Improvements in Sawing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sawing Machines.
I, ALFRED THOMAS BOOTH, of the Whitmore Saw Mills, Hoxton, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention has reference to a construction of sawing machine designed to
enable logs or deals to be cut into boards of any desired thickness within less spac.
than is required when using a stationary horizontal sawing machine of the ordinary
type through which the wood is caused to travel. My machine is adapted to travel
on rails and the log or deal remains stationary either on the ground or on a truck or
trucks. The machine comprises a main frame on which is adjustably mounted a slide
or bed that carries a motor cylinder (or there might be more than one). The cylinder
is fitted with a piston whose rod extends through both ends of the cylinder and is
connected to a saw frame which with the saw or saws it carries is worked by the
reciprocating movements of the piston, the saw or saws being constructed to cut in
both directions as well understood.
In connection with the motor suitable gear is arranged whereby the machine is
caused to advance along the rails as required to feed the saw or saws to the work ;
and after a board or boards has or have been cut the machine can be readily
returned and the saw or saws be lowered into position to commence a fresh cut
or cuts.
Dated this 31st day of March 1890.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sawing Machines.
I, ALFRED THOMAS BOOTH, of the Whitmore Saw Mills, Hoxton, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has reference to a construction of sawing machine designed to
enable logs or deals to be cut into boards of any desired thickness within less space
than is required when using a stationary horizontal sawing machine of the ordinary
type through which the wood is caused to travel. My machine is adapted to travel
on rails, and the log or deal remains stationary either on the ground or on a truck or
trucks. The machine comprises a main frame on which is adjustably mounted a
slide or bed (hereinafter called a saddle) that carries a motor cylinder (or there
might be more than one). The cylinder is fitted with a piston whose rod extends
through both ends of the cylinder and is connected to a saw frame which, with the
saw or saws it carries, is worked by the reciprocating movements of the piston, the
saw or saws being constructed to cut in both directions as well understood.
In connection with the motor, suitable gear is arranged whereby the machine
is caused to advance along the rails as required to feed the saw or saws to
the work; and after a board or boards has or have been cut the machine can'
Pri 77

page_text: be readily returned and the saw or saws be lowered into position to commence a fresh
cut or cuts.
In the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other, of a sawing machine
constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine with gearing for. rapidly returning the machine
to the starting position.
Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive are detail views.
1 is the main frame of the machine provided with lower vertical wheels or
rollers 2 arranged to travel on rails 3, and with horizontal guiding wheels or
rollers 4 arranged to travel in contact with vertical flanges 5 on the said rails.
This main frame may be of any suitable construction and material, but I consider
it advantageous to make it of wooden members as shewn suitably jointed and braced
and held firmly together by metal through-bolts at suitable points. By making the
frame of wood, it is better adapted than if made of metal, to withstand the violent
shocks to which sawing machines are frequently subjected when placing the work
in position to be cut. 6 is the motor cylinder carried by a saddle consisting of a
transverse piece 7 and two end pieces 7ª. 6 is the piston rod of the motor
extending through both ends of the motor cylinder and fitted with cross-heads 8
arranged to slide in suitable guides 9 carried by the saddle (see Fig. 5). These
cross-heads each carry a pin 10 upon which is mounted a lever 11. 12 is a saw
connected to the lower ends of the levers, the upper ends of which are connected
by a tie-rod 13 by tightening which the saw, which is constructed to cut in both
directions in the usual manner, will be stretched and securely fastened in position.
Motive fluid for example steam may be conveyed to the motor cylinder 6 in various
ways. In the example shewn, it is conveyed through a flexible steam pipe 14
wound upon a drum 14" supported in bearings that may be about midway of the
length of the travel of the machine. One end of the pipe passes over one or other of
two rollers 15 on the main frame, to the steam chest of the motor, and the other end
is in communication with one of the trunnions of the drum which is made hollow for
the admission of steam. With this arrangement as the machine travels from left to
right and from right to left from a position below the drum, the pipe will become
uncoiled from the drum. 16 is a weight to wind up the drum and pipe as the machine or
frame moves from each end of its travel to its central position. The exhaust steam
may be led away through a similarly arranged pipe, or direct into the atmosphere.
The drum and steam pipe may be mounted upon the main frame. In this case the
steam chest of the motor would be connected to the hollow trunnion of the drum
and the outer end of the pipe would be coupled to a suitably arranged fixed pipe.
Instead of the flexible steam pipe 14, hinged or jointed pipes capable of becoming
extended and folded up or shortened alternately as the machine travels backward
and forward, may be used. In large machines, the main frame may carry the steam
generator, in which case the flexible or hinged or jointed connections could be
dispensed with. 17 is an adjustable tappet fixed upon the tie rod 13 and which
by acting upon adjustable collars 18 on the valve rod 19, actuates the distributing
valve of the motor at the required times and thus effects the reciprocation of the
motor piston and the saw or saws connected thereto.
The saddle is arranged to travel in grooves in the upright parts 1ª of the main
frame, and is supported by chains 20 passing over pulleys 21 and furnished with
counterweights 22, so that the height of the saddle, and consequently of the
saw or saws, can be quickly and easily adjusted according to requirement. To
facilitate adjustment the saddle is provided with pinions 23 fixed upon a
transverse shaft 24 provided with a crank handle 25, the pinions gearing
with racks 26 on one of the upright parts 1ª at each side of the main frame.
When adjusted, the saddle can be fixed by eccentrics 27 (Fig. 6) arranged to act
against the other upright parts 1". The machine may be caused to advance along
the rails by various means. According to one arrangement, the frame has connected

page_text: to it one end of a rope or fall 28 forming part of the block and tackle shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 2; the movement of the frame being effected by a suitable
weight 28" attached to the lower or running block. The machine may be returned
to its starting position by ropes 29 (see Fig. 3) extending along the workshop in
which the machine is located and passing around pulleys 29ª arranged at each side
of the machine and mounted on a shaft 30 to which rotary motion can be imparted
through a shaft 31 with crank handle, chain wheels 32, endless chains 32, chain
wheels 33 and toothed wheels 34 and 34, the latter wheels 34" being fixed on the
shaft.30. This gear may be arranged to be thrown out of gear with the shaft 30
when the machine is advancing. According to another arrangement, shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, the machine may be caused to advance by ropes 35 fast at their ends
and extending along the shop in which the machine is located. These ropes pass
around pulleys 36 mounted on a shaft to which intermittent rotary motion is
imparted through bevel wheels 35° actuated through a pawl 37 and ratchet
wheel 38, the pawl being worked by a lever 39 the lower arm of which has recipro-
cating motion imparted to it by a collar 40 on the tie rod 13. The bevel wheels 35
may be driven through a clutch by which the direction of rotation of the pulleys 36
can be reversed to return the machine to the starting position. In connection with
the ropes 35, springs are, or may be arranged to afford elasticity. I prefer however
to employ the arrangement first hereinbefore described for advancing the machine,
because the speed of the machine will then automatically vary according to the
varying hardness of the wood, or other material being sawn.
The saw frame may be fitted with a series of saws arranged one above another.
Or a second frame may be used as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to carry a
second saw or series of saws, this second frame being actuated by a second motor,
or from the first one by suitable connections such as leather bands 12ª passing
around pulleys 12 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the second frame in this
case being suitably supported by the saddle 77. The rails 3 are made in lengths
preferably jointed as shewn in Fig. 7.
Machines constructed as described can be used for sawing stone and materials
other than wood. They are specially suitable for cutting material with a curved or
uneven surface. For this purpose the balance weights are removed and the saddle
allowed to bear, through the intervention of rollers 41, upon the top of formers or
copies 42 fixed parallel to the rails and the top surface of which is formed to
correspond with that to be reproduced on the material to be cut from the stationary
log or block A. With this arrangement as the machine advances, the saddle will
be caused to rise and fall so that the saw or saws will reproduce a surface corre
sponding to that of the top of the formers or copies.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A sawing machine in which the saw or saws is or are reciprocated by a rod
operated by a motor supported on a frame adapted to travel on rails, so that the
material to be sawn can remain stationary, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In a sawing machine of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, mounting
the motor or motors on a saddle that is vertically adjustable in the travelling frame,
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with a sawing machine of the kind referred to in Claim 1, of
feeding mechanism whereby the machine is caused to advance along the rails as
required to feed the saw or saws to the work, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. The combination with a sawing machine of the kind referred to, of gearing
for readily returning the machine to the starting position after a board or boards
has or have been cut, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 5. The improved sawing machine constructed arranged and operating substan-
tially as described and shewn, whether the feed motion be effected by ropes or chains
passing around pulleys operated through suitable mechanism from the motor, or by
ropes or chains actuated by a falling weight.
Dated this and dow of Fah 1001
A. T. BOOTH.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.