Improvements in the Manufacture of Files and Rasps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Files and Rasps.
A communication from ALFRED WEED, of Tarrytown, County of Westchester and
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex.
M.I.M.E., 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 :—
This invention relates to the manufacture of files and rasps and consists in
operating upon the blank in a peculiar manner to raise the teeth thereon and in
means for operating the cutter as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated
in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an improved machine for carrying out the
improved method of manufacture.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Fig. 1, the frame removed.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating the operation of the tool.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating the formation of the teeth.
Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified machine for carrying out this invention.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same partly in section.
Fig. 8 is a detail.
Figs. 9 to 14 are views illustrating the improved rasp and its manufacture.
The movements of the tool of any suitable form will best be understood from
reference to Fig. 4 in which 1, represents the tool, 2 a stock in which the tool
is secured or of which it forms part and X the blank.
The tool 1 is supported in an inclined position and the edge is in the first instance
brought against the blank by moving the tool vertically downward until the cutting
edge penetrates and gets a hold upon the metal of the blank after which the down-
ward movement of the tool is continued but the pressure is applied only to the
upper end of the tool or its stock, which is so connected to its support that as the
downward pressure is continued and the cutting edge is forced into the metal
the heel of the stock will be carried forward, the blank forming a more acute angle
therewith than at first, the tool swinging about its cutting edge as a centre. By
this means the fin or tooth raised upon the blank X is turned outward with a slight
curve but without being bent back at the extreme end and in practice the tooth
thus formed is far more effective and more durable.
In the manufacture of rasps it is preferable to arrange each row of teeth upon a
curved line, Fig. 3, instead of being upon a straight line extending transversely
or diagonally across the face of the blank as thereby the points of the teeth are
more uniformly arranged over the surface of the blank and better clearance is
afforded for the filings or raspings, and to this end the stock of the tool is connected
to a carrier 3 swinging about a vertical pivot + passing through the end opposite
to that to which the stock is connected.
.
The tool and its carrier may be secured to a reciprocating or moving head in
any suitable manner operated by any available appliances; in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is a
complete apparatus that has proved effective.
B represents the frame of the machine in which turns a shaft 5 having an
eccentric 6 to receive the strap 7 of a connecting rod 8 jointed at the lower end to
the head 9 which reciprocates between its vertical guides. In bearings upon the
head turns the vertical shaft 4 to which the carrier 3 is attached and the stock 2 is
pivotted at one corner of the carrier. An inclined arm or bearing 10 of the carrier
serves as a rest against which the stock 2 may lie in an inclined position, a

page_text: spring 13 tending to keep the stock against the arm 10, or against an adjusting
screw 14 passing through said arm.
The blank is secured to a sliding carriage 15 which may be moved as usual
by a screw 16 turned by means of a hand wheel 17. The carriage 15 slides in a
supporting bed 18 centrally pivotted to the base 19 of the machine to swing to any
desired inclination and secured after adjustment by means of a screw bolt 20
passing through a slot v in the base 19.
While the carrier 3 may be swung by hand to its different positions or angles as
indicated by the radial lines, Fig. 3, it is best to swing the same automatically by
means of any suitable operating devices. As shown the shaft 4 is provided with a
pinion 21, engaging with a rack 22 sliding in the head 9, and said rack is
reciprocated by the revolution of a wheel 23 to which the rack is connected by a
link 24. The wheel 23 is turned step by step automatically in any suitable manner
for instance it is provided with ratchet teeth which engage a spring pawl 25 as the
head 9 rises after each tooth is formed by the tool 1.
Another arrangement is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 in which 1 represents the
chisel or cutting tool, 2 the stock in which it is secured or forming part of the
same, and 8 a carrier in the form of an extensible arm connected with an eccentric
strap 7 fitting an eccentric 6, upon a shaft 5 that turns in bearings of the
standards B B supported upon a suitable basc 19.
The file blank is suitably secured in a slide or carrier 15 sliding in bearings
in a bed 18 that is pivotted at a to the base so as to swing laterally and that
supports a feed screw 16 by means of which the carriage 15 may be moved
longitudinally.
Adjacent to the point where the cutting end of the tool comes on the blank is a
cross piece or bearing 20 which serves to direct the lower end of the tool to proper
position against the blank, after which the revolution of the eccentric will force
inward the end of the tool carrying the upper end of the stock or holder at the
same time towards the blank in the direction of the arrow Fig. 6, the tool swinging
and turning up a fin forming the cutting tooth of the file or rasp. In performing
this operation the tool does not rest upon the cross piece 20, as a bearing, inasmuch
as the lower end of the tool is bevelled and the downward thrust in consequence of
such bevel carries the tool away from the cross piece 20 at least to a sufficient
extent to prevent the latter from acting as a fulcrum.
The cross piece 20 is of such a shape that the tool may slide thereon as it rises
and descends, a spring 3 connected to the carrier 8, and the frame or standards
serving to hold the tool in contact with the cross piece.
It is desirable in the manufacture of rasps to arrange the teeth upon curved lines,
as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 7, and to this end I have devised means for
swinging the bed 18, automatically after each descent of the tool and the formation
of each tooth. One means of effecting this movement is shown in the drawing
consisting of a wheel 21 having pins 22 that make contact with a pin 23 extending
from the bed 18, the wheel 21 being turned slightly after each downward movement
of the tool. thereby swinging the bed against and compressing a spring 24. When
a row of teeth has been cut the pin 22, escapes from the pin 23, and the
spring 24 swings the bed back to its first position after which another pin 22,
makes contact with the pin 23 and the bed is swung step by step as before. It is
of course necessary to feed the blank forward in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2,
after cach row of teeth is cut. This is preferably effected automatically by means
of any suitable feed devices as for instance by a pin or ratchet 25 on the screw 16
engaging a pawl 26 pivotted to a standard of the base which engagement is effected
as the spring 24 carries the bed towards its position after the teeth 22 and 23
escape contact.
Any suitable means may be employed by imparting the step by step movement
to the wheel 21. For instance an arm 27 swings upon the standard 28 supporting
the wheel 21 and carries a pawl 29 that engages a ratchet on the periphery of the
wheel. 21 below the pins 22 and a vibrating arm 31 having a strap engaging an

page_text: eccentric on the shaft 5 slides in and swings upon a pin 32 and is slotted at the
lower end to receive a pin 33 on the arm 27 so that as the shaft 5 revolves the
arm 31 is vibrated swings the arm 27 and carries the pawl 29 against the teeth of
the ratchet and turns the wheel 21 a single step.
The backward rotation of the wheel is prevented by a pawl 34. It will be
evident that while an eccentric is shown for operating the tool with a direct
pressure the latter may be driven percussively as is the case in some forms of file
cutters and also that different means may be employed for swinging the bed and
feeding the slide automatically.
Usually the chisel a Fig. 13, is applied to the file blank X in an inclined
position and is then forced forward in the direction of its length indicated by the
arrow 5 and as it reaches the termination of its movement it is swung outward as
indicated by the arrow 6. As the result of this operation the tooth b that is thus
formed is rounded upon its back surface as illustrated in Fig. 9 and the upper
forward edges approximate very closely to a straight line y, extending transversely
of the file plate while the forward face 7 is in a plane to Fig. 10 which is very
nearly vertical and the points 8 turns backward slightly.
In making the improved rasps the chisel A is applied as shown in Fig. 14 and
Figs. 2 and 4 and is forced downward in the direction of the arrow 9 at right
angles to the face of the blank and is also simultaneously swung to carry the heel
or upper end of the chisel downward in the direction of the arrow 10 instead of
upwards in the direction of the arrow 6, Fig. 13, as in ordinary cutting.
As a consequence of this method of operation the tooth C Figs. 11 and 12,
which is produced differ very materially from the ordinary tooth both in its
construction and operation. Thus the upper face of the tooth instead of being
rounded like the tooth more nearly approximates the shape of a section of a
cone and the forward upper edges 12, 12, coincide with converging lines " u
that meet at a comparatively sharp angle and the inner face 14 coincides very
nearly with a flat plane while the point 13 instead of being turned back projects
forward. The rasp having teeth of this shape has a much greater cutting capacity
than an ordinary rasp and the wearing of the edges in use does not have the same
degree of effect in dulling the point as is the case with ordinary teeth so that the
teeth remain sharp for a longer time and the durability of the rasp is greatly
increased.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in a file cutting machine of a support for the blank, a
reciprocating head, a tool supported in an inclined position upon said head, and
means substantially as described for swinging the tool upon its cutting point or
edge as a centre as the latter enters the blank to thereby raise the tooth upon the
blank substantially as set forth.
2. The combination in a file cutting machine of a support for the blank a head
reciprocating substantially at right angles to the blank and a cutting tool arranged
at an angle to said head and blank having its support and pivotally connected to
swing at its upper end and about its cutting edge or point as a centre when the
head descends substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a reciprocating head of a tool having its support
pivotted to the head at its upper end and an inclined arm 10 and spring 13 substan-
tially as set forth.
4. The combination with the reciprocating head of a carrier pivotted at one end
to swing horizontally on said end and an inclined tool having its support pivotted
to the free end of the carrier substantially as described.
5. The combination of the reciprocating head a tool carrier pivotted to the head
and supporting an inclined tool and means substantially as set forth for vibrating
the tool carrier step by step substantially as described.

page_text: 6. The combination of the reciprocating head, shaft 4 carrier supporting the
cutting tool pinion and rack and wheel 23 connected to reciprocate the rack and
means for turning the wheel with a step by step movement substantially as
described.
7. The combination in a machine for cutting files and rasps of a bed for
supporting the blank, a tool having a bevelled end, a bearing or rest for the back
of the tool and means for reciprocating the tool upon said bearing substantially as
set forth.
8. The combination with the bed for supporting a blank of a tool a carrier for
supporting the tool provided with a strap for receiving an eccentric and a cross
piece 20 arranged to constitute a bearing for the tool adjacent to the blank,
substantially as described.
9. The combination with the cutting tool of a file or rasp cutter, of a bed
supporting the blank and means for automatically swinging the bed a single step
on the upward movement of the tool substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of the tool, pivotted bed, a wheel having teeth for engaging
the tooth of the bed, means for turning said wheel intermittently and a spring for
swinging the bed in one direction substantially as set forth.
11. The combination of the bed and its tooth the toothed wheel provided with a
ratchet, an arm 27 carrying a pawl engaging said ratchet and a vibrating arm 31
engaging a pin on the arm 27 substantially as set forth.
12. The bed provided with a slide for receiving the blank a screw for feeding
the slide and device arranged to turn the screw as the bed swings in one direction,
substantially as set forth.
13. As a new article of manufacture a rasp provided with teeth having inclined
forward faces 14 and upper forward edges 12, 12, coinciding with lines converging
to a sharp point and approximating a conical form at the back substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 29th day of September 1891