IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Muir, of the Firm of William Muir and
Company, of the Britannia Works, Sherborne Street, Strangeways, Man-
chester, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Muir at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February 1882.
ALFRED MUIR of the Firm of William Muir and Company, of the Britannia
Works, Sherborne Street, Strangeways Manchester Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OVAL AND CIRCULAR HOLES AND RINGS."
My Invention relates to machinery for cutting oval and circular holes in boiler
plates and other articles and for cutting oval and circular rings and for turning or
cutting round or oval manhole flanges or other articles on the edge, face and
inside.
I fit with feather keys on a driving shaft a worm, which gears into a worm wheel
to the under side of which an adjustable tool holder is secured, in the upper part of
the worm wheel is an annular groove which fits on a circular bearing surface formed
on the bottom part of a sliding plate; from this plate project two lugs between
which the worm turns; also in the top of the worm wheel is formed a transverse
groove in which fits one part of a cross driver, the upper part of this cross driver
fits into a groove in a flange at the bottom of a vertical spindle; on the top of this
flange rests an adjustable disc through a slot in which the spindle passes: this disc
is set as much out of centre with the spindle as may be needed to give the difference
required between the major and minor diameters of the oval to be formed, this
disc fits between lips or flanges on the upper part of the before mentioned
sliding plate to which it communicates motion when the machine is in use for
cutting ovals. By fixing the disc concentric with the spindle a circle will be cut
in which case more than one tool may be secured to the under side of the worm
wheel. The bearings for the sliding plate and the vertical spindle are fixed to or
form part of the frame of the machine.
The foregoing details may be varied without departing from my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Muir in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st August
1882.
.
ALFRED MUIR, of the Firm of William Muir and Company, of the Britannia
Works, Sherborne Street, Strangeways, Manchester, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OVAL AND CIRCULAR HOLES AND RINGS."
My Invention relates to machinery for cutting oval and circular holes in boiler
plates and other articles and for cutting oval and circular rings and for turning or
cutting round or oval manhole flanges or other articles on the edge, face or inside.
I fit with feather keys on a driving shaft a worm which gears into a worm
wheel to the under side of which an adjustable tool-holder is secured: in the upper
part of the worm wheel is an annular groove which fits on a circular bearing
surface formed on the bottom part of a sliding plate or frame: from this frame
project two lugs between which the worm turns: also in the top of the worm wheel
is formed a transverse groove in which fits one part of a cross-driver: the upper
part of this cross driver fits into a groove, in a flange, at the bottom of a vertical
spindle: on the top of this flange rests an adjustable disc through a slot in which
the spindle passes: this disc is set as much out of centre with the spindle as may
be needed to give the difference required between the major and minor diameters
of the oval to be formed: this disc fits between lips or flanges on the upper part of
the before mentioned -sliding frame to which it communicates motion when the
machine is in use for cutting ovals. By fixing the disc concentric with the spindle
a circle will be cut in which case more than one tool may be secured to the under
side of the worm wheel. The bearings for the sliding frame and the vertical
spindle are fixed to or form part of the frame of the machine.
The foregoing details may be varied without departing from my Invention.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of part of the machine. Fig. 4 is a plan of part of the
same and Fig. 5 is a plan of the machine.
a is the driving shaft on which is fitted with feather keys the worm b which
gives motion to the worm wheel c on which are fixed the tool-holders c' c², one
only being used when cutting ovals: in the upper part of the worm wheel c is an
annular groove that fits and turns on a circular bearing surface formed on the
bottom of the sliding plate or frame d from which projects two lugs & terminating
one on each side of the worm b to move it laterally when an oval is being cut: c
(see Figs. 3 and 4) is a cross driver one part of which fits in a transverse groove in
the upper part of the worm wheel c from which it receives motion, the other part
of the cross driver fits into a groove in a flange fat the bottom of the spindle f¹
to which it imparts motion on the top of the flange is secured an adjustable
disc g, the spindle f' passes through a slot in the disc: this disc fits in a slot in the
frame d to which it communicates a to and fro' motion when an oval is being cut:
the disc g is set out of centre with the spindle f¹ to give the difference desired
between the major and minor diameters of the oval to be cut: h is the screw
by which the disc g is adjusted: the disc is secured by set screws when in
position.
The boiler plate or other article to be operated upon is bolted securely to the
table of the machine and a tool is fixed in one of the tool holders when an oval is

page_text: to be cut or turned: when a circle is to be cut or turned a tool may be placed in
each tool-holder and the disc g is secured concentric to the spindle f¹.
Having stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of per-
forming the same I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the
details given as they may be varied or modified and
I declare that I claim.
The mechanism for cutting ovals, substantially as herein described and shown.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Muir have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Thirty first day of July One thousand eight hundred and
eighty two.
ALFRED MUIR. (L.S.)