Year: 1889

page_text: 1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 improvement relates, more particularly, to a machine for cutting railroad-rails
on a bevel.
In providing for the crossings in railroads and for frogs, and for other constructions
in which rails are required having beveled ends, the angle of the bevel in each
instance has to be very accurate, and as hitherto practised, the work, owing to its
exacting nature, has necessarily been intrusted to those possessing a high degree of
skill and intelligence, and experience. Thus when an order for a crossing from the
engineer of a road or part thereof in process of construction specifies rails for a
crossing beveled at an angle of so many degrees, minutes and seconds, the work
entails drawings based on accurate calculation consuming the time of a person
sufficiently skilled to perform it; and the mechanic who performs the practical
work of beveling the rails must be sufficiently skilled to understand and follow the
drawings.
•
Hitherto the beveling of rails, as for the purposes named, has been commonly
preceded by breaking them straight across into sections of desired length or lengths
and then cutting the ends requiring to be beveled at the desired specified angles.
Besides being a difficult and inaccurate mode of procedure, this method necessarily
involves a waste of considerable of the material of which the rails are composed (steel)
since to produce the bevel requires the removal of a triangular section, the amount
of which depends, of course, principally, at least, on the degree of bevel.
By preventing this waste and the necessity for employing skilled labor in beveling
the rails, which are the principal objects of this invention, a saving so great is produced
that to realize its extent would require consideration of the enormous quantity of this
class of work performed each year.

page_text: The invention consists in a rail-cutting machine having a rotatory table for supporting
a rail to be cut and for adjusting the rail to any position with reference to the cutter
at which it may be cut at a desired angle.
The invention also consists in a rail-cutting machine having an adjustable support
for the rail and an angle-indicating attachment; and it further consists in details of
construction and combinations of parts.
In the drawings-
Figure 1 shows this improved machine in side elevation, partly sectional.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the entire machine.
Figure 3, a broken section taken at about the line 3-3 in Figure 2, and viewed in.
the direction of the arrows.
and
Figure 4, a view in side elevation, partly broken, of the angle-indicating attachment;
Figure 5, a broken section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and viewed in the
direction of the arrows.
A is the bed of the machine, preferably of cast metal and having the rear portion r,
which extends higher than the forward portion, (see Figure 1), hollow between
the sides, as shown in Figure 3. The top of the part is expanded laterally and
toward the rear end of the machine to form a table, t, provided with side-flanges, t¹,
surmounted by gibs, t³, secured in place; and the table t is provided at its centre
with a longitudinal slot, s, (Figure 3) leading into the space between the parts r
and. A rotary shaft, y, extends transversely into the bed near the rear end of the
machine, below the tablet through the space in the part r, and carries a ratchet-
wheel, q, in the said space; and the end of the shaft which extends beyond the
side of the bed A carries a worm-wheel, q². A reciprocating bed, B, having tongues, a,
at its sides, surmounts the table t, and is confined by the gibs 2, which extend over
the tongue a. On the under side of the table B, longitudinally thereof, is rigidly
secured a rack, B', coincident with the slots and in mesh with the ratchet-wheel
whereby rotation of the shaft q alternately in opposite directions reciprocates the
table B. C is a bracket secured to the side of the rear portion of the bed of the
machine below the worm-wheel q², and carrying, longitudinally of the machine, a
worm-shaft, P₁ the worm on which is in mesh with the worm-wheel g²; and at the
rear end of the shaft p is a beveled gear-wheel, pl, in mesh with a beveled pinion, p²,
on the inner end of a rotary shaft, p³, supported in the bracket C transversely of the
rear portion of the bed of the machine, and carrying a suitable belt-pulley, pt. The
parts p to p, inclusive, constitute the feed-gear for the reciprocating table B, since by
the rotation of the shaft p³, as stated, and the engagement of the gears p and p¹, the
ratchet-wheel is actuated to move the table B back and forth through the medium
of the rack B¹; and thereby the cutter, in the form of a circular saw, hereinafter
described, is advanced toward and retracted from its work.
To opposite sides of the table t are secured upright brackets or frames, y, supporting
between them, toward the rear end of the machine, a rotary driving shaft, o,
carrying a suitable belt-pulley, o (Figure 2) and a belt-wheel, o²; and between the
frames toward the forward end of the part of the machine, is supported a rotary
shaft, o³, carrying a pulley, o', in line with the wheel 02. Another rotary shaft, o,
carrying a belt-pulley, o, in line with the pulley o, is supported in brackets ¹, on
the reciprocating table B, near opposite lateral edges thereof, and between the shafts o
and o. The forward end of the table B has an upright head, B2, recessed on its front
side, and having in the recess the base of a horizontal bracket, B³, held in place by
suitable gibs, t³, extending over the lateral edges of the bracket base which is vertically
adjustable in its position by means of a screw, n, working in a nut, n', on the rear side
of the said base, and operated by a crank, n². A rotary, o7, is supported in the
bracket B³, and carries near one end, in line with the pulley o, a belt-pulley, o³; and
between the bracket-arms are a fly-wheel, n³, and, adjacent to the fly-wheel, a circular-
D, secured on the shaft o' to rotate with it.
saw,
The saw D is rotated from the driving-shaft o by an endless belt, m, (Figure 1)
passed around the wheel o² and pulleys 01, 06 and o, as shown, whereby when the

page_text: reciprocating table B moves, the shaft o' and pulley o", which move with it between the
shafts o and o³, compensate for the resultant lengthening and shortening of the belt
between the compensator shaft of and saw-shaft o'.
On the forward lower part, r, of the bed A, is a turn-table, E, in the form of a
disk having ninety teeth on one-half of its periphery. An arbor, 1, extends from the
bottom of the bed A through the centre of the turn-table, and is tapered downward,
at different angles at intervals, as shown, to insure accurate rotation on its own axis
and consequent steadiness in the rotation of the turn-table. A semi-disk, E', is firmly
secured upon the turn-table to extend over a portion thereof and afford a guard to
intercept the fine particles of metal produced by cutting the rails, as hereinafter
described, and prevent the access of such particles to the adjacent gear-mechanism,
and consequent clogging of the latter. The straight edge of the guard E' is provided
with flanges, k, extending toward each other from the periphery of the semi-disk, and
forming bearings for horizontal screws, ², extending through them and through
suitable nuts, k, to render the screws stationary ; and on the inner sides of the
flanges k, on the guard, are corresponding loose bars, k¹, through which the screws
extend, which bars are moved back and forth with reference to the flanges k by
manipulating the screws. The flanges, blocks, and screws, thus described, form a
clamp to hold a rail while it is being secured, and to this end the adjacent upper
edges of the flanges and blocks may be provided with offsets, as shown in Figure 1,
to afford a seat for the flange of the rail (the ordinary position of which, while being
cut, is with the flange or base downward) or not, as shown in Figure 2.
A rotary horizontal worm-shaft, i, is supported on the part of the bed A of the
machine transversely of the latter adjacent to the part thereof in position to cause
the worm to mesh with the teeth on the periphery of the turn-table; and toward one
end of the shaft i, which projects beyond a side of the part of the machine-bed, is a
cog-wheel,, in mesh with a cog-wheel, 2, one-half the diameter of the cog-wheel i
and supported below the latter on a shaft, ³, provided at its outer extremity and a
crank-handle, t.
The side of the bed A at which the shaft i extends is provided in the casting with
a rectangular "planing-strip," F, or plate in relief, forming the base of the indicator-
attachment, hereinafter described, and which is partly supported on a bracket, F1,
secured to the planing-strip. A worm-shaft, h, is supported in the bracket F¹,
lengthwise of the latter, the worm engaging with a worm-wheel, ', having three-
hundred and sixty teeth, and which is also supported on the bracket in vertical
position, upon an arbor, h2, carrying a dial-finger, h³, which moves about a protractor, G,
having ninety degrees marked off on its face, from each side of the zero point, and
supported in front of the wheel h¹. The end of the worm-shaft h carries a miter-
gear, g, which is in mesh with a similar gear, g', on the shaft 3; and the last-named
shaft carries, between the miter-gear g¹ and crank it, and to rotate with it, a ratchet-
wheel, g², and a dial-finger, g³, which moves around a stationary dial, H, having
minutes marked off upon it, the dial H being supported, with its centre surrounding
the shaft 3, from a bracket, F, below the bracket F¹. The lower part of the dial H
is marked with a circle, H¹, having sixty seconds indicated upon its face, about which
a dial-finger, gª, is moved, being carried by an arbor, f, provided with a pinion, f¹, on
its inner end in mesh with a ratchet-wheel, e, on a rotary shaft, el, supported in the
bracket F2, and carrying a pinion, e², in mesh with the wheel 9. The inner or rear
end of the shaft e¹, which is movable longitudinally in its bearing, is engaged by a
horizontally movable lever, d, fulcrumed upon a standard, d', and serving to bring the
wheel e, by moving the shaft e¹ in and out of engagement with the pinion, f', whereby
the finger g of the seconds" dial may be rendered operative or inoperative, as
desired. The arrangement is such that one revolution of the shaft 3 produces sixty
revolutions of the dial-finger g and moves the dial-finger h³, one degree, whereby,
also, the turn-table E is moved one degree or the extent of one-half of one of the
ninety teeth thereon, the object of the last-named number of teeth instead of one
hundred and eighty, being to make the teeth the larger and stronger.
When a rail is to be cut to a desired angle--say 20° 9′ and 19"-it is placed in the

page_text: clamp on the guard E¹ with the fingers of all the dials pointing at zero, when the
crank is turned twenty times, whereby the table E is turned and moves the rail to
an angle of twenty degrees with reference to the saw, the twenty turns of the crank
also causing the finger h³ to be moved to point to twenty degrees on the protractor G.
Further turning of the crank till the fingers g³ and g* indicate slightly beyond
nine minutes on the dial H and nineteen seconds, on the dial H', and of course
slightly moving the dial-finger h³ so far beyond the twenty degrees as will equal or
indicate the additional nine minutes and nineteen seconds-move the table E
nine ininutes and nineteen seconds beyond twenty degrees. If no seconds enter the
angle indicated to be cut, the "second" hand may be rendered inoperative by the
means for the purpose described. Thus the rail may be presented to the saw at any
predetermined angle; and the saw is advanced by the feed-mechanism and cuts the
rail on a bevel at the angle to which the rail is set; after which the reciprocating
table B is retracted by ordinary means for the purpose.
It will thus be seen that a rail may be cut to any desired angle by simply turning
the crank until the indicating mechanism shows the angle at which the same
movement of the crank has turned the table E to present the rail to the saw.
The means for raising and lowering the bracket B³ carrying the saw permits cutting
of a rail to any desired depth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, 1 declare that what I claim is :-
1-The combination, in a rail-cutting machine, of a rotary cutter, a horizontally
reciprocating table carrying at one end the rotary cutter, and a stationary turn-table
at one end of the machine, provided with means for supporting a rail thereon and
serving to permit setting of the supported rail to any angle in the horizontal plane
with reference to the vertical plane of the rotary cutter, substantially as described.
2-The combination, in a rail-cutting machine, of a rotary cutter, a horizontally
reciprocating table carrying at one end the rotary cutter, an adjustable stationary
support for the rail, toward the end of the forward stroke of the reciprocating
table, and an angle indicating attachment, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
3-The combination, in a rail-cutting machine, of a rotary cutter, a horizontally
reciprocating table carrying at one end the rotary cutter, a stationary turn-table at
one end of the machine and provided with means for supporting a rail thereon and
serving to permit setting of the supported rail to any angle in the horizontal plane
with reference to the vertical plane of the rotary cutter, and an angle-indicating
attachment geared to the turn-table and operated by the rotation thereof, substantially
as described.
4-In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed A, a reciprocating
table, B, carrying a saw, D, a rack, B', on the table B, a shaft, q, provided with a
cog-wheel, q', in mesh with the rack, and with a worm-wheel, q2, a worm-shaft, p,
having its worm in mesh with the wheel q², and a driving-shaft, p³, geared to the
shaft p, substantially as described.
5 In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed A, a reciprocating
table, B, carrying a saw, D, vertically adjustable on its support, substantially as
described.
6-ln a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed A, a reciprocating
table, B, carrying a saw, D, a driving-shaft, o, supported on the bed, and connected
with the saw-shaft, by an endless belt, and a compensator for the endless belt on the
table B, substantially as described.
7-In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed A, a reciprocating
table, B, carrying a saw, 1), on a rotary shaft, o, brackets, y, on the bed supporting
rotary shafts o and o³, a rotary shaft, o, supported on the table B, and an endless
belt, m, connecting the shaft o and saw-shaft and passing over the intermediate shafts o³
and o³ to form a compensator, substantially as described.

page_text: 8-In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed, a reciprocating table, B,
carrying a saw, D, and a turn-table, E, adjacent to the saw and provided with means
for holding the rail to be cut, substantially as described.
9-In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed, a reciprocating table, B,
carrying a saw, D. a turn-table. E, adjacent to the saw and a guard, E₁, upon the
turn-table provided with a clamp for holding a rail to be cut, substantially as
described.
10 In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed, a saw, D, a turn-
table, E, having teeth on its periphery, a worm-shaft, i, in mesh with the teeth of the
turn-table and carrying a cog-wheel, i, a rotary shaft, &, carrying a cog-wheel, *, in
mesh with the wheel, and a protractor, G, having a dial-finger, h, connected by
suitable gearing with the shaft, whereby rotation of the said shaft turns the table E
and the dial-finger to indicate upon the protractor the angle to which the table E is
turned, substantially as described.
11 In a rail-cutting machine, in combination with the bed, a saw, D, a turn-
table, E, having teeth on its periphery, a worm-shaft, i, in mesh with the teeth of the
turn-table and carrying a cog-wheel, a rotary shaft, ³, carrying a cog-wheel, ³, in
mesh with the wheel, a miter-gear, g', and a dial-finger, 9³, a stationary dial H,
surrounding the shaft 3, a worm-shaft, h, carrying a miter-gear, g, in mesh with the
miter-gear g³, a rotary worm-wheel, h¹, in mesh with the worm on the shaft h and on
an arbor, h, carrying a dial-finger, h³, and a protractor, G, supported adjacent to the
dial-finger, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12 In a rail-cutting machine, in combination, with the bed, a saw, D, a turn-
table, E, having teeth on its periphery, a worm-shaft, i, in mesh with the teeth of
the turn-table and carrying a cog-wheel, i, a rotary shaft, ³, carrying a cog-wheel, 2³,
in mesh with the wheel, a miter-gear, g', a cog-wheel, g², and a dial-finger, g³, a
stationary minute dial, H, surrounding the shaft, and having a seconds dial, H',
marked upon it, a shaft, el, carrying a pinion, e³, in mesh with the wheel 92, and a
cog-wheel e, an arbor, f, carrying a dial-finger, g, for the dial H¹, and a pinion. f',
in mesh with the cog-wheel e, a worm-shaft h, carrying a miter-gear g, in mesh with
the miter-gear g³, a rotary worm-wheel, h¹, in mesh with the worm on the shaft h
and on an arbor, h², carrying a dial-finger, h³, and a protractor, G, supported adjacent
to the dial-finger h³, substantially as and for the purpose set forth."
Dated this 2nd day of April 1889