Improvements in Machinery for Felling and Cutting Timber.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Felling and Cutting Timber.
I, ALLEN RANSOME, of Stanley Works, Kings Road, Chelsea in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A Patent for machinery for felling trees was granted to me in the year 1875,
No. 3823. In this machinery there was a steam cylinder actuating a saw, such
saw being connected with the piston and piston rod so as to reciprocate with
them.
My present invention relates to machines of this class; I construct them in
such manner as to be easier of transport than heretofore and capable of being set
to work when necessary at some distance above the ground and also capable of
cross-cutting the timber at various angles and in various positions.
These powers are required to enable the machine to deal advantageously with
trees having spreading or buttressed roots and to cross cut the timber to advantage
in. whatever position the tree may happen to fall.
The bed frame which carries the working parts I make of iron or steel bars and
1 connect this frame by a hinge joint at the top of a standard fixed upon the axle
of a pair of road wheels. The standard carries a hand wheel with a worm upon
its axis and the worm engages with an arc of teeth fixed upon the bed frame. By
turning the hand wheel the bed frame together with all the parts upon it can move
around the joint and the saw may be set to cut in a vertical plane or at any required
angle so that a tree which has fallen in a more or less inclined position may never-
theless be cross cut truly at right angles to its length.
There are shafts connected with the bed frame and these not only serve to harness
a horse for hauling the machine from place to place but by inclining the shafts the
steam cylinder and saw may be so set that the stroke may be made in a more or
less upward or downward direction as the tree which it is intended to cross-cut may
be nearer to or further from the ground.
In order to retain the machine at its proper incline, I attach to one or both shafts,
an adjustable support, consisting of a slotted wrought iron or steel bar, pivotted
at its lower end upon a metal stake or wedge, driven firmly into the ground.
A strong bolt, furnished with a screw nut clamps the shaft to the support when
the machine is adjusted to the required inclination.
Upon the bed frame the steam cylinder lies it is connected with the frame by a
pivot about midway of its length. On the rear end of the cylinder an arc of teeth
is provided and a worm upon a transverse axis upon the bed frame gears with these
teeth and serves to turn the cylinder about the pivot; it is this motion which gives
the feed to the saw.
In the cylinder the piston works and the piston rod passes out through the
cylinder cover by a gland and has the saw blade fixed to it. To the fore part of
the cylinder also a guide frame is fixed, it carries a packed guide through which
the saw blade passes. The guide frame at its fore end rests upon an arc forming
part of the bed frame, this arc serves to support the guide frame and the cylinder
in every position which these parts can assume. Steam is supplied to the cylinder
by a flexible steam pipe and is admitted by a valve which may be controlled by a
twisted or rifled bar attached to a crosshead on the piston rod.
When at work the fore end of the bed frame is fixed to the timber by a bar held
in sockets beneath the bed frame and extending from end to end of it. This bar
is provided with a sharpened trident end. By blows with a heavy hammer the bar

page_text: is driven into the wood and it is then locked fast in the sockets upon the bed frame
by a strong clamping screw.
Another portion of my invention relates to machines of this class to be fixed in
a saw mill for cross cutting large logs.
It is almost impossible to arrest the progress of a large log when being drawn
into the mill exactly in a prearranged position and considerable labour is necessitated
to adjust the log accurately in front of the saw.
To obviate this, I mount the machine upon a bed, along which it can travel
for a short distance parallel to the line in which the timber is drawn into the
mill.
The traversing motion may be given by means of a strong screw working below.
the surface of the bed. By turning a hand wheel giving motion to the screw the
machine can be moved into any required position on the bed, and the saw can thus be
set with the greatest nicety, opposite the exact point at which it is required to
crosscut the log.
If preferred, the travelling motion can be worked by a rack and pinion or
otherwise.
To supply steam to the machine in various positions along the bed, a flexible or
telescopic steam pipe is employed.
Dated this 21st day of January 1892:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Felling and Cutting Timber.
I, ALLEN RANSOME, of Stanley Works, Kings Road, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, 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 :-
A Patent for machinery for felling trees was granted to me in the year 1875
No. 3823. In this machinery there was a steam cylinder actuating a saw, such
saw being connected with the piston and piston rod so as to reciprocate with
them.
My present invention relates to machines of this class; I construct them in such
manner as to be easier of transport than heretofore and capable of being set to
work when necessary at some distance above the ground and also capable of cross
cutting the timber at various angles and in various positions.
These powers are required to enable the machine to deal advantageously with
trees having spreading or buttressed roots and to cross cut the timber to advantage
in whatever position the tree may happen to fall.
Another portion of my invention relates to machines of this class to be fixed-in
a saw mill for cross cutting large logs.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION, OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a side elevation of a felling machine in accordance with my inven
tion; it is here represented in the position in which it works when felling.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine arranged as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same machine arranged for cross cutting.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine arranged as in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a machine arranged in accordance with my
invention for use in a mill for cross cutting and movable only for a short distance
along a fixed bed.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the machine represented by Figure 5.

page_text: In both the Figures 5 and 6 the machine is shown as at work in cross cutting
a log.
I will now describe in the first place the Figures 1 to 4.
The bed frame a which carries the working parts I make of iron or steel bars
and I connect this frame by a hinge joint b at the top of a standard a fixed upon
the axle d of a pair of road wheels e e. The standard carries a hand wheel/ with
a worm upon its axis and the worm engages with an arc of teeth a' fixed upon
the bed frame. By turning the hand wheel the bed frame together with all the
parts upon it can move around the joint b and the saw may be set to cut in a
vertical plane or at any required angle so that a tree which has fallen in a more or
less inclined position may nevertheless be cross cut truly at right angles to its
length.
There are shafts g connected with the axle and these not only serve to harness
a horse for hauling the machine from place to place but by inclining the shafts the
steam cylinder and saw may be so set that the stroke may be made in a more or
less upward or downward direction as the tree which it is intended to cross-cut
may be nearer to or further from the ground.
In order to retain the machine at its proper incline, I attach to one or both
shafts, an adjustable support consisting of a slotted wrought iron or steel bar h
pivotted at its lower end upon a metal stake or wedge driven firmly into the
ground.
A strong bolt * furnished with a screw nut clamps the shaft to the support
when the machine is adjusted to the required inclination.
Upon the bed frame the steam cylinder i lies it is connected with the frame by
a pivot about midway of its length. On the rear end of the cylinder an arc of
teeth is provided and a worm k upon a transverse axis upon the bed frame gears
with these teeth and serves to turn the cylinder about the pivot ; it is this
motion which gives the feed to the saw. kis a hand wheel for giving the feed.
In the cylinder the piston works and the piston rod ³ passes out through the
cylinder cover by a gland and has the saw blade I fixed to it, through the
intervention of a cross head. To the fore part of the cylinder also a guide frame m
is fixed, it carries a packed guide m' through which the saw blade passes. The
guide frame at its fore end rests upon an arc a' forming part of the bed frame, this
arc serves to support the guide frame m and the cylinder in every position which
these parts can assume. Steam is supplied to the cylinder by a flexible steam pipe
connected at n and is admitted by a valve which may be controlled by a twisted or
rifled bar o passing through a cross head on the piston rod.
The arrangements in respect to the steam cylinder and valve are similar to those
described in the Specification of my former Patent.
P
When at work the fore end of the bed frame a is fixed to the timber by a bar
held in sockets beneath the bed frame and extending from end to end of it. This
bar is provided with a sharpened trident end. By blows with a heavy hammer the
bar is driven into the wood and it is then locked fast in the sockets upon the bed
frame by a strong clamping screw.
I shall now describe more fully the Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
The machine here shown is for use in a saw mill and for cross cutting only.
It is almost impossible to arrest the progress of a large log when being drawn
into the mill exactly in a pre-arranged position and considerable labour is
necessitated to adjust the log accurately in front of the saw.
To obviate this, 1 mount the machine upon a bed along which it can travel for a
short distance parallel to the line in which the timber is drawn into the mill.
The traversing motion may be given by means of a strong screw working below
the surface of the bed. By turning a hand wheel giving motion to the screw the
machine can be moved into any required position on the bed, and the saw can thus
be set with the greatest nicety opposite the exact point at which it is required to
cross-cut the log.

page_text: The steam cylinder i the sawl and other parts immediately in connection there-
with are arranged substantially as shown in the previous figures and these parts are
lettered in accordance with the description already given.
The cylinder i has trunnions on either side of it and these are carried by
standards on a saddle 7.
The steam is admitted to the cylinder through one of the trunnions.
The saddle is capable of being traversed for a short distance along a firmly
fixed bed by turning the hand wheel s.. The hand wheel is upon the end of a
screw which is carried in a bearing upon the bed and engages with a nut q² upon
the saddle. Upon the saddle there is also a standard 3 carrying the vertical
axis t on which is the hand wheel and the worm t² engaging the arc of teeth
and serving to give the feed to the saw. u is a dog jointed to the saddle g and
intended to engage with the log as shown to hold it steady whilst it is sawn.
If preferred, the travelling motion can be worked by a rack and pinion or
otherwise.
To supply steam to the machine in various positions along the bed, a flexible or
telescopic steam pipe is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements substantially as herein described whereby the machine to
which my former Patent 3823% relates is rendered easier of transport, capable of
felling at a greater distance from the ground and capable of cross cutting as herein
set forth.
2. A cross cutting machine substantially as described and consisting essentially
of a fixed bed and a saddle sliding upon the bed and a cylinder actuating a saw
and carried upon the saddle and pivoted so as to be moveable in a vertical plane
as herein set forth.
3. Machines substantially as described and represented in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1892.
A. RANSOME.