AN IMPROVED MODE AND AP- PARATUS FOR FORMING DOWEL JOINTS FOR CONNECTING BOARDS FOR FLOOR- ING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Lascelles, of Bunhill Row, in the County
of Middlesex, Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE AND AP-
PARATUS FOR FORMING DOWEL JOINTS FOR CONNECTING BOARDS FOR FLOOR-
ING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 22nd July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Lascelles at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY LASCELLES, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Builder. "AN IMPROVED MODE AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING DOWEL JOINTS
FOR CONNECTING BOARDS FOR FLOORING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
The object of this Invention is to secure together flooring and other boards by
means of dowels in a more convenient, cheaper, and more expeditious manner than
heretofore.
To this end instead of the round holes and cylindrical pins usually employed for
such purposes I make in the edges of the boards half diamond shaped sockets, into
which one of the angles of a square shaped dowel are driven in such a manner that
one half of the dowel is sunk in the edge of the board, leaving the other half to
project beyond. A board thus prepared having been secured in situ another with
similar half diamond shaped holes is brought up against it, and driven on to the
triangular projecting dowels of the fixed board. Each board is provided at the one
edge with half diamond shaped sockets, and at the other with the projecting
triangular shaped dowels, and as the possession of these dowels and sockets is
arranged with great accuracy the boards can be laid in succession with great
facility and rapidity. The positions of the half diamond shaped sockets may be
accurately pricked off on the edges of the boards, and the sockets afterwards made
by punching with a suitably shaped tool, but I prefer to make the sockets by means
of a machine or apparatus specially provided for the purpose.
This machine or apparatus consists principally of a pair of star shaped wheels
provided on their edges with a series of triangular-shaped steel punches arranged
radially round their peripheries at equal distances apart.
These star wheels are
arranged the proper distance apart (that is the width of a flooring board), and
when the latter is pushed between them it will be nipped by the punches, which will
make the half diamond shaped sockets in both edges of the board simultaneously.
Price Gid.l

page_text: The star wheels are geared accurately together by means of toothed gearing so that
they rotate in unison as the board passes through the machine.
Although the Invention is specially applicable for flooring boards it may with
advantage be applied for connecting together boards by their edges for other
purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Henry Lascelles in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 22nd
January 1877.
WILLIAM HENRY LASCELLES, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Builder. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING DOWEL JOINTS
FOR CONNECTING. BOARDS FOR FLOORING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
The object of this Invention is to secure together flooring and other boards by
means of dowels in a more convenient, cheaper, and more expeditious manner than
heretofore.
To this end instead of the round holes and cylindrical pins usually employed for
such purposes, I make in the edges of the boards triangular or half diamond-shaped
sockets into, which one of the angles of square or diamond shaped dowels are driven
in such a manner that one half of the dowel is sunk in the edge of the board,
leaving the other half to project beyond.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in plan a short piece of parquet
flooring board prepared with the triangular shaped sockets at their edges, as shown
by dots at a, a. Into these triangular sockets are inserted the diamond shaped
dowels b, b, which may be made of any hard wood, or of metal if preferred.
A board thus prepared having been secured in situ, another with similar tri-
angular or half diamond shaped holes or sockets a, a, is brought up against it,
and driven on to the triangular projecting dowels b, b, of the fixed board. Each
board is provided at the one edge with the triangular or half diamond shaped sockets,
and at the other with the projecting triangular shaped dowels b, b, and as the
positions of these dowels and sockets are arranged with great accuracy, the boards
can be laid in succession with great facility and rapidity, and thus produce a floor
such as that shown in plan at Fig. 2, and in section at Fig. 3. The boards having
been placed in situ on the flooring joist or other support, may be secured thereon
in the ordinary manner, or in any other convenient and suitable manner.
positions of the half diamond-shaped sockets a, a, may be accurately pricked off
on the edges of the boards, and the sockets afterwards made by punching with a
suitably shaped tool, but I prefer to make the sockets by means of a machine or
apparatus specially provided for the purpose.
The
At Fig. 4 I have shown the working parts of this machine or apparatus, which
consists principally of a pair of star shaped wheels c, c, provided on their edges
with a series of triangular shaped steel punches d, d, arranged radially around
their peripheries at equal distances apart. These star wheels c, c, are arranged
the proper distance apart (that is, the exact width of a flooring board e), and
when the latter is pushed between them it will be nipped by the punches d, d,
which will make the half diamond shaped sockets in both edges of the board simul-
taneously. The star wheels c, c, are geared accurately together by means of toothed
gearing (not shown in the Drawing) so that they will rotate in unison as the
board e passes through the machine. The star wheels c, c, may be arranged either
borizontally or vertically. If they are placed horizontally a table will be sufficient
to support the flooring boards e while under operation and passing through the
machine, but if the star wheels are arranged vertically one above the other then the
lower wheel will project up through a slot or opening made in the table for the
purpose, and the board will be supported in a vertical position by means of a
suitable fence as in some kinds of sawing machinery. The bearings of the star

page_text: wheels may be adjustable if required so as to admit of their operating upon boards
of different widths, toothed wheels of suitable diameters being employed to gear
the star wheels together, the diameters of such toothed wheels depending upon
the distance the axles of the star wheels are from each other. I would here observe
that although I prefer to make the dowels of a diamond or square shape as shewn
in the Drawing, they may be made in the form of a circular, oval, or other shaped
disc, provided sockets of suitable shape be prepared in the edges of the boards to
receive such circular, oval, or other shaped dowels.
Although the Invention is specially applicable for joining flooring boards, it may
with advantage be applied for connecting together boards by their edges for other
purposes.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Mode of and Apparatus
for forming Dowel Joints for connecting Boards for Flooring and other Purposes,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim, as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. Connecting flooring and other boards together by means of dowels of
square, circular, oval, or other shaped discs which are received in suitably shaped
sockets made in the edges of the boards for the purpose as herein set forth.
Second. I claim forming in the edges of flooring and other boards triangular,
semicircular, or other narrow sockets for the reception of suitably shaped dowels by
means of a pair of wheels properly geared together, the peripheries of which wheels
are provided with punches of suitable shape as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Lascelles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
W. H. LASCELLES. (L.S.)