IMPROVEMENTS IN. OR APPERTAINING TO APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas of Bangor in the county of Carnarvon
for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. OR APPERTAINING TO APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE"
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June 1882.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
JOHN THOMAS of Bangor in the county of Carnarvon
APPERTAINING TO APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SHAPING STONE”
Paving sets have hitherto, I believe, been made by hand, almost exclusively;
various attempts at making them by machinery have all failed, as either inefficient
or too expensive. In the former category may be reckoned the attempts at tooling
or cutting, and in the latter, the various sawing machines.
Now I have found that if, with specially formed tools, a heavy pressing blow bo
struck, granite, limestone, and many other stones, can be pared down, as it were,
breaking off with a very even fracturo, both at the tool and at the die even
with stones that struck in almost any other manner would be splintered in all
directions
My invention consists therefore; 1st, in the use of a weighty hammer, driven
by steain, water, air, gas, electricity or other means, 2nd, in a die or anvil ngainst
or upon which the stone is placed, when struck, and 3rd, peculiarly formed tools
varying with the kind of stone operated upon and very largely according to the
kind of work to be done.
With some stones a steel die, the shape required, is made and secured on the
anvil, the stone is placed on the die and the hammer coming down squares the
block at a stroke; in such case the edge of the die, and sometimes of the haminer
too, should be curved, like the cutting edge or point of a diamond, to give the best
effect.
If limestone is to be scabbled, a tool resembling a scabbling hammer is inserted
into the hammer block, to square the stone, then a tool like a nick, to nick off all

page_text: waste, and lastly a smoothing tool or diamond hammer, to smooth or tool the face.
In this latter case the blows are struck lightly, and not with power, as in squaring.
In practice it is best to have three hammers near together and pass each stone
beneath the three in succession. In cutting large coping stones and other like
blocks the stone is preferably smoothed or tooled with the smoothing tool and then
finished with a diamond hammer with numerous points or edges under a fourth
hammer, In making sets care, should be taken that the anvil is firmly supported,
but it is frequently desirable to have it readily moveable. It is therefore best for
some purposes to fix it on a moveable frame capable of travelling on rollers or a
gantreo, under the hammer. The hammer block should have a dove-tail groove or
a suitable socket so as to readily be fitted with different kinds of tools, and allow
said tools to be replaced. The invention is applicable for cutting and for facing
stones of almost all kinds and for the most diverse purposes, also for breaking
stone for macadam. Among other things capable of being inade by it are masonry
blocks, paving sets, slabs, flags and curbstones.

page_text: out of contact with the stone immediately the pressure on the lever is removed by
a spring or springs I. At the front of the anvil I place a slide J moved backwards
and forwards by a screw and handle K. This is also padded with leather and by
it the stone is brought into position for being cut and prevented flying back under
the impact of the stroke of the haminer.
With some stones a steel die or cutter is secured to the anvil on which the >>tone
is cut but for most stone the anvil is equally good for cutting on and in some cases
it is even preferable hence I have not shown any such die in the drawings.
If Limestone is to be scabbled, a tool resembling a scabbling hammer is inserted
into the hammer block to square the stone, then a tool like a pick, to pick off all
waste, and lastly a smoothing tool or diamond hammer, to smooth or tool the face
in this latter case the blows are struck lightly. In practice it is best to have three
hammers near together and pass each stone beneath the three in succession. In
cutting large coping stones and other like blocks the stone is preferably smoothed,
or tooled with the smoothing tool and then finished with a diamond hammer with
numerous points or edges (as shown Fig. 10) under a fourth hammer.
Slate (for preparing school or roofing slates) may be cut or split by means of one
blow or two of the hammer into as many pieces and of what thickness required
according to the size of the tool used. The slate M is firmly fixed between two
fences LL padded with india rubber l. The fence or slide L may be brought up
to its place by a screw and L' is provided with a strong spring N which with the
india rubber padding allows for the pressure of the splitting tool. After being
split the slates are squared and cut to size by tools similar to those shown
Fig. 11.
The hammer block is provided with a dove-tail groove, or a suitable socket so as
to readily be fitted with different kinds of tools and allow said tools to be replaced.
The invention is applicable for cutting and for facing stones of almost all kinds of
and for the most diverse purposes, also for breaking stone for inacadam. Among
other things capable of being made by it are masonry blocks, paving sets, slabs,
Yorkshire and other flags, and kerbstones. Rough ashlers for Buildings and
shodies.
Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is:
1st The method of shaping or cutting sets or other blocks of stone consisting in
submitting them on an anvil or its equivalent to the action of tools fixed in a stam
hammer block or other mechanism capable of giving a heavy pressing blow
substantially as described.
2nd The apparatus for shaping or cutting sets or other blocks of stone consisting
of a steam hammer block or other heavy reciprocating body armed with the cutting
or slimping tool or tools and a solid anvil or base upon which the block is placed or
held substantially a decribed
3rd The manufacture of the special forms of apparatu, substantially as and f
the purposes herein dɩ-cribed,
In witness whereof I the aid Julin Thumuz, have horeuntit my limul an I
seal this fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
JOHN THOMAS. (L.S.)