IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAWING RAILS OR OTHER BARS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hawthorn Kitson, of Airedale Foundry, Leeds,
in the County of York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SAWING RAILS OR OTHER BARS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hawthorn Kitson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1881.
JOHN HAWTHORN KITSON, of Airedale Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAWING RAILS OR OTHER BARS."
This Invention relates to a construction and arrangement of apparatus for
sawing rails or other bars, the principal object of the improvements being to give
facility in adjusting the position of the rail or bar that is to be sawn.
For this purpose a pair of engines mounted on an upright framing drive a shaft
overhead. From this shaft, or from pins on the framing near the axis of the shaft,
radial arms extend downwards, having at their lower ends bearings for the saw
spindle, so that the saw can be swung to or fro horizontally by hand or by
hydraulic or other convenient power, the axis of the saw maintaining a constant or
approximately constant radial distance from the engine shaft. The saw is driven
by bands from pullies on the engine shaft acting on pullies on the saw spindle. A
countershaft driven at a moderately slow speed by a band or gearing from the
engine shaft is connected by reversing bevil gear to rollers mounted in bearings in
front of the machine, and the bevil gear has cone or friction clutches worked by a
hand lever, so that the rollers can be caused to revolve in either direction or can be
left at rest.
A rail or bar that is to be sawn being laid on the rollers these are by the
working of the clutch lever made to turn in the one direction or the other, causing
the rail or bar to travel until it reaches the proper position for being cut. The
rollers then being stopped the saw is advanced and cuts the rail or bar, which can
then be run back by reversing the rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hawthorn Kitson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
April 1882.
JOHN HAWTHORN KITSON, of Airedale Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAWING RAILS OR OTHER BARS."
This Invention relates to a construction and arrangement of apparatus for
sawing rails or other bars, the principal object of the improvements being to give
facility in adjusting the position of the rail or bar that is to be sawn.
For this purpose a pair of engines mounted on an upright framing drive a shaft
overhead. From this shaft, or from pins on the framing near the axis of the shaft,
radial arms extend downwards, having at their lower ends bearings for the saw
spindle, so that the saw can be swung to or fro horizontally by hand or by
hydraulic or other convenient power, the axis of the saw maintaining a constant
or approximately constant radial distance from the engine shaft. The saw is
driven by bands from pullies on the engine shaft acting on pullies on the saw
spindle. A countershaft driven at a moderately slow speed by a band or gearing
from the engine shaft is connected by reversing bevil gear to rollers mounted in
bearings in front of the machine, and the bevil gear has cone or friction clutches
worked by a hand lever, so that the rollers can be caused to revolve in either
direction or can be left at rest.
A rail or bar that is to be sawn being laid on the rollers these are by the
working of the clutch lever made to turn in the one direction or the other, causing
the rail or bar to travel until it reaches the proper position for being cut. The
rollers then being stopped the saw is advanced and cuts the rail or bar, which can
then be run back by reversing the rollers.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view of
the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a plan of the base. A, A, are the side frames, on which
are fixed the pair of engine cylinders B, B, driving the crank shaft C. On this
shaft are pullies D, D, which by bands drive pullies on the shaft E of the saw F.
This shaft runs in bearings at the lower ends of the arms G, G, of a swing frame
which can turn on pins H, H, projecting from the framing close under the shaft C.
The swing frame carrying the saw may be advanced and retracted by a screw or
other wise worked by hand, or, as shewn in Fig. 2, by a hydraulic cylinder K
working a lever L linked to the swing frame. A pulley M on the shaft C drives
by a band a pulley on a shaft N, and this shaft by clutch and reversing bevil gear
at each end worked by a hand lever O drives in either direction the shafts of the
two inner rollers P, P, to which are geared the shafts of the two outer rollers Q, Q.
A rail or other bar R to be cut is laid on the rollers P and Q, and these being by
means of the clutch reversing gear made to revolve the rail or bar is brought to
the desired position facing the saw F. The rollers then being stopped the saw is
advanced cutting through the rail or bar, which is then run off by again putting
the rollers in motion.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,-
The construction and arrangement of apparatus for sawing rails or other bars,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hawthorn Kitson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JOHN HAWTHORN KITSON. (LS.)