IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING AND FURROWING MILLSTONES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lec Norton, of Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING AND FURROWING MILLSTONES."
Scaled the 24th June 1870, and dated the 16th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th April 1870.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the naturo of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPARATUS FOR DRESSING AND FURBOWING MILLSTONES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
dressing and furrowing millstones.
For this purpose I employ a metal staff truly surfaced on its under
side. This staff lies upon the stone to be operated upon. On the upper
.

page_text: surface of the staff a saddle is mounted, which can be caused to travel
from end to end of the staff in a straight line parallel to the flat surface
on the under side of the staff. On the saddle is a cross slide capable of
being traversed across the staff by means of a screw on the saddle in a
plane parallel with the flat under surface of the staff. The cross slide
has an arm fixed upon it carrying the diamond, gem, or cutter with its
screw adjustment for setting the cutting point to its proper working
level. The saddle has handles upon it, by means of which it is drawn
to and fro along the staff, and then the diamond point cuts upon the
surface of the stone the straight lines necessary to give the stone the
roughness requisite for grinding. The cross slide is moved by its screw
a short distance between each traverse, and for this purpose the screw
has upon its end a wheel, the teeth of which are operated on by a pawl
mounted on the staff. To receive this pawl a socket piece is employed,
which by a binding screw is capable of being clamped to the side of the
staff at any point required, and when at work it is so set that as soon as
the cutter has arrived at the end of its cut the wheel which actuates the
cross slide comes against the pawl, and is shifted round the space of one
or more of its teeth. When the slide passes the pawl in the opposite
direction, the pawl being jointed to its stem, tips and allows the wheel
to pass without being rotated. The socket piece is made with two
recesses to receive the stem of the slide; they are so arranged that when
the pawl is in one recess it stands at such a height as to take the wheel
round one tooth, and when in the other recess it stands higher, and then
takes the wheel round two teeth at each action. The arm which carries
the cutter is capable of being fixed to the slide in either of two positions,
so that the cutting point may stand either in front of or behind the slide.
This arrangement gives facility for getting at portions of the work which
in consequence of the stone to be operated on being situated in a
confined space might otherwise be difficult of approach. In order to
control any tendency there may be for the staff to slip upon the stone I
provide the staff with lever feet; they are jointed underneath the staff,
and at their lower ends which rest on the stone (but simply with their
own weight) they are padded with vulcanized india-rubber; this material
clings to the surface and effectually prevents movement. To hold the
cutting diamond, gem, or cutter, I form a metal cell with a perforation
in the bottom of a size to allow the cutting angle of the gem to project
through. When the gem has been properly placed I pour melted metal

page_text: into the cell. The metal should be such as is readily fusible, and I'
prefer to employ metal which melts at the temperature of boiling water.
The cell has a screw thread formed within it receiving a metal plug,
which is screwed down on to the fusible metal so as firmly to compress
it around the gem or cutter. Sometimes I arrange the apparatus in
such manner that the diamond is turned half round at each end of the
stroke, so that it may cut both ways. For some description of work I
connect the staff to an axis at the centre of the stone by a radial arm
Lixed to the side of the staff, and controlling its position, as, it is moved
over the face of the stone in such manner that the parts of the stone
near the eye may be more worked than the parts distant from it.
When the machine is to be used to furrow the stone the arm and
cutter are removed from the cross slide and replaced by a picce in which
is a bearing carrying an axis which is slightly inclined. This axis at its
lower end has a diamond or diamonds mounted eccentrically upɔn it,
and at its upper end it carries a pulley, around which a gut band passes.
The band is driven by a hand wheel which is mounted on the staff when
thus used. The saddle is slowly traversed along the staff during the
operation of furrowing by a screw motion or otherwise. In consequence
of the inclination of the revolving cutting point to its work it only cuts
on one side of its circular or bit, forming as the slide traverses a straight
groove or ſuitow with an inclinęd bottom. The axis may be set either
so that the bottom of the furrow shall be flat or concave, the latter is
preferred.
I also arrange apparatus for dressing and furrowing millstones in the
following manner :-In place of using a straight staff as the base of the
apparatus as already described a curved base surfaced on the under side
is employed; it rests upon the skirt of the stone and follows its curve.
Upon this base a slide is mounted so as to be capable of moving along
from end to end in a curved course.. The slide carries a vertical axis
with an arm upon it, and at the end of the arm is a tool carrier and tool.
The tool, as in the former arrangement, is a cutting diamond, gem, or
other cutter. The arm with the tool carrier and tool are moved to and
fro by the workman, and so curved lines are cut upon the face of the
stone. The spaces between the lines are given by the movement of the
slide upon the base, to effect which rack teeth are provided upon the
base, and a worm mounted on the slide engages with them. The worm

page_text: takes its motion from a ratchet wheel which by a lever and pawl is
turned one or more teeth for each stroke of the cutter. If it be desired
in place of dressing the stone to a true plane all over to make the
surface incline from the skirt to the eye I employ a template to govern
the tool holder. The template is fixed upon the slide, and the tool
holder bears upon it and follows its contour as it is moved to and fro.
In constructing mill bills in place of making the head in one piece as
heretofore has been usual I divide it into two parts longitudinally and
clamp these parts together by bolts. They hold between them the
cutters, which are small pieces of flat steel ground to an edge at one
end. The clamping pieces are so formed as to meet solidly in the
centre, and that their extreme ends may nip the cutters. They also
support the cutters solidly at the back. The form of the clamping
pieces is such that they fit into the ordinary thrift or mill bill handle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lee Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special licence that I,
the said James Lee Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING
AND FURROWING MILLSTONES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Lec Norton, my executors or administrators, by an

page_text: instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 James Lee Norton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters, words, and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
This Invention has for its objects improvements in apparatus for
dressing and furrowing millstones.
The manner in which my said Invention is to be performed is as
follows For dressing millstones I employ a straight metal staff,
having a truly flat surface on its under side; this staff is placed or lies
upon the stone to be operated upon. On the upper surface of the staff
a saddle is mounted, which can be caused to travel, from end to end of
the staff in a straight line parallel to the flat surface on the under side of
the staff. On the saddle is a cross slide capable of being traversed across
the staff by means of a screw on the saddle in a plane parallel with the
flat under surface of the staff. The cross slide has an arm fixed upon it
carrying the diamond, gem, or cutter with its screw adjustment for
setting the cutting point to its proper working level. The saddle has
handles upon it by means of which it is drawn to and fro along the staff,
and then the diamond point cuts upon the surface of the stone the
straight lines necessary to give the stone the roughness requisite for
grinding. The cross slide is moved by its screw a short distance between
each traverse, and for this purpose the screw has upon its end a wheel,
the teeth of which are operated on by a pawl mounted on the staff. To.
receive this pawl a socket piece is employed, which by a binding screw is
capable of being clamped to the side of the staff at any point required,
and when at work it is so set that as soon as the cutter has arrived at the
end of its cut the wheel which actuates the cross slide comes against
the pawl and is shifted round the space of one or more of its teeth.
When the slide passes the pawl in the opposite direction the pawl being

page_text: jointed to its stem tips and allows the wheel to pass without being
rotated. The socket piece is made with two recesses to receive the stem
of the slide; they are so arranged that when the pawl is in one recess it
stands at such a height as to take the wheel round one tooth, and when
in the other recess it stands higher and then takes the wheel round two!
teeth at each action, or two or more pawls may be used simultaneously
when a greater motion is required. The arm which carries the cutter is
capable of being fixed to the slide in either of two positions so that
the cutting point may stand either in front of or behind the slide. This
arrangement gives facility for getting at portions of the work which in 1
consequence of the stone to be operated on being situated in a confined
space might otherwise be difficult of approach.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end view of
an apparatus thus constructed for dressing millstones.
a, a, is the metal staff; its sectional form is shown (partly by dotted a
lines) in Figure 3; it is truly planed and surfaced on its under side and
bas guides accurately formed on its upper surface to receive a saddle b,
which by means of the handles b', b', may be slidden to and fro along the
staff from end to end. The saddle carries in guides the cross slide d,
which receives a motion in the guides by means of the screw e mounted 2
in a bearing on the saddle and working with a nut fitted into a nut box
on the slide d. The screw has on its end a star wheel with four or other
number of arms or teeth, which as the slide is traversed to and fro to
dress the stone come against a pawlf which moves the wheel the space
of a tooth or more each time that the saddle is drawn past the pawl.
The operation of the star wheel and pawl is better seen in Figures 4.
is the socket piece into which the stem of the pawl is dropped; this
socket piece is clamped to the staff in any position to suit the length of
stroke required by means of a T-headed bolt entering a groove in the
side of the staff as is shown. There are two sockets in the socket piece, 3
one higher than the other to facilitate the adjustment of the height of
the pawl to its proper working position; the pawl is hinged to its stem so
that it acts on the star wheel only in one direction; when the wheel
strikes it in the contrary direction the pawl tips on its joint and the star
wheel is not rotated. The cross slide d has an arm h clamped to it by a
means of a bolt ¹; this arm is shown full size in side view at Figure 5,
and in plan at Figure 6. The end of the arm is made to receive upon
g

page_text: it the sliding tool holder i, which is, also shown separately at Figures 7, it
can receive a short vertical traverse by means of the screw to set the
tool down to touch the stone, and it can then be clamped by the bolt 2.
The tool is fixed to the tool holder by the screw and nut m, and as the
Drawing represents it consists of a screw clamp in which a cutting
diamond is nipped.
In the operation of dressing the stone the staff is placed upon the
stone and the saddle is drawn to and fro by hand, as already described.
At each traverse the pawl acts on the star wheel, and so shifts the cross
slide d a short distance. In this way a number of fine parallel lines.
close together are produced upon the face of the stone. When the cross
slide d has passed from end to end of its course the staff is moved to a
fresh position. In order to control any tendency there may be for the
staff to slip upon the stone I sometimes provide the staff with lever fect
which rest on the stone (but simply with their own weight); they are
padded with vulcanized india-rubber, this material clings to the surface
and effectually prevents movement. To hold the cutting diamond, gem,
or cutter I form a metal cell with a perforation in the bottom of a size
to allow the cutting angle of the gem to project through. When the
gem has been properly placed I pour melted metal into the cell. The
metal should be such as is readily fusible, and I prefer to employ metal
which melts at the temperature of boiling water. The cell has a screw
thread formed within it receiving a metal plug which is screwed down
on to the fusible metal so as firmly to compress it around the gem or
cutter. A side view of a tool in which the diamond is set in this
manner is sliewn at Figure S, a plan at Figure 9, and an under side view
at Figure 10. In these Figures a, a, is a metal cell with a small hole
at the bottom, and having a screw thread cut within it. The diamond is
placed in the cell with its cutting angle projecting through the hole at
the bottom. Over the diamond fragments of fusible metal a well known
alloy of bismuth, lead, and tin are placed and the cell is immersed in
boiling water until the metal is melted; it is then allowed to cool and
the plug is screwed down hard upon it, and so the diamond becomes
securely held. The plug 6 has a stem with a screw thread upon it which
receives a nut to fix the tool to the tool holder. Sometimes I arrange the
apparatus in such manner that the diamond is turned half round at each end
of the stroke so that it may cut both ways. The staff may be connected
with an axis at the centre of the stone by a radial arm fixed to the side

page_text: of the staff and controlling its position as it is moved over the face of
the stone in such manner that the parts of the stone near the eye may be
more worked than the parts distant from it. This arrangement is repre-
sented in the Drawing Figure 2. n is an arm clamped by a T-headed
bolt to the side of the staff. It has upon it a slide o which can be set
nearer to or further from the staff, and which clips the spindle or axis p
at the centre of the stone. When using this arrangement as each narrow
band of dressing is completed the staff is shifted round the spindle or
axis. In this way the lines formed around the eye of the stone are
caused to cross and recross each other, and so this part of the stone is
reduced to a somewhat lower level than the skirt of the stone or parts
near the circumference as is sometimes required.
I will now describe the method in which the furrowing is accom-
plished For this purpose I employ the same straight metal staff and
saddle as herein-before described to be used for dressing the stone.
:
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2* a plan, and Figure 3* an end view
of my apparatus as it is mounted for furrowing millstones.
a, a,
is the metal staff; its sectional form is shown in Figure 3^;
it is truly planed and surfaced on its under side to receive a saddle b.
The piece q has a bearing carrying an axis which is slightly 2
inclined. This axis at its lower end has a diamond or diamonds
mounted eccentrically upon it, and at its upper end it carries a
pulley around which a gut band passes. The band is driven by a
hand wheel 8 which is mounted on the staff when thus used. The
saddle is slowly traversed along the staff during the operation of 2
furrowing by a screw motion c or otherwise. In consequence of the
inclination of the revolving cutting point to its work it only cuts on one
side of its circular orbit, forming as the slide traverses a straight groove
or furrow with an inclined bottom. The axis may be set either so.
that the bottom of the furrow shall be flat or concave, the latter is 3
preferred.
-
I also arrange apparatus for dressing millstones in the following
manner In place of using a straight staff as the base of the apparatus,
as already described, a curved base evenly surfaced on the under side is
employed; it rests upon the skirt of the stone and follows its curve. 3
Upon this base a slide is mounted so as to be capable of moving along
from end to end in a curved course. The slide carries a vertical axis

page_text: with an arm upon it, and at the end of the arm is a tool carrier and tool.
The tool, as in the former arrangement, is a cutting diamond, gem, or
other cutter. The arm with the tool carrier and tool are moved to and
fro by the workman, and so curved lines are cut upon the face of the
stone. The spaces between the lines are given by the movement of the
slide upon the base, to effect which rack teeth are provided upon the
base, and a worm mounted on the slide engages with them. The worm
takes its motion from a ratchet wheel, which by a lever and pawl is
turned one or more teeth for cach stroke of the cutter. If it be desired,
in place of dressing the stone to a truc planc all over to make the surface
inclino from the skirt to the eye, I employ a template to govern the tool
holder. The template is fixed upon the slide and the tool holder bears
upon it and follows its contour as it is moved to and fro; or a similar
result may be obtained by inclining the axis slightly towards the eye of
the stone.
Figure 11 is a plan, Figure 12 is a side view, and Figure 13 an end
view of a machine thus constructed as it appears when set upon the
stone for work. a is the stone, and the circular bed resting thercon;
it may be connected by a radius arm b' with the spindle or axis at the
centre of the stone; c is a slide capable of traversing in a curved course
along the bed b; d is a vertical axis carried in bearings by the slide, and
having upon it an arm c to which is jointed the lever carrying an
adjustable tool holder and tool. In the operation of dressing the stone;
the arme has a to-and-fro motion given to it around its axis by means
of its handle e'. During these motions the lever fis controlled by the
guide fixed to the slide, the lever being made to clip the guide, as is.
shewn, so that the vertical movement of the cutter as it traverses over
the face of the stone is dependent entirely on the form given to the
guide. The guide is so formed as to cause the tool to cut more deeply
as it approaches the eye than when it is operating on the skirt of the
stone. In order that the slide c may be traversed the requisite short
distance on the slide between the successive passages of the tool over the
face of the stone rack teeth are formed on the bed at 6*, and with these
teeth the worm c*, which is carried in bearings on the slide, gears. A
ratchet wheel is fixed on the axis of the worm, and it is driven by a
lever and pawl h. At each stroke of the arm e a projection upon it
strikes the lever and imparts to it the requisite motion. A weight

page_text: causes the return of the lever. The pawl is capable of being turned
from one side to the other to produce a rotation in the opposito
direction.
In constructing mill bills in place of making the head in one piece,
as heretofore has been usual, I divide it into two parts longitudinally
and clamp these parts by bolts. They hold between them the cutters,
which are small pieces of flat steel ground to an edge at one end:
The clamping pieces. are so formed as to meet solidly in the centre,
and that their extreme ends may nip the cutters. They also support
the cutters solidly at the back. The form of the clamping pieces is
such that they fit into the ordinary thrift or mill bill handle.
Figure 14 is a side view partly-in section of a mill bill thus-con-.
structed. a is the thrift or handle; b and c, the parts of the divided
head; d, d, clamping screws binding them together and holding the
cutters e securely between them. The several parts are shown separately
at Figures 15..
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and tho
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim,
First. The apparatus herein-before described for dressing millstones,
consisting of the combination of the straight staff a to rest on the stone,
the saddle b, and the cross slide d, carrying by an arm h and adjusting
slide to carry the diamond holder, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. The construction of the cross slide d and the arm in such
manner that the said arm, which carries the cutter, may be capable
of being fixed to the slide so that the cutting point may stand either
in front of or.behind the slide, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The apparatus herein-before described for furrowing mill stones,
consisting of the combination of the straight staff a to rest on the
stone, the saddle b, and the inclined axis r, carrying at its lower end tho
diamond or cutting point which rotates in a circular orbit, substantially
as herein before described.
Fourth. The combination of the curved staff or base b, the slide c to
traverse upon it in a circular course, the axis d, and the arm e supporting
the cutting point, substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Fifth. The combination of the template g to govern the course of the
tool with the lever f, arm e, axis d, and slide c, substantially as herein-
before described.
Sixth. The construction of mill bills, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand.eight hundred and seventy.
SIXTH дце соеистоц UL
described.
DEES, Bany 23
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand.cight hundred and seventy.