IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING WOOD TO ANY REQUIRED PATTERN OR DESIGN
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ellis, of South Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING WOOD TO ANY REQUIRED
PATTERN OR DESIGN."
Sealed the 6th December 1870; and dated the 8th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1870.
I, WILLIAM ELLIS, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
WOOD TO ANY REQUIRED PATTERN OR DESIGN," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adding to any suitable machine adapted for
cutting wood into thin sheets a hollow octagonal dovetailed sectional
divider. The sections to be so fitted as to form a set of grooved
concaved dividers which will either divide longitudinally or corrugated,
or they may be set to any pattern required for building or other purposes.
These dividers are made to approach the material to be cut by mitre

page_text: wheels connected to the front shaft and worked by gauge wheels, and
the standards are made obliquely with V slides so as to come in a direct
line with the knife in the holder, thereby preventing the wood or timber
springing from the knife in the aforesaid holder when near the centre,
and will finish as solidly with the latter portion of it as the commence-
ment with the full timber.
I also add to the above machine a set of circular rotating dividers,
which will divide the material the reverse way to any given length
required. The dividers work on a hollow slotted shaft, with right and
left hand screws or worms, so as to bring them closer or set them wider
apart as may be requisite.
The advantages of these dividers are as follows:--
Firstly. They divide to or for any design that may be required, and
at the same time cut to any length.
Secondly. Facility in changing to any width in a few seconds.
Thirdly. Any quantity of different patterns can be produced from the
above dividers, but not more than eight at one time.
Fourthly. Facility of changing one section and replacing another when
required.
And fifthly. By the use of these dividers where no knives are requisite
a stability in dividing is secured which for truth and correctness has
not hitherto been attained.
Further, these dividers are much safer than any knife dividers in
consequence of being fitted or connected in sections, so that any liability
to personal injury by the use of knives as hitherto is thereby avoided,
and the apparatus will be enabled to travel at a greater speed than
hitherto, and so produce an increased quantity of manufactured articles
with less risk than any known machine for the same class or description
of articles.
It will be readily understood that this machine can also be applied to
the cutting of splints, or circular veneers, or other articles of wood.
The splints may be cut any size down to the sixtieth part of a square
inch, and of any required gauge or length, and studded sections can
also be fitted for perforating or embossing any design or pattern
required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ELLIS, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Ellis, Her special licence that I, the
said William Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Ellis, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING WOOD TO ANY REQUIRED PATTERN OR
DESIGN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Ellis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Ellis, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention consists principally in adding to any suitable machine
adapted for cutting wood into thin sheets a hollow octagonal dovetailed
sectional divider, the sections of which are so fitted as to form a set of
grooved, concaved, or other shaped dividers, which will either divide
longitudinally or corrugated, or they may be set to any pattern required
for building or other purposes. It may be here remarked that this. hollow

page_text: roller may be of hexagonal or of any other suitable geometrical figure,
but I prefer to use the octagonal shape. These dividers are made to
approach the material to be cut by mitre wheels connected to the front
shaft of the machine which is worked by guage wheels. The standards
are made obliquely with V or square rifled flanged slides or blocks, and
so as to come in a direct line with a broad plate knife in a holder, by
which means the wood or timber is prevented from springing from the
knife in the aforesaid holder when it is being cut near the centre, and
consequently the knife will act and cut as solidly with the latter portion
as the commencement with the full timber.
I also add to the above machine a set of circular rotating dividers
which will divide the material transversely or in the reverse way to any
given length required. These dividers work on a hollow slotted shaft
with right and left hand screws or worms, so as to bring them closer or
set them wider apart, as may be requisite.
I
The advantages of the combination and arrangement of the dividers
above mentioned are as follows:-
Firstly. They divide to or for any design that may be required, and
at the same time cut to any length.
Secondly. Facility in changing to any width in a few seconds.
Thirdly. Any quantity of different patterns, but not more than eight
full width ones (on the octagonal shape of hollow roller) can be embossed
or otherwise produced from the above dividers at one time.
Fourthly. Facility of changing one section and replacing it by another
when required.
And fifthly. By the use of these dividers where no small or narrow
knives are requisite as hitherto a stability in dividing is secured which
for truth and correctness has not before been obtained.
Further, it may be remarked that the longitudinal dividers are much
safer than any knife dividers for the same purpose, in consequence of
being fitted or connected in sections, so that any liability to personal
injury by the use of knives, as hitherto, is avoided; and the apparatus
will be enabled to travel at a greater speed than hitherto and will produce
an increased quantity of manufactured articles with less risk than any
known machine for the same class or description of articles.
It will be readily understood that this machine can also be applied
to the cutting of plasterers' laths, slaters' laths, blindmakers' laths, winé

page_text: laths, "oak shingles" or splints, or circular veneers, or other plain articles
of wood. The splints may be cut any size down to the sixtieth
part of a square inch, and of any required guage or length and
studded sections can also be fitted for perforating or embossing any
design or pattern required.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improve- :
ments in or applicable to Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Wood to any
required Pattern or Design," I will now proceed to describe more in detail
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly under-
stood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say —
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 represents a front
elevation of the improved wood cutting apparatus; and Figure 2 a
transverse vertical section through about the line A, B, Figure 1,.looking
in the direction of the arrow 1.
a represents the hollow dovetailed sectional divider which revolves
(by contact with the timber to be cut) in the V slides or square rifled
flanged blocks 6 working in the oblique standards c at either side of
the machine. The timber d, Figure 2, to be cut, is fixed between.
centres at the inner extremities of the twin shafts e, which shafts are
equally rotated by the wheels f gearing into the pinion g on the shaft g¹..
The wheel also on the shaft g¹ receives its motion from the primary.
shaft i by means of the pinion j; k is the fast pulley which imparts the
motion from a steam or other motive power engine to the shaft i; 1 is
the front shaft of the machine and receives its motion from the shaft i
by means of the gauge wheels m, (two of which, namely, those on the
shafts i and I, can be altered at pleasure, so as to regulate the speed of
the shaft 1) as required. On this shaft are two worms n placed imme-
diately in front of the oblique standards c. These worms gear into two
wheels o, and these, by means of the worms p, Figure 2, work the knife
carrier q down the slides q', and with it the broad plate knife r, causing
the same to approach the timber to be cut (and to cut off the outer part
of the same in a slice or as a veneer "when in the wood is being rotated)
at a certain definite rate. On the shaft is also a mitre or bevil wheel 8,
which- by means of the bevil wheels 81, 83, (on the inclined shaft t) and
8 rotate the top shaft u, on which the latter is.
On this shaft are two.
l

page_text: worm v, Figure 2, immediately above the oblique standards c, (and
which worms are similar in size and distance apart to the worms n.
These worms work the wheels wo (similar in size and distance apart
to the wheels o) which cause the worms x (similar in size to the
worms p, and which are attached to the slides or blocks b) to descend in
the oblique standards c and to carry therewith the hollow longitudinal
divider a and its sections, which are thereby caused to approach the
wood from above at the same time and at exactly the same rate as the
knife is caused to advance sideways and to cut the wood longitudinally
when it is rotated. A hollow socket A extends below the front plate
10 to which it is bolted, and in this socket rotates a short vertical
shaft B, on which are fixed two bevil wheels 81, 85, the wheel &* gearing
into and receiving motion from the wheel 8 on the front shaft 1. A
transverse shaft C runs below and at right angles to the shaft B the whole
width of the machine, and on this are fixed two other bevil wheels 8ª, 87,
(Figure 2), the wheel gearing into the wheel 85 on shaft B. At right
angles to the transverse shaft C and also to the vertical shaft B, extends
a longitudinal shaft D which runs in a direction parallel to the shaft g¹
and on this shaft in gear with the bevil wheel s³, is fixed a bevil wheel &³,
Figures 1 and 2. On the shaft D are placed two worms E, E, similar in
size to the worms n and v, and these gear into wheels F similar in size to
the wheels o and w fixed on the vertical shafts G, the upper part of each
of which is formed into a worm H, similar to the worms p and x. These
worms H work in slides I working in the inner sides of the standards c,
and which carry the longitudinal slotted shaft z on which are the circular
knives y. By these means it will readily be perceived that the shaft z
with its series of circular knives y is caused (which are rotated by contact
with the wood to be cut) is caused to approach (upwards) the wood; at
the same time and at exactly the same rate as the longitudinal divider a
and the knife rare caused to approach the same (downwards and sideways
respectively) and to cut the wood transversely when it is rotated. The
shaft z is hollow and slotted, and inside the same is a solid shaft with
right and left hand screws, which when it is turned causes the knives y
to recede from or advance towards each other so as to cut the wood
to any required width. 1 is a fast reversing pulley on the shaft 1;..
this is used for bringing the machinery back to its original position
before starting when the wood has been entirely cut up into the articles
required. The strap is put on the same by means of the usual "fork "
which is in the front of the machine but is not however shewn. 2 is

page_text: a rest bar which gauges the thickness of the wood cut (being actuated
by the hand screws 3) allowing the knife to cut wood of a certain
required thickness only. 4, 4, (Figure 2) represent sections of some
of the different "section" dividers which are placed in the dovetailed
grooves 5 and each of which is held fast therein by having a projection
at one end pushed into a hole in one of the end plates of the divider a.
10 is the plate supported on brackets 11 which carries the front shaft
and its bearings.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Motion being given to the
primary shaft i by the pulley k it is communicated by means of the
pinion and wheel to the shaft g¹ which rotates the pinions g, and
these impart the motion to the twin shafts e by means of the wheels f.
The wood d which is fixed between the centres d' consequently receives
the motion from the shafts e, and as it rotates is first cut transversely
by the knives y, set to any required width) and as it revolves receives
longitudinal cuts, holes, impressions, or designs from the top divider a
by means of the "sections" 4, and continuing to be rotated it is
lastly cut as a "" veneer
by the plate knife r, the thickness of which
veneer is regulated by the rest or gauge bar 2, secured to the sliding
holding pieces 14 by the small nuts 15, and thence between the same
and the knife over the knife carrier q and into the space or hole 12
in front of the machine, and is there collected or packed away as
required.
"
It may here be mentioned that the divider a and the knives y are
caused to revolve by contact with the timber to be cut. I sometimes.
attach to the front of the gauge bar two trucks or runners, against which
the cut wood bears as it emerges from the machine, by this means
the patterns of the wood is effectually preserved.
Whilst the wood is being rotated and cut as above described, the
longitudinal divider a, the transverse dividers y, and the plate or
"veneer" knife r are caused to approach the wood all at the same time
and rate, and in exact proportion as the wood is being diminished, by
the following means above referred to. The primary shaft i by means
of the gauge wheels m impart motion to the front shaft and this com-
municates the same to the worms n and the .bevil wheel 8, which wheel
further imparts the motion at an equal rate to the two shafts u and D by
means of the bevil wheels 81, 8³, 8³, and 8ª, 8³, 86, 87, 88, respectively, so that
the three shafts 1, u, and D, revolve at precisely the same speed. These:

page_text: .
shafts by means of their respective worms n, v, and E, communicate
this motion to the worms p, x, and H, through their connecting
wheels o, w, and F, and so cause the slides 14, 6, and I, together with
their respective dividers or cutters r, a, and y, to approach the wood
at an equal rate from the side, upper part, and bottom, respectively,
and in exact proportion as the wood is being diminished by the same,
so that the operation of the apparatus is continuous until the wood is
entirely cut up into the articles required. The gauge wheels m can be
changed at pleasure, two of the same being held in arms of a bracket
13 which is slotted and moves upwards or downwards or sideways,
to accommodate the various sized wheels which may be placed on the
shafts and l.
In Figure 2 the position of the primary shaft i is dotted in red, also
the pitch lines of the gauge wheels m and the pinion j and wheel h.
The bearings of the shaft u are carried in brackets u¹ which extend from
the back of the oblique standards c (see Figure 2). 18 represents the
lower part of the framing of the machine, and v', brackets for supporting
the oblique shaft t.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in or applicable to Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting
Wood to any required Pattern or Design," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the
general construction, combination, and arrangement of the machinery or
apparatus for cutting wood to any required pattern or design, substan-
tially as herein-before described and is illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings or any mere modification thereof; at the same
time, however, I would have it distinctly understood that what I more
particularly claim as the chief features of my Invention are,-
Firstly. The peculiar construction, application, and use of the hollow
octagonal (or other suitably shaped) dovetailed sectional divider,
together with its sections of any required pattern applied thereto (when
in use or any modification of the same.
Secondly. The peculiar construction, application, and use of the lower.
or transverse dividers.
Thirdly. The oblique slides in which the knife is caused to descend,

page_text: Fourthly. The improved means as above fully described for causing
the sectional divider with its embossing or other pattern “sections" to
descend in the oblique standards c.
Fifthly. The peculiar means described for causing the transverse
dividers to ascend at an equal rate to the descent of the sectional divider
and the knife r.
And lastly. The peculiar construction, adaptation, and use of the
oblique standards c for causing the divider a to approach the wood in
a direct line to the knife r, all substantially as herein-before described,
for the purposes set forth and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ellis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
CHARLES AUBREY DAY,
Draughtsman,
14, High Street,
Stepney,
London, E.
WILLIAM ELLIS. (L.S.)