IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES AND RASPS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Furness, of the Borough Road, Southwark,
and William Bray, of Croydon, both in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES AND
RASPS."
Sealed the 31st January 1867, and dated the 2nd August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Furness and
William Bray at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd August 1866.
We, WILLIAM FURNESS, of the Borough Road, Southwark, and WILLIAM
BRAY, of Croydon, both in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES AND
RASPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
machinery for cutting files and rasps, whereby a superior tooth is produced
than by any other file cutting machine hitherto used. We propose to con-
struct a foundation and bed plate forming an anvil on which the file bed is
set; the file holders, one at each end of the file bed, are provided with
shanks or studs passing into the surface of the anvil, one to hold the tang
and the other the point; the upper surface of the anvil is formed with dove-
tailed sides to receive the foundation plate of the upper or moveable parts of

page_text: the machinery containing the tool hammer and other working parts; the
upper surface of the anvil is provided with a rack in which a pinion set on a
shaft in the moveable portion of the machine is caused to gear, such shaft
having a toothed wheel at its extremity at the side of the machine, the object
of the rack motion being to give motion to the upper portion of the machine
as bereafter described. Near the front of the moveable or sliding plate a
standard is fixed containing the fulcrum of a hammer arm, the short arm of
which is furnished with a friction roller. Two standards, one on each side of
the sliding plate, contain the bearings of the driving shaft, and also in the
centre an excentric cam having a volute curve, which in its revolution presses
upon the friction roller of the hammer arm, and bears down the short end of
the lever, thus lifting the long arm, and raising the hammer attached thereto;
underneath the arm a spring is fixed to the standard, and by means of a
slotted guide or cap containing a friction roller, which encloses the extremity
of the longer arm; when the cam bas raised the lever and hammer to its highest
point the edge of the cam passes beyond the roller and releases the lever,
which is then pulled down suddenly by the spring and forces the hammer
face upon the head of the tool, which is set in a tool holder, the arm of which
is made in the form of a right angle, the fulcrum of which is at a point
considerably beneath the level of the tool; the fulcrum is provided by means
of a bracket bolted to the 'under part of the sliding frame in which the arm-is
set. The object of placing the fulcrum of the tool holder at the extreme rear
of the machine and far below the level of the cutter is to enable the tool to
raise out of the tooth of the file. without injuring the edge of the tooth or causing
the edge of the tooth to be curled over, since it is evident that the tool will
rise in a backward or oblique direction from the space between the teeth
instead of in a nearly vertical direction, which it would do if the fulcrum were
on a level with the cutter, and thus injure the edges of the teeth. The tool
is held by means of a socket in which the shank of the tool fits; the socket is
then set in a boss provided with a face plate, which is attached to the arm by
means of a corresponding face plate thereon, a collar is placed above the boss
and resting thereon, the socket passing through it, and the tool is held in the
socket by means of screws passing through the collar and socket, and into
recesses in the tool, and the socket is secured in the boss by similar screws.
In the upper parts of the face plates slotted arcs are cut, through which a stud
from the face plate of the boss extends, and is tightly secured by a nut in
order to set the boss and tool at the required angle to cut the file. The lower
portions of the face plates are regulated by means of; a screw set in a boss on
the arm face plate, and bearing on a hub or projection. on the face plate of the

page_text: 3
boss. Underneath the tool arm and set on a shaft in bearings in the upper
sliding plate, is a rocking lever, the front arm of which acts upon the under
surface of the tool arm, and the rear arm upón projection cast or formed
on the rear of the tool arm for the purpose of first raising the tool arm and
tool out of the work after the blow of the hammer, and secondly of giving the
rear portion of the tool arm a tilt or cant so as to bring the tool slightly back
up to the last tooth. This rocking lever is actuated as follows:-On the top
of the driving wheel of the machine, which is set on the shaft containing the
excentric cam a pin or stud is fixed, which projects so as at each revolution
to form a tappet motion upon the extremity of a curved lever extending along
the side of the machine, and 'connected to the shaft of the rocking lever; by
these means the rocker is actuated at each revolution so as to raise and cant
the tool ready just in time for the cam to travel under and escape the friction
roller, and release the hammer for the next cut. The hammer we propose
to be an independent portion of the arm, the ordinary file cutter's hand
hammer will answer the purpose of our machine, and can be taken off the
extremity of the arm, and another supplied as desired, the hammer being
merely secured by a screw in contact. with the arm. By our arrangement of
spring underneath the hammer arm, and the slotted cap or guide and friction
roller the arm is brought down suddenly, carrying the tool to the file blank,
the arm instantly rising and avoiding all chance of a: second blow in the same
space. In order to effect the requisite travel of the upper part of the machine
or the feed motion a cam is set on the driving shaft at the end opposite the
driving wheel, and on the standard two slotted guides, are fixed containing a
vertical sliding rod, the upper part of which is curved to make; a bearing.
surface with the cam, the rod contains a pall, the tooth of which gears with
the toothed wheel first described, so that as the driving shaft revolves the cam.
depresses the sliding rod and causes the pall to turn the toothed wheel, and
thence to communicate motion to the small pinion and rack; the rod acts
against a helical spring, which forces it up into position ready for the next
operation of the cam; the motion given to the toothed wheel may be varied
from one to three or more teeth. at each action of the cam by adjusting the
elevation of the rod in the guides so as to cause a greater descent when the
cam is brought in contact therewith, a check pall is employed to prevent the
return of the toothed wheel. In cases where. hand files or broad points are
required to be cut we propose, instead of fixing the file in a line parallel with
the anvil or bed. (whereby the corner of the file blank would be brought under
the corner of the chisel and thus create a lateral strain on the tool and holder),.

page_text: to place the tang in its proper holder as before, the stem of which will act
as a centre or turning point; the broad point of the file is placed in its
bolder, consisting of a hinged claw and set screw to grip the file blank and allow
it to turn slightly on the curvilinear surfaces of the claws, the vertical stem
of which descends into a bearing formed in a bracket or casting in the rear
of the anvil; from the bottom of the stem a horizontal lever is carried, the
extremity of which contains a screw socket formed in a ball joint or other
equivalent, which receives the threads of a screw shaft set in bearings, and
being provided with a ratchet wheel at the side of the machine, such wheel
having, say, thirty teeth or thereabouts cut thereon, the rest of the periphery
being flush; the ratchet wheel receives motion by the same means as before
described with regard to the rocker, and it will therefore follow that if the
file blank is so arranged in its position as that at the moment of cutting the
corner of the blank such corner is underneath the middle of the tool, ench
successive revolution of the driving shaft and each blow of the tool will bring
the blank more towards a position parallel with the anvil until the pall having
exhausted the teeth on the ratchet wheel has no more action, and leaves the
file to travel freely in a parallel position.. Inasmuch as the blow of the tool
during the first cuts should not be so powerful as when the entire blank is
brought under its action, we propose to regulate the power of the spring which
brings down the hammer arm by means of a cam or excentric set in suitable
bearings and actuated from the main shaft by a ratchet and pall motion, so as
to press upon the spring gradually near its fulcrum in accordance with the
traverse of the file blank, thus at the commencement of the cutting the pressure
would be at its minimum and gradually increase to the maximum, so also
with regard to cutting taper files. The cam which actuates the short arm of
the hammer terminates in a break off, its curve being a volute, thus effecting
a sudden release and blow of the tool; the sides of the tool arm near the
cutter are formed with flush vertical parallel surfaces, which work between
guides fixed in the sliding frame, and thus keep the arm and tool in steady
and uniform position, and prevent any tendency towards lateral motion, and
relieve the fulcrum of the arm from all strain. The ordinary rollers to main-
tain the steady travel of the blank or file are of course to be used in our
machine. It will be observed that in our machine the anvil bed plate and file
blank are stationary, and that the upper part of the machine travels, carrying
all the working parts, hammer and tool, along the file blank, whereas in other
machines the working parts are stationary, and the file blank travels to and
from the tool; by the action of our cutter the tool is slurred up to the last

page_text: tooth of the file, and therefore keeps the next tooth in a proper angle there-
with, so that by the file being stationary, and the tool travelling, a solid bed is
formed for the blank and a better tooth is produced. Two, three, or more
sets of hammers and beds may be arranged in one machine, some for over
cutting and some for up cutting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Furness and William Bray in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
FURNESS, of the Borough Road, Southwark, and WILLIAM BRAY, of Croydon,
both in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Furness and William Bray, Her special licence that we, the said
William Furness and William Bray, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Furness and William Bray,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FILES
AND RASPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Furness and William Bray, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Furness and William Bray,,do
hereby declare the nature of our said 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 certain improvements in the construction of
machinery for cutting files and rasps whereby a superior tooth is produced
than by any other file cutting machine hitherto used. We construct a

page_text: foundation and bed plate A forming an anvil, see Fig. 1 of the Drawings;
which is a side elevation, on which bed plate the file bed B is set, the file
holders C, C, one at each end of the file bed, are provided with shanks or studs
D, D, passing into the surface of the anvil, one to hold the tang and the other
the point; the upper surface of the anvil is formed with dovetailed sides to
receive the foundation plate of the upper or moveable parts of the machinery
containing the tool hammer and other working parts; the upper surface of
the anvil is provided with a rack e, in which a pinion f set on a shaft in the
moveable portion of the machine, is caused to gear, such shaft having a toothed
wheel g at its extremity at the side of the machine, the object of the rack
motion being to give motion to the upper portion of the machine as hereafter
described. Near the front of the moveable or sliding plate a standard i is fixed
containing the fulcrum of a hammer arm j, the short arm of which is furnished
with a friction roller K. Two standards l, one on each side of the sliding
plate, contain the bearings of the driving shaft, and also in the centre an
excentric cam m having two volute curves, but there. may be three or more
separate cam motions if required, which cam in its revolution presses upon
the friction roller of the hammer arm k and bears down the short end of the
lever, thus lifting the long arm and raising the hammer n attached thereto;
underneath the hammer arm a spring o is fixed to the standard, and by means
of a slotted guide or cap p containing a friction roller p', which encloses the
extremity of the longer arm, when the cam has raised the lever and hammer
to its highest point, the edge of the cam passes beyond the roller and releases
the lever, which is then pulled down suddenly by the spring and forces the
hammer face upon the head of the tool g, which is set in a tool holder, the arm
93 of which is in the form of a right angle, as shewn, the fulcrum of which is
at a point considerably beneath the level of the tool; the fulcrum is obtained
by means of a bracket r bolted to the under part or side of the sliding frame
in which the arm is set. The object of placing the fulcrum of the tool holder
at the extreme rear of the machine, and far below the level of the cutter, is to
enable the tool to rise out of the tooth of the file without injuring the edge of
the tooth or causing the edge of the tooth to be curled over, since it is evident
that the tool will rise in a backward or oblique direction from the space between
the teeth instead of in a nearly vertical direction which it would do if the
fulcrum were on a level with the cutter, and thus injure the edges of the teeth.
The tool is held by means of a socket in which the shank of the tool fits; the
'socket is then set in a boss provided with a face plate which is attached to the
arm by means of a corresponding face plate thereon, the socket passing through
it, and the tool is held in the socket by means of screws passing through the

page_text: collar and socket and into recesses in the tool, and the socket is secured in the
boss by similar screws. In the upper parts of the face plates slotted arcs are
cut, through which a stud from the face plate of the boss extends, and is
tightly secured by a nut in order to set the boss and tool at the required angle
to cut the file. The lower portions of the face plates are regulated by means
of a screw set in a boss on the arm face plate, and bearing on a hub or pro-
jection on the face plate of the boss. In order to permit of a slight vibration
or lateral yielding of the tool holder and tool when passing over an uneven
surface on the blank we recess the point of the screw which passes through
the side lug and insert a small piece of india-rubber in the recess in which the
stud end of the screw is set, whereby the object is effected. Underneath the
tool arm, and set on a shaft in bearings in the upper sliding plate, is a rocking
lever s, the front, arm s¹ of which acts upon the under surface of the tool arm,
and the rear arm upon a projection cast or formed on the rear of the tool arm
for the purpose of first raising the tool arm and tool out of the work after the
blow of the hammer, and secondly of giving the rear portion of the tool arm
a tilt or cant so as to bring the tool slightly back up to the last tooth. This
rocking lever is actuated as follows:-On the boss of the driving wheel of the
machine, which is set on the shaft containing the excentric cam, a pin or stud
is fixed which projects so as at each revolution to form a tappet motion upon
the extremity of a curved lever extending along the side of the machine and
connected to the shaft. of the rocking lever, by these means the rocker is
actuated at each revolution so as to raise and cant the tool ready just in time
for the cam to travel. under and escape the friction roller and release the
hammer for the next cut. The hammer we propose to be an independent
portion of the arm, the ordinary file cutter's hand hammer will answer the
purpose of our machine and can be taken off the extremity of the arm and
another supplied as desired, the hammer being merely secured by a screw in
contact with the arm. By our arrangement of spring underneath the hammer
arm and the slotted cap or guide and friction roller the arm is brought down
suddenly, carrying the tool to the file blank, the arm instantly rising and
avoiding all chance of a second blow in the same space. In order to effect
the requisite travel of the upper part of the machine or the feed motion a
cam is set on the driving shaft at the end opposite the driving wheel, and on
the standard two slotted guides are fixed containing a vertical sliding rod, the
upper part of which is curved to make a bearing surface with the cam; the
rod contains a pall, the tooth of which gears with the toothed wheel first
described, so that as the driving shaft revolves the cam depresses the sliding
rod and causes the pall to turn the toothed wheel and thence to communicate

page_text: motion to the small pinion and rack. The rod acts against a helical spring
which forces it up into position ready for the next operation of the cam.
The motion given to the toothed wheel may be varied from one to three or
more teeth at each action of the cam by adjusting the elevation of the rod in
the guides, so as to cause a greater descent when the cam is brought in contact
therewith; a check pall is employed to prevent the return of the toothed wheel.
In cases where hand files or broad points are required to be cut we propose.
instead of fixing the file in a line parallel with the anvil or bed (whereby the
corner of the file blank would be brought under the corner of the chisel and
thus create a lateral strain on the tool and holder), to place the tang in its
proper holder, as before described, the stem of which will act as a centre or
turning point; the broad point of the file is placed in its holder, consisting of
a hinged claw and set screw to grip the file blank and allow it to turn slightly
on the curvilinear surfaces of the claws, the vertical stem of the holder
descends into a bearing formed in a bracket or casting in the rear of the
anvil; from the bottom of the stem a horizontal lever is carried, the extremity
of which contains a screw socket formed in a ball joint or other equivalent,
which receives the threads of a screw shaft set in bearings and being provided
with a ratchet wheel at the side of the machine, such wheel having, say,
thirty teeth or thereabouts cut thereon, the rest of the periphery being flush;
the ratchet wheel receives motion by the same means as before described with
regard to the rocker, and it will therefore follow that if the file blank is so
arranged in its position as that at the moment of cutting the corner of the
blank such corner is underneath the middle of the tool, each successive revo-
lution of the driving shaft and each blow of the tool will bring the blank
more towards a position parallel with the anvil until the pall having exhausted
the teeth on the ratchet wheel has no more action and leaves the file to travel
freely in a parallel position.
The Drawing is continued on Sheet 2; Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the
file holder and mover, Fig. 3 being an elevation shewing the spindle shaft.
a, a, are the two claws or fingers set on pivots or joints at b, b; c is a right
and left handed screw passing through the rear of the fingers in moveable
joints, the extremities d, d, grasp the file. At the commencement of the
cutting the corner of the file will be under the centre of the cutter, and
gradually as the top slide travels a tappet being fixed in the same carries an
arm forward and turns the holder on the spindle e, Fig 3, until the blank of
the file comes parallel with the slide. Inasmuch as the blow of the tool during
the first cuts should not be so powerful as when the entire blank is brought under
its action, we propose to regulate the power of the spring which brings down

page_text: the hammer arm by means of a cam or excentric set in suitable bearings and
actuated from the main shaft by a ratchet and pall motion so as to press upon
the spring gradually near its fulcrum in accordance with the traverse of the
file blank, thus at the commencement of the cutting the pressure would be at
its minimum and gradually increase to the maximum, so also with regard to
cutting taper files.
In Fig. 1 a simple method of effecting the same object is shewn by the
wheel w and crank w' which acts upon the spring, the wheel w is provided
with a number of pins or studs x, x, into which the lever pall y gears and
receives a bearing from the shaft of the machine as shewn. The cam which
actuates the short arm of the hammer terminates in a break off, its curve being
a volute, thus effecting a sudden release and blow of the tool. The sides of the
tool arm near the cutter are formed with flush vertical parallel surfaces which
work between guides fixed in the sliding frame, and thus keep the arm and
tool in a steady and uniform position, and prevent any tendency towards lateral
motion, and relieve the fulcrum of the arm from all strain. The ordinary rollers
to maintain the steady travel of the blank or file are of course to be used in our
machine. In will be observed that in our machine the anvil, bed plate, and
file blank are stationary, and that the upper part of the machine travels,
carrying all the working parts, hammer and tool, along the file blank, whereas
in other machines the working parts are stationary, and the file blank travels
to and from the tool; by the action of our cutter the tool is slurred up to the
last tooth of the file, and therefore keeps the next tooth in a proper angle
therewith, so that by the file being stationary and the tool travelling
a solid
bed is formed for the blank and a better tooth is produced. Two, three, or
more sets of hammers and beds may be arranged in one machine, some for
over cutting and some for up cutting, they may be side by side, they would
all cut the same species of files simultaneously, being actuated by the same
driving shaft, volute cams, springs, hammers, &c. When working two or
more hammers it would be necessary to provide against the inequalities in
the thickness of the blanks and the lengths of the cutters; we effect this by
applying wrought-iron washers A¹ to the side of the hammer fulcrum,
tightening them up by a nut and screw and by a set screw A' through a lug
or bracket A³, whereby the elevation of the hammers may be adjusted.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would remark in conclusion that we
do not limit or restrict ourselves to the precise details and configuration of
parts expressed and partly shewn, as some of the parts may be varied or some
of the requisite motions effected by equivalent means to those described; but

page_text: what we claim as our Invention and desire to be secured to us by the herein in
part recited Letters Patent are the general "Improvements in Machinery for
Cutting Files and Rasps" substantially as herein specified and partly shewn.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Furness and William Bray,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross,
WILLIAM FURNESS. (L.B.)
WILLIAM BRAY.
(L.S.)