Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 27th Dec., 1887
I WILLIAM CRAVEN of the firm of Craven Brothers Limited of Vauxhall Ironworks,
Manchester Engineers do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct a machine tool and to so mount and
revolve the cutting tools thereof as to expedite the cutting operation for instance in
the cutting or parting of ingots or large forgings, rising heads and runners from steel
and iron castings and for other analogous purposes.
The improvements more particularly relate to an improved construction and
arrangement of revolving adjustable tool holders consisting in the case of the larger
machine tools of a blade supported at both extremities and in or about the centre of
which the cutting tool is fixed. This blade is capable of being fed up towards its
central axis and by having a pair of these blades mounted opposite each other in
suitable slides upon a revolving face plate and capable of approaching each other on
their respective slides 1 am enabled to effect a deeper cut for the afore mentioned
purposes with greater steadiness and in considerably less time than heretofore.
In the smaller machine tool which is made in a portable form and capable of being
fixed to the casting or forging to be operated upon I employ the same revolving face
plate to carry the adjustable tool holders mounted in slides and capable of advancing
towards each other but in this case the cutting tool itself extends towards the centre
from the slide block or tool holder in which it is suitably clamped.
And in order that this my said invention may be the inore readily understood and car-
ried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed several sheets of drawings illustrative of
my improvements and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the
various Figures and letters of reference marked thereon. Fig. 1 is a side view and
Fig. 2 a plan view (partly in section) of my improved machine tool for cutting
metals. Fig. 3 is a front view (partly in section) of the same machine with the face
plate removed and Fig. 4 is a front view of the face plate and tool holders showing
the cutting tools in position and in the act of cutting a piece of metal.
The machine tool consists of a heavy bed or foundation casting a from which rises
a hollow head-stock band in front of which is bolted a circular frame or casting c

page_text: forming the bearing of a revolving face plate 'd carrying the cutters as hereinafter
described. This face plate d is secured in position upon the circular frame c-as seen
more clearly in Fig. 2.--by means of a flat circular plate e fitting into an annular
recess e behind and bolted through such face plate as illustrated in same view.
Revolving motion is communicated to this face plate d by spur gearing consisting
of a spur pinion d2 keyed upon one extremity of a side shaft and gearing with a
large spur wheel d formed on the back of such face plate. The shaft revolves in
brackets upon the side of the head-stock and is itself driven by a compound lathe
motion or coned speed gear (as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) so affording a change of
speed proportioned to the diameter of the metal requiring to be cut.
The mounting and operation of the cutting tools which form an essential feature in
this invention are more clearly indicated in Fig. 4. I employ a pair of V slides o
affixed upon the face plate d and each carrying a pair of sliding carriers o¹. To one
of each of these carriers is affixed rigidly one extremity of a strong wrought iron or
steel blade or plate p and the other extremity of this blade is so formed and mounted
in the opposite carrier as to be effectually steadied in position but capable of a to and
fro movement in the direction of its length to allow for expansion of the blade p in
case of its becoming heated in the cutting operation.
The carriers o' of these blades are provided with traversing screws q geared together
by bevil gearing r and by bevil gearings to a star wheel t. This star wheel by coming
in contact with a stationary adjustable stud u projecting from the front of the head-
stock as the face plate revolves constitutes a feed motion for gradually and automați-
cally advancing the blades p carrying the cutting tools towards each other. For
preliminary adjustment and for winding back the blades p each extremity of the
shaft o is squared to receive a winch handle.
The cutters or tools are affixed in suitable recesses formed to receive them in the
opposite inner edges of the blades p each tool being secured in position in its recess
by a wedge y being driven in on one side of the cutter (as seen more clearly and on a
larger scale in Fig. 4) the set screw z being for the purpose of adjusting the projection
of the tool.
The forging or casting to be operated upon is fixed in a stationary position in this
my improved machine either by being bolted to one or both of the adjustable brackets
or pedestals g (which have a longitudinal motion along the bed a operated by the
traversing screws g¹ and also a transverse motion for side adjustment) or such forging
or casting can be passed through the hollow head-stock b and be supported upon the
vertically adjustable V block h. This block his capable of being raised or lowered
by means of two pairs of vertical screws h¹ (as seen in plan view Fig. 3) each
provided with worm wheels 2 (and screw nuts) gearing with worms i upon a common
central spindle or shaft and thus capable of being operated simultaneously by a
winch handle or screw key applied to the squared exteremity of such shaft.
When once adjusted in height and so as to bring the forging (for instance as illustrated
by letter in Fig. 4) exactly concentric with the central axis of the machine the
block is secured to the sides of the head-stock by screwing up the clamping nuts k
and the forging itself is clamped in position and prevented turning by the screwing
down upon it the clamping screws l.
The central cross-head m through which a pair of the three sets of clamping
screws pass (as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) is capable of longitudinal adjustinent
upon the top of the head-stock and between the two fixed cross-heads nn so as to suit its
position to the varying lengths of forgings or castings requiring to be cut.
The action of my improved machine tool will be sufficiently apparent from the fore-
going description-revolving motion being imparted in the manner described to the
face plate d the cutting tools gradually approach each other and thus afford
a powerful and steady means of cutting or parting of ingots or large forgings,
rising-heads and runners from steel and iron castings &c.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I illustrate a front and side view respectively of a modification of
my invention forming a portable machine tool capable of being affixed to the forging
or casting to be operated upon. In this case the head-stock A upon which the face

page_text: plate B is mounted is hollow and in the form of a ring so as to be passed over for
instance the forging C and secured thereupon by the four clamping screws D. The
necessary revolving motion is imparted to the face plate B by a worm wheel E at its
back gearing with a worm F upon the driving shaft G and to the speed pulley H of
which latter revolving motion in turn is imparted by a belt or strap from any
convenient motor.
The cutting tools I are carried by single V slides or tool holders from which they
project to about the centre of and at opposite sides of the forging . The traversing
screws K of the tool holders are provided with star wheels Ĺ which as the face
plate B revolves come in contact with the stationary adjustable finger or stud M and
thus the cutters I are gradually and automatically fed up towards each other as the
cutting operation proceeds.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The combination and arrangement of machine tools substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a machine tool the employment of a supporting blade or blades for carrying
the tools mounted and operated substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of November 1887.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.