IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING AND POLISHING AND IN THE MACHINERY: EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crowley, the younger, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING AND
POLISHING AND IN THE MACHINERY: EMPLOYED THEREIN "
Sealed the 27th December 1878, and dated the 27th August 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crowley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1873.
I, JOHN CROWLEY, the younger, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GRINDING AND POLISHING, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
This Invention relates to an improved method of grinding and
polishing, more particularly applicable to shoe heels and tips, and other
articles having either bevilled or convex faces or round edges, and in
the construction of the machinery employed therein,

page_text: In carrying out this Invention I employ a circular grinder of any
suitable material, fixed either vertically or horizontally; but I prefer
it carried on a headstock and gantry, and on one side of the grinder I
fix a bracket carrying a slide, which can be moved to and from the
face of the grinder at the will of the operator by means of a treadle or
springs.
is
On the top of the slide are two bearings carrying a revolving shaft,
and at the end nearest the grinder a pressure plate is fitted to it,
working freely on a "ball" or other universal joint. An adjustable
cam or eccentric, or in preference a carrier with a friction roller,
fitted on the shaft between the first bearing and the pressure plate, so
as to give a rolling motion of variable degree to the pressure plate,
which being flat on the bottom side and resting on the flat top of the
slide does not revolve. The article to be ground being placed between
the pressure plate and the grinder the rolling motion is communicated
to it and every part of the surface is presented to the action of the
grinder.
In grinding the edges of shoe heels and tips or other articles I
prefer to work on the periphery of the grinder, and I use a slide, on
which is mounted a pair of removeable tongs, working on a pivot or pin
and turned round by hand. The article is pressed up to the grinder
by a weight or spring acting on the slide.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Crowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
.the 21st February 1874. *
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CROWLEY, the younger, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Crowley, the younger,

page_text: Her special license that I, the said John Crowley, the younger, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Crowley, the younger, my executors, administrators, or 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 GRINDING AND POLISHING,
AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
O others) that I, the said John Crowley, the younger, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 John Crowley, the younger, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The nature of my said. Invention relates to an improved method of
grinding and polishing certain articles made of metal, such as shoe
5 heels and tips, and other articles which have bevelled or convex faces
or round edges, and in the construction of the machinery employed
.therein.
In carrying out this Invention I employ a circular grinder of any
suitable material, fixed either vertically or horizontally; but I prefer
it carried on a headstock and gantry, and on one side of the grinder I
fix a bracket carrying a slide, which can be moved to and from the
face of the grinder at the will of the operator by means of a treadle or
springs.
On the ton of the slide are two bearings carrying a revolving shaft,
A

page_text: working freely on a "ball" or other universal joint, an adjustable cam
or eccentric, or in preference a carrier with a friction roller, is fitted on
the shaft between the first bearing and the pressure plate, so as to give.
a rolling motion of variable degree to the pressure plate, which being
flat on the bottom side and resting on the flat top of the slide does not 5
revolve. The article to be ground being placed between the pressure.
plate and the grinder the rolling motion is communicated to it and
every part of the surface is presented to the action of the grinder.
In grinding the edges of shoe heels and tips, or other articles, I prefer
to work on the periphery of the grinder, and I use a slide, on which is 10
mounted a pair of removeable tongs working on a pivot or pin and turned
round by hand. The article is pressed up to the grinder by a weight or
spring acting on the slide.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, and
readily carried into operation, I will now proceed more particularly 18
to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the accompanying. Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine, as especially arranged
for grinding or glazing shoe heels, as shown in Figure 2.
20
A is a strong metal bed mounted on the legs B, B, and supporting
the headstock C, the spindle of which carries the revolving emery
wheel, grinder, or glazer D; E, E, is a pillar, bracket, or support,
fixed to the side of the bed, on the top of which is fitted the slide F
and the bracket G, each forming a bearing for the revolving shaft H; 2
on the end of this shaft is fitted (next to the grinder D a pressure or
holding-up plate I, having a rocking motion, the details being shown
and described in Figures 3, 4, and 5. On the other end of the shaft H
is a pulley 1 driven by a belt running from a similar pulley 2 on the
countershaft K, which receives its motion by means of speed pulleys 3
3, 3, from the spindle of the headstock G; L is a weight, which, in
conjunction with the levers M and the slide F, gives the required
presssure on the articles under operation by forcing the pressure plate I
towards the grinder D, the article to be ground being held between
the same. The pressure is taken off by the foot lever N, in connection 3

page_text: with the levers M and slide F, before mentioned; O is a hopper or slide,
down which the finished articles slide into a receiver;
.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the pressure plate I (Figure 1),
showing how it is connected to the shaft H by being made in two parts,
which are afterwards screwed together, as shown in the front view
(Figure 4), in the centre of each of these plates is a concave recess, and
the two when put together correspond in size to the ball end of the
shaft H, thus forming what is usually known as a "ball-and-socket"
joint; there is sufficient play allowed round the neck of the shaft HỒ
to allow of the rolling motion which is imparted to the pressure plate
by the bevilled faced cam P (Figures 3 and 5). This cam is secured to
the shaft by a set screw Q, and revolves with it, the effect being that
when revolving the angle of the bevilled face is constantly changing
its position, and being in contact with the pressure plate I it imparts
a rolling motion to it, the extent of which can be adjusted by altering
the position of the cam lengthwise on the shaft.
r
'
•
Figure 5 shows a plan of using a friction roller a, which may be
employed in place of the cam or eccentric P; it is a small hardened
steel roller, carried by a one-sided boss or arm y, either of cast or
wrought iron, or other metal, revolving with the shaft H, and the
roller x revolves on its own axis by the friction of forcing up the
plate.
'Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7 a side view of the apparatus I adopt
for grinding or glazing the edges of such articles as Figure 2.
'
a and b represent a similar support and slide to E and F, in Figure 1,
but are carried out from the bed A. in a position to face the edge or
périphery of the grinder D. The article to be ground or glazed is held
in a pair of tongs e, having a pin f on the under side, which works freely
in a corresponding hole in the slide b; the pressure is put on by the
weight c, which is attached to the front of the slide by means of a cord
passing over a pulley, shown by dotted lines and is taken off by a
foot lever connected with the cord d. attached to the back of the
slide..
.
mi
claring the face of heal plates shown

page_text: •
"
being started motion is communicated by means of straps or belts and
speed pullies 3, 3, from the headstock to the shaft K, and from that
to the shaft H by means of pullies 1, 2, the revolution of which causing
the rolling motion of the pressure plate I. This is held back from the
face of the grinder by a catch acting on the levers M at the back of
the bed. The machine being in motion and the grinder or glazer D
revolving in the direction of the "arrow," the operator places one of
the heel plates between the pressure plate I and the grinder or glazer D,
and withdrawing the catch the weight L forces the slide F forward
and presses the article against the grinder or glazer D. The tendency
of the latter is to draw the heel plate towards its centre, so that it
works out from the pressure plate I and falls into the hopper O. As
each heel plate leaves the front of the pressure plate the operator inserts
another, which is drawn in in the same manner as the first, and the
machine is then kept at work, the articles constantly passing through
from front to back. The rolling motion of the pressure plate I holds
up every part of the slightly convex face of the heel plate to the surface
of the grinder or glazer D.
.
In grinding or glazing round the edges of the plate, shown in Figure 2,
the operator grips it with the tongs (Figure 7) at that part marked x
(Figure 2), and being drawn against the grinder D. by the weight c
acting on the slide 6 it is swivelled round on the pin by the hand of
the operator, the foot lever or treadle draws back the slide 6 to
release the finished article and insert another, and so the process is
repeated. .
:
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not bind
myself to the precise details, or manner of making the machine hercin
described, as the same may be altered without interfering with the
Invention n; but what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First. The application of a holding up or pressure plate, having a
rolling or rocking motion imparted to it by means of a bevilled cam or
eccentric and ball-and-socket joint, or by means of a friction roller,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.

page_text: Second. The application and use of a pair of tongs mounted on a
moveable slide, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crowley, the younger, have
to this, my Specification, set my hand and seal, the Twenty-
first day of February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.