IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR POLISHING THE SURFACES OF PENCILS, PENHOLDERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, of Braithwaite, in the County
of Cumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR POLISHING THE SURFACES OF PENCILS, PENHOLDERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES."
Scaled the 29th February 1876, and dated the 3rd September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd September 1875.
I, ROBERT WILSON, of Braithwaite, in the County of Cumberland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR POLISHING THE SURFACES OF PENCILS, PENHOLDERS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
Hitherto articles of this class have been invariably polished by
hand.
This Invention consists principally of a revolving cylinder in which
a number of pencils, penholders, or other articles are placed together
with ground glass, sand, or other suitable polishing material.

page_text: A revolving motion is given to this cylinder, and at the same time an
endwise reciprocating motion, and the effect of this combined movement
causes the ground glass, sand, or other polishing material to smooth and
polish the surface of the pencils or other articles contained in the
cylinder.
This compound motion may be produced by any well-known mechanical
means, and the cylinder may have its axis placed either horizontally or
in an inclined position.
A modification of this apparatus consists of a cylinder or roller
covered with ground glass or emery, above which is a stationary box to
contain the pencils or other articles, the periphery of the cylinder
forming as it were the bottom of the box, and the pencils or other
articles resting thereon. As the glass or emery covered cylinder revolves
an endwise reciprocating motion is given to the box containing the
pencils; or if preferred the endwise reciprocating motion may be given
to the cylinder instead of the box.
Other modifications of the apparatus may be made so long as the
peculiar feature of my Invention are retained, which are to enclose a
large number of pencils or other similar articles in a box, cylinder, or
other receptacle in contact with ground glass, emery, or other polishing
powder, and to give a compound revolving and oscillating motion
thereto, so as to polish a large number of pencils or other similar
articles at a time in contradistinction to the ordinary process of polishing
the same by hand, as hitherto practised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Robert Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILSON, of Braithwaite, in the County of Cumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc.

page_text: The cylinder a, a, is provided with a door at e, e, through which the
pencils or penholders and the ground glass, sand, or other polishing
material are introduced, and is caused to revolve by means of a belt or
strap passed round the pulley ƒ, f. The end wise or reciprocating
motion may be imparted to the cylinder by any suitable means, such,
for instance, as that shown in the Drawing, consisting of a disc g, I,
keyed at an angle on the end of the shaft b, b, and working in a fixed
fork h, h.
This compound revolving and reciprocating motion may however be
produced by any other known mechanical means, and the cylinder may
be mounted with its axis in an inclined position instead of horizontally
if preferred.
A modification is shown at Fig. 2, wherein two discs a, a, arc
substituted for the cylinder, and the pencils, &c., are placed in the space
between them. These discs a, a, and the shaft b, b, have only a
revolving motion but no endwise movement imparted to them. They
are surrounded by an outer cylinder formed by two discs a¹, a¹, and a
series of wooden lags i, i, covered on the inside with ground glass, or
glass cloth or paper. The discs a¹, a', also carry rollers k, k, covered
The
with ground glass, and sliding through holes in the discs a, a.
pencils, &c., are held and revolve between the discs a, a, and the lags
,, and rollers k, k, have at the same time an endwise motion to and fro
imparted to them by the excentric 1, 1, and thus the polishing is
effected.
A second modification is shown at Fig. 3, and consists of a cylinder
or roller a, a, covered with ground glass or emery, above which is a
stationary box b, b, to contain the pencils or other articles to be polished,
the periphery of the roller a, a, forming as it were the bottom of the
box b, b, and the pencils or other articles resting thereon.
As the glass or emery covered roller a, a, revolves, an endwise
reciprocating motion is given to the box b, b, containing the pencils,
by any convenient mechanical means, or if preferred the endwise
reciprocating motion may be given to the cylinder a, a, instead of
the box.
Another modification is shown at Fig. 4, «, ɑ, being the box or

page_text: sand, or other polishing, material.
This is attached to a bracket a', a¹,
in a hole, in the under side of which works a crank pin l, l, carried by
the revolving shaft b, b.
The bracket a', a', is also provided with a pin, which slides in a
straight horizontal slot in a fixed bracket m, m, the result of which
arrangement is that when the shaft b, b, is caused to revolve a compound
elliptical motion is imparted to the box or receptacle a, a.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed, I would remark that other modifications of the apparatus
may be made so long as the peculiar features of my Invention are
retained, and I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not wish to
confine myself to the particular arrangement of mechanism shown on
the Drawings and above described, but I claim as my Invention enclosing
a large number of pencils or other similar articles in the box, cylinder,
or other receptacle in contact with ground glass, emery, or other
polishing powder, and imparting thereto a compound revolving and
reciprocating motion, substantially as described, so as to polish a large
number of pencils or other similar articles at a time in contradistinction
to the ordinary process of polishing the same by hand, as hitherto
-practised.
-
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our
Lowl One thousand night hundvod and seventy-riz