IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING STONE
Year: 1878

page_text: A com-
LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SAWING STONE."
munication from abroad by William Radcliff, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America.
Scaled the 25th June 1878, and dated the 2nd January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd January 1878.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SAWING STONE." [A communication from abroad by William Radcliff, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates more particularly to those machines for sawing stone
which employ, horizontally or vertically, reciprocating saws armed with diamonds,
bort, or other hard stones or minerals, but it is in part applicable to machines for
cutting soft stones with toothed saws, or harder rocks with saws supplied with sand
and water.
The first part of the Invention consists in a saw-gate, which may carry a principal
and an auxiliary saw, projecting laterally over and under the carriage which feeds
the saw to the stone, and also projecting toward the front or end of the machine,
towards which the cutting edge of the principal saw is presented, to adapt the
machine to the cross-cutting and squaring of the blocks in cases where the portions
to be cut off, or that may be placed inside of the plane of the blades, are longer
than the rectangular distance from said plane to the thrust pieces of the said saw-
gate or sash or other obstruction.
The second part of the Invention consists in the combination of a reciprocating
saw-gate or sash, a principal saw, and a detachable auxiliary saw for attachment to
a connection with the principal saw in the same plane, and in parallel relation with

page_text: the said principal saw, the cutting edge of the said auxiliary saw being placed
toward the cutting edge of the said principal saw, in such manner, that when
attached to or connected with the said principal saw as aforesaid, and the motion of
the carriage is reversed, the said auxiliary saw cuts a kerf directly and accurately
into the kerf of the principal saw, making perfect clean-cut arrisses, and the final
break, if any, occurs within the body of the block.
The third part of the Invention consists in the combination of a separate push-
and-lift motion slide, parallel to the slides which guide the reciprocation of the saw,
and having its bearings in or on that part of the machine which supports the slides
that guide the reciprocation of the saw, means for imparting motion to the said slide
from the main shaft of the machine, or any other shaft connected with said main
shaft, and means for imparting from said push or lift motion slide a corresponding
edgewise motion to the saw, in order that the cutters may be applied to the stone
during the cutting stroke, and withdrawn from the stone during the back or non-
cutting stroke, it having been found that only by such a push-and-lift motion
of the saw, to and from the work, can the cutters be retained tightly in their
settings.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in the combination in a stone-sawing
machine of a fixed main frame or support and movable framing, which carries
parallel guides or slides for directing the reciprocating motion of the saw-gate, and
which also carries the bearings of the shaft for driving the said saw-gate, and which
is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the stroke of the saw, whereby the said
shaft and the said guides or slides are always held in fixed relation with each other
during the adjustment of the saw, to or from the work, such fixed relation of said
shaft and said guides or slides rendering it possible to use a much shorter pitman
than is necessary when the relation between said shaft and said guides or slides is
variable, and thus also rendering it possible to use a very much shorter machine
than has hitherto been attainable in this class of machines.
The fifth part of the Invention consists in the combination in a stone-sawing
nachine of a fixed main frame or support, movable framing, which contains parallel
guides or slides for the saw-gate, and bearings for the shaft which drives the saw,
and automatic means for moving the said movable framing, shaft, guides, and saw
together, for the purpose of feeding the saw to the work, whereby a fixed relation
of the said shaft to the said guides is maintained during the feeding, and a shorter
pitman may be used in a shorter machine than has hitherto been possible, as herein-
before set forth.
The sixth part of the Invention consists in special mechanism for feeding the saw
to the work, as above set forth, to wit, the combination with the aforesaid movable
framing holding in fixed relation the parallel guides for the saw-gate, and the
bearings for the shaft which drives the saw, of a system of male screws of equal
pitch fitted to female screws in said frame, supported in bearings on the uain
frame, supported and actuated equally and uniformly by a system of level gearing
and shafts through a ratchet and pawle movement driven by the shaft which drives
the saw.
The seventh part of the Invention consists in the combination with the saw blade
of a detachable stiffening back, which is applied to the saw blade previous to its
beginning its cut, and retained thereon during a part or the whole of the time the
blade is entering the stone, to a depth limited by the distance of said back from
the edge of said blade, and which is then removed from said blade, if the same is
required to cut deeper; the purpose of said back being to prevent any deviation of
said blade from a straight line during the first part of its cutting, and thus to secure
the correct starting, and therefore a more accurate cutting of the entire kerf than can
be secured without said stiffening back.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
July 1878.
"
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SAWING STONE" A communication from abroad by William Radcliff, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates more particularly to those machines for sawing stone which
employ, horizontally or vertically, reciprocating saws armed with diamonds, bort,
or other hard stones or minerals, but it is in part applicable to machines for
cutting soft stones with toothed saws, or harder rocks with saws supplied with sand
and water.
The first part of the Invention consists in a saw-gate," which may carry a
principal and an auxiliary saw projecting laterally over and under the carriage
which feeds the saw to the stone, and also projecting towards the front or end of
the machine, toward which the cutting edge of the principal saw is presented to
adapt the machine to the cross-cutting and squaring of blocks in cases where the
portions to be cut off, or that may be placed inside of the plane of the blade, are
longer than the rectangular distance from said plane to the thrust pieces of the said
saw-gate or sash, or other obstruction.
The second part of the Invention consists in the combination of a reciprocating
saw-gate or sash, a principal saw, and a detachable auxiliary saw for attachment to
or connection with the principal saw in the same plane, and in parallel relation with
the said principal saw, the cutting edge of the said auxiliary saw being placed
toward the cutting edge of the said principal saw, in such manner that when
attached to or connected with the said principal saw as aforesaid, and the motion of
the carriage is reversed, the said auxiliary saw cuts a kerf directly and accurately
into the kerf of principal saw, making perfect clean-cut arrisses, and the final break,
if any, occurs within the body of the block.
The third part of the Invention consists in the combination of a separate push-
and-lift motion slide, parallel to the slides which guide the reciprocation of the saw,
and having its bearings in or on that part of the machine which supports the
slides that guide the reciprocation of the saw, means for imparting motion to said
slide from the main shaft of the machine, or any other shaft connected with said
main shaft, and means for imparting from said push or lift motion slide a corre-
sponding edgewise motion to the saw, in order that the cutters may be applied
to the stone during the cutting stroke, and withdrawn from the stone during the
back or non-cutting stroke, it having been found that only by such a push-and-
lift motion of the saw to and from the work can the cutters be retained tightly in
their settings.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in the combination in a stone sawing
machine of a fixed main frame or support and moveable framing, which carries
parallel guides or slides for directing the reciprocating motion of the saw-gate, and
which also carries the bearings of the shaft for driving the said saw-gate, and
which is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the stroke of the saw, whereby
the said shaft and the said guides or slides are always held in fixed relation with
each other during the adjustment of the saw to or from the work; such fixed
relation of said shaft and said guides or slides rendering it possible to use a much
shorter pitman than is necessary when the relation between said shaft and said
guides or slides is variable, and thus also rendering it possible to use a very much
shorter machine than has hitherto been attainable in this class of machines.
The fifth part of the Invention consists in the combination in a stone sawing
machine of a fixed main frame or support movable framing, which contains parallel
guides or slides for the saw-gate and bearings for the shaft which drives the saw,

page_text: and automatic means for moving the said moveable framing, shaft, guides, and saw
together for the purpose of feeding the saw to the work, whereby a fixed relation
of the said shaft to the said guides is maintained during the feeding, and a shorter
pitman may be used in a shorter machine than has hitherto been possible, as herein-
before set forth.
The sixth part of the Invention consists in special mechanism for feeding the
saw to the work, as above set forth, to wit, the combination with the aforesaid
movable framing, holding in fixed relation to the parallel guides for the saw-gate
and the bearings for the shaft which drives the saw, of a system of male screws of
equal pitch fitted to female screws in said frame, supported in bearings on the
main frame or support, and actuated equally and uniformly by a system of bevil
gearing and shafts through a ratchet and pawl movement driven by the shaft
which drives the saw.
The seventh part of the Invention consists in the combination with the saw
blade of a detachable stiffening back, which is applied to the saw blade previous
to its beginning its cut, and retained thereon during a part or the whole of the
time the blade is entering the stone to a depth limited by the distance of said back
from the edge of said blade, and which is then removed from said blade if the same
is required to cut deeper, the purpose of said back being to prevent any deviation
of said blade from a straight line during the first part of its cutting, and thus to
secure the correct starting and therefore a more accurate cutting of the entire kerf
than can be secured without said stiffening back.
The first, second, and third parts of the Invention are shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, which illustrate the said parts of the
Invention as applied to a stone sawing machine employing a vertically reciprocating
saw or saws.
Fig. 1 is a side view of such a machine, looking toward the crank wheel, which
reciprocates the saw-gate.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a view of the front or that end of the machine toward which the
cutting edge of the principal saw is presented.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the machine as seen from the side on which the main
driving pulley is located.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section made on the line x, x, in Fig. 2.
A represents the saw-gate or sash, which carries the principal saw B and the
auxiliary saw B¹. The said sash A reciprocates on the parallel guides C which are
supported by suitable framework, the upper part of which is upheld by a pillar D,
and the whole of which rests on a suitable foundation, preferably of solid masonry.
The said sash not only projects laterally or hangs laterally over and under the
carriage E, upon which the stone F to be cut rests and is fed to the saws, but said
sash also projects over and under the said carriage toward the front of the machine,
and in front of any of the machinery between the top of the carriage and the
bottom of that part of the frame which supports the upper slides. This con-
struction carries the cutting edges of the saws so far in advance of all obstruction
by other parts of the machine that a long stone may be laid on the said carriage
crosswise to have the part inside of the plane of the blade sawed off, although such
part to be sawed off measured from the plane of the blade is longer than the
rectangular distance from said plane to the thrust pieces of the sash or other
obstruction, a great advantage not hitherto attained in this class of machines.
The sash is reciprocated in the usual way by a pitman G, which connects the
sash with the crank wheel H on the main shaft I, which is rotated by the fly wheel
pulley J.
The principal saw B is provided with reinforcements a at each of its extremities.
To the said reinforcements are pivotted links b, which engage the sash A by
knife edges or V shaped bearings c, and through which the said saw is put under
tension.
In order to prevent slackness in the edges of the principal saw B (which must

page_text: be broad to work well) I make in the said saw holes K, placed in the central
longitudinal axis of the saw. The said sash and saw are represented in the
Drawings as making the downward or cutting stroke. Now it has been found to
be essential with reciprocating saws armed with diamonds, bort, or other hard
stones, that the cutting edge of the saw should be withdrawn from its action upon
the stone on its back stroke and brought into contact with the stone only while
making its cutting strokes, in order that the bort or other cutters shall be pressed
only in one direction in the performance of their work, as pressure in one direction
only does not loosen them in their settings as always results from their cutting in
both directions. To effect this motion of the saw a separate push or lift motion
slide O is used distinct from but parallel with the slides which guide the recipro-
cating motion of the sash, and also placed in or on that part of the machine which
bears said slides for guiding said reciprocating motion of the sash. This slide O
receives a movement corresponding with the push or lift motion required for the
saw, and only those few and simple parts needed to transmit this movement to the
blade or blades are on the reciprocating sash or its connections, and the power for
producing the movement of the slide O is brought directly or indirectly from the
main shaft I or from any shaft positively connected therewith. Upon said main
shaft His attached the eccentric L, the rod M of which pivotted to one end of
the rock lever N, which by the connecting rod 7 is connected to the rock lever N¹,
which by a connecting rod is connected to another rock lever N". The shafts or
pivots of all the said rock levers liave their bearings in the upper part of the
stationary framework of the machine.
In order that the connecting rods may act only by a drawing motion, and may
be made lighter than if the rocking of the said rock levers were entirely porformed
by the eccentric L, a rod 11 and spring S are attached to the end of the lever N¹,
by which the entire system of connected rock levers so far as described is actuated
in one direction while the excentric rod M and excentric L actuate them in the
opposite direction.
The rock levers N¹ and N¹¹ are keyed to their shafts, and both rock through
similar and equal ares in such manner as to actuate equally similar cams attached
to the said rock lever shafts, which shafts are parallel, and have their centres in a
parallel line with the guides C. The said cams d actuate the push or lift motion
slide O. The said slide O is guided in or on that part of the machine which carries
the guides C, and it is pressed constantly against the cams d by springs e. Its
position is therefore, both when at rest and in every part of its movement, parallel
to the guides C.
From this parallel motion of the push or lift motion slide O is derived the parallel
forward and backward edgewise motion of the saw or saws, as follows:-To the
upper part of the saw-gate is pivotted a bell-crank lever P, and to the opposite
lower part of said saw-gate is pivotted another bell-crank lever P¹. Said bell-crank
levers are connected and caused to move simultaneously by the connecting rod 111,
and the vertical arm of the upper bell-crank lever P slides over the push or lift
motion slide O, an antifriction device being preferably interposed between said lever
and said slide.
Each of the bell-crank levers P, P¹, is connected by a rod R or R¹ (which rods
respectively extend across the upper and lower parts of the sash) to one arm of a
horizontally rocking bell-crank lever P¹¹ or P¹¹ pivotted to said sash.
The uncon-
nected arms of said bell-crank levers P and P₁ act directly against the back of
the saw B respectively at the top and bottom of said saw.
The sash acts as a spring, which yields when the said saw is pressed forward
edgewise, and which causes the saw to move backward edgewise when the pressure
forward ceases. The saw is pressed and held forward during the cutting stroke by
the bell-crank levers P1, P1; at every reciprocation the said bell-crank levers
being actuated by the slide through the intermediate bell-crank levers and
connecting rods herein-before described. And all the bearings of the devices

page_text: through which this motion of the saw is obtained, are placed on that part of the
machine which carries the slides guiding the sash, and hence are easily accessible
for oiling and other attention, whether the saw is running or not, except the
bearings of the bell-crank levers pivotted to the sash.
This feature of the Invention is applicable to horizontally reciprocating saws as
well as to vertically reciprocating saws. But the Invention is not confined to the
precise means of communicating motion from the main shaft I to the slide O, nor
to the precise means of communicating motion from said slide to the saw, as other
systems of devices may accomplish these results.
It is to be observed that the devices above described have this well-defined result,
namely, that the parallel movement of the slide O is the exact counterpart of the
push or lift motion required for the blade, or that it has an arithmetical relation to
such required motion according to the intermediate links of communication between
said slide O and said blade.
For the purpose of the Invention it is immaterial whether such specific mode of
motion is effected by cams or wedges acting on the slide O, or by a cam on the
main shaft, or on any intermediate shaft, or by any other mechanical equivalent or
equivalents.
Heretofore in the sawing of stone on such machines when the saw has cut nearly
through the stone there has been very great danger of ruining the last arrisses to be
formed by the saw cut by reason of the breaking out of the stone and parting of
the block in advance of the saw; and such breaking frequently occuring causes
great damage, necessitating the subsequent dressing of the stone to remove the
broken out portion, a serious waste of material and labor.
In the present Invention this difficulty is wholly avoided, as follows:-The
reinforcements a of the principal saw are constructed to project in front of the
principal saw, and on the projecting ends of said reinforcements are provided means
for the ready attachment and detachment of the detachable supplementary or
auxiliary saw B¹.
The Invention is not limited to any precise means for the attachment and
detachment of the said auxiliary saw, but a convenient method is shewn in the
Drawings, to wit, plates T rivetted to the lower end of said saw in such manner as
to pass one on each side of the end of the lower projecting reinforcement a of the
principal saw, a pint passing through said plates and projection, and similar
plates Trivetted to the upper end of said saw, and having a gib and key t¹ passing
through said plates and the end of the upper projecting reinforcements a, the whole
being so arranged as to bring the said auxiliary saw substantially in parallel relation
and in the same plane with the principal saw. Neither is the Invention limited to
the attachment of said auxiliary saw to the reinforcements a, a, as special appliances
for such attachment may be provided independently of said reinforcements.
During the chief part of the sawing the said auxiliary saw is detached, but when
the block has been so nearly divided as to be in danger of parting, the machine is
stopped, the auxiliary saw attached with its cutting edge facing the cutting edge of
the principal saw, and the machine again started with the motion of the carriage E
reversed. The auxiliary saw then cuts a kerf directly and accurately into the kerf
of the principal saw, making perfect clean cut arrisses, and the final break, if any,
occurs within the body of the block.
Fig 6 is a perspective view of a stone sawing machine employing a horizontally
reciprocating saw, and embodying the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh parts of the
Invention.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 respectively represent details of said machine. A is the
main frame or support for the working parts of the machine, said framework rests
upon, and is supported by a suitable bed-plate B; C is the saw strained in the
ordinary way, or in any other suitable manner in the saw-gate or sash D. Said
saw-gate or sash is guided in its reciprocation by parallel guides or slides E. Said
slides E are attached to a secondary and moveable frame F, which also carries the

page_text: crank shaft G from which the said sash receives its reciprocating movement through
the pitman H. The said secondary frame is suspended from the main frame or
support by male screws I, all of which have the same pitch.
In the manner of carrying out the Invention shewn in the Drawing, said
secondary frame is guided by ways K, formed upon the main frame or support and
by the pillar L; but any other means or arrangement of parts for guiding the
vertical motion of the secondary frame may be adopted. The male screws I are
fitted into female screws in or on the said secondary frame, and each of said male
screws has attached to it a bevil gear m; said bevil gears m mesh with bevil gears
m¹, keyed to the horizontal shafts N, which have bearings in suitable boxes upon
the top of the principal frame A; said shafts N have also keyed to them bevil
gears m, which mesh with the bevilled gears m111 keyed to the shaft N¹. The
bevilled gears m have each the same number of teeth. The bevilled gears m¹ have
each the same number of teeth also.
Likewise the bevilled gears m¹ have each the same number of teeth, and the
bevilled gears ml keyed to the shaft N¹ have each the same number of teeth. It
follows that any motion of the shaft N' must impart an equal motion to the shafts
N, and also an equal motion to the screws I, and that the secondary frame F must
be uniformly and equally lifted or lowered in all its parts by such motion of the
shaft N¹.
But the Invention is not confined to the precise means described for raising and
lowering the secondary frame F; other means may be adopted for the same pur-
pose, it being only essential that the said secondary frame should be raised equally
and uniformly in all its parts.
Neither is the Invention confined to an integral secondary frame for carrying
both the crank shaft and sash. The said frame may be divided into separate
frames for carrying the sash slides and the crank shaft, it being only essential that
the framing which carries the several sash slides and the crank shaft, whether in
one or in separate parts, be raised or lowered or moved to and from the stone, to be
cut uniformly in all its parts, in order that the said crank shaft may always main-
tain a constant relation with the slides E that guide the reciprocation of the sash.
Motion is imparted to the shaft N¹ by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl O
which derives its motion through connecting rods and a rock shaft from a crank
pin P projecting from the pulley Q attached to the crank shaft G; but the Inven-
tion is not limited to this precise means of imparting motion to the said shaft N¹,
as various devices may effect the same purpose.
In further carrying out the Invention, a detachable bar or stiffening back R is
placed upon the back of the saw; said stiffening back is grooved on its inner side
to admit the back margin of the said saw, and when placed upon the said saw it
may be held in place by plates r, Fig. 6, resting upon the extremities of said bar,
and bolted to the inner sides of the end pieces of the sash; said bar is employed to
stiffen the saw C for the short period while it is commencing to cut its kerf in the
stone, and may be detached after the said kerf has been accurately started, if the
cut is to be deeper than the width of the saw blade below said stiffening back.
In another way of carrying out this feature of the Invention, the supports R¹
are attached to the inner sides of the end pieces of the sash, Figures 7 and 8; said
supports are so formed as to provide a ledge S, Figure 8, for the support of the ends
of the stiffening back R, and also to provide projections T, Figures 7 and 8, which
hold the said stiffening back from lateral movement; said supports serve to keep
the stiffening back in such relation with the blade as to permit a free working of
the blade in the groove of the stiffening back, when the blade has a push or lift
motion imparted to it. In such case it is desirable that the groove in the stiffening
back be of such depth, and the ledges in such position, that the push or lift of the
blade shall neither disturb the support of the stiffening back on the ledges S, nor
carry the blade out of the groove. The stiffening back may rest on the middle
part of the saw blade, but by reason of its flexibility it yields to the push or lift
motion of said blade without disturbing its bearings on the ledges S.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of this Invention for "Improvements in Ma-
chinery for Sawing Stone," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood, that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First. A saw-gate projecting over and under the carriage, both laterally and
toward the front, or that end of the machine towards which the cutting edge of the
principal saw is presented, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination in a stone-sawing machine of a reciprocating saw-gate
or sash, a principal saw and a detachable auxiliary saw for attachment to or con-
nection with the principal saw, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the separate push or lift motion slide O, parallel to
the slides C, and having its bearings in or on that portion of the machine which
supports said slides C, means for imparting motion from the main shaft I, or any
shaft positively connected therewith to said slide Ọ, and means for imparting from
said slide a corresponding edgwise motion to the saw or saws substantially as
and for the purpose set forth, and with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the
Drawings.
Fourth. The combination in a stone sawing machine of a fixed main frame or
support, and moveable framing which carries parallel guides or slides for directing
the reciprocation of the saw-gate, and which also carries the bearings for the shaft
for driving said saw-gate, and which is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to
the stroke of the saw, whereby the said shaft and said guides or slides are always
maintained in a fixed relation with each other in said adjustable framing, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
Fifth. The combination in a stone sawing machine of a fixed main frame or
support moveable framing which contains parallel guides or slides for the saw-gate,
and bearings for the shaft which drives the saw, and automatic means for moving
the said movable framing shaft guides and saw together for the purpose of feeding
the saw to the work, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the movable framing holding in fixed relation the
parallel guides for the saw-gate D, and the bearings for the shaft G which drives
the saw of a system of male screws I of equal pitch fitted to female screws in said
framing, supported in bearings on the main frame or support, and actuated equally
and uniformly by a system of bevil gearing and shafts through a ratchet and pawl
movement, driven by the said shaft G, substantially as and for the purpose specified,
and with reference to Fig. 6 of the Drawings.
Seventh. The combination with the saw blade of the detachable stiffening back
constructed and applied substantially as and for the purpose specified.
"
In witness, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.