IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE POLISHING AND PASTING MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Weens, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineer, and Charles Dohrn Douglas, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, Ironfounder and Enammeller, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE POLISHING AND PASTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Weems and Charles
Dohrn Douglas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th,
November 1880.
WILLIAM WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, and CHARLES DOHRN DOUGLAS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Ironfounder and Enammeller. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE POLISHING AND
PASTING MACHINERY."
This Invention has for its objects, firstly, improvements in machinery for
treating, polishing, and finishing surfaces of wood, paper, fibrous materials, metallic
manufactures, painted and enammelled productions, and manufactures of other
materials.
This machine is designed to supersede the laborious exercise of manual labour,
and is constructed to imitate the system of polishing and treating the materials as
done by the human hand.
It consists in having a disc or otherwise shaped area containging one or more
revolving pads composed of fibrous material, brushes, or other suitable material, and
it is constructed to perform various gyrations.
The disc may be fitted with an elastic motion for an elevating or depressing
action.
.
It may also be arranged with a radial arın or arms to swing or radiate around
under the control of the operator.
The table, or materially the resistant power on which the article to be treated is
placed, may have a springy elasticity formed of an india rubber or other suitable
agent, and the combination of the revolving disc and table elastic produces very
finely polished surfaces.
The table may have a raising or lowering motion controlled by the action of the
hand or foot of the operator. It may also be automatically arranged. The table

page_text: may have a traversing or moving action while the disc is revolving or stationary.
For curved or other shaped surfaces a cylindrical or other shaped rubber is employed
arranged to operate in every direction.
Another modification of this Invention consists in having what may be termed
a rubber constructed either of flat surfaces or in roller or other form driven to and
fro by a pendulous or horizontal arm with a rising and falling motion, and various
applications may be used for driving the rubber.
For pasting the materials the machines consists of three, or more or less, rollers
situated above each other, driven by gearing, and having adjusting actions to suit
various thicknesses of the material.
The paste is fed to the top rollers by a trough or cistern, while the under roller
is supplied by a similar arrangement from below.
The pasted material after passing through the rollers is operated on by jigging
or oscillating brushes or surfaces composed of felted or other material moving
backwards & forward to produce an evenly and well spread surface.
Rotary brushes may also be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Weems and Charles Dohrn Douglas in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th May 1881.
WILLIAM WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, 1
Engineer, and CHARLES DOHRN DOUGLAS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Ironfounder and Enameller. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE POLISHING AND
PASTING MACHINERY."
This Invention has for its objects, firstly, "Improvements in Surface Polishing
and Pasting Machinery," and for treating, polishing, and finishing surfaces of wood,
paper, fibrous materials, metallic manufactures, painted and enamelled productions,
and manufactures of other materials.
This machine is designed to supersede the laborious exercise of buman or manual
labour, and is constructed to imitate the system of polishing and treating the
materials as done by the human hand.
It consists of having a disc or otherwise shaped area containing one or more
revolving pads composed of fibrous or porous material or materials, brushes, or other
suitable agents of communication having an arranged construction to perform
various gyrations.
This may also be arranged to have a stationary pad or revolving rubber, with
a fluid reservoir as a follower accompanying the disc.
Fig. 1 represents an elevation of the machine in accordance with one of our
modifications.
The objects, article, or substance to be polished or lustred is placed upon the
table A, which has adjustable strong holds or fixtures.

page_text: The table or plateau B has a travelling motion with reversing gear by a toothed
rack and pinion C or other suitable contrivance so as to produce a to and fro
motion selfacting, similar or otherwise to the well known action of an iron planing
machine, while at the same time it has a cross action or lateral movement, as shown
at C2, so as to give a universal effect over all the surfaces, being arranged either to
operate by hand or power.
Over head the table B, on which is placed the material or substance to be
polished, there is a revolving disc D having one or more revolving pads or rubbers E
which may be springy or elastic, as shown at F (or they may be rigid), with a
reservoir having a self-feeding arrangements, as shown at F, for the regulation of
the fluids or other materials, controlled by the needle pointed contrivance F¹.
Fig. 2 shows one modification of our Invention in section relating to the pads
or rubbers, whereby the pad or rubber is fed by the reservoir G, giving a continuous
supply of the fluid at the will of the operator, the needle G¹ acting as a regulating
valve.
The pads or rubbers may revolve at different speeds, or may be so arranged
that working from a toothed or central wheel they perform an internal and circum-
ferential motion, and therefore their gyrations may be easily altered to suit the
necessary requirements.
The spirit polish or other materials may for a variety of purposes if necessary
be placed on the surface and the finishing process completed by the rubbers
or pads.
The disc containing the rubbing or frictional contrivances may be fitted with an
elastic motion, and having an elevating or depressing action.
Another modification may also be arranged, as shown at Fig. 3, whereby a radial
arm or arms H swing or radiate around under the control of the operator, having
the revolving or stationary pads or rubbers thereto attached.
In all cases and under all the modifications referred to the table on which the
subjected material is to be placed, or materially the resistant power on which the
article is to be treated, may have a springy elasticity formed of india rubber or
other suitable agent, and the combination of the revolving disc or discs and table
elastic produces very finely polished and finished surfaces.
The tension of the pads or rubbers, whether revolving or stationary, may be
controlled by the action of the hand or foot, as shown at Fig. 4, or automatically
arranged, and the table may be arranged to oscillate or revolve.
Spongy, fibrous, or solid materials may be employed for the pads or rubbers
according to the nature of the material to be finished.
For curved or other shaped surfaces the parts are brought into frictional contact
with the pads or rubber which have an adjustable motion, driven by preference
with an elastic band or cord operating the same as the well-known hair brushing
machine, and shown at Fig. 5. The interior of the revolving cylinder is a reservoir
containing fluid material for the saturation of the external pads or rubbers, having
a regulating feed under the hand of the operator.
The operative by a simple adjustment of angular or other elevation reaches the
most intricate recesses of mouldings, carvings, and other uneven surfaces.
Another modification of this Invention may be described wherein a series or one
revolving pad or rubber is brought into immediate contact with the surfaces to be
polished or improved, and consists of a circular or other shaped revolving medium
to which is attached the pads or rubbers, and may have a self-feeding arrangement
for the emission of the polishing or other fluids.
Another modification of this Invention consists in having what may be termed a
rubber or pad constructed in either flat or curved surfaces, or otherwise fashioned,
driven forwards and backwards by a pendulous, vertical, horizontal, or angular arm
with a rising, falling, and adjustable motion.
Another modification of this Invention consists in an imitation of hand polishing,
whereby it represents a human arm as the lever of gyrational performance actuated
by mechanical contrivance.

page_text: Another modification consists in having a traversing or stationary table, so that
the pads or rubbers may have a crosswise action against each other.
For pasting the materials the machine consists of three, or more or less, rollers,
as shown at Fig. 6, marked A1, A2, A3, and on the top roller A¹ is placed a trough
or receptacle A for the supply of the viscous materials. The roller A³ is provided.
with a similar trough A5, and by the lever arm A6 has a raising and falling motion
controlled by the adjusting screws A7.
Cords, tapes, or aprons, as shown by the arrows, convey the material to be coated
to the rollers, and a finished distribution of an even surface of the liquid or semi-
fluid substances is produced by the jigging or oscillating brushes or pads As, and
may be further. spread by rotary brushes or pads, as shown at Aº, before delivery
indicated by the arrow A. Sliding brushes with threaded screws gives every
facility for adjustment of the various parts.
Another modification is shown at Fig. 7 having two rollers B' and B2 on the top,
and in contact with two under rollers B³ and B, the top rollers being supplied with
the glutinous or adhesive material from the cistern or trough B³.
The rollers are adjusted by screws, and by a simple arrangement of lever and
weight balance Be any thicknesses of material may be easily passed through the
rollers receiving a coating on one or both sides.
Oscillating, jigging, or rotary brushes, as shown on Fig. 6, .As and Aº, may, be
employed for further distribution..
The rollers themselves may be all driven at different speeds to produce a rubbing.
or frictional contact while the material is being fed on to the surfaces, thereby
giving a homogeneous finish.
This is particularly necessary where tenacious substances are being dealt with,
and in both machines, should there be any tendency to glut or clog, the rollers
may be kept warm by steam or other heating agents, and the material may be
steamed or heated.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Weems and Charles Dohrn Douglas,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and eighty one.
WILLIAM WEEMS.
CHARLES DOHRN DOUGLAS.
Witness,
ALEXANDER WYLIE,
Engineer,
Perseverance Iron Works,
Johnstone.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)