IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REVERSING REGULATING OR CONTROLLING TH MOTION OF PLANING AND OTHER LIKE MACHINES APPLICABLE ALSO FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE VARYING MOVEMENTS OF SPINNING MACHINEDV AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Percy Ruskin Allen of Salisbury Street Strand in the
{1
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REVERSING REGULATING OR CONTROLLING TH
MOTION OF PLANING AND OTHER LIKE MACHINES APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE VARYING MOVEMENTS OF SPINNING
MACHINEDV AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Percy Ruskin Allen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1883.
PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN of Salisbury Street Strand in the County of Middlesex
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REVERSING REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE MOTION OF PLANING AND OTHER LIKE MACHINES, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE VARYING MOVEMENTS OF SPINNING
MACHINERY AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates principally to controlling and actuating the feed and
reversing motion of machine tools but is also partly applicable to other cases in
which a variable feeding motion has to be imparted to certain portions of the
mechanism as in self acting mules embroidering machines or the like.
In carrying out one portion of my Invention I actuate my reversing or feed motions
by means of clutches or their equivalents controlled by electro magnets which are
magnetized by currents of electricity being sent through them at determined times
the period during which these magnets are magnetized is determined by the
passage of a style brush, roller or its equivalent over a pattern or representation
of the object which is being operated upon by the tool. The pattern may be of
insulating substance and the surface on which it is laid or developed, preferably a
flat surface or a drum may be a conductor so that the magnets become magnetized
only when the style presses on to the drum, or the pattern may be a conductor and
the surface of the drum or its equivalent a non-conductor; in this case the magnets
Prine RJ1

page_text: become magnetized while the style is on the pattern. In the case of planing or
shaping machines where very irregular lengths of surface have to be planed a
pattern is traced or copied from the drawing of the article and placed on the
surface of the drum this Copy being somewhat longer than the actual length to be
planed to allow time for the reversing at both ends of the stroke. The drum may
be so arranged to turn that the surface speed of the druin corresponds to the travel
of the tool so that as the tool is fed across relatively to the work the style is fed
across relatively to the surface of the drum. The style is attached to the moving
part of the machine, in the case of a planing machine, to the table or in the case of
a shaping or slotting machine to the ram and partakes of the saine movement.
When the machine is started the style passes across the pattern; while it is on the
pattern the cutting tool continues to move but when the style reaches the surface
of the drum a detector electromagnet is magnetized and actuates a clutch running
on a small spindle and reverses the action of the machine. To prevent sparking
and deterioration of the pattern I prefer to make the current passing through the
detector magnet very feeble and cause the detector magnet to actuate a relay which
controls a current of greater strength and magnetizes a more powerful magnet.
When the operation of reversing the machine has been completed I cause the
circuit of this magnet to be interrupted I may cause it to be interrupted by the
reversing mechanism itself and I also in some cases interrupt the detector circuit
simultaneously so that no sparking occurs when the style again gets on the
insulating surface. Instead of reversing the action of the machine by means of an
electromagnet actuating a clutch on a running shaft or such means, I may employ
a small motor which starts and stops in obedience to the detector magnet and
therefore in accordance with the position of the style on the drum. I may drive
the machine by means of an electro motor itself and in this case I cause the
detector magnet with its attendant apparatus to reverse or stop the electro motor
itself it will be understood that what has been said heretofore with regard to
reversing the motion of the machine applies equally well to simply stopping the
motion of the machine.
I also employ sometimes a clock and chronographic apparatus in the foreman's
office which has marking styles attached to small chronographs which chronographs
are actuated simultaneously with the detector magnet, thus a continuous record is
kept in the foreman's office of the performances of the tools and a bell may be
arranged so as to ring when the cutting action has attained a certain point so as to
signify the fact that the machine has either stopped or requires attention, in other
ways. A train of wheels like a gas meter may also be employed in connection
with this recording apparatus, these wheels recording either the longth of material
planed or the time consumed on each job, thus affording facilities and checks for
arriving at the prime cost.
In cases where it is necessary to cause the tool to cut at different levels, such
as often occurs in planing or shaping frame sides and the like, I arrange the
pattern so that the cutting movement is temporarily thrown out of gear when the
style reaches a certain place on the pattern and the same action which stops
the cutting movement throws into gear a motion which raises or lowers the tool,
as the case may be, in the position for the new cut, the amount the tool is raised or
lowered may be determined by a separate pattern drum which acts in a similar
way to the one that controls the length of cut or one drum may be made to serve
for both purposes, two styles being employed one to control the length of cut, the
other the height of the tool. A similar movement may be employed to angle the
tool holder, to actuate an arrangement of capstan heads so that several tools may
be brought into action one with the other at the required time.--In such planing
shaping and slotting machines as do not cut on the back stroke I may employ the
reversal of movement which takes place when the cutting action ceases to lift the
tool box and apron, by means of an electric current which is diverted to a suitable
magnetic arrangement on the saddle or end of the ram and in those machines in
which the same tool is used to cut both ways such as in the arrangement known

page_text: as the "Jim Crow" tool box used in some planing machines, I may cause the
reversal of the tool box to be caused by suitable electro magnetic means at each
moment of reversing.
Another part of my Invention relates to the use of insulated patterns and
contact drums or contact patterns and insulated drums similar to those already
described for simultaneously controlling the several feed motions of machine tools
for operating upon curved surfaces. In a case like this I employ two styles, one
controlling the longitudinal feed and the other the transverse feed by causing the
relative rate of these feed motions to vary, the one with the other. The point of
the tool may be feed into its work in any desired curve. When circumstances
render it necessary to keep the point of the tool normal to the work, a third style
and third contact pattern or a combination of the movement produced by the two
styles may be employed to effect this. This arrangement for controlling the feed
motion of the tools may be employed either separately or in combination with the
arrangement hereinbefore described for controlling the length of cut and thus the
feed controlling apparatus may be made to indicate in the foreman's office in the
way herein before described.
This arrangement of pattern drums besides being applicable to controlling the
traversing motions of numerous forms of iron working machinery such as automatic
punching, milling drilling, slot drilling, boring, tapping, emery planing machines
and lathes is also applicable to wood working machinery such as gaining routing
and morticing machinery and is likewise applicable to stone planing machinery and
the combination of the two movements of the styles at right angles relatively to
one another across the pattern drum or plane surface is applicable to those
embroidery machines in which the fabric to be embroidered is moved in front of
the needles, with the combined horizontal and vertical motion to suit the curves of
the pattern.
Another method of carrying out my Invention is to insulate the cutting tool
itself and cause that to be connected to one pole of the source of electricity while
the work being operated upon is connected to the other polo then while the tool is
cutting the circuit is completed by means of the detector magnet and the clutch is
kept in gear but the instant the tool leaves the metal the circuit is broken and the
machine reversed. Instead of using the tool itself a little insulated brush attached
to the same tool holder may be employed and caused to operate in a similar
manner. Where it is necessary to continue the cut over a vacant space the
continuity of the circuit may be preserved by filling up the space with some
substance which is a conductor of electricity such for example as iron filings or
this arrangement may be used in combination with the contact drum method, the
continuity of the circuit then being obtained by causing the style or brush or
roller or their equivalents to pass over the conducting portion of the drum while
the metal is passing over the space the style moving on to the insulating portions
of the drum when the tool again enters the metal
As applied to control the action of self regulating mules I use a contact drum
with an enlarged developement of the cop fixed thereon and causing this to control
the locking and unlocking of the fallers by means of suitable contact style brushes
rollers or their equivalents and detector magnets. A similar arrangement may also
be employed for controlling the self acting nosing motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Percy Ruskin Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th October 1883.
PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN of Salisbury Street Strand in the County of Middlesex
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR REVERSING REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING THE MOTION OF PLANING AND OTHER LIKE MACHINES APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE VARYING MOVEMENTS OF SPINNING
MACHINERY AND FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES.
"
My Invention relates principally to controlling and actuating the feed and
reversing the motion of machine tools but is also partly applicable to other cases
in which a variable feeding motion has to be imparted to certain portions of the
mechanism as in self-acting mules embroidering machines or the like.
In carrying out one portion of my Invention, I actuate the reversing or feed
motions by means of clutches or their equivalents controlled by electro magnets
which are magnetised by currents of electricity being sent through them at
determined times, The period during which these magnets are magnetised is
determined by the passage of a style brush roller or its equivalent over a pattern
or representation or template of the object which is being operated upon by the
tool. The pattern may be of insulating substance and the surface on which it is
laid or developed, (preferably a flat surface or a drum) may be a conductor so that
the magnets become magnetised only when the style presses on to the drum, or the
pattern may be a conductor and the surface of the drum or its equivalent a non
conductor; in this case the magnets become magnetized while the style is on the
pattern. In the case of planing or shaping machines, where very irregular lengths
of surface have to be planed, a pattern is traced or copied from the drawing of
the article and placed on the surface of the drum, this copy being somewhat
longer than the actual length to be planed to allow time for the reversing at both
ends of the stroke. The drum may be so arranged to turn, that the surface speed
of the drum corresponds to the travel of the tool so that as the tool is fed across
relatively to the work the style is fed across relatively to the surface of the drum.
The style is attached to the moving part of the machine; in the case of a planing
machine to the table, or in the case of a shaping or slotting machine, to the ram,
and partakes of the same movement. When the machine is started the style passes
across the pattern, while it is on the pattern the cutting tool continues to move
but when the style reaches the surface of the drum, a detector electromagnet is
magnetised and actuates a clutch running on a small spindle and reverses the
action of the machine. To prevent sparking and deterioration of the pattern I
prefer to make the current passing through the detector magnet very feeble and
cause the detector magnet to actuate a relay, which controls a current of greater
strength and magnetizes a more powerful magnet. When the operation of reversing
the machine has been completed I causo the circuit of this magnet to be interrupted
I may cause it to be interrupted by the reversing mechanism itself and I may also
in some cases interrupt the detector circuit simultaneously so that no sparking
occurs when the style again gets on the insulating surface. Instead of reversing
the action of the machine by means of an electro magnet actuating a clutch on a
running shaft (or such like means) I may employ a small motor which starts and
stops in obedience to the detector magnet and therefore in accordance with the
position of the style on the drum. I may drive the machine by means of an
electro motor itself and in this case I cause the detector magnet with its attendant
apparatus to reverse or stop the electromotor itself, it will be understood that what
has been said heretofore with regard to reversing the motion of the machine applies
equally well to simply stopping the motion of the machine,

page_text: I also employ sometimes, a clock and chronographic apparatus in the foreman's
office which has marking styles attached to small chronographs which chronographs
are actuated simultaneously with the detector magnet thus a continuous record is
kept in the foreman's office of the performances of the tools and a bell may be
arranged so as to ring when the cutting action has attained a certain point so as
to signify the fact that the machine has either stopped or requires attention in
other ways. A train of wheels like a gas meter may also be employed in connection
with this recording apparatus, these wheels recording either the length of material
planed or the time consumed on each job thus affording facilities and checks for
arriving at the prime cost.
In cases where it is necessary to cause the tool to cut at different levels such as
often occurs in planing or shaping frame-sides and the like I arrange the pattern
so that the cutting movement is temporarily thrown out of gear when the style
reaches a certain place on the pattern and the same action which stops the cutting
movement throws into gear a motion which raises or lowers the tool as the case
may be in the position for the new cut the amount the tool is raised or lowered
may be determined by a separate pattern drum which acts in a similar way to the
one that controls the length of cut or one drum may be made to serve for both
purposes, two styles being employed one to control the length of cut the other tho
height of the tool, A similar movement may be employed to angle the tool holder
to actuate an arrangement of capstan heads so that several tools may be brought
into action one with the other at the required time. In such planing shaping and
slotting machines as do not cut on the back stroke I may employ the reversal of
movement which takes place, when the cutting action ceases to lift the tool box
and apron by means of an electric current which is diverted to a suitable magnetic
arrangement on the saddle or end of the ram and in those machines in which the
same tool is used to cut both ways such as in the arrangement known as the
"Jim Crow " tool box used in some planing machines I may cause the reversal of
the tool box to be caused by suitable electro magnetic means at each moment of
reversing.
Another part of my Invention relates to the use of insulated patterns and
contact druins or contact patterns and insulated drums similar to those already
described for simultaneously controlling the reversal feed motions of machine tools
for operating upon curved surfaces. In a case like this I employ two styles one,
controlling the longitudinal feed and the other the transverse feed by causing the
relative rate of these feed motions to vary the one with the other. The point of
the tool may be fed to its work in any desired curve. When circumstances render
it necessary to keep the point of the tool normal to the work a third style and
third contact pattern or a combination of the movement produced by the two
styles may be employed to effect this. This arrangement for controlling the feed
motion of the tools may be employed either separately or in combination with the
arrangement herein before described for controlling the length of cut and this the
feed controlling apparatus may be made to indicate in the foreman's office in the
way herein before described.
"
This arrangement of pattern drums besides being applicable to controlling the
traversing motions of numerous forms of ironworking machinery such as automatic
punching milling drilling, slot-drilling, boring, tapping, emery planing machines,
and lathes, is also applicable to wood working machinery such as 'gaining,"
routing and morticing machinery and is likewise applicable to stone planing
machinery and the combination of the two movements of the styles at right angles
relatively to one another across the pattern drum or plane surface is applicable to
those embroidery machines in which the fabric to be embroidered is moved in front
of the needles with the combined horizontal and vertical motion to suit the curves
of the pattern.
Another method of carrying out my Invention is to insulate the cutting tool
itself and cause that to be connected to one pole of the source of electricity while
the work being operated upon is connected to the other pole then while the tool is

page_text: cutting the circuit is completed by means of the detector magnet and the clutch is
kept in gear but the instant the tool leaves the metal the circuit is broken and the
machine reversed. Instead of using the tool itself a little insulated, brush attached
to the same tool holder may be employed and caused to operate in a similar
manner. Where it is necessary to continue the cut over a vacant space the
continuity of the circuit may be preserved by filling up the space with some
substance which is a conductor of electricity such for example as iron filings or this
arrangement may be used in combination with the contact drum method the
continuity of the circuit then being obtained by causing the style or brush or roller
or their equivalents to pass over the conducting portion of the drum while the
metal is passing over the space the style moving over the insulating portions of
the drum when the tool again comes into action.
As applied to control the action of self-acting mules I use a contact drum with
an enlarged developement of the cop fixed thereon and causing this to control the
locking and unlocking of the fallers by means of suitable contact styles brushes
rollers or their equivalents and detector magnets A similar arrangement may also
be employed for controlling the self acting nosing motion.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation of a planing machine
provided with mechanism for reversing the motion of the table according to my
Invention. Figure 3 is a plan of the table shewing an article to be planed fixed
thereon and Figure 4 is a developement of the pattern roller a carrying the
pattern 6 for operating the electro magnetic arrangements at the proper times.
Figures 5. 6 and 7 are diagrams of means for electrically operating the reversing
mechanism,
A metallic runner c bears upon the metal roller a carrying the insulating
pattern b or representation of the article to be operated upon the said roller a is
mounted in bearings on the side of the machine so as to be capable of revolving on
its axis to bring a fresh portion of its periphery under the runuer c at each stroke
of the tool This is shewn as being effected by means of a cord & connected to the
tool carrier or saddle c. The runner c is carried by the table f upon which the
article g to be planed is fixed to be operated upon by the cutting tool in the
usual manner. When the machine is at work the runner c moving with the
table travels along the pattern roller a over the insulating pattern 6 and during
the time that the runner is in contact with the pattern b will continue to move in
the samo direction but as soon as the runner leaves the pattern and comes into
contact with the metal surface of the roller a an electric circuit will be established
from the source of electricity
P
I have shewn two circuits a fine one to the relay magnet i and a thick one to
the magnet for the purpose of preventing the necessity for a strong current
passage through the roller a and runner c The electric circuit on being established
will cause the magnet i to close the circuit of the magnet 7 by attracting the
armature j to cause it to make contact with the contact piece k and pass a current
through the magnet which becoming excited attracts its armature m the outer
end of which engages with a clutch n caused to rotate with the wheel >> which is
constantly driven by means of the cord p³ from any suitable source of motion.
The clutch when the lever m is operated engages with the clutch box q thereby
causing a crank disc q' to be partially rotated so as to cause the belt shifter to
shift the belt to the pulley for the reverse motion. The table then runs in the
opposite direction and continues to do so until the runner has passed over the
pattern and makes contact again with the metal of the roller a at the opposite side
when reversal again takes place. Where this arrangement of mechanism is used it
is necessary to prevent the crank disc from q' moving too far A method of
accomplishing this is shewn in the drawing consisting of an electro-magnet r

page_text: placed in the same circuit as the relay magnet. i so that when the circuit of the
relay is completed by the runner c the electro-magnet r attracts an armature 1
which has a projection on it which engages with notches q³ in the disc q¹ to stop
it in the required position. When the circuit is broken the lever is pulled out
of the notch by a retractile spring a small dash-pot being attached to the
lever so as to permit it only to move slowly when attracted by the magnet.
Thus while the table is running and the belt shifting mechanism is at rest the
lever is disengaged from the notch which stands opposite it but when reversal
takes place and the relay circuit is closed the magnet attracts the lever but the
dash pot causing it to move slowly prevents it coming into contact with the disc
until the disc has turned sufficiently far to remove the notch. The magnet then
keeps the lever pressing against the disc and when the next notch of the disc comes
into position the projection on the lever enters the said notch and stops further
movement even although the clutch be still in gear
Figure 6 represents a modified arrangement for actuating the belt shifting
mechanism In this case the electric current passes through a magnet 7 which is
fixed to and moves with the table f-Its armature m has a clamp s attached to it
and so arranged that when the armature m is attracted by the magnet the said
clamp & grips a rod or bar tand causes the movement of the table to shift the strap-
Figure 7 shews a modification wherein two runners c c' are used to complete the
circuit through two magnets which operate directly upon the belt shifting
mechanism The runners c c¹ are separated slightly from one another so that at
each end of the stroke only one end comes in contact with the roller a Thus the
current is only sent to one magnet and by attracting one or the other of the cores
shifts the fork to the required position for reversing-When both runners c c¹ are
on the pattern b the circuits through both magnets are broken but the belt fork is
retained in position by weights springs or other suitable devices-In this
modification the distance between the two runners will necessitate a corresponding
increase in the length of the pattern
Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the application of the arrangement to the case
where the planing has to be effected only at intervals say at y y' and y² tho parts
at being unoperated upon―The pattern roller a for this purpose has insulating
portions yy and y corresponding with the parts of the metal to be planed so that
when the runner c is in contact with the said portions y y' y³ the machine is
driven by the slow running pulley 1 but when the said runner c³ gets on to the
metal of the roller a between the insulated portions an electric circuit is completed
through a magnet which moves a lever and shifts a clutch 2 from the slow
pulley 1 to the pulley 2 running at a greater speed-Although I have shewn a
clutch it will be understood that any other shifting mechanism may be used-The
arrangement for the reversal at the end of the stroke may be like that hereinbefore
described or the reversal may be effected by ordinary stop mechanism-In Figure 8
I have shown the pattern as smaller than the work the motion being correspondingly
reduced and it should be understood that in cases where great accuracy is required
the pattern may be made larger than the work and the motion correspondingly
increased.
D
Figures 9 and 10 represent in views at right angles to each other the herein-
before mentioned clock arrangement for the Foreman's Office or other place-The
clock A acts upon a spindle B so as to turn a series of wheels C to unwind paper
from rolls The paper passes near to marking instruments E which are controlled
by electro magnets F energised when the machines are cutting so that the marking
instrument remains off the paper when the tool is not operating. As the paper is
unrolled at a fixed speed by the clock a comparison of the lines and blank spaces
in a given length will indicate the times during which the machine was out of, and
in, operation-The movement of the armatures of the magnets F may also be used
to put into gear a counting mechanism as shewn at G Figure 9 and thus record
the number of operations of the magnet I have shewn three mechanisms
arranged as herein before described operated by one clock but one or more may

page_text: be used as required This arrangement may it will be evident be applied for
checking the operation of many kinds of machinery to indicate the times at which
they are in or out of operation
Figures 11 12 and 13 shew an arrangement of pattern drum applied to a shaping
machine In this case it is most convenient to cause the pattern or template
drum a to move along with the saddle H and to cause it to rotate in the same
proportion as the tool is fed along I affix a toothed wheel I at one end which is
caused to engage with a rack J fixed to the bed K. The diameter of the pitch
line of this toothed wheel I is the same as the diameter of the template drum a so
that the runner c travels over the drum in the same proportion that the tool
travels over the work-The action of the contact mechanism is substantially the
same as that herein before described and the reversing of the stroke may be made
to take place by any convenient means I have shewn one method applied to a
shaping machino constructed as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No 1140 granted to me is of the 2nd day of March One thousand eight hundred and
eighty three.
Where I arrange the machine to be operated by the passage of the current
through the tool and the work whilst they are in contact I may connect the wires
from the electric generator so that the said tool and work form part of the circuit
in which are magnets which attract their armatures to retain the parts in position
instead of to release them as herein before described-When the tool leaves the
work the circuit will be broken and the magnets will release their armatures and
allow weights or springs to reverse the motion of the machine-A relay may be
intervened after the manner shewn in Figure 5 to prevent the necessity for a
strong current passing through the work
It will be evident from the foregoing description that the arrangements may be
applied to machines capable of being similarly controlled
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is
First. The improvements in means or apparatus for reversing regulating or
controlling the motion of planing and other like or analogous machines consisting
in the combination or use with the said machines of means for causing the said
reversal regulation or control to be effected automatically by electricity substantially
as herein before described
Second-The use with planing or other like or analogous machines of a
pattern roller or template which is made up of conducting and nonconducting
parts so shaped or arranged as to complete an olectric circuit for reversing
regulating or controlling the motions of the machines substantially as described.
Third The several arrangements of mechanism as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the several figures of the accompanying
drawings
Fourth-The arrangement for recording the movements of machines herbinbefore
described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings
whether the same be used with or without the counting arrangement
In witness whereof I the said Percy Ruskin Allen have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this thirteenth day of March One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three