CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING STONE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn (City), London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING STONE."-A com-
munication
Sealed the 8th August 1854, and dated the 24th February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard Lora-
doux Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th February 1854.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn,
(City) London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING STONE," to be as
follows, viz.
This Invention relates to that description of stone dressing machinery which
performs the dressing operation, by means of a chisel-formed cutting tool,
which is acted upon by the repeated strokes or blows of a hammer. The
Invention consists, firstly, in the employment of a sliding hammer working in
ways or guides, which also receive the cutting tool or the stock thereof, and
are adjustable, so that the cutting tool may be set and the hammer caused to
work in a line at any required angle to the surface which is desired to be
produced.

page_text: It consists, secondly, in the employment of an adjustable rest or stop for the
cutting tool stock, to regulate the depth of the cut of the tool, and cause a
perfectly true surface to be produced.
It consists, thirdly, in certain means by which the edge of the tool in cutting
is caused to receive a movement in or very nearly in the line of the surface
desired to be made.
The several parts of the machine are supported upon a strong bed of cast
iron, which is furnished with suitable ways to receive the horizontal work
carriage or table, and has standards or side frames, either cast, bolted, or
otherwise secured to it, for the purpose of carrying the adjustable ways or
guides, which receive and give the proper direction to the movements of the
hammer and cutting tool. These standards are stayed laterally by struts
extending across the machine, and they have upright grooves in their inner
sides to receive and form guides for the ends of two horizontal cross heads,
which support the adjustable ways or guides which receive the hammer and
cutting tool. Each cross head is supported by two vertical screws, which work
in female screws in the ends of the cross heads, and have journals near their
upper ends fitted to bearings in the upper part of the standards, or in the
struts which allow the screws to turn freely, but prevent them moving longitu-
dinally. By turning the screws, the cross heads can be raised or lowered at
pleasure; and in order to keep the cross heads in a horizontal position at all
times, the two screws by which each is supported, are geared together by a
transverse shaft, and two pairs of bevil-toothed wheels, so that by turning the
shaft, both screws will be compelled to turn simultaneously, and make the same
amount of movement. The adjustable ways or guides in which the hammer
and tool stock work, consist of strong iron castings, which are attached to the
cross head by strap joint connections, with journals near enough to the ends of
the cross head. They are provided with parallel grooves in their inner sides,
to receive tongues on the sides of the tool stock and sliding hammer. They
are adjusted at the required angle to the bed, by raising or lowering either
of the cross heads, as may be necessary.
The tool stock consists of a strong cast iron block, having tongues which
enter the grooves in the adjustable ways. These tongues are made of such
width at their upper ends as to fit the grooves, but are tapered towards the
lower ends, so as to allow a slight amount of play or swinging motion back
and forth to the lower part of the stock. The front or lower end of the tool
stock has an arched recess, which fits to the cross head. This cross head serves
as the rest or stop for the tool stock to regulate the depth of cut; it is of

page_text: cylindrical form, and it and the tool stock should bear such relation to each
other, that when the ways are at the angle generally adopted for the working
of the machine, and the stock bears close up to the cross head, the front or top
edge of the bearing of the tool stock will be above or very slightly in rear
of the axis of the cross head. The cutting tool or chisel is bolted or other-
wise secured in a suitable manner to the tool stock at the back of or under
the cross head. It extends the whole width of the tool stock, and may be
made in one or several pieces, according to its width, or as is most convenient.
Its edge may be straight, to cut a surface with a straight transverse profile, or
may be of suitable form to cut mouldings.
The hammer consists of a heavy iron casting, with parallel tongues, to slide
freely in the grooves in the adjustable ways; when left free it rests upon the
tool stock. It is raised to strike by means of a cam on a shaft, which works
in bearings on the ways, and receives a constant rotary motion. Every revo-
lution of this shaft causes the cam to raise the hammer; but the form of the
cam is such, that it lifts the hammer during a little less than one half of the
revolution of the shaft, and suddenly leaves it free to fall. For some descrip-
tions of work, the weight of the hammer and the momentum acquired during
its fall will cause it to strike a sufficiently forcible blow; but in order to
increase the force of the blow, the hammer is connected by two strong helical
springs, with a cross bar attached to the ways. These springs are drawn out
by the raising of the hammer, and their recoil, when the hammer is set free
by the cam, adds force to the blow. The force of the blow may be varied by
varying the lift of the hammer, which may be effected by having a number of
cams of various form, and placing one on the shaft, that will raise the hammer
to the height necessary to give the force required. The lift may also to a
slight extent be varied without changing the cam, by raising or lowering the
small plate upon which the cam acts. This plate is bolted to the hammer on
the upper side of the opening, which is made for the cam to work in. The
bolts which attach this plate pass through slots in the plate, which admit of
its being raised or lowered readily. The stone to be dressed is placed upon
the carriage and secured by dogs, as in other machines. The carriage receives
motion between the successive strokes of the hammer upon the tool stock by
means of an endless screw, which gears with a toothed rack under the carriage.
The screw has journals fitted to suitable bearings on the bed, and receives
motion through bevel gearing from a transverse shaft, which also works in
bearings on the bed. This latter shaft is furnished outside the bed with a
ratchet wheel, and with a lever which works loosely upon it, and carries a pawl

page_text: gearing with the ratchet. The lever is connected by a connecting rod, with a
stud secured in a slot in one of the arms of the fly wheel on the shaft, and
every revolution of the fly wheel gives motion to the lever, and causes the
pawl to engage with the ratchet wheel and turn the shaft, and thus turn the
endless screw and move the carriage. The rate of feed, or the distance which
the stone is moved between the blows, may be varied, by moving the stud in
the slot near to or farther from the axis of the wheel.
slab of stone is conducted in the
forward on the bed in front of the
The cross heads are then adjusted,
tool to the proper height, and to
The machine is then started by
The operation of dressing a block or
following manner :-The carriage is run
cutting tool, and the stone placed upon it.
if necessary, to bring the edge of the cutting
set the ways at the desired angle to the bed.
giving rotary motion to the shaft. Before the stone comes in contact with
the cutting tool, the tool stock has its arched bearing fitting closely to the rest
or stop, but the first movement of the carriage after the stone arrives in
contact with the cutting tool throws back the edge of the tool. This move-
ment of the tool is provided for by the tapering of the tongues of the tool
stock. When the tool is thus thrown back, the front edge only of the arched
bearing in the tool stock rests upon the rest or stop. The descent of the
hammer which follows, the movement of the stone and the tool brings the
hammer into violent contact with the tool stock, and drives the arched bear-
ing close up to the rest or stop, and in so doing causes the point of the
cutting tool to move almost horizontally, or parallel with the movement of the
carriage, and thus chip off a portion of the stone all the way across it. This
chipping operation is repeated, until the whole length of the stone is passed
under the cutting tool.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her special licence that I,
the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING STONE," (being a communication from a
foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
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 (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to that description of stone dressing machinery which
performs the dressing operation by means of a chisel-formed cutting tool,
which is acted upon by the repeated strokes or blows of a hammer. The
Invention consists, firstly, in the employment of a sliding hammer working in
ways or guides, which also receive the cutting tool, or the stock thereof, and
are adjustable, so that the cutting tool may be set and the hammer caused to
work in a line at any required angle to the surface which is desired to be pro-
duced. It consists, secondly, in the employment of an adjustable rest or stop,
for the cutting tool stock, to regulate the depth of the cut of the tool, and cause
a perfectly true surface to be produced. It consists, thirdly, in certain means
by which the edge of the tool in cutting is caused to receive a movement in
or very nearly in the line of the surface desired to be made. The accompany-
ing Drawing represents a stone dressing machine, constructed according to
this Invention.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a side
view of the tool stock, the tool, the adjustable rest, and part of the hammer,
all in their places. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts

page_text: in the several Figures. The several parts of the machine are supported upon a
strong bed A, of cast iron, which is furnished with suitable ways to receive the
horizontal work carriage or table B, and has standards or side frames C, C,
either cast, bolted, or otherwise secured to it, for the purpose of carrying the
adjustable ways or guides, which receive and give the proper direction to the
movements of the hammer and cutting tool. These standards are stayed
laterally by struts D, D, extending across the machine, and they have upright
grooves a, a, in their inner sides, to receive and form guides for the ends of two
horizontal cross heads E, E', which support the adjustable ways or guides G, G,
which receive the hammer and cutting tool. Each cross head is supported by
two vertical screws F, which work in female screws in the ends of the cross
heads, and have journals near their upper ends fitted to bearings in the upper
part of the standards, or in the struts, which allow the screws to turn freely,
but prevent them moving longitudinally. By turning the screws, the cross
heads can be raised or lowered at pleasure, and in order to keep the cross
heads in a horizontal position at all times, the two screws by which each is
supported are geared together by a transverse shaft J, and two pairs of bevel-
toothed wheels j,j, so that by turning the shaft J both screws will be compelled
to turn simultaneously, and make the same amount of movement. The adjust-
able ways or guides G, G, in which the hammer and tool stock work, consist of
strong iron castings, which are attached to the cross head E' by strap joint
connections 1, 1, with journals near enough to the ends of the cross head E.
They are provided with parallel grooves 6 in their inner sides to receive tongues
on the sides of the tool stock K and sliding hammer I. They are adjusted at
the required angle to the bed by raising or lowering either of the cross heads
as may be necessary. The tool stock K consists of a strong cast iron block,
having tongues k, k, shown in red and blue colors in Fig. 4, and dotted in
Figs. 2 and 3, which enter the grooves b, b, in the adjustable ways G, G. These
tongues are made of such width at their upper ends as to fit the grooves, but
are tapered towards the lower ends, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to allow a slight
amount of play or swinging motion back and forth to the lower part of the
stock. The front or lower end of the tool stock has an arched recess which
fits to the cross head E', as shown in Figures 2 and 4. This cross head serves
as the rest or stop for the tool stock to regulate the depth of cut. It is of
cylindrical form, and it and the tool stock should bear such relation to each
other, that when the ways are at the angle generally adopted for the working
of the machine, and the stock bears close up to the cross head, the front or top
edge c of the bearing of the tool stock will be above or very slightly in rear of
b

page_text: the axis of the cross head. The cutting tool or chisel m is bolted or otherwise
secured in a suitable manner to the tool stock, at the back of or under the
cross head E. It extends the whole width of the tool stock, and may be made
in one or several pieces, according to its width, or as is most convenient. Its
edge may be straight, as shown, to cut a surface with a straight transverse
profile, or may be of suitable form to cut mouldings. The hammer L consists
of a heavy iron casting, with parallel tongues i, i, to slide freely in the grooves
in the adjustable ways G, G; when left free, it rests upon the tool stock. It
is raised to strike by means of a cam N on a shaft O, which works in bearings
d, d, on the ways G, G, and receives a constant rotary motion. Every revo-
lution of this shaft causes the cam to raise the hammer, but the form of the
cam is such that it lifts the hammer during a little less than one half of the
revolution of the shaft, and suddenly leaves it free to fall. For some descrip-
tions of work the weight of the hammer and the momentum acquired during
its fall will cause it to strike a sufficiently forcible blow; but in order to
increase the force of the blow, the hammer is connected by two strong helical
springs L, with a cross bar M attached to the ways G, G. These springs are
drawn out by the raising of the hammer, and their recoil, when the hammer
is set free by the cam, adds force to the blow. The force of the blow may be
varied by varying the lift of the hammer, which may be effected by having a
number of cams of various form, and placing one on the shaft that will raise
the hammer to the height necessary to give the force required. The lift may
also, to a slight extent, be varied without changing the cam, by raising or
lowering the small plate H, upon which the cam acts. This plate is bolted to
the hammer on the upper side of the opening e, which is made for the cam
to work in. The bolts f, f, which attach this plate, pass through slots in the
plate, which admit of its being raised or lowered readily. The stone to be
dressed is placed upon the carriage B, and secured by dogs, as in other
machines. The carriage receives motion between the successive strokes of the
hammer upon the tool stock by means of an endless screw Q, which gears with
a toothed rack under the carriage. The screw has journals fitted to suitable
bearings on the bed A, and receives motion through bevel gearings g, g, from a
transverse shaft S, which also works in bearings on the bed. This latter shaft
is furnished outside the bed with a ratchet wheel T, and with a lever U, which
works loosely upon it, and carries a pawl h gearing with the ratchet. The
lever U is connected by a connecting rod V, with a stud n, secured in a slot v,
in one of the arms of the fly wheel W, on the shaft O, and every revolution of
the fly wheel gives motion to the lever, and causes the pawl to engage with the

page_text: ratchet wheel and turn the shaft S, and thus turn the endless screw and move
the carriage. The rate of feed, or the distance which the stone is moved
between the blows may be varied, by moving the stud n in the slot v nearer
to or farther from the axis of the wheel. The operation of dressing a block
or slab of stone is conducted in the following manner:-The carriage is run
forward on the bed, in front of the cutting tool, or to left of Figs. 1 and 2 of
the Drawing, and the stone placed upon it. The cross heads E, E', are
then adjusted, if necessary, to bring the edge of the cutting tool to the proper
height, and to set the ways G, G, at the desired angle to the bed. The
machine is then started by giving rotary motion to the shaft O. Before the
stone comes in contact with the cutting tool, the tool stock has its arched
bearing fitting closely to the rest or stop E', as represented in Fig. 2, and in
blue outline in Fig. 4; but the first movement of the carriage, after the stone
arrives in contact with the cutting tool, throws back the edge of the tool, as
shown in red outline in Fig. 4. This movement of the tool is provided for by the
tapering of the tongues k, k, of the tool stock. When the tool is thus thrown
back, the front edge c only of the arched bearing in the tool stock rests upon
the rest or stop E'. The descent of the hammer which follows the movement
of the stone and the tool brings the hammer into violent contact with the tool
stock, and drives the arched bearing close up to the rest or stop, and in so
doing causes the point of the cutting tool to move almost horizontally, or
parallel with the movement of the carriage, and thus chip off a portion of the
stone all the way across it. This operation is illustrated in Fig. 4, where p
represents a portion of the stone already dressed, and q the undressed portion.
The margin of the portion which remains undressed after the movement of the
stone, but before the descent of the hammer, is shewn in red outline, corre-
sponding with the representation of the position of the tool stock and tool at
that time; and the margin of the portion which remains undressed, after the
descent of the hammer, is represented in black outline. This chipping
operation is repeated until the whole length of the stone has passed under the
cutting tool. The surface given to the stone in this machine is free from the
ridges and furrows usually left by any chipping operation, and appears to be
perfectly straight and smooth. The machine is therefore well adapted for the
dressing of marble previous to its being polished, as very little polishing will
be necessary.
CLAIN

page_text: adjustable at any desired angle to the surface to be cut, said hammer being
raised or drawn back in the said ways by suitable mechanical means, which
will let it escape when raised to any desired point, so that it may be caused to
fall and strike with a force due to its own weight, either with or without the
assistance of springs or additional weights.
2nd. The employment of an adjustable rest or stop E' for supporting or
arresting the cutting tool at the proper height for a cut of the desired depth,
and causing a true surface to be given to the stone.
3rd. The method herein described of fitting the tool stock to the ways
G, G, and to the rest E, whereby the edge of the tool is allowed to swing back
when the stone is moved towards it, and is caused to move forward nearly
parallel with the movement of the stone when the tool stock is struck by the
hammer, as herein set forth and illustrated in Fig. 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)