IMPROVEMENTS IN TEETH FOR SAWS AND IN DEVICES FOR SECURING THE SAME, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO SAWS FOR CUTTING STONE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ellicott Holmes, of Buckingham Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil and Mechanical Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TEETH FOR SAWS AND IN
DEVICES FOR SECURING THE SAME, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO SAWS FOR CUTTING
STONE." A communication from abroad by James E. Emerson, of
Trenton, New Jersey, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th October 1871.
I, JOSEPH ELLICOTT HOLMES, of Buckingham Street, Strand, in the
5 County of Middlesex, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TEETH FOR SAWS

page_text: AND IN DEVICES FOR SECURING THE SAME, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO SAWS FOR CUTTING
STONE," a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of the said Invention, which relates to saws
for cutting wood, is to make saws having insertable or removeable teeth
in such manner that the teeth can be inserted in or removed from the
saw plate with less loss of time than heretofore, and be securely
held in position or easily removed from one position and adjusted to
another.
According to this part of my Invention the insertable teeth may be
curved or straight as desired, and may have V shaped or half-round
grooves to fit upon and against an angular or round projecting rib on
the saw plate at the back of. the tooth; or there may be a ridge on the
back of the clamp of the same form as that.on the saw. plate, the same
being held against any tendency to lateral movement. A pivoted
clamp or tooth holder is constructed to conform in shape to the throat
side of the insertable teeth, whether straight or curved, and has a
V shaped or half-round rib on its inner edge to fit into the groove in
the throat side of the tooth; it also has a neck and enlarged circular
pivotal part, which is inserted into a circular opening in the saw plate.
The clamp with its neck and pivot or round part is punched out of the
saw plate before the said plate is tempered or ground; and I form the
space or slot between the clamp piece and saw plate taper, whether the
space or opening be circular or straight. Each side of the opening has
raised V shaped or half-round ridges, so that a wedge or key having
V shaped or half-round grooves in its edges will slide between the
plate and clamp piece, and be guided and held by such grooves
and ridges in its forward and backward movement. I use a taper
handle or lever for forcing the wedge forward or backward in order
to clamp the tooth in the plate, or to relieve the tooth from the
clamp.
In a modification in the construction of the aforesaid clamping
device the clamp is placed upon the outer and rear side of the tooth,
the only difference in the two methods of construction being in the
location of the devices that form the clamp by which the tooth is held
in its position.
The object of the second part of this Invention is to overcome
difficulties that have heretofore prevented the sawing of hard stone
successfully with a circular saw.

page_text: The cutters are made a little thicker than the saw plate; thicker on
the forward than rear edge, and thicker or wider on the cutting edge
than at any other part of their length; they are made parallel on their
edges, and preferably with V shaped grooves in both edges (though
the groove may be circular if desired), and are interchangeable with each
other.
De forward man rear cage, unu enicker or winer on the cutting edge
than at any other part of their length; they are made parallel on their
edges, and preferably with V shaped grooves in both edges (though
the groove may be circular if desired), and are interchangeable with each
other.
Jaws for holding diamonds or other points for cutting the stone are
made with one part fitting in the other, with such a cavity between
them at their outer ends as will fit the shape of the diamond or other
point.
The clamp or cutter holder is made with a neck and pivotal or joint
piece, and is punched out of the saw plate by a suitably shaped punch
fitting a proper die; then the plate is still further prepared and cut to
receive the cutter between the clamp and plate, with a taper space or
opening between the clamp and saw plate. The clamp piece is cut or
punched out of the plate before the plate is tempered or ground, and it
and the plate are finished with the abutting joint between the clamp
and the plate made with a rib and groove to prevent lateral displacement
of the parts.
A wedge having angular or round grooves in its inclined edges to fit
the ribs on the saw plate and clamp is used for forcing the clamp hard
against the cutter or holder, as the case may be. The diamond or other.
mineral or artificial hard point is set in the jaws or holder in such
manner that it will project beyond the extreme ends of the jaws and
outside the line of width of the cutter when used therewith, and so that
the points will cut a channel or kerf wide enough to clear the saw and
prevent its contact with the sides of such channel or kerf. A hand
lever or wrench of steel made taper from the hand end to or near a
point at the other end is used for forcing the wedge in either direction.
The metal cutters are bevelled to an edge equally from each side, so
as to bring the cutting edge exactly in the centre of their width.
For cutting some kinds of stone the cutting tools have serrated edges,
and such cutters will be inserted in the place of the cutter above
described, which has its edge straight and entire.
The saw plate may be so constructed that the clamp piece will bear
upon the back of the cutter; but I prefer to clamp them on the throat

page_text: side, so as to bring the strain of the teeth in sawing against the solid
metal of the saw plate at the back of the tooth.
.
When it is possible for the stone to be sawn with metal cutters alone
the saw is made with only metal cutters therein; when the stone is of a
harder texture the metal cutters will be alternated with the jaws or
holders, carrying diamond or other hard mineral or carbon points; and
if the stone is still harder and more difficult to cut, then the metal
cutters will be taken out and holders inserted with diamond or other
hard points, or the saw may in some instances bo made up of all
diamond or other hard points properly inserted in their holders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 12th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH :
ELLICOTT HOLMES, of Buckingham Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the.
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes,, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Ellicott
Holmes, 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 TEETH FOR SAWS AND IN DEVICES FOR SECURING THE SATE,
PARTLY APPLICABLE TO SAWS FOR Cutting Stone,” a communication to me
from abroad by James E. Emerson, of Trenton, New Jersey, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Ellicott Holmes, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes, 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, reference being bad to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :—
The object of the first part of my Invention, which relates to saws for
cutting wood, is to make saws having insertable or removable teeth in
such a manner that the teeth can be inserted in or removed from the
saw plate with less loss of time than heretofore, and may be securely
held in position or casily removed from one position and adjusted to
another; and this part of the said Invention consists in the peculiar
construction of the fastening devices, and their arrangement in relation
to the saw plate and teeth to produce the desired effect.
In the Drawing Figure 1 represents a portion of a saw having curved
insertable teeth; Figure 2 is a portion of a saw having straight insert-
able teeth, showing two forms of devices for holding the teeth in place;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the said straight teeth; Figure 4
is a side view of the instrument by which the teeth are secured in
place or released to be adjusted or taken from the saw plate.
A is the plate of a saw either circular or reciprocating, and provided
with insertable or removable teeth. B represents the insertable teeth,
which may be curved or straight as desired, and which have V shaped
or half-round grooves to fit upon and against the angular or round
projecting rib bª on the saw plate at the back of the tooth; or the ridge
on tho back of the clamp may be of the same form as that in the saw
plate, and be thereby held against any tendency to lateral movement as
seen in Figure 3. C is a pivotted clamp or tooth holder, constructed to
conform in shape to the throat side of the insertable teeth, whether
straight or curved, having a V shaped or half-round rib on its inner edge
to fit into the groove in the throat side of the tooth; it has the neck c¹²
and an enlarged circular part e forming a pivot, which is insorted into

page_text: the circular opening a in the saw plate and neck c' in the space a³, as
seen in the lower end of Figure 1. The circular opening a in the plate
A is enlarged on the two sides by countersinking, as seen in Figure 1.
The clamp C, with its neck c¹ and pivot or round part c, is punched out
of the plate A before the plate is tempered or ground, and I form the
space or slot 6 between the clamp piece C and saw plate A taper,
whether the space or opening is circular or straight. Each sido of the
opening 6 has raised V shaped or half-round ridges, as seen in Figures 1
and 2, so that a wedge or key b¹ having V shaped or half-round grooves
in its edges, will slide between the plate A and clamp piece C, and be
guided and held by such grooves and ridges in its forward and backward
movements. The edges of the clamp piece and plate are dressed to have
the ridge 6* and the opening a countersunk on each side of the plate. I
then insert the part c of the clamp piece in the opening a, and the neck
c¹ into the space a', which is enlarged on its sides, as seen in Figures 1
and 2, to permit the oscillation of the clamp piece O; the pivot piece c
is slightly rivetted down on cach side to set the metal into the counter-
sinks in the two sides of the plate, but not so much as to prevent the
turning of the clamp C in the opening a on its pivot c; to make it bear
against the throat side of the tooth B, and to relieve it from bearing
against or clamping the tooth against the saw plate, it is necessary to
remove or adjust the said tooth. b' is a wedge of the proper shape to fit
in the slot or opening 6; it has a V shaped groove in its edges, and it
may be moved in the slot or opening b, and be held free from danger of
lateral displacement by the said grooves. These grooves embrace the
angular or round ridges on the saw plate A and a clamp piece C. The
teeth B are thicker on their forward edges than the saw plate, like other
insertable teeth, so that no set in the points of the teeth is necessary, as
they are kept to their width by swaging, and then dressing them to the
proper width on the cut by the common dressing gauge for that purpose.
E is a taper lever for forcing the wedge b' forward or backward to clamp
the tooth in the plate, or to relieve the tooth from the clamp.
•
In cutting the clamp picce C from the saw plate A the forward end is
so cut from the plate that when the tooth B is in place and clamped it
will abut against the edge of the saw plate, as seen in Figures 1 and 2
at d; the abutment is preferably made with the common rib and
groove to prevent any lateral movement of the abutting parts upon
cach other.

page_text: When the clamp piece C is inserted in the plate A, and the pivotted
pięce c is headed or rivetted into the slight countersinks on each side of.
the plate A; the wedge b' is inserted in the slot or opening 6 in its.
widest part. The saw is then ready for grinding, temporing, and
finishing; and after being finished, and while the clamp and wedge
are in such position the tooth B is inserted in its proper position. Then
the point of the hand lever E is inserted in the opening 6 at the larger'
end of the wedge b', and the wedge is forced toward the shank or neck c'
by being pressed to the right or left; the saw plate forms the fulcrum
of the lever to force the wedge forward, and causes the clamp to be
oscillated toward and bear firmly against the throat side of the tooth B
and press the back of the tooth R against the saw plate A, thus securely
clamping and holding the tooth firmly in place.
When it is necessary to relieve the tooth from the saw the lever or
› wrench E will be placed upon the narrow end of the wedge b', and by
the process above described the wedge will be forced back; then the
clamp C by a gentle rap on its forward end at d with a hammer or
wrench will be forced away from the tooth B, which can be removed or
adjusted as to its projection.
.
At the upper end of Figure 2 is shown a modification in the con-
struction of the clamping device, wherein the clamp C is placed upon
the outer and rear side of the tooth B, the only difference in the two
methods of construction being in the location of the devices that form.
the clamp by which the tooth is held in position. This construction
of devices by which the removable and adjustable teeth of saws are
firmly held in place is simple, easily constructed and durable, is not
liable to derangement, and is comparatively inexpensive, while in the.
construction of the teeth there is great economy.
The object of the second part of this Invention is to overcome,
difficulties that have heretofore prevented the sawing of hard stono
successfully with a circular saw. This part of the said Invention relates
to the construction of the adjustable and reversible chisels or cutters, to
the manner of holding them in the saw plate, to the construction of a
holder or jaws for holding diamond, carbon, or other mineral points, to
the adaptation of these devices for use in a circular saw, and to a saw as.
constructed with these devices for sawing stone.
>
:

page_text: Figure 5 shows a portion of a circular saw for sawing stone with
different kinds of cutters adjustable with regard to their projection and
with a reversible cutter and devices for holding and clamping the said
cutters in the saw plate. Figure 6 is an edge view of the same.

page_text: will conform to the shape seen in Figure 12, but when it is desired to
cut the whole width of the channel or kerf with the diamond edge the
shape of the cutting edge will be as seen in Figures 13 and 14, and
when so used the jaws B³, B³, will have to be so constructed that they
will receive and securely hold such shaped diamonds or other points
within their
grasp.
When the saw plate A with its clamp C and wedge D with the
insertable cutters or diamond holders are in place, I take the lever or
wrench E, Figuro 4, and insert its pointed end in the opening a, at the
rear of the widest end of tho wedge D, then force the hand end of the
lever over toward the wedge; one edge of the lever bears against the
end of the opening a, and the other against the wide end of the wedge,
and will force the wedge forward and clamp C hard against the cutter,
and the latter against the saw plate at the back of the cutter.
movement of the lever wrench is not enough to give the required 1
pressure through the wedge upon the clamp, I repeat the operation till
it is forced sufficiently hard upon and against the cutter to hold it in
place against any power that may bear on the cutter, to force it back
into the space g', between the plate and the inner end of the cutter B or
holders B³.
If one
S
The angle at which the cutters are to be set with relation to the stone
to be sawn, must be determined by the texturo and hardness of the said
stone; as a general rule such angle will be determined by the angle at
which a common stone chisel is held when struck by a hammer and will
most successfully out the stone. The jaws or holders which contain the 2
diamond or other points or cutter edges will however stand much nearer
to a right angle with the stone being cut or sawn than the metal cutters.
The metal cutters B or B' are bevelled to an edge, and equally from.
each side, to bring the cutting edge e exactly in the centre of their.
width.
3
When by the action of cutting the stone the cutter becomes dull or is
thickened on its edge by the wearing away of the metal on its forward
side, the said cutter is taken out and reversed, and will then present the,
side that was forward and worn off to the back and the sharp edge on
the front. It will then again cut the stone till the edge is worn or 3
thickened on its forward side when it is again reversed; this reversal may
be successfully effected several times in the hardest granite before the

page_text: cutters will need to be sharpened by heating and hammering on the
anvil.
Some stone is best cut with cutting tools that have serrated edges e',
as seen in Figure 10, and in such cases these cutters will be inserted in
the place of the cutter B, which has its edge straight or unbroken. The
cutter should always have the same temper as ordinary hand chisels
used by stone cutters for cutting the same kind of stone, it being well
understood that the harder the stone to be cut the harder must be the
tool for cutting the same.
When the diamond or other hard points are used as described and in
connection with the cutters B, B', or with diamond cutting edges b',.
Figure 13, or b³, Figure 14, they cut a channel or kerf as clearly shewn
in Figure 15; the path cut by the projecting or scoring points 6 determines
the width of the kerf or channel, and the cutters B with edges b will cut
and clear out the stone between the scores made by the points b, precisely
like a wood cross-cut saw which has scoring and clearing teeth, as the
scoring point must always project beyond the line cut by the cutter B.
Some of the many advantages obtained by this construction of the saw.
and cutters are as follows:-The cutters aro adjustable and reversible, as
they can be reversed when the edge becomes dull or worn on one side,
and thereby made to present a sharp edge to cut the stone. The cutters
can be adjusted to any required projection from the edge of the saw
plate with but little loss of time and without much trouble, and such
cutters can be worn up to within one inch of the end and be securely held
in their place. Furthermore the jaws or holders for diamonds or other
points or cutters can be adjusted to correspond with the clearing cutters,
and both kinds may be adjusted to the exact projection to have their
cutting at the right distance from the centre of the axis of the saw. If
by any accident a cutter or diamond holder is broken at its point it can
be repaired and put back, the point being made to have the same
projection as if entire, although shorter in its whole length than the
others.
The saw plate may be constructed in such a way that the clamp piece
C will bear upon the back of the cutter B, as seen in Figure 5 in dotted
lines, but I prefer to clamp them on the throat side to bring the strain
of the teeth in sawing against the solid metal of the saw plate at the
back of the tooth.

page_text: When the structure of the stone to be sawn is such as will permit
its being sawn with metal cutters alone, the saw is made as seen in
Figure 8, having only metal cutters B or B' therein; when the stone is
of a harder texture the metal cutters B will be alternated with the jaws or
holders B³ carrying diamond or other hard mineral or carbon points as
seen in Figure 6, and if the stone is still harder and more difficult to
saw the cutters B will be taken out and holders B' inserted with diamond
or other hard points 'b' or ', as represented in Figures 13 and 14; or
the saw may in some instances be made up of all diamond or other hard
points inserted in their holders B³, as seen in Figure 7. These changes
however depend upon the composition of the stone to be sawn and the
judgment and experience of the operator, who must determine which
arrangement of cutting points or edges is best suited to the stone to bo
sawn.
A saw constructed as above described for sawing stone is also well
adapted to purposes of channelling or groving stone while in its
natural bed, and greatly facilitates the quarrying of the stone and its
reduction while in the quarry to or nearly to the dimensions of any
blocks desired; by this means I save a large per-centage of the loss that
is now sustained by the drilling and breaking as usually practiced in
quarries, where the blocks have to be obtained of much larger dimensions
than they are required to have when ready for use.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The clamp or holder C with the neck cand pivot piece c, as
herein set forth and for the purpose described. -
· Second. The clamp or holder C and wedge b, in combination with the
tooth B, when the tooth clamp and wedge are constructed and arranged
to clamp and hold the said tooth B in contact with the saw plate A, in
the manner above described.
Third. The reversible and adjustable cutter B, constructed as specified,
and used in a circular saw plate for sawing stone as above described.
Fourth. The reversible and adjustable cutter B³, with a serrated edge
e', when used in a circular saw plate for sawing stone as above set
forth.

page_text: Fifth. The interchangeable and adjustable jaws or holders B³ con-
structed in the manner and for the purpose above described.
Sixth. The combination of the adjustable, interchangeable diamond
holders B, with the clamp piece C, wedge D, and saw plate A, as above
described.
.
Seventh. A circular saw for cutting stone having the removeable and
adjustable cutters B or B' with chisel edges, and made reversible and
interchangeable with each other and arranged as shewn in Figure 8 of
the Drawing.
Eighth. A circular saw A. for sawing stone having the adjustable jaws
or holders B³ with diamond or other mineral points b, when constructed
and arranged as described, and as shewn in Figure 7 of the Drawing.
Ninth. A circular saw A for sawing stone having the removeable,
reversible, and adjustable cutters B or B' alternated with the adjustable
jaws or holders B³, with diamond or other mineral points 6, when the
the cutters and points are arranged in relation to each other in the
manner described and as shewn in Figure 6 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ellicott Holmes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOSEPH E. HOLMES. (L.s.)
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.