Improvements in Lathes for Turning or Shaping Wood and other Materials.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes for Turning or Shaping Wood and other
Materials.
A communication from WILLIAM PITT PREBLE, of Havemeyer Building, New
York, U.S.A., Patent Expert.
I, JULIUS HERMANN WEISS, of 9, Endsleigh Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention relates to lathes for turning or shaping wood metal and other
materials and comprises certain novel mechanical devices by the use of which
such lathes are rendered much more effective in operation than usual.
One of these devices is a conical clutch.
In a great variety of lathes, it is desirable to provide some form of clutch by
means of which the wheel, pulley, or other devices from which the rotation of the
chuck is derived, can be brought into or thrown out of engagement with the
chuck, so that the removal of the finished material and the substitution of fresh
material may be accomplished while the chuck and tailstock are stationary.
The conical clutch hereinafter described possesses great advantages over the
other clutches usually employed for this purpose.
The male member of the conical clutch is mounted on the inner end of a shaft
which is journalled in a post rising from the chuck carriage inside and adapted
to slip freely longitudinally within another shaft to which it is keyed. This latter
shaft carries the device from which the rotation of the chuck is derived. An
advantageous form of such device is that of a worm-wheel which derives motion
Other devices,
from the main shaft of the machine through a suitable worm.
however, such as a pulley or a gear wheel, may be substituted, if desired, in place
of the worm-wheel and its operating mechanism.
At the outer end of the shaft which carries the male member is laced a shifting
lever pivoted to some convenient part of the lathe and operated by a pull-rod or
handle, as found most convenient. Moved by this lever when required, the male
member of the clutch is placed into and out of engagement with the other mem-
ber, as occasion requires.
The female member of the conical clutch consists in a conical recessed extension
of the chuck which is adapted to turn freely in a plate or disc which forms part
of the chuck carriage.
It is obvious that when the two parts of the clutch are engaged, the shaft with
the male member and the chuck will rotate together as if they were made integral
with each other, thus communicating the desired rotation to the material sup-
ported between the chuck and tail-stock. When, however, the two members of
the clutch are disengaged, the said shaft revolves freely but communicates no
motion to the chuck with which it is no longer in contact.
The advantages of the conical clutch over the forms heretofore used are enormous.
When the clutch is brought into use, it communicates motion instantaneously
to the chuck and thereby not only saves delay in the starting of the mechanism,

page_text: but as, by reason of its conical shape, the clutch is always in position to engage
its two parts, it obviates the very serious dangers which have been found to exist
in other forms of clutch and which arise from the fact that such clutches being
more or less out of line as to their engaged parts, have to feel their way. into
complete engagement, a process which sometimes involves the breaking of the
clutch, sometimes lack of finish in the product, and always delay and jar in begin-
ing the rotation of the new piece of material.
Another improved device according to this invention is what is technically
known as a chuck movement, that is to say, a device by which the tail-stock can
be moved into and out of engagement with the material to be operated upon.
As is well known, material is most readily inserted in turning lathes by placing
one end in the chuck and then bringing the tail-stock into position to bear against
the other end and thus support the material between the chuck and tail-stock
during the turning operation. When the work is finished, the tail-stock is brought
away from the material which can then readily be removed from the chuck.
To accomplish this result in a more speedy and effective way than has hereto-
fore been possible there is employed a chuck movement in which the chuck carriage
is provided with a reel consisting of three plates or dises mounted on a central
shaft and connected by four longitudinal screws. This reel carries two chucks
and two tail-stocks. The chucks and tail-stocks are mounted in sleeves which
turn readily in journal boxes secured to the said discs. A portion of the rear end
of each chuck-rod is toothed to engage with similar teeth on a swivel post mounted
in a box carried by the said dise. This swivel post is surrounded by a spiral spring
which keeps it normally in a raised position out of engagement with the teeth
of the chuck rod. To the lower end of the swivel post is hinged a suitable crank
the outer end of which is provided on its upper surface with a number of bevelled
teeth to engage the teeth of the bevelled rack. A removable rod is adapted to be
inserted in a recess at the outer end of the said crank. The operation of this
device is as follows:-
When it is desired to throw back the chuck rod so as to permit the removal
or insertion of the wood or other material operated on, the removable rod is inserted
by hand in the opening of the crank and the outer end can be thereby depressed
so as to bring its teeth out of engagement with the rack. At the same time, the
swivel post is drawn down in its box against the force of the spring and into
engagement with the chuck rod. By now turning the rod backwards, the
chuck is withdrawn from the wood. Upon releasing the rod, the crank and swivel
post rise and are held by the engagement of the bevelled teeth with the rack.
The wood having been removed and a new piece held in position to be entered by
the points of the chuck and tail-stock, the rod is again depressed and now moves
forward so that the parts resume their original positions, the points of the chuck
and tail-stock entering the wood and supporting the same during the operation of
turning.
The great simplicity, positiveness and certainty of action and speed of this
chuck movement will be readily appreciated by wood turners, as compared with
chuck movements heretofore employed.
Although herein before described as applied to a reel, the same device is equally
applicable to lathes which have no reel.
This statement is also applicable to the next of my improved devices, the central
reel shaft in such case being replaced by any suitable support and the device need
not be double as set forth if the requirements of the particular lathe to which it
is applied do not demand it. This device consists in a novel centre chuck and
tail-stock, that is to say, a device by which the middle portion of a long piece
of wood or the tail end of a short piece may be supported while the material is
being turned and whereby the vibration which would otherwise be set up by the
ranid rotation of the material can be prevented.
In one arrangement, the centre chuck and tail-stock is made in two similar
pieces bolted together around the central reel-shaft and comprises two holders

page_text: composed of discs circumferentially grooved and slipped into the ends of the chuck
where they are held by springs, the outer part of the discs being cut away so as
to leave space enough for the insertion or removal of the wood and being provided
with a swinging catch for holding the material and a spring dog for securing the
catch.
The advantages of this device will be readily understood without further
explanation.
A further improvement consists of a steadying device
It has been found in all lathes which have reciprocating parts, whether those
parts are reciprocating bed-plates for cutter carriages or for chuck carriages or
are other forms of sliding and reciprocating devices, that the high sneed at which
the moving parts of turning lathes are operated produces a jarring action which
is quite detrimental to the production of accurately finished work.
To prevent this jarring, there is employed a simple steadying device
According to one arrangement, the rock shaft from which the sliding, recipro-
cating motion of the bed-plate or other device is communicated by means of
rock-arms, is provided with two rocking arms, between which is arranged a cam
fixed on a cam shaft. Each of these arms carries a small roller the displacement
of which, by the changing surface of the said cam, imparts to the rock shaft and
hence to the bed-plate reciprocated thereby the proper amount and character of
motion.
To render this communication steady, uniform and regular, these rocking arms
are provided with two spiral springs one end of each being secured to a yoke
carried on the outer end of one of the rock arms and the other end of each spring
being secured by means of a tension device to the end of the other rock-arm.
The desired tension of the springs having been attained by turning a thumb-
screw on the tension device, it is found that the tendency to vibration caused by
the movement of either rock-arm is compensated by the spring of the other rock-
arm; and it has been found in practice that the steadiness thereby secured is such
that when the machine is run at high speed, the hand can be placed upon the
reciprocating bed-plate without feeling any jar or trembling whatever.
Another improved device is a cutter adjustment, by the use of which the tune
required for replacing a broken or dulled cutter or rearranging the series of cutters
is reduced to a minimum. This is applicable to all forms of lathes in which a
revolving cutter is used.
Heretofore it has been found necessary not only to stop the machine but to
separate the cutter-heads, remove the defective cutter by turning back the internal
screw, readjust the new cutter by guesswork and replace it in the machine for
an experimental test. This has to be repeated until the adjustment is perfect;
and as the adjustment is a very delicate matter, it frequently happens that several
trials have to be made before the new cutter is found to work as desired.
Ey the new cutter adjusting device, all this guesswork is dispensed with, as the
screw projects considerably outside the cutter-head and by making a slight mark
on the projecting portion of the screw before the old cutter is released, the screw
can easily he turned back to hold the new cutter in the exact position of the old.
As is well known, these cutters belong to what is known as the centrifugal cutter
class, that is cutters which are held up to their work by centrifugal force, the
cutter being free to fall back into the bottom of the groove when at rest and the
adjusting device being raised so as to determine the distance from the centre of
rotation, to which the cutter is allowed to be thrown by the action of centrifugal
force. The cutter-head is provided with a groove in which the foot of the
centrifugal cutter is located, the cutter projecting outside the cutter head through
an opening. As before stated, in the old form, the screw was inside the cutter-
head, being a projection from the foot of the cutter: and the amount of this
projection, of course, determines the amount of play allowed the said cutter inside
the groove, and hence the distance from the centre of rotation to which the cutting
edge of the cutter can be thrown. In the improved device, the adjusting screw

page_text: forms no part of the cutter itself but projects from the outside through a threaded
hole and can therefore be screwed in such distance as may be desired.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1898
Improvements in Lathes for Turning or Shaping Wood and other
Materials.
A communication from WILLIAM PITT PREBLE, of Havemeyer Building, New
York, U.S.A., Patent Expert-
I, JULIUS HERMANN WEISS, of 9, Endsleigh Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
_
This invention relates to lathes for turning or shaping wood, and other materials
and comprises certain novel mechanical devices by the use of which such lathes
are rendered much more effective in operation than usual..
One of these devices is a conical clutch.
In a great variety of lathes, it is desirable to provide some form of clutch by
means of which the wheel, pulley, or other devices from which the rotation of the
chuck is derived, can be brought into or thrown out of engagement with the
chuck, so that the removal of the finished material and the substitution of fresh
material may be accomplished while the chuck and tail-stock are stationary.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings shows in side elevation a
conical clutch which possesses great advantages over the clutches heretofore usually
employed for the purpose mentioned.
The male member I of this conical clutch is mounted on the inner end of a
shaft 2 which is adapted to slide freely longitudinally within another shaft or
sleeve 3 to which it is keyed or feathered so as to rotate therewith. The shaft or
sleeve 3 is journalled in a post 4 that rises from the carriage or slide carrying the
chuck the rotation of which is to be effected through the said clutch. The shaft
or sleeve 3 carries the device from which the rotation of the chuck is derived.
An advantageous form of such device is that of a worm-wheel 5 which derives
motion from the main shaft of the lathe through a suitable worm 6. Other rotat-
ing devices, however, such as a pulley or a gear wheel, may be substituted, if
desired, in place of the worm-wheel 5 and its operating mechanism.
The outer end of the shaft 2 is engaged with a shifting lever 7 pivoted to some
convenient part of the lathe and operated by a pull-rod 8 or handle, as found most
convenient. By means of this lever the male member of the clutch can be readily
placed in and out of engagement with the female member of the clutch as occasion
requires.
The female member 9 of the conical clutch consists of a conical recessed exten-
sion of the chuck 10 which is adapted to turn freely in a plate or disc 12 which
forms part of the chuck carriage.
It is obvious that when the two parts of the clutch are engaged, the shaft 2 and
the chuck 10 will rotate together as if they were made integral with each other,
thus communicating the desired rotation to the material supported between the
chuck and tail-stock. When, however, the two members 1 and 9 of the clutch aro

page_text: disengaged, the said shaft 2 revolves freely but communicates no motion to the
chuck with which it is no longer in contact.
The advantages of the conical clutch over the forms of clutch heretofore used
are very great. When the clutch is brought into use, it communicates motion
instantaneously to the chuck and thereby not only saves delay in the starting of
the chuck and the parts connected thereto but, as by reason of its conical shape,
the two parts of the clutch are always in position to engage each other, it obviates
the very serious dangers which have been found to exist in other forms of
clutch and which arise from the fact that such clutches being more or less out of
line as to their engaged parts, have to feel their way into complete engagement.
a process which sometimes involves the breaking of the clutch, sometimes lack of
finish in the product, and always delay and jar in beginning the rotation of a new
piece of material.
Another improved device is what is technically known as a chuck movement.
'that is to say, a device by which the tail-stock can be moved into and out of
engagement with the material to be operated upon.
As is well known, material is most readily inserted in turning lathes by placing
one end in the chuck and then bringing the tail-stock into position to hear against
the other end and thus support the material between the chuck and tail-stock
during the turning operation. When the work is finished, the tail-stock is brought
away from the material which can then be readily removed from the chuck.
To accomplish this result in a more speedy and effective way than has hereto-
fore been possible, there is employed a chuck device which is shown in plan in
Fig. 2 and in vertical section in Fig. 3, Fig. 4 showing the device to a smaller
scale and applied to the reel of a chuck carriage. The reel consists of three plates
or discs 12, 12. 12b mounted on a central shaft 13 and connected by longitudinal
screws 14. This reel may carry two chucks or more correctly speaking two
chucks 10 on one dise 12 and two tailstocks 15 on the other disc 12b, a chuck and
The chuck and tail-
a tailstock together constituting a chuck in the full sense.
stocks are mounted to turn in sleeves or journal boxes such as 14 secured to
the disc 12 and 12b. A portion of the rear end of each chuck rod or tailstock 15
(hereinafter referred to as the tail stock) carried by the disc 12b is toothed as shown
at 16 to engage with similar teeth 17 on a swivel post 18 mounted in a box 19
carried by the said disc 12. The swivel post 18 is surrounded by a spiral spring 20
which keeps it normally in a raised position. To the lower end of the swivel
nost is hinged a suitable crank or lever 21 the outer end of which is provided on
its upper surface with a number of bevelled teeth 22 to engage with the teeth of a
bevelled rack 23. A removable rod 24 is adapted to be inserted in a recess at the
outer end of the said crank 21.
The operation of this device is as follows:-When it is desired to throw back the
tailstock 15 so as to permit the removal or insertion of the wood or other material
operated on, the removable rod 24 is inserted by hand in the opening of the crank
or lever 21 and the outer end of the latter can be thereby depressed so as to bring
its teeth 22 out of engagement with the rack 23. At the same time, the swivel
post 18 is drawn down in its box 19 against the action of the spring 20. By now
turning the rod 24 backwards, the tailstock 15 will be withdrawn from the
wood by the rotation of the teeth 17 gearing with the teeth 16 on the tailstock.
Upon releasing the rod 24, the crank 21 and swivel post 18 will be raised by the
spring and he held in position by the engagement of the bevelled teeth 22 on the
crank with the rack 23. The wood having been removed and a new piece held in
position to be entered by the points of the chuck and tail-stock, the rod 24 is
again depressed and moved forward so that the parts resume their original
positions, the points of the chuck and tail-stock entering the wood and supporting
the same during the operation of turning, whereupon the rod 24 is again released
and the tailstock held in its forward position by the re-engagement of the teeth
on the crank with the rack.
The great simplicity, positiveness and certainty of action and speed of this

page_text: chuck movement will be readily appreciated by wood turners, as compared with
chuck movements heretofore employed.
Although herein before described as applied to a reel, the same device is equally
applicable to lathes which have no reel. This statement is also applicable to the
next or third of my improved devices, the central reel shaft 13 (Fig. 4) in such case
being replaced by any suitable support and the device need not be double as set
forth if the requirements of the particular lathe to which it is applied do not
demand it.
The third improved device consists in a novel combined centre chuck and tail-
stock or thimble stay, that is to say, a device by which the middle portion of a long
piece of wood, or the tail end of a short piece, may be supported while the material
is being turned and whereby the vibration which would otherwise be set up by
the rapid rotation of the material can be prevented.
Fig. 5 is an end view of the centre chuck and tailstock or thimble stay showing
its holders open in dotted lines and closed in full lines. Fig. 6 is a side view
thereofi
In this arrangement, the centre chuck and tail-stock or thimble stay is made in
two similar pieces 25 holted together around the central reel-shaft 13 and com-
prises two holders 27 composed of discs circumferentially grooved and slipped
into the ends of the chuck where they are held by spring catches 28. Each holder
or disc 27 is cut away at 27 so as to leave space enough for the insertion or removal
of the wood and is provided with a swinging catch 29 for holding the material in
position, and with a pin or spring catch 30 that extends through the holder or
disc and swinging catch 29 when the same is moved into its closed position, and can
he moved out of engagement with such catch when the same is to be moved into
the open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The advantages of this device
will be readily understood without further explanation.
A further improvement consists of a steadying device.
It has been found in all lathes which have reciprocating parts, whether those
parts are reciprocating bed-plates for cutter carriages or for chuck carriages or are
other forms of sliding and reciprocating devices, that the high speed at which the
moving parts of turning lathes are operated produces a jarring action which is
quite detrimental to the production of accurately finished work.
To prevent this jarring, there is employed a simple steadying device which is
shown in end elevation in Fig. 7 and in plan in Fig. 8.
cam 33
In this arrangement, the rock shaft 31 from which the sliding or reciprocating
motion of the bed-plate or other device is communicated by means of rock-arms,
is provided with two rocking arms 32, 32" between which is arranged a
fixed on a cam shaft 34. The arm 32 is fixed to the rock shaft 31 and the arm 32"
is mounted to turn upon the boss of the arm 32 or upon the shaft 31. Each of the
arms carries a small roller 35* the displacement of which, by the changing surface
of the said cam, imparts to the rock shaft 31 and hence to the bed-plate recipro-
cated thereby, the proper amount and character of motion.
The
To render this communication of motion steady, uniform and regular, the rock-
ing arms 32, 32ª are provided with two spiral springs 35 one end of each of which
is secured to a yoke 36 carried on the outer. end of one of the rock arms viz. 32",
the other end of each spring being secured by means of a tension device,
such as a tee headed screw bolt 37, to the end of the other rock-arm 32.
desired tension of the springs having been attained by turning a thumb-screw 38
on the tension device, it is found that the tendency to vibration caused by the
movement of either rock-arm is compensated by the spring of the other rock-arm,
and it has been found in practice that the steadiness thereby secured is such that
when the machine is run at high speed, the hand can be placed upon the recipro-
cating bed-plate without feeling any jar or trembling whatever.
Another improved device is a cutter adjustment by the use of which the time
required for replacing a broken or dulled cutter or re-arranging the series of cutters

page_text: in a rotary cutter head is reduced to a minimum. This is applicable to all forms
of lathes in which a revolving cutter is used.
Heretofore it has been found necessary not only to stop the machine but to
separate the cutter-heads, remove the defective cutter by turning back the internal
screw, readjust the new cutter by guesswork and replace it in the machine for
an experimental test. This has to be repeated until the adjustment is perfect,
and as the adjustment is a very delicate matter, it frequently happens that several
trials have to be made before the new cutter is found to work as desired.
By the new cutter adjusting device, all this guess-work is dispensed with, as the
screw projects considerably outside the cutter-head and by making a slight mark
on the projecting portion of the screw before the old cutter is released, the screw
can easily be turned back to hold the new.cutter in the exact position of the old
one.
Fig. 9 is an end view showing a rotary cutter head and cutter with the old
means of adjustment, and Fig. 10 is a similar view shewing the improved adjusting
means.
As is well known, these cutters belong to what is known as the centrifugal cutter
class, that is to say cutters which are held up to their work by centrifugal force,
the cutter being free to fall back into the bottom of the groove in the cutter head
when at rest and the adjusting device being raised so as to determine the distance
from the centre of rotation, to which the cutter is allowed to be thrown by the
action of centrifugal force. The cutter-head 39 is provided with a groove 40 in
which the foot 41" of the centrifugal cutter 41 is located, the cutter projecting
outside the cutter head through an opening 42 therein. As before stated, in the
old form, (Fig. 9) a screw 43 was provided inside the cutter-head, being a projec-
tion from the foot 41" of the cutter, and the amount of this projection, of course,
determines the amount of play allowed the said cutter inside the groove, and
hence the distance from the centre of rotation to which the cutting edge of the
cutter can be thrown. In the improved device (Fig. 10) the adjusting screw 43*
forms no part of the cutter itself but projects from the outside of the cutter head
through a screw threaded hole therein and can therefore be screwed in such
distance as may be desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The hereinabove described conical clutch for lathes whereby the lathe chuck
can be engaged with or disengaged from its operating mechanism, as set forth.
2. The hereinabove described chuck movement whereby the tail-stock of a lathe
can be readily moved into and out of engagement with the material to be turned,
as set forth.
3. The hereinabove described centre chuck and tail-stock for lathes, as set forth.
4. The hereinabove described double spring steadying device whereby the jarring
of a lathe in operation is prevented from being communicated to the sliding and
reciprocating mechanism, as set forth.
5. The hereinabove described cutter adjustment for lathes whereby the rotary
cutter can be readily adjusted from the outside of the rotary cutter-head without
removal from the lathe arbor carrying the same as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1899.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1899.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.