An Improved Dovetail Cutting Machine, Mitreing Machine, and Squareing Machine Combined.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1895-Accepted. 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Dovetail Cutting Machine, Mitreing Machine, and
Squareing Machine Combined.
JAMES READ RICKARD, Engineer 143 Kennington Road London S.E. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
A machine on a suitable stand, as follows, fitted with an horizontal sliding table
with a vice or clamp on its top to hold the wood, or other material. This table is
graduated by holes in it and a stop pin, or by a screw and marked disc, or by a
dividing plate. The slide is moved along by preferably a rack and quadrant with
lever or by a screw, or lever, or suitable arrangement. Thus by removing stop
pin slide table to next hole which is the position for the next cut, which is done as
follows: Over the horizontal table a vertical slide is fitted capable of being moved
in any direction being mounted on suitable circular slides the cutter mandril is
affixed to this vertical slide and is brought up and down by a lever, screw or rack.
To work machine for dovetailing, put vertical slide at right angle to table, and to
cut female portion, use a cutter the shape desired. For squaring put vertical slide
at right angles to table, mount cutter or saw and pass table before it. Of course
all materials are fixed to the table.
10/105
An Improved Dovetail Cutting Machine, Mitreing Machine, and
Squareing Machine Combined.
I, JAMES READ RICKARD, of 143, Kennington Road, London, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, 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 an improved dovetailing machine of the type in which
a revolving bit cuts away the wood. The machine is also applicable for mitreing
and squareing.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention;
Figure Sheet No. 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine.
Figure 2 Sheet No. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.
Figure 3 Sheet No. 3 is a view in plan thereof.
Figure 4 Sheet No. 4 is a broken view of the back of the machine showing the
way in which the slide carrying the cutter is swung over to the required angle to
cut part of the dovetail.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The machine-which may be mounted on any suitable stand-consists essentially
of a table A mounted to slide transversely by means of a rack a and quadrant B
the teeth of which engage with the rack a on the table, the quadrant B. being
mounted on a suitable spindle C carried by a sleeve bearing C' attached to the
bed A of the slide A. The quadrant B is operated by means of a handle D

page_text: attached to the spindle C. The bed A' on which the table A slides is mounted to
slide on a bed A and is capable of being operated in a transverse direction to the
table A by means of a hand wheel and screw in a manner similar to the slide rests
of lathes. Immediately behind the table A is a slide D which is mounted on a
vertical bed E which is pivotted at e to a portion of the frame. The slide D
carries a boss or bearing F in which. is mounted a spindle G capable of being
driven by means of a suitable pulley G¹ mounted on its back end. Motion is
communicated to the pulley G' by a band from a power driven pulley, a suitable
tensioning device of any known construction being used for keeping the driving
band taut in any position that the pulley G' cau assume. The front part of the
spindle G is adapted to receive the bit or cutter H. Extending behind the point
of pivote of the bed E and formed in one with the upstanding portion of the frame
to which the bed E is pivotted are two forked arms J and J against which the
boss or bearing F rests when the bed E together with its slide D is pushed over
into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4. The angles which the forked
arms J and J¹ form with each other must be made to correspond to the angle of
the sides or walls of the dovetail which it is desired to cut. On the top of the
slide D are arms L to which is fulcrated a lever M connected to arms or
extensions E of the bed E providing a means of raising and lowering the bit or
cutter H. Behind the quadrant B is a fixed plate B₁ carried by the sleeve
bearing C', the said quadrant B is adapted to be locked to this fixed plate B¹
either by means of a spring controlled pin P mounted on the quadrant and engaging
with holes in the plate B or by a catch such as O mounted on the plate 13 and
adapted to take into notches o formed in a plate O' fixed on to the quadrant, the
said plate O being interchangeable and having the notches cut therein at a
predetermined distance from each other equal to the distance from each other of
the dovetails to be cut.
On one end of the table A is the fixed side of a clamp R, while on the other end
is the sliding part R' adapted to clamp between them the piece of wood X to bo
cut. This part R is fixed to the table A by means of an eccentric s carried by a
lever S mounted on a pin S screwed in the table A in one or other of the holes a¹
and adapted to lock the eccentric lever in position after the part R' has been
tightened. Both the parts R and R' of the clamp carry bearing brackets I in
which is loosely mounted a round bar T carrying a lever such as T' adapted to
grip the piece of wood X to be cut firmly down upon the table by means of a
wedge T pushed under its extended end. On the said bar T is also loosely
mounted a socket V in which is adjustably mounted a bar carrying on its free
end a finger W forming a stop against which the front edge of the wood X is
placed for determining the depth to which the dovetails are to be cut. After the
piece of wood is clamped in position the socket V is turned backwards on the
bar T so as to bring the finger W out of the way of the cutter when the table is
traversed.
To cut the female portions of the dovetail the bed E with its slide D is placed
in a truly vertical position and preferably locked in that position by means of a pin.
passing through the holes e¹ and e' formed in the bed E and the upstanding portion
of the frame respectively. A bit is used of the shape shown by H in Figure 2 of
the accompanying drawings, that is a cutter having three cutting edges, the two
side cutting edges being of an angle compared to its front cutting edge equal to
that which it is desired the dovetail should be, and the front cutting edge con-
necting the two angular side cutting edges is preferably of a width equal to that
which it is desired the dovetail should be. After the wood to be cut has been
brought sufficiently far under the bit and clamped in that position the slide D is
brought down by means of the handle M until the bit has completely cut the
dovetail, the bed A is then traversed the required distance for the next dovetail to
be cut.
The male portions of the dovetail are cut in the following manner :-The bed E
together with its slide D and consequently the bit, is pushed. over to one side into

page_text: the position as shown in dotted lines on Figure 4, a bit (not shown on the drawings)
having parallel side cutting edges and a front cutting edge at right angles to the
said side edges, is used. After the wood to be cut has been brought sufficiently
far under the bit the slide D is brought down and will be guided in an angular
direction by reason of the forked guide J', this angle corresponding to the angle of
the female portion of the dovetail, as soon as the cutter is clear of the wood it is
brought up and the bed E is pushed over in the opposite direction until the
bearing Fis resting against the other guide J the bit is again depressed, thus
cutting the other side or wall of the dovetail, the table A is then traversed ready
for the next dovetail to be cut.
It will be understood that instead of cutting first one side or wall of the male
portion of the dovetail and then shifting the bit so as to cut the other side or wall
as above described, all of the sides or walls having one angle may be cut at once
by traversing the bed and then all the other sides or walls having the opposite
angle may be cut.
To square or mitre the edges of pieces of wood by this machine the bed E is
placed and preferably locked (as herein before described) in a truly vertical position
and the slide D operated until the bit is in a line with the edge of the piece of
wood clamped on the table A, the table is then traversed as required. For
squareing a bit is used having a flat nose or cutting face of a width necessary for
the thickness of the wood. For initreing a bit is used having a coned nose or
cutting face of an angle equal to the desired angle of the mitre.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, but that I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as
fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1.) The improved machine for cutting dovetails, squareing and mitreing,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
(2.) In a dovetailing machine mounting the revolving bit or cutter in a slide
mounted in a saddle pivotted to the frame of the machine so that the said saddlo
can be set at any desired angle with the bed of the machine thereby allowing
the cutter to be traversed at the required angle for cutting the dovetail, as set
forth.
(3.) In a dovetail cutting machine, the combination with a revolving bit, of a
vertical slide capable of being set over and traversed at any desired angle to the
bed or table of the machine, as and for the purpose set forth.
(4.) In a dovetail cutting machine, the combination of the revolving bit carried
in the vertical capable of being set over and traversed at any desired angle to the
table of the machine, of the table for carrying the wood to be cut capable of being
traversed both longitudinally and transversely, of the dividing plate or its
equivalent for determining the longitudinal movement of the table, of the double
clamps for fixing the piece of wood to be cut and of the adjustable stop or finger
for determining the depth of the dovetail to be cut, all combined, arranged and
adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th day of November 1895.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.