Improvements in Laths and Sheets for Forming Ceilings, Floors, Partitions, and other such like purposes, and in the Machinery for Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Laths and Sheets for Forming Ceilings, Floors,
Partitions, and other such like purposes, and in the Machinery
for Manufacturing the same.
I, ARTHUR OCTAVIUS WRIGHT, of St. Johns Road, Moseley, Birmingham,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in laths and sheets for forming
ceilings, floors, partitions and other such like purposes and in the machinery for
manufacturing the same by which I produce laths and sheets into which the
plaster will more readily enter than into those made according to my previous
inventions and I can produce them much more expeditiously.
I form my laths from thin sheet metal the sheets being sufficiently long or wide
to make one lath as regards the length and to make any convenient number as
regards the width. A groove runs along each lath longitudinally having both sides
of the said groove inclined to its face in the same direction the bottom of the
groove being slightly narrower than the opening thereof, the bottom of the groove
being flat. This form of groove allows the plaster to enter easily and to fill the
undercut side of the said groove. In making my sheets these grooves are arranged
to run parallel with each other but in regard to the sheets I may make the grooves
so that each alternate one is reversed in its inclination to the next ones from the
face thereof.
My machine consists of a frame or bed having mounted thereupon a bolster in
which is formed a groove corresponding with the outside cross section of the lath
required. Upon the table I mount upon pivots a reciprocating arm the centre of
which is fixed in such relationship to the groove as to allow the point thereof to
force the sheets or laths when being operated down to the bottom thereof and at
the desired inclination to the face of the lath or sheet. In the case of the laths
which have the edges notched I arrange a cutter to sever each lath while it is still
held in the groove by the reciprocating arm. The feeding arrangement may be
the same as that described in my previous Patent 7563 A.D. 1893. In the case
of the sheets with each alternate groove reversed in its inclination, I produce this
by reversing the sheet end for end and passing it through a second time or a
second machine may be used. In the case of the laths I may put two grooves
instead of one the one being at the reverse angle to the other. It will be clearly
seen that on account of both sides of the groove being inclined in the same direction
that the plaster is surely carried under the undercut side and is thus absolutely
locked upon the laths or plates.
Dated 20th June 1802
GEO.
BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Laths and Sheets for Forming Ceilings, Floors,
Partitions, and other such like purposes, and in the Machinery
for Manufacturing the same.
I, ARTHUR OCTAVIUS WRIGHT, of St. Johns Road, Moseley, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manulacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements in laths and sheets for forming

page_text: ceilings floors, partitions and other such like purposes and in the machinery for
manufacturing the same by which I produce laths and sheets into which the plaster
will more readily enter, than into those made according to my previous inventions,
and I can produce them much more expeditiously.
I form my laths from thin sheet metal, the sheets being sufficiently long or wide
to make one lath as regards the length and to make any convenient number as
regards the width. A groove runs along each lath longitudinally having both
sides of the said groove inclined to its face in the same direction, the bottom of the
frame being slightly narrower than the opening thereof the bottom of the frame
being flat. This form of groove allows the plaster to enter easily and to fill the
undercut side of the said groove. In making my sheets these grooves are arranged
to run parallel with each other but in regard to the sheets I may make the grooves
so that each alternate one is reversed in its inclination to the next ones from the
face thereof.
My machine consists of a frame or bed having mounted thereupon a bolster in
which is formed a groove corresponding with the outside cross section of the lath
required. Upon the table I mount upon pivots a reciprocating arm the centre of
which is fixed in such relationship to the groove as to allow the point thereof to
force the sheets or laths when being operated down to the bottom thereof and at
the desired inclination to the face of the lath or sheet. In the case of the laths
which have the edges notched I arrange a cutter to sever each lath while it is still
held in the groove by the reciprocating arm. The feeding arrangement may be
the same as that described in my previous Patents No. 702 A.D. 1893 and 7563
A. D. 1895. In the case of the sheets with each alternate groove reversed in its
inclination I produce this by reversing the sheet end for end and passing it through
a second time, or a second machine may be used. In the case of the laths I may
put two grooves instead of one the one being at the reverse angle to the other. It
will be clearly seen that on account of both sides of the groove being inclined in
the same direction that the plaster is surely carried under the undercut side and is
thus absolutely locked upon the laths or plates.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practise I have appended a sheet of drawings upon which I have fully
illustrated my improved sheets and laths and the machinery for the manufacture
of the same.
Figure 1, is a section through one of my sheets having the diagonal grooves
parallel to each other, that is to say the undercut surfaces are parallel to each
other.
Figure 2, is a similar section to Figure 1 but showing each diagonal groove
produced in an opposite direction.
Figure 3, is a cross section through my laths having a single diagonal groove
formed therein.
Figure 4, is a similar cross section through a lath having double diagonal grooves.
Figure 5, is an elevation of one of my laths.
Figure 6, is an enlarged section of a single diagonal groove.
Figure 7, is a vertical cross section through a machine suitable for forming the
laths.
Figure 8, is a front elevation of Figure 7.
Figure 9, is a section through part of the plunger and bed showing the
arrangement for kicking or forcing out the sheet or laths after the groove has
been formed.
Figure 10, shows a modification in the machine for forming the laths or sheets.
Figure 11, is a plan of same.
Figure 12, is a section showing a special lath.
Figure 13, is a section through part of a machine for forming the lath shown by
Figure 12 in position prior to the lath being formed.
Figure 14, is a similar section to Figure 13 but showing the tools in position
while forming the lath.

page_text: In carrying my invention into effect I form my laths A' from thin sheet metal
the sheets being sufficiently long or wide to make one lath as regards the length
and to make any convenient number as regards the width. The groove a runs
along each lath the said groove a² having both its sides so inclined that the groove
is diagonal to the face of the metal the bottom a³ of the groove being narrower
than the mouth of the opening the said bottom being preferably made square, as
shown although it may be formed round or pointed if so desired. By this diagonal
groove the plastic material by which the laths are covered when fixed upon the
partition or other part enters the groove a and is guided by the inclined side of
the groove a into the recess a where, as it will be readily seen, it is firmly keyed
by the projection a formed by the other inclined or undercut side of the groove
and this of course applies equally to the grooves formed in the sheets also whether
they be formed doubly or singly as in making my grooves or laths the grooves may
be so arranged as to run parallel with each other as shown by Figure 1 or the
grooves may be so formed that each alternate one is reversed in the direction of its
inclination to the next oue as shown by Figures 2 and 4.
The machinery for forming my improved laths and sheets, consists of any con-
veniently formed frame or bed such as B having the bolster mounted thereon
the groove b² corresponding with the outside cross section of the lath being formed
therein. In connection with this bolster I mount either reciprocating arms E
Figures 10 and 11 or their equivalents the plungers El Figures 7 and 8 the former
being pivotted at * and actuated by the cam F and the latter by the eccentric F
in such a manner that the point e² or e³ of the arm or plunger forces the sheet A
into the recesses in the bolster thus forming the diagonal groove in the sheet as
required. The sheets are fed in by the rolls H and H' which by means of any.
well known arrangement such as a pawl and ratchet are provided with an
alternating movement by which the sheets are allowed to remain stationary while the
groove is being formed. The laths may have plain edges or they may be notched
in any suitable form such as shown by Figure 5 in which case the cutter K is
provided to sever the lath while it is still held in the groove by the plunger E' or
reciprocating arm E after which the sheet is withdrawn from the groove in the
bolster by any suitable arrangement such for instance as the bar M Figure 9 which
runs the whole width of the machine and is attached to each end of the
plunger E by the arms m² in such a manner that as the plunger recedes a number
of studs or rods m' which are formed upon the bar M force the grooved part of the
sheet or lath out of the bolster after which in the case of the lath it drops to the
ground in its complete state while in the case of the sheet it is automatically fed
forward until the whole length has been grooved after which it falls upon the
ground complete. In forming the sheets the cutter K would be detached and for
forming the double grooves such as shown at Figure 2 the sheets would be
reversed and passed through a second but similar machine or parts of the machine
may be exchanged which will be well understood by mechanics to adopt the same
method to the sheet in its now altered form. The particular mode of giving
motion to the various parts will depend upon the designer and as to whether the
machine operates in a vertical, diagonal, or horizontal position.
The machinery for making the dovetail lath A Figure 2 in my before mentioned
previous Patent 702 A.D. 1893 will also make my improved lath such for instance
as shown by Figure 12 the rise a' being produced by shaping the top and bottom
feeding rolls B and F which shapes the bottom of the groove before it reaches
the vertical or side rolls K, K. The centre a' of my new lath divides the
plaster and directs it into the two inclined grooves a³ and a and this double lath
may be formed by means of tools as illustrated by Figures 13 and 14 in which the
dividing jaw or split plunger and p² is mounted in the reciprocating plunger P in
such a manner that as the plunger P comes down the points p' of the nose press
the metal A the jaw being opened by the point 6 of the bolster B which causes
the two parts of the jaw to divide and enter the recesses and thus forms the
dovetail or fishtail lath shown by Figure 12. The sides 63 and 6' of the bolster

page_text: may be mounted as slides and made to recede as shown at Figure 13 to enable the
lath to be removed and the jaws are retained in a closed position until opened by
means of the arms p³ and intermediate spring p' or part of the bolster may be so
hinged as to turn over and throw out the lath.
During the formation of the lath the sides 3 and 6 would be partially or wholly
opened as seen at Figure 13 thus allowing the metal to be drawn well down into
the groove after which the sides and close up and finish the undercut side of
the groove in the lath and in some cases the end of the plunger may be solid and
shaped to fit the point 6 of the bolster the sides 6 and being open to allow of
its entrance and afterwards closing in to form the inclined side of the groove as
before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The combination and arrangement of mechanism and parts whereby laths 1
and sheets may be manufactured with inclined grooves all substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth and shown upon the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The new laths and sheets for forming ceilings, floors, partitions, and other
such like purposes having an inclined groove or grooves substantially such as and
for the purpose herein described and shown by Figures 1 to 6.
3rd. The particular laths shown by Figure 12 having the sharp edge a' which
divides the plaster and directs it in two directions as set forth.
4th. In machinery for the manufacture of sheets and laths the mode of and
means for forming the inclined grooves substantially such as and for the purpose
herein set forth and shown by Figures 7 to 11.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.