Year: 1888

page_text: I WILLIAM SMITH, of Cleveland Terrace, Wellington, Salop, Manufacturer, 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 that class of machines known as copying lathes or
profiling machines used in the production of irregular shaped wooden articles, and
has for its object an improved arrangement and disposition of its parts; to secure the
more perfect and sensitive action of its vibrating parts, and its general working which
shall yield a more economic productive result.
I will describe a machine constructed so as to embrace these my improvements
generally.
I provide a base or bed, having dovetail or other suitable grooves to receive a slide
capable of a longitudinal motion. This longitudinal motion may be obtained by rack,
pinion and pulleys, but I prefer to obtain it by a screw motion after the manner
hereinafter described. Upon the upper part of the slido I make provision to carry a
vibrating frame or bed, by means of transverse guides, acting in conjunction with
spiral or other springs; and carried out after the following mannor:
Upon the upper part of the slide I provide two cross stays or spinilles, whose one
end is firmly connected to the slide, (or if preferred, to the vibrating frame. Upon
those cross stays or spindles I thread spiral springs, which press between a collar upon
the said spindles, or other suitable face, and the opposite bearing, thereby always
tending to keep the vibrating frame in its extreme transverse position in that
direction.
At a suitable hoight above the vibrating frame I mount two driving spindles,
parallel to each other, the one to carry the pattern, and the other to carry the
stock, (that is, the piece from which the finished article is to be produced) these
driving spindles boing driven by means of spur gearing engaging with a pinion
common to both, which in its turn is again driven by fast and loose pulleys. By this
means the two parallel spindles revolve in a similar direction. Suitable back contres
are provided upon the longitudinal bed, in line with the said parallel spindlos, to
receive the pattern and stock.

page_text: Again. Upon. a spindlo having fast or fast and loose pulleys, and mounted in
suitable bearings, I fix a cutter block of a suitable size, permissable for the class of
work under operation, capable of holding a given number of cutters, which are socured
firmly to the block and lying in recesses or openings formed upon the block, in such
a manner that their cutting edge stands a little prominent of the block thus giving the
cutting action without liability to over feed itself. Horizontally, the centres of the
cutter block, the stock & the pattern are in line with each other.
Corresponding to the periphery of the cutting block I provide a friction pressure
piece having a suitable surface co-incident therewith. This pressure piece is also
fixed upon the vibrating slide together with the cutter spindle frame. The said cutter
spindle frame, and the pressure piece is nevertheless provided with means of
adjustment wherohy they may be placed nearer to or farther from the stock or the
pattern in order to lessen the vibrating strain upon the springs, when the change of
patterns being operated upon is extreme in their dimensions. The driving power for
the pulleys of the machine may be obtained from overhead shafting or otherwise as
most convenient, such belts being furnished with suitable gear for there being readily
thrown in or out of gear and as far as possible acting simultaneously with each other,
while the longitudinal motion of the slide is provided with an adjustable stop action
by which its motion is arrosted at any given point.
I
The arrangement as described I find by practice to answer best, but as will be clear
may modify the details without departing from the nature of this my improved
arrangement in which the horizontal spring vibrations answers so sensitively to any
irregularity in the form of the pattern that I am enabled to run the traverse at an
increased speed compared with similar machines now in uso.
I will now proceed to more particularly describe how this my invention may be
carried into effect having reference to the accompanying illustrative sheets of
drawings upon which are figures and letters of reference, similar letters referring
throughout the several views to the same thing or part..
Fig. 1, shews in front elevation a machine constructed according to this my

page_text: the bed. z, is the dummy surface roller, carried upon the brackety, which is attached
to the slide w. Also upon the vibrating slide I mount a carriage z, supporting and
carrying the spindle a & revolving cutter block, which are driven by pulley c¹.
Within this cutter block I mount as many cutting knives d', as convenient,
according to the size of the block, the size of which latter would be as large as
the work to be operated upon would admit; some irregular shapes baving
hollowed surfaces, would admit of only comparative small diameters, to other
shapes. I have illustrated it as carrying four of such knives, two upon either
side. The cutting edges of the knives stand a little prominent of the block, the
mouth of the block resembling that of an ordinary hand plane, thus effectually
preventing the possibility of over feeding itself, or pulling itself in. The contour
of the cutter and block would coincide and be such as to ensure the best results,
that is, the rounded portion would perform the heavy part of the operation, while
the parrallel (or nearly so) portion would effect the smoothing or finishing.
Again. Upon the upper part of the slide v, carry two auxiliary combined cutter
and stay blocks e¹, e, each carrying a knife f¹, which is also shaped somewhat
corresponding to the bell-mouthed form of the block. The inner portion however of
the block at g, serving as a steady, to the portion from which the rough angles have
been removed by the knives f¹, ready for the completing operation of the knives in
cutter block b. h¹, is a piece of wrought iron attached to the part v, and carried
over, or bridging the slide w, and forming a base to which the combined cutter and
steady blocks e & e³ are attached by screw pins at ; thus while the central cutting
block vibrates to the irregular shape of the pattern, the two auxiliary blocks do not
vibrate, but only travel longitudinally with the slide o.
By this disposition of parts the shavings from the central cutter block are allowed
plenty of room for escape from the interior of the block, at its rear or under part,
free of the auxiliary block. The vibrating motion is effected after the following
manner, as shewn in Figs. 5 & 8-At the front end of the part v, of the
longitudinal slide, is formed a lug or flange , or its equivalent having holes to
receive the spindlos or stays m'. Also at the rear end of the vibrating slide w, upon
its underside, is provided a similar lug or flange n' or its equivalent, to which the
spindles or stays m' are secured, but which are free to slide through the flange l¹.
Upon these stays are threaded the spiral springs o¹, which as will be clearly seen
always tend to press the slide w, and consequently the dummy roller carried thereon,
against the pattern, and coincident therewith the central cutting block against tho
piece to be wrought upon.
It will be further observed that the central cutting block and also the auxiliary
block is double, the purpose of which is, to make the machine operate in both
directions of the traverse, inasmuch as when the slide is travelling from left to right
the right hand auxiliary block and the right hand portion of the central block will
operate upon the piece u, while, when the slide travels from right to left, the left hand
auxiliary block and the left hand portion of the central block will operate, so that
at the arrival of the traverse slide at each end, the piece will be finished, and a fresh
one fixed, the return traverse operating as before.
is
The driving gear will be readily understood upon reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 11 & 12.
p, is the main shaft, driving by means of the belt q the main pulleyse, & g, upon
the machine, e & g being fast and loose upon the spindle, thus when the belt
working upon either of the pulleys e org the machine will run in the same direction,
while the machine will be idle when the belt is upon the pulley f. Upon the
spindle d, is a cone pulley r, which by belt s', drives the overhead counter-shaft t¹,
which again in its turn drives downward from pulley u¹, by the straight belt t¹ &
crossed belt w, the pulleys r, s, t & u, upon the screw p,r&u, being fast and s & t
being loose upon the screw. Also upon this countershaft t', is a drum f, which by
belt drives the pulley c¹ during its travel along the bed a.
Again. Upon the machine bed is carried a sliding rod ' which at its one end is
connected to the rocking band fork lever, and farther connected by link a², to the
fork band lover which are jointed at c² & d² respectively. Upon the slide o, are

page_text: formed projections which when travelling to the right or left come in contact with
or strike against the adjustable stops fupon the rod so that (see Fig. 1) the slide o
now travelling to the left would push forward the said stop fin that direction, until
the belt g' is pushed on to the pulley, when the machine would cease working. At
the same time also the cross belt w¹ (now the driving belt) would together with the
belt be pushed on to the two loose pulleys s, t. After the wrought piece has been
removed and a fresh one fixed, the machine would be restarted by further pushing
forward the rod a', and fork hand levers 2 & 2, until the band g¹ would work upon
the pulley e, and the straight belt upon the pulley », this latter belt reversing the
direction of the screw p, when the slide o would travel to the opposite end and the
reverse action of the belts take place.
In order to prevent the liability of the belt gl moving on to the fast pulleys,
except at the will of the operator, I have provided the locking catch piece j³, upon
the outer end of which if necessary (to increase its efficiency) a weight may be
suspended the curved surfaces at 72 riding over the fixed stud pin and thereby
requiring considerable force to effect it, while by hand the piece may be lifted and
the sliding effected easily.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim as new, and desire to secure by letters patent is
1st. In a wood working copying machine, the combination with the revolving
cutter traverse slide, of one, or two, auxiliary cutter blocks, and steadies, substantially
as hereindescribed and illustrated, and for the purposes specified.
2nd. The combination with a wood working copying machine, of the construction,
combination, and arrangement of parts constituting the traversing vibrating slide and
revolving cutter block, substantially as described and illustrated upon the drawings.
3rd. The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting this my
improved wood working copying machine, as hereindoscribed and illustrated upon
the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of November 1888