CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING LUMBER
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th May
1861. A communication from abroad by Mr. Henry Dawes Stover,
of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING LUMBER," to be aṣ
follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to securing the lumber to the platen in lumber
planing machinery, which platen is provided with a rack on each side. The
transverse dog bar has a narrow rib on its under side and nearest the toothed
edge. From each end of this cross bar and projecting downwards are plates,
the lower ends of which turn under the smooth lower side of the rack, and
just touch it when the cross bar rests horizontally upon its ribs on the platen.
Parts or pawls project downwards from the cross bar when it is in a certain
position just far enough to catch safely in the rack. Now, as the rib on the
under side of this cross dog bar, & on which it rests, is nearest the toothed side,
and as the pawls are on the opposite side, they must always by the force of
gravity fall upon the racks when left to themselves, so that the operator when
he wishes to set this dog has only to bear upon the toothed side, so as to raise
the pawls from the racks, and shove it forward as far as he wishes, or simply
draw it backward and leave it where he wishes, and it is ready to hold
whenever the lumber is pressed against it; it also relates to the construction

page_text: of the platen itself,, so that the latter may be made adjustable for the purpose
of planing various angular surfaces.
Secondly, to the removal of chips, shavings, & other matter from the finished
surface of the work just after leaving the cutters, by means of a spout or
channel connected to cross head, which conducts them away by reason of the
velocity with which they are thrown off by the cutters, and the current of air
generated thereby; and also to the means employed for holding down the
finishing part of the work without wearing or scratching it, and at same time
allowing it to be easily fed along on the machine; and further, in combining
a certain number of parts whereby the work will be held firmly and solidly to
the platen both in front and back of the cutter while freely passing along,
and at the same time not near the finished surface of the work being shaped or
planed; and still further in constructing & so attaching a scale, rule, or measure
to the frame or cross head carrying the cutting cylinder, that by the simple
movement of the cutting cylinder up or down the thickness of the "stuff" or
board to be finished will always be indicated.
This Invention relates, thirdly, to dogging apparatus, having adjustable
inclined planes or parts so operating against corresponding pieces attached to
the platen, that any desired pressure by the adjustable inclined planes may be
had to press the dogs forward into the lumber & down on the platen by
turning a single screw, also in the combination of revolving nut & transverse
bar carrying the dogs & guide bar for guiding both the dogs straight along or
nearly so by the turning of a single screw, so that they will both always enter
the end of the board, whether it be square or angular, with equal pressure.
Also in so constructing the cutting cylinder that the blades may be bolted flat
to the central part, and still impart a shearing or drawing stroke to the
lumber. Also in so constructing the cutting cylinders that the cutting
blades may be moved to or from the axis of the cylinder, and its central part
back of the cutting edge being shaped like a cap to the ordinary plane iron,
the tipping of the blade constituting this cap-shaped portion of the cylinder &
adjustable heel for causing the blade to cut smooth over knotty and gnarly
wood, & at the same time remove a light or heavy chip. Also in combining
the roll and platen feed so that by the simple act of throwing one out of feed
it will throw the other into feed, and vice versa. Also to feed rolls & their
frame in combination with a platen or rest firmly affixed thereto, to come
under the cutting cylinder when in use, if desired, so as to always be level and
in line with the top of the lower feed roll. Also to the application of rollers
connected adjustably to the bed to wholly sustain & guide the movable
platens, or in connection with tracks so as to receive the weight of the timber

page_text: on the rollers & its guidance by the tracks for the easy movement of the platen
when carrying heavy loads. Also to friction feed apparatus, whereby a heavy
piece of timber may be gradually and easily started into motion, stopped
suddenly, and reversed, & thereby obviate the shock and destruction of parts
consequent on starting suddenly as described. Also to matching cutters with
the movable platen and feed rolls to automatically match the entire length of
each board or piece, regardless of its taper, width, or the direction in which it
passes through the machine.
Also in so constructing the feed & roll boxes
that they carry their own pressure within them, so as to be invariable under
any elevation of feed roll so as to be moved up and down by the screw. Also
in making the platen of two parts with a ball between, so that the top
part may be tipped and secured universally in any position, so that a piece
may be planed parallel or tapering any & every way if desired. Also in
forming mouth-pieces or openings between the teeth of the solid dogging racks
to prevent shavings & chips lodging & clogging therein.
The Invention relates, fourthly, to combining the cutting cylinder, & the
cross head in which it revolves, with two or more screws for raising and
lowering the cutting cylinders evenly and parallel to the face of the platen.
Also in so encasing the raising & lowering screws in the uprights, that dust and
shavings will be effectually excluded whether the machine is operated or not.
Also in so constructing the cutting cylinder as to receive four or more cutters,
cach imparting a shearing or drawing stroke or cut at the same time for
convenience in construction & use in sharpening & securing to the head.
Also in giving that portion of the cutter head immediately at back of the
edges of the cutter blades an angle varying from 5° to 45° from the face of
the cutting blades, to constitute a solid, variable, & efficient cap to the cutting
blades. Also in so connecting the journal boxes of the driving shaft with á
cross head carrying the cutting cylinder, that when it is raised or lowered the
journal boxes will move so as to always retain precisely the same distance
between the drive pullies & the driven pullies on the cutter head, to always
allow a permanent & uniform tension of belt. Also in feeding the platen
forward with rack and pinion or their equivalent friction wheel and slide, and
vice versa.
Also in reversing the feed or movement of platen by means of
screw, and having a wheel for turning the same conveniently, to either engage
the friction wheel with friction slide or pinion with rack. Also in sliding or
moving & attaching the cross head for cutting cylinder to the uprights with
adjustable gib slide. Also in pivotting the journal box for the friction feed
and giving it a vertical adjustment to both swing and raise or fall with tho
feed shaft it carries, to allow this shaft a free swinging and transverse move-

page_text: ment to feed the platen either way as may be desired. Also in so constructing
and applying several dogs to the platen that any one of them or all may be
operated independent of the other, for dogging several narrow pieces at the
same time on the platen. Also in connecting the feed rolls to the bed piece
or gib slides for operation therewith or removal therefrom. Also in suspending
& moving cross head for cutting cylinder by screws which are suspended in
universal bearings & by universal nuts, to allow of a free untrammelled move-
ment in working as well as convenience for adjustment in construction. Also
in so constructing a conducting spout or trough with cross head, to carry &
conduct away from the machine the shaving made by the cutting cylinders,
and to any desired point by the force or current of air created by the great
velocity of the cutting cylinder. Also in placing an elastic pressure roll at
back of cutting cylinder, which may be made a stationary wiper to clean the
finished surface in combination with a rigid revolving roll or a scraper, so that
either the rigid revolving roll or the scraper, or both, may be used with flexible
pressure roll to plane straight & out of wind. Also in constructing and com-
bining the hollow cast-iron uprights with the wood planing machine, & in
constructing the frame of the machine generally of metal tubes to ensure
strength & durability.