IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF WOODEN PILES BELOW WATER
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Murray, of Loman Street, in the
Borough of Southwark, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF WOODEN PILES BELOW WATER."
Sealed the 20th October 1865, and dated the 29th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Murray
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1865.
I, CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Loman Street, in the Borough of South-
wark, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF WOODEN PILES BELOW
WATER," to be as follows:-
My improved machinery or apparatus for cutting off wooden piles below
water consists mainly of a swinging frame or radial arms, at the end of which
is mounted a vertical shaft, provided at its upper end with a pulley or band
wheel whereby it is driven, and at its lower end with a circular saw for
cutting off the piles. The vertical shaft which carries the saw, and also the
countershaft are capable of being lifted up in their bearings for the purpose
of raising the saw out of the water when required.
In order to facilitate this operation, the vertical shafts are provided at their
upper ends with an eye or hook to which a chain may be attached, and
worked by a crane or other lifting machine. The saw frame is capable of

page_text: being moved laterally or horizontally in either direction for the purpose of
bringing the saw against the row of piles on either side; and this horizontal
action is produced either by means of a rack and pinion, or by a worm or
snail working in a worm wheel or sector on the centre shaft of the swinging
frame. The whole of the mechanism is fixed on or attached to a platform,
which is mounted on flanged wheels so as to run upon rails fixed on the
tops of the piles, so that the machine may be moved back as the operation of
cutting off the ends proceeds.
The machine is driven by a horizontal steam engine, which actuates a large
horizontal pulley or band wheel, whereby motion is transmitted by means of a
band or strap to a horizontal pulley on the central spindle of the swinging
saw frame. A band or strap from this pulley or band wheel communicates
motion to the vertical saw shaft in whatever position it may be placed; or the
first driving band may be carried direct to the saw spindle, and guided by
horizontal pullies. In working with this machine the circular saw is made
to operate on one or more of the piles on one side, and then it is swung
round to the opposite row, and on reversing the engine the saw will be made
to cut the pile on that side. The machine may then be moved back, so as to
bring the saw opposite the next pair of piles to be operated, upon, and so
on, moving the saw alternately from side to side.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HENRY MURRAY, of Loman Street, in the Borough of Southwark, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Henry Murray, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Henry Murray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Henry Murray, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF WOODEN
PILES BELOW WATER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Henry Murray, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Charles Henry Murray, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improved machinery or apparatus for cutting off wooden piles below
water is shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of the machine, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.
The machine consists mainly of a swinging frame or radial arms a, a, a, at
the outer end of which is mounted in a suitable bearing a vertical shaft 6,
provided at its upper end with a pulley or band wheel b', whereby it is driven,
and at its lower end with a circular saw c for cutting off the piles. The lower
end of the vertical shaft is held steady by means of diagonal braces d, d,
extending from a vertical countershaft e, which forms the axle or centre of
motion of the swinging frame a, a. The vertical shaft b, which carries the
saw, and also the countershaft e, are capable of being lifted up in their
bearings for the purpose of raising the circular saw c out of the water when
required to be sharpened or replaced by another saw.
In order to facilitate this operation the vertical shafts 6 and e may be pro-
vided with an eye or hook, to which a chain may be attached and worked by a
crane or other lifting machine. The saw frame a is capable of being moved
in a horizontal arc in either direction on its axle e, for the purpose of bringing
the saw c against the row of piles on either side; and this horizontal action
may be produced either by means of a rack and pinion, or, as shewn in the
Drawing by means of a worm or snail f working in a worm wheel or sector g
on the centre shaft e of the swinging frame a. The whole of the mechanism
is fixed on or attached to a platform h, h, which is mounted on flanged
wheels h', h',.so as to run upon rails fixed on the tops of the piles, so that
the machine may be moved back as the operation of cutting off the ends of
the piles proceeds.

page_text: The machine is driven by a horizontal steam engine i, the connecting rod
from which actuates a crank on the vertical driving shaft j, which carries
a large horizontal pulley or band wheel ', whereby motion is transmitted by
means of a band or strap k to the horizontal pulley b₁ at the upper end of the
vertical saw shaft b, in whatever position this latter may be placed.. It will
be seen that the driving band k is carried direct to the saw spindle, and is
guided by the horizontal pullies k², k¹. In working with this machine the
circular saw c is made to operate on one or more of the piles on one side, and
then it is swung round to the opposite row, and on reversing the engine the
saw c will be made to cut the pile on that side. The machine may then be
moved back so as to bring the saw opposite the next pair of piles to be,
operated upon. By thus moving the saw alternately from side to side so as
to cut a pile or piles first on one side and then on the other, the heads of the
piles may be cut off with great facility, and on the same horizontal plane.
Having now described my Invention of improved machinery for cutting
off wooden piles below, water, and having explained the means of carrying,
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent,
as aforesaid, the adaptation of a horizontal circular saw or cutting tool to a
vertical shaft mounted in a swinging frame or arm; capable of being moved.
horizontally in either direction, so that the saw may be brought to act against
either row of piles, and may be raised and lowered when required.
I further claim combining the swinging frame and its vertical shaft and,
circular saw with any suitable motive-power engine mounted on a travelling
frame, so that the whole apparatus may be made to move along a way (con-
structed on the tops of the piles to be operated upon), as the cutting-off
operation proceeds.
In witness whereof,. I, the said Charles Henry Murray, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHARLES HENRY MURRAY. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.