IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
VICKERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of January, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Vickers, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Edward Vickers, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Edward Vickers, my exe-
cutors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES," being a communication from a Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Edward Vickers, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, F, the said
Edward Vickers, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
In devising machinery for cutting files a difficulty hitherto insurmountable
has been experienced, which results from the variation in the hardness or
density of the metal at different points of the "blank" to be wrought upon;
or, to state the difficulty more practically and specifically, when the piece of
metal or "blank" is softer in some points than others, the chisel will cut
leeper in such points, and, as the feeding motion is regular, the chisel at its
next descent will strike in the groove previously made, and merely widen the
said groove without forming another tooth. Serious difficulties have also
been met with in accomodating the chisel edge to what is termed the "wind"
of the blank, or the imperfection of the surface.
By means of the Invention communicated to me by my Foreign Correspondent
these difficulties are avoided, the improved machine being so arranged as to
imitate the manual process which is now in vogue for cutting files. This
process, as is well known, consists in placing the chisel in advance of a tooth
which has been formed, and on a smooth part of the blank, and drawing it
back until the operative feels the said tooth, when the blow is immediately
given with a heavy hammer, whereby the succeeding tooth and its adjacent
groove are formed. In the improved machine this friction is effected by so
arranging the chisel that for each groove and tooth its cutting edge is made to
reach out and slide back in a manner analagous to the manual process above
above specified, the movements of the chisel being produced by mechanism
which will be explained in the sequel.
The Figures in the accompanying Drawings represent various views of the
file-cutting machine. Figure 1 is a plan view; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
vertical section taken in the line A, B, Figures 1 and 3; and Figure 3 is a
transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line C, D, Figure 2;
Figures 4, 5, 6, are detail views, shewing modified ways of applying the principle
of one essential part of the improvements. E, E, E, E, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is
the main framing of the machine for supporting the several operative parts.
It may be made of iron or any other suitable material. F, F, Figures 1 and 2,

page_text: is the main driving shaft, having a fast pulley G and loose pulley H on one
end (for the the application of the motive power in the usual way), and a fly-
wheel I on the other end to regulate its motions. The plain piece of steel, or
the "blank" a, a, as it is termed, the several faces of which are to be wrought
upon, is placed on a bed piece b, Figures 1 and 2, made of some of the
softer metals (for a reason which will be obvious), and on its upper side a
groove or recess is provided to receive the "blank." The metallic bed
picce 6 is secured in a wide cavity or trough in the top of the feeding block c, c,
by means of adjusting and confining screws d, d, d, d, placed and operated as
will be seen and understood by inspection of Figure 1. The blauk a, a, is held
always to a firm bearing in the said groove in the bed piece 6 by means of the
weighted bands e, e, e, e, secured each at one end to a confining screw d, d, as
shewn in Figure 1, and passing over the "blank," as shewn in the said Figure.
The feeding block c, c, is arranged in any proper manner, so as to slide on the
top of the framework E, E, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and is drawn or
moved along by the revolving endless screw shaft f, f, which works in a nut g, g.
This nut, which is of a peculiar construction, is shown detached at Figure 7.
Jt. is composed of two pieces or half rounds, attached respectively to one
of a pair of levers 1, 1, turning on pivots projecting from a bed plate 2; across
these levers 1 is a bracing piece 3, to which the levers are connected by screws,
one of which is free to slide in a slot cut in the bracing picce, and allow the
levers 1 to come closer together or recede, as the case may be. These lovers
have however a tendency to keep apart, by reason of a spring 4 placed between
them. 5 is a lever turning on a pivot affixed to the bracing piece 3, and
provided at its fulcrum end with a hub or excentric piece, which acts upon the
side of one of the levers 1 when the outer end of the lever 5 is depressed, by
which means the parts of the nut 9 are made to advance towards each other
and embrace the screw shaft. The screw shaft is revolved by a twisted
band i, i, which passes from a drum or pulley k mounted on one end of the
shaft (see Figure 2), and is carried round a transverse revolving shaft 1,
Figures 2 and 3, having bearings in the lower part of the framework.
The shaft is itself caused to rotate by a band passing from a pulley m
near one of its journals to and around a pulley n on the driving shaft
F, F. In the file-cutting machines hitherto employed the chisel has been
held firmly either in the hammer or striker, or in a vibrating arm under the
same, and the blank has been drawn along under the edge of the chisel
by any proper and regular feed motion, so as to receive the cut of the
chisel as it answers to the successive blows of the hammer. But these modes
of arrangement, for the reason herein-before stated of the varying hardness of

page_text: the blank, have been found inadequate and unsuccessful in forming good or
perfect files.
The chisel which is represented at o (see Figures 1 and 2) is arranged
so as to move up and down, and shift its position on the rectangular
slot of the chisel frame p. It is guided and actuated in its movements
by the long bent spring 7 in front, the vertical bent spring in its
rear, the horizontal bent spring e, provided with a button fixed at its
end, and bearing against the rear face of the chisel near its top, and the
wedge-shaped stud or projection s standing on the front face of the chisel
ncar its top, and also the front piece or lip w of the chisel frame P. The
bent spring performs one of the most essential functions in operating the
chisel in a mannor similar to the manual process above mentioned, which
function is, putting the chisel out after each blow of the hammer in front of a
tootli previously formed, preparatory to its being drawn or pressed back against
the same for the formation of a succeeding groove or tooth. The upper end of
this spring is attached to the projection t from the top of the chisel frame ?,
while the lower end passes through a slot u in the lip or front piece w of the
said frame, and through a hole v in the chisel o (when it assumes the shape,
and has the office of a pivot or pin for the support of the said chisel), to the
rear side of the same, where it is bent down in such a manner as to tend to
hold the chisel against the inner face of the lip.w, and also to press the said
chisel down, as shewn in the Drawing. By this arrangement of the parts
above described, it will be seen that when the chisel frame P' is in the process
of rising (which process will be explained in the sequel), the chisel o will not
begin to rise until the upper end of the lip piece w has come in contact with
the studs; as therefore the lip w moves first, and the feed motion is continuous,
the front face of the chisel will have a tendency to be separated a little
from the lip w; but when the chisel does begin to rise, and is raised out of the
groove which it has just cut in the blank, the spring 9 will pull the edge of the
chisel forward against the lip w, and in front of the tooth just formed. This
will give the chisel or position in which its front face will form an angle more
obtuse with the remaining plain face of the blank than before, the wedge-
shaped studs assisting in this operation of throwing or removing the chisel
edge forward; but when the frame p descends again the chisel edge (as will be
apparent from inspection of Figure 2), being pressed down by its springs, will
first come in contact with the face of the blank, and as the frame P continues
its descent the lower edge of the lip piece w will press the chisel edge back
until it comes against the tooth last formed; while at the same time the
spring, Figure 1, by pressing its button d³ against the rear or back part of the

page_text: chisel o, will bring the front face of the said chisel to a fair bearing against
the inner face of the lip w; the chisel will then be in a proper position to receive
the blow of the hammer and effect the cutting of another tooth. The back
spring r is intended to assist in guiding and steadying the chisel in its move-
ments, but it might perhaps be dispensed with without materially affecting the
operation of the machine. The chisel frame p is supported in the forked
ends x, x, of the swivel frame y by the bolts which pass through the sides of
the said chisel and swivel frames, as shewn in the plan view, Figure 1, the
hammer head being broken away to show these parts more clearly. This
swivel frame y is attacked by a pin or stud z to the end of the vibrating lever
or arm c, c', Figures 2 and 3, so as to be capable of turning thereon. By this
means the swivel frame may be adjusted to and secured in such position as will
allow of the edge of the chisel or cutting tool being brought either across the
blank at right angles to its length, or in any oblique direction desired. The
vibrating lever or chisel arm c', c', which carries the swivel frame and its
appurtenances, rocks on a fulcrum piu d in the upright bracket piece e', which
piece e' is fitted in an elongated slot f', cut through a horizontal shaft g', g¹
(Figure 1, 2, and 3), having its bearings in the frame E, E. This bracket
piece e' is confined in any position in the said slot by a binding screw '. The
rear end of the chisel arm c', c', is connected by means of an arm³ (which
turns freely on a pin in the said end, as shewn in Figure 2) to an arm or
lever, arranged in the elongated slot (shown distinctly in Figure 3) in the
shaft, ', which may be denominated the chisel-actuating shaft. This
shaft k, l, is mounted in bearings in the frame E, and receives a rocking
motion from an excentric i on the driving shaft F, F, coming in contact (as it
revolves) with the end of an arm m' fixed on the shaft k, l, as shewn by dots
in Figure 2. y, y³, is a counteracting spring attached to the lower part of
the framing E, and connected to the shaft ,.,.through the medium of a
lever and pendant rod n³.
It will now be readily understood, on inspecting the Drawing, that, as
the shaft,, is caused to rock in its bearings by reason of the excen-
tric and arm m', it will, through its connection with the chisel arın c', c',
cause that line to vibrate, and thereby raise the chisel from the blank.
When the larger radius of the cam has passed the end of the arm m', the
spring y will come into operation, and assist in bringing down the chisel on to
the face of the blank to be cut. The elongated slots f' and n', above mentioned
as being formed respectively in the. shafts g', g', and ', , are intended to
allow of the chisel arm c, c, being moved laterally, so that oblique teeth can
Le cut on the blank on the reverse direction to those formed while the arın is

page_text: in the position denoted in Figure 1. The shaft g', y, is capable of rocking in
its bearings, and it is held in any required position by the following contrivance:
66
o', o', is a cord, connected at one end to an arm p', which stands up from
the periphery of the shaft g'. The other end of the cord is connected to a
spring, attached to the end framing of the machine. By this arrangement
a tendency is given to the cord o¹ to pull or turn the rocker shaft g', g', round,
on its axis, but this tendency is counteracted, where there is no other strain, by
a ratchet sector s', on the top of the arm r³, attached to the shaft g', g'. The
teeth of this ratchet engage with a spring pall secured to one end of the
cross bar or rod u', which connects the upper part of the side framing E together.
The arms p, r, are arranged at opposite ends of the rocker shaft g¹, g¹, and
the teeth on the ratchet sectors are so formed and connected to the pall t' as
to permit the shaft g', g', to turn towards the front of the machine when suffi-
cient strain is exerted on the upright tracket piece e, through the medium of
the chisel arm c', c¹, to overcome the resistance of the spring 7', which, through
the cord o¹ and arm p', gives the shaft an opposite tendency, as above stated.
Now when, as was before suggested, the chisel comes to a soft place in the
blank," it will form a wider groove and a larger tooth than where the blank
is harder; and when the chisel is again raised and reaches out in front of the
said tooth, as above explained, it will, in drawing or sliding back, meet the
tooth previously formed sooner than ordinary, and being kept down in contact
with the blank by the long spring 7, the resistance which it meets with against
the tooth draws the chisel arm c', c', and upright bracket piece o¹, forward, over-
coming the resistance of the spring 7, and turns the rocker shaft g¹ proportion-
ally, and consequently moves the sector ratchet attached to that shaft so that the
pall engages with another tooth of the said ratchet, and thereby keeps tho
ratchet s' and the rocker shaft y', 9', in the position thus assumed, and preserves
the gain on the feed motion thus made in a manner which will be readily under-
stood. Immediately above the chisel is a hammer or striker, arranged on the
outer end of the vibrating lever 1, 1, and intended by its fall to force the edge
of the cutter into the blank to form the teeth thereon. The inner end of this
lever is secured to the shaft m³ (Figures 2 and 3), which is mounted in
suitable bearings in the framework E, E, to allow of its turning sufficiently to
vibrate the lever 1, P. The movement of this shaft m³ is effected by means of
an arm or projecting pin n² (Figures 2 and 3), which bears against the face of
an escapement cam o on the driving shaft F, F. The force of the blow
of the hammer is regulated by the horizontal spring p³, p², one end of which
bears upon the top of the hammer when at its highest position, and the other
end is fixed on the cross bar or rod u', and is projected in rear of the same, as
L'

page_text: shewn in Figure 2. The rigidity or elastic power of this spring p, p, may be
increased or diminished by the screws 9, 9, which operate through the ends
of a regulating bar v³, fastened to the top of the cross bar a¹. The excentric
, and escapement cam o², are arranged loosely on the driving shaft F, F, and
may be thrown in or out of connection with a stud 1 on the said shaft, so as to
revolve with the shaft or remain stationary, while the said shaft continues
to turn. This result is effected as follows:-A grooved collets is attached to
the side of the escapement cam 02, as shewn in Figure 1, and a projection a²
from the side of this collet comes in contact with the stud 2, standing up from
the shaft F; when the said canis revolve with the shaft, a fork & affixed to
the shaft u, fits into the groove of the collet ; and the said shaft u² is so
arranged in bearings in the framework E, E, as to allow of its sliding in the
direction of its length. When the projection a from the side of the collet s'
is in connection with the stud 2, it is kept so by the lever v, v, which has a
fulcrum w at the rear of the framing E, and presses against the pin y² on the
under side of the shaft us (see Figure 3), the front end of the said lever in
this case being confined in a notch in the framework at 22. By disengaging
this end of the lever from the notch u, spring a³, bearing on the outside of one
of the journals of the shaft u³, as shewn in Figure 1, will press it longitudinally,
and by the connection of parts above explained will disengage the projection a³
from the stud, and allow the driving shaft to revolve while the cams on it
remain stationary:
The arrangement of the above-described parts for gearing and ungearing
is such, that when the teeth are raised on the blank throughout the length
of one of its faces, the whole operative machinery will be made to cease
working by means of the stud 6s on one side of the feeding block c, c, which
stud, at the stage of the process just mentioned, comes in contact with the
forward end of the lever v, v, and throws the said lever out of its notch
This movement of the lever allows the spring a³ to disengage the excen-
tric and cam o from the driving shaft, while at the same time the
lever, being properly formed for that purpose, presses on the lever 5 and
causes it to turn on its centre, whereby the larger radius of its excentric part
will be removed from contact with the side of the lever 1 and allow the
spring 4 to throw the nut 9, 9, out of connection with the screw f, f. The
feeding block c, c, may then be drawn back, another face, of the blank turned
up, and the machinery set by band for renewed operation.
The mode of mounting the chisel o, as herein-before explained, allows of its
edge, when in contact with the face of the blank, being adjusted with reference
to the imperfection of the said face, or being accomodated to the wind of-the

page_text: saine, such faces being usually not perfectly true.
This result cannot be
attained where the chisel is firmly held, either in the striker or in an arm
under the same; and accordingly, in machines of such construction, the teeth of
the blank are not made uniform.
It will be apparent to any mechanic, conversant with machinery of this
description, that springs of a different form from those above described, and
springs somewhat varied from the positions and adjustments above set forth,
and, in some instances, weights in lieu of springs, may be used to effect the
same results with those above described, and still the principles and combined
action will be substantially the same.
Instead of the mode described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, for
preserving the gain in the feed motion, the following may be adopted:―The
metallic bed piece b (see Figure 4) is fitted into the cavity or trough of the
feeding block.c, c, so that it may slide along in the same; at one end the bed
piece is provided with a rotarling spring x, and to its other or front end a
frame v is attached. In a slot in this frame a helix-shape ratchet w is mounted,
so as to be capable of turning when required. To the axle of this ratchet one
end of a coiled spring is attached, its other end being secured to the frame u.
is
sa pall attached to the front of the feeling block c, c, and intended to take
into the teeth of the ratchet w. This helix-shaped ratchet is set with its
smallest radius tooth in connection with the pawley, and when the chisel edge
catches against a tooth formed on the blank it will prevent the bed piece b,
and its frame piece v, from moving forward, and thereby disengage the
ratchet w from its pall y, while at the same time the coiled spring will
pull the ratchet w round or down until a tooth more remote from its axis
engages with the pawley, and thus the gain on the feed motion is preserved
by a mechanical arrangement analagous to that before described.
ม
Another mode of effecting the same result is represented at Figures 5 and 6,
the principle of operation being substantially the same as in those above
described. In this arrangement the chisel arm c', c', is caused to slide in
a vibrating frame a, a, which should be secured to the rocker shaft g', '
(Figure 2), by its end, A retarding spring &, operating like that
abovo referred to at æ, in Figure 4, is attached, one end to the rear
end of the chisel arm c', c', and the other end to the frame a, u. The swivel
frame y, Figures 1 and 2, with its appendages, is connected to and turns on the
circular head piece of the chisel arm c', c. A helix-shaped ratchet &*,
similar to that above described, is arranged on the small shaft ƒ³, ƒ³
(Figure 5), which has suitable bearings in the frame a², a³. The ratchet e
turns in a slot formed in the chisel arm, and the front end of the slot is chan-

page_text: fered off so as to operate as a pawle, and engage with the teeth of the
rachet e, as shewn at Figure 6. A coiled spring i is placed at the side of the
ratchet es, and connected at its ends respectively with the shaft f and the
chisel arm c', so as to draw or turn down the ratchet when it is free to
move. The chisel edge, when in contact with a tooth on the blank, pulls
the chisel arm c', c', forward; the gain thus made on the feed motion is
preserved by the helix-shaped ratchet e, in the same manner as has been
above described and referred to in Figure 4.
It will be obvious that other methods may be adopted in which the parts
above described, or others mechanically equivalent to them, may be arranged
to effect the desired result of making and preserving any gain made on
the feed motion, as herein-before specified, but the principle or modus
operandi will be substantially the same so long as either the bed piece on
which the blank is held, or the chisel arm which operates the chisel, is
capable of yielding when the chisel edge strains against a tooth, and the
advance or gain made by such yielding is retained by a ratchet and pawle, or
other analagous device.
Ilaving thus described the Invention of Improvements in Machinery for
Cutting Files, as communicated to me by my Foreign Correspondent, I wish
it to be understood that I claim, under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,
•
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery for cutting
files, as above described and shewn in the Drawing.
And particularly I claim the mode of mounting the chisel or cutting tool in
the swivel frame, and connecting it with the chisel arm, for the purpose above
set forth.
I also claim the mode of adjusting the position of the chisel to give a cut at
a proper distance from the tooth last formed on the "blank," when the groove
of such tooth (owing to the varying texture of the metal) has been made
broader than was required.
I further claim the several modes, herein-before described, for retaining
the gain which the chisel or cutting tool may have made on the feed
motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Vickers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
EDWARD (L.S.) VICKERS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixteenth day of July,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Edward Vickers came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of July, in the year above written.