Improvements in Subdividing Laminated Material.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Subdividing Laminated Material.
We, RICHARD WILLIS HEARD and RICHARD ANDREW LEE SNYDER, Electrical
Engineers, residing on Maple Avenue, at Edgewood Park, in the County of
Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in the separation
of laminae of mica and other similar materials, and the invention is hereinafter
more fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1
18 a top plan view of our improved separating machine: Fig. 2 is a
side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the plane
of section being indicated by the line III-III, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan
view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the machine; Fig. 5 is a sectional
elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line V-V, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is
a sectional detail view of the mica holding devices, and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail
view of a portion of the separating blade and the table.
In the practice of our invention, we employ a blade of suitable edge contour
and a holder for the mica, one of said parts being movable so as to cause the blade
to enter between adjacent laminae. In the form of apparatus shown, the blade 1
is secured upon a vertical shaft 2, mounted in suitable bearings, so that its upper end
will project above the surface of the table 3 and move the knife along parallel and in
close proximity therewith. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, this revolving knife 1 is
provided with a projecting horn a. approximately V-shaped in cross-section. The
blade is made as thin as compatible with a certain amount of rigidity, and its
entering point is slightly beveled on both sides. The amount of bevel on the
underside of the point of the blade will be entirely dependent upon the thickness
of laminae which it is desired io separate from the block, that is to say, the
thicker the laminae to be separated, the greater the bevel given to the underside
of the blade. The blade is held against the surface of the table adjacent to the
mechanism employed for holding the mica, by a roller 4. mounted on a pivotally
mounted arm 5, and held against the blade by a spring 6. In order to hold outer
portions of the block of mica in position, we employ a brush 7, which is
secured to arms 8, pivotally mounted upon standards on the frame 9. and the brush
is held in contact with the block of mica by means of springs 10". This brush
bears, as clearly shown, upon the block of mica near the edge at which the
separating knife enters. The rear portion of the block is held in position upon

page_text: the table by means of a presser foot 10, secured to rods 11, passing up through the
frame 9. Yielding pressure is exerted upon the pressure foot by springs 12,
surrounding the supporting rods. Any suitable means may be employed for holding
the block from movement along the table with the blade, such, for example, as
that shown, and consisting of pins 13, mounted in suitable guide sockets 14, on
the frame 9. These pins are held down in operative position by the spring 15,
having one end connected to the frame 9, while the opposite end is connected to
a cross-bar 16, attached to the upper ends of the pins 13. In order to lift these
prns so as to permit the passage of the separating blade and the lamina separated
from the block, rollers 17 are loosely mounted in yokes 18, secured to the
pins 13. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, these rollers are mounted at an angle to
the surface of the table, and are arranged at such a distance apart as to permit of
the passage of the front end of the blade between them and the table without
effecting any vertical movement of the rollers or pins, but they will be raised
together with the pins, as the shoulders 6 of the blade come in contact therewith.
Adjacent to the holding mechanism just described an opening is formed through
the bed of the table, to permit of the sheet or lamina separated from the block.
to drop away from the blade onto an endless apron 19, mounted on pulleys 20,
arranged on opposite sides of the machine. One of these pulleys is positively
driven by a belt 21, which passes around a suitable pulley on the knife shaft 2.
On this shaft is also mounted a pulley 22, around which is passed a belt 23, which
serves to drive a brush 24, arranged on the opening in the table and designed
to detach any sheet of mica or dust which may adhere to the under side of the
blade.
As it is desirable to prevent the movement of any portion of the block of mica
before at least the front end of the blade has passed entirely through the same,
and as it is also desirable to insure the movement of a detached sheet with the blade
from under the block, grooves 25 are formed in the surface of the table to permit
of the projection of the pins 13 below the surface of the block, and for the reception
of projecting lugs 26, formed on the underside of the blade. The sheets of mica
separated from the block and carried along with the blade by the lugs 26 are
very thin, and occasionally adhere so closely to the underside of the blade, that
the brush 24 will note dislodge them. In order to overcome such adherence and
to ensure the dislodgment of the sheets, springs are attached to the underside of
the blade in front of the lugs 26. as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The ends of the
springs are made thin and lie in close contact with the underside of the blades so
as to pass freely over the separated sheets, but the middle portion is bowed so as to
force the sheets away from the blade. As it is desirable that portions of the
holding pins 13 should always project a little below the under surface of the
block, grooves 28 are formed in the upper surface of the blade 1, and the lifting
rollers are so adjusted on said pins as to lift the pins only a sufficient height
to permit of their entrance into the grooves and not above the upper surface of
the blade.
For many purposes, the laminae separated should be as thin as possible, and as it
is practically impossible to so form the bevel at the front point of the knife as to
effect the separation of a lamina as thin as desired. we effect initial separation of
the block of mica into sheets at one edge of a block. While this separation can
be effected in many ways, we prefer to do it by grinding the edge of the block and
have found that in such grinding operation the laminae are opened up and
separated by the grinding along their edges and the material abraded from the
edges of the separated laminae is forced or wedged in between the same, thereby
holding them in open position ready for the operation of the splitting knife.
After the edge of the block has been ground or the initial separation, effected, the
block is placed in the holding device with the opened edge towards the knife,
which is then rotated. The point enters between adjacent laminae and the
diverging edges thereof act as a wedge to separate one lamina in all directions from

page_text: the one next adjacent. After passing through the block, the point of the blade
passes underneath the rollers, and thereby lifts the holding pins so as to permit of
the passage of the knife under them, and with it a separated sheet of mica, whose
imovement with the blade is insured by the projections on the under side of the
latter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
--
1. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a
blade having a point and edges diverging from said point and means for holding
the block to be separated in position to be operated on by the blade, substantially
as set forth.
2. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a
revolving blade having an entering point and diverging operative edges, and
means for holding the block to be separated in position to be operated on by the
blade, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a
movable blade, means for holding the block to be separated in position to be
operated on by the blade, and means for moving a separated lamina out of line
with the block, substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a bed
or table, a blade movable over the surface of the bed or table, means for holding
a block of mica on said table, and means for moving a separated laminae from
under the block, substantially as set forth.
5. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a bed
or table provided with an opening, a blade movable along the surface of the table,
means for holding a block of mica on said table, and means for moving a lamina
when separated by the blade to such position that it will drop through the opening
in the table, substantially as set forth.
6. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a bed
or table, a yielding presser for holding a block of mica on the table, fingers for
preventing the movement of the block along the table, and a blade movable along
the surface of the bed or table, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, etc., the combination of a
bed or table, means for yieldingly holding a block of mica on the table, a blade
movable along the surface of the table, and fingers vertically movable by the blade
for preventing the movement of the block along the table, substantially as set forth.
8. The method of subdividing laminated mineral substances such as mica, into
sheets, by the action of a mechanically driven blade operating along the planes of
lamination, substantially as set forth.
9. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, &c., the combination of a
movable blade provided on one side with grooves, means for holding a block of
mica with its laminae parallel with the plane of movement of the blade and fingers
for preventing the movement of the block with the blade, the ends of the fingers
projecting into the grooves in the blade. substantially as set forth.
10. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica, &c., the combination of a
blade, means for holding a block of mica with its laminae parallel with the sides of
the blade, and means for forcing a separated lamina away from the blade,
substantially as set forth.
11. In a machine for separating the laminae of mica. &c., the combination of a
movable blade, means for holding a block of mica with its laminae parallel with the
plane of movement of the blade, means for causing a separated lamina to move
with the blade and springs for forcing such lamina away from the blade,
substantially as set forth.
12. The method of subdividing pliable laminated mineral substances, such as
mica, by the preliminary edgewise opening up or developing of the planes of

page_text: lamination, followed by the action of a mechanically driven blade operating in and
along the developed planes of lamination, substantially as set forth.
Dated at Pittsburg, Pa.. U.S.A.. this Twenty fifth day of January & D 1800
Witnesses:
J. C. C. BLACK,
JAS. C. C. BLACK, Jr.,
DARWIN S. WOLCOTT.
F. E. GAITHER.
}
RICHARD WILLIS HEARD.
RICHARD ANDREW LEE SNYDER,
As to Heard.
As to Snyder.