IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING BOARDS. OF VARIOUS THICKNESSES, WIDTHS, AND LENGTHS, AND IN REVOLVING DISCS OR CUTTERS FOR CUTTING AND SQUARING OFF THE SUR- PLUS PARTS OF BOXES OR CASES, OR FOR OTHer like PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gardner, of Macclesfield Street, City Road, and
Robert Thompson, of Hertford Road, De Beauvoir Town, both in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PLANING BOARDS. OF VARIOUS THICKNESSES, WIDTHS, AND LENGTHS, AND IN
REVOLVING DISCS OR CUTTERS FOR CUTTING AND SQUARING OFF THE SUR-
PLUS PARTS OF BOXES OR CASES, OR FOR OTHer like PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th April 1878, and dated the 31st October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gardner and Robert
Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October
1877.
WILLIAM GARDNER, of Macclesfield Street, City Road, and ROBERT THOMPSON,
of Hertford Road, De Beauvoir Town, both in the County of Middlesex.
"IM..
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING BOARDS OF VARIOUS THICKNESSES,
WIDTHS, AND LENGTHS, AND IN REVOLVING DISCS OR CUTTERS FOR CUTTING
AND SQUARING OFF THE SURPLUS PARTS OF BOXES OR CASES, OR FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES."
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery for planing boards
and planks of wood of various widths, thicknesses, and lengths, the object being to
retain the wood firmley in position upon the planes, planing irons, or cutters, at the
point where the cutting or planing operation takes place.
.
My improvements are applicable to planing machines of the ordinary construction
for planing wood, in which the board is conducted between pairs of feed and
delivering rollers over a revolving and fixed cutter, the upward pressure of which is
liable, in the planing of comparatively thin boards, to force up the same out of the
Price di

page_text: direct line, and the object of this part of our Invention is so to arrange apparatus
above the cutters as to retain the board in proper position.
For this purpose I arrange pressing rollers on the board in a diagonal position
above, or immediately before and behind the cutting edge of the plane iron, so as to
press the board down upon the cutters as it travels in contact therewith to be
planed.
The diagonal rollers are pressed downwards by weighted levers, or otherwise, so
as to be capable of adjustment to regulate the pressure as required.
In place of the diagonal rollers, the board may be pressed down upon the cutters
by means of weighted levers acting on pressing bars or surfaces, or simple weights
may be employed.
Another part of our improvements relates to the arrangement and application of
revolving discs or cutters for cutting and squaring off the surplus parts of boxes or
cases, or for other like purposes.
According to this part of our improvements the revolving discs or cutters are
formed with a knife or bevilled edge which acts like a revolving plane; and at a
short distance from the cutters edge, blades are fixed upon the bevilled side formed
with serrated edges, or saw teeth, for the purpose of clearing out the cuttings made
by the cutter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Gardner and Robert Thompson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1878.
•
WILLIAM GARDNER, of Macclesfield Street, City Road, and ROBERT THOMPSON,
of Hertford Road, De Beauvoir Town, both in the County of Middlesex.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING BOARDS OF VARIOUS THICKNESSES,
WIDTHS, AND LENGTHS, AND IN REVOLVING DISCS OR CUTTERS FOR CUTTING
AND SQUARING OFF THE SURPLUS PARTS OF BOXES OR CASES OR FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for planing boards of various
thicknesses, widths, and lengths, and also for squaring off the surplus parts of boxes
or cases, or for like purposes, by means of a revolving disc, cutter, or cutters.
We will proceed to describe the first part of our improvements which relates to
inachinery for planing boards of various thicknesses, widths, and lengths, being
applicable for what is known in the trade as "thin stuff," viz., thin boards of one
eighth of an inch thick and upwards; the object of this part of our improvements
being to press the wood firmly down upon the plane, plane iron, irons, or cutters; at
the point where the operation of planing takes place..
And in order that our Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
The letters of reference apply to corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A, A, framing of machine; B, B, revolving feed and delivering rollers; C, C,
pinions for working feed and delivering rollers; D, spur wheel; E, E, cross shafts;
F, driving shaft; G, driving pulley; H, H, side vertical slides; I, I, radiating or
oscillating carriers; J, J, diagonal pressing rollers; K, K, plane mouths and cutters;
L, L, press levers; M, M, weights; N, N, vertical slides for carrying feed rollers;
O, bridge or press piece.
These improvements are applicable to planing machines of the ordinary con-
struction for planing wood in which the boards are propelled between pairs of
revolving feed and delivering rollers.
The pressing rollers J, J, are arranged in a diagonal position and fit into the
oscillating or radiating bearings.or carriers I, I, which are bracketted on to the
vertical side slide plates H, H, by a central stud at each end of the carriers I, I, on
the top of these side plates which are fitted on the framing A, A, on both sides of
the machine. A bridge piece O connects these side plates H, H, being mounted on
their top edges and acted on by a press lever L, and weights M, M. These
weights M, M, are adjustable, and allow the side plates H, H, to rise and fall
to suit the different thicknesses of the boards by acting on the oscillating or
radiating carriers L, L, and diagonal rollers J, J. These rollers J, J, are placed
immediately before and behind the plane iron or cutters K, K, parallel or nearly
parallel with the cutting edges thereof, and freely act on the various thicknesses of
the boards, so as to press all parts of the boards firmly on to the plane, plane
iron, irons, cutter, or cutters, while the operation of planing is in progress. The
importance of these oscillating carriers I, I, will be evident from the fact that the
greatest portion of the boards used for small box making is not only very thin, but
very short, some of it being only four inches long, and as the boards or short pieces
of boards vary in thickness, the rollers are frequently forced up and down. A
board one-eighth of an inch thick being planed, may be followed by one a quarter

page_text: of an inch thick; thus one of the two rollers in oscillating would be forced
upwards on its entering, while the other would remain pressing firmly on the
thin board until it was forced clear from under it, and the thicker one takes
its place, and thus the work is continued. These short pieces necessitate the
pressing rollers J, J, being made small in diameter, and worked as close together
as the planing and plane irons will admit of.
Other methods of applying pressure may be adopted, such as cams, eccentrics,
crank plates, or other ordinary mechanical appliances used for such purposes, but
we find the employment of rollers as previously described the most advantageous.
We will now describe the second part of our improvements which relates to the
arrangement and application of a revolving disc, disc cutter or cutters for cutting
and squaring off the surplus parts of boxes, cases, or for similar purposes, which
operation is at present done by hand labour.
The following is a description of the various parts shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6 of
the Drawing which illustrates this part of our improvements.
A, horizontal traveller or feed slide; B, box or case; C, striking lever bracketted
on slide traveller; D, dise or cutter; E, E, rising and lowering bracket; F, F, radial
lever and link connected with slide bracket; G, G, radial stud lever for forcing the
top bracket up to the proper height; H, H, studs that carry the radial forcing
levers; I, the lower bracket carrying lower cutter or disc; J, cutter shafts;
K, diagonal slide faces and frame; L, L, horizontal slide rails; M, M, framing of
machine; N, N, links for operating and closing slide rails to suit different sizes of
boxes or cases operated upon.
work alone.
According to this part of our improvements, the revolving disc or cutter D is
ground off on one side to a knife edge or edges and which act like circular revolving
knives, and near the cutting edge or edges on the bevil side blades are fixed with
serrated or saw teeth to free the cutting edge of the disc or cutters D. These discs,
disc cutter or cutters D are fitted and fixed to their collars and shaft or shafts J,
and mounted on brackets E and driven in the ordinary way. One of these brackets
I which carries the lower disc is fixed on the slide faces K of the machine at the
required height to suit the work to be done; but when one cutter only is required
this can be removed, and the top one brought to the proper place for executing the
At other times when both discs are required to execute the work, the
top disc or cutter bracket E carrying the disc or cutter D is made to move upwards
and downwards on the diagonal slide faces K, so as to stop at any required height
to suit the work under operation. The horizontal slide A carrying the box or case B,
is moved forward on to the cutter or cutters D. A striking lever C bracketted on
to this slide is brought in contact with the lever C working on the stud bolt of the
diagonal slide faces H, H, which forces the top bracket E and disc or cutter with
its connection to the proper height, and cutting off the surplus parts in its ascent,
and remains working on the top while the horizontal slide with the box or case
continues moving forward through or between the discs, disc cutter or cutters, and
thus the surplus parts of the top and bottom are cut off. The top bracket E and
cutter D now descend, cutting off the remaining surplus parts, and thus completes
the work; the horizontal slide A is moved back, and the operation is again
repeated.
The object of placing the slide faces K in a diagonal position is to allow the
sliding bracket or brackets E carrying the top disc, discs, cutter, or cutters to fall
back in proportion to the forward motion of the horizontal slide or traveller A with
the box or case B, so that but little more of the discs or cutters is brought on to the
box or case than is required for cutting off the surplus portions.
The arrangement of the rising and lowering bracket or brackets with cutter or
cutters is a precautionary method, as one cutter at each end and large enough in
diameter would be sufficient, and for some purposes we intend so to construct these
machines, but for ordinary boxes or cases it will be more advantageous to adopt
the two cutters at each end with the rising and lowering motions, as it cuts
'the work cleaner, and as nails are frequently driven in and out of the end and

page_text: sides of these kinds of boxes or cases, and it is to avoid as far as possible the
cutter or cutters coming in contact with such nails or parts of nails that we
prefer to work the two cutters as before described.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, we would remark that we make no claim
separately to any of the parts which are well known and in common use, but
what we claim is,―
First. The arrangement and application of the pressing rollers J, J, placed in a
diagonal position or parallel or nearly parallel to the edge of the plane iron,
irons, or cutters of machinery for planing boards of various thicknesses, widths, and
lengths, so as to press and retain the wood in contact with the plane or cutter, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the Drawings hereto annexed.
We also claim the method of mounting the pressing rollers J, J, in radiating
oscillating carriers I, I, and vertical slides H, H, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Secondly. We claim the improved arrangement, combination, and application of
machinery for squaring off the surplus parts of boxes or cases or for other like pur-
poses, in which revolving discs or cutters D, D, are arranged to act on the ends or
sides of boxes or cases as they are carried through the machine, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thompson, on behalf of myself and
the said William Gardner, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
ROBERT THOMPSON. (L.S.)