Improvements in Machinery to be employed in connection with the Shaping and Bevelling of Glass Plates.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery to be employed in connection with the
Shaping and Bevelling of Glass Plates.
We, ALFRED GRIFFITHS, of 374, Green Lanes, Small Heath, near the City of
Birmingham, Foreman of Works, and EDWARD HENRY PEARCE, of Northmede,
Solihull, near Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has relation to machinery to be used in the operations of bevelling
the edges of glass plates and of shaping such plates, by grinding, and also to the
smoothing, polishing and otherwise, finishing the bevelled or shaped surfaces,
and my said invention is, in some respects, an improvement upon or an ampli-
fication or development of, the inventions described in the Specifications of two
former, Letters Patent granted to me and bearing date respectively the 13th day
of March 1896 No. 5677 and the 27th day of April 1897 No. 10398.
The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for holding
or clamping the plates during the grinding or similar operation, for adjusting.
the clamps or holders in varying positions relative to the grinding stone, drum
or the like, according to the angle to which the edges of a plate are to be bevelled
or the outline shape which is to be given to a plate, and for giving a to and fro
movement in a horizontal plane to the plate under treatment across the grinding
surface.. The machinery or apparatus is also so arranged as to admit of the same
being driven by belting from an overhead or other shaft instead of by spring-
driving mechanism carried on the framing of the machine such as has heretofore
been employed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a glass
plate bevelling or, shaping machine embodying my present improvements. The
said machine, which is driven by, means of belting and pulleys from an overhead
shaft, is adapted to traverse the plate to be operated upon in a rectilinear direc-
tion to and fro either across the surface of a rotating grinding mill or stone,
which is fed with grit or sand and water as usual, or transversely across the
periphery of a polishing or finishing drum, so that the one machine may be used
indifferently for either rough-grinding and polishing as required.
Figure 2 is a topside plan of the said machine.
Figure 3 is a view, showing the radially or tilt-adjustable bracket or main
casting from which the clamps and driving gear are hung or suspended.
Figure 4 is a section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line x, showing more clearly
the disposition of the reciprocating slide, which carries the plate clamps and the
guides upon, which it traverses.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
The machine consists essentially of a support or body adjustable both longi-
tudinally and transversely to the general. direction of the apparatus, upon a
suitable bed a vertically and radially adjustable bracket or casting mounted on
the face of the said body and having suspended from it, the glass clamps, a

page_text: reciprocating slide carrying the said clamps and driving mechanism by which
the necessary movement is imparted to the said slide and clamps, with the whole
of the said suspended parts carried in a framing or carriage capable of being
bodily turned or swung upon horizontal trunnions or other axes having suitable
bearings in the said bracket, which, when tilted or adjusted radially, raised or
lowered, thus carries with it the whole of the other parts of the apparatus.
a is the support or body of the machine, consisting of an angular casting,
with the horizontal foot or base a', having inclined edges a² and capable of
sliding, in the longer direction of the apparatus, between a pair of undercut
guides a³, secured to an adjustable top or bed plate a', which is in turn capable
of movement bodily along the transversely disposed and stationary rest frame a
in a direction at right angles. to the direction of movement of the support a.
The said rest frame a, is rigidly supported by legs or standards b, and has
disposed upon the top face of it, a pair of guides a20, for directing the movement
of the bed, whilst the adjustments in right angled directions of the said support a,
and bed a, are respectively effected by screws a, a. The screw a6, which is
mounted in bearings as, in the adjustable bed plate, has an operating hand
wheel a, at its outer end and its wormed part takes through a screw box a¹º,
secured to or formed within the base a', of the support a, whilst the screw ;
which is operated by a hand wheel a¹¹, rotates in bearings a¹², secured to the
stationary rest frame a³, and engages with a screw box a¹³, carried by the
underside of the said bed at. The support a, is clamped in its adjusted position
to plate, by means of pin a, directed upwards from the latter and through
a longitudinal slot as, in the former, with its screwed upper end receiving the
clamping nut a¹6
c is the bracket or hanger from which the slide carriage and the driving gear
of the clamping jaw slide is suspended or hung. It consists of a casting of suit-
able form and dimension mounted so as to be capable both of vertical adjustment
upon the upright arm a, of the support a and of a rocking adjustment trans-
versely to the length of the machine. To this end, the body part of the bracket
is carried upon a slide e¹, mounted and guided upon the upright arm a and
vertically adjustable thereon, so as to alter the height of the bracket c, and
parts hung from it, relative to support, by means of a screw 2, mounted in
bearings in the said stationary arm and taking through a screw box c
secured to the slide. The rotation of the said screw may be effected by a bevel
wheel c, upon it, intergearing with another bevel wheel c, in connection with
the operating hand wheel c', coming at the back of the arm, or in any other
convenient position. The radial or tilt adjustment of the said bracket relative
to its support is effected by mounting it centrally upon a pin d, carried by the
slide c, which is also provided above and below the said centre pin, with other
pins d, ², respectively taking through curved slots 8, 9, in the back of the
bracket and receiving nuts c1, c20, on their outer ends, which said pins and
nuts form means for both guiding and limiting the movement of the bracket
in its tilt adjustment and for locking the same in its set position after adjust-
ment. The operation of tilting is effected by means of a pair of screws c¹0,
bearing against the bracket on opposite sides of its centre, and working through
screwed eyes cl, c12, in suitable brackets c¹³, c14, made fast on the opposite sides
of the slide c¹, so that when the bracket is required to be tilted upon its centre
for the purpose hereinafter described, the clamping nuts clo, 20 are first
slackened, and then one of the adjusting screws is raised clear of the edge of the
bracket to an extent corresponding to the degree of tilt to be given after which
the said bracket (and all the parts of the apparatus carried by it) is rocked
bodily by depressing the other screw. The said screws co, further serve as steady-
ing pins for the bracket, whilst in order to facilitate the tilting of the bracket,
the same may be provided with a conveniently disposed auxiliary handle e, by
which the said adjustment may be effected independent of the screws.
f is the carriage for the slide carrying the glass clamping jaws, and its belt

page_text: operated driving gear. It consists of an open rectangular framing f¹, of suitable
dimension, having bolted to, or formed upon the opposite top sides of it, a pair
of secondary brackets f³, f³, respectively provided with trunnions or journals ft, f³,
taking within sleeved bearings g, gå, at the opposite ends of the bracket c, in
such a manner that the said carriage f, is capable of swinging or rocking longi-
tudinally on its bearings in the said bracket, the extent of such swinging
movement being limited and the bevelling of the edges of a glass plate controlled
(as hereafter more fully described by means of a set pin h, carried by and
adjustable within an arm ¹, made fast to one of the trunnions or any other
suitable part of the rocking carriage and impinging against a contiguous part
of the relatively fixed bracket.
The space within the carriage f, is provided with suitable guides ¹, upon
which a slide, such as i, carrying the glass clamps j, is compelled to may a
rectilinear traversing movement by means of a crank plate or equivalent
arrangement provided with a rollered or other stud 23, adjustable within a slot i*,
for the purpose of varying the stroke of the slide, and engaging in a longitudinal.
race, in the said slide. The necessary rotatory movement may be imparted
to the said crank plate or disc through a vertical shaft k, mounted in bearings k¹, k³,
on the inside of the secondary hanger bracket f, and provided with a worm
wheel, gearing with a worm, on a countershaft, which may run through
the trunnion mountings f*, f³, (formed as sleeves for the purpose) of the carriage
and through their bearings in the bracket and has at one end of it a pulley 6,
driven by means of a band 7, from suitable overhead or other shafting. The
said band is automatically kept tight whatever may be the position of the
bracket c, by running it over a freely rotating and preferably flanged drum or
puller m, carried at one end of a counterpoised or weighted beam m¹, fulcrumed
at m2, to one side of the said bracket.
The glass clamps j, consist of a pair of arms 11, 12, the former of which may
be made fast to the underside of the slide i, and has the other arm jointed to
it at .,, are the clamps which hold the piece of glass n under operation
and which may be of any suitable construction, but preferably having an auxiliary
spring-controlled bolt or plunger such as o, engaging in one or other of a series
of separated holes o made in the clamps, which are free to rotate, and are
thereby held in one or other of several positions, according to the hole engaged.
This also prevents the glass from swinging round when under operation, whilst
the clamping ends of the arms are closed and opened by means of a screw P
with one end swivelling at 7, in the rear extension of the fixed jaw arm and
the other wormed part passing through a screw box 22 in the rear end of the
other and jointed arm.
To partly balance the weight of the trunnioned slide carriage, which would
otherwise be borne only by the glass under treatment, I suspend or hang the
same at the front end. from one or more chains such as q, running over suitable
supported pulleys such as g¹, and having a weight q³, at its free end, whereby
the glass plate under treatment is only required to support such part of the
weight of the carriage as may be necessary for automatically following up the
grinding cut of the mill in bevelling or shaping.
It will thus be understood that the weight of the partly balanced and trunnion
mounted slide carriage operates to keep the glass under treatment up to the
surface of the grinding stone or mill or polishing drum (as the case may be)
across or along which the said glass is made to reciprocate or traverse to and fro
by the rectilinear movement imparted to the jaw slide through the rotation of
the crank plate or its equivalent through the band-driven gearing, and that (when
grinding the cut is automatically followed up as the grinding proceeds from the
fact that the carriage is free to rock upon its trunnion bearings in the bracket,
and further. that the extent of such bevelling is regulated and over-grinding
is prevented by the previously-adjusted set pin h. carried by an extension of
the said rocking carriage, impinging against its abutment on the bracket and

page_text: blocking the carriage against further movement downwards towards the grinding
face of the mill.
1770
The rocking of the slide carriage in the opposite direction to take the glass
away from the mill to facilitate its removal or the like, may be effected by a
handle or lever r, bolted to one side of the frame.
It will also be understood that the transverse and longitudinal adjustment of
the carrier frame a along and across the bed plate a and the vertical adjust-
ment of the bracket c, upon the upright arm of the said framea, are for the
purpose of setting the clamping jaws in a suitable position relative to the grind-
ing surface. The longitudinal adjustment of the carrier frame with the vertical
adjustment bracket and slide carriage and parts carried by them is also provided
for the purpose of setting them in the proper positions relative to the polishing
or finishing idrum when polishing the bevelled or ground surfaces of a glass plate
after the initial or rough grinding has been effected on the grinding mill, whilst
the transverse tipping adjustments of the bracket (with slide carriage; driving
gear and clamps) across the face of the support a is for the purpose of setting
the edges of the glass plates in a suitable position relative to the flat grinding
surface for grinding off corners or for producing plates of such shapes as are
represented in. Figure 5.
:
The machinery herein described admits of many variations in detail in the
shapes of the parts without departing from the nature of my invention, as for
instance, the slide carriage may be arranged to support other forms of driving
gear such as by bevel and spur gearing with the belt and pulley driven shaft
having a bevel pinion meshing with a bevel wheel on a vertical shaft connected
with spur gearing driving a second vertical shaft onto which the crank plate is
keyed. The guides of the jaw slide may be open ended instead of being enclosed
in a rectangular frame and the adjustable bevel-limiting pin may be carried by
the bracket and impinge against a suitable arm or extension of the rocking
carriage. The balance weight of the said carriage may also be differently
arranged and may serve also to actuate the belt tightener by providing the car-
riage rearward of its trunnion' mountings with a pair of jointed parallel arms
or links, disposed vertically one over the other and connected together by and
jointed at their outer ends to a vertical bar supporting the belt-tightening drum,
whilst one of the said arms is provided with the adjustable balance weight..
In cases where I desire a machine for bevelling and shaping by grinding only,
or for finishing and polishing only, then I may dispense with some of the
adjustments according to the requirements and thereby obtain a simpler construc-
tion than is the case where the machine is to be applicable for both grinding and
polishing as herein described.
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 In a band driven machine for use in connection with the grinding,
shaping or polishing of glass plates, the employment of a swinging carriage, trun-
nion-mounted in an adjustable bracket or support and provided with a slide
carrying the glass clamps and adapted to be traversed to and fro by band-driven
gearing supported by the said carriage, substantially as and for the purpose as
hereinbefore described and set forth."
Secondly: In a band-driven machine for use in connection with the grinding,
shaping and polishing of glass plates; the employment of a swinging and partially-
balanced carriage; mounted on trunnions having their bearings in an adjustable
or universally adjustable bracket and 'provided with a slide carrying the glass
clamps and to which a rectilinear reciprocating traverse is imparted by, a rotating
crank plate or its equivalent rotated by suitable band-driven gearing mounted
upon the said carriage, substantially as and for the purpose as described and set
forth.

page_text: Thirdly: In a band-driven machine for use in connection with the operations
of bevelling and shaping or otherwise grinding, and polishing glass plates having
a swinging carriage as referred to in the first claim, the employment of an
adjustable pin, either carried by an arm or extension of the said carriage and
adapted to impinge against a part of the relatively fixed bracket in which the
said carriage is mounted, or carried by the bracket and adapted to impinge
against the swinging carriage or extension thereof, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described and set forth.
Fourthly A machine for bevelling or shaping glass plates by grinding, and
finishing the ground surfaces, comprising a longitudinally and transversely
adjustable support, a bracket having a vertical and transverse tilt adjustment
upon the said support, a forwardly swinging carriage having trunnions mounted
in bearings in the said bracket, a set pin adjustable in an extension of the said
carriers and adapted to limit its downward swing, a slide having a rectilinear
traverse within guides in the said carriage, a pair of glass clamps carried by
and moving with the said slide, and gearing for operating the crank plate by
which the said slide is traversed substantially as and for the several purposes
herein described and set forth.
Fifthly: In a machine as referred to in the fourth claim, the arrangement of
the gearing for operating the slide, comprising a shaft, driven by a band and
pulleys and running through the trunnions of the swinging carriage, with a
worm upon it gearing with a worm wheel on a second shaft having bearings
supported by secondary brackets on the said carriage and provided with a crank
plate, having a stud or other projection engaging a slot in slide, substantially
as described and set forth in Figures 1, 2 and 4.
-
Sixthly: In a machine as referred to in the preceding claims, the employ-
ment of a belt tightener consisting of a weighted arm or lever fulcrumed to a
suitable part of the machine and provided with a drum or pulley over which
the driving belt runs and is thereby kept taut whatever position machine may
be in, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 1st day of March 1899
ALFRED GRIFFITHS,
EDWARD HENRY PEARCE.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.