IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING AND MOULDING PLASTIC SUBSTANCES, AND THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HUNT, of Stratford-le-Bow, in the County of Essex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Hunt, my exors, admors,
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Hunt, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said John Hunt, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING AND MOULDING
PLASTIC SUBSTANCES, AND THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John
Hunt, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and

page_text: immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereto had, will fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Hunt, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the statement following, that is to say :-
My Invention relates, firstly, to combining, constructing, and arranging a
machine or machines for the purposes of compressing gutta percha or any
other similar plastic substance, by means of pistons working on cylinders
charged with the ingredient, and furnished with steam jackets or casings, to
maintain a proper temperature for the effectually working and using the
plastic substance, which substance is forced by pistons alternately to keep up
a continuous supply into and through a chamber piece bolted or screwed
on to the bottom ends of the cylinders, which chamber piece is furnished
with two cocks, one from each cylinder, alternately open and shut, as
the plastic substance may be alternately forced from one cylinder and the
other through the said cocks, and through hollow cores or rings seated or
fixed in the said chamber piece, from which the gutta percha or other plastic
substance is made to exude into and about moulds or forms for the purpose of
making continuous tubing, or covering or coating wires, or for producing
mouldings or beadings, &c., as may be required, or for any other purpose, and
this I do by the means herein-after described.
The second part of my Invention relates to a machine for producing pattern
moulds, for the purpose of casting into or compressing plastic substances, the
more especially for the making, forming, and producing bevil gearing of small
diameter from the said plastic substances, and this I do by the means herein-
after described.
The third part of my Invention relates to a method of forming bevil wheels
and pinions.
The fourth and last part of my Invention relates to the forming and
moulding plastic substances by means of such pattern moulds, and this I do
by the means herein-after described.
Drawing No. 1, Figure 1, represents a plan of the machine herein-before
mentioned or referred to as the first part of my Invention, and which machine
is represented partly in section, for the purpose of compressing and forcing
gutta percha (or other similar plastic substances) through cylinders, by means
of pistons set in motion and worked by the requisite machinery. The two
cylinders A, A, with the driving gear, are supported by the framing G, G.
The cylinders (one of which is shewn in section) are furnished with outer

page_text: cylinders forming steam chambers or jackets B, B, to regulate the tem-
perature. The internal cylinders are charged with the plastic substance which
is operated upon alternately by the two pistons C, C; the lower ends of these
cylinders as shewn (part in section) are furnished with a chamber piece D,
(which has also a steam jacket D, d.) connecting the two cylinders, into
which chamber piece the plastic substance is alternately forced, first from one
cylinder and then from the other, thereby keeping up a continuous flow or feed
of the plastic substance through the two cocks E, E, which are opened or shut
as the respective pistons descend. The chamber piece D terminates with a
single opening D, b, so as to receive collars, rings, or conical pieces, as shewn
in Fig. 2, at F, F, through which the plastic substanco is forced for the
purpose of producing tubing, and covering wires in continuous lengths, or for
other purposes. To the pistons C, C, are attached the screw or piston rods
J, J, each of which screw rods passes through a female screw cut in a worm
wheel K, a, Fig. 3, which is driven by the endless screw K, Fig. 1. At the
end of each of the screw rods opposite to the pistons is a cog wheel H; this
cog wheel is placed in a framework (1, 2), so that it can be driven by the two
pinions H, H; this framework is supported by the two rods II, 3, II, 3, passing
through the centre of the two pinions H, 1, H, 1, so as to permit the cog
wheels, pinions, and framework to slide along such rods, each of which pinions
is furnished with a feather, which fits in a groove cut in the rods I, 3, H, 3,
so as to cause the pinions to revolve with the rods, which have a rotatory
motion on their own axes, and are set in motion by the spur wheels
H, 4, H, 4, which are acted upon by the bevel gearing II, 5, II, 5, II, 5, and
driven by the drum wheel H, h. The pistons are propelled in the first portion
of their stroke or course until they arrive at the mouth of the cylinder A, by
motion being given by the spur and bevel gearing and drum wheels II, h,
being thrown into gear by the lever II, a, acting upon the clutch on the
driving shaft, and which afterwards, by being reversed, is used to bring back
the piston to its original position, the lever X acting upon and reversing the
clutch lever H, a. When the piston has been screwed to the mouth of the
cylinder, the wheels and bevel gearing H, 5, H, 5, are thrown out of
gear, and the piston is forced into the cylinder by means of a screw nut or
female screw cut in the worm wheel K, a, Fig. 3, driven by the worms or
endless screws fixed or cut on the shaft K, b, the clutch M, 1, being
thrown into gear by the lever M. When the piston is allowed to enter the
cylinder sufficiently to drive out a small portion of the plastic substance,
though the air cock W, to expel any air which might have acccumulated in
the cylinder or chamber piece, the clutch M, i, is then again thrown out of

page_text: gear ready to continue the operation as soon as the opposite cynnder nas
discharged its contents of plastic substance, when it is again thrown into gear,
and the continuous supply of plastic substance through the chamber piece is
kept up. In the passage of the pistons with screw rods, carriage pieces, and
gearing towards and into the cylinders, the projecting pieces or tappet N (one
of which is only shewn) is brought in contact with the rod O, made to com-
municate with rod P, which acts upon and compresses a spiral spring within a
cylindrical case or box Q, which works through and is supported by the
bracket pieces R, R, which are fixed or bolted upon either the frames or the
cylinders, to the end of which cylindrical case or box is attached a rack S,
which is released as the piston arrives at or about the full extent of its stroke
or course at the extremity of the cylinder, when the spiral spring with its
accumulated force acts upon and propels the rack to open and shut the
cocks E, E, (which are shewn at half stroke or half open) by means of the
quadrants T, T, fixed upon the axle T, 1, to which is attached the quadrants
T, 2, T, 2, working into other quadrants T, 3, T, 3, fixed on the keys or barrels
of the cocks E, E, for the purpose of opening one cock whilst shutting the
other cock in that portion of the chamber piece leading from cylinder last in
operation, and for opening the opposite cock leading from the cylinder, which
in the interval has been charged with plastic substance ready for the next
operation for carrying out the process by a continuous supply to and through
the chamber piece D simultaneously with the opening and shutting of the
cock E, E, by the means of other quadrants fixed on the same (one, shewn at
V, opening and shutting the air cock W, by means of bevel gearing). The air
cock W is shut whilst a correspondent quadrant on the opposite side opens an air
cock similarly placed on the chamber piece D to admit the easy return of the
piston by destroying the vacuum which would otherwise take place. This
cylinder is then again charged during the operation of the other or opposite
cylinder by which the continuous action is kept up. In describing the means
with the appurtenances for opening and shutting the cocks by the compression of
the spiral spring, it must be understood that both the frames, with the cylinders
and gearing, must be furnished with the same description of apparatus which
acts alternately as the respective pistons, &c. are set in motion.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the frame, to which the reference, letters, and
figures of the plan also correspond, so far as necessary, and also shewing
part of the worm wheel K, a, into which the screw nut is fixed, and
which worm wheel is driven by the endless screw on the shaft of axle K, b.
The second part of my Invention consists in a machine for cutting
moulds in metal or other hard substances in which any suitable plastic

page_text: substance can be pressed. Part of the machine is similar to Nasmyth's
shaping machine. At a suitable distance from the toolholder in a machine
similar to Nasmyth's machine are fixed two plummer blocks A, a, A, a,
to receive the curved shaft A (which is made of cast iron), so as to
permit its moving on its axis, through the centre of which curved shaft
a socket or cylindrical piece is accurately bored out to admit of a gun metal
socket B to move freely in the socket of the shaft A. To the socket B is
attached a wrought-iron piece C, firmly fixed on the socket B, B, one end with
a slot C, a, to receive a joint D, a, in which is inserted an elastic piece of
steel D, furnished at the other end with a point to be applied to the holes in
the divisions plate E, the screw F serving to move the joint in the slot, either
withdrawing or extending to regulate the division point D, a, and thereby to
regulate the position of the wheel to be operated upon. The division plate E
is firmly fixed on the steel arbor H, which passes through the gun-metal
socket B, and carries the mould or wheel J, o, J, o, to be cut. The other
end of the wrought-iron piece C is terminated with a radius passing through
the forked lever J, which can be set to regulate the wheel or mould J, o, J, o,
to any required angle. The forked end of the lever J at J, a, J, a, is con-
nected to the gun-metal socket B by studs or trunnions K, a, K, a, forming a
joint giving a side motion to the mould or wheel to be cut equal to a propor-
tional guide cog or pin K, placed in a situation in the lever J corresponding to
the length of the cog to be cut. The guide cog or pin K is kept in contact with
the steel edge L (which can be set to any point along the grooves in the bed-
plate L, a,) by a spiral spring M, one end of which being attached to the to
the end of the lever J, and the other to a stud or joint M, a, on the bed-
plate L, a, which allows the guide cog or pin K to move down the steel
edge L, and to move sideways to the curves of the guide cog or pin K, or the
shaft A. At one end is fixed a toothed section or quadrant N, working into
gear with the endless screw N, a, which is put in motion by the mitre wheels
N, o, N, o, driven by the shaft N, P, on which is a racket wheel N, q,
receiving motion by the lever O, a, from the eccentric O on the crank shaft
O, p, which moves the quadrant by means of the pall Q in the direction of the
length of the cog to be cut, when the guide cog or pin K has arrived at the
upper part of its shoulder, when, by means of the small lever P, the endless
worm or screw is thrown out of gear, the lever J is moved sideways till the
tool P, a, arrives in the middle of the space between the cogs or mould to be
cut, when the lever J is raised that the mould or wheel may be clear of the
tool P, a, when the division point is released and the division plate moved to
the next division, and so proceed until one side of each cog is finished; the

page_text: tool P is then withdrawn and replaced by another with the cutting edge on
the opposite or reverse side. Before you commence cutting the opposite
side of the wheel or mould, the guide cog or pin K, and the steel edge
L, must be moved to the other side at L, x, and the spiral spring M
fixed on the other bracket at M, x; then adjust the wheel or mould
J, o, J, o, to the tool P, a, (observing that the cutting point of the tool
must be placed in a line both ways with the centre); by turning the thumb-
screw F, you bring the side of the cog to be cut in a line with the tool,
When
when you continue, as in the first instance, till the mould is finished.
this part of the operation is finished, the portion of the mould which has
been used for supporting it on the arbor H is cut off at the red line a by
means of turning. When the mould has been finished as above described it
is then placed on a piece of metal, or any suitable material, having in its
centre an upright piece or spindle turned so as to fit easily into the centre of
the mould, and sufficiently long to pass through and project beyond it. A
suitable piece for this purpose is shewn in section, Figure 4, Drawing No. 2,
by red lines; this piece, with the cut mould upon it, is then placed in a box or
frame s, 8, 8, Figure 4, Draw No. 2; a sufficient quantity of of gutta percha
or other suitable plastic substance, having been first brought into a state fit for
moulding, is then pressed into and upon the cut mould; a top or cover, of the
proper size and figure to fit easily into the box or frame s, s, s, and having a
hole bored or cut into which the upright piece or spindle above described fits,
is then forcibly pressed upon the gutta percha or other suitable plastic sub-
stance, and allowed to remain until the gutta percha or plastic substance has
become set. The machine above described for cutting moulds is also applicable
for cutting bevel wheels or pinions in metal or other material suitable for
patterns. For this purpose the apparatus by which the moulds are held is
reversed, as shown in side elevation and section in Figure 3 of Drawing No. 2.
The spaces in the moulds or the cogs of the bevil wheels or pinions are formed
or shaped to the cycloidal curve, or varied according to the pattern which
be preferred as regulated by the shape of the guide piece K, in Figure 2,
Drawing No. 2.
may
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be perforined, I declare that I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly, the moulding and forming plastic substances into tubing or covering
or coating for wires or mouldings, or beadings or other articles by means of
machinery and apparatus constructed and arranged as herein described so as
to afford a constant and continuous supply of the plastic material.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the machinery and apparatus herein described for cutting
pattern moulds.
Thirdly, I claim the machinery and apparatus herein described for cutting
bevel wheels and pinions.
Lastly, I claim the manufacture of bevel wheels or pinions of plastic
substance by the means herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of December, One thousand eigh