IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF WRITING OR SCHOOL SLATES, AND PARTICULARLY OF THEIR FRAMES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Jones, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and of the Glandinorwie Slate Works, near Carnarvon, in the
County of Carnarvon, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF WRITING OR SCHOOL
SLATES, AND PARTICULARLY OF THEIR FRAMES." A communication from
abroad by Evan Jno. Williams, of Slatington, Pennsylvania, America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Jones at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February 1880.
65
SAMUEL JONES, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
and of the Glandinorwie Slate Works, near Carnarvon, in the County of
Carnarvon. IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF WRITING OR SCHOOL SLATES, AND PARTICULARLY OF THEIR
FRAMES." A communication from abroad by Evan Jno. Williams, of Slatington,
Pennsylvania, America.
This Invention relates to machinery for planing, ovalling, and corner cutting the
frames of school slates.
In planing I key my planing head or disc to the bottom of a vertical revolving
shaft sliding in its bearings. In this the cutters are fixed so that they can be
taken out, sharpened, and adjusted. Parallel with the cutter head I place the table
or support for the slate frame; this table can be adjusted by set screws or
otherwise, and is carried by the main frame of the machine. The vertical shaft is
preferably raised and lowered by being slung from the top, or by levers working on
a collar on the shaft and actuated by a treadle. The cutters may be of any desired
number, but I prefer three placed at different distances from the axis of the shaft,
and at angles of 120 degrees with each other radiating to the centre, so that each
cutter cuts a different annulus on the surface planed. Instead of altering the
vertical position of the shaft the latter could be constructed immovable as regards
vertical height, and the table be raised and lowered by a treadle, but I much
prefer the former method. In each case the part raised and lowered is counter-
weighted. The shaft is preferably driven by a belt pulley upon it between the
bearings.

page_text: In ovalling and corner cutting the shaft is driven as before by a pulley between
bearings. Near the upper end of the shaft is the oval edged circular saw held in
place by a nut. Attached to the side of the frame, but regulated as before by set
screws or otherwise, is the table upon which the slates whose frames require
ovalling are placed. On the opposite side is the frame for holding the slates to be
corner-cut. The frame is cut away at the corner so as to freely expose the corner
of the slate to the saw. The corner of the frame is linked to the shaft below the
saw or cutter by a link, so that the frame for holding the slate and the slate itself
can be freely rotated on a point equidistant to each side near the corner, and yet
shall always be at the same distance from the cutter. By partially rotating the
slate on that point it comes in contact with the cutter, and the corner is cut away
to an arc of a circle tangential or nearly so to the sides, while at the same time
it is "ovalled" or "rounded" to the same lateral curve as the sides.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th August
1880.
SAMUEL JONES, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster'
and of the Glandinorwie Slate Works, near Carnarvon, in the County of
Carnarvon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF WRITING OR SCHOOL SLATES, AND PARTICULARLY OF THEIR
FRAMES." A communication from abroad by Evan Jno. Williams, of Slatington,
Pennsylvania, America.
1 is the cast-iron frame of planing machine; 2, bracket bolted to samo by
bolts 2 a 3, revolving shaft running perpendicular to table 8, hereafter described;
4, hearing and pedestals for said shaft fixed on frame 1; 5, pulley on shaft 3
driven from line shaft 5a by a belt, as shown; 6, cutter head revolving on
shaft 3 and carrying one or more single or double cutters 7, 7, preferably three,
as shown; 7, 7, cutters; 8, table supported on bracket 2, and adjusted if requisito
by screws 8a; 9, collars on shaft held by set screws 9a, 9a; 10, lever
supported on pivot 10 a on bracket 106 used for raising and lowering shaft 3
by means of pin 10c and loose collar 10 d. This lever is weighted at end by
weight 11, and is actuated by means of link 12 and treadle lever 13. Other
mechanism for causing the treadle to bring down the spindle 3 could be adapted,
such, for instance, as are used in drilling, wood-cutting, and other machines ;
14, face view of the cutter head showing the three cutters at angles of one hundred
and twenty degrees with each other, and arranged so as to each cut in a different
path. I do not bind myself to three cutters, any number could be used, or to
placing their cutting edges radial to the centre, but I find three the most suitable
number and that a radial direction, so that the cutter meets its work with a cut at
right angles to its path, gives the best result.
The mode of action is as follows:-The belt being set in motion, and the table 8
having been adjusted so as to be perpendicular to the shaft 3, the rough slate is
placed on the table, and the head lowered by means of treadle 13 till it planes the
frame. The slate is then reversed and the other side done. A similar arrangement
could be used for planing other articles, or even the slab of the school slate, but
the speed would have to be very slow, and I do not recommed it for other than
the frames.
15 is the frame of machine: 16, bearings of shaft 17 supported on frame 15;
17, shaft running in bearings 16, and carrying saw or cutter; 18, driving pulley
driven from convenient line shaft or cross head 18 a by belting, as shown; 19, oval
edged saw or cutter on shaft 17 for ovalling or rounding edges of slates, for face
view see Fig. 3 (a set of revolving cutters fixed in a head could be substituted for
the saw); 20, nut to fasten saw or cutter 19 securely on shaft 17; 21, plate for
ovalling slate frames fastened rigidly on frame 15; 22, corner-cutting plate free to
turn on pin 22a; 23, collar or link carrying pin 22 a of corner-cutting plate 22,
this is shown best in Fig. 2, and is capable of adjustment in slot 29; 24, chain
fastened to corner-cutting plate 22 to reverse its motion, link motion or levers
would do equally well; 25, foot lever to work corner-cutting plate by means of
chain 24; 26, steel spring coming up through table or frame 15 to throw back
corner-cutting plato by means of leather connection 28, any kind of a spring or
weighted lever will do; 27, face of corner-cutting plate upon which the slate
rests; 30, stops to regulate travel of link 23; 31, radius link to confine or direct

page_text: the motion of plate 22; 32, adjusting plates fitted with oblong holes to regulato
centre point of corner of slate.
The mode of action is as follows:-The saw shaft being put in motion the
attendant working the side ovalling mechanism places the planed slate upon plate 21
against the fence 21 a, and pushes it forward till each side in turn is rounded,
he then hands it over to the attendant working the corner-cutting mechanism ;
this person places it on the corner-cutting frame when the latter is drawn
as far to one side as possible by the action of the spring, which spring is attached
in any convenient position so as to be out of the way, I prefer a long blade below
as shown.
The slate being pressed into the corner comes in contact with the saw,
which cuts away the projecting corner, the attendant then depresses the pedal 25
and so pulls round frame that it describes a circular motion round its pivot 22 a,
fresh parts of the corner are thus cut off till it is nicely rounded. The attendant
then lets the frame fly back, exposes another corner of the slate to the saw, and
when all four corners are done the slate is stacked for market.
Having now described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that what I
believe to be new and desire to claim under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. A machine for planing slate frames, consisting of a horizontal cutter
head (6) with cutters (7) revolving on a vertical shaft (3) over a horizontal and
preferably adjustable table (8) upon which the slate rests, substantially as described,
either the table or cutter head being arranged to move up and down by means of a
treadle (13), substantially as described.
Second. The special construction of cutter head, cutters, and table with their
adjusting mechanism, substantially as described and shown.
Third. The ovalling and corner rounding machine herein described, in which
the two operations are performed by the same spindle, and preferably by the same
saw, substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. The corner cutting apparatus consisting preferably of saw or cutter (19),
pivot (22 a), radius links (23 and 30), corner frame (22), spring (26), and chain (24),
or their mechanical equivalents, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Jones, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
night hundred and eighty
Witness,
JOHN O. O'BRIEN,
Clerk to Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool & London.
SAMUEL JONES. (L.S.)