AN IMPROVED FILE CUTTING MACHINE
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Thomas Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October 1872.-A communication from abroad by Anton Stute,
of Amecke, near Allendorf, Germany.
I, EDWARD THOмas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FILE CUTTING MACHINE," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Anton Stute, of Amecke, near Allendorf,
Germany, to be as follows:-
The file blank to be cut into a file is held on a slide fitted in a guide
stock fixed in an inclined position to the framework of the machine,
the blank being kept fast by a stationery holding piece at one end of
the slide, and by a moveable one adjusted by a screw nut at the other
end. The slide with the file blank is moved forward as required by
means of a screw and nut, the nut which is in two halves capable of being
opened being.connected to the slide and the screw working in bearings
at the ends of the guide stock, and at one end of the screw there is a
ratchet wheel turned intermittently by a propeller or catch moved to
and-fro by some of the working parts of the machine, and at each

page_text: movement of the ratchet wheel the screw turns a corresponding distance
and causes the slide and file blank to advance onwards. The chisel is
placed in a slot in a chisel holder, and has one cutting edge longer
than the other, and its narrow sides are of a curved shape, and the
chisel holder is guided in guides fixed to the framework, and at the
ends of the holder there are pivots connected by rods to a treadle fitted
to a shaft at the lower part of the machine, and to keep the chisel
slightly pressed against the blank it is acted upon by an india-rubber
or steel band held by screws to the chisel holder.
In guides fixed to the framework there is a vertical bar used as a
hammer, and to the bar is connected an arm or projection which is acted
upon by a tappet fixed to a driving shaft, so as to raise the hammer
to any required height, according to the position the arm is adjusted,
and then allowed to fall by its own gravity.
To the framework is fixed a cross shaft carrying two levers mounted
with counterweights, and to one lever is connected a rod, having at its
end the catch or propeller for working the ratchet wheel, and the other
lever is connected by a rod to the treadle, and both levers are worked
one way by lifters adjusted and fixed to the hammer, one lifter being
higher than the other. When the file blank is fastened to the slide
and motion given to the driving shaft the tappet upon it raises the
hammer and lifters, the highest of which acts upon the lever connected
with the treadle, so as to raise the chisel holder and chisel, and immediately
after the lower lifter acts upon the lever carrying the propeller or catch
and turns the ratchet wheel the distance of one or more teeth, the screw
at the same time turning in the nut to bring forward the slide and
blank the required distance for the next cut, the latter movement being
completed before the revolving tappet leaves the arm on the hammer.
When the hammer is falling the motions of the levers are reversed by
the weights upon them, the chisel holder descending to place the chisel
on the blank, and then the cut is made by the hammer striking the
head of the chisel, and immediately after the cut is made the revolving
tappet raises the hammer, and the operations before described are
repeated until one side of the blank is cut the required length. The
slide has now to be brought to its former position and the half finished
file removed from its holders and turned and held to have its other
side cut; and to enable these operations to be effected the arm on the
hammer is raised above the revolving tappet by depressing the treadle,

page_text: and where the movements of the hammer and working parts are stopped
the two halves of the nut. on the slide are opened to allow the slide to
be brought forwards and after the blank is turned and held as required
the pressure is removed from the treadle to allow the arm and hammer
to be acted upon by the revolving tappet, and the cutting of the second
side of the blank to be effected in the same manner as the first.