IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTTING, SAWING, OR SHAPING, AND POLISHING STONE
Year: 1856

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Matthew Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
26th November 1856.
I, MATTHEW HENDERSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Mason, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTTING, SAWING, OR SHAPING, AND POLISHING STONE," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to various arrangements of machinery, apparatus,
and means to be used for cutting, sawing, or shaping, and polishing stone, and
consists, in the first place, of contrivances for actuating the ordinary smooth-
edged metal cutter or saw, such as is already commonly used in cutting or
sawing stone by the hand.
Under one modification, this improved apparatus consists of a bed and
frame resembling that of an engineer's planing machine. The stone to be
cut is placed upon a moveable platform or truck within this frame, beneath
a horizontal saw frame carrying as many cutters as are necessary. This
saw frame is suspended at each end upon a short crank arm, which crank
arms are actuated by suitable gearing, so as to revolve at a high rate, carrying
round the saw frame between them. In this way the saws, which are
always kept horizontal, are rapidly brought into and taken out a short
cut upon the stone beneath. Each time the saws leave their cut, the sand
and water employed as the actual cutting agents fall into the cut in the

page_text: freest manner, thus quickening the cutting action in a remarkable degree. As
the cutting proceeds, the saw frame is gradually lowered to keep the cutting
edges up to their work by a vertical screw arrangement, connected by gearing
with the actuating details of the machine. According to a slightly different
plan, the same crank action is used for the saw frame, but the stone is raised
to the cut from below.
Under a third modification, the saw frame is contrived to work over a
stationary guide frame, so as to bring the saws into and out of cut. In this
instance the saw frame is simply traversed rapidly back and forward by a
crank or any other reciprocatory action, and is supported upon a frame, which
is formed with reversed inclines near each end. The saw frame is set on
small carrying pullies, which alternately run down and up the inclines on the
guide piece beneath them, thus taking the saws into and out of cut at each
traverse.
In polishing stone according to this Invention, the rough block is placed
upon a revolving table carried upon the upper end of a vertical spindle driven
from beneath, and the polishing block of stone or metal is held down by an
overhead frame, so as to press upon the upper surface of the revolving stone
and polish it or face it, as may be required.
In another plan, the polishing is effected by a revolving polishing stone or
piece of metal, resembling a broad grindstone, set upon a horizontal spindle.
Beneath this stone or metal polisher there is an inclined table carrying a
truck, upon which the rough stone to be polished is placed. As the polisher
revolves at a high rate the treated stone is constantly traversed beneath its
periphery by a chain weight, which draws the stone forward as quickly as the
surface is reduced. Similarly the horizontal frame may be used for facing
stones for certain purposes by laying the stones upon the frame on each side of
the polishers and traversing them up to and in contact with the revolving
periphery. This plan, of course, gives a concave face to the stones, which
answers well for jointing purposes.