IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ENGRAVING
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE MOKENDREE GUERRANT, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ENGRAVING, to be as follows:-
This machine is. adapted to engraving or chasing various articles of jewellry and
silver ware, such as rings and circular or curved articles. In this machine, I am able
to use either a flat or a circular pattern, and the tool is either brought down upon
the article to be engraved by the action of an electro magnet, or by preference
raised off such work by the magnet, and a percussive device is employed, when
needed, for striking the tool holder with numerous light blows to render the action
of the tool more certain, especially in engraving stones and hard substances.
Upon a suitable bed plate there are journal bearings for the shaft, which is
revolved at a moderate rate of speed by a pulley. This shaft receives the article to
be engraved, such as a ring or thimble, or a stone for a ring, or any other article to
which the machine is adapted, there being a suitable clamp near one end for holding
the article.
Immediately over the ring is the engraving tool, at the end of the lever, which
lever is pivoted in a frame, which may be supported by and slide in ways upon the
bed-plate, but usually I employ an intermediate carriage.
Beneath the frame is a screw, and a ratchet wheel, and this screw acts upon a
nut on the lower part of the frame to move the same and the tool laterally, and
cause such tool to act on successive parts of the article to be engraved as the same
is revolved beneath this tool.
The ratchet wheel has rather fine teeth and it is kept from turning back by a
pawl, and it is turned forward by a second pawl and lever, there being a spring
beneath the lever to raise it, and an arm at the end of the screw that passes through
the shaft, and is provided with clamping nuts by which the arm is set nearer to or
further from the axis of the shaft so as to give more or less motion at each rotation
to the lever and cause the second pawl to take up one or more teeth upon the
ratchet wheel, each movement.
The screw shaft has a hand wheel by which the same can be turned back when
the pawls are liberated.
The frame is extended to the rear below the tool lever, and carries an electro
magnet, the armature of which is at the back end of the tool lever, so that when
the electric current is passed through the magnet the tool is lifted from its work.

page_text: If the electro magnet is placed above the rear end of the tool lever, the tool will
be held to its work by the magnetism.
Upon the top of the tool lever are pivots for a percussive lever that has a screw
at the end nearly over the tool, the said screw acting as a hammer to strike the
tool lever, and there is a small shaft with a cam upon it, the same being supported
in bearings in the frame, and rotated by a cord to a pulley.
This cam depresses the back end of the percussive lever, and the india rubber or
other spring causes the stroke as the cam clears the hammer tail. The cam should
have two or more projections and be revolved rapidly so that the strokes of the
hammer will be very numerous and light
When a rotary pattern can be used it is placed between clamps on the shaft, and
the tracer is above the same.
A platina wire is clamped in a glass or other insulating stock having a conical
end; this tracor is carried in a hinged frame, so as to rest upon the pattern and it
is 'pressed to the same by a spring. The pattern is to be of conducting material
and raised, or the spaces filled in with non-conducting material; under all cir-
cumstances the electric circuit is completed between the metallic surfaces and the
tracer, as the pattern moves beneath the tracer, and the conical end of the insulating
stock surrounding the platina wire, prevents the circuit being closed except by the
surface pattern and the very end of the wire.
When the electric circling that is engraved corresponding to the non-conducting
closed, the portion on the
is connected, the tool will be raised by the circuit being
portion of the pattern.
In order that the tracer may be moved along over the revolving pattern in the
proper proportion to the movement of the engraving tool, a rod is attached at one
end to the stud upon the tool carriage, and at the other end to the stud upon the
lever arin. This stud may be moved nearer to or farther from the fulcrum of
the lover to vary the relative movement of the tracer to the tool. In this manner
the pattern can be wider than the article engraved and the movements of the tracer
and tool proportioned to the pattern and the articlo.
If desired, the engraved lines may be undulating; to effect this I fasten to the
bearing box a plate with a circular Hango having a corrugated edge, and' a pin is
inserted in the shaft, and the spring tends to move the shaft ond wise, so that, tho
pin will be kept in contact with the corrugated flange, hence as the shaft revolves,
it will be reciprocated endwise and produce waved or corrugated lines upon the
engraved surface.
In the engraving of lotters and ornaments it is often difficult to make use of
à circular pattern; hence I provide for using a flat pattern or design, the same being
placed upon a bed and clamped by the screws; the bed and pattern are adjusted tỏ
proper place relatively to the tracer, and the bed is moved progressively as the
engraving tool and its carriage are moved.
In order to prevent the pattern pulsating the current upon the return stroke of
the tracer and also to prevent injury to the surface, by the sudden movement
as the tracer is drawn back over the types, an arm is connected with the hinged
frame of the tracer, and at the end thereof is the jointed lifter, held in an adjustable
stock, and there is a block upon the bed and near the pattern but wider than such
pattern, so that when the tracer and the lifter are moving in one direction the
lower inclined end of this lifter will run upon the surface of the block, and the
lifter will swing upon its stop joint into nearly a vertical position and lift the tracer
off the pattern. When moving in the other direction the lifter will turn upon its
joint into the inclined position, by the contact of its lower end with the block, and
hence the tracer will not be lifted but remain in contact with the surface of the
pattern.
It is necessary that the tracer be moved across the pattern once each revolution
of the article that is being engraved, and that the tracer should return to the
point of beginning on the pattern by the time that the design that is being

page_text: A loose pinion, rack, lever, cord weight and latch ring are used for coupling and
uncoupling the loose pinion and giving the required movement.
I make use of a circuit closing arm projecting from the tool carriage and an
adjustable stop to which an electric circuit is connected, so that the circuit will be
closed when the tool holding carriage reaches its extreme movement, thereby
ringing an alarm or operating an electric brake or belt shifter to stop the revolution
of the machine when the piece of engraving is finished.
I also provide bevel gearing for connecting the revolving shaft with two tables,
so that they revolve in unison and one holds the pattern and the other the article
to be engraved, the tool and tracer are moved across the respective surfaces and
the tool is caused to engrave by the action of the magnet. The machine is also
convertible into a reciprocating engraver by using the revolving shaft for giving
motion by a crank and pitman to a bed that is connected by pantograph lovers
with the tracer and electric appliances before described.

page_text: I, GEORGE MCKENDREE GUERRANT, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ENGRAVING, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
This machine is adapted to engraving or chasing various articles of jewellery
and silver-waro, such as rings and circular or curved articles.
In this machine I am able to uso either a flat or a circular pattern, and the tool
is either brought down upon the article to be engraved by the action of an electro-
magnet, or by preference raised off such work by the magnet, and a percussion
device is employed when needed for striking the tool holder with numerous light
blows to render the action of the tool more certain especially in engraving stones
and hard substances.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1, is a plan of the machine.
Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation, at the line a, .
Fig. 3, is an elevation endwise of the reciprocating tracer.
Fig: 4, is an enlarged section of the tracer and lifter.
Fig. 5, is an enlarged section, and
Fig. 6, is a detached plan of the loose pinion on the revolving shaft.
Fig. 7, is a detached view of the revolving shaft.
Fig. 8, is a detached view in larger size of the tracer and circular pattern.
Fig. 9, is a face view of the cam for moving the revolving shaft endwise, and
Fig. 10 is a side view of the engraving tool and section of the bolder for the
article to be engraved.
Upon a suitable bed plate A, there are the journal bearings a¹, for the shaft B,
which is revolved at a moderate rate of speed by the pulley B'. This shaft B
receives tho article to be engraved such as a ring or thimble, or a stone for a ring,
or any article to which the machine is adapted, there being a suitable clamp near
one end for holding the article. I have shewn a ring as at b, and conical faces
between which such ring is received, the nut 61, having one of those conical faces
and screwing upon the end of the shaft B, for clamping the ring b. Immediately
over the ring is the engraving tool c, at the end of the lever c', which lover is
pivoted at c', in a frame D, which may be supported by and slide in ways
the bed plate A, but usually I employ an intermediate carriage D. Beneath this
frame. D, is a screw E, and a ratchet wheel E₁, and this screw acts upon a nut on
the lower part of the frame D to move thio same and the tool laterally and cause
such tool to act on successive parts of the article to be engraved as the same is
revolved beneath this tool.
יכ
upon
The ratchet wheel E!, has rather fine teeth and it is kept from turning back by
a pawl e, and it is turned forward by the pawl o!, and lever e, there being a
spring, beneath the lever to raise it and an arm e', at the end of a screw that
pusses through the shaft B, and is provided with clamping nuts e, by which the
arine, is set nearer to or further from the axis of the shaft B, so as to give more
or less motion at each rotation to the lever o, and cause the pawl el, to take up
one or more teeth upon the ratchet wheel each movement.

page_text: The screw shaft E, has a hand wheel E', by which the same can be turned back
when the pawls are liberated.
The frame D is extended to the rear below the tool lever c¹, and carries an
electro-magnet F, the armature of which is at the back end of the tool lever, so
that when the electric current is passed through the magnet, the tool is lifted from
its work. If the electro-magnet is placed above the rear end of the tool lever c¹,
the tool will be held to its work by the magnetism.
With the parts in the position shewn the adjustable spring f, holds the armature
up from the magnet when not energized and presses the tool to its work. The
frame D carrying the tool and its lever and the electro-magnet may be hung upon
pivots in the jaws G, so that said parts may be rocked upon such pivots and there
is a screw G¹, the end of which rests upon a stationary pattern g, which may be
concave or convex, but is to correspond with the concavity or convexity transversely
of the article that is being engraved, so that the frame and tool will be rocked up
or down gradually as the screw gives a lateral motion to the parts as the engraving
progresses.
Upon the top of the tool lever c¹ are pivots h, for a percussive lever h¹ that has a
screw h, at the end nearly over the tool, the said screw acting as a hammer to
strike the tool lever and there is a small shaft i, with a cam upon it the same
being supported in bearings in the frame D, and rotated by a cord to a pulley i¹.
This cam depresses the back end of the percussive lever and the india rubber or
other spring causes the stroke as the cam clears the hammer tail. The cam
should have two or more projections and be revolved rapidly so that the strokes of
the hammer will be very numerous and light.
By screwing down the hammer head the tail will be depressed and the extent of
movement of the hammer head lessened and the reverse so as to regulate the
percussive action upon the tool lever and tool.
When a rotary pattern can be used it is placed between the clamps k, kl, on the
shaft B, and the tracer l, is above the same with a spring , and frame n¹, upon a
lever arm ¹¹, pivoted at 18, upon an insulated plate resting upon an insulating
bearing at l³.
The tracer itself is similar to the tracers in patents heretofore granted to me in
the United States, that is to say, a platina wire is clamped in a glass or other
insulating stock having a conical end. The tracer is carried in a hinged frame n¹,
so as to rest upon the pattern and it is pressed to the same by a spring n³.
The pattern is to be of conducting material and raised, or the spaces filled in
with non-conducting material; under all circumstances the electric circuit is
completed between the metallic surfaces and the tracer as the pattern moves
beneath the tracer and the conical end of the insulating stock surrounding the
platina wire prevents the circuit being closed except by the surface pattern and the
very end of the wire.
The electric current passes from the battery B³, by wire 6 to frame of machine
and pattern and returns through the insulated tracer and insulated lever arm /
and wire 7 to magnet F and to the battery.
When the electric circuit is connected in this manner the tool will be raised by
the circuit being closed, the portion on the ring that is engraved corresponding to
the non-conducting portion of the pattern.
In order that the tracer may be moved along over the revolving pattern in the
proper proportion to the movement of the engraving tool, I attach a rod m. at one
end to the stud 8 upon the tool carriage D' and at the other end to the stud 9 upon
the lever arm. This stud 9 may be moved nearer to or further from the fulcrum
of the lever to vary the relative movement of the tracer to the tool.
In this manner the pattern can be wider than the article engraved and the
movements of the tracer and tool proportioned to the pattern and the article.
The stud 8 is by preference swiveled and insulated from the tool carriage, and
the stud 9 is pivoted to a slide base upon the lever 1, and the rod m provided with

page_text: right and left hand screws so as to be adjusted by rotating the same by the thumb
wheel 10.
The plate below the layer upon insulated, supports may be adjustable
vertically if desired, so ne to adapt the tracer to different sizes of patterns.
If desired the engraved lines may be undulating; to offect this, I fasten to the
bearing box a' a plate with a circular flange 11 having a corrugated.edgo, see
fig. 9, and a pin 12 is inserted in the shaft B and the spring 13 tends to move the
shaft Bend wise, so that the pin 12 will be kept in contact with the corrugated
flange, hence as the shaft revolves it will be reciprocated end wise and produce
waved or corrugated lines upon the engraved surface.
In the engraving of letters and ornaments it is often difficult to make use of a
circular pattern, hence I provide for using a flat pattern or design, the same being
placed at T upon a bed T and clamped by the screws 20. The bed T is upon
ways or supports 21 upon A and can be moved thereon gradually and in proportion
to the movement of the tool and carriage by means of the levor U, that is slotted
or provided with holes for.a moveable pivot 23 that enters a rib or slide 24 on the
bed A so as to vary the relative length of the two arms of such lover U.
One end of this lever U is connected to the tool carriage D' by a link 20 to a
stud depending from an arm 27 on such carringo The other end of such lever is
provided with a stud nut 28, through which passes the rod 29 that has upon it
right and left hand screw threads, the other end passing through a stud nut 30
beneath the bed T.
By these devices the bed T and pattern are adjusted to the proper place
rélatively to the tracer V and the bed is moved progressively as the engraving too!
and its carriage are moved as aforesaid.
The tracer V is the same as before described, but it is placed upon a slide 35 that
onn move endwise in ways 30 upon the lever 37. This lever hins a moveable
pivot 38 passing down into the stationary bar 39 below. By moving this pivot
into one of the numerous holes the relative length of the lever arın may be varied.
The spring 40 tends to move the slide 35 end wise and keep the pin 42 in contact
with the edge of the stationary bar 43, hence the tracer will be moved in a straight
line across the pattern T, as the lever 37 is swung upon its pivot.
The pattern is of conducting material and the electric current is pulsated in the
magnet as the tracer passes over the pattern, hence the engraving will be performed
as aforesaid, but in order to prevent the pattern pulsating the current upon the
return stroke of the tracer and also to prevent injury to the surface by the sudden
movement as the tracer is drawn back over the types, an arm 50 is connected with
the binged frame of the tracer and at the end thereof is the jointed lifter 51, held
in an adjustable stock 52, and there is a block 55, upon the bed T and near the
pattern T, but wider than such pattern, so that when the tracer and the lifter 51
are moving in one direction the lower inclined end of this lifter will run upon the
surface of 55, and the lifter 51 will swing upon its stop joint into nearly a vertical
position, seo fig. 4, and lift the tracer off the pattern. When moving in the other
direction the lifter will turn upon its joint into the inclined position shewn in fig: 3
by the contact of its lower end with 55, and hence the tracer will not be lifted but
remain in contact with the surface of the pattern.
"It is necessary that the tracer be moved across the pattern once each revolution
of the article that is being engraved and that the tracer should return to the point
of beginning on the pattern by the time that the design that is being engraved
reaches the tool.
To effect this operation I make use of the loose pinion 60 on the shaft B, and
the rack 01 beneath the same, said rack being attached at one ond to the lever 37.
There is a cord over a pulley 81, and a weight 62 or other device, such as a spring,
to give motion to the rack endwise and move the lover 37 and revolve the pinion 60,
when the pinion is not coupled to the shaft B, and I place such pinion 60 between
two collars 65, 66, fastened firmly on B, and in one of these collars there is a

page_text: aliding pin 67 that is fastened to and projects from the latch ring 68 that can slide
end wise of the shaft B, but is kept towards the collar 65 by a spring 88. This
pin 67 enters a hole in one end of the loose pinion 60 and there is an arm and fixed
stud 70 projecting from the bearing a¹ and this pin is in the path of the latch
projection upon the ring 68, hence as the shaft B revolves, the latch on the ring
coming into contact with this stud is is pushed back and with it the ring 68, and
the pin 67 is withdrawn uncoupling the loose pinion 60 which now being free is
rapidly revolved in the other direction by the rack 61, and its weight or spring 62,
and the latch ring projection having passed the stud 70, the coupling pin 67 is
thrown into the hole in the pinion as soon as the pinion has revolved to the proper
point and the rack and tracer are then moved in the other direction and the
engraving is proceeded with.
It is to be understood that there must be a plain space upon the article that is
being engraved in the manner last described and that this plain portion is under
the tool during the time that the pinion is uncoupled and the rack lever and tracer
are being moved back. This plain portion will be covered with continuous straight
or corrugated lines or left without any lines, according to the electric connections
and the position of the electro-magnet to the tool lever as aforesaid. If a plain
tablet or space is to be left upon the article to be engraved I find it convenient to
use the tracer at the same time as the tracer V and to place between the jaws k, k¹,
a pattern at the place where the plain portion is to be left, so that this pattern
between k and will close the circuit and lift the tool during the return movement
of the tracer V.
I make use of a circuit closing arm 90, projecting from the tool carrriage and an
adjustable stop 91 to which an electric circuit is connected so that the circuit will
be closed when the tool holding carriage reaches its extreme movement thereby
ringing an alarm or operating an electric brake or belt shifter to stop the revolution
of the machine when the piece of engraving is finished.
In figs 10 and 11 I have shewn by plan and partial section the parts which are
used with the machine before described when the engraving is to be upon a flat or
nearly flat surface and in a spiral or very fine volute line. The shaft B is provided
with bevel gears 0%, 0, and these gears rotate the tables or beds o7, 08, respectively;
these tables are upon the stands A3, A4, above the bed A. The pattern is to be
secured between the clamps k, k, and the article to be engraved is secured upon
the table o, between the clamps b². The engraving tool is shewn at c, upon the
arm c' and the tracer is upon the arm n' and it is constructed as before described.
It is preferable to place the stone, or the metal to be engraved, within a ring b³, or
beneath the same so as to hold such article firmly by the clamp screws b¹.
The other parts of the machine remain unchanged and the engraving is
performed in the manner before described except that the tracer and the tool are
set to commence work at the centre of the pattern and article and as they are
gradually moved across the respective surfaces the line of engraving will be a fine
spiral or volute, and the tracer comes in contact with the surface of the pattern in
a similar line and the tool is made to operate or to be raised according to the
portions of the pattern which are of conducting and non-conducting materiala.
Fig. 12, is a partial plan.
Fig. 13, is a partial elevation of the aforesaid machine with a reciprocating bed
for the article to be engraved and
+
Fig. 14, is an elevation of the bed and of the connecting rod and disc.
This reciprocating bed is to be used with the pattern T, and pantograph levers
sbewn in fig. 1, but instead of only moving the tracer back and forth over the
pattern, I also move the bed A' and article to be engraved back and forth under
the tool c. This is effected by a connecting rod c10 from an adjustable crank pin cl
upon a disc B on the shaft B, which connecting rod reciprocates the bed A*
beneath the tool c; a greater or less distanco according to the position of the
adjustable crank pin.
S

page_text: The pantograph bar 37 receives its movement from the link and bed A
instead of from the rack 61; fig. 1, the movements and operations otherwise being
the same as before described; the bed A, as it moves endwise carries with it the
link, and this moves the intermediate lever " that is pivoted upon the
stationary bar os and there is a link c¹ that connects the pantograph bar 37 and
the lever cl
J
By changing the position of the fulcrum of the lever cla, the movement that is
given to the tracer in proportion to the endmovement of the bed A can be varied
as desired.
I remark that the disc Bª should have a rim half of which is of conducting
material and the other half of non-conducting material, and the electric connections
should be made through the same so that during the movement of the reciprocating
bed in one direction the circuit will be broken and the tool will not be acted upon
by the electro-magnet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First, The combination with a continuously revolving shaft of a holder for the
article to be engraved and a holder for the pattern, a tracer, electric circuit
connections through the tracer, an engraving tool, a holder for the same and an
electro magnet to control the operations of the engraving tool, substantially as set
forth.
Second. The combination with the tool holding lover, of an electro-magnet, à
carriage for such magnet and tool holder, a screw for moving the said carriage
and a continuously revolving shaft for actuating the holder and article to be
engraved, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with the tool holder, of the carriage for the same, the
electro-magnet, a screw for moving the parts, a pattern and a screw boaring on
such pattern to rock the tool holding carriage as the parts are moved by the screw,
and a revolving shaft and holder for the article to be engraved, substantially as set
forth.
Fourth. The combination with the continuously revolving shaft and clamps
thereon for holding the pattern and the article to be engraved, of a tool holder,
a carriage and screw for moving the same, a tracer and a connection from the
tool holding carriage to the tracor for moving the same, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the revolving shaft and the holders for the pattern
and article to be engraved, of a corrugated flange 11 and pin 12, and a spring 13,
by which end motion may be given to the revolving shaft and the parts carried by
the same, substantially as set forth..
Sixth. The combination with the revolving shaft and the holder for the article
to be engraved, of the tool bolder, the carriage for the same, the screw for moving
the carriage, the ratchet wheel, pawls, lever and adjustable arm on the revolving
shaft for giving motion to the lover, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination with continuously revolving shaft and holder thoreon
for the article to be engraved, of an engraving tool and its holder, an electro-
magnet for actuating the tool, a tracer and electric connections and mechanism
substantially as set forth for moving the tracer over the pattern as specified.
Eighth. The combination with the tracer, of a hinged stock carrying the same
and a lifter for raising the tracer from the pattern on the return movement;.
substantially as set forth.
Ninth. The combination with the continuously revolving shaft and holder for
the article to be engraved, of the tool holding lever and carriage, a scrow to move
the latter, a bed for holding, the pattern, a connection from the same to the tool
holding carriage, a tracer and mechanism for moving the same across the pattern,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: Tenth. The combination with the revolving shaft and holder, of a tool, a lever
and carriage for holding the same, a tracer, a loose pinion on the revolving shaft,
a coupling for the same, a rack and lever connecting the pinion to the tracer,
substantially as set forth.