CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING SAWS AND OTHER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Southwell, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsyl-
vania, in the United States of America, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING SAWS AND OTHER
Sealed the 26th November 1855, and dated the 4th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Southwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
September 1855.
I, WILLIAM SOUTHWELL, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING SAWS AND OTHER ARTICLES" to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the grinding or polishing of flat
surfaces, and particularly of those which like circular saws take the form of
discs. In operating, for example, upon a circular saw, I set it upon a mandril,
which is mounted on a traversing frame or table, for the purpose of giving a
traverse motion to the saw, and thereby of presenting its surfaces to the action
of the grindstones or polishers; of these I employ two, which are mounted in
a line with each other, and are so arranged as to act simultaneously on opposite
sides of the saw. These grindstones or polishers are mounted in adjustable
bearings, and by means of an arrangement of right and left handed screws

page_text: and bevil gearing, they are caused to advance to or recede from their work
simultaneously. When properly set, rotary motion is communicated to them,
and the grinding or polishing action begins. I give rotary motion also to the
saw by means of a pair of rotating pressing rollers, the bite of which is
adjusted by means of right and left handed screws. These rollers are mounted
on the frame which carries the mandril, and therefore move forward and back-
ward with the work. A traverse motion is given to this frame by reversing
gear, and thus the work is traversed over or between the grinding or polishing
surfaces, while at the same time the saw is rotating upon its axis by means of
the revolving pressing rollers. It will be understood that when a straight
bladed saw, for example, is intended to be ground and polished, a suitable
frame attached to the traversing table, for carrying the blade and presenting
it to the rubbing surfaces, must be employed. The nipping rollers will of
course not be required where no axial motion is to be given to the work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Southwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SOUTHWELL, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Southwell, Her special license that I, the said William Southwell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Southwell, 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING SAWS AND OTHER ARTICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Southwell,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Southwell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to enable an ordinary workman to grind or
polish circular saw plates, either large or small, on both sides at one and the
same time, from the extreme point of the teeth to the central hole, and bring
every part thereof to a uniform thickness and to any required gauge.
The following description will first give the principal features of my Inven-
tion, and I shall then explain the details, reference being had to the Drawing
annexed, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.
The saw plate is placed loosely on a mandril of a new and peculiar form
(fully described herein-after), which is held at its opposite ends by a carrier
attached to a traversing bed or sliding frame, which is moved backwards and
forwards during the process of grinding by means of a screw and nut, or carrier
actuated by bevil gearing. When the saw has moved the distance required
in either direction the motion of the screw is reversed. By this arrangement
the saw plate receives a regular motion to and from the grindstones during the
operation, and which brings every part of the saw from the teeth to the central
hole in equal contact with the grindstones. The saw also receives a positive
rotary motion from two friction rollers, which revolve in moveable bearings,
carried by the before-mentioned traversing frame or bed. The friction rollers
are held up against the opposite sides of the saw by right and left handed
screws, which pass through the lower part of the inovable bearings of friction
rollers. These two screws are connected together by spur wheels, and are
operated upon by the workman. A rotary motion is given to the friction
rollers by spur and bevil wheels and shafts connected to the main driving shaft
of the machine.
Upon two strong shafts which revolve in movable bearings are fixed two
grindstones, one opposite to the other, and between these two stones the saw is
placed to be ground or polished. The grindstones are each driven by a belt,
and are forced against the saw by four powerful screws, worked and connected
together by worms, worm wheels, and mitre bevil wheels, the whole of which
are operated upon by a "cross" or rudder wheel by the workman. These
screws and wheels are arranged and connected to the pedestals which carry
the grindstone shafts, so that the grindstones are always parallel with each

page_text: other, and advance or recede from the centre of the machine (where the saw
is placed) at the same instant and the same distance.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is an end
elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of the same; Figures 4 represent the improved
saw mandril in side and end views. Corresponding letters refer to like parts.
A, A, represent two grindstones, which revolve in the direction indicated by
arrows, and are fixed in the usual manner to the shafts B, B; C', C2, C3,
and C* represent four movable bearings or pedestals, which carry the grindstone
shafts B, B. These pedestals are planed and fitted to slide in the plates
D', D², D³, D', which are firmly bolted to the top part of a very strong oak
frame E. Each of the pedestals C¹, C2, C3, and C are bored, and a square
thread cut therein to receive the main screws F1, F2, F, and F. These
screws are connected together by the cross shafts G and H, and the worms
I' and I², worm wheels K (which are keyed on to the end of screws F¹ and F³),
and bevil wheels L, and rotation is given to the screws by the workman
turning the hand wheel M. By this arrangement of mechanism the stones
A, A, are moved simultaneously to or from the saw, and are at all times
parallel with each other. During the operation of grinding the circular
saw plate, the attendant can, therefore, by occasionally turning the wheel
M, gradually reduce the saw to any required gauge or thickness.
N repre-
sents a coupling, which connects the screws F and F together. This
coupling is composed of two parts, which are connected together by two
bolts passing through them. In one of these parts ten bolt holes are formed,
and the other has but two. The workman can thereby place the stones in any
required position, that is, when a pair of new stones are being started it is
necessary that they should be equidistant from the saw or the centre of the
machine. It is desirable to obtain two grindstones as near alike as possible,
of equal hardness and equal quality of "grit." O represents a circular saw,
placed between the two grindstones A, A, and fitting loose on a hardened
steel mandril P. The part of the mandril P, upon which the saw revolves,
forms but about three-fourths of a circle, (that is to say,) there is a flat place
formed on the part that faces the sides of the grindstones A, A, (see Fig. 4.)
In consequence of the peculiar form of this mandril I am enabled to grind
the saw to the very edge of the hole, that is, the near side of each stone A, A,
actually passes by the edge of the hole. The saw mandril P is held by two
carriers Q, which are firmly fixed to two cast-iron slides R, forming a traversing
frame, the under side of which is planed, and moves on two slides or guides S,
which are fixed on the top of the framing E. On the side of the sliding frame
R is bolted a carrier T, which forms a nut around the traverse screw U, which

page_text: works the frame R and the saw O backwards and forwards. A projection is
formed on the carrier T, which extends over and gives motion to the reversing
gear. This reversing gear consists of two rods V and V', which are set
parallel with the frame R. The rod V is secured at one end to a moveable
bearing W (which carries the shaft X), and slides in a carrier near the outer
end of the machine at the other end. There are two notches cut in the rod V
(near its outer end), which notches receive alternately two small square slides
Y, Y', which are pressed forward by a small helical spring, coiled around the
slide carrier when permitted to do so by the inclined plane of the rod V
This rod, which slides in guides, is placed near to and parallel with the rod
V, and has a double inclined plane formed thereon (see Fig. 3), which acts
upon the two slides Y' and Y', for the purpose of forcing the slides out of the
notches of the rod V when the motion of the screw U is required to be
reversed. There are two movable collars 1 and 2 placed on the rod V', and
also two similar collars 3 and 4 on the rod V. 5 and 6 represents two coiled
springs, placed loosely on the rod V. When the traverse screw U has moved
the saw mandril P up to the stones A, A, to grind the centre of the saw, and
it has thus moved nearly as close to the grindstones as the mandril P will
admit of, the nut or carrier T comes in contact with and presses up the coiled
spring 5, and immediately after bears against the collar 3, and thus commences
moving the rod V¹, one of the inclined planes of which gradually forces the
slide Y out of the notch of the rod V. By the time the saw mandril has come
up close to the grindstones A and A', and the slide Y has been withdrawn, as
stated, the coiled spring 5 will have been sufficiently compressed to enable it
to force the bevil wheel 7 (which is keyed on the shaft X) out of gear with
the bevil wheel 8 and into gear with the bevil wheel 9, which instantly
reverses the motion of the screw U, and causes that screw gradually to bring
the saw from the grindstones A, A. The instant the wheel 7 is forced in gear,
as stated, with the wheel 9, the slide Y' enters into the second notch of the
rod V, which thus prevents the wheels 8 and 9 from slipping out of gear.
When the saw has been thus withdrawn from between the stones, so that the
plate from the hole to the teeth may be ground and reduced to the same
thickness, the motion of the screw and saw is again reversed by the carrier T
operating upon the spring 6 and collar 4 in the manner above described. The
position of the collars 2 and 4, (which are held fast by set screws,) and the
spring 6, of course depends altogether upon the diameter of the saw under
the grinding or polishing operation.
a worm wheel 10, which
The above-described traverse motion is worked by
is secured by a feather to the lower end of shaft ✗, and is turned by a

page_text: double-threaded worm 11, keyed on the main shaft 12. A spring lever 13
works in a groove formed on the hub of the worm wheel 10, and by which
said wheel 10 is slidden from under the worm 11 when the transverse motion
requires to be stopped. 14 represents a bevil pinion fixed on the main shaft
12, which works the bevil wheel 15 that is fixed on the shaft 16. A small
mitre wheel 17 is attached to the upper end of the shaft 16 by a feather, and
gears into à mitre wheel 18, keyed on to the end of the grooved shaft 19. The
wheel 17 is placed loose on the shaft 16, so that it can be put out of,
gear when
required. On the shaft 19 is a spur wheel 20, which gives motion to two
shafts and friction rollers 21 and 22 by being geared into spur wheels 23 and
24. These friction rollers are composed of a number of leather washers, about
four inches in diameter, compressed and held on to their shafts by iron washers,
nuts, and screws. These friction roller shafts revolve in movable bearings 37,
which are planed to slide in parallel guides, and are moved to or from the saw
by means of two screws, which have a right and left hand thread formed
thereon, and pass through and work into the movable bearings of the rollers
21 and 22. The screws are connected together by three small spur wheels
25, 26, and 27, and are turned by the operator by a wrench fitted to a square
on the end of one of the screws. By these screws and wheels the friction
rollers are brought to bear upon the saw (near the outer circunference
thereof), and moved from the saw after the same is ground or polished. By
the above-described friction rollers and connections the saw receives a con-
tinuous rotary motion, thereby causing (with the traverse motion) every part
of the saw plate to be brought in contact with and ground by the stones A, A.
Fast and loose pullies 28 and 29 are placed on the main shaft 12, which
receives motion from a belt from a steam engine or other motive power, and
gives motion to the grindstones A and A' by belts running on pulleys 80, 31,
32, and 33. 34 and 35 represent two pulleys, each suspended in a swinging
frame, placed over each of the driving belts 38 and 39 (of the grindstones), to
keep them at one uniform tension; this is necessary, for it will be perceived,
that as the grindstones are moved to or from the saw, the belts 38 and 39
become slacker or tighter.
Particular attention must be paid to the way the grindstones revolve, for
upon this depends the well working of the machine, (see arrows on Drawing.)
They both revolve the same way, but inasmuch as the saw is placed between
the centre of said stones, one grinds upwards and the other downwards, so
that the saw has no mechanical tendency to be carried round by the action of
either stone; or, in other words, the stones counteract each other; therefore in
practice the friction rollers need not be pressed very hard against the sides of

page_text: the saw.
The motion of the stones may of course be reversed, but care must
be taken that they both revolve in the sanie direction relatively. In practice it
will be found unnecessary to apply the friction rollers to small saws, say, those
measuring less than eight inches in diameter, and the traverse motion may be
worked by the operator by means of the hand wheel 36, which is placed upon
the shaft X for that purpose. Water must be supplied regularly to keep the
stones clear and the saw cool, and suitable boxes should be arranged and fitted
over and under the stones to receive the refuse and prevent the mud and
water flying about.
It will be perceived by the foregoing description that the machine is in
every respect self-acting, except so far as moving the grindstones to or from
the saw is concerned, which must of necessity be done by hand. A saw or
plate of steel or other metal ground upon this principle will be found to be of
a positively uniform thickness, which is a point of the greatest possible im-
portance, and one which has never been attained before. And, moreover, one
man by this machine can do as much work as eight grinders can perform, and
entirely dispensing with the serious amount of labour that is ordinarily
exercised. Emery wheels, leaden laps, and other similar articles may be used
on this machine instead of grindstones, and be to all intents and purposes
their equivalents. The traverse motion and friction rollers may be varied in
form without deviating from the principles of the Invention, as herein
made known.
Having thus fully described the nature, operation, and advantages of my
improvements in machinery for grinding or polishing saws and other articles,
and specified the best means with which I am acquainted for carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim,-
First, the combination of mechanism, as above described, for adjusting
and working two grindstones, or their equivalents, by means of which the
grinding or polishing of opposite sides of a circular saw or other article may
be effected simultaneously and with the greatest nicety; but I do not
claim the simultaneous grinding or polishing of saws and other articles on
opposite sides irrespective of the peculiar mode of operating, as herein-before
described.
Second, I claim the saw mandril P, formed substantially as described,
whereby a circular saw can be ground up to the central hole, as specified.
Third, I claim giving a rotary motion to the saw during the operation
of grinding both sides simultaneously by means of two friction rollers and
connections, or by any other equivalent mechanical device, for driving the saw
by friction of contact.

page_text: Fourth, I claim the combination of mechanism (arranged and operating
together substantially in the manner set forth) for moving the saw up to,
between, and from the rotating, grinding, or polishing surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southwell, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM SOUTHWELL. (L.S.)