IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FILES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FILES."-A communication from
abroad by William Picket Pierce, residing at Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
Sealed the 9th December 1862, and dated the 10th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1862.
1, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FILES," to be as follows:-
The first part of the Invention consists in an improved method of holding
the file blank which is to be cut up to the face plate near which the cutter
strikes, so that if the face of the blank is not true, the bed in which the blank
is held may accommodate itself, and present that portion of the blank which is
operated on squarely to the cutter.
The second part of the Invention consists in an apparatus for regulating the
blow of the cutter so that it may strike harder on the wide part of the blank
than on the narrow part, where less force is required to make a cut of equal
depth.

page_text: The third part of the Invention consists in an improvement in the face
plate. A bed or table is used supported on legs, a screw shaft rises through
the centre of this table, by which the file blank is fed up as the cutting
proceeds; but as the mechanism by which this feed is effected forms no part of
this present Invention it need not be described. A standard rises from a plate
on the bed or table, which plate pivots or turns on a projecting centre on the
table through which the screw shaft passes, whilst the outer end of the plate
may be adjusted, by set screws one on each side, so as to bring the whole
frame which carries the file blank as near square as possible to the direction
of the blow of the cutter. After being adjusted in place this plate is secured
to the table by screws which pass through slots in the plate. Two arms, one
on each side, projecting forward from the standard support a face plate which
is attached to the arms by screws so that it may be readily removed. Against
this face plate the face of the file blank to be cut is held. Two other arms
which project forward from one side of the standard havo pivoted to them
other arms attached to a frame, which is thus allowed a slight vibrating motion
on the pivots and is held up towards the face plate by the weight of a heavy
rod which is pivoted to the end of a lever pivoted to the edge of the standard;
a short strap is pivoted to the head of the lever and to the frame. A treddlo
pivoted to one of the legs of the machine and to the lower end of the heavy
rod enables the operator to raise this rod and the lover and draw back the
frame when it is required to remove the file blank. As a vertical motion of
the blank is required as it is fed up by the screw shaft a box is made to slide
up and down in dovetailed ways in the first-mentioned frame. A heavy block
is hung in the front of the box; it has let into its face a soft metal bed; in
which the blank lies; it is pivoted at the top and at the bottom to short arms
projecting from the ends of the box; these pivots are placed in, or nearly in
a line with the face of the blank, so that the weight of this swinging block,
which receives the concussion of the blow of the cutter, tends to keep the face
of the blank against the face plate, although it is capable of a slight vibration
on its pivots to accommodate itself to any irregularity or twist in the face of
the blank, which rests against the face plate as it is fed up. This is necessary
as the face of the blank cannot always be mado a perfect plane, and any twist
on the surface which is pressed against the face plate will cause the cutter to
make its indentation in the metal deeper near one edge of the blank than the
other. The tang of the blank rests in a socket set in the block, and the point
of the blank is held under a cap, which is pressed down by a spring in the
head of the block where the point or upper end of the file blank is narrower
on the face than the lower part. The blow of the cutter should be less at the

page_text: commencement of the operation of cutting and gradually increase in a very
slight degree as the face of the blank widens, in order that the cuts may all
be of an uniform depth; to accomplish this I employ the following manage-
ment:-The cutter is secured in a head on a bent arm which rises from a
shaft supported on suitable bearings on a heavy block rising from the table.
The blow of the cutter is given by a spring applied to the shaft, and the shaft
is revolved a part turn at short intervals to raise the cutter by mechanism
similar to that employed in other machines of this class, and which, as it forms
no part of this present Invention, need not be explained. A stop is always
requisite to check and determine the amount of revolution of the shaft, the
throw of the arm, and the depth of the cut made by the cutter. It is the
regulating of the position of this stop by the feed of the blank itself which
constitutes this part of the Invention. The shaft is turned by a spring applied
to a pin, and is arrested by another similar pin which projects from the
opposite side of the shaft and strikes on a button or stop which is set in and
projects above the top of the block; it is supported on a wedge-shaped piece
which slides in a recess in the block. An arm attached to the top of the box
carries at its outer end a rod, the lower end of which is wedge shaped and
passes down through a hole in the top of the block and bears against the
wedge-shaped piece, so that as this rod is raised with the box by the feed of
the screw shaft the taper of the rod allows the wedge-shaped piece to be
pushed farther back by the percussion of the pin on the stop, and the stop
falls lower and allows a greater vibration of the shaft, and consequently a
heavier blow to the cutter. A small regulating block is placed in the same
recoss with the wedge-shaped piece, but behind the tapering rod; this block
is pushed farther forward by turning down a set screw which bears on its
inclined end, and the position or amount which the stop may fall is thus nicely
adjusted. The face plate is usually made of a straight piece of hardened steel,
but as the cutter strikes very close to its upper edge it is liable to be worn
away and become uneven; to remedy this I have formed a recess in the back
of the face plate, in which I have inserted a piece of hard steel, which is held
in place by a wedge and screw, and which, when worn, may be easily removed
to have its end ground off square and true.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS 1[er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
1862, in the twenty-sixth year of Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her
special license that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield, 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 MACHINERY
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FILES," a communication to me from abroad by
William Picket Pierce, a person resident at Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 calender months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section
through the middle of the same; Figs. 3 and 4, details to be referred to.
The first part of the present Invention consists in an improved method of
holding the file blank which is to be cut up to the face plate near which the
cutter strikes, so that if the face of the blank is not true, the bed in which
the blank is held may accommodate itself, and present that portion of the
blank which is operated on squarely to the cutter.

page_text: The second part of the Invention consists in a device for regulating the
blow of the cutter so that it may strike harder on the wide part of the
blank than on the narrow part, where less force is required to make a cut of
equal depth.
The third part of the Invention consists in an improvement in the face
plate; that others skilled in the art may understand and use the Invention, I
will describe the manner in which I have carried it out.
In the said Drawings, A is a bed or table supported on legs a.
A screw
shaft B rises through the centre of this table by which the file blank 6 is fed
up as the cutting proceeds; but as the mechanism which this feed is
effected forms no part of this present Invention, it need not be described.
A standard C rises from a base or platform D, which is pivoted around a
hollow centre c, through which the screw shaft B passes, whilst its rear end d
may be adjusted by set screws e, one on each side, so as to bring the wholo
frame which carries the file blank as near square as possible to the direction
of the blow of the cutter. After being adjusted in place, this platform is
secured to the table A by screws f, which pass through slots 3 in the platform.
Two arms 9, one on each side, projecting forward from the standard C, support
the face plate E (shown detached in Fig. 4) which is attached to the arms
by screws 4, so that it may be readily removed. Against this plate the face of
the file blank to be cut is held. Two other arms h, which project forward
from one side of the standard C, have pivoted to them at 5 similar arms i
attached to a frame F, which is thus allowed a slight vibrating motion on the
pivots 5, and is held up towards the face plate E by the weight of a heavy
rod G, which is pivoted to the end of a lever k, pivoted at 6 to the edge of
the standard C; a short strap is pivoted to the head of the lever k and to
the frame F. A treddle II pivoted to one of the legs a, and to the lower
end of the rod G, enables the operator to raise this rod and the lever k, and
draw back the frame F when it is required to remove the file blank b. As a
vertical motion of the blank is required as it is fed up by the screw shaft B,
another frame or box K is made to slide up and down in dovetailed ways 7 in
the frame f. A heavy block L is hung in the front of the box K; it has let
into its face a soft metal bed o, in which the blank b lies; it is pivoted at top
at 8 and at the bottom at 9 to short arms 10 projecting from the ends of the
box K. These pivots are placed in, or nearly in a line with the face of the
blank, so that the weight of this swinging block which receives the concussion
of the blow of the cutter tends to keep the face of the blank against the face
plate E, although it is capable of a slight vibration on its pivots to accom-
modate itself to any irregularity or twist in the face of the blank, which rests

page_text: against the face plate as it is fed up. This is necessary, as the face of the
blank cannot always be made a perfect plane, and any twist on the surfaco
which is pressed against the face plate E will cause the cutter to make its
indentation in the metal deeper near one edge of the blank than the other.
The tang of the blank b rests in a socket m set in the block L, and the point
of the blank is held under a cap p, which is pressed down by a spring n in the
head of the block L.
As the point or upper end of the file blank 6 (the one here shown is a three-
cornered file) is narrower on the face than the lower part, the blow of the
cutter should be less at the commencement of the operation of cutting, and
gradually increase in a very slight degree as the face of the blank widens, in
order that the cuts may all be of an uniform depth. To accomplish this, I
employ the following device:-The cutter ? is secured in a heads on a bent
arm t, which rises from a shaft M, supported on suitable bearings on a heavy
block N rising from the table A. The blow of the cutter is given by a spring
applied to the shaft M, and the shaft is revolved a part turn at short intervals
to raise the cutter by mechanism similar to that employed in other machines
of this class, and which, as it forms no part of this present Invention, need not
be explained.
A stop is always requisite to check and determine the amount of revolution
of the shaft M, the throw of the arm t, and the depth of the cut made by the
cutter ; it is the regulating of the position of this stop by the feed of the
blank itself which constitutes this part of the Invention.
The shaft M is turned by a spring applied to a pin 12, and is arrested by
another similar pin 13, which projects from the opposite side of the shaft, and
strikes on a button or stop v (see Fig. 3), which is set in, and projects above
the top of the block N; it is supported on a wedge-shaped piece w, which
slides in a recess in the block N. An arm O, attached to the top of the
sliding frame K, carries at its outer end a rod P, the lower end of which is
wedge-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, and passes down through a hole in the top
of the block N, and bears against the wedge w, so that as this rod is raised
with the frame K by the feed of the screw shaft B, the taper of the rod
allows the wedge w to be pushed farther back by the percussion of the pin 13
on the stop v, and the stop falls lower and allows a greater vibration to the
shaft M, and consequently a heavier blow to the cutter.
A small regulating block is placed in the same recess with the wedge w,
but behind the tapering rod P ; this block is pushed farther forward by turning
down the set screw y which bears on its inclined end, and the position or amount
which the stop v may fall is thus nicely adjusted. The face plate E is usually

page_text: made of a straight piece of hardened steel, but as the cutter strikes very
close to its upper edge, it is liable to be worn away and become uneven ; to
remedy this, I have formed a recess in the back of the face plate, in which I
bave inserted a piece of hard steel a³, Figs. 1 and 4, which is held in place by
a wedge and screw 15, and which when worn may be easily removed to have
its end 16 ground off square and true.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention, and explained tho
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that, under
the above recited Letters Patent, I claim the pivoted or vibrating block L
in combination with the sliding frame or box K, operating substantially as
described.
2nd, 1 claim the swinging frame F with the weighted rod G, or its equi-
valent for holding the blank up to the face plate E, substantially as set
forth.
3rd, I claim the standard C and platform D pivoting on the centre c, and
made adjustable in the manner substantially as specified.
4th, 1 claim the device for regulating the blow of the cutter r as the feed
proceeds, viz., the wedge-shaped rod P, which is raised with the blank b and
the tapering block or wedge w for lowering the stop v, substantially as set
forth.
5th, I claim the piece a³ inserted in the face plate E, for the purposo
stated, and in the manner substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, bave here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)