INPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING WOOD AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
THOMSON, of Nottingham, Cabinet Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of
April, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Thomson, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Thomson,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Thomson,
my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "INPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING WOOD AND OTHER SUBSTANCES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said George Thomson,
should cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Thomson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of a new arrangement or combination of mechanical
parts into a sawing machine, particularly applicable for sawing wood and
⚫other substances for ornamental purposes. The machine is also applicable when
for shaping wood and other substances, without reference to ornament. And
in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine constructed or combined according
to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at A, B, in Figure 1. a, a, is the
framing which may be of wood or metal. 6 is a cranked axis which receives
motion from the treadle c in like manner to a lathe. d is a pulley fixed on the
cranked axis, which, by means of a gut or other band, gives motion to the
pulley e, the axis of which turns in bearings f.f, fixed to the framing a of
the machine, as is shown. g is an arm or crank fixed to the axis of the
pulley e. The crank g gives motion to the levers or beams h, k, which gives
motion to the sliding bars h', which slide in and are guided by the staples i, i,
fixed to the framing a, the motion being given from the crank g to the beams
or levers h, k, by the connecting rod j. The bar h¹ connects the lever or
beamh with the lever or beam k, as shewn. At the other end of each of the
levers or beams h, k, is attached a connecting rod n, n, the upper one having
means of adjustment. The other end of each of the connecting rods n is
attached to a sliding bar o, o, such sliding bars moving in guides p, p, by
which arrangement of parts the bars o, o, will move up and down at equal
speeds. The saw 9 is fixed in the ends of the bars o, o, and is kept stretched
between them. r is a table on which the piece of wood or other material is
placed when being cut. The saw works through this table, there being an
opening through it just sufficient for the free passage of the saw; and I prefer
that the table should be capable of rotating on its centre to facilitate the move-
ment of the wood which is being cut, but such movement of the table is not
necessary unless the pieces of wood are heavy or long.
I would here remark, that although I have shown and described the machine
as being worked by the foot of a workman, it will be evident that the same
may be driven by power; but as a workman is necessarily employed to hold,

page_text: move, and guide the piece of wood or other material which is being cut, I
believe it to be better that the foot of the workman should be used, excepting
where heavy work is to be done. In using this machine the workman will
will first mark or draw on the upper surface of the wood or other material to
be cut the pattern or design which he wishes to produce; he will then simply
guide the wood or material up to the cutting edge of the saw, and cause the
cut produced to follow the line marked out on the surface of the wood or
other material. By this arrangement of machine very elaborate sawing may
be performed with quickness and ease; and in those cases where the pattern
desired to be obtained in a piece of wood or other material will not allow of
the saw entering from the exterior edge of the piece of material, then a hole
is first to be drilled through the material for the passage of the saw, which is
to be released at one end for that purpose; that end when passed through
the material to be cut is then again to be fixed to its sliding bar and the saw
drawn tight, when the workman, as before, will be enabled to guide the wood
or other material which is supported by the table so as to cause the cut to
take place in the direction of the previously marked out design.
The details of the machine may be materially varied without departing from
my Invention; and I have in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, shewn a machine where
in place of having the two beams k, k, two axes h, k, are employed, which
simultaneously receive motion from the crank axis by the gut or other band,
as is shewn. On the ends of the axes h, k, are excentrics 2, z, which give
motion to connecting rods n, n, which are attached to the sliding bars o, o, to
to which the saw is fixed, as in the previous arrangement. And it may be
remarked, that it is an important feature in the Invention that a single saw
should be held between two such sliding bars o, o, combined with the use of
a table or surface on or with which the work may be moved, and so that the
wood or other material may come to the saw's edge in a constantly varying
direction according to the design to be cut. y, y, are two other excentrics on
the axes h, k; and y' is a connecting rod, having a hoop or opening at y³ for
the passage of the crank axis, the connecting rod at the ends embracing the
excentrics y, y, and retain all parts correct in their action.
Figure 3 is a side elevation; Figure 4, a plan; Figure 5, a section taken
at A, B, in Figure 8; and Figure 6 is a plan of the table which is suitable for
heavy work, it consisting of a frame of bars, as shewn. When smaller pieces
of wood or other material are to be sawn, then a smooth platform or table
should be used, and the table in such cases may be fixed. In such arrange-
ment the saw moves up and down in the same plane through the table, the
work being moved in varied directions up to the saw as described.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I make
no claim to any of the parts separately, they being old, nor do I confine myself
to the precise details, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be
retained; but what I claim is, the modes of combining and arranging mecha-
nical parts into a sawing machine, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Thomson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
GEORGE (L.s.) THOMSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid George Thomson came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord