Improvements in Stone Sawing Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Aug.; 1888
Improvements in Stone Sawing Machinery.
We DAVID HALL of Victoria Road Leeds in the County of York, Stone Merchant,
and ARCHIBALD HALL of Victoria Road Leeds in the County of York, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Improvements refer to machinery employed for cutting or sawing blocks of
stone into slabs or other forms. Such machinery generally consists of a rectangular
frame having a number of iron or steel blades side by side firmly cottered or otherwise
securely attached thereto. The stone or stones to be sawn or cut into slabs are placed
beneath this frame, and a to and fro motion is given to the latter. The frame is
gradually lowered as the blades penetrate the stone. The cutting or sawing is effected
by introducing sand, or small chilled 'shot,' into the grooves in which the iron or
steel blades are working, along with the addition of suitable quantities of water.
When "shot" is used, we prefer to do so along with a suitable proportion of sand.
The sand or shot' or both are usually thrown by the workmen on to the stone, and
On this
washed into the grooves by water, at or about the middle of the stone.
account the slabs are usually found to be more or less scored or uneven, near the
centre and smoother towards the ends.
Now the object of our Invention is to introduce the sand or 'shot' or both more
uniformly over the whole length of the stones, and thereby to secure not only a more
uniform surface, but also a more rapid rate of cutting or sawing, and greater economy
in the amount of sand and 'shot' used.
Our Invention consists 1° in apparatus or mechanism for ensuring a uniform and
constant addition of sand and shot' or both; and 2° in apparatus or mechanism for
distributing the same over the stone.
The first of these consists in a box, containing the supply of sand or 'shot' or both,
having a double bottom. In the upper bottom is a small aperture through which the
sand or 'shot' or both drops into the space between the two bottoms. Through this
space works an endless chain or belt passing over two pulleys, one at each end of the

page_text: box and to these motion is imparted by a wheel and ratchet arrangement. The
sand or 'shot or both is thus uniformly delivered or fed from the box, and passes
down a short spout to a second long spout or tube.
The remainder of the mechanism to be now described constitutes the second part of
our Invention.
The upper end of the second long spout or tube (just mentioned,) is held beneath
the outlet of the first (fixed) spout or tube, whilst its lower end is moved at a uniform
speed to and fro across the stone, (i.e. at right angles to the cutting or sawing blades),
by means of suitable connections from a heart cam or other equivalent mechanism.
Beneath the lower end of the moving spout or tube and between it and the top of the
stone, is provided a rectangular trough having a fluted or corrugated bottom; the
corrugations running parallel to the sawing or cutting blades. The bottom of this
trough is perforated over the whole or only near the ends, and water is admitted or
delivered in suitable quantity on to the trough. A to and fro motion parallel to
that of the blades is given to this trough, so that the sand and water are thrown out
through the perforations near the ends; first at one end as the trough moves in one
direction, and then at the opposite end as the trough moves in the opposite direction.
The corrugations not only assist in spreading the water uniformly over the whole
width of the trough, but lessen the consumption of water, owing to the greater depth
of water in the corrugations, so that the sand or 'shot' is more readily carried by the
water to the ends of the trough to be there discharged. It will be seen therefore that
our Improvements distribute the water and sand or 'shot' more uniformly, not only
over the whole length of one cut, leading to greater smoothness of the sawn or cut
surfaces; but also over the whole of the grooves or blades, so that all the blades tend
to cut or saw at a uniform rate, and the strain on the blades becomes more uniform.
Our improvements further comprise a moveable or removable tray, provided at one
end of the machine; into which the sand and water from the stone, flow. The
'shot' and the larger and heavier part of the sand falls to the bottom of this tray,
whilst the lighter and finer parts called 'slurry' are carried off by the overflowing
water. A separation is thus more or less completely effected; and the large sized
sand and the shot' can thus be readily used over again.
Dated this 17th day of October 1887

page_text: We DAVID HALL of Victoria Road Leeds in the County of York, Stone Merchant,
and ARCHIBALD HALL of Victoria Road Leeds in the County of York, Mechanical
Engineer, 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:-
Our Improvements refer to machinery employed for cutting or sawing blocks of
stone into slabs or other forms. Such machinery generally consists of a rectangular
frame, having a number of iron or steel blades firmly cottered or otherwise securely
attached thereto. The stone or stones to be sawn or cut into slabs are placed beneath
this frame, and a to and fro motion is given to the latter. The frame is gradually
lowered as the blades penetrate the stone. The cutting or sawing is effected by
introducing sand or small chilled "shot" into the grooves in which the iron or steel
blades are working, along with the addition of suitable quantities of water. When
"shot" is used we prefer to do so along with a suitable proportion of sand. The
sand or
shot" or both are usually thrown by the workmen on to the stone, and
washed into the grooves by water at or about the middle of the stone. On this account
the slabs are usually found to be more or less scored or uneven near the centre and
smoother towards the ends.
"
Now the object of our Invention is to introduce the sand, or "shot," or both, more
uniformly over the whole length of the stones, and thereby to secure not only a more
uniform surface, but also a more rapid rate of cutting or sawing, and greater economy
in the amount of sand and. "shot" used.
Our Invention consists 1° in apparatus or mechanism for ensuring a uniform and
constant addition of sand or shot or both, and 2° in apparatus or mechanism for
distributing the same over the stone.
"
The first of these consists in a box containing the supply of sand or "shot" or both
having a double bottom. In the upper bottom is a small aperture, through which the
sand or "shot" or both drops into the space between the two bottoms. Through this
space works an endless chain or belt, passing over two pulleys, one at each end of the
box; and to these motion is imparted by a wheel and ratchet arrangement. The
sand or "shot" or both is thus uniformly delivered or fed from the box, and passes
down a short spout to a second long spout or tube.
The remainder of the mechanism to be now described constitutes the second part of
our Invention.
The upper end of the second long spout or tube (just mentioned) is held beneath
the outlet of the first (fixed) spout or tube, whilst its lower end is moved at a
uniform speed to and fro across the stone, (i.e. at right angles to the cutting or
sawing blades, by means of suitable connections from a heart cam or other equivalent
mechanism. Beneath the lower end of the moving spout or tube, and between it
and the top of the stone, is provided a rectangular trough having a fluted or
corrugated bottom; the corrugations running parallel to the sawing or cutting
blades. The bottom of this trough is perforated over its whole length or only near
the ends, and water is admitted or delivered in suitable quantity on to the trough,

page_text: Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal and cross sections of a delivery hopper
constructed in accordance with our Improvements. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views
of a modified arrangement of our delivery hopper.
a a is the body of the hopper, having a false bottom b, which latter is provided with
an opening for the passage of the sand, or the mixture of shot and sand with which
the hopper is charged. The sand or mixture drops through this opening on to the top
of the endless chain or belt c, which traverses immediately beneath the false bottom,
and which passes over the two pulleys d d¹ one at each end of the box. Motion is
imparted to the chain by a wheel and ratchet arrangement e, actuated from some
moving part of the machine. The sand or mixture falling on the belt or chain is thus
carried out of the hopper and delivered into the short spout or tube f, down which it
passes to a second long spout or tube g, see Figs. 5 and 6.
In place of the endless chain arrangement, the wheel and ratchet mechanism e may
be made to actuate a worm h, see Figs. 3 and 4, in the bottom of the hopper below
the false bottom b. The sand, or mixture of shot and sand, passes to the worm
through the aperture k, and is delivered from the same through the opening i to the
above mentioned short spout or tube f.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively front- and side-elevations of a pair of sawing frames,
to which the second part of our Invention is applied. The positions of the sawing
blades for sawing the stone being indicated by the dotted lines jj.
The upper end of the second long spout or tube 9 is held or pivotted beneath the
outlet of the short fixed spout or tube f; whilst the lower end g¹is moved at a uniform
speed across the stone to-and-fro in the directions indicated by the arrows.
This
movement is effected by attaching the chain or rope 7 to some convenient part of the
trough or spout g g', such chain or rope being moved in one direction by the
depression of the lever m, to which one end of the chain or rope is attached, and in
the other direction by the weight n. The lever m is depressed by means of the cam o
(preferably heart shaped) fixed on a counter shaft and driven from some con-
veniently situated revolving shaft.

page_text: 2°
Beneath the lower end of the moving spout or tube g, and between it and the top of
the stone is provided a rectangular trough q having a fluted or corrugated bottom, the
corrugations running parallel to the sawing or cutting blades. The bottom also is
preferably slightly raised at the centre, (i.e. bevelled towards both front and back),
and is perforated over the whole surface or only towards the ends, water being
admitted or delivered in suitable quantity on to the trough q, usually from a fixed
perforated pipe 1. The lower end of the spout or tube is either covered in, or the
delivery pipe is placed in such a position, that the end of the spout or tube g is not
thereby damped in such a manner as to clog the sand and impede its uniform delivery.
In the arrangement as shewn, a to-and-fro motion parallel to that of the blades is
imparted to this trough a by means of cranks or levers and connecting rods s from
some convenient revolving shaft; the trough being suspended by hinged rods or
barst from the fixed framing of the machine. This motion throws the sand and water
out through the perforations first towards one end as the trough moves in one
direction, and then towards the opposite end as the trough moves in the opposite
direction. The corrugations not only assist in spreading the water uniformly over the
whole width of the trough, but lessen the consumption of water, owing to the greater
depth of water in, and the inclination of, the corrugations so that the sand or shot is
more readily carried by the water to the ends of the trough, to be there discharged.
It will be seen therefore, that our Improvements distribute the water and sand or shot
more uniformly, not only over the whole length of one cut leading to greater smooth-
ness of the sawn or cut surfaces, but also over the whole of the grooves or blades; so
that all the blades tend to cut or saw at a uniform rate, and the strain on the blades is
more uniform.
Our Improvements further comprise a moveable or removable tray u, provided at
one end of the machine into which the sand and water from the stone flow. The
'shot' and the larger and heavier part of the sand falls to the bottom of this tray u,
whilst the lighter and finer parts, called " slurry," are carried off by the water over-
flowing through the notch v. A separation is thus more or less completely effected,
and the larger sized sand and the 'shot' can thus be readily used over again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In Stone Sawing Machinery.
1° The use of a hopper with automatic delivery, for delivering the sand or mixture
of sand and shot at a uniform rate, substantially as herein set forth; and also as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2° The use of a moveable spout, for the purpose, and substantially in the manner
herein set forth.
3° An oscillating tray with perforated, bevelled, and corrugated bottom; also as
arranged and actuated, all substantially in the manner and for purposes herein set
forth.
4° A moveable or removable settling tray, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
5° The arrangement and combination of the whole or of some of the subject
matters of the preceeding claims forming our improved stone sawing machinery
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds,
Agent for Applicants.