AN IMPROVED MODE OF ADJUSTING CIRCULAR SAWS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Laxton, of the firm of William and Henry
Laxton, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, No. 19, Arundel
Street, Strand, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF ADJUSTING CIRCULAR SAWS."-A communication from Amos D. High-
field and William II. Harrison, of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Laxton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
April 1856.
I, HENRY LAXTON, of the firm of William and Henry Laxton, of the Office
for British and Foreign Patents, No. 19, Arundel Street, Strand, Civil
Engineer, having a communication from Amos D. Highfield and William
H. Ilarrison, both of the United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for an "IMPROVED MODE OF ADJUSTING CIRCULAR
SAWS," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in securing a circular saw to its spindle in an
oblique direction, so as to enable the said saw to cut grooves or rebates of
any required widths. This is effected in the following manner:-Between the
saw and a collar on the spindle are two bevelled washers, each capable of
being turned round independently of the other; and on the opposite side is
a plain washer, having a concave recess for receiving a convex nut, which
screws into the cad of the spindle, and secures the saw firmly thereto.

page_text: The whole is so arranged, that by changing the relative positions of the two
bevelled washers a surface more or less oblique with the axis of the spindle
is presented for the saw to be screwed against. Thus the obliquity of the
saw with the axis of the spindle may be varied at pleasure, and grooves of
various widths be cut into the wood submitted to its action. A collar is
forged to and turned perfectly true with the spindle; beyond this collar the
spindle is continued plain, and the remaining portion is formed into a screw
and receives a nut; against the collar rests the bevelled washer, fitting easily
on the plain portion of the spindle. A second, and similar washer, having an
orifice in the centre somewhat larger than the spindle, is placed against the
first washer, and against this is placed a circular saw of the ordinary descrip-
tion, outside of which is a third washer, having a concave recess, which
receives the convex end of the nut. All the washers, and the saw, until
screwed up with the nut, turn freely on their axis, and when the thinnest
portion of the edge of one of the bevelled washers is placed so as to coincide
with the thickest portion of the edge of the bevelled washer, the saw will be
at right angles to the spindle, but when the relative positions of the two
washers are changed, the saw becomes more or less oblique with the spindle,
the amount of obliquity being regulated by the turning of the washers, and,
consequently, the width of the groove cut into the wood submitted to its action
may be regulated at pleasure. . On the edge of one of the washers is cut a
dial, and on the edge of the other a notch acting as a pointer, the several
marks on the dial indicating that when moved so as to coincide with the
pointer the saw will be at such an angle with the spindle as to cut a groove
of a stated width.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Laxton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LAXTON, of the firm of William and Henry Laxton, of the Office of British
and Foreign Patents, No. 19, Arundel Street, Strand, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry

page_text: Laxton, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Laxton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Laxton; 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF ADJUSTING CIRCULAR
SAWS," a communication from Amos D. Highfield and William H. Harrison,
of the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Laxton, 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 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 Henry Laxton, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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:-
The said Invention consists in securing a circular saw to its spindle in an
oblique direction, so as to enable the said saw to cut grooves and rebates of
any required widths. This is effected in the following manner:-Between
the saw and a collar on the spindle are two bevelled washers, each capable
of being turned independently of the other; and on the opposite side is a plain
washer, having a concave recess for receiving a convex nut, which screws on
to the end of the spindle, and secures the saw firmly thereto. The whole is
so arranged, that by changing the relative positions of the two bevelled
washers a surface more or less oblique with the axis of the spindle is pre-
sented for the saw to be secured against. Thus the obliquity of the saw with
the axis of the spindle may be varied at pleasure, and grooves of various
widths may be cut into the wood submitted to its action.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I have hereunto
annexed a Sheet of Drawings, with letters of reference marked thereon cor-
responding with letters of reference in this Specification; the same letters
refer to the saine parts in the several Figures.
Figure 1 is a view of the saw and spindle with the improved arrangement
of bevelled washers, the relative positions of the latter being in this instance
such that the face of the saw is at right angles to the spindle. Figure 2, the
same as Figure 1, but with the washers and saw shown in section, and the

page_text: position of the bevilled washers so changed as to present an oblique surface
for the saw to be screwed against. Figure 3, a face view of the saw,
washer, and spindle. A is the spindle; a, a, are the journals; and b, the
pulley for receiving the driving strap; C is a collar forged to and turned
perfectly true with the spindle; and e is the spindle, continued plain, with a
screw at the end for receiving the nut D; and E is a bevelled washer, fitting
easily on the plain part of the spindle e, and against the collar C; F is a
second and similar bevelled washer to E, having an orifice somewhat larger
than the spindle; and placed against the face of this washer is the, circular
saw. G, and beyond that is the washer II having a concave recess for receiving
the convex end of the nut D. When the thinnest portion of the edge of the
bevelled washer E is placed so as to coincide with the thickest portion of
the edge of the washer F the saw will be at right angles to the spindle A,
as seen in Figure I; but when the relative positions of the two washers are
changed the saw becomes more or less oblique with the spindle, the amount
of obliquity being regulated by the turning of the washers, and consequently
the width of the groove I, cut into the wood subinitted to its action, may be
regulated at pleasure. On the edge of one of the washers a dial is cut, and
on the edge of the other a notch acting as a pointer, the several marks on the
dial indicating that when moved so as to correspond with the pointer, the saw
will be at such an angle with the spindle as to cut a groove or rebate of any
stated width.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim the exclusive use of the oblique circular saw
for cutting grooves or rebates; but what I do claim is, the employment of
two bevelled washers between a fixed collar on the spindle and the circular
saw, in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Laxton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN H. WEBDER, Jun'.
HENRY LAXTON. (L.S.)