Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 17th May, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by CAESAR R. BANNIHR, of West Cheshire, in the
County of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer.]
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67, Strand,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in button ornamenting and carving
machines, where, by means of milling cutters or drills, the surface of a button may
be engraved or carved and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a
universal means of indexing, which will present any desired part of the surface of
such articles as buttons, knobs, checkers, &c., whether of ivory, pearl, wood, metal, or
glass, as well as of the various compositions, to a special milling cutter, drill, or
grinder; and, second, to afford facilities for bringing such cutters as named above to
bear on the desired parts of the article to be ornamented. I attain these objects by
the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a side view of the complete machine, with the index-arm in perspective;
Fig. 2, a front view of the same; Fig. 3, a top view of that part comprising the
indexing device, with the positions of the spindles shown by dotted lines. Fig. 4
shows the under side of the same. Fig. 5 shows the top of the arm that holds the

page_text: spindles which carry the milling-cutters, &c. Fig. 6 shows a top and sectional view
of the rotary cylindrical index and chuck. Fig. 7 gives the side view of three
milling-cutters and the top view of a button cut with them. Fig. 8 is a sectional
view, on an enlarged scale, of the cylindrical index, showing the manner of indexing.
Fig. 9 presents a top view, on an enlarged scale, of the index-arm, with universal
indexing device containing a chuck holding a button. Fig. 10 is a side view of the
same, showing the positions of the horizontal revolving index in relation to the
vertical circular index.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The base B; shaft A, and spindle-arm C constitute the frame of the machine. The
spindle-arm is secured to the shaft A by a set-screw drawing together the split
hub U. The table of index-arm D turns on the shaft A, and is held in position by
the collars Land M, the collar L having a flange, on the edge of which are notches
for the pawl K to fall into in changing the arm D) from one spindle to another. On
the under side of the flange is an annular groove, S, on an eccentric, for the purpose
of moving the lever Q by means of a roller-pin in the groove S, connected with the
slide P. To the lever O is connected the sleeve N, which has at the other end the
spring, which by this mechanism will be moved up or down as the arm D is moved
right or left, so that it may engage with a different spindle and index at the same
time. On the other or outer end of the index-arm Dis the device for holding the
article to be worked upon, as in the drawings it is a ball-button, d, which is held by
the chuck c. This chuck is placed in the cylindrical index F, which has a bearing in
the box E, which has on the side toward the index-arm D the circular index G, and
in the center of this is the shaft on which it turns, the shaft passing through the
index-arm D and is held in place by the nut and washer on the end.
The index G consists of a hardened-steel ring with notches on its periphery, into
which the pawl H catches, which is held down by the spring I, the steel ring having
notches of different divisions on its edge, and may be changed so as to have the
notches come under the pawl by changing the set-screw into different holes in the
hub, between the box E and arm D; and if more divisions are needed than one ring
will admit of it is so arranged that the ring can be taken off and replaced by one
with the required divisions. In this way any number of divisions may be had in the
index. The pawl H has a V-shaped projection, which drops into the division-notches
in the ring G. The manner of indexing with this device is to pull on the handle e
outward and upward, and the pawl will be raised by the action of the two inclines of
the projection on the pawl and the notch in the ring. The ring will then pass on to
the next notch by being moved in the same direction as the handle e, carrying with it
all the other parts in the box E; and when all the notches required for the work to
be indexed have been used the handle e is pushed back into its former perpendicular
position, when the pawl H will fall into the starting or first notch and will hold it
there by the pressure of the spring I, as it will in all the notches as they are used.
The horizontal index consists of the cylinder F, having on its circumference and
bottom the desired divisions, which are either grooves of the same form as those on
the index-ring G or as in the drawings, where the divisions are represented by inden-
tations or drill-holes k, as shown in Fig. 8. The pins j, of which there are as many
as there are rows of divisions on the index-cylinder, and which have a conical end
which enters the holes as they are brought under the pins when the cylinder is
rotated or moved from hole to hole, which is done by turning the handle e between
the forefinger and thumb of the operator's left hand. The pins j are forced against
the cylinder F by the action of the spring has it is brought to bear on their ends, as
is shown in Fig. 8, either as the arm D is moved from spindle to spindle, as herein-
before described, or as the index G, in connection with the box E, is turned upon its
axis, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 10, and as the holes in the cylinder come
under the pins the spring will shove them in and will also hold the cylinder F
containing the work, from turning while the cutting of the article is being done, and
when done the cylinder F is turned to the next hole, and in doing so, by means of the

page_text: two inclines of the drill-hole in the cylinder and the conical end of the pin, the pin is
forced out, and as the cylinder turns by the action of the operator's hand, as before
said, the pin being forced against it will enter the next hole, as already stated.
The means provided for keeping the pins which are not in use in position and from
entering the holes is the spring having a slot in the end to receive the pins by the
groove. (See Fig. 8.) Between each two pins this spring has a split, so that each
pin in reality has a spring of its own, which is only strong enough to keep the pin on
which it acts in position, and will yield to the action of the spring as it is brought
to bear upon it by its movement up or down or by the rotary movement of the
box E, and by the inclined or curved shape on the inside it will slide upon or pass
over them. (See Fig. 8.)
The spring, in connection with the pins on the under side of the box E, works in
a similar manner by the action imparted to the pitman Q by the lever O. When the
index G is used, the pitman Q is disconnected.
The method shown in the drawings for holding the work is mainly for buttons, and
consists of the chuck c, having a slot through its central part, through which passes
the hook, which hooks into the eye of a button and draws it into the chuck by the
action of the spiral spring g on the other end of the hook-rod which passes through
the stem F. (See Fig. 6.) The button is for the spring g to act against and to
push up on when taking the work from the chuck.
The spindles a a' a" are to carry the milling-cutters, drills, or grinders, as the case
may be, or act as a slide by which a horizontal spindle, b, with tool, is brought to act
on the work in a similar manner as the other two, 23, are by pressing on the
button on top of the spindle with the fingers of the right hand, while the left hand
manipulates the indexing by the handle e. The spindles are brought up by the action
of the spring between the top bearing and the button or knob on its top end, which is
loose and held in place with a screw.
The belt which is to impart motion to the spindles carries the pulleys, which are
splined. The spline works in a groove in the spindle.
The horizontal spindle b, with cutter, may be used in any of the spindles by setting
the same means of the pin m, which passes through the casting and into a hole in the
pulley, thus keeping it from turning. The pulley on the end of the horizontal
spindle is driven by a belt similar to the others, and when the cutter connected
therewith is to be used it is brought to the work, as before described.
Having described the mechanism and facilities for this machine, it will be seen that
by supplying different milling cutters or grinders almost an endless variety of designs
may be wrought in as many kinds of material as are used in the arts to which this
mechanism is applicable.
I am aware that such parts of this machine as the arm C, with the gang of spindles
for drilling or milling, is not new, nor is the combination therewith of a swinging
table on a column. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly; but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of the table D, with the indexing device around the column or
shaft A, for the purpose of bringing the table in any desired relation with any of the
spindles a a¹a, as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of the table or arm D, having an indexing device around the
shaft A, the box, E, having within it the index F, for the purpose of bringing any
desired surface of the article in the chuck e under the spindles a a¹ a², as and for the
purpose herein shown and described.
3. The combination of the table or arm D, having an indexing device around the
shaft A, box E, having within it a horizontal rotary index, F', and the vertical circular
index G, as herein shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination of the table or arm D, having an indexing device around the

page_text: shaft A, and box E, having within it the index F in a horizontal relation to the
vertical index G in relation to the spindles a a¹ a², with cutters or grinders b¹² 3, for
the purpose of cutting or grinding designs upon articles, as herein fully shown and
described.
5. The combination, in an indexing device, of the pins j, springs i, and h, box E,
and cylinder F, provided with holes k, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The combination of the cam or eccentric groove S, with a slide, P, lever O,
sleeve N, and spring 1, pitman Q, and spring h, for the purpose of changing the
index while the arm D is moved from one spindle to another, all for the purpose
herein set forth and described.
7. The combination of a horizontal spindle, b, with a vertical spindle, a, in which
the vertical spindle forms a plunger or slide for the horizontal spindle, being set by
means of the pin m, as herein set forth and described.