IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN SPILLS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Machin, of Andover Road, Holloway, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN SPILLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Machin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
October 1865. .
I, THOMAS MACHIN, of Andover Road, Holloway, in the County' of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN SPILLS;" to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of machinery or apparatus for the purpose of manufacturing
wooden spills twisted in a tapering helico-spiral form.
I propose to construct a stock somewhat similar to the stock of a plane,
but of any, suitable: length;. having a handle at each end for the operator.
In this stock I set. any. number of irons or planes, the cutting edges of which
are on the same level, but the ironisi are set: obliquely to the longitudinal
section of the stock, forming skew cutters.
forming skew cutters. I thus work with squaro

page_text: irons by the upright method of cutting with the face of the apparatus down-
wards, and consequently cut any number of shavings at one traverse of the
compound plane, according to the number of irons in the stock. The wood
or woods to be cut are set on edge and gripped by screw or other fastenings
or clamps to a suitable bench, in order to keep the wood in position during
the operation of cutting; pino and cedar may be cut side by side with the same
iron, and it will be found by the peculiar arrangement or set of the
cutters as described that the shaving or shavings will form a twist and
produce the spills of the shape described. The stock is provided with an
adjustable fence or guide running along the side of the plane irons; the
guide may be of wood or iron, and is attached to the stock by means of
tightening or set screws passing through transverse grooves or slots in the
fence, by which means the fence may be shifted nearer to or further from the
irons according to the width of wood to be cut into spills. The apparatus may
be worked by power, if required, by means of any reciprocating gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Machin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th April 1866...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MACHIN, of Andover Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Machin, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Machin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Machin, 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 OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN SPILLS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I; the said Thomas Machin, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: “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 Thomas Machin, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:
3
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of machinery or apparatus for the purpose of manufacturing
wooden spills twisted in a tapering helico-spiral form.
...I propose to construct a stock somewhat similar to the stock of a plane,
but of any suitable length, having a handle at each end for the operator. In
this stock I set any number of irons or planes, the cutting edges of which
are on or about the same level, but the irons are set obliquely to the longi-
tudinal section of the stock, forming skew cutters.
I thus work with square
irons by the upright method of cutting with the face of the apparatus down-
wards, and consequently cut any number of shavings at one traverse of the
compound plane, according to the number of irons in the stock. The wood
or woods to be cut are set on edge and gripped by screw or other fastenings
or clamps to a suitable bench in order to keep the wood in position during
the operation of cutting; pine and cedar may be cut side by side by the same
iron or irons; and it will be found by the peculiar arrangement or set of the
cutters as described that the shaving or shavings will form a twist and pro-
duce the spills of the shape described. The stock is provided with an
adjustable fence or guide running along the side of the plane irons; the guide
may be of wood or iron, and is attached to the stock by means of tightening
or set screws passing through transverse grooves or slots in the fence, by
which means the fence may be shifted nearer to or further from the irons,
according to the width of wood to be cut into spills, or the guide may.be
shifted inwards at one end in order to make a different style or pattern of
spill. The apparatus may be worked by power, if required, by means of any
reciprocating gearing.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings shews an under plan view of an apparatus
with one iron or cutter, Fig. 2 being an elevation of the same.
a is the stock; b, b, being the handles; c is the iron or cutter secured in
a slot cut in the stock by the wedge or block d. The fence or guide e is
made adjustable by means of the screws f,f, passing through the transverse
grooves g, g, in the guide.

page_text: Fig. 3 is an under plan view of a stock containing four cutters ; similar
letters denote corresponding parts to the first two Figures. Sometimes I
employ two, three, or other number of cutters as may be desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not limit
myself to the precise details and configuration of parts expressed and shewn,
nor to the number of irons employed in one stock, as the same may be varied
or modified; but what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein
in part recited Letters Patent is, the general arrangement and combination
of parts whereby I am enabled to cut spills from wood with square irons or
cutters substantially as herein specified.
..
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Machin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
THOMAS MACHIN. (L.B.)