IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DOVE- TAILING, GROOVING, SLOTTING, AND RABBETING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whines, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex,
Carpenter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DOVE-
TAILING, GROOVING, SLOTTING, AND RABBETING."
Sealed the 17th July 1857, and dated the 24th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whines at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th January
1857.
I, JOHN WHINES, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenter,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR DOVETAILING, GROOVING, SLOTTING, AND RABEETING," to be as
follows:-
The machines are constructed with a reciprocating travelling bed, made
to work by ratchets, to which are applied a pair of dogs, worked by a pair
of concentric back fall levers, connected with a main lever, to which is also
attached a parallel motion, whereby reciprocating motion is imparted to a pair
of vertical escapement palls with spiral springs, which take effect in horizontal
bars secured to travelling bed. The motion of the bed is reversed or it
becomes stationary, through a lever with connecting bar and clutch. Con-

page_text: nected with the main lever is also a transverse compound lever attached to
a spring, constructed after the manner of a coach spring with socket boss
in the centre, to the upper side of which is connected a vertical rod, secured
to a piston carrying cutters, which work up and down in vertical guides.
Provision is made in the piston to adjust the tools to cut to any required
depth. To the transverse compound lever is also attached a bell crank lever
with bars, moving a horizontal transverse sliding plate, carrying a cutter or
cutters of suitable form to cut the shape required, and a clearing tool. And
in addition to the longitudinal reciprocating notion of travelling bed, it has
also a transverse motion by screw and hand wheel. And on the uppermost
side of the travelling bed are a pair of guides or fences, made to advance to or
recede from each other by a reversed screw. Under the fixed portion of the
table is a fixed carriage, to which is connected a rising screw carriage with
hand wheel, carrying a horizontal sliding plate with cutter, which is put in
motion by a screw.
An excentric roller is mounted over the bed, to hold
the wood firm while being cut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Whines in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN
WHINES, of Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Whines, Her special licence that I, the said John Whines, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Whines, 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 MACHINES FOR
DOVETAILING, GROOVING, SLOTTING, AND RABBETING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Whines, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 John Whines, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say -
The machines are constructed with a reciprocating travelling bed, made
to work by ratchets, to which are applied a pair of dogs, worked by a pair
of concentric back fall levers connected with a main lever, to which is also
attached a parallel motion, whereby reciprocating motion is imparted to a
pair of vertical escapement palls with spiral springs, which take effect in
horizontal bars secured to the travelling bed. The motion of the bed is
reversed or it becomes stationary through a lever with connecting bar and
clutch. Connected with the main lever is also a transverse compound
lever attached to a spring, constructed after the manner of a coach spring
with socket boss in the centre, to the upper side of which is connected a
vertical rod, secured to a piston carrying cutters, which work up and down
in vertical guides. Provision is made in the piston to adjust the tools to
cut to any required depth. To the transverse compound lever is also attached
a bell crank lever with bars, moving a horizontal transverse sliding plate,
carrying a cutter or cutters of suitable form to cut the shape required, and
a clearing tool. And in addition to the longitudinal reciprocating motion of
travelling bed, it has also a transverse motion by screw and hand wheel.
And on the uppermost side of the travelling bed are a pair of guides or
fences, made to advance to or recede from each other by a reversed screw.
Under the fixed portion of the table is a fixed carriage, to which is connected
a rising screw carriage with hand wheel, carrying a horizontal sliding plate
with cutter, which is put in motion by a screw. An eccentric roller is
mounted over the bed, to hold the wood firm while being cut.
My Invention will be fully and clearly understood by reference to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description of the same.
Figure 1 is a front, and Figure 2, an end elevation of my dovetailing
machine; and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference
refer to similar parts.
A, A¹, are the end framing or standards which support the machine; B is

page_text: a piece of framing which binds the two standards A, A', together; C is the
top or platform on which the upright double swan neck bracket D is fixed;
E is a sliding frame, fitted with suitable guides a, a, which fit to corresponding
slides or guide ways b, b, on the upper side of the front platform C. The
sliding frame E is capable of moving from right to left and from left to right,
as occasion requires. Similar guide ways c, c, are formed on the upper side
and at the ends of the frame E. These guide ways are at right angles to
the guides a, a.
On the lower side of the frame E, E', is a table, having
corresponding guides d, d, (fitted and fixed to its under side), capable of sliding
in the guide ways c, c.
The table E is moved and adjusted as required by
a screw e, worked by a hand wheel e', which is secured on its projecting end.
This part is more clearly shewn in Figure 4, which is a plan view as seen
from below; Figure 4 is a section of Figure 4. The screw e takes into a
nut el, fixed on the lower side of the table E, and projects a sufficient
distance downwards within the frame E, so as to allow the screw to take
into it, while a journal and collar on the screw spindle is free to turn in a
suitable bearing in the front side of the frame E. By this arrangement
the frame E and table E' are rendered capable of having motions imparted
to them at right angles to each other, similar to those of an ordinary slide
rest. F, F, are guide pieces or fences for the material to be operated on
to abut against. These guide pieces are firmly secured to the ends of the
castings or pieces of metal F, F". The forked ends of each casting project
npward through slots f. f, formed in the table E', so as to be flush with its upper
surface. On these ends the guide pieces F, F, are secured. These castings,
with their guides, bave a right and left motion imparted to them when necessary
by means of right and left-hand screws f¹, f", cut or formed on the same
spindle G. These screws take into nuts formed on the castings at f, fun.
The spindle on which the screws f, f", are cut is caused to rotate by means
of the handle g. By turning the handle g and screw spindle G with its
screws ff, the guide pieces F, F, are caused to advance towards each other
until they meet, if necessary; and by turning the handle g and spindle G in
a reverse direction the guide pieces F, F, are caused to separate or recede
from each other. G', G¹, are slotted uprights, secured to the ends of the
table E. In the slots G" are inserted bearings G₁, which are capable of
being slid up or down in the slots, and secured in any desired position by
the nuts g', g. In the bearings G the journals of the roller g" turn. These
journals are eccentric to the roller g", so that when the lean side of the
roller is undermost any piece of material placed in the space between the

page_text: roller g" and the upper surface of the table E is held fast by the full side
of the roller, which embraces it when the roller g" is turned through a portion.
of the revolution by the handle g¹. The upright double swan neck bracket.
D has a vertical guide picce D¹ formed or cast on its centre. This guide
piece is hollow, as represented in Figure 5, which is a sectional elevation of
the machine; or it may be formed in two parts, fitted and fixed together in
such manner as to allow the stem h of the bit stock to slide or work freely
in it. The stem h may have grooves formed in it, so as to work over suitable
pins or guide feathers in the guide piece D'; or feathers may be sunk in the
stem, and corresponding grooves be formed in the guide piece D', for the
feathers to work in, or the stem may be made square to work in a corresponding
part in the guide piece D¹. It is necessary that the stem and bit stock with any
of the eutter bits which may be fixed therein shall have an easy vertical motion,
but be effectually prevented from turning round. " is a rod screwed at its lower
end below the collar . The screwed part takes into a threaded hole in the
centre of the stem h. The upper portion of the rod h", which is not screwed,
passes upwards through a hollow slider i, and has a milled head or button i¹
fixed on it to turn the screw by, so as to regulate the depth of cut. The
hollow slider i has a projection or lug cast or formed on it, to which lug a
connecting rod is jointed by a pin; by this rod a vertical motion is imparted
to the hollow slider i, and by the screwed rod and collar to the stem h, bit
stock h, and to any necessary cutting bit secured therein. The connecting
rod is secured at its lower end in a shackle 2, which embraces a laminated
spring H; this shackle is jointed to a cross bar H', which is again connected
to a second cross bar H" by rods ; the lower portion of the spring H
is supported on a bracket H³; this spring has always a tendency to keep the
moveable parts in the position shewn in Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6, when at rest.
The lower eross bar II" is connected by a joint to a lever H. This lever
has its fixed centre on a pin in the hanging bracket H', which is secured to
the back frame; the other end of the lever His connected to a second lever
H, which is set at right angles to the lever H by a rod which has a
universal joint at j, best seen in Figure 2 and in Figure 6, which is a vertical
section at right angles to that of Figure 5. The lever Hhas its fixed
centre on a pin j, through lugs cast on the end framing or standard A, the
other end of the lever projects through a slot in the end framing or
standard A¹, and is fitted with a suitable foot or treadle piece H, so as to be
worked by the foot of the workman. To the lever Hat jare likewise
jointed the rods j¹¹; these rods are jointed at their upper end to bell crank

page_text: levers, centred on the pins k, k, which are fixed in the stationary frame-
work; under the moveable frame E other two smaller bell cranks k¹, k¹, are
centred on the short arms of the bell cranks j", j", more clearly seen detached
on a large scale in Figure 9ª, to one end of which of the bell cranks ³, k³,
are jointed the rods ", k, while the other ends are paul-shaped to take
into two sets of ratchet teeth 1, ', set in contrary directions. These teeth are
formed in steel bars ",, which are firmly secured to the under side of the
frame E. Only one of the bell crank pauls can be in gear at a time;
but both may be kept out of gear at the same time by the rods,
the ends of which pass through holes in the end framing or standards A¹;
notches, are formed or cut in these rods into which the ends m', m¹¹,
of a circular bolt or clutch I take a detached view of which is seen in
Figure 7 and in Figure 8, which is a plan of the same portion. ", 1, are
the rods passing through the end framing; the circular bolt I is centred on a
pin I fixed in a bracket or in the standard A'. n is a rod jointed to the lower
end of the lever or arm n¹ of the circular bolt I, and to the lower end of a
lever n", which is centred on a pin fixed in the end framing A'. The upper
end of the lever is formed into a handle which passes up through a slot in
the platform C. The moving of the handle and lever either way throws either
of the ends m³, m", into one or other of the notches,, in the rods
, the ends m³, m¹, are bevelled or tapered as shewn, so that they
may enter the notches easily, and so act or press on the edges as to move
either of the rods on end a short distance, and thus cause either of the bell
crank pauls to be kept clear from the ratchet teeth, and stop the travel of the
frame E and table E. To the side of each rod are fixed studs o, o, in which
small rods o, o¹, are secured; round these rods helical springs o¹¹, o", are
placed, one end of each of these abutting against the studs o, o, in the rods
The other ends abut against stationary studs o, o, fixed to the
under side of the platform C. Through these studs the ends of the rods o¹, o¹,
slide. The springs o", o", have always a tendency to draw or push the bell
crank pauls into their corresponding ratchet teeth; either of these pauls is put
in and out of action by means of the circular bolt and lever, as already
described; the rod which is for the time being locked by the ends m³, m", of
the circular bolt I has its corresponding paul out of action with its ratchet
teeth. Two links J, J, are jointed to the lower part of the bell crank
levers at J, J; these links meet at their lower ends, and are jointed
on the pin J" which passes through both links and the eye bolt K.
The stem of the eye bolt K passes downward through the cross bar K³,

page_text: and is secured and regulated by the thumb nut K". Through each end
of the cross bar K, the lower ends of two steel pins K, K, are passed.
These pins have heads or collars secured on them, so as to be laid hold of by
the bar K', and to be pulled or pushed downward by it when it is forced down
by the links J, J. The pins K, K, pass upward through holes in the
casting L, as indicated by the dotted lines L'; the upper ends of these pins
are tapered, so as to enter two rows of correspondingly shaped holes in steel
bars, fixed to the under side of the frame E (these holes from centre to centre
of each are of the exact pitch required for the dovetails). Helical springs
L", I", are passed over the lower part of the pins K, K, which are there
reduced in diameter for that purpose. These springs abut against the ends
of the cross bar K' and shoulders of the steel pins, and have always a bearing
against them ready to force the pins into the conical holes in the steel bars
whenever the pins and the holes coincide; by these means the frame E
and table E¹ with the pieces of material secured on it by the eccentric roller
are prevented from being jerked too far by the action of the pauls in the
ratchet teeth, and thus a perfect registering of the cuts of the different cutting
bits is secured as the material progresses from right to left, or vice versâ, and
when the material is reversed or turned upside down. M, M, are two cutters
fixed in a stock M₁ by a screw and gland M". These cutters are for bevelling
the pins which fit into the dovetails. The stock M¹ is secured to a sliding
bar M, which has a horizontal to-and-fro motion imparted to it by a bell
crank p through a connecting rod p³, which is suitably jointed to both the bar
M and the bell crank p. The cutters M, M, stock M², screw and gland M",
and sliding bar M, are represented detached on a larger scale in Figures
9, 10, and 11, which are respectively an end view, side view, and plan of the
same. The other arm of the bell crank p has a connecting rod p jointed to
it, the lower end of the rod p" passes down thro' a socket p", fixed on the
side of the lever H (seen in Figures 5 and 6). A pin q is passed through
the side of the socket p, and through the connecting rod p" and lever H",
when the cutters m, m, are brought into action. When it is required to put
them out of action and let them remain at rest, the pin q is withdrawn by the
lever q' through a rod q", which has a curved or circular piece q¹¹ formed on
its end, and projecting downward through a hole formed in the head of the
ping; the curved piece q allows the lever H, connecting rod q¹¹, and pin
9, to move up or down when the pin is passed through the socket; the rod
and the lever when the cutters M, M, are in work. When the pin is withdrawn
by the lever ', the rod 2", and the circular piece 21, the cutters M, M, the

page_text: sliding bar M, the bell crank p, and the connecting rod p', remain at rest
while the lever, socket, and pin are still capable of being moved up and down
the pin head, as before described, traversing on the curved piece q on the
connecting rod. A modification of this connecting and disconnecting part is
shewn on a larger scale in Figure 12. In this case the socket p is dispensed
with, and a forked end p on the connecting rod p¹¹ is substituted. The
other parts remain the same as those previously described. The sliding
bar Mhas a small bracket N secured to it by screws, or it may be cast or
formed on it, as represented in Figures 9, 10, and 11. In this bracket two
small steel rods 1, 1, are secured by the set screws r¹, 7. These rods 1,
have the same motion as the sliding bar M, and work through holes
formed in the lug N', which is formed or cast in a piece with one of the guide
pieces N, in which the sliding bar M works. The rods r, r, are pointed
and roughened, notched or barbed, so that when they move towards the
workman their points enter the chips or portions of wood which have been
previously severed from between the dovetail pins, and in the backward
motion of the cutters and rods r, r, withdraw the chips back from between the
pins until the chips or waste wood come in contact with the fixed lug N¹,
which prevents them getting further; the rods r, r, having still to traverse
some distance further back are drawn entirely within the lug N¹, thus freeing
the points of the rods from the chips, which are then at liberty to fall through
a recess or hole formed in the platform C for that purpose. o is an angle-
pointed knife or cutter, which I make use of when it is necessary to make a
horizontal cut parallel to the table E¹. This knife or chisel is secured to a
horizontal sliding bar P, which is capable of having a to-and-fro motion given
to it by a worm P' on the circumference of a wheel P" noved by the handle
Q. The worm P¹ takes in between two suitable teeth formed on the end of
the sliding bar P, opposite to which the angle-pointed knife or cutter O is
secured. The worm wheel is free to turn on a stud or pin fixed in the
upright piece Q, which is cast or formed on the frame or guides R, R, in
which the sliding bar P moves. The angle-pointed knife or cutter is regulated
in its height or distance from the surface of the table E' by raising or lowering
the frame S vertically, by means of the hand wheel S' and screw S",
represented in side view on a large scale in Figure 13. The guides R, R,
are secured or formed on the top or upper side of the frame S. This frame
works in vertical guides T, T, secured to the lower side of the platform C and
to the back frame.
Figure 14 is an edge view and Figure 15 is a plan of the angle-pointed

page_text: knife or cutter O; Figure 16 is an edge view of a set of cutter bits, which I
employ for cutting out the spaces U, U, between the dovetail pins U¹, U', as
in Figure 17, which represents a piece of board with the pins U', U', formed
thereon; the cutters are mounted on a piece s, and secured to it by a screw s';
the piece s¹ has a stemt formed on it. This stem is fitted to the bit stock h',
and when it is inserted therein a key is passed through the bit stock h', and
takes into the notch u in the stem t, and thus secures it. The remaining bits
are fitted and secured in the bit stock h¹ in a similar manner.
Figure 18 is a front view of Figure 16, and Figure 19 is a plan of the
same; Figure 20 is a front view of the cutter bits which I employ to cut out
the dovetails V, V, Figure 21, to correspond to the pins U', U', in Figure 17;
Figure 22 is a plan of Figure 20; Figure 23 is a side view of a cutter bit
which I employ to cut out and mitre recesses for the insertion of beads in flush
panelling
Figure 24 is a front view of Figure 23, and Figure 25 is a plan of the
same.
Figure 26 is a front view of a cutting bit, which I make use of to cut out
ratchet notches in strips of timber, to be employed in book-case making, and
in the making of other similar articles; Figure 27 is a plan of Figure 26.1
The mode of cutting dovetails is thus:-The piece of board to be operated on
is placed on the table E', beneath the lean side of the eccentric roller, and
guided to a proper position by the guide or pitch pins v, v, inserted and fixed
in the table E. The guide picces F, F, are caused to advance (by turning the
screw spindle G by the handle g) until one or both of them embrace the
edge of the board. The excentric roller 9" is then partially rotated until its
full side jams the board between it and the table E', where it is held fast;
the cutter bit represented in Figures 20 and 22 is secured in the bit stock h¹,
the workman then presses down the treadle H of the lever H, which com-
municates a vertical motion to the bit stock and cutter bits by means of the
connections before described. The cutters enter the wood and are regulated
to cut it fully more than half through. By the downward motion of the
lever H, the pauls have been drawn forward (by means of their various
connections as previously described) until either of them is in a position to
lay hold of the required ratchet tooth; the taper pointed steel pins have like-
wise been withdrawn from their conical holes in the steel bar. The foot
of the workman is now eased from the treadle, and the laminated springs H
come into play, and by means of the requisite paul and the before-described
connections, the table E¹ and frame E are caused to begin to move. The

page_text: points of the steel pins are now resting on the smooth steel bars in which their
corresponding holes are formed, and ready to be pressed into them by the
helical springs the moment they coincide, which is the case whenever the
table E' and frame E have been moved (by the spring H and connections) the
length of a ratchet tooth. The workman now depresses the treadle again and
brings down the cutters and makes a second cut; the process is continued as
long as is necessary, and the board is then released and turned upside down.
The same operation is repeated on the second side and the different cuts meet
those which have been made on the opposite side, thus completely severing
and cutting out the dovetails.
To cut out the portions of material between the pins, the cutter bits repre-
sented in Figures 16, 18, and 19 are used, and the same process is repeated
as that in cutting out the dovetails; but in this case the cutters M, M, and
picking rods 1, 2, for cleaning out the waste or chips, are brought into
play, as formerly described, by means of the lever q', rod q", and curved
picce q pushing the pin q through the socket, connecting rod p", and
lever . To cut a recess to insert a bead in a flush panel, the cutter bit
represented in Figures 23, 24, and 25, is inserted and secured in the bit
stock ; the panel is secured on the table E' as formerly by the excentric
roller. A similar operation to that of cutting dovetails is then gone through,
care being taken to leave so much of the bead projecting as will mitre with
the piece to be inserted. The two angular portions of the cutting bit cut the
bead to the required angle, vizt. 45°. The ratchet pauls are now thrown out of
gear by the circular catch I, thus leaving the table E' and frame E at liberty
to be moved either backwards or forwards by hand. The worm wheel is next
turned so far round as to project the angular pointed knife or cutter as far
forward as is required, the knife having first been set to the necessary height.
The table E' and frame E are then drawn or pushed along; the panel is thus
drawn across the jointed edge of the knife, and the knife completely under-
cuts and smooths off the waste or chips which have been cut vertical; the bead
to be inserted may be likewise cut and mitred by the same bit which has cut
out the recess. The bit for cutting out ratchet notches has an edge or face
formed at a greater angle, as shewn in Figures 26 and 27. This cutter bit is
secured in the bit stock h¹, and works in a similar manner to that adopted in
cutting dovetails, but instead of only cutting about half through, the notch is
cut right down through, the cutter bit in this case working down past a metal
die of the shape of the cutter. The movement of the table E' and frame E
is dispensed with; the piece of timber operated on being moved by hand

page_text: against a guide, and cach notch or ratchet tooth as it is formed is lifted up to
a guide pin which pitches the notches correctly. A considerable number of
different cutter bits of various shapes and sizes can be employed according to
the nature of the work to be performed.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improvements
in machines for for dovetailing, grooving, slotting, and rabetting, the general
construction of such machines and the particular combinations of their several
parts, together with the method of action thereof, herein-before described
and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
.In witness whereof, I, the said John Whines, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven.
JOHN WHINES. (L.S.)