IMPROVED PIPE AND COLUMN CUTTER
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert Edward Taylor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1878.
ALBERT EDWARD TAYLOR, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVED PIPE AND COLUMN CUTTER."
"NEW OR
Hitherto, when it has been required to cut a length of cast-iron or other pipe of
a large size, as for instance, water or gas main pipes, it has been necessary to do so
by manual labour, by the aid of a cold chisel and hammer; this method has very
many disadvantages,―
Firstly. The great length of time it occupies a mechanic to chip a sufficient
distance into the metal around the entire circumference of the pipe or column, etc.
Secondly. The liability of breaking or splitting the pipe (which often occurs
when using the ordinary hand tools).
Thirdly. The rough or gagged edge which is left around the pipe after it has
been cut, which often necessitates a very considerable time being spent to trim up.
And, Fourthly. Where pipes are laid in the ground the very great difficulty a
mechanic experiences of being able to use the ordinary hand tools entirely around
the same, so as to cut a sufficient depth into the surface of the metal.
My Invention overcomes all these difficulties, and I produce an appliance which
will be of great service and economy to gas and water companies, and to engineers
generally, as by its aid I am enabled to cut through cast-iron or wrought-iron pipes,
columns, or shafts of any size in a very small portion of the time occupied when the
ordinary hand tools are employed; in addition to which there is no fear of
breaking or splitting the pipe or column; and I produce a clean, smooth, and
square cut around the same; moreover it overcomes the inconveniences attendant
upon cutting main or other pipes when laid in the ground.
My said Invention consists mainly of two sleeves, an inner sleeve and an outer
sleeve, the outer sleeve of which works or revolves around the inner sleeve.
Each of these said sleeves is constructed in two halves so as to go round and
encircle a length of pipe, columu, shaft, or the like, and which are secured around

page_text: the pipe, column, or shaft to be cut, and are also secured together by means of bolts
passing through lugs suitably arranged on said sleeves. These said sleeves go one
outside the other, the inner one being the part which encircles the pipe, column, or
shaft to be cut, its interior portion being made of such size (or nearly so) as the
diameter of the said pipe, column, or shaft, to which it is rigidly secured by means
of set screws; its outer circumference is arranged with a collar, and at a short
distance therefrom with a recessed groove, both the collar and the recessed groove
proceeding entirely around the circumference of said inner sleeve.
The outer sleeve is provided around its interior portion with a collar which
coincides with and works in the recessed groove formed in the outer circumference
of the inner sleeve, by which means the outer sleeve, revolving on the inner sleeve,
is prevented from becoming displaced.
On the largest circumference of the outer sleeve a bevel gearing is formed, which
works or gears into a wheel of a corresponding pitch, but of smaller diameter,
which is secured to a spindle, said small bevel wheel and spindle being attached to
the inner sleeve by means of a suitable attachment, which said attachment may
either form part of said inner sleeve by being cast thereon, or it may be secured
thereto by means of screws. This said attachment provides a bearing and a stay
for the spindle at that part of said spindle, immediately above the small bevel
wheel it carries, whilst a bottom bearing for said spindle is formed by means of its
lower end entering a hole or bush formed in the collar of the said inner sleeve.
Motion is imparted to said spindle by means of a wheel or a handle at its top,
which said wheel or handle is made in such manner as will permit it being placed
on or off said spindle.
To the outer sleeve is secured or attached a cutter head, which I make by pre-
ference somewhat in the form of a slide-rest of a lathe, it being provided with a
sliding piece or plate, working up or down a correspondingly shaped fixed piece or
plate by means of a screw actuated at its top by a wheel or handle. In connection
with the said sliding piece or plate I form suitable means for holding a cutting
tool, preferably by a recess being formed in the said sliding piece or plate of
required size to admit said cutting tool, in which said recess it is securely held
by means of a set screw; other means may however be devised for the aforesaid
purpose.
The inner sleeve is provided at either end, or at other suitable locality, with
set screws, by means of which the appliance can be firmly secured to a pipe,
column, or shaft, or adjusted to a differently sized pipe, column, or shaft, as may be
required.
The action of my new or improved pipe and column cutter is as follows:-The
two halves forming the inner sleeve are placed around the pipe or column it is
desired to cut, and are secured together by means of bolts passing through
suitably arranged lugs formed on each half of said inner sleeve; said inner sleeve is
securely held in place on the pipe or column by means of the set screws arranged at
its either end for the purpose. Said inner sleeve is provided with the attachment
carrying the spindle and the small bevel wheel. The two halves forming the outer
sleeve are then placed around the inner sleeve, and are secured together by means
of bolts passing through suitably arranged lugs formed on each half of said outer
sleeve. Said outer sleeve is prevented from becoming displaced on the inner
sleeve by reason of the collar formed on its interior portion working in the recessed
groove formed in the outer circumference of the said inner sleeve; moreover, it is
still further held in position by reason of its one end working against the collar
formed on the outer circumference of the said inner sleeve. The cutter head being
attached to the outer sleeve, and the wheel or handle being placed upon the top-
most end of the spindle, the said wheel or handle is revolved, which causes the
small bevel wheel secured to said spindle to impart motion to the large bevel wheel
forming part of the said outer sleeve into which it gears, which causes the cutter
head (carrying the cutting tool) to revolve slowly around the pipe or column it is
desired to cut; when upon the said cutting tool being worked inward toward the

page_text: centre by means of the wheel or handle attached to the end of the screw by which it is
actuated being turned in suitable direction, said cutting tool takes a clean, smooth,
and square cut around the entire circumference of the pipe or column, which
operation is continued until the pipe or column is quite severed, the action of the
appliance resembling the action of a cutting tool in the slide-rest of a lathe,
the difference being that whilst with a lathe the cutting tool in the slide-rest
is stationary, and the article operated upon revolves, in my new or improved
appliance the action is reversed, as the cutting tool revolves around the article,
operated upon, which remains stationary, and by the means as herein-before
described the cutting tool gradually cuts through the entire surface of the metal by
the said cutting tool being actuated toward the centre, and by this means the opera-
tion is accomplished in a vastly superior manner, and in a very short space of the time
occupied to accomplish the operation when the ordinary hand tools are employed
for the purpose; moreover, on account of the simplicity of its working parts the
appliance admits of being cheaply manufactured.
An appliance for the purpose, as is herein-before specified, may be constructed so
as to be actuated by means of a ratchet and lever motion, instead of the bevel
wheel motion, as is herein-before described, and which I consider to be the most
efficacious in practice.
My new or improved pipe and column cutter admits of being made in various
sizes, it being equally as effective for cutting pipes, etc., of a few inches in
diameter as it is for cutting the largest water and gas main pipes that are
made.
In some instances instead of making the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve of the
appliance in two separate halves, I form on their one side joints which act as
hinges, by means of which the halves of the sleeves can be more readily placed
around a pipe, column, etc., they being secured together by bolts passing through
lugs arranged on said sleeves, on the opposite side to the joint.
Although it may be possible to obtain results corresponding, or nearly so, to the
main features and objects of my Invention, as is herein-before described and speci-
fied, by combinations and arrangements of mechanical parts other than those that are
herein-before described and specified, I desire it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention, the new or improved pipe or column cutter, as is herein-before described
and specified, and I also claim as appertaining to and as part of my said Invention,
any like imitation or modification thereof.