CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USUALLY EMPLOYED IN LATHES FOR TURNING METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1837

page_text: WHITE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN WHITE,
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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 December, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John White, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John White, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said John White, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USUALLY EMPLOYED IN
LATHES FOR TURNING METALS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said John White, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, 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 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, I, the said
John White, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in the plans or Drawings hereunto annexed, and by the following
description and explanation thereof, that is to say :-
it
My improvements in apparatus usually employed in lathes for turning
metals and other substances, and which improvements are also applicable to
other useful purposes, consists, firstly, (with reference to lathes,) in the novel
construction and application of apparatus constituting the chuck or face plate,
by which the work to be turned is secured and held in its proper position
while under the operation of the cutting tool. This improved chuck is
rendered "universal," that is, capable of holding work of any diameter or of
unequal dimensions, and also of being made eccentric as occasion may require.
The improved chuck is formed by having a convolute curved groove cut upon
a disc of metal, in which pins upon the sliding studs or holders travel, and thus
cause the holders to close upon the work and secure it firmly upon the chuck
or face plate of the lathe. As the novel application of this apparatus is
suitable to many other useful purposes, I will explain firstly, by reference to
the Drawings attached hereto, its use as applied to lathes of all descriptions.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents the principal feature of my improvements
as applicable to lathes, and its application to other useful purposes must be
determined by its peculiar combination with parts of such mechanism to which
may be applied, as will be illustrated by the following Figures. It consists of
a circular plate or disc of metal a, a, having a groove b, b, formed or cut in it,
which groove constitutes a regular convolute curve, coiling in equal curves
from the periphery towards the centre of the disc, The plate or disc a, a, is
also shewn in its relative position as forming part of an universal chuck in
Figure 2, which is a vertical section of my improved chuck, & in Figure 3,
which is a plan or horizontal view of the same complete. Figure 4 is an
inverted view of the top plate and remaining parts, having the groove plate a, a,
removed. The nogs, studs, or holders for securing the work are shewn at c, c, c,
they have pins d, d, d, fixed in them, the lower ends of which run in tho
convolute groove or passage b, b, and by turning this plato round the nogs or
holders are simultaneously brought towards the centre as they slide in the slots
or mortices d, d, d, cut in the top plate e, c. In order to prevent any strain of
the work thus held by the nogs c, c, c, from causing a latteral stress upon any one
of them, and at irregular intervals they are furnished with broad shoulder
plates or pieces f. f,f, which being confined in the plates a and c will entirely
prevent such strain or latteral pressure from upsetting any particular nog, and
will assist to distribute the pressure or resistance equally upon the chuck. To
accommodate the passage of the nogs or holders c, c, c, these plates f,f,f,

page_text: swivel upon their centre pins and nuts 9, 9, 9, which are allowed to slide in
the mortices or slots h, h, h; also a cut in the top plate e, e. The plates a
and e are held together and separated at pleasure by the centre screw i, and
the chuck may be fixed upon the spindle in the fast headstock of the lathe by
the nut k. It will be evident that this universal chuck may readily be made
eccentric by shifting one of the pins d into any other part of the convolute
groove b, b. This apparatus is also exceedingly useful as applicable to slide
lathes, as an universal stay or clam; it may then be constructed of a simpler
form, and similar to the one to be described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7
in the same Sheet, where this apparatus is represented as applied to a screw
stock for bringing up three dies simultaneously for the purpose of screwing
shafts or bolts. When used in this form in slide lathes, it may be held in the
slide rest or tool carriage immediately behind the cutting tool, and thus form
an universal stay or clam for all diameters of shafts, &c., and at the same time
perform the operation of polishing or burnishing the work, when it will
receive a high finish, without any further work being necessary. It will also
be obvious that this apparatus will become an universal centre finder for all
diameters of cylinders, wheels, pulleys, &c, when thus used in connexion with
turning lathes or other machines, and may also be advantageously employed
as a feeding motion for the traverse of all slide rests.
This apparatus
is represented as applicable to bringing up the dies simultaneously in stocks
for screwing bolts, bars, &c., in Figure 5, which is a plan or horizontal view of
the screw stock complete. Figure 6 is a section of the same, taken at the
dotted line A, B ; and Figure 7 is a plan view of the disc or plate a, a, with
the convolute curved groove b, b, formed in it, as above described. The top
plate c, c, has dovetailed slots or mortices cut in it, in which the dies d, d, d,
slide, and by turning this plate by means of the handle e, the pins f, f.f, fixed
in the dies and running in the curved grooves b, b, will cause the dies to be
brought up towards the centre simultaneously until they embrace the bar or
bolt to be screwed, the plate a, a, being fixed to the vice bench, lathe, or any
other suitable machine driven by power such as are in common use.
Another useful application of the convolute grooved plate is represented in
Sheet 2, in which Figure 1 shews a combination of apparatus forming a
horizontal vice upon an improved construction, and the remaining Figures are
detached views of the several pieces composing the same; a, a, is the plate or
disc of metal, with the convolute curved groove b, b, formed upon it. (It
must be remarked that the plate is drawn as inverted in this Figure, in order
to shew its application, but it will be obvious that the plain surface of the
plate should be uppermost, which will prevent the convolute groove from

page_text: becoming choked with filings or dirt.) c, c, are two levers, composing the
main jams of the vice, having their fulcra at d, d, and pins e, e, e, e, inserted in
their extremities; the plate f.f, is to be bolted to the vice bench, and carries
the supports or bearings of the fulcra; d, d, the holding jaws of the vice, as
shewn at 9, 9, and are allowed to turned loosely upon their centre pins or
studs h, h, which bear in the main levers c, c, and thus enable the vice to
hold work which has either parallel, oblique, or any unequal sides. It will
now be seen that as the pins e, e, in the levers c, c, work in the convolute
groove b, b, as the plate is turned round, the jaws g, g, will be brought together,
and thus hold the work to be operated upon firmly in the vice and with almost
any extent of power. In this arrangement of apparatus the capacity of the
vice may be easily adjusted by shifting the pins d, d, into the other bearings
or holes i, i, with which the plate f. f, is provided. It will of course be
obvious that this apparatus may be applied with similar effect in the con-
struction of various kinds of useful cramps. The application of the convolute
grooved plate is also peculiarly beneficial in effecting the advancing motion of
the cntting tool or boring spindle of all kinds of vertical drilling machines.
In Sheet 8, Figure 1 represents a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation,
of a small hand-drilling machine with the improved apparatus attached.
is the plate or disc, having the convolute curved groove b, b, formed upon it;
c, c, c, are the upright and cross framings of the machine; d, d, the tool, socket
or boring spindle, which is caused to revolve by the hand winch and mitre
wheels e, e, and advanced or lowered to its work by means of turning the grooved
plate a, a, when the convolute curve acting upon the pins f, f, at the back of
the sliding bar 9, 9, which is attached to the top of the boring spindle, will
thus effect the regular descent of the cutting tool. As the application of this
apparatus is here shewn to a hand-drilling machine, it will be unnecessary
to illustrate its adaptation to larger machines, which are required to be driven
by power. The same motion or apparatus is also particularly applicable as a
boring head or tool carrier, to be used in all kinds of engines for boring
cylinders, &c., and as the means of effecting the advance and retreat of the
cutting tool and stays, also all kinds of slotting key, grooving or morticing
engines, and as an advancing power for all descriptions of presses, or for
punching or cutting metals, and for securing work to the tables of planing,
drilling, morticing, and other machines.
a, a,
Having now described my improvement in lathes, and its application to
some other useful purposes, I consider it unnecessary to mention all the
various machines and tools to which it is peculiarly applicable. And, in
conclusion, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I make no claim of

page_text: originality in any of the parts of the apparatus when separate; but I do
claim the combination and application of them so as to obtain the motions
above described in reference to lathes, tools, and machines already alluded to,
and also the use of such apparatus in all situations where a similar application
may be made.
In witness whereof, I, the said John White, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.