IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WOOD WORKING MACHINES CALLED TRYING-UP AND SURFACING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Clarke, of Aston, near Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manager of Joinery Works, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WOOD WORKING MACHINES CALLED
TRYING-UP AND SURFACING MACHINES."
Sealed the 12th September 1878, and dated the 29th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Clarke at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
29th March 1878.
I, BERNARD CLARKE, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manager of Joinery Works, do hereby declare the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WOOD WORKING MACHINES CALLED
TRYING-UP AND SURFACING MACHINES," to be as follows:―
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
the said trying-up and surfacing machines, by which improvements the
machines are rendered more efficient than trying-up and surfacing
machines of the ordinary construction, and the imperfections in the work
of trying-up and surfacing machines of the ordinary kind are obviated.
In the said machines as ordinarily constructed the cutters are carried by

page_text: a rotating disc, or by arms fixed on the end of a vertical shaft. The
wood to be operated upon is passed under the said cutters; the shaft to
which the disc or arms carrying the cutting tools is attached being made
to rotate by suitable gearing connecting the machine with a steam engine
or other source of power.
In constructing trying-up and surfacing machines according to my
Invention I employ a series of small discs or holders carried by a circular
or other frame, or arms fixed to an axis, to which rotary motion is given.
To these small discs or holders I affix cutters for removing the super-
fluous wood, and brushes or toothed cutters for producing a smooth
surface on the wood operated upon. By means of bands or other gearing
the axis carrying the frame or arms is made to rotate, and the disos at
the same time are made to rotate on their respective axes. By this
means the tools are made to describe a series of nearly circular curves,
the curves in question being composed of the rapid rotatory motion of
the tools about the axes of the respective discs or holders, and the slower
rotatory motion of the frame carrying the said discs or holders. These
motions, combined with the rectilinear motion of the wood under the
cutters or tools produce a truth and smoothness of surface unattainable
by trying-up and surface machines of the ordinary construction.
Instead of making the rotating discs or holders carrying the tools
revolve around the axis of a frame or series of arms carrying them the
said discs or holders may be attached to a frame or holder performing
either a rectilinear transverse motion, the wood being carried under
them, or the frame or holder may be made to turn upon a centre at one
end, and the end carrying the rotating discs or holders may perform a
transverse, vibratory, or oscillatory motion about the said centre.
Although I prefer to make the wood to be operated upon, as well as
the tools, work in horizontal planes, yet the machine may be arranged
for the working parts to move in vertical planes or inclined planes.
I make the brushes I employ of fibre or of wire, and I employ comb-
shaped smoothing tools in place of or in addition to the tools ordinarily
employed.
Although I prefer the use of brushes for polishing the surface of the
wood operated upon, yet sand paper may be used in machines con-
structed according to my Invention, in place of or in addition to the said
brushes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Bernard Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
CLARKE, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manager
of Joinery Works, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Bernard Clarke, Her special license that I,
the said Bernard Olarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bernard Clarke, 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 THE WOOD WORKING
MACHINES CALLED TRYING-UP AND SURFACING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Bernard Clarke, 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 Bernard Clarke, 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, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
the said trying-up and surfacing machines, by which improvements the
machines are rendered more efficient than trying-up and surfacing
machines of the ordinary construction, and the imperfections in the
work of trying-up and surfacing machines of the ordinary kind are
obviated. In the said machines as ordinarily constructed the cutters are

page_text: carried by a rotating disc or by arms fixed on the end of a vertical shaft.
The wood to be operated upon is passed under the said cutters, the shaft
to which the disc or arms carrying the cutting tools is attached being
made to rotate by suitable gearing connecting the machine with a steam
engine or other source of power.
In constructing trying-up and surfacing machines according to my
Invention I employ a series of holders or arms fixed to axes to which
rotatory motion is given. To these holders I affix cutters for removing
the superfluous wood, and other cutters for producing a smooth surface
on the wood operated upon. The rotating holders carrying the cutting
tools are attached to a frame performing a rectilinear transverse motion,
the wood being carried under them. By means of bands or other
gearing the holders or arms are made to rotate, and the tools carried by
them are made to describe a series of circular curves. This motion
combined with the rectilinear motion of the wood under the cutters or
tools, and the transverse motion of the frame carrying the axes of the
holders produce a truth and smoothness of surface unattainable by
trying-up and surfacing machines of the ordinary construction.
Although I prefer to make the wood to be operated upon as well as
the tools work in horizontal planes, yet the machine may be arranged
for the working parts to move in vertical planes or inclined planes.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in plan, and Figure 3
in end elvation partly in transverse section a trying-up and surfacing
machine constructed according to my Invention.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, represent detached views of the cutting tools
and holders and the parts connected therewith, the said Figures 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8 being drawn of the full size. Figures 1, 2, and 3, are drawn
to the scale of one inch and a half to a foot. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the table on which the wood to be tryed-up and surfaced is
supported and to which it is affixed by the clamping apparatus b which
is of the ordinary kind. A screw formed on the shaft d works in a
screw box underneath the table a and gives a slow motion to the said

page_text: table on its bed plate e. The said screw shaft d is driven by the bevil
gearing f; g is a frame sliding transversely on the frame h, the said
frame h being carried by and having a vertical motion on the fixed
framing i of the machine; k, k, are slides connected by dovetails to the
transverse frame g and capable of being raised and lowered and fixed on
the frame g at any required height independently of each other. The
vertical motion of the frame is effected by the hand wheel 34, bevil
gearing transmitting the motion of the said hand wheel 34 to the
vertical screws 35, 35, which take into screw boxes in the said frame h.
Each of the vertical slides k carries an axis 7 working in bearings m, n,
and having a pulley o through which motion is given to it by means of
the driving band p. The slow transverse motion of the frame g is
effected in the manner herein-after described. Each of the axes of tho
frame g carries a tool or cutter holder of the kind represented in full size
in Figures 4 and 5 together with its tools or cutters, and the said
holders and their tools in their places in the machine are represented in
Figure 3. The tool or cutter holder consists of four arms 9, 1, 8, t.
The arms q, r, carry vertical cutters u, v, and the arms s, t, carry
nearly horizontal smoothing tools or cutters w, x.
The several tools or cutters u, v, w, x, are made by preference of the
hollow nearly conical figure represented in the separate view Figure 6,
which Figure is very convenient for the sharpening of the tool by
grinding at the part marked v², Figure 6. The said tools may however
be made flat or nearly so with nearly the same effect. The cutting tools
u, v, are capable of adjustment vertically in the arms q, r, of the holder
by means of vertical slots, one of which is shown at 1, in the detached
view, Figure 4, the said cutting tools being fixed vertically by the screw
nuts, ³, respectively being screwed on the ends of the screw pins or
axes u, v³. The cutting tools u, v, may be turned on their axcs u³, 25,
for the purpose of bringing a fresh portion of the cutting edgo into
operation by loosening the screw nuts ut, v', which fix them to their
axes. After the partial rotation has been given to the tools u, v, the
tightening of the screw nuts u, v, again fixes the cutters to their axes.
The vertical cutting tools u, v, effect the first or rough cutting of the
wood operated upon, while the other tools w, x, effect the smoothing or
finishing of the surface. It will be seen by an examination of Figure 5
that the cutting edges of the cutting tools u, v, are so inclined to the
axis of the holder q, r, s, t, that the acting part of the edge of the said

page_text: tools makes a considerable angle with the circle or path described by the
said acting part, which position is most favourable to the efficient action
of the said cutting tools. The smoothing tools w, x, are adjusted hori-
zontally in the slots 83, 3, of the arm 8, t. They have no vertical
adjustment as the axes / of the machine carrying the holders are capable
of vertical adjustment. The smoothing tools w, x, are connected to the
arms s, t, of the holder in the following manner :—
bolt y a flanged collar 4
The said flanged collar is
into the slot ³ or 3 of the
The position of the flanged
of the screw nut 5 tightened
A screw bolt y (shown separately in Figure 8) having a flange 3 at its
lower end and a slot 2 and screw 3 at its upper end is passed through a
central hole in the cutter, and upon the
(shown separately in Figure 7) is placed.
flattened at opposite sides, so that when put
holder the said collar 4 cannot turn round.
collar 4 in the slot 83 or t* is fixed by means
on the screwed end of the fixed collar 4. A pin 6 in the collar 4 takes
into the slot 2 in the bolt y when the said bolt y is inserted in the said
collar and prevents the rotation of the said bolt y. The use of the
bolt y and screw nut 7, which works on its screwed end 3 is to permit
of the adjustment of the acting part of the smoothing cutters w, x.
When one part of the acting edge of the said cutters is worn it is
only necessary to slacken the screw nut 7 when the cutter wo or x can be
turned on its bolt y and a fresh portion of its cutting edge brought into
operation. By tightening the screw nut 7. the cutter is fixed in its new
position. This adjustment of the smoothing cutters is effected without
disturbing the adjustment in their slots 8³, 1. Similarly by slackening the
screw nuts 5 the adjustment in the slots 82, 12, may be altered without
disturbing the position of the cutters upon their screw bolts y. It will
be seen by reference to Figure 4 that the arms a, t, are not in the same
plane, the outer ends of the said arms inclining slightly downwards.
By this inclination the extreme points w³, x³, of the cutters w, x, would
alone touch the surface being operated upon, and it is necessary besides
the inclination described of the arms s, t, to give them another incli-
nation, so that the points w³, x³, or some such points of the cutters shall
operate upon the wood. This is effected by giving the arms 8, t, a slight
twist in opposite directions, the edge 3 of the arm t being slightly
lower than the edge t, and the edges being slightly lower than the edge &*
of the arm 8. By this slight twist in the arms s, t, the points w³, x³, of the
cutters w, x, act upon the wood and give the requisite oblique cut or
shave to effect the smoothing of the surface being operated upon. For

page_text: the purpose of the better showing the slots 8, 1, the smoothing tools w,x,
are represented in Figures 4 and 5 at their extreme distance apart, but
in use the distance of the said tools w, x, should be such that the
circle their acting parts describe is within the circle described by the
cutting tools u, v.
The motions of the several parts of the machine are taken from
pulleys on the driving shaft 8. The axes of the holders carrying the
cutting and smoothing tools are driven from the drum 10 on the shaft 8
by means of bands p passing over the pulleys o on the said axes 7, and
over the said drum 10. The screw shaft d by which the table a is
driven takes its motion from the shaft 11, which latter shaft carries two
loose pulleys 12 and 13, and between them the fast pulley 14. A driving
band 15° transmits motion from the driving shaft 8 through the speed
pulleys 15 and 16 to the shaft 17, and a band 17* passing over the
pulley 18 on the shaft 17, and over the fast pulley 14 of the shaft 11
gives a slow advancing motion through the bevil gearing f to the screw
shaft d which works the table a. 21 is the lever by which the bands are
operated to effect the required motions of the table a. In order to effect
a rapid return motion of the table a the band 17° driven by the pulley 18
is passed on to the loose pulley 12, and a band 18* driven by the
pulley 19, which band had previously been on the loose pulley 13, is by
the same movement of the lever 21 passed on to the fast pulley 14,
there is thus communicated to the shaft 11 a rapid rotation in the
direction proper to effect the rapid return motion of the table a.
The transverse or traversing motion of the frame g carrying the series
of cutting tools is taken from the screw shaft d in the following
manner:-22 is a worm on the said shaft d gearing with the worm
wheel 23 on a vertical shaft (see Figures 1 and 3), which vertical shaft
carries at its lower end the bevilled toothed wheel 24. This wheel 24
gears with a bevilled pinion 25 on a horizontal shaft carrying at its end
the elliptical toothed wheel 26. This elliptical toothed wheel 26 gears
with a similar elliptical toothed wheel 27. The axis of the toothed
wheel 27 carries a crank plate 28, to which the connecting rod 29 is
jointed by the crank pin 30. The reciprocating motion communicated
3 to the connecting rod 29 is transmitted through the lever 31,
connecting rod 32 to the frame 9 carrying the series of cutting tools.
By means of the elliptical toothed wheels 26 and 27, a nearly uniform
reciprocating motion is given to the frame g. The elliptical toothed
and

page_text: wheel 26 is thrown out of gear with the pinion 25 by means of a
clutch 33 (see Figure 1), which clutch is operated by the lever 21.
When the said lever 21 is brought into a position proper to give a rapid
return motion to the table a, it ungears the pinion 25 by means of the
clutch 33 allowing the said pinion to run loose on its shaft, and the
slide 9 comes to rest. On the end of the shaft 8 are fast and loose
pulleys 40, 41, by means of which the said shaft can be thrown into and
out of gear with the steam engine or other source of motive power.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The surface to be operated
upon, or tried-up and surfaced, being fixed to the table a by the
clamping apparatus b, the workman first adjusts the cutting and
smoothing tools to the required height by means of the hand wheel 34,
and next by moving the lever 21 throws the band 17ª driven by the
pulley 18 from off the loose pulley 12 on to the fixed pulley 14 of the
shaft 11, thereby giving motion to the said shaft 11, and producing
the required advancing motion of the table a. The same motion of the
lever 21 throws the two parts of the clutch 33 into gear, and produces
the transverse reciprocating motion of the frame g carrying the holders
and cutters. The axes are driven as already explained by bands p
from the drum 10.
When the table a has completed its advance motion it is brought to
rest by moving the lever 21 in the direction proper to throw the band
17" on to the loose pulley 12, and the band 18" on to the loose pulley 13,
the frame g coming to rest at the same time. After one surface of wood
has been operated upon it is removed from the table a of the machine.
The said table is run back, and another portion of the wood to be
operated upon is fixed thereon. After the wood has been clamped on
the table, the frame h, if necessary, is raised or lowered so as to set the
cutting and smoothing tools at the proper height to suit the wood to be
operated upon, and the machine is again put in action by means of the 3
lever 21. Where there is no change in the thickness of the wood to be
operated upon no vertical adjustment of the frame is required on the
fixing of a fresh portion of wood on the table. By the slow advancing
motion of the table a under the cutting and smoothing tools, combined
with the slow traversing or cross motion of the frame g carrying the 3
said tools, and the rapid rotation of the tools themselves, every part of
the surface of the wood operated upon is cut to a level plane and
smoothed.

page_text: Although the machine described and represented illustrates my In-
vention in the manner which I prefer to carry it into effect, yet I do
not limit myself to the details shown.
Instead of a series of holders carrying cutting tools of the kind
described traversing the wood to be operated upon, one or other number of
holders carrying the said tools may be employed, and instead of the said
holders traversing the apparatus at right angles to the direction in which
the wood is moving, the said cutting and smoothing tools may move in
any other convenient direction over the surface of the wood, or the said
tools may have only a rotatory motion.. And instead of making the
cutting and smoothing tools conical they may be made flat with nearly
the same effect, and although I prefer that the cutting edges of the
cutting tools should stand at right angles to the surface of the wood,
and their edges be nearly but not quite in a line with the circle which
they describe, yet the said cutting tools may make an angle somewhat
greater or less than a right angle with the surface of the wood, and the
cutting edges may cross the circle they describe at a greater or less
anole with the same effect.

page_text: angle with the plane of the wood operated upon, substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Clarke, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
BERNARD CLARKE. (L.s.)
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.