IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND SURFACING THE EXTERIOR OF CYLINDERS, ROLLERS, AND DRUMS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Smith, of the Firm of Robertson,
Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR GRINDING AND SURFACING THE EXTERIOR OF CYLINDERS, ROLLERS, AND
DRUMS." A communication from abroad by J. Morton Poole, of
Wilmington, Delaware, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 20th February 1874, and dated the 1st December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st December 1873.
I, THOMAS JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
5 Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
Y
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND SURFACING THE EXTERIOR OF CYLINDERS, ROLLERS,
AND DRUMS," to be as follows:- -
This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for
O grinding and surfacing the exterior of cylinders, rollers, and drums,

page_text: whereby the irregularities of the bearing and sliding portions of the
apparatus caused by wear or original imperfection have no influence
upon the object being treated.
The Invention consists in fixing a perfectly true cylindrical body
within bearings, and in which it can be secured firmly by clips or bolts.
An upper plate of a travelling slide rest is caused to bear and slide
against the face of this cylinder as it is moved to and fro under the
action of a screw or other appliance. The upper plate is supported on
the sliding bed by links, and is kept in contact with the guide cylinder
by one or more springs or equivalent devices. The upper plate carries
an adjustable frame, in which a grinding or a surfacing tool is fitted, and
this is caused to rotate rapidly by a band from an overhead drum while
in contact with the cylinder, roller, or drum to be ground or surfaced,
which cylinder, roller, or drum is held in end supports and rotated
slowly.
The purpose of the guide being made in cylindrical form is not only
to ensure a true rectilineal travel of the tool across the face of the object
under treatment but from its cylindrical form it presents an infinite
number of sides, each of which is a right line, and by turning the roll
round slightly when any of these sides are worn by contact with the
sliding rest a new and straight line is presented.
The guide will in all cases be a perfect cylinder, but it will be
understood that should it be desired to grind objects of a curved outline,
either hollowed or rounding, by bending the guide roll this can be done.
Likewise if it is desired to grind a cone or a frustrum of a cone it is
evident that by placing the axis of the guide roll still in the same
horizontal plane but inclined to the vertical plane through the axis of
the object being ground this effect can be produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Smith in the Great Seal Patent 80
Office on the 1st June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.

page_text: I
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas James Smith, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas James Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas James Smith, my exe-
cutors, 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 GRINDING AND SURFACING THE EXTERIOR OF CYLINDERS, ROLLERS,
AND DRUMS," communicated to me from abroad by J. Morton Poole, of Wil-
mington, Delaware, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas James Smith, 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 Thomas James Smith, 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
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus. for
grinding and surfacing the exterior of cylinders, rollers, and drums,
whereby the irregularities of the bearing and sliding portions of the
apparatus caused by wear or original imperfection have no influence
upon the object being treated.
The Invention consists in fixing a perfectly true cylindrical body
within bearings, and in which it can be secured firmly by clips or bolts.
An upper plate of a travelling slide rest is caused to bear and slide
against the face of this cylinder as it is moved to and fro under the
action of a screw or other appliance. The upper plate is supported on

page_text: L
the sliding bed by links, and is kept in contact with the guide cylinder
by one or more springs or equivalent devices. The upper plate carries
an adjustable frame, in which a grinding or a surfacing tool is fitted,
and this is caused to rotate rapidly by a band from an overhead drum,
while in contact with the cylinder, roller, or drum to be ground or
'surfaced, which cylinder, roller, or drum is held in end supports and
rotated slowly.
The purpose of the guide being made in cylindrical form is not only
to ensure a true rectilineal travel of the tool across the face of the object
under treatment but from its cylindrical form it presents an infinite
number of sides, each of which is a right line, and by turning the roll
around slightly when any of these sides are worn by contact with the
sliding rest a new and straight line is presented.
The guide will in all cases be a perfect cylinder, but it will be
'understood that should it be desired to grind objects of a curved outline,
either hollowed or rounding, by bending the guide roll this can be done.
Likewise if it be desired to grind a cone or frustrum of a cone it is
evident that by placing the axis of the guide roll still in the same
horizontal plane but inclined to the vertical plane through the axis of
the object being ground this effect can be produced.
The Invention will be well understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of one
form of apparatus; Figure 2, a plan thereof; and Figure 3, a cross
section.
A is a bed plate with grooved raised sides B, B, in and on which a
sliding plate C can be moved as desired by a threaded rod D embraced
by a socket E on the bottom of it, the threaded rod being held at the
ends by clips in any known manner, one end of the threaded rod being
exposed for the reception of a handle or small wheel E, by which it can
be turned to the right or to the left by hand to ensure the proper
position of the grinding roller upon the portion of the cylindrical body
that has to be operated upon should any particular part of the body
require the special treatment. Above the sliding plate C is a saddle or
strap F, the two being connected by links G, G, so that it shall partake
of a corresponding movement to the plate C, the links G, G, also
permitting the strap to travel towards the front and towards the back of
the bed plate A when acted upon through the contact of the grinding

page_text: roller H against the irregular surface of the body I under operation.
The strap rides in cross grooves upon the sliding plate C, and it is kept
in contact with the object I by springs J, J, and also in contact with a
guide roller K mounted upon projecting supports L, L, on the back face
of the bed plate A, this guide roller, being a true cylindrical body, by
which the true grinding of the object, say a roller, is effected, the
grinding roller H being driven by an overhead motion band upon its
pulley N. The degree of touch of the grinding roller upon the object
being capable of adjustment to the greatest nicety by a threaded rod P.
Thus whatever the diameter of the object to be ground perfectly
cylindrical the grinding roller can be screwed in or out to suit it.
The guide roller, as will be seen, is borne upon by a step or lug Q on
the back of the strap, and should any scratching of the guide roller occur
from the travel of the lug the roller can be turned partially round from
time to time to bring fresh portions of it into position for the lug to bear
against.
The object to be operated upon is mounted upon standards R, R, upon
the bed plate A, and it is rotated by attaching a band pulley upon one
of its ends, the band being worked also from an overhead motion if
desired. By these means, particularly if a continuous to and fro travel of
the sliding plate C with the strap F and the grinding roller is required,
the grinding operation can go on in an uninterrupted manner until the
object is made truly cylindrical from end to end.
The grinding roller may be of stone, emery, and rubber composition
or other body, and is so arranged on its spindle as to be easily removable
for placing "buffed" or other burnishing or polishing disc or roller
thereon, whereby the surfacing operation can be carried on with
facility.
Figures 4 and 5 represent a plan and side view of a grinding and
surfacing apparatus with a bracket at the back, through which bracket a
screw M and bearing plate S are arranged to hold the guide or pattern
roll at a fixed position to prevent it moving from any vibration of the
apparatus during the working. In this view the guide roller is shown
bent, so that the lug Q on the sliding plate bears against the convex
portion of it for the grinding roller to produce a bulged or convex
cylindrical roller, the degree of convexity or concavity being determined

page_text: Figure 6 shows a similar arrangement of apparatus for grinding and
surfacing cylindrical bodies, the only difference being that the grinding
or surfacing disc is placed behind the body, so that the convex portion
of the guide roller causes a concave grinding of the body, and vice versa,
as desired.
· Figure 7 shows another form or arrangement of apparatus for the
purpose of producing a grinding or surfacing of conical cylinders, rollers,
or drums. Here the lug Q upon the sliding plate F bears against a true
cylindrical sided roller as a guide, this being set in its bearings at an
angle to suit the degree of conical form the body is intended to assume
when finished. The guide roller is so fitted that either end can be
pushed or drawn out by screw appliances, so that it matters not which
end of the casting or the cylindró-conical body is put into the framing.
Figure 8 represents another arrangement of apparatus for the purpose.
In this instance both parallel and conical shaped bodies can be
operated upon by simply altering the position of the guide roller. In
the figure a parallel sided cylinder is being operated upon by the
grinding or surfacing roller, the lug Q bearing against a conical guide
roller with its working face arranged parallel. It will however be seen
that by changing the angle of the axial line of the guide roller any
degree of conical cylindrical form can be given to the body under
operation.
In almost all cases the body to be operated upon is prepared to
comparatively the exact shape before being placed in the apparatus (by
casting or otherwise), and the grinding operation is for the purpose of
putting a true cylindrical face upon it and making it available for the
various purposes for which it is intended, whether its surface has to be
engraved or embossed, such as is necessary for calico and other printers,
or left plain for paper makers, workers in metal, and others.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, as
communicated to me from abroad, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The apparatus in its complete form as in Figures 1, 2, and 3
of the Drawing annexed for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Secondly. The apparatus in its complete form as in Figures 4 and 5 of
the Drawings annexed for the purposes set forth.
Thirdly. The apparatus in its complete form as in Figure 6 of the
annexed Drawings for the purposes set forth.
Fourthly. The apparatus in its completed form as in Figure 7 of the
annexed Drawings for the purposes set forth.
Fifthly. The apparatus in its complete form as shown in. Figure 8 of
the annexed Drawings for the purposes set forth.
Sixthly, and lastly. I claim the employment of cylindrical guides in;
on, or to apparatus or machines in or by which the exterior of the
bodies, such as cylinders, rollers, or drums are ground or surfaced, and
whether such guides be arranged in the manner shown, or in any other
way, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of June One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.