Improvements in Planing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1897--Accepted, 24th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Planing Machines.
I, WILLIAM WALLACE DOOLITTLE, of 539 West 62nd Street Chicago, Cook
County, Illinois, U.S.A., Superintendent of Mechanical Works, do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention is applicable to any form of planing machine, whether it be of
the type in which the work travels under the tool, or of the type in which the
tool travels over the work.
It
As at present constructed most planing machines have two combinations of
mechanism to drive them, one for cutting and the other for backing. These
mechanisms are usually so arranged that the backing stroke will be more rapid
than the cutting stroke, generally in the proportion of about three to one.
is perfectly obvious that even with such an arrangement much time is lost on
the return stroke, especially on machines having a very long range of movement,
and yet, heretofore, it has been found impracticable to increase the backing speed
beyond the amount stated because of the violence of the jar and strain which is
thrown on the mechanism at the time of reversal. On some machines employed
in heavy work the momentum of the parts is so great that the reversal of their
movement, even at the speed mentioned, strains, not only the machine itself, but
also the connected shafting.
By my invention I am enabled to materially increase the backing speed without
any additional strain on the mechanism when reversing. In fact, by my invention,
the backing speed may be accelerated to any degree of rapidity which may be
desired, and the strain of reversal at the same time even reduced below that which
is encountered in present practice.
To the accomplishment of the above mentioned objects I provide in combina-
tion with a planing machine and its ordinary cutting and backing mechanism,
a supplemental fast backing mechanism for increasing the backing speed above
that of said ordinary backing mechanism, and shifting devices (to be hereinafter
particularly described, whereby said various mechanisms are actuated, the
manner of such actuation being in the nature of a cycle or regular series of
movements, occurring in the following order: First, the planer at the termina-
tion of the cutting stroke is reversed, by throwing the cutting mechanism out
of action and the backing mechanism into action; second, the backing mechanism
is thrown out of action, and the supplemental fast backing mechanism is brought
into action; third, said supplemental fast-backing mechanism is thrown out of
action, and the ordinary backing mechanism is again brought into action to reduce
the speed before reversing; and, fourth, said ordinary backing mechanism is
again thrown out of action and the cutting mechanism brought into action,
reversing the machine preparatory to the commencement of another cutting
stroke.
A further object of my invention is the combination and novel arrangement of

page_text: certain mechanical constructions of preferred form by which the above mentioned
objects are most satisfactorily obtained, and which I will now proceed to describe
in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a planing machine of the class in which the work
travels under the tool, with my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of a modification of the construction shown in
Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of one of the detail parts of the shifting
mechanism.
Figs. 4-a, 4-6 and 4-c are views showing various positions of the device of
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a planing machine of the class in which the tool
travels over the work, with my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of the same.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 represent in diagrammatic form the various positions of the
shifting devices of Figs. 5 and 6 at different points of the stroke.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are three views of a modification of my invention in which
friction clutches are substituted for shifting belts, in a machine containing my
invention
Figs. 13, 14 and 15, are diagrammatic representations of the different positions
of the shifting mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2, at the different points of the stroke.
Figs. 16, 17 and 18 illustrate a modification of the construction shown in
Figs. 5 and 6.
Figs. 19 and 20 show a modified arrangement for reversing at the end of the
backing stroke.
Figs. 21 and 22 illustrate a construction embodying some of the advantages
of my invention, but avoiding the exact cycle of operations above described,
Fig. 21 being a transverse Section taken in the line Z, Z Figure 22.
a
For convenience of reference 1 have, throughout the drawings marked the
tight pulleys "T" and the loose pulleys "L." It will be seen on an inspection
of Figs. 1 and 2 that through the shifter 11, runs the ordinary cutting belt A,
and through the shifter 13 runs the ordinary backing belt B, and further that 6
is a tight pulley and 5 and 7 are loose ones. On the extreme end of the shaft 4
I provide a supplemental or fast backing belt C and mechanism comprising
tight pulley 8, and a loose pulley 9 arranged to run in the same direction as the
pulley 7, but at a higher rate of speed. Around the belt which drives this last
mentioned pair of pulleys is arranged a shifter 12. Working in a guide in the
side of the planer is provided a shifting plate 10, having cam-shaped grooves,
which engage with movable studs on the shifting arms, numbered respectively
15, 16 and 17, whereby the arms are operated as the plate is moved, the shifting
arms being pivoted to a bracket 14 by fixed studs 18, as shown.
It will be observed that the groove or slot in which the movable pin 10 works
has an offset or double incline sloping to the right and left of the Figure.
Connecting the plate 10 with a rocker arm 20 is a link 19 and operating with
the planer table are two stops 21 and 23, these being of usual construction, except
that onto the stop 21 is cast an extra lug 22, for a purpose to be described later.
On the arm 20 is cast a lug 24, adapted to be engaged by the stop 23 to reverse
the machine at the end of the cutting stroke. Attached to the arm 20, which is
pivoted to the bed at 39, is a link 28, which in turn is connected with a pivot pin 37
to a short lever 27, pivoted to the bed at 29. In a position to engage
the upper end of this lever 27 is arranged a pawl 25 which is normally.
held in the position shown in the drawing by a spring 30. Integral
with the pawl 25 is a tail 20, which is provided for the purpose of hold-
ing the pawl out of action when the machine is set for such a short
stroke as would bring the tail 26 under the lug or projection 22. This
provision is made because it is not thought desirable to use my fast backing

page_text: mechanism on very short strokes, but this is not at all material to my invention.
The projection 31, which is pivoted to the arm 20 to receive the impact of the
stop 21 being a construction in common use, and to the object of my device
entirely immaterial, could also be omitted if desired.
Now
The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows:-In the
position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the table has just cmpleted its cutting stroke,
and the stop 23, having struck the lug 24, the cutting belt A, has been thrown
onto the loose pulley 5, and the ordinary backing belt B has been thrown onto
the tight pulley 6, and the machine is beginning its backward travel, the shifting
of the belt having been accomplished by the plate 10 in the usual manner.
as the table continues on its backward movement, the pawl 25 catches on the
end of the lever 27 and through the link 28, arm 20, and link 19, moves the
plate 10 still further in the direction of reversal, as will be clearly understood by
an examination of Fig. 1. This by means of the cam grooves in the plate 10,
brings the shifters and their belts to the position shown in Fig. 13, throwing
the ordinary backing belt B, onto the loose pulley, and the fast backing belt U
onto the tight pulley, the speed being thus accelerated, until about the end of
the backing stroke, when the reverse movement takes place, (See Fig. 14) the fast
backing belt being shifted to the loose pulley, the ordinary backing belt B being
momentarily shifted to the tight pulley to reduce the speed, and then (Fig. 15)
being shifted back to its loose pulley, and the cutting helt shifted to the tight
pulley reversing the machine preparatory! to the commencement of another cutting
stroke.
If it be desired, still another, and even more rapid movement may be added by
the provision of an additional extra fast backing mechanism, 1) adapted to be
thrown into action after the fast backing mechanism Chas accellerated the speed
to the point described. An arrangement for this purpose is shown in Figs. 3 and 4,
the extra fast backing pulleys being marked 32 and 33, and the shifter 36, its pivot
and roller being 34 and 35 respectively. To bring this device into operation, a
fourth cam-groove is provided in the shifting plate at its outer end, and the pin
which is numbered 37 in Fig. 1 is moved down sufficiently far on the lever 27 to
secure the needed additional range of movement of the plate 10. This is clearly
illustrated in Fig. 4, 4-, 4-, and 4-e, No. 40 designating the position of the
rocker arm 20 at the point of reversal just before the beginning of a cutting stroke,
number 41 being the position of the same when all belts are on loose pulleys,
No. 42 being its position when the reversal at the end of the cutting stroke takes
place, No. 43 its position as the fast backing belt C is thrown into action, and
No. 44 its position as the extra fast backing belt D is brought into use.
It is, of course, to be understood that in the arrangement of the cam-grooves
care must be taken to see that no two different belts will be on tight pulleys at the
same time, one belt being shifted off just before or coincidentally with the shifting
on of another.
Attention is now directed to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, in which is illustrated a
modification of my invention as applied to a machine of the class in which the
tool travels over the work. In these figures parts which correspond to parts in
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are marked with the same numeral, but, with letter C added,
as they are in some instances slightly different in form, although performing the
same functions in substantially the same manner. In these Figures 1-C is the
Planer Body, 2-C the Ram 3-C the Cutting Tool and 4-C the shaft. With this
construction no cam-plate is necessary. In its place, being substituted the
Jatterally moving shifting plate 10-C, the three shifting arms being fixed to said
plate so as to secure simultaneous movement thereof. 20-C is the rocker arm and
21-0 and 23-C are the stops which operate it. 25-C is the pawl and 27-C the
supplemental shifting lever against which it operates. The bracket 48 is provided
with a guide on which works the combination shifter 10-C. On account of the
continuous movement of the shifting arm 13-C in the same direction at each
reversal, it has been necessary in this arrangement of my invention to add an

page_text: additional loose pulley cnto which the ordinary backing belt can be shifted as
the fast backing belt is thrown into action, and this has been numbered 47.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the shifters are shown in the position they occupy during the
cutting stroke. In Fig. 8 the stop 23-C has moved the arm 20-C so as to throw
on the ordinary backing belt, reversing the machine; and in the position of the
parts shown in Fig. 9, the pawl 25-C has caught the end of the lever 27-C and
thrown the shifters over to bring the fast backing belt into action, all of which
will be clearly understood by an examination of the views referred to, and
especially Fig. 6.
In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is illustrated a construction in which friction clutches 1
have been substituted for shifting belts. Fig. 10 is a view, partly in section,
on the line Y-Y of the Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 is a section on the line X-X of
In these figures the shifting
Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrow.
plate is marked 10-d the three loose pulleys 49, 50 and 51, the shifting arms 60
and 61, their rollers 52 and 53, their collars 54 and 55 and the three tight
pulleys 56, 57 and 58 respectively. As shown, 49 is for cutting; 50, which runs
in the opposite direction and at a more rapid speed, is for ordinary backing and 51,
which runs in the same direction as 50, but at a higher rate of speed, is for fast
backing. Considering the plate 10-d to be attached at the point 62 to the link 19
o Figs. 1 and 2, the operation will now be apparent.
Figs. 16, 17 and 18 illustrate a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 5
and 6, in which the pawl 25-C, the lever 27-C and their connections are dispensed
with, the shifting lever proper 20-e being operated by the stops 21-e and 23-e,
and the spring 71. In the position shown in Fig. 16 the machine is near the end
of the cutting stroke. As the stop 23-e strikes the roller stud 24-e the lever 20-e
moves to the position shown in Figure 17, in which it will be noticed, the end 45-e
has moved to the position indicated at 75, but cannot go to the position marked 76,
As soon,
because of the roller 74 bearing against the under face of the stop 23-e.
however, as the stop has moved back sufficiently far to permit the roller 74 to run
up the incline 72, the spring 71 will move the lever 20-e to the position 76, as shown
in Fig. 18, which corresponds to the position of the parts in Fig. 9, and in which
the fast backing mechanism is brought into action. It is possible to construct
a machine embodying some of the advantages of my invention without causing
the shifting devices to go through the exact cycle of operations described in the
beginning of this specification, and therefore, while I consider the constructions
already described as preferable, I do not wish to be understood as limiting
myself to the precise details given. To illustrate this point, I have shown in
Figs. 21 and 22 a construction which will throw the ordinary backing belt into
and out of action at the beginning of the backward stroke, but need not operate at all
to throw on the backing belt to reduce speed before the reversal which
In these Figs. 10-e is the shifting
precedes the cutting stroke.
which operates the
plate, and
the projection in the cam-groove
ordinary backing belt. This projection I have arranged to swing on a pivot 68
and is normally held in position by a spiral spring 69 in such a manne
that it will remain in place at the beginning of the backing stroke, but be tilted
up out of operative position as the machine approaches the end of the backing
stroke, by means of the engagement of the arm 67 with the spring arm 70 which
is fastened to the body of the machine.
66
In the use of a construction similar to that last above described, it might prove
desirable that the fast backing mechanism be shifted out of action a sufficient
length of time before the cutting belt is again thrown on, to allow the speed to
reduce of itself somewhat before reversing. To accomplish this end I hav
designed a construction illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20, in which 77 corresponds
to the lever 20 of Fig. 1, but has added to it an extra swinging projection 64
adapted to be struck by the stop 65, but so arranged as to allow the latter to sli
by after the shifting devices have thrown the fast backing mechanism out o

page_text: action; but before the second stop 21-e has abutted against the projection 31-e
which, of course as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 would reverse the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a planing machine the combination with its ordinary cutting and backing
mechanism, of a supplemental fast backing mechanism, and shifting devices
whereby said supplemental fast backing mechanism is brought into action as the
ordinary backing mechanism is thrown out of action, and whereby said fast
backing mechanism is thrown out of action as said ordinary backing mechanism
is again thrown into action to reduce the speed before reversal, substantially as
described.
2. In a planing machine, the combination with its ordinary cutting and back-
ing mechanism, of a supplemental fast backing mechanism, and shifting devices,
comprising a cam-plate 10, operating lever 20, supplemental lever 27, and pawl 25,
combined and arranged, substantially as shown and described.
3. In a planing machine, the combination with its cutting and backing
mechanism, of a fast backing mechanism, and an extra fast backing mechanism,
and shifting devices whereby the movements of said various mechanisms are
controlled, substantially as described.
4. In a planing machine the combination with a cutting and backing
mechanism, of a cam-plate 10, a slot in said plate engaging a stud 16, said slot
being constructed with an offset or double incline, means for reciprocating said
plate and shifting mechanism operated by said stud,--substantially as described.
5. In a planing machine the combination with its ordinary backing mechanism,
and a shifting arm and stud for moving the same, of a cam-plate 10 containing a
slot adapted to receive said stud, said slot being made with an offset or double
incline adapted to throw said backing mechanism both into and out of action
by movement of said plate in one direction in a manner substantially as shown
and described.
6. In a planing machine the combination with a cutting, backing and fast
backing mechanism of three simultaneously moving shifting arms for throwing
said mechanisms into and out of operation, and suitable devices for operating the
same, substantially as described.
7. In a planing machine, the combination with a cutting, backing and fast
backing mechanism, and shifting devices for actuating the same; of a rocker arm
so constructed as by a partial movement to throw said cutting mechanism out of
action and said backing mechanism into action, and then by a further movement,
to throw said backing mechanism out of action and said fast backing mechanism
into action, connections between said rocker arm and said shifting devices, and
suitable means for actuating said rocker arm, substantially as described.
8. In a planing machine the combination of a cutting belt, a backing belt, a
fast backing belt, tight and loose pulleys for carrying the same shifting devices for
controlling the movement of said belts and mechanisms co-acting therewith
whereby after reversal said backing belt is thrown onto its loose pulley and the
fast backing belt is shifted onto its tight pulley, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th dose of 1007
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
145 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.