IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND BUNDLING STICKS FOR FIRE WOOD
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Kingston, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Cucket Bat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING AND BUNDLING STICKS FOR FIRE WOOD"
Sealed the 24th July 1877, and dated the 31st January 1877
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Kingston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1877.
FRANK KINGSTON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Cricket Bat Manu-
facturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND BUNDLING STICKS
FOR FIRE WOOD"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting and bundling
sticks for fire wood
According to my Invention the wood to be cut into sticks is first sawn into blocks
of a given size These blocks are placed side by side on a table so as to fill up, o1
nearly so, the width of the table, and always present a straight front to the chopping
or splitting knife, at the front of the table, the wood is fed over the table towards the
knife by (by preference) side vertical toothed rollers, between two of which it is
gapped These rollers are so actuated as to advance the wood a given distance for
each descent of the knife This may be conveniently effected by a cam on the main
driving or other shaft striking against an arm gearing by a rack or racks into
ratchet pinions on the spindle of bevil wheels gearing into other bevil wheels on
the toothed vertical rollers which feed the wood The aim may be returned by
weight or spring, thus in the forward motion of the arm the roller would be
actuated a given amount, whilst the ratchet pinion would allow of the back motion
of the arm without actuating the toothed roller The wood having thus been
advanced a given distance (say half an inch) over the front edge of the table, a
guillotine knife, the full width of the wood, descends and cuts off the projecting
strip.
The knife may be actuated by cam, crank, or other suitable means
The slabs of wood thus detached from the blocks on the table as they descend
meet a double row of revolving cucular knifes on continuous horizontal axes These
knives are set in pairs opposite one another, the peripheries of the two all but

page_text: touching, and the distance between the successive pairs on the edges of the knives
being that of a stick of wood, say half an inch
The slabs of wood detached by the descending knife descend between this double
row of cutters, and are thereby split up into sticks The front row of cutters is set
a little higher than the other so as to incline the sticks with their lower ends a
little forward After passing the knives the sticks in a row meet at their lower
ends an endless band travelling forward and by preference slightly downward
This throws the stacks over all in one-direction, side by side, in a row on the endless
band, by which they are carried for ward for a short distance until they meet a stop,
against which they are arranged evenly, the endless band continuing, if necessary,
to revolve underneath them Thus far the actions have taken place during a
portion of a revolution of the shaft actuating the knife Two collectors are at this
moment brought into action, these are placed one at each end of the 10w of sticks,
and have each a semi-cylindrical concavity facing the sticks When stated in
action they approach one another, gathering the sticks up between them, so that
when they meet the sticks are enclosed in bundle form in a cylinder, horizontal or
nearly so A plunger then follows the back of this cylinder and drives the sticks
forward between a pair of pincers of the form and size desired in the finished bundle.
The sticks in bundle form are here firmly gripped and held whilst being tied by the
attendant
During the process of tieing the machine may be stopped by means of a loose
pulley and strap or by other suitable means When the action is continued the
pincers open, releasing the bundlo, the plunger ictues from the cylinder, the
collectors return to then open position, and the actions of the machine are then
Iepeated
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Kingston in the Gicat Seal Patent Office on the 31st July
1877
FRANK KINGSTON, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Cricket But Manu-
facturci * JMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ČUTHING AND BUNDLING STICKS
FOR FIRL WOOD"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting and bundling
sticks for fire wood
According to the said Invention the wood to be cut into sticks is first sawn into
blocks of a thickness equal to the required length of the bundles, these blocks are
then put in the machine, and divided into slabs or slices, and the latter are cut into
sticks, which are gathered into bundles and wed by hand, and then discharged from
the machine These operations are accomplished in the following manuet, and by
the mechanism shewn in the Diawings, which I will now proceed to describe
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a machine constructed according to this Inven-
tion, Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Dinwings
A is the framing of the said machine, which may be constructed of cast iron or
other suitable material, a is the table, bis the knife for dividing the wood blocks
into slabs or slices, this knife is formed and operates liko a guillotine blade, d, d,
are the knives for cutting the sad slabs into sticks, e, f, are devices for collecting
and forming the said sticks into bundles The remaining parts are herein-after
described The blocks are placed side by side on the table so as to fill up, or
nearly fill up, the width of the said table, and always present a straight front to the
chopping or splitting knife b, at the front of the table a the wood is fed over the
said table towards the kuife b, preferably by toothed rollers g with vertical axes,
between two of which it is gripped These olleis are so actuated as to advance
the wood block a given distance for each descent of the knife b. This movement
'

page_text: may be conveniently effected by a cam h on the cam shaft or on another suitable
shaft This cam actuates an aim fixed on a shaft 2', which also carries another
arm, from which a 10d 3 extends downward to one arm of a bell crank lever 1*,
from the other aim of this lever a 1od 7 extends to arms 2, which are fitted to work
loosely on the vertical shafts 01 axes of the foed rollers g The said shafts have
ratchet wheels g¹ fixed on them, and pawls 77 carried on the aims 7º, gear with
these ratchet wheels, and thereby communicate an intermittent motion to the
vertical rollers g which feed the wood blocks forward I prefer that the vertical
feed rollers g should be capable of lateral adjustment to the inequalities that may
exist in the wood on the table a, this lateral adjustment may be effected by spings,
weights, or other suitable means By the motion of the above-described feed
mechanism in one duection, the 1olleis g will be actuated to feed the wood forward
a determined distance, whilst the ratchet mechanism permits the motion of this
mechanism to take place in the opposite direction without actuating the toothed
rollcis g
The wood having thus been advanced a given distance (say half an inch)
over the front edge of the table, the guillotine blade or knife b, which extends across
the full width of the wood blocks, descends and cuts off a slice or slab from each
block
The knife b may be actuated by the crank or by a cam on the shaft 2, or by
other suitable means
The slices or slabs of wood thus detatched from the blocks on the table as they
doscend meet the double row of revolving circular knives d on the horizontal
shafts or axes d¹ These knives are set in pans opposite each other The peripheries
of the knives d of the two sets are nearly in contact, and the said knives are set on
their shafts a distance apart equal to the thickness of the stacks to be cut by the
bame
The slices of wood detached by the guillotining knife b descend between this double
row of cutters d, and are thereby split up into sticks The front row of cutters 15
preferably set slightly higher than the other to incline the sticks with their lower
ends a little forward After passing the knives & the sticks in a low meet at their
lower ends an endless band or apron m of india-rubber or other suitable material
travelling forward, and by preference slightly downward This band oi apion m
carries the sticks forward, side by side, in a row, and for a short distance, until
they meet a stop n, against which they abut and lie evenly in a row while the
endless band may continue its movement under them The collector 6¹ is at this
moment brought into action, The said collector is a block of cast non or other
suitable material, which is fitted to slide to and fro across the machine on a suitable
surface at e', level with the said apron. This to-and-fro movement is imparted to the
said collector by a quick threaded screw f, which is driven alternately in one and
the other direction by means of the fast pulley f¹, loose pulleys f³, band or belts f*,
shifting bai f, lever f+, and cam f³ This cam is carried loosely on the shaft of
one of the rollers of the said endless apron, and receives an intermittent motion by
means of the aim f', rod f', and ratchet mechanism at ƒ8 The said collector has
on its sides concavities or recesses e², and there are similar recesses or concavities at
e When in action this follower pushes the sticks on the apron alternately, first to
one side and then to the other side, and thereby forms them into bundles between
the surfaces e, e³, or instead of having only one collector as above described I may
provide the said machine with two collectors placed outside or at the ends of the
row of sticks on the apron, each collector having a recess on the inner side on the
side nearest the other collector When in action they approach one another,
gathering the sticks up between them, so that when they meet the sticks are
enclosed in a bundle at the centre of the apron Plungers p, preferably operated
by hand, are arranged to enter the back of the cylinder formed by the aforesaid
recesses, when together, at either side of the machine, and drive the sticks forward
between a pair of pincers of any suitable form and size The sticks formed in a
bundle by the collector on one side of the machine are thereby firmly gripped and
held whilst being tied by the attendant.

page_text: The collector remains stationary for a tune sufhcient to allow the treing of the
bundle The pincers then open and release the bundle, the plunger 18 then with-
drawn from the cylinder, the collector then moves in the opposite duection and
forms a bundle on the other side, and the various operations of the machine, as
above described, ale repeated
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First The combination of parts, comprising the vertically moving blade or knife,
the feed rollors, and the cuculu 1otary cutters arranged in relation to each other,
and operating as above set forth and for the purposes specified
Second The mechanism, comprising the endless belt or apron, the collector or
collectors, and the devices for operating the same in combination with the said
1otary cutters, and either with or without the pincers and plungers, as above set
forth and for the purposes specified
Third A machine for cutting and bundling wood, consisting of the above
described parts, namely, the vertically moving blade or knife, the rotating circular
cutters, the collecting and bundling devices, and the mechanism described, or other
suitable mechanism for causing these parts to operate in the proper relation to each
. other, all constructed and combined as shown in the accompanying Drawing, and
operating as above set forth
-
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Kingston, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.