IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING WOOD. AND IN MAKING UP THE SAME INTO BUNDLES
Year: 1876

page_text: En the latter of Letters Patent granted to JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell
Road, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING
WOOD. AND IN MAKING UP THE SAME INTO BUNDLES." bearing date the
Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six, No. 828.
Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six, No. 828.
DISCLAIMER OF SPECIFICATION proposed to be entered by George Critchett,
of No. 21, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, the said
GEORGE CRITCHETT, send greeting:-
WHEREAS Her most excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters Patent
bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand eight hundred-and
seventy-six, did give and grant unto the above-named John Rowley, his executors,
administrators, and assigns, her special license for the sole making, using, exercising,
and vending within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and the Isle of Man, his Invention for "Improvements in Machinery or
Apparatus for Cutting, Splitting, and Dividing Wood, and in Making up the sanie
into Bundles," for the term of fourteen years:
And whereas in pursuance of the condition in the said Letters Patent contained
the said John Rowley, by a Specification or instrument in writing under his hand
and seal bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six, did particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention and in what manner the same was to be performed, and did cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on or about the said Twenty-
eighth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six :
And whereas by an Indenture bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven (registered in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the Twenty-fifth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven), and
I Dinall

page_text: made between the said John Rowley of the one part, and the said George Critchett
of the other part. For the considerations therein mentioned, the said John Rowley
did assign unto the said George Critchett, his executors, administrators, and assigns,
the said Letters Patent and Invention, and all benefit and advantage to arise
therefrom, and all the interest of the said John Rowley therein, absolutely for all
the rest and residue of the said term of fourteen years:
And whereas since the filing of the before-mentioned Specification, doubts have
arisen as to the novelty of so much of the said Invention as is claimed in the second
claim of the said Specification, which it is desired to disclaim and omit, as herein-
after appears, and which Disclaimer and omission will in no way extend, nor is
intended to extend, the exclusive privilege granted by the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Critchett, by and with the leave of
Her Majesty's Solicitor General, and for the reason aforesaid, do disclaim part of
the said Specification in manner following, that is to say:-
I omit from the title the last eight words thereof, namely, "and in making up the
same into bundles."
I
I strike out on page 2 of the Queen's Printers' Copy Specification the words,
"and in making the same into bundles- suitable for being used for lighting fires,"
contained in lines 22 and 23; also the lines 44 to 50, both inclusive; and on page
3 the lines 1 to 4, both inclusive.
I also strike out the whole of the words contained in the lines numbered from
7 to 45, both inclusive, on page 4 of the said Copy, and also the word "first," in
the 48th line, page 4.
I omit the 56th line on page 4, and also the first three lines on page 5.
And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer may be better understood I
annex hereto a copy of the said Specification as it will appear when so amended,
the Provisional Specification being omitted.
JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING
WOOD."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting
splitting, rending, and dividing wood by means of reciprocating cutters for laths or
other purposes.
According to one part of my improvements the blocks of wood to be cut and
split into pieces suitable for lighting fires are fed by means of a suitable hopper and
feed rollers into a position to have successive slices split off the lower end thereof
by means of a wedge-shaped tool or cutter mounted upon a reciprocating slide,
moved to and fro by an eccentric, or otherwise.
The reciprocating slide carries a plate or frame in front of the tool or cutter, and
on this plate or frame a series of circular rotating or fixed cutters, knives, or saws,
capable of adjustment, are mounted, arranged in succession at suitable distances
apart, which, as the cutter slide advances, cut a series of nicks or saw cuts on the
under side of the block of wood of a depth equal to the thickness of the slice of
wood to be cut or split off by the wedged-shaped cutter slide, thus dividing the slice
so cut or split off into a series of sticks or pieces of wood (at one operation of the
slide and cutters) suitable for being made up into bundles of firewood, as is well
understood. On the backward movement of the slide the pieces cut off, as previously
described, fall into a suitable receiver, and the block is fed down to a fixed stop
ready for another slice to be cut therefrom.
The reciprocating slide may have tools and cutters mounted at each end so as to
be double acting; and, if desired, the wood to be cut may be fed horizontally, and
the mechanism arranged to act accordingly.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood, and readily per-
formed or carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view; Figure 2 is an end view; and Figure 3.is a
plan of a machine arranged and constructed in accordance with my improvements
for cutting, splitting, and dividing wood at one operation into pieces or sticks
suitable for lighting fires.
Figure 4 is an elevation and plan of the cutter frame, shewing the arrangement of
the knives.
In each of the Figures 1, 2, and 3 a represents the bed or frame of the machine,
which is planed on the upper side to receive the moving or sliding cutter frame b.
This frame is constructed with. a transverse slot b¹ in the centre, in which the. die or
block c fixed upon the crank pin d on the crank arm e slides, so that by the circular
motion of the crank f on the shaft g the sliding frame b is caused to slide backwards
and forwards on the bed . Upon this frame b are fixed the large knives or plane
irons h, h, and in advance of these knives h, h, at each end are fixed to the sliding
frame b a number of smaller knives or lances j, j, set at right angles to the large
knife h, h, as shewn in Figure 4, Sheet 1 of the Drawings, in order to make saw
cuts or nicks on the under side of the wood, as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 1.
The construction of these knives or cutters, may be varied, as shewn in Figure 3,
Sheet 2, which represent circular cutters ; fixed on a spindle or spindles, these
cutters being formed with a smooth sharp edge or like a small circular saw, as
shewn in Figure 4, Sheet 2, as may be found most desirable for the wood to be
operated upon; k, k, are two boxes or hoppers for receiving the blocks of wood
which are to be split and cut up. Upon these hoppers k, two circular jagged or
grooved rollers, l, are so fixed that the periphery of the rollers shall just impenge
upon the sides of the wood in the hoppers, . These rollers 1, l, are fixed upon
spindles, upon which is fixed on one side the spur wheel's m, m, gearing into each
other, so that the rollers l, l, move equally and at the same time; on the other end
of these spindles is fixed the V wheels n, n, which are actuated by the cams and
cam motions o, o, p, p, and these cams are arranged to act intermittently upon the
rollers, and through them upon the wood in the hoppers k, k, at the proper time for
the operation of the machine.
In place of employing feed rollers, as previously described, the block of wood may
be held firmly (at the time the cutter comes into action) against the lower edge of
an inclined plate fixed in the feed hopper, the sharp edge of the plate acting upon
the block of wood to be cut just above the line of cut; q, q, are the riggers or
driving pulleys for putting the machine in motion by means of a belt driven by
the steam engine or other motive power; r is the fly wheel; 8, 8, are standards for
supporting the machine; t is a standard or bearing for supporting the end of the
shaft.
Machinery for cutting wood in accordance with my improvements may be
actuated by other mechanical arrangements than those shown in the Drawings
previously described; for example, in cases where a long stroke is required, as in
lath rending, I effect the operation by means of a vibrating shaft, upon which is
fixed a segment of a toothed wheel working into a rack fixed on the under side of
the sliding frame, as shewn in Figure 5, Sheet 2, of the Drawings; a is a vibrating
shaft; b is the toothed segment working into the rack c, fixed upon the sliding
frame d; is a pin fixed on to the arm of the segment, and to which is fitted the
connecting rod f, which is worked by the crank g, and shaft g¹, actuated by the
driving pulleys and belt h, h.
Other motions for converting rotatory into reciprocatory motion may be employed,
as may be found most desirable; and in some cases I use only a crank and con-
necting rod, as shewn in Figure 6, Sheet 2; this arrangement being more applicable
for machines with only one set of knives and splitter, and one hopper.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner of per-
forming or carrying the same into practice, what I claim is, the improved arrange.

page_text: ment and construction of machinery or apparatus for cutting, splitting, and dividing
wood, wherein a series of cutters, knives, or saws, j, j, are mounted upon a plate in
front of the reciprocating tool or cutter h for the purpose of making nicks or cuts
in the wood before the tool or cutter h comes into action to cut off the slice, which
is thus divided and cut off at one operation, substantially in the manner and for.
the purposes herein-before described and represented in Figures 1 to 6, Sheet 1, and
Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2, of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rowley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
In witness whereof I, the said George Critchett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
GEORGE CRITCHETT. (L.S.)
Signed and Sealed by the
said George Critchett in
the presence of
ALFRED ELLIS,
Clerk to Messrs. Gadsden & Treherne,
28, Bedford Row,
Solicitors.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named George Critchett, as
Assignee of the said Letters Patent, to file in the Great Seal Patent Office with
the Specification to which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer and 25
Memorandum of Alteration.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rowley, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING WOOD, AND IN MAKING UP THE SAME
INTO BUNDLES."
Scaled the 14th July 1876, and dated the 28th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rowley at the Office
" IMPROVE-
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th February 1876.
JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey.
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING
WOOD, AND IN MAKING UP THE SAME INTO BUNDLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting,
splitting, rending, and dividing wood, and in making up the same into bundles
suitable for being used for lighting fires, for laths, or other purposes.
According to one part of my improvements the blocks of wood to be cut and
split into pieces suitable for lighting fires are fed by means of a suitable hopper and
feed rollers into a position to have successive slices split off the lower end thereof
by means of a wedge-shaped tool or cutter mounted upon a reciprocating slide
moved to and fro by an eccentric or otherwise.
The reciprocating slide carries a plate or frame in front of the tool or cutter, and
on this plate or frame a series of circular rotating or fixed cutters, knives, or saws
are mounted, arranged in succession at suitable distances apart, which as the cutter
slide advances cut a series of nicks or saw cuts on the under side of the block of
wood of a depth equal to the thickness of the slice of wood to be cut or split off
by the wedge shaped cutter on the further advance of the cutter slide, thus
dividing the slice so cut or split off into a series of sticks or pieces of wood suitable
for being made up into bundles of firewood, as is well understood. On the back
ward movement of the slide the pieces cut off, as previously described, fall into a
suitable receiver, and the block is fed down to a fixed stop ready for another slide to
be cut therefrom.

page_text: The reciprocating slide may have tools and cutters mounted at each end, so as to
be double acting, and if desired the wood to be cut may be fed horizontally and the
mechanism arranged to act accordingly.
According to another part of my improvements the pieces of wood as they fall
from the cutters drop into a trough, and a quantity of them suitable for a bundle
are forced by a piston through a circular passage into a circular or other shaped
opening formed in a rotating disc of metal in which they are held, a band of wire
or twine being wound around the pieces of wood by the semi-rotation of the disc.
The twine is conducted from a reel or bobbin, and is held by suitable plyers or
fingers during the operation of tying, which is effected by the rotation of the disc
or holder in a direction at right angles to its axis. The plyers or fingers are
arranged to open and close upon the twine or wire at the proper time for holding
and releasing the same when required. On the separation of the wire or twine the
bundle falls from the apparatus tied up ready for sale.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Rowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th August
1876.
JOIN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, SPLITTING, AND DIVIDING
WOOD, AND IN MAKING UP THE SAME INTO BUNDLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting,
splitting, rending, and dividing wood by means of reciprocating cutters, and in
making up the same into bundles suitable for being used for lighting fires, for laths,
or other purposes.
According to one part of my improvements the blocks of wood to be cut and
split into pieces suitable for lighting fires are fed by means of a suitable hopper and
feed rollers into a position to have successive slices split off the lower end thereof
by means of a wedge-shaped tool or cutter mounted upon a reciprocating slide
'moved to and fro by an eccentric or otherwise.
The reciprocating slide carries a plate or frame in front of the tool or cutter, and
on this plate or frame a series of circular rotating or fixed cutters, knives, or saws
capable of adjustment are mounted, arranged in succession at suitable distances
apart, which as the cutter slide advances cut a series of nicks or saw cuts on the
under side of the block of wood of a depth equal to the thickness of the slice of
wood to be cut or split off by the wedged-shaped cutter slide, thus dividing the
slice so cut or split off into a series of sticks or pieces of wood (at one operation
of the slide and cutters) suitable for being made up into bundles of firewood, as is
.well understood. On the backward movement of the slide the pieces cut off, as
previously described, fall into a suitable receiver, and the block is fed down to
'a fixed stop ready for another slice to be cut therefrom.
The reciprocating slide may have tools and cutters mounted at each end, so as to
be double acting, and if desired the wood to be cut may be fed horizontally and
the mechanism arranged to act accordingly.
According to another part of my improvements the piecos of wood as they fall
from the cutters drop into a trough, and a quantity of them suitable for a bundle
are forced by a piston through a circular passage into a circular or other shaped
opening formed into a rotating disc of metal in which they are held, a band of wire
or twine being wound around the pieces of wood by the semi-rotation of the disc.
The twine is conducted from a reel or bobbin, and is held by suitable plyers or
fingers during the operation of tying, which is effected by the rotation of the disc

page_text: or holder in a direction at right angles to its axis. The plyers or fingers are
arranged to open and close upon the twine or wire at the proper time for holding
and releasing the same when required. On the separation of the wire or twine the
bundle falls from the apparatus tied up ready for sale.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily per-
formed or carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto.
annexed.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view; Figure 2 is an end view; and Figure 3 is a
plan of a machine arranged and constructed in accordance with my improve-.
ments for cutting, splitting, and dividing wood at one operation into pieces or sticks-
suitable for lighting fires.
Figure 4 is an elevation and plan of the cutter frame shewing the arrangement
of the knives.
In each of the Figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents the bed or frame of the machine,
which is planed on the upper side to receive the moving or sliding cutter frame b.
This frame is constructed with a transverse slot b¹ in the centre, in which the die or.
block c fixed upon the crank pin d on the crank arm e slides, so that by the circular
motion of the crank on the shaft g the sliding frame b is caused to slide backwards
and forwards on the bed a. Upon this frame b are fixed the large knives or plane
irons h, h, and in advance of these knives h, h, at each end are fixed to the sliding
frame a number of smaller knives or lances j,j, set at right angles to the large
knife h, h, as shewn in Figure 4, Sheet. 1, of the Drawings, in order to make saw
cuts or nicks on the under side of the wood, as shewn at Figures 5 and 6,
Sheet 1.
The construction of these knives or cutters may be varied, as shewn in Figure 3,
Sheet 2, which represent circular cutters j fixed on a spindle or spindles, these cutters
being formed with a smooth sharp edge or like a small circular saw, as shewn in
Figure 4, Sheet 2, as may be found most desirable for the wood to be operated upon..
,, are two boxes or hoppers for receiving the blocks of wood which are to be
split and cut up. Upon these hoppers k, k, two circular jagged or grooved rollers l, l,
are so fixed that the periphery of the rollers shall just impenge upon the sides of
the wood in the hoppers k, k. These rollers l, l, are fixed upon spindles upon which
is fixed on one side the spur wheels m, m, gearing into each other, so that the rollers;
,, move equally and at the same time; on the other end of these spindles is fixed
the V wheels n, n, which are actuated by the cams and cam motions o, o, P, P, and
these cams are arranged to act intermittently upon the rollers and through them.
upon the wood in the hoppers k, l, at the proper time for the operation of the
machine. In place of employing feed rollers, as previously described, the block of
wood may be held firmly (at the time the cutter comes into action) against the .
lower edge of an inclined plate fixed in the feed hopper, the sharp edge of the plate -
acting upon the block of wood to be cut just above the line of cut. 9, 9, are the.
riggers or driving pulleys for putting the machine in motion by means of a belt,
driven by the steam engine or other motive power; is the fly wheel; 8, 8, are:
standards for supporting the machine; t is a standard or bearing for supporting
the end of the shaft.
:
Machinery for cutting wood in accordance with my improvements may be
actuated by other mechanical arrangements than those shown in the Drawings
previously described; for example, in cases where a long stroke is required, as in
lath rending, I effect the operation by means of a vibrating shaft, upon which is .
fixed a segment of a toothed wheel working into a rack fixed on the under side of,
the sliding frame, as shewn in Figure 5, Sleet 2, of the Drawings. a is a vibrating
shaft; bis the toothed segment working into the rack c fixed upon the sliding
frame d; e is a pin fixed on to the arm of the segment, and to which is fitted the

page_text: connecting rod f which is worked by the crank g and shaft g¹, actuated by the
driving pulleys and belt h, h.
Other motions for converting rotatory into reciprocatory motion may be employed,
as may be found most desirable, and in some cases I use only a crank and connecting
rod, as shewn in Figure 6, Sheet 2, this arrangement being more applicable for
machines with only one set of knives and splitter and one hopper.
I will now proceed to describe the machinery or apparatus for making the fire-
wood as it is cut by the machinery previously described into bundles, ready for sale
and use in accordance with the second part of my improvements.
In describing the bundling machinery, Figure 1, Sheet 2, shews a side elevation,
and Figure 2 an end elevation of machinery or apparatus arranged in accordance
with this part of my improvements. a is the bed of the wood-cutting machine,
and is the hopper into which the wood is put to be cut by the machine; c is a
travelling apron or platform made of leather, wood, or wire work, either of which
may be adopted for the purpose of carrying the wood from the machine where it is
cut up to the trough or hopper d of the bundling machine. In one end of this
trough is placed the travelling piston e, and in the other end is placed a travelling
cylinder At a certain time, and when a sufficient quantity of wood to form a
bundle is collected in the hopper d, the piston e is pushed forward, and thereby
pushes the wood into the cylinder f, which cylinder is also pushed forward into the
revolving disc g, in which are two openings to receive the cylinders as they come
round opposite the hopper.
The cylinder containing the wood w (one half of the length of which projects
beyond the end of the cylinder f) is now caused to rotate half a revolution with
the disc g, and in doing so comes in contact and wraps around itself the wire h, one
end of which is held in the centre of the disc with the nippers i, which are formed
by the shape of the end of the axis of the rotating disc g, and the other end of the
wire is on the roll of wire ¹, supported in any convenient position. The bundle of
wood having travelled from the position (1) to the position (2), the travelling
cylinder in the disc and around the wood is pushed back from off the bundle of wood
into the back of the disc by a suitable cam motion, and thus leaves the wood
suspended in the wire loops h, and at the same time the revolving tongs / secures
the bundle and twists it round two or three times, and thereby securely fixes the
bundle, which is immediately dropped by an inclination of the tongs 1, which are
ready to receive another bundle.
The method of fixing the wire in the nippers in the centre of the disc is by
means of sliding pieces, which are caused to slide up and down in the slots in the
revolving disc g at their respective and proper times.
It will be observed that there are two circular holes in the revolving disc; these
are each fitted with a sliding cylinder to receive and hold the wood while revolving
and winding the wire round itself, and it will also be observed that they are so
placed that while one is at the top and opposite the hopper d receiving the bundle,
the other is at the bottom and delivering the bundle to the revolving tongs 1, which
completes the operation of tying up, the disc having made half a revolution between
the time of receiving the bundle and the delivery thereof.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner of per-
forming or carrying the same into practice, what I claim is,-
First. The improved arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for cutting, splitting, and dividing wood, wherein a series of cutters, knives, or
saws are mounted upon a plate in front of the reciprocating tool or
cutter h, for the purpose of making nicks or cuts in the wood before the tool or
cutter / comes into action to cut off the slice, which is thus divided and cut off at
one operation, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and represented in Figures 1 to 6, Sheet 1, and Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2,
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of machinery or

page_text: apparatus for making up the cut pieces of firewood into bundles, substantially in
the manner herein-before described, and represented in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2, of
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rowley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
J. ROWLEY. (L.S.)