IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING, SPLITTING, CUTTING, AND BINDING KINDLING WOOD
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Robert Terry, of No. 24, Great George
Street, Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAWING, SPLITTING, CUTTING, AND BINDING KINDLING WOOD."
Sealed the 19th May 1857, and dated the 22nd November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Robert Terry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd November 1856.
I, ALEXANDER ROBERT TERRY, of No. 24, Great George Street, Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN SAWING, SPLITTING, CUTTING, AND BINDING KINDLING WOOD," to be:
as follows:-
My improvements consist in the use of certain machinery to convert wood.
of any kind, but principally that named deal, plank, and board ends, into.
bundles of kindling wood.
For this purpose I first cause the rough wood to pass through the first. part
of the machinery, consisting of four circular saw blades (more or less) acting.
in conjunction with a drum moved by the saw spindle. The wood placed on
this drum is thus cut into suitable lengths called blocks, which are then con-
veyed to the second part of the machinery, consisting of a set of steel blades,
put into motion by suitable gear, which first split the blocks into slabs by the
action of an horizontal blade, and then into what are called sticks by that of -
two vertical blades, the block being led to the different blades or cutters by
suitable feeding apparatus. The sticks, which are theu of the proper size for

page_text: kindling fires, are conveyed to the third part of the machinery, in which a
certain number are brought together, compressed horizontally and vertically,
and brought into a cylindrical shape by being caused to pass through a cylin-
drical aperture, by means of a piston propelled by suitable gearing. At cach
stroke the bundle. is driven about half its length between two hollow rods,
through each of which passes an iron wire or any other binding material, and
the ends of the two wires being united; the rods are withdrawn leaving tho
wire half round the bundle. The binding is then completed by causing the
two rods to revolve a certain number of times, thus closing the wire round
the bundle and fixing it by a twist. The bundle is then separated from the
hollow rods by means of a steel cutter projecting between the ends of tho rods
and the bundle, and severing the wire whero it is twisted. The next coming
bundle then forces the bound one out.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of tho.conditions of the Letters Patent, filed,
by the said Alexander Robert Terry in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 19th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ROBERT TERRY, of Number 24, Great George Street, Westminster, "Civit.
Engineer, send greeting.
::
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in tho year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Robert Terry, Her special licence that I, the said:
Alexander Robert Terry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Robert Terry, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time'
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within tho United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, tho Channel Islands, and Islo' of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING, SPLITTING, CUTTING, ARD. BINDING, KINDLING
Wood," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Robert Terry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing.
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent.

page_text: said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Robert Terry, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
videlicit:-
Sheet 1, showing the machinery for performing the first operation of sawing:
Sheet 2, shewing the mode of splitting; and Sheet 3, shewing the machine for
performing the two last operations; firstly, for getting the sticks into the
form of a bundle; and, secondly, for binding and fixing them in that shape.
The same letters in each of the Figures in each Sheet denoting the same
parts, that is to say:
My first operation towards producing the bundles is to cause the rough
wood to pass through the saw mill, shewn on Sheet 1, Figure 1 being an end
view; Figure 2, a side view, with a section through X, X. The wood. is first
placed on the inclined table A, A, down which it slides till it be taken up by
the drum B, B, B,. provided with a number of projections a, a, a, a, against
which the wood is driven by the action of the three or four circular saws
s, 3, 8, 8, fixed on the spindle C, C, and drawn by a strap passing over the
pulley D. The saws cut downwards against the drum, tending to move it
round its axle k, k. To prevent this motion being too rapid, I connect the
saw spindle with the drum axle by means of the inclined shaft G, G, and the
worms and worm wheels E, E, and H, H, F, F, and I, I. The wood passes
thus through the saws at a speed always proportionate to that of the saws,
and is delivered on the table R, R, cut into certain lengths equal to the
distance between the saws.
These lengths or blocks are then let down the shoots L, L, L, of the second
part of my machinery, which I term the splitting mill, shewn in Sheet 2.
Figure 3 is a bird's-eye view of the whole machine, shewing eight different
shoots or cutting recesses. Also the mode of moving the cutters, &c. &c.
The shoot boxes L, L, L, are removed in the left-hand side half of the
Drawing. Figure 4 is a half longitudinal section through the line 1, 1, in
the plan; Figure 5, a half side view; Figure 6, a half transverse section through
the line 2, 2, in the plan; and Figure 7, a half end view.
I proceed to describe the construction and mode of working of this machine.
About half way down the shoots L, L, L, I have placed a carriage N, N,
working horizontally, and to which are attached four sets of hars 1, 1, 1, 1, &c.,
three bars to each set, and also a double-edged cutter M, M. Now the

page_text: blocks in the shoots L, L, rest on these bars 1, 1, (which are placed rather
lower than the edge of the cutter M, M,) till the cutter M, M, enters into
the lower block and splits off a slab, which then falls into the lower shoot,
where it meets with a series of cuts from a second cutter P, P, which is
vertical, and fixed also to the carriage N, N, the whole being driven by the
crank shaft 0, 0, 0. The cuts take place against the sides of the shoots
alternately, and the thickness of the slab is regulated by the difference of level
between the bars 1, 1, 1, and the edge of the cutter M. The cutter P is mado
to split off pieces of about equal sizes, usually called sticks, by the motion of
the feeder C, C, pressing against the edge of the slabs and driving them at
each stroke of the cutter against the feed plate Q, Q, which is fixed in
advance of the cutter, and also at a distance at the back of it equal to the
thickness intended to be given to the sticks. The cutter P thus is made to
separate a stick from each slab, of which the lower shoot is full, and the
piece C, C, is so formed, that for each new slab entering it one slab shall have
been wholly reduced to sticks and be discharged, thus keeping the lower shoot
always free. The sticks fall then into the receptacle R, R, and are carried off
by it to the next machine. I move the feeder C, C, by the eccentric d, d.
keyed to the shaft e, e, which shaft is connected by means of several toothed
wheels ff. ff. f. to the crank shaft 0, 0, 0, by which I movo also the
screw G, G, and by it the receptacle R,. R. I use a series of theso carriages
to convey the sticks to the next machine, where by releasing a catch their
contents are discharged in a shoot, and. they return down an incline to the
splitting machine, and receive another load; thus the delivery from one
machine and the feed to the other continues. In case of any stoppage in the
fall of the blocks and slabs through the different shoots, I have provided open
places T, T, so that any obstruction may easily be removed. And if it be
required to stop the food in any particular shoot, I have provided the levers
2, ut, arined each with a sharp point, which when forced down penetrates into
the lower block and prevents its further progress. Also, to cause the sticks as
they are removed to lay all in one direction, I notch the rails on which the
carriage travels, thus producing a jarring motion, which effects this purpose.
Instead of
I proceed to describe a second mode of reducing the slabs into sticks, as follows,
reference being had to the Figures 3, 4, 5*, in the same Sheet 2.
using the bars 1, 1, 1, as feed bars only, I employ a series of cutters p, p, P. P,
in their stend, fixed to the carriage N, N, at the same level, and moving with
it, so that when the slab is separated and rests on the cross bearers Y, Y, it is
then split up into sticks by these cutters, which also act at the same time as
feed bars to. the blocks in the upper shoot. The sticks then fall through the

page_text: bearers Y, Y, which are merely two very thin bars, shewn in section in
Figure 5, and are carried away as before mentioned, and discharged in the
shoot A of the third part of my machinery, shewn in Sheet 3, Figure 8 being
an end view of the machine; Figure 9, a general plan; Figure 10, a half
longitudinal section through the line 1, 1, in the plan; Figure 11, a half
side view or elevation; Figure 12, a cross section through the line 2, 2, in
Figure 10; Figure 13, an enlarged section and plan of apparatus for twisting
and cutting the wire; Figure 14, a full-sized section and view of end part of
wire conductors.
I proceed to describe the construction of this machine, and the manner in
which it acts; the same letters in all the Figures represent the same parts.
The sticks, as afore mentioned, being discharged in the shoot A, fall gradually
into the horizontal channel B, B, in which a piston a, a, a, a, Figure 8, moving
to and fro by the action of the lever C and weight D, forces at each alternate
movement a certain number of sticks (about sufficient for one bundle) from
the bottom of the shoot A to a position opposito the circular opening E, com-
pressing them firmly. The piston F, F, in Figure 10, then moves forward and
drives them through the aperture E, till about half their length projects beyond
the opening, thus producing the shape of a bundle, around which the wire
from the reels G, G, is then passed, firmly twisted, and finally severed, so that
the next coming bundle may force the finished one out. The manner in
which I move the square piston a, a, a, a, is by attaching to the main driving
wheel K, K, an eccentric L, L, L, which at each revolution lifts one of the
cams M, M, M, M, connected to the lever C, which lever is thus moved side-
ways, taking with it the piston a, a, a, a. The return stroke, or that which
forces the sticks opposite the aperture E, is caused by the weight D. The
piston F, F, is moved by the crank shaft II, H, which itself is driven by
the pinion Y, Y, on the fly-wheel shaft, gearing into the wheel K, K. To
get the sticks compactly together, and to give an even surface to the exterior
of the bundle, I cause the piston F to be armed on the surface which comes in
contact with the bundle with a species of teeth, and give it a reciprocating
motion around its axis, which slightly moves the sticks horizontally as they are
being driven through the aperture E; and I produce this motion by inserting
two pins or studs c, c, Figuro 12, in the piston, which slide in the two curved
slots f f f (Figure 10,) cut in the cylinder through which the piston
moves.
Now, to bind the sticks together in the shape given to them by the aper-
ture E, I use two metallic wires taken from the reels G, G, which I pass
through the conducting rods N, N, and unite them by twisting the ends

page_text: together. This first manual operation will have to be repeated whenever new
reels are put on. I then cause the rods N to descend, increasing the distanco
between them (by the action of the excrescences X, X, Figure 13, on the rods
sliding against tho part Y, Y, of the wheel R,) until the wire is in a position
to allow the bundlo issuing through the aperture E to pass over it. The rods
N, N, are moved by one of the cams M, M, before mentioned, which transmit
their motion through the shaft O, O, to the lever P, P, and to the rods
N; N, by the disk Q, as shewn in Figure 8. The wire being then under the
bundle, the conducting rods move back to their original position by the return
motion of the lever P, P, and are then caused to revolve by the wheel R,
through which they pass, and thus close the wire over the bundle by a second
twist. The wheel R is connected by means of the bevil and spur gear
T. T, T, T, T, to the wheel S, S, on the crank shaft II, II, and moved by it;
but as it is needful that the motion of the wheel R should be intermittent, the
driving wheel S, S, is provided with teeth only over a portion of its circum-
ference, as shewn in the plan.
Now, to separate the wire binding the bundle from that in the conducting
rods, I use an horizontal cutter h, h, (Figure 13.) attached to a rod i, i, which
passes through the spindle U, U, and issues at the top, where a bracket K, K,
(Figs. 8 and 10.) is fixed to it. Now, the rod u, u, being fixed to the
wheel R, revolves with it, and drives by a pinion the wheel m, m, m, which is
provided with a stud n, causing the bracket K, K, to describe a quarter of a
circle, thus moving also the cutter h, h, and severing the wire at the middle of
the part twisted over the bundle, so that the wires from the reels remain
united and ready to be placed round the next bundle. Thus, the wire is
bound round the bundle by two twists, and in order to keep the length of wire
between the reel and bundle always stretched, I apply on to the reels a spring,
shewn in Figures 10 and 11, at Z, Z.
I now describe another arrangement for the feed of the shaping machine.
I place the shoot A directly over the passage of the piston F, F, and press the
sticks together by a weight acting at the top of the shoot.
Also, in the method of giving the twist there are several ways different from
that I have described, and which would suit equally as well; for instance,
cutting a thread on the spindle u, u, and working a nut v, v, up and down
it, which would give the twist. I have sketched this in Figure 15; on
Sheet 3.
And also as to severing the wire, there are other methods which would
effect this purpose equally as well as the one described; for instance, by fixing
tho cutter, h, to the end of the rod u by a hinge, and providing it with a

page_text: projection, which should, after a certain number of twists had been given to
the wire, strike against a piece made to slide forward and obstruct it at the
proper time. Thus a motion would be given to it, which would sever the
wire, the cutter then returning to its original position by the action of a
spring. I have not shewn this arrangement in the Drawing.
And having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be used or carriod
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describo or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement of the saw mill.
Second, the combination by which the saws are made to act upon a move-
able drum, thus giving them the proper feed, as herein-beforo described.
Third, the general arrangement of the machinery in the splitting mill.
Fourth, combining the action of an horizontal and vertical cutter or cutters,
so that they shall reduce a block of wood first into slabs, then into sticks,
which includes the method of feeding, as described, by stop bars and plates.
Fifth, the arrangement by which the slabs are reduced to sticks, by a series
of cutters acting simultaneously.
Sixth, the general combination of parts in the shaping and binding
machine.
Seventh, the method described, by which an even surface is given to the
exterior of the bundle, and the sticks are made to lay compactly together.
Eighth, the use of wire for binding the bundles.
Ninth, the whole of the arrangements for placing and fixing the wire round
tho bundle and severing it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Robert Terry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
STEPHEN BARTLETT.
ALEX. R. TERRY. (L.B.)