Improvements in and relating to Dovetail Cutting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Dovetail Cutting Machines.
I, JAMES READ RICKARD, of 143, Kennington Road, Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in the dovetail cutting machines specified
in my prior Patents numbered 1124 of 1895 and 1732 of 1896, and it consists of an
attachment whereby such machines are enabled to cut lapped dovetails.
The attachment consists essentially of a vertically arranged spindle running in a
bearing carried by a block adapted to slide transversely in the horizontal plane in a
suitable bracket adapted to be fixed to any convenient part of the machine where
the traversing table carrying the work to be cut will bring the wood within the
range of the cutter carried by the vertical spindle. Motion is imparted to the said
spindle by means of a belt driven from any suitable source of power and carried
round suitable guide pulleys.
The sliding block carrying the vertical spindle is provided with a crank lever or
other suitable gear for traversing it, and it is also provided with an adjustable stop
for limiting its forward movement at any desired position.
The cutter used has preferably three cutting edges, the two side cutting edges
making the same angle with the bottom cutting edge as the sides of the dovetail
do with its face or base.
It will be understood that the female part of the lapped dovetail is cut out by
means of the revolving bit or cutter of the machine as in ordinary dovetails but the
depth of the traverse of the cutter is limited so that it does not cut through the
entire thickness of the wood. The female parts of the dovetails thus formed will
have round corners at their angle with the lapped part and it is the function of this
attachment forming this invention to cut out these corners which is done by bringing
the work under the vertical cutter and traversing the said cutter first on one side
of the dovetail and then on the other.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improvement in the dovetail cutting machines speci-
fied in my prior Patents numbered 1124 of 1895 and 1732 of 1896, and it consists
of an attachment whereby such machines are enabled to cut lapped dovetails.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one method of carrying my
invention into practical effect.
Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the attachment.
Figures 2 and 3 are views in side elevation and plan thereof respectively, and
Figure 4 is a broken view shewing the female part of the dovetail before and
after being operated upon by this attachment.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The attachment consists essentially of a vertically arranged spindle A running in
a bearing A¹ carried by a block or slide B adapted to slide transversely in the hori-
zontal plane in or on a suitable bed or bracket C adapted to be fixed to any
convenient part of the machine where the traversing table carrying the work to be
cut will bring the wood within the range of the cutter carried by the lower end a
of the vertical spindle A. This bed or bracket C is preferably attached to the
slide D which carries the revolving cutter (see Patents Nos. 1124 of 1895 and
1732 of 1896 and as shown in dot and dash lines on Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawing). Motion is imparted to the spindle A by means of a belt driven from
any suitable source of power carried round the pulley a¹ on its upper end by
means of guide pulleys xx.
The block or slide B carrying the vertical spindle A is provided with any suitable
gear for traversing it, a convenient one being that shown on the accompanying
drawing which consists of a crank lever o pivotted or fulcrumed at b¹ to the bed or
bracket C through a slot therein and attached at 62 to the block or slide.
For limiting the forward movement of the block or slide B at any desired
position, an adjustable stop or plate E is secured thereto by means of nuts e e
threaded on bolts fixed in the block or slide and passing through slots in the
plate E; this stop or plate comes into contact with another stop or plate F
fixed on the said bed or bracket.
The cutter H which is attached to the end a of the spindle A in any suitable
manner has preferably three cutting edges, the two side cutting edges making the
same angle with the bottom cutting edge as the sides of the dovetail do with its
face or base.
It will be understood that the female part of the lapped dovetail is cut out by
means of the revolting bit or cutter of the machine as in ordinary dovetails but
the depth of the traverse of the cutter is limited so that it does not cut through the
entire thickness of the wood. The female parts Y of the dovetails thus formed will
have round corners y at their angle with the lapped part (see Figure 4) and it is
the function of this attachment forming this invention to cut out these corners
which is done by bringing the work under the vertical cutter H and traversing the
said cutter first on one side of the dovetail and then on the other.
It will be understood that instead of forming or fixing this attachment to a dove-
tail cutting machine of the kind herein referred to, it may be constructed as a
totally separate and distinct machine without departing from the scope of this
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) An attachment for dovetail cutting machines, of the type specified in
Patents Nos. 1124 of 1895 and 1732 of 1896 constructed arranged and adapted to
operate substantially as hominhofound 1

page_text: (2) In dovetail cutting machines of the kind specified in Patents Nos. 1124
of 1895 and 1732 of 1896, the use of an attachment whereby such machines are
enabled to cut lapped dovetails.
(3) A machine for cutting lapped dovetails to be used in conjunction with dove-
tail cutting machines of the kind specified in Patents Nos. 1124 of 1895 and 1732
of 1896, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
7th day of July 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.