IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING AND SURFACING VENEERS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF WOOD
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, of 3, John Street,
Kingsland Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING AND SURFACING VENEERS AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF WOOD,"
Sealed the 24th November 1865, and dated the 5th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Thompson Pon-
sonby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th September, 1865.
I, THOMAS THOMPSON PONSONBY, of 3, John Street, Kingsland Road, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING AND SURFACING VENEERS AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF WOOD," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ornamenting and sur-
facing veneers and other articles of wood. In ornamenting veneers I employ
heated cylinders in a manner similar to that described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Thomas Clayton, and dated 19th February 1857 (No. 488).
As heretofore the veneer (which by preference is of soft white wood) is passed
under a metal cylinder on which the patterns to be produced on the veneer
are deeply engraved or left in relief on the cylinder according to the effect
intended to be produced; this cylinder is heated sufficiently to char the surface
of the veneer which is pressed up to the cylinder by a roller underneath.
[Price Sd.]

page_text: The depth of the engraving on the cylinder is such that the recessed parts
do not touch the veneer, which consequently escapes charring at these points.
Heretofore the ornamenting cylinder has had a bearing at one end only, the
other end being left open for the introduction of a gas burner for heating the
cylinder. According to my Invention I employ a bearing at each end of
the cylinder, by which means I obtain much greater rigidity. For heating
the cylinder I employ heated air which is introduced into the cylinder through
one of the axes, which is made hollow, and it is allowed to escape by holes
at the other end of the cylinder. I prefer to obtain the current of heated
air by driving air by means of a fan through burning fuel, and I regulate the
heat to the cylinder by valves or dampers, and also by mixing more or less
cold air with the heated blast or by driving a current of common gas and
atmospheric air so mixed prior to entering the cylinder as to produce when
lit the necessary amount of heating power. The roller by which the veneer
is pressed against the cylinder I also according to my Invention drive at
the same surface speed as the cylinder in place of leaving it free as heretofore.
by this means the veneer is caused to pass with greater certainty. I press
up this roller also by means of a spring in place of by a weight as heretofore.
Similar machinery may be employed in ornamenting surfaces of wood what-
ever the thickness of the piece. The veneer after having been passed under
the ornamenting cylinder is scraped in order to smooth the surface and clear
the lights of the design. I employ for this purpose a bench the top of which
is a chest from which the air can be exhausted, it is perforated at the upper
part and the veneer is laid upon it over the perforations. The air is then
exhausted more or less, and so the veneer is held down against the surface
and is at the same time kept flat; whilst so held the surface is scraped by
a tool consisting of a frame moved to and fro by machinery, this frame has
two rollers which bear on the veneer, and the frame is weighted so as to press
heavily on the surface, the frame also carries two knives outside the rollers,
and these are inclined so that one may scrape in each direction and these
can be set by screws to any depth required. To give the final finish to the
surface, I use the same tool substituting blocks covered on the face with sand
paper for the knives. The same tool may also be employed for roughening
the backs of veneers to give a key for the glue, a serrated cutter being then
employed in place of the knives. In place of moving the frame and cutters
to and fro the bench supporting the work may have motion given to it. The
scraping apparatus may also be advantageously employed in preparing the
veneers before they are submitted to the action of the heated cylinder. Also
according to my Invention I apply color to the veneer or surface after it has

page_text: been passed under the pattern cylinder, and in this case I may arrange the
machinery so that the wood is passed continuously first under the pattern
cylinder, then under the scraping knives, and afterwards under a printing
cylinder which applies the color in such manner that the impression of the
printing cylinder registers with the pattern before produced by the hot
cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
THOMPSON PONSONBY, of 3, John Street, Kingsland Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, Her special licence that I, 'the said
Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, 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 of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING AND SURFACING VENEERS AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF WOOD," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent. -
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in ornamenting and sur-

page_text: facing veneers and other articles of wood. In ornamenting veneers I employ
heated cylinders in a manner similar to that described in the Specification of
a Patent granted to Thomas Clayton, and dated 19th February, 1857,
(No. 488). As heretofore, the veneer (which by preference is of soft white
wood) is passed under a metal cylinder on which the patterns to be produced
on the veneer are deeply engraved or left in relief on the cylinder, according
to the effect intended to be produced; this cylinder is heated sufficiently to char
the surface of the veneer, which is pressed up to the cylinder by a roller under-
neath. The depth of the engraving on the cylinder is such that the recessed
parts do not touch the veneer, which consequently escapes charring at these
points. Heretofore the ornamenting cylinder has had a bearing at one end only,
the other end being left open for the introduction of a gas burner for heating
the cylinder. According to my Invention I employ a bearing at each end of
the cylinder, by which means I obtain much greater rigidity. For heating
the cylinder I employ a current of common gas and atmospheric air so mixed
prior to entering the cylinder as to produce when lit the necessary amount of
heating power; or I may employ heated air, which is introduced into the
cylinder through one of the axes, which is made hollow, and it is allowed to
escape by holes at the other end of the cylinder. The roller by which the
veneer is pressed against the cylinder I also, according to my Invention, drive
at the same surface speed as the cylinder, in place of leaving it free as here-
tofore; by this means the veneer is caused to pass with greater certainty.
I press up this roller also by means of a spring in place of by a weight as
heretofore. Similar machinery may be employed in ornamenting surfaces of
wood whatever the thickness of the piece.
Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 is an end view of a machine for
ornamenting veneers according to my Invention. a, a, is the frame of the
'machine; b is a shaft mounted in bearings upon it, and driven by a belt
passing around one or other of, the driving pullies b¹, b¹; b is a worm on the
same shaft, gearing with a worm. wheel c¹ on the axis c. This axis is carried
in fixed bearings on the frame, as is shewn, and on it the pattern cylinder d,
which is suitably engraved and by preference of cast iron, as heretofore, is
clamped by the set screw d. The further end of the cylinder d is supported
and kept truly central with the axis by means of the disc e, which fits into the
end of the cylinder, and is also able to turn freely on the axis; is a ring on
the axis c, clamped to it by the set screw f¹ to prevent the disc e moving
lengthways on the axis after it has been set in its place, the ring f can,
however, be shifted to accommodate pattern cylinders of different lengths;
g is a lower cylinder to press the veneer up to the upper pattern cylinder d.

page_text: its bearings slide in guides g', g¹, and rest on springs g, g, which are supported
on the upper ends of the screws h, h, and these screws pass through screw
nuts fixed on the frame. At their lower end the screws are stepped on to the
frame a, and they have bevilled pinions h¹, h', keyed upon them; these
pinions gear with other similar pinions i, i¹, on the axis i, at the end of which
is a hand wheel, by turning which it will be seen that the position of the
lower cylinder g can be adjusted to accommodate any thickness of vencer, and
any amount of pressure which may be desirable may be applied. In order to
drive the cylinder g at the same surface speed as the cylinder d, it has a
bevilled pinion g³ on its axis, gearing with another pinion on the vertical
axis k; this pinion ¹ is able to slide on its axis, but is prevented turning
independently thereof by a groove and feather. The two pinions g3 and are
held together by the connecting strap 1. In order to heat the pattern cylinder d
gas is applied in the following manner:-A perforated pipe m is passed from
end to end of the cylinder d; this pipe passes through the disc e, which is thus
held stationary, and is connected with a vessel n, into which ordinary coal gas
is admitted by a pipe o, on which is a regulating stop-cock; p is another pipe
also furnished with a stop-cock, by which air under pressure is admitted to
the same vessel n; this compressed air may be obtained from a fan constantly
driven or otherwise. q is a stop-cock, by which the mixture of gas and air is
regulated in passing to the perforated pipe m, through which it escapes, and is
burnt, and the cylinder d is thus heated to the degree required. The cylinder
is open at both ends to allow of the free escape of the products of combustion.
I usually drive this cylinder d at a surface speed of about one foot per minute
The veneer to be ornamented is entered between the cylinders d and g, and
pressure being applied by means of the hand wheel, it becomes charred as it
passes betwen the cylinders to the depth required. The vencer after having
been passed under the ornamenting cylinder is scraped in order to smooth the
surface and clear the lights of the design. I employ for this purpose a bench
the top of which is a chest, from which the air can be exhausted; it is per-
forated at the upper part, and the veneer is laid upon it over the perforations;
the air is then exhausted more or less, and so the veneer is held down against
the surface, and is at the same time kept flat; whilst so held the surface is
scraped by a suitable tool.
Figure 3 is an end view, and Figure 4 is a portion of a plan of a scraping
and smoothing apparatus constructed according to my Invention.. a, a, is a
chest, from which the air is exhausted by a pump worked. in any convenient
manner; c is a table sliding in guides on the top of the chest a; its centre
portion is perforated, and over these perforations the veneer to be operated on

page_text: is laid, and it is by the vacuum in the chest sucked down flat on to the surface
of the table. The table c is caused to travel to and fro under a suitable
scraping apparatus; that shewn in the Drawing is a roller d, with spiral
blades upon it; it is driven by a strap passing around the pulley d¹ on its axis.
The table c receives its traversing motion from a worm don the axis of the
scraping roller d; it gears with a screw wheel e on the axis e¹ carried in
bearings on the frame. e2 is a bevilled pinion on the axis e¹; and f, f, are
other bevilled pinions on the axis g; these pinions are so arranged that one
or other of them can be made to gear with the pinion e2 by means of a suitable
hand lever, according as it is desired to drive the table c in one or other
direction. The axis g gives motion to the table by means of a pinion g' upon
it, which gears with a rack c¹ on the under side of the table c. The moving
parts are fitted to the top of the vacuum chest a in such manner as to avoid
as far as possible the leakage of air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Thompson Ponsonby, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOMAS T. PONSONBY. (L.S.)