Improvements in Carving Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carving Machines.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of No. 6 Great George Street, Westminster, in
the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to machinery for carving wood, marble, soft stone or other
materials, in which a stylus passing over a pattern and a number of drills move
in guides, transversely, longitudinally and vertically. According to my invention
I mount the stylus and drills upon a light frame, which may be a tube or bar,
which can slide to right or left on rollers or balls along a second light frame
which may also be a tube or bar. This second frame carrying the former can slide
to and fro in a direction at right angles to the former upon balls or rollers on fixed
side frames, and, in order to ensure its parallel movement, I connect both ends of
it to arms projecting from a rock shaft. The stylus and drills are also capable of
being moved in a vertical direction by arms on a rock shaft which is mounted on
the first mentioned frame and thus the stylus and drills can be all simultaneously
and equally moved in transverse, longitudinal and vertical directions, by moving a
single hand lever fixed on the rock shaft, and guiding the stylus over the pattern
or model, whilst the drills rotate rapidly. I prefer to arrange the stylus and
manipulating handle near the middle of the machine with an equal number of drills
arranged on each side to right and left, each drill operating on a separate piece of
material or blank fixed below. The drills may be driven by any suitable gear, but
I prefer to drive them by bands passing round pullies on the drill spindles, these
bands being guided by pullies so arranged that, however the frames carrying the
stylus and drills may be moved, there is no change in the length of the bands, and
that the strains are balanced. I mount the pattern and blanks or the table which
carries them so that they can all be simultaneously and equally turned upon a
horizontal longitudinal axis to allow of circular carving or under cutting when
required.
Dated this 7th day of November 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carving Machines.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of No. 6, Great George Street, Westminster, 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
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to machinery for carving wood, marble, soft stone or other
materials, in which a stylus passing over a pattern and a number of drills move in
guides, transversely, longitudinally and vertically. According to my invention I
mount the stylus and drills upon a light frame, which may be a tube or bar, which
can slide to right or left on rollers or balls along a second light frame which may
also be a tube or bar. This second frame carrying the former can slide to and fro in a
direction at right angles to the former upon balls or rollers on fixed side frames,
and, in order to ensure its parallel movement, I connect both ends of it to arms
projecting from a rock shaft. The stylus and drills are also capable of being
moved in a vertical direction by arms on a rock shaft which is mounted on the first

page_text: mentioned frame and thus the stylus and drills can be all simultaneously and equally
moved in transverse, longitudinal and vertical directions, by moving a single hand
lever fixed on the rock shaft, and guiding the stylus over the pattern or model,
whilst the drills rotate rapidly. I prefer to arrange the stylus and manipulating
handle near the middle of the machine with an equal number of drills arranged
on each side to right and left, each drill operating on a separate piece of
material or blank fixed below. The drills may be driven by any suitable
gear, but I prefer to drive them by bands passing round pullies on the drill
spindles, these bands being guided by pullies so arranged that, however the
frames carrying the stylus and drills may be moved, there is no change in
the length of the bands, and that the strains are balanced. I mount the
pattern and blanks or the table which carries them so that they can all be simul-
taneously and equally turned upon a horizontal longitudinal axis to allow of circular
carving or under cutting when required.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan, and
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a carving machine according to my invention. The
other figures illustrate details hereinafter referred to.
a is a stylus and b, bare drills all mounted upon a frame consisting of a light
steel tube c enclosing a smaller but longer inner tube d along which the tube c is
capable of sliding to right or left it may be on "ball bearings, as hereinafter
described, or it may be as shewn in the transverse section Fig. 4 with V edged
rollers Z mounted in brackets projecting from the tube c and running in grooves of
the inner tube d. These rollers may have ball bearings.
The ends of the tube d are rigidly attached to carriages d' d" constituting a
frame which is capable of sliding to and fro on "ball bearings" in grooves in the
two end frames of the machine in a direction at right angles to the motion of the
tube c.
Thus the stylus and drills can be all simultaneously and equally moved in any
desired direction in a horizontal plane.
The stylus a and the drill spindles bb are also capable of sliding up and down in
their bearings and are all raised and lowered simultaneously and equally by
arms h, h, projecting from a rock shaft j as shewn in detail in Fig. 4.
j
This rock shaft is provided with a hand lever k placed by preference near the
stylus a so that the operator can with one hand applied to the hand lever
conveniently raise and lower the stylus and drills, while with the other hand he can
at the same time guide the stylus over the pattern or model to be copied which, as
well as the blanks to be carved is fixed on a table L.
The model or pattern is placed under the stylus a, and the blanks placed under
the drills bb, so that each drill operates on a separate blank. m m' are trunnions
by which the table is supported upon the framing of the machine, so that it can be
turned to various angles and clamped by the screws mint presenting the work
in positions suitable for "undercutting."
In order to facilitate undercutting the stylus and drill spindles instead of being
rigidly fixed to the tube c may be mounted in brackets pivotted on horizontal pins
fixed to the tube so that they can be inclined to right or left, the driving bands
passing over suitable guide pulleys. To insure uniformity in the inclination of the
spindles, the pivotted brackets are preferably linked together by a connecting rod.
Or the brackets carrying the spindles may be turned a little forward or backward
upon the sliding tube, the circular form of which allows this to be done.
The carriages d' dare linked by connecting rods g g to arms eel of a rock
shaft to ensure their parallel movement; n n' are grooved pulleys fixed upon the
drill spindles, and driven by cords or round driving bands o o. These bands travel
in opposite directions each driving an equal number of drills, so that the pull of
one band tending to drag in one direction the spindles and the tube c which carries
them, is balanced by the pull of the other in the opposite direction.
The bands o o' are driven from pulleys mounted on a spindle fixed on the
stationary framing.

page_text: q qare guide pulleys mounted on a spindle fixed on the stationary framing,
ssare guide pulleys mounted on spindles fixed on the carriage d' and t t arc
guide pullies mounted on spindles fixed on the carriage d". In order to give the
driving bands suitable tension the guide pullies q q' may be mounted on brackets
adjustable on the fixed framing.
The
uuvare guide pullies mounted on spindles fixed on the sliding tube c.
bands o o' travelling in opposite directions pass over the several guide pullies in
such a way that however the frame carrying the stylus and drills may be moved
there is no change in the length of the bands and the pull of the one band tending
to drag the frame in one direction, is balanced by the pull of the other.
wwo are driving pulleys to receive the bands by which the machine is driven,
the pulley
to being attached to the pulley p, or in one piece with it, and w' being
similarly connected to p¹.
yy Figs. 1 and 3, is a row of steel balls such as are used for the "ball bearings"
of cycles, for reducing friction. The carriage d' runs upon these balls y y, having
a groove on its underside and the balls run in a groove on the framing of the
machine. The carriage is provided with similar balls.
To assist the attendant when it is desirable to move the stylus and drills in a
series of straight lines, as for example in roughing down or in rectilinear geometrical
designs, I apply two traversing screws at right angles to give the horizontal motions,
as in the ordinary slide rest; these screws being capable of being thrown out of
gear when desired, by any known appliances. Fig. 7, is a plan, and Fig. 8 is a
cross section, shewing such an arrangement of traversing screws for the horizontal
motions.
C is a long screw which can be attached at pleasure to an arm D projecting from
the rock shaft f.
E is a tube in one end of which is inserted a nut working on the screw C when
the tube is rotated by means of the hand wheel F.
The tube E is provided with a spherical collar and bearing G, to permit of the
movement in a vertical plane in following the are described by the arm D, and
also to permit the end of the screw C, when it is detached from the arm D, to be
moved to one side, clear of the said arm.
Thus the to and fro motion can be imparted either with or without the use of the
traversing screw C.
H is a long screw for traversing the sliding tube c.
J is a tube in one end of which is inserted a nut working on the screw H, whilst
in the other end is inserted a spindle K fitting freely within the tube J. The
spindle K is mounted in a bearing L attached to the sliding tube c, and is connected
by bevel gear M N to a short spindle O, carrying a hand wheel P and mounted in
bearings QQ upon the sliding tube c.
A cotter R is passed through slots in the tube J and in the spindle K. Thus when
the hand wheel P is turned, the nut in the tube J is screwed along the screw H,
moving the tube c to right or left.
When it is desired to slide the tube c freely by hand, the traversing screw is
thrown out of action by withdrawing the cotter Ŕ leaving the spindle K free to
slide within the tube J.
Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 10 is a cross section shewing a modification
of the arrangement of the ball bearings for the sliding tube c.
S is a forked bracket forming two grooved guide bars, and rigidly fixed to the
end of the tube c.
T is a forked bracket forming two grooved guide bars, rigidly fixed to the inner
tube d, and to the carriage d". Along the grooves in the outer edges of the guide
bars S and along the inner edges of the guide bars T', run a number of balls. By
this arrangement a considerable leverage is obtained to resist the tendency of the
tube e to turn, either owing to the weight of the drills and their adjuncts acting in
one direction, or to the resistance of the material to the drills acting in the other
direction.

page_text: A screw adjustment may be applied to control the vertical motion of the stylus
and drills, or a set screw or other device may be applied to lock or fix the stylus
and drills at any desired height as shewn at Fig. 4^.
Thus in beginning to operate on a fresh set of blanks the stylus and drills may
be locked against vertical movement so as to prevent them from going beyond a
certain depth as a first cut; and while so locked they may be made to traverse over
the whole or any portion of the surface, either by hand or preferably by means of
the horizontal traversing-screws. The depth of cut may thus be increased by
successive steps until the stylus reaches or nearly reaches the surface of the
pattern.
For finishing the surface, and for intricate or delicate work I prefer to throw the
traversing screws and also the vertical controlling or locking arrangement out of
action leaving the stylus and drills free to be moved by hand.
Great freedom of motion is obtained by the use of the "ball bearings "hereinbefore
described, the friction being thereby reduced to a minimum, whilst the lightness of
the tubular framing prevents inconvenience from inertia and momentum, and enables
the operator to follow the pattern with the greatest freedom.
n
Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6. is a plan shewing an alternative arrangement
of the driving bands. bb, are drill spindles. A A are guide pulleys, each mounted
upon a spindle B fixed to the sliding tube. The cord o can freely travel up and
down upon the parallel guide pulleys A A, as the cord ascends or descends with the
drill spindles.
In operating, it is of advantage to remove the dust and shavings from the drills
as they are produced.
For this purpose I sometimes employ a fan or its equivalent creating a small
blast or exhaust of air through nozzles arranged near the points of the drills and
travelling with them, the pipes conveying the air being flexible so as not to interfere
with the freedom of motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A carving machine constructed and arranged substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of the tube c carrying a stylus and drills, with the tube d and
carriages d' d forming a compound framing capable of free right and left and to
and fro motion, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the rock shaft j on the tube c the arms and hand lever k
arranged to simultaneously raise or lower the stylus and drills, substantially as
described.
4. The arrangement of the drill pullies and bands so as to balance the strains in
opposite directions, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of July 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.