AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR INSTRU- MENT FOR CUTTING FILES AND FORGING METAL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Craib Ross, of Edinburgh, Scotland,
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR INSTRU-
MENT FOR CUTTING FILES AND FORGING METAL"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Craib Ross
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th March 1853.
I, ROBERT CRAIB Ross, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR
INSTRUMENT FOR CUTTING FILES AND FORGING METAL" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the adaptation and application of a vibrating
lever, mounted on a shaft and actuated by a suitably formed cam, in
such a manner as to cause it to exert the required amount of striking
power, the degree of effect produced by the said lever being regulated
by means of a lever in connection with a spring contained within a
tubular column fixed below the said shaft.
When this machine or instrument is employed for cutting files there
is placed below the striking lever a cast-iron block, which moves parallel
with the lever, and upon which the file to be cut is fixed and adjusted.
Between the block and striking lever is fixed the cutter or teething

page_text: tool, so arranged as to give the proper angle rise and fall for the opera-
tion. Upon this tool the vibrating lever is made to act or strike while
the block with the file is moved along (by means of a screw and ratchet
motion) by the rise and fall of the counter or driven end of the lever,
the movements being so arranged as to be adapted to the required guage
of the teeth of the file.
Any number of such machines or instruments may be ranged along
parallel to a driving shaft, with a vertical acting volute cam or other
suitably formed cam, in connection with each machine or instrument;
with also a spring lever to keep the operations of each machine or
instrument distinct.
When the machine or instrument is employed for forging metals the
lever above described is made to vibrate by means of a horizontal semi-
screw or circular wedge cam, or other suitably formed cam, fixed upon
the same standard with the shaft on which the lever is suspended; and
an anvil is placed within the range of the machine or instrument, which,
on being driven by a pulley on the same shaft with the cam, acts upon
the metal held on the anvil. The spring lever is placed convenient to
the workman at the anvil, so that he may by means of it regulate the
force of the blow given by the striking lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Craib Ross, in the Great Seal Patent
Oflice, on the 3d September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT CRAIB Ross, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Craib Ross, Her special licence that I,
the said Robert Craib Ross, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Craib Ross, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from

page_text: time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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 "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
OR INSTRUMENT FOR CUTTING FILES AND FORGING METAL," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Craib Ross, 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 Robert Craib Ross, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR INSTRUMENT FOR CUTTING
FILES AND FORGING METAL" has for its object the due regulation of the
force of the blow imparted by a striking lever, by means of a spring so
placed as to be capable of being made to act on either side of, and at
different distances from, the point of suspension or fulcrum of the said
lever; the force of the spring being counteracted, and the lever raised,
or its gravity overcome, by means of a suitably formed cam, so as to be
in a suitable position to give the required blow when the spring is
brought into action for the purpose. The spring itself may be a spiral
spring confined within a column, or it may be of another form. Two
different forms will be hercin-after described, but my Invention is not
confined to them, the object being to use such a form and arrangement
of the spring as shall be best adapted for governing the striking power
of the lever, by exerting more or less elastic force against the under or
upper side of the lever, and with more or less effect according to the
situation of the point of action of the said spring in relation to the
point of suspension or fulcrum of the said lever. The spring is intended
to have its acting position changed by means of a lever, which may be
readily worked for the purpose. The striking lever itself consists of an

page_text: arm or lever mounted on a shaft or centre of suspension, and weighted
at the striking end, or formed thereat with a hammer head, according
to the use to which it is applied.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood I will
proceed to describe the two applications of it shewn in the accompanying
drawings, in which Figures 1, and 2, refer to the machine or instrument
for cutting files, and Fig. 3, to that for forging metal.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 2, a front view of the
machine or instrument. A, A, are the upright frame or standards of
the machine, fixed upon a suitable base or sole plate B, with strong
cast-iron bearers C, C, carried out in front and at right angles to the
upright standards. These bearers are fixed to the standards A, at one
end, and likewise solidly supported by the timber block D, resting on
the sole plate B; E, is the vibrating or striking lever, suspended on the
shaft F, suitably mounted in the framework of the machine. The
striking end of this lever is weighted, as shown. At the reverse end G.
the lever is acted upon by the vertically acting volute cani II, fixed
upon the revolving shaft I. The extent of depression of this end of
the lever by the cam must be proportioned to the length of the required
rise and fall of the opposite or striking end of the lever, and the force
of the blow struck by the lever is governed by a spring placed so as to
act on the under side of the lever or the side opposed to the action of
the cam. The form of the spring may be spiral, and it may be confined
within a tubular column; but the spring which I prefer for this purposo
is a plate spring, such as is shown at J. This spring is fixed at one
end to the standard A, at K, by means of the joint and joint pin L, L,
the other end being brought to bear with its clastic force on the under
side of the lever E. This end of the spring is cup-formed, into which
is fitted a ball M, which is intended to lessen the friction of the spring
against the lever when moved along it, in order to change the point of
action of the spring upon the lever. The spring may be moved to
either side of the centre of suspension of the lever by turning the lever
N, on its fulcrum or centre (which is the joint pin L, of the spring) by
means of the regulating lover O, having its fulcrum or centre of motion
at O
Thus the elastic force exerted by the spring upon the lover

page_text: may be so variously applied as to produce a corresponding variety of
effect on the striking power of the lever. It may be so applied as to
poise the lever or counteract its power of gravity; and it may also be
applied so as greatly to increase the force of the blow, being likewise
capable of application to points on the lever between these two extremes,
by which a medium of effect may be produced. P, is a cast-iron block
placed below the striking lever and resting on the bearer C, on which
block the file Q, is fixed and adjusted. R, is the tool or instrument by
which the teeth are cut upon the file, by means of the successive blows
of the striking lever, while the block P, is moved along, carrying with
it the file Q. This block is moved backwards or forwards by means of
the screw U, and ratchet motion S, S, actuated by the driven end G, of the
striking lever, the movements being so arranged as to suit the particular
size of teeth to be cut on the file. T, is the holder for the tool or instru-
ment R, and is mounted on the shaft F, on which the lever E, is
suspended. This holder T, has a movement imparted to the tail on its
upper end by the concentric boss V, on the driving shaft I, which
causes the said holder T, with the tool R, to rise clear of the file while
it is moved with the block P, for another cut, (the springs Y, Y, again
bringing the tool to the face of the file,) and thereby gives it the proper
angle rise and fall for the operation. The proper angle referred to is
the angle of the tool, as shewn in the drawing, being in this case the
angle required for the particular cut to be given to the file. W, is a
recess in the block P, filled with lead to act as a sort of pillow for the
file while it is being cut; X, X, are links which, in conjunction with
the springs Y, Y, serve to keep the tool R, fair to its work; Z, is a friction
roller, which is made to press with more or less force upon the file and
block by means of the regulating lever a, and link a*, in order to steady
their movements. When the file to be cut is made tapering to the
point the blow from the striking lever should be regulated so as to
become gradually heavier and lighter, as may be required, in the proper
degrees according to the particular breadth of the file. For this
purpose there is fixed a tapering guide at 6, (see Fig. 2,) connected
with the screw U, by the wheels c, c. This screw, as it receives motion

page_text: from the ratchet S, imparts it to the tapering guide b, which is thus
made to force the joint pin at C, from the standard A, and thereby to
put a strain upon the spring J, and consequently to increase the force
of the blow given by the striking lever. The lever E, is poised and its
action stopped when the tool R, arrives at the end of the file, by means
of a catch fixed on the block P, coming in contact with the catch e, by
which the lever Q, is liberated and falls towards f, and the spring J,
brought in front of the centre of suspension of the striking lever.
I would here remark that any number of such machines or instru-
ments as have been thus described may be ranged along a driving shaft
with a cam on the shaft for each machine, with also a striking lever and
spring to each to keep their operations distinct.
I now proceed to describe the application of my Invention to forging
metal.
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the machine or instrument for this
purpose, consisting essentially, as in the former case, of a striking lever
and a controlling spring. In the present instance the machine or
instrument is constructed so as to be capable of turning on an upright
column A, (similar to a gib crane,) thereby taking, if required, two or
more forging anvils within its range of action. The striking lever
(which is broken in the drawing), being used as a hammer, has a
suitably formed head for the purpose, and is adjusted so as to give
the blow at the required angle, by means of the link B, (which is broken
in the drawing) jointed to the standard C, at c, and to the hammer head
of the lever at D. This hammer head is suspended from the lever by
a joint at F, but it is so united to the lever by its face block G, bedding
closely to it at II, as to transmit the reacting force of the blow to the
lever. In the drawing the hammer head is shewn to be so connected
as to strike vertically, but, by shifting the joint of the link B, on the
standard nearer to or farther from the centre of suspension I, the
hammer may be made to strike at an angle. The machine or instru-
ment is constructed so as to be either stationary or to turn on the
column while striking upon the metal on the anvil.
For the present purpose I prefer to use a controlling spring of the

page_text: form of a spiral or volute, and confined within the tubular column as
at A, on which the machine or instrument turns. By this arrangement
the spring L, is in a position to exert its clastic force upon the upright
shaft N, likewise confined within the column. This shaft N, has a cup
formed on its upper end, into which the ball O, fits, so as to lessen the
friction against the under side of the striking lever. An oblong slot is
cut in this shaft at P, through which the lever Q, is passed. By
turning this lever (which is broken off in the drawing) the shaft N,
may be turned and its upper end made to act upon the under side of
the striking lever at either side of its centre of suspension (and at
different points on the lever in relation thereto) with the like effect and
for the purpose described above in reference to the operation of cutting
files. R, is the cam for acting upon a roller S, at the end of the lever
E, on the opposite side of the centre of suspension to the striking end.
This cam revolves horizontally, being driven by the pulleys T, on the
upright shaft W, and causes the required depression of the end S, of
the lever E, in order to raise the opposite or striking end of the same,
as required.
It is to be observed that the whole machine is capable of turning by
being mounted on the standard C, which may turn upon the column A.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and
arrangements of the parts shewn and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the principle of my Invention; but what
I claim as of my Invention is,
First, the adaptation and application to machines for cutting files
of the striking lever and controlling spring, capable of acting upon
various points of the lever, in relation to its centre of suspension, as
described.
And secondly, the adaptation and application to machines for forging
metal of the striking lever and controlling spring, capable of acting in
like manner, and with like effect, upon the striking power of the lever,

page_text: such machines or instruments being adapted to turn while striking, as
described.
In witness whereof I, the said Robert Craib Ross, have hereunto
.
set my hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
ROBERT CRAIB ROSS. (L.S.)
Witness, DAVID PENNEY.