IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERMITTENT FEED FOR SAW FRAMES AND OTHER MACHINERY, APPLICABLE ALSO TO LIFTING, PULLING, AND HAULING PURPOSES, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR VARYING THE SAID FEED, WHICH LATTER IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO THE VARYING OF THE STROKE OF ECCENTRICS AND CAMS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the Honorable Robert Flower, of Durrow, Queen's County,
Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERMITTENT FEED FOR
SAW FRAMES AND OTHER MACHINERY, APPLICABLE ALSO TO LIFTING, PULLING,
AND HAULING PURPOSES, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR VARYING THE SAID FEED,
WHICH LATTER IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO THE
VARYING OF THE STROKE OF ECCENTRICS AND CAMS."
.
caled the 28th October 1876, and dated the 19th May 1876.
"Tir-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Honorable Robert Flower at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1876.
The Honorable ROBERT FLOWER, of Durrow, Queen's County, Ireland.
PROVEMENTS IN INTERMITTENT FEED FOR SAW FRAMES AND OTHER MACHINERY,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO LIFTING, PULLING, AND HAULING PURPOSES, AND IN AP-
PLIANCES FOR VARYING THE SAID FEED, WHICH LATTER IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO THE VARYING OF THE STROKE OF ECCENTRICS
AND CAMS."
According to this Invention I by preference propel the timber to the saw frame
by means of the ordinary spindle with fluted rollers in contact with the timber on
this spindle, or on any other propelling spindle or gear, or on a spindle connected
thereto I mount my feed appliance, which is constructed as follows:-It consists
mainly of a disc fixed on the said spindle; this disc is formed with a rim or
flange projecting out to each side. Inside this rim I fit an open ring, the extre-
mities of which by means of knuckle joint or other equivalent appliance can be
forced apart, and thus cause the said open ring to take a bearing against the
inside of the rim and thus cause it to revolve therewith by frictional contact. The
knuckle joint or other equivalent appliance again is actuated by a cam on a boss
or ring loose on the spindle, or by preference loose on a boss on the disc. I connect
a lever to one of these cam bosses, and as the lever is raised or lowered, as the
case may be, the cam acts upon the knuckle joint and opens or shuts the ring,
thus in the former case pressing it against the inside of the rim on the disc.
[Price 2d.1

page_text: The end of an adjustable set screw passing through a lug on the cam boss forms
an abutment against a nose or lug on the open ring, by preference near the end
of same; this serves the purpose of carrying the ring round with the cam boss
when going to take a fresh feed. The cam boss on the other side of the disc is
also provided with set screw abutment, and connected to a lever, which, however,
is held fast in place while the first-named lever on the opposite side of the disc
is worked up and down intermittently by means of cam, crank, eccentric, or other
well-known suitable mechanical device.
When the timber is brought up to the saw by a rack it is necessary to disconnect
the aforesaid disc from the spindle and to connect it thereto by means of a clutch.
Instead of using one disc with rim on each side and the aforesaid internal gear
working therein it may in some cases be advisable to use two separate discs, each
with its corresponding internal gear. In either case the direction of action of one
cam and ring gear is opposite to that of the other.
Where the feed is to be varied I employ the following appliance :-On the shaft
which carries the eccentric for actuating the aforesaid intermittent gear I fit one
or more helical feathers, and I mount thereon a sliding sleeve with a corresponding
groove or grooves. The eccentric is attached to a boss fast on the shaft by means
of a pin or bolt forming a fulcrum, round which the eccentric can turn; the more
it is turned in one direction the larger will the eccentricity and stroke of the
eccentric be. The aforesaid sliding sleeve has a projecting stud with a block on its
end, which block slides in a slot in the eccentric. As the sliding sleeve is pushed
along the feather or feathers the stud thereon obtains a circumferential travel,
and the eccentric actuated thereby obtains similar movement, turning on the afore-
said fulcrum pin. By the aforesaid improvements I am enabled to alter the feed
for saw frames while running. I cover up or enclose the outer side of the eccentric
by means of a disc or cover, which also serves to steady the eccentric laterally,
especially in case of saw mills and other places where dust is flying about.
I apply the just described apparatus to the shifting of eccentrics and cams gene-
rally, whether such eccentrics or cams are applied to the working of an ordinary
slide valve or expansion valve, or any other expansion valve or gear; the sliding
sleeve may be actuated automatically, and if required so as to vary the expansion
from the engine governor, or it may be shifted by hand by means of a lever
connected to the sleeve, and the distance it is to be shifted, and the required
leverage for shifting it may be obtained by means of a scale and pointer and
screw, or other equivalent shifting gear. The eccentric shifting apparatus muy
also be applied to eccentrics actuating press pumps, feed pumps, and other pumps,
and reciprocating or oscillating mechanical appliances.