by hand in the opening of the lever, and the outer end is thereby
depressed, bringing the bevel teeth out of engagement with the rack. At the
same time, the swivel post is drawn down in its box against the force of the spring.
By now turning the rod in one direction say to the right, the tail-stock is with-
drawn from the wood. Upon releasing the iod, the crank and swivel post rise
and are held by the engagement of the bevelled teeth with the rack. The wood
or other material having now been removed and a new piece being held in position
to be entered by the point of the tail-stock, the rod is again depressed and now
moves to the left, so that the parts resume their original positions, the point of
the tail-stock entering the wood and supporting the same during the operation
of turning.
The great simplicity, positiveness and certainty of action, and speed of this
chuck movement will be readily appreciated by wood turners as compared with
chuck movements heretofore employed.
Another part of my invention consists in providing a lathe or machine of the
kind hereinbefore referred to with a novel centre chuck and tailstock, that is a
device for supporting the centre of a long piece of wood or other material or the
tail end of a short piece, or a piece of wood or other material at any suitable point

page_text: intermediate of its length during the cutting operation in such a way as to prevent
the vibration which would otherwise be set up in the wood or other material by
the action of the cutters. In this way, I secure great steadiness and consequently,
much more perfect work. The said centre chuck and tail-stock are made of two
similar pieces bolted together around the reel shaft and forming a steady rest and
carrying two holders composed of discs circumferentially grooved and slipped into
the ends of the chuck where they are held by springs, the outer part of the discs
being cut away so as to leave space enough for the insertion or removal of the
wood or other material and being provided with a swinging catch and a spring
dog for holding the same. The advantages of this device will be readily under-
stood without further description.
In some cases, for example when there is no square portion in the middle of
a length of wood, instead of holding the outer end by a centreing chuck or tail-
stock, I substitute another movable head having two chucks so that the bar may
be firmly held at both ends whereby it is held in tension and prevented from
bending. In order to allow the end of a bar to pass through this movable head
I carry each chuck in a hinged part of the movable head so that it can be turned
at an angle while the wood is being inserted in place.
For securing steadiness of the reciprocating bed-plate of a lathe or machine
of the kind hereinbefore described and for preventing the jarring of the machine,
each of the two rocking arms that are fixed to the aforesaid rock-shaft and
between which the cam on the cam-shaft works, carries a small roller, the dis-
placement of which by the changing surface of the cam imparts to the rock-
shaft and hence to the bed-plate reciprocated thereby, the proper amount and
character of motion. To render this communication steady, uniform and regular,
the said rocking arms are provided with two spiral springs one end of each being
secured to a yoke carried on the outer end of one of the rocking arms and the other
end of each spring being secured by means of a tension device to the end of the
other rocking arm. The tension desired for the springs having been attained by
turning a thumb-screw on the tension device, it is found that the tendency to
vibration caused by the movement of either rocking-arm is compensated by the
spring of the other rock-arm. I have found in practice that the steadiness thereby
secured is such that when the machine is run at high speed, the hand can be
placed upon the reciprocating bed-plate of the reel without feeling any jar or
trembling whatever. The importance of this in the production of perfect work
will be readily understood when it is borne in mind that any trembling or uncer-
tainty in the operation of the bed-plate which carries the wood-chuck is necessarily
communicated to the wood or other material, thereby rendering it very difficult,
if not impossible, to make the cutters produce a practically smooth surface.
A further part of my invention consists in providing a lathe or machine of the
kind referred to with an improved cutter adjusting device, by the use of which
the time required for replacing a broken or dulled cutter or re-arranging the series
of cutters to produce modifications in the design of the baluster is reduced to a
minimum.
Heretofore, it has been found necessary not only to stop the machine but to
separate the cutter-heads, remove the defective cutter by turning back the internal
screw, re-adjust the new cutter by guess work and replace it in the machine for
an experimental test. This has to be repeated until the adjustment is perfect:
and as the adjustment is a very delicate matter, it frequently happens that several
trials have to be made before the new cutter is found to work as desired.
this guess-work is obviated by my improved cutter adjusting device wherein the
screw is external to the cutter-head so that by making a slight mark on the pro-
jecting portion of the screw before the old cutter is released, the screw can easily
be turned back to hold the new cutter in the exact position of the old.
All
As is well known, these cutters belong to what is known as the centrifugal
cutter class, that is, cutters which are held up to their work by centrifugal force,
the cutter being free to fall back into the bottom of the groove when at rest, and

page_text: the adjusting device being raised so as to determine the distance from the centre
of rotation, to which the cutter is allowed to be thrown by the action of centri-
fugal force. The cutter-head is provided with a groove in which a foot on the
cutter is inserted, the cutter projecting outside the cutter-head through an open-
ing. As before stated, in the old arrangement, the screw was inside the cutter-
head, being a projection from the foot of the cutter; and the amount of this
projection, of course, determined the amount of play allowed to the said cutter
inside the groove and hence, the distance from the centre of rotation, to which
the cutting edge of the cutter can be thrown. In my improved device, the adjust-
ing screw forms no part of the cutter itself but projects from the outside through
a threaded hole and can therefore be screwed in such distance as may be desired.
Dated this 27th day of June 1898.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Lathes or Machines for Turning or Shaping Wood
and other Material.
A communication from W. P. PREBLE, of Havemeyer Building, New York,
U.S.A., Patent Expert.
I, JULIUS HERMANN WEISS, of 9, Endsleigh Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of wood turning machinery commonly known
as baluster lathes and it has for its object the production of a lathe or machine,
which, by reason of the improved steadiness of action, speed of the
moving parts and accuracy and quickness of adjustment, can be made to produce
both in round and many sided work a much larger quantity of work and of better
finish in a given time than has heretofore been possible.
To this end the invention comprises a lathe provided with suitable chucks
mounted upon a reciprocating carriage and mechanism for imparting a pro-
portionate rotation and reciprocation to the wood or other material (hereinafter
referred to as wood) carried thereon, a revolving cutter arbor capable of a high
speed of revolution and provided with suitable cutters, and operating mechanism
therefor, and with novel devices for securing steadiness of the reciprocating
carriage bed-plate and preventing the jarring of the machine; novel devices
for moving the tail stock of the chuck to replace the finished article or work by
a fresh piece of wood: a novel cutter adjusting device; a novel clutch for start-
ing and operating the revolving chuck; and a novel centre chuck and tail-stock.
More particularly described, the first part of this invention consists in a lathe
designed for the production of the most perfect work and which is provided with
all of the above mentioned devices.
All lathes of the class referred to are provided with a reciprocating bed-plate
upon which is mounted a chuck which supports the wood from which the object
desired is to be cut and at the same time allows the said wood to be rotated freely.
This chuck is generally in the form of a reel with two subordinate centres of

page_text: rotation or chucks proper, each capable of independent rotation so that while the
wood carried by one of these chucks is revolving and subjected to the action of
the cutter, the other rotating chuck is stationary and within reach of the operator
so that the finished work can be removed and another piece of wood substituted
and held in readiness to replace the first piece when needed.
These lathes are also provided with a cutter carriage capable of to-and-fro
movement for bringing the cutters into and out of reach of the work carried by
the chuck. The cutter carriage carries an arbor of greater length than that of
the baluster, chair-leg, table-leg or other article to be cut (herein referred to
generally as a baluster); and upon this arbor are mounted as many cutters of the
desired length and shape as the particular character of the work requires.
It is well known that by changing the character of the individual cutters or
their arrangement in sequence along the arbor, variations in the outline of the
baluster can be easily produced.
Such machines have heretofore been provided with mechanism for imparting
revolution to the cutter arbor, for moving the cutter carriage both rapidly and
slowly along its reciprocating path, and for rotating the work in the chuck at a
speed proportionate to the reciprocation of the chuck-carriage or bed-plate, and
also mechanism for giving the desired reciprocation to the said chuck carriage or
bed-plate.
When round or cylindrical work is desired, the proportion of reciprocation of
the bed-plate to revolution of the wood chuck is unity; or the bed-plate may be
allowed to remain stationary and not reciprocate at all during the cutting opera-
tion in the former case the periphery would be cut eccentric to the axis of
rotation, and in the latter case the periphery would be concentric to the said axis.
When many sided or polygonal work is desired, the bed-plate upon which the
chuck is mounted should move back and forth as many times for every complete
revolution of the work in the chuck as the number of sides desired on the baluster
or other article to be produced.
These facts are well known and have been embodied in lathes of the character
referred to before, and the improved lathe, according to this invention, coincides
with previous lathes of the kind referred to, to the extent of embodying what
has been found to be the most convenient and effective type of reciprocating bed-
plate, revolving chucks, cutter arbors and mechanism for imparting the desired
character of motion to the various moving parts of the lathe. In this general
type of lathe, there are embodied, according to this invention, a number of detailed
improvements, the presence of all of which conjointly results in the production of
a lathe of highly increased efficiency and of substantially novel character.
These improvements relate to an improved clutch for engaging and disengaging
the chuck from the chuck operating mechanism; improved means for opening
and closing tail-stock of the chuck for the removal and insertion of the work: an
improved means of supporting the central portion of a long piece of wood or the
end of a short piece while in the chuck and which improved means is herein called
a combined centre chuck and tail-stock or thimble stay: an improved means for
steadying the transmission of reciprocating motion to the bed-plate and rock-
shaft from the driving gear, whereby all dangerous vibration of the machine is
eliminated; and an improved cutter-head by the use of which any individual
cutter can be removed from the cutter arbor and replaced by another, or can be
re-adjusted, without being removed, both operations being capable of being per-
formed in much less time and with much less interruption to the operation of the
late than has heretofore been possible.
All of these improvements can be used in the same lathe and when so used,
the improved lathe is rendered of the highest degree of efficiency. The ordinary
baluster lathe, however, is very much improved by the use of any one or several
of these detailed improvements.
The accompanying illustrative drawings show one arrangement of baluster
lathe embodying the improvements above set forth, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 showing the

page_text: lathe in front elevation, plan, and rear elevation respectively, Figs. 4 and 5 are
end elevations of opposite ends of the machine, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section
thereof.
Figs. 7 to 15 inclusive are detail views of the various improved devices shown
separately.
1 is the framework of the lathe upon which the moving parts are mounted.
2 is a driving pulley mounted on a shaft 3 journalled in brackets 3* projecting
from the framework and driven by belting from a source of power not shown.
The shaft 3 carries near its outer end a small gear wheel 4 which meshes with a
large gear wheel 5 mounted upon a shaft at 6 which turns in the outer end of an
arm 7 which is normally fixed to the framework 1 but is capable of being turned
upon a cam-shaft 8 which is journalled in the framework, as shown.
The cam-shaft 8 carries at one end a gear wheel 9 which meshes with and is
driven by the gear wheel 5 which is made of greater width than the wheels 4
and 9, and consist in the example shown of two wheels fixed side by side. The
three gear wheels 4, 5 and 9 form what is known as a multiple gear system of
which the intermediate gear wheel 5 is preferably made the changeable one,
although either or both of the other wheels could be removed and others of
different size substituted, if preferred. It will be readily understood that by
predetermining the respective number of teeth of the different wheels in this
multiple gear system, a single revolution of the driving shaft 3 can be converted
into as many or as few revolutions of the cam-shaft 8 as may be desired.
The reciprocation of the chuck-carriage is derived from the cam-shaft 8 as
follows:-
At the inner end of the said shaft is a cam 10 which revolves with it and by
reason of its irregular surface, operates a rocking arm 11, rigidly attached to a
rock-shaft 12 which is journalled in the framework. 13-13 are short crank arms
provided at each end of the rock-shaft 12 and connected by rods 14 to the under
side of the bed-plate 15 upon which the chuck carriage is mounted, so as to im-
part a transverse reciprocating motion to such-bed-plate. This bed-plate 15 moves
back and forth upon a track 15* secured to the framework 1 in the manner usual
to sliding bed-plates, and will obviously receive one to-and-fro movement for every
revolution of the cam-shaft 8. The throw of each crank arm 13 may be varied
to suit certain patterns or shapes to be produced, by forming each crank pin with
a head arranged to slide in a dove-tail or other slot in the crank web and adapted
to be moved radially, by means of a screw bolt 13 having a hand wheel or thumb
nut 13b at one end. By means of the reciprocating mechanism described, work
of various kinds can be readily produced. The chuck carriage is in the form of
a reel mounted upon and carried by standards on the bed-plate 15 the two sides
of which may, if desired, be connected by a yoke piece 15. The reel comprises
three discs 16, 16 and 16 held together by four screw bolts 16, the two outer
dises 16, 16 being fixed endways and the middle disc 16 being movable along
the bolts to accommodate the reel to various lengths of material to be cut.
discs 16, 16 carry two chucks, or more exactly speaking, two chucks, 17 on one
dise 16 and two tail-stocks 18 on the other disc 16, a chuck and tail-stock to-
gether constituting a chuck in the full sense. The chucks and tail-stocks are
mounted in sleeves or journal boxes 16 secured to the discs 16%, 16. By provid-
ing two chucks one can remain idle so that the finished product can be removed
therefrom and new stock inserted therein while the other chuck is in operation.
Revolution is imparted to the active chuck from a worm-wheel 19 (Figs. 2
and 3) as follows:―
The
The driving shaft 3 carries a bevelled gear wheel 20 which meshes with a
bevelled gear wheel 21 upon a worm-shaft 22 running along the end of the lathe
and carrying a worm 23 which engages the worm-wheel 19 and can slide on the
shaft 22. The worm-wheel is carried by a shaft or sleeve 24 (Fig. 7) journal.
in posts 24 rising from the reciprocating bed-plate 15. Through this shaft slides
a clutch-shaft 25 which carries upon its inner end a clutch part 25° adapted to

page_text: engage the outer end 17" of the operative chuck and thereby cause the same to
revolve with the same speed as the worm-wheel 19. This clutch is brought into
and out of engagement with the chuck by a forked clutch lever 26 operated from
the forward end of the lathe in the usual manner.
In the example shown the lever 26 is fulcrummed to the bed plate at 26* and
has its front end adjustably connected to one end of a bar 26ª extending along
the front of the machine and carried by suitable brackets so as to be capable of
longitudinal reciprocating movement. A hand lever 26b, of bell crank shape, is
fulcrumed on a pin 26 carried by the bed plate and has its shorter arm connected
by a link or rod 26d to the aforesaid bar 26". The arrangement is such that when
the hand lever is pressed down, a powerful leverage is obtained by means of the
bell crank hand lever and link, whereby the longitudinal bar 26" is moved against
the action of a spring 26° so as to cause the members of the clutch to engage. In
this position the link and the arm of the lever to which it is connected are in line,
thus resisting the thrust of the spring and holding the parts in the locked position.
pon a slight movement being given to the hand lever so as to move the link and
Jever arm into a relatively angular position, the spring 26 acts to quickly return
the parts and disengage the clutch. Both of the work-holding chucks 17 on the
reel are provided with a clutch member 17 capable of engagement in turn with
the reciprocating member 25* of the clutch.
27 is a reel controlling wheel fixed upon the reel arbor 16 on which is mounted
freely a gear wheel 27" that meshes with four gear wheels 27b by means of which
the four screw bolts 16d can, by rotating one of the screw bolts, be revolved in
unison when it is desired to feed the middle disc 16b toward or from the chuck
disc 16.
The reel can be rotated by hand so that the position of the two chucks and tail
stocks carried thereby can be interchanged when one article is finished and
another is to be commenced. In order that each piece of work shall be held in
exactly the same position relatively to the cutters, the head 16" is formed with
two diametrically arranged notches 16 (Fig. 6) adapted to be engaged in turn by
a dog or tooth 16 that is carried by a bell crank lever 16b (Fig. 1) connected to
a rod 16 to which can be given a longitudinal movement (for the purpose of dis-
engaging the dog from the reel-head) by means of a suitable hand lever 16 at one
end of the machine. A spring 16 acts to move this rod so as normally to hold the
dog in engagement with the corresponding notch, thereby preventing the reel
from rotating.
18
At the forward end of the lathe is a hand wheel 29b that is connected in the
usual manner by suitable devices with the cutter carriage 34 so that the operator
can accurately control the extent to which the revolving cutters can reach into or
intersect the path of the revolving and reciprocating wood. This hand wheel is
used to bring the revolving cutter into action for every new piece of wood and
out of action while the chuck reel is turned to present a new piece of wood. For
this purpose, the spindle 28 of the hand wheel 28 carries toothed pinions that
gear with toothed racks conveniently located on the underside of the cutter
carriage 34 as well understood. To enable the said carriage to be accurately
adjusted to the size of the work when commencing a fresh pattern, there
mounted loosely on a wheel 288 (Fig. 4) fast on the spindle of the hand wheel 28
a worm wheel 28 that engages with a worm 29 on a transverse spindle 29" (Figs. 1
and 4) provided with a suitable hand wheel 29h, by means of which the spindle 28*
can be turned more delicately than by the hand wheel 28. The object of this
auxiliary device is to render more absolute and delicate the motion of the cutter
carriage, so as to guard against too abrupt contact of the cutters with the work
A suitable clutch 30 enables the worm wheel 28" to be fixed to the wheel 28"
when it is thus required to accurately set and work the cutter carriage. When
the carriage is set, suitable screw stops carried by the bed of the machine are
correspondingly set to the correct position. The worm wheel 28" can be dis-

page_text: engaged from the said hand wheel 28 when it is desired to freely and rapidly move
the cutter carriage in and out of operative position, the said screw stops serving
to ensure that the cutter carriage shall be returned each time to the adjusted
position. A guard or fork 31 (Figs. 2 and 4) is provided on the cutter carriage 31
to engage one or other of two corresponding parts 31° on the reel so as to prevent
the latter from being reversed or turned until the cutters have been retracted from
their operative position.
32 (Fig. 2) represents one of a series of revolving cutters mounted upon the
cutter arbor 32". This cutter arbor is journalled in boxes 33-33 mounted upon
the cutter carriage or bed-plate 34 which is adapted to be moved on the track 34*
under control of the operator's wheel 28 as hereinbefore described.
The cutter arbor 32 is a screw threaded shaft having a series of cutter heads 32b,
each head comprising, as usual, a ring loose on the said shaft and two screw
threaded clamping rings, one on each side of the said loose ring, so that on screw-
ing up these rings in opposite directions, they lock the central ring on the shaft 32*
and retain the cutter 32 in place. For the purpose of enabling the cutter arbor to
be easily and rapidly removed from the lathe and another bar substituted with
cutters arranged thereon for a fresh pattern, the arbor is journalled in removable
bearings preferably of external rectangular shape and capable of being removed
with the arbor. These bearings are seated in the boxes or brackets 33 on the
cutter carriage and are each locked therein by means of a hinged yoke 33*
(Figs. 2 and 5) that can be turned up against one side of the removable bearing
and held thereto by means of a hinged plate 32b which is turned over the top of the
said bearing and engages with the said yoke, the parts being then locked together
by means of an eccentric 33° formed on the hinge pin of the yoke, a handle 33d
on one end of the said hinge pin serving to turn the eccentric so as to lock the
hinged plate and yoke together.
A high speed of revolution for the cutters, (in practice, from four to seven
thousand revolutions a minute), is necessary to secure a marketable product,
whether round or many sided work is desired, and this speed is attained by the
direct application of belting, not shown, to one or more pulleys 32b secured to the
cutter arbor 32ª.
35 is a piece of work held between the chuck and the tail-stock.
The operation of the lathe is as follows:-
A piece of wood being inserted between one of the chucks 17 and the corre-
sponding tail-stock 18, the reel is turned to bring the wood on the side of the
reel next the cutters. The machine is then started, the chuck carriage reciprocates
under the action of the multiple gear system through the cam-shaft 8 and rock-
shaft 12 from the pulley 2, while at the same time, the wood is revolved by means
of the worm-wheel 19. The operator turns the hand wheel 28 and brings the
cutters into contact with the wood. A backward turn of the wheel takes the
cutters out of action.
For putting the chuck of a lathe or machine of the kind hereinbefore referred
to into and out of engagement with its rotating mechanism when required, there
is provided, according to this invention, a conical clutch such as shown separately
in side elevation in Fig. 7.
25 is the male member of the conical clutch mounted on the inner end of the
shaft 25 which moves freely longitudinally through and turns with the shaft 24
carrying the worm-wheel 19 which, as herein before explained, derives motion
from the main shaft through the worm 23. 17 is the other member of the
conical clutch consisting of a conically recessed extension of the chuck 17 which
is adapted to turn freely in the disc 16* forming part of the reel herein before
described.
It is obvious that when the two parts of the conical clutch are engaged, the
shaft 25 and the chuck will rotate together as if they were made integral with
each other, thus communicating the desired rotation to the wood supported

page_text: between the said chuck 17 and the tail-stock 18. When however, the two
members of the clutch are disengaged, the said shaft revolves freely but com-
municates no motion to the chuck with which it is no longer in contact.
The advantages of the conical clutch over other forms of clutch heretofore used
are very great. When the clutch is called into use, it communicates motion
instantaneously to the chuck and thereby not only saves delay in the starting of
the mechanism, but, as, by reason of its conical shape, the clutch is always in
position for its two parts to become engaged with each other, it does away with
the very serious dangers which have been found to exist in other forms of clutch
and which arise from the fact that such clutches being more or less out of line as to
their engaging parts have to feel their way into complete engagement, a process
which sometimes involves the breaking of the clutch, sometimes, lack of finish
in the product, and always, delay and jar in beginning the rotation of the new
piece of wood.
Another part of the present invention consists in providing a lathe of the kind
referred to with an improved chuck movement, that is to say, an improved device
by which each tail stock 18 can be reciprocated to allow the removal and replacing
of the work held between the chuck proper and tail-stock and rotated by the
former.
Figs. 8 and 9 show this chuck movement separately in plan and transverse
section respectively.
A portion of the rear end of each tail stock 18 carried by the disc 16b of the
reel herein before described (Figs. 1 and 2) is toothed, as shown at 18" in Figs. S
and 9, to engage with similar teeth on a swivel post 18b mounted in a box 18.
To the lower end of the swivel post 18b is hinged a lever 18d the outer end of
which is provided on its upper surface with bevelled teeth 18° to engage bevelled
teeth of a rack or segment 18. The swivel post 18b is partly surrounded by a
spiral spring 18% which keeps it normally in its raised position
that the teeth 18 on the lever 18d are normally held in engagement with the teeth
of the rack or segment 18'. An independent or detachable rod 18h is adapted to
be inserted in a socket or recess at the outer end of the lever 18ª.
The operation of this device is as follows:
EO
When it is desired to throw back the tail stock so as to permit the removal or
insertion of the wood operated upon, the removable rod 18h is in-
serted by hand in the opening of the lever 18 and its outer end
is depressed, thereby bringing the bevel teeth 18° out of engagement
with the rack 18', the swivel post 18b being simultaneously drawn
down in its box against the force of the spring 18. By now turning the rod in
one direction say to the right, the tail stock is withdrawn from the wood. Upon
releasing the rod, the lever and swivel post rise and are again held by the engage-
ment of the bevelled teeth 18e with the rack 18. The wood having now been
removed and a new piece being held in position to be entered by the points of
the chuck and tail-stock, the rod 18h is again depressed and moved to the left,
so that the parts resume their original positions, the points of the chuck and tail-
stock entering the wood and supporting the same during the operation of
turning.
The great simplicity, positiveness and certainty of action and speed of this
chuck movement will be readily appreciated by wood turners, as compared with
chuck movements heretofore employed.
Another part of this invention consists in providing a lathe of the kind referred
to with a novel centre chuck and tail-stock or thimble stay, that is to say, a device
for supporting the central portion of a long piece of wood, or the tail end of a
short piece, during the cutting operation, in such a way as to prevent the
vibration which would otherwise be set up in the wood by the action of the cutters
and in this way, secure great steadiness and consequently much more perfect
work.

page_text: Figs. 10 and 11 show the centre chuck and tail-stock or thimble stay in side
and front elevations, respectively.
As shown, the centre chuck and tail-stock or thimble-stay are made of two
similar parts 36, 36 bolted together around the reel shaft 16 and carrying two
holders 36, 36 each composed of a disc circumferentially grooved and slipped into
the corresponding end of the centre chuck where they are held by spring
catches 36 as shown, the outer part of each disc being cut away so as to leave
space enough for the insertion or removal of the piece of wood to be cut and
being provided with a pivoted or swinging catch 37 and a pin or spring catch 38
for holding the same in place.
The advantages of this device will be readily understood without further
description.
For securing steadiness of the reciprocating chuck carriage or bed-plate 15 of
a lathe of the kind herein before described, and for preventing the jarring of the
machine, there is employed a device an example of which is illustrated in Fig. 6
and also separately in Figs. 12 and 13 which are respectively an end view and
plan.
According to this arrangement, the rock-shaft 12 is provided in addition to
the rocking arm 11, which is fast therein, with a second arm 11ª which is mounted
to turn upon the boss of the arm 11 or upon the shaft, the cam 10 fixed on the
cam-shaft 8, working between the two arms. Each of these arms carries a small
roller 11, the displacement of which, by the changing surface of the cam, imparts
to the rock-shaft and hence to the bed plate 15 reciprocated thereby, the proper
amount and character of motion.
To render this communication of motion steady, uniform and regular, the said
rocking armis 11, 11 are provided with two spiral springs 11b, one end of each
being secured to the two ends of a yoke 11d carried on the outer end of one of the
rocking arms, the other end of each spring being secured by means of a tension
device 11 to the outer end of the other rocking-arm. The tension desired for the
springs having been attained by turning a thumb-screw 11' on the tension device 11°,
it is found that the tendency to vibration caused by the movement of either rock-
ing-arm is compensated by the spring of the other rocking-arm, and that in
practice the steadiness thereby secured is such that when the machine is run at
high speed, the hand can be placed upon the reciprocating bed-plate 15, without
feeling any jar or trembling whatever. The importance of this in the production
of perfect work will be readily understood when it is borne in mind that any
trembling or uncertainty in the operation of the bed-plate which carries the wood
chuck is necessarily communicated to the wood, thereby rendering it very difficult,
if not impossible, to make the cutters produce a practically smooth surface.
A further part of my invention consists in providing a lathe of the kind referred
to with an improved cutter adjusting device, by the use of which the time required
for replacing a broken or dulled cutter or re-arranging the series of cutters to
produce modifications in the design of the baluster is reduced to a minimum.
Heretofore, it has been found necessary not only to stop the machine but to
separate the cutter-heads, to remove the defective cutter by turning back an
internal screw, to readjust the new cutter by guess-work, and to replace it in the
machine for an experimental test. This has to be repeated until the adjustment
is perfect; and as the adjustment is a very delicate matter, it frequently happens
that several trials have to be made before the new cutter is found to work as
desired. All this guesswork is obviated by the improved cutter adjusting device
wherein the screw is arranged to project considerably outside the cutter-head so
that by making a slight mark on the projecting portion of the screw before the
old cutter is released, the screw can easily be turned back to hold the new cutter
in the exact position of the old one.
This improvement will be understood from Figs. 14 and 15, Fig. 14 showing
the old means of adjustment, and Fig. 15 the improved arrangement.

page_text: As is well known, the cutters belong to what is known as the centrifugal cutter
class, that is to say, cutters which are kept to their work by centrifugal force,
the cutter being free to fall back into the bottom of the groove when at rest and
the adjusting device being moved so as to determine the distance from the centre
of rotation, to which the cutter is allowed to be thrown by the action of centri-
fugal force.
The cutter-head 39 is provided with a groove 40 in which a foot 41"
provided on the cutter 41 is inserted, the cutter projecting outside the cutter-
head through an opening 42. As before stated, in the old arrangement, the
screw 43 was inside the cutter-head, being a projection from the foot of the cutter,
and the amount of this projection, of course, determines the amount of play
allowed to the said cutter inside the groove, and hence the distance from the
centre of rotation to which the cutting edge of the cutter can be thrown. In the
improved device, the adjusting screw 43 forms no part of the cutter itself, but
projects from the outside through a threaded hole in the cutter head and can
therefore be screwed in such distance as may be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A lathe of the kind hereinbefore referred to provided with suitable chucks
and tail stocks mounted upon a reciprocating carriage and mechanism for impart-
ing a proportionate rotation and reciprocation to the wood or other material
carried thereby; a revolving cutter arbor capable of a high speed of revolution
and provided with suitable cutters and operating mechanism therefor, the conical
clutch for starting and operating the revolving chuck, means for moving the
chuck to replace the finished article by a fresh piece of wood or other material,
the combined centre chuck and tail-stock, the means for securing steadiness of
the reciprocating bed-plate and reel and preventing the jarring of the machine,
and the cutter adjusting device, all substantially as shown and described.
2. A lathe of the kind herein before referred to provided with the
above described conical clutch by means of which the chuck can be brought into
and out of engagement with its rotating mechanism.
3. A lathe of the kind hereinbefore referred to provided with the above tail
stock operating device by means of which the said tails-stock can be reciprocated
to allow of the removal and replacing of the wood held or to be held between the
chuck and the tail-stock.
4. A lathe of the kind berein before referred to provided with the above described
combined centre chuck and tail-stock.
5. A lathe of the kind herein before referred to provided with the above
described double spring device for securing steadiness of the reciprocating bed-
plate of the clutch carriage and preventing the jarring of the machine.
6. A lathe of the kind hereinbefore referred to provided with the above
described improved cutter adjusting device.
7. The improved baluster lathe constructed, arranged and operating as herein-
before described with reference to and shewn in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 27th day of March 1899
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.