IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Mason, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and Alfred Muir, of the Firm of William Muir & Co., of Manchester,
in the same County, Machine Tool Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 8th March 1878, and dated the 21st September 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Mason and Alfred
Muir at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September
1877.
GEORGE MASON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and ALFRED
MUIB, of the Firm of William Muir & Co., of Manchester, in the same County,
Machine Tool Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING
WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Our improved machinery for cutting teeth in wood wheels consists of a cutter
arranged so that in one position its face is radial to the centre of motion round
which it revolves, and in other positions its face is tangential to corresponding
circles drawn round and from the centre of motion. The position is changed as the
cutter slides across the face of the wheel for bevel wheels. To accomplish this the
cutter is fixed on a block which is fitted to a revolving head by a circular slot. The
cutter block is moved in the slot by an angular toothed rack working in angular
teeth on the edge of the cutter block, so that by sliding the rack the block rotates
and alters the position of the cutter. An outside rack is worked by a quadrant and
lever. The lever has an adjustable stud fitted to it, and another stud is fixed at
any convenient place, a rod connects the two studs, so that when the cutter with its
box and frame slides along, the stud in the lever is held, and this causes the lever
and quadrant to rotate, and through the racks to rotate or cant the cutter, whereby
the side of the cog is cut narrower as it slides along. The cutter is driven by a
band or strap at a quick speed, and will thus finish the side of a cog at each cut.
Price 8d1

page_text: Or the cutter may slide across the cog without being driven round, and so plane
the cog.
For cutting metals and other materials we make a frame with a cradle fitting in
curved slots, so that the cradle can rotate from the centre, the cradle carries a cutter
box fitted so that it can be twisted sideways for clearance in the back stroke of the
cutter, and it also swivels on a pin as is usual in shaping machines. The cradle is
fitted with quadrants, and other quadrants fitted to a cross shaft work in them. A
slotted lever is fixed on the same shaft, and this lever has an adjustable stud.
Another stud is fixed at a convenient place, so that a connecting rod can connect the
two studs as before.
The frame carrying the cradle with the cutter can be applied to either a shaping
or planing machine.
Our improved cutting machinery may be modified as follows:-A cutter revolving
at a quick speed is mounted on a slide, and is fed down in its cut by a second slide;
a finger fitted to the end of the first slide works against a templet or guide tooth.
The slides are mounted on a carriage which swivels on the centre of the wheel to
be cut.
We alter the angle of the cut by mounting the first slide on a swivel acted upon
by a guide bar connected to the second slide.
Our improved machinery for turning the edges of the teeth of wheels when they
are curved, or for turning the rounded face of pulleys, consists of an ordinary slide
rest to which is fitted a guide bar which is bent to any curve; the bar can be revolved
in the brackets and fixed in any required position. To the side of the tool box
is fitted a plate carrying a jaw which fits and slides on the guide bar and carries a
regulating screw; or the rest may have another slide fitted to it to carry the jaw.
Our improved machinery for cutting keyways in the bosses of wheels or pulleys,
and for cutting other grooves, consists of a frame which carries the wheels to change
and transmit the motion to the cutter; the cutter is made in the form of a wheel,
and its teeth which form the cutters work into and are driven by the next wheel
to it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Mason and Alfred Muir in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th March 1878.
GEORGE MASON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and ALFRED
MUIR, of the Firm of William Muir and Co., of Manchester, in the same County,
Machine Tool Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING
WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Our Invention will be fully understood on reference to the accompanying four
Sheets of Drawings.
Our improved machinery for cutting teeth in wood wheels is shewn on Sheet 1,
Fig. 1 being an elevation; Fig. 2, a side view; and Fig. 3, a plan of the same
adapted for cutting bevel wheels; Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views of the cutters.
Our improved machine consists of a cutter, which is so arranged that in one
position its face is radial to the centre of motion, round which it revolves, as shown
in Fig. 5, and in other positions its face is tangential to corresponding circles drawn
round, and from the centre of motion, as shewn in Fig. 4. The position is changed
as the cutter slides across the face of the wheel for bevel wheels, as will be described
hereafter. The cutter a is fixed on a block b which is fitted to the revolving head c
by a circular slot.
The Drawing shews two blocks b, and two cutters a, but only one cutter is
required for cutting the teeth; it is however necessary to leave both the blocks in
the positions shewn, so that the one may counterbalance the other. The cutter
block is moved in the slot by the angular toothed rack & working in angular teeth
on the edge of the cutter block b, so that by sliding the rack up and down, the
blocks b rotate and alter the positions of the cutters. The revolving head c is
fixed to the hollow spindle c', which is supported in a movable bracket connected
to the slides of an ordinary wheel cutting machine, or to the slide rest of a lathe.
The rack d is fixed to the end of the spindle d', to which is fixed the collar d*
revolving in the body of the rack e; the collar d is held in position by the nut d³,
The rack e is worked by the quadrant e and lever e². The lever es has an
adjustable stud e fitted to it, and another stud is fixed at any convenient place, as
will be described in reference to Sheet 2, a rod connects the two studs, so that when
the cutter with its box and bracket slides along, the stud in the lever e² is held,
and this causes the lever and quadrant to rotate, and through the racks to rotate
or cant the cutter, whereby the side of the cog is cut narrower as it slides along.
The cutter is driven rapidly by a band or strap passing around the pulley c³, and
will thus finish the side of a cog at each cut; or the cutter may slide across the cog
without being driven round, and so plane the cog.
In cutting spur wheels it is evident that the rack motion for setting the cutters
tangentially is not required.
On Sheet 2 we have shewn our improved machinery for cutting metals and other
materials; Fig. 6 is a front elevation; Fig. 7, a side elevation; Fig. 8, a plan;
and Fig. 9, a detached view of the cutter and parts for actuating it.
This machine consists of the frame f which is fixed to the slide on the ram of an
ordinary shaping machine. To the frame f is fixed the cradle g fitting in curved
slots in the frame f, so that the cradle can rotate from the centre of the curve of
the slots; the cradle carries a cutter box g' fitted in the swivel piece g³, so that it
can be twisted sideways in both directions for clearance in the back stroke of the
cutter, and it also swivels on a pin as is usual in shaping machines. The wheel to
be cut is fixed on a spindle supported in bearings on the tables of an ordinary
shaping machine provided with a dividing apparatus. The cradle g is fitted with
toothed quadrants gs, and other quadrants f¹ fitted to a cross shaft work in them.
A slotted lever e, similar to that shewn in Fig. 1, is fixed on the same shaft, and this
lever has an adjustable stud e³. Another stud e' is fixed at a convenient place, so
that the connecting rod e' can connect the two studs.

page_text: The frame carrying the cradle g with the cutter can be applied to a planing
machine if desirable.
From the above description it will be seen that as the frame f slides to and fro
the connecting rod e will hold the lever stud e³, and thus cause the lever e²,
quadrants f, and cutter a, to vary their relative positions, as shewn in Fig. 9, 80
that the cutter will plane the cog narrower at one end than the other.
On Sheet 3 we have shewn a modification of our improved cutting machinery
which is particularly adapted for cutting block patterns for moulding machines;
Fig. 10 is an end view; Fig. 11 a side elevation; and Fig. 12 a plan of the machine.
The cutter a revolves at a quick speed in the compound slide h which is mounted
on the slide i, and is fed down in its cut by the second slide j. The slide i is hinged
at to the saddle which is moved up and down the slide j by a screw. The
finger fitted to the end of the slide i works against the templet or guide tooth k.
The slides i and j are mounted on the carriage , which swivels on the centre of the
wheel or block to be cut. The outer end of the carriage is supported by antifriction
rollers, and the inner end by a spherical ring resting on the bed m. The angle of
the cut can be varied in the following manner :-The guide bar is fixed to the
slide j by bolts passing through segmental slots, the guide bar fits in a block which
slides in a slot in the saddle 1. In the slide i is a stud taking into the block above
referred to. When the guide bar is set at an angle, as shewn, the lower end of the
slide i will move a greater distance than the upper end. The block to be cut is
fixed to the face plate of the ordinary dividing spindle, and the cutter a, shewn in
Fig. 11, is for cutting the sides, bottom, and top of the teeth, and the cutter shewn
in Figs. 13 and 14 is for cutting the ends of the teeth. When this cutter is con-
nected to the compound slide h, and the guide bar is set parallel to the slide j the
saddle is fed down, and at the same time a partial rotary motion is given to the
face plate on which the block is fixed.
A fixed cutter may be used to plane the teeth out in lieu of the revolving cutter.
On Sheet 4, Fig. 15 is a front view; Fig. 16, a side view; and Fig. 17, a plan of
our improved machinery for turning the edges of the teeth of wheels when they are
curved or for turning the rounded face of pulleys.
The apparatus consists of an ordinary slide rest n, to which are cast or fixed
brackets supporting the curved guide bar o. This bar can be turned partly round
in the brackets, and fixed in any required position by set screws. To the side of
the tool box n is fitted a plate n carrying a jaw n³, which slides on the guide bar o.
The position of the jaw n³ is regulated by the screw n; or the rest may have
another slide fitted to it to carry the jaw; p represents the circumference of the
pulley or wheel to be turned.
It is evident that a similar apparatus can be applied to a shaping or planing
machine, and when the guide bar o is used the screw n³ must be removed.
Our improved machinery for cutting keyways in the bosses of wheels or pulleys,
and for cutting other grooves is represented in Figs. 18, 19, and 20.
The machinery consists of the frame ? which swivels on the end of the spindler¹ ;
this spindle is connected to the spindle 2, which fits into the socket of the drilling
machine by a friction box, the upper end of the frame is square to hold it in
position. At the end of the spindle is fixed the bevel pinion gearing into the
bevel wheel 8; to this wheel is cast or fixed the spur pinion al gearing into the
carrier pinion 82; this pinion gears into a second carrier pinion &³, which transmits
the motion to the cutter t, the cutter is made in the form of a wheel with a V shaped
face as shewn, or of any other shape, according to the form of slot required, the
leading face of the tooth forms the cutter. The carrier pinion 83 and cutter t revolve
in the socket v which is screwed to the end of the frame r; this socket can be
removed, and another one put in its place with a cutter of different shape or
dimensions, the cutter revolves on a bush which is secured in the socket by two
pins; the object of this is to avoid weakening the socket. The cutter can be placed a
out of the centre line of the socket, so as to act only on one side, or deeper at one
side than the other.

page_text: Figs. 21 and 22 represent a revolving cutter a, which may be used in lieu of the
planing cutter shewn on Sheet 2. In Fig. 21 a flat cutter for wood is shewn; this
cutter revolves in the holder g, the angle of which is varied by the parts marked 9³,
f, e, e, e, and e³, as before described; Fig. 22 represents a revolving rose cutter for
metal..
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit
ourselves to the details given, as the same may be considerably modified, and we
claim,―
First. The mode of connecting the cutters to the revolving head, and the apparatus
whereby the position of the cutters is varied to alter the cut during the operation of
cutting, as shewn and described in reference to Sheet 1.
Secondly. The improved mode of supporting, working, and varying the position
of the cutter, as shewn and described in reference to Sheet 2.
Thirdly. The general combination of the parts forming a machine for cutting
wheels or blocks, as shewn and described in reference to Sheet 3.
Fourthly. The guide bar, shewn in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, for varying the angle
of the cut.
Fifthly. The machinery shewn and described in reference to Figs. 15, 16, and 17,
for turning, shaping, or planing curved faces.
Sixthly. The machinery shewn and described in reference to Figs. 18 to 20 for
cutting keyways and grooves.
And, lastly. The improved mode of supporting, working, and varying the
position of the revolving cutters, shewn and described in reference to Figs. 21
and 22.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Mason and Alfred Muir, have hereunto
set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight