provements in Rasp Cutting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Rasp Cutting Machines.
I, JAMES ALFRED MCHARDY, of No. 4, Beverly Street, in the City of Providence,
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of America,
Machinist, 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;
-
The present invention relates to rasp cutting machines, and has for its object
the production of a machine of the above class which shall be simple in construc-
tion which may be run at a high rate of speed.
The machine shown in the drawings to illustrate one embodiment of the present
improvements comprises a carriage for supporting the rasp blank which is fed a
step forward after the completion of each row of rasp teeth, and a head upon which
the cutting tool is mounted and which is moved back and forth to force the cutter
into the blank and lift up the metal to form a tooth, the cutter being moved later-
ally after each downward movement. The cutter is rigidly secured to the head
and is moved through a definite path in each downward movement so that the
cutter enters the blank in the same manner and to the same extent whatever the
variation in the character of the metal of the blank and the teeth are therefore
uniform in size and shape. With this manner of mounting the cutter upon the
head it has been found that in order for the cutter to act in the most efficient
manner, said cutter should enter the blank at a certain angle and that this angle
varies somewhat with the character of the metal operated upon, and one feature
of the present invention therefore consists in so securing the head upon its support
that it may be adjusted to vary the angle at which the tool enters the blank.
A further feature of invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the
head with relation to its support so that the operator may readily see the action
of the cutter upon the blank and thus be able to conveniently and accurately
regulate the action of the cutter and produce a more perfect rasp at a higher rate
of speed.
The blank carriage is fed quickly forward after the completion of each row of
teeth by means of a screw threaded shaft which is revolved intermittently by means
of a mechanism which in itself forms a feature of invention. By this mechanism
the shaft is revolved by a spring which is being energized while the shaft remains
stationary, and which is released at the proper time and instantly revolves the
shaft a step forward and is then again restrained until the next forward move-
ment of the shaft is to take place.
A further feature of invention relates to the mechanism for giving the cutter
carriage a transverse movement on the head, and consists of certain combinations
which will be hereinafter set forth in the claims.
The invention also includes certain further features and combinations set forth
in the claims.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the features of
the present invention in their preferred form; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional
view; Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation showing the gearing for driving the cam
for operating the cutter carriage and the gearing for energizing the spring for

page_text: feeding the blank carriage. Fig. 4 is a partial end elevation showing the same
gearing; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on fine aa Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail
sectional view on line bb Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on line c,
Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings, the rasp blank 1 is carried by a carriage 2 guided in
suitable ways in the frame of the machine, said blank being held in place by a
clamp 3 and a presser foot 4. The presser foot is secured to a yoke 6, the pivot 7
of which extends outside the frame and has a lever S secured thereto, a weight 9
being secured to said lever to hold the presser foot against the blank. The lever S
may be rocked to lift the presser foot for the removal and insertion of the blanks,
by a treadle 10 connected to the lever 8 by a link 11. The carriage 2 is provided
with guides 12 between which is mounted a nut 13 which is engaged by screw
threads formed on the shaft 14. A rod 15 extends beyond the end of the carriage 2
and is connected to the nut 13 by links 16. The rod 15 is pressed inward to hold
the nut in engagement with the shaft 14 by a spring 17 which engages the end
of the carriage and a collar 18 on said shaft. A lever 19 is connected to the end
of the said rod and by operating said lever the nut may be moved out of engage-
ment with the shaft 14 so that the carriage 2 may be moved on its ways as desired
to bring the blank into proper relation to the cutter, or to draw back the carriage
for the purpose of removing a finished rasp and inserting a new blank. A handle 20
is secured to the carriage for moving it, and the lever 19 is preferably located
adjacent said handle so that the operator may grasp both the handle and lever and
thus manipulate the nut and carriage with one hand.
The shaft 14 is revolved to advance the carriage 2 after the completion of each
row of teeth by means of a spring which is restrained and energized during the
formation of a row of teeth and is then released and acts to instantly feed the
carriage a step forward. The preferred manner of arranging the spring and the
preferred form of the energizing and the restraining and releasing mechanisms
is as follows: A coiled spring 21 has one end secured to the shaft 14 and the other
secured to a rotary member in the form of a worm gear 22 loosely mounted on the
shaft 14. The gear 22 is preferably dished as shown, and the spring is mounted
in the recess thus formed and is protected by a cap 23 secured to the shaft 14 and
having a flange overlying a flange on the gear 22. The gear 22 is continuously
driven by a worm 24 on the shaft 25 mounted in bearings 26 at the end of the
machine and having a gear 27 secured thereto. The gear 27 is engaged by a
gear 28 on a shaft 29 which has a gear 30 secured thereto which is engaged by a
gear 31 on the end of the driving shaft 32. A series of ratchet teeth 33 are con-
nected with the shaft 14 preferably by being formed on a ratchet wheel 34 secured
to said shaft, and two pawls 35 and 36 are arranged to alternately engage the
ratchet teeth 33, the arrangement being such that when pawl 35 is in engagement
with one of said teeth the pawl 36 will rest upon the wheel half way between two
adjacent teeth. A series of cams 37 equal in number to the teeth on the ratchet
wheel are secured to the gear 22 and engage rolls 38 on the pawls 35 and 36 and
move said pawls alternately to release the spring 21. Springs 39 bear against
pawls 35 and 36 and force them against the ratchet wheel. Supposing the parts
to be in the position shown in Fig. 4 the pawl 35 holds the shaft 14 against rotation
while the gear 22 is revolving thus energizing the spring 21, the pawl 36 resting
half way between two of the teeth 33. As the gear 22 revolves, one of the cams 37
lifts the pawl 35 out of engagement with the ratchet tooth thus releasing the
spring 21 which suddenly advances the shaft 14 until a tooth 33 strikes the pawl 36
when said pawl acts to restrain the spring 21, the pawl 35 resting half way between
two teeth. The spring is now again energized by the rotation of the gear 22 until
one of the cams 37 disengages pawl 36 when the shaft 14 is again suddenly
advanced until arrested by the pawl 35.
While the above construction is preferably used it will be understood that the 5
invention is not limited to such construction, but that the spring may be otherwise
connected to the shaft either directly or indirectly, or that other forms of rotary

page_text: members may be used instead of a shaft, and that other means may be used for
energizing said spring, or other means may be used for restraining and releasing
said spring, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
The cutter 40 is mounted upon a head 41 which is adjustably secured to a sup-
port formed by two arms 42 and 43 pivoted on studs 44 and 45 secured in the frame.
The studs 44 and 45 are in line with each other and the head extends between
said arms substantially parallel to the axes of said pivots. The head 41 is pivoted
to the arms 42 and 43 so that said head may be adjusted on its pivots to vary the
angle at which the cutter 40 enters the blank 1. The head is secured in its adjusted
position by means of bolts 46 which pass through slotted ears 47 formed on the
head and ears 48 formed on the arms 43 and 42, and are engaged by nuts 49, sai!
bolts and nuts serving to clamp the head to the arms. The support is oscillated
about its axis by means of cranks 50 (one only of which is shown) formed on the
driving shaft 32 and connected by links 51 to arms 52 depending from the arms 42
and 43 and preferably formed integral therewith, said arms 42 and 43 and arms 52
forming in effect two bell-crank levers between which the head 41 is carried.
While it is preferred to use two arms 42 and 43 and thus support the head 41 at
both sides, it will be understood that one of said arms might be omitted without
departing from the present invention, and it will also be understood that when two
arms are used one of the depending arms 52 may be omitted and the support
rocked about its pivot by a single crank.
By thus mounting the cutter upon a head extending from the support sub-
stantially parallel to its axis the operator has an unobstructed view of the cutter
as it acts on the blank, and can regulate its action with convenience and accuracy,
and by operating the support by dépending arms there is nothing above the head
to cut off the light from the cutter or to interfere with the ready access to the
devices for regulating the action of the cutter. In the machine shown the cutter
is rigidly mounted upon the head and the axis of the head is so arranged with
relation to the blank carriage that the point of the cutter is carried downward
and with an inward sweep towards a plane through the axis of the cutter perpen-
dicular to the blank carriage, and in order that said cutter may enter the blank
smoothly and without producing any pressure upon the back of the tool, the rear
face of the cutter is so formed that it lies in or within the arc described by its
point.
A
The cutter is secured in a slide 53 by means of a clamp 54 held in place by
bolts 55. The slide 53 is guided in a carriage 56 and may be adjusted to vary the
depth to which the cutter enters the blank by means of a screw rod 57 provided with
a hand wheel 58. The cutter carriage 56 is guided on ways formed on the head 41
and is given a step by step movement back and forth upon said head by the follow-
ing mechanism: The carriage 56 is provided with an arm 59 in which is formed
a slot 60 (shown in dotted lines Fig. 2) concentric with the axis of the head.
stud or pin 62 projecting from the end of a slide 61 extends through said slot and
said arm is held in place on said pin by a washer 63 and nut 64. The slide 61 is
guided in suitable ways in the frame and is provided with guides in which is
mounted a second slide 65 which is connected to slide 61 by means of a screw rod 66
passing through a lug on slide 61 and engaging a lug on slide 65, and provided
with a hand wheel 67. A pivot plate 68 is mounted on the slide 65 being held
in place by a disc 69. The plate 68 is provided with a groove in its upper face
in which the end of a lever 70 slides. The lever 70 passes through a second pivot
plate 71 adjustably secured to the frame and is connected to a slide 72 by a pivot 73.
The slide 72 is mounted in guides on the frame, and is acted on by a cam 74 which
engages pins 75 on said slide. The pivot plate 71 is pivoted to a carriage 76
mounted on ways formed on the frame and held in place by a screw 77 which
engages the gib 78. By adjusting the carriage 76 the pivot about which the
lever 70 oscillates may be shifted with relation to the slides 61 and 72 and the
distance that the tool is moved transversely by the cam 74 regulated. A friction
washer 79 is interposed between the plate 71 and the carriage. 76 to steady the

page_text: movement of the lever 70 on the pivot. The lever 70 is provided with ribs 80
secured in its upper face which are engaged by grooves in a disc or washer 81.
A bolt 82 passes through the disc 81, a slot in the lever 70, plate 71, and carriage 76
and the head of said bolt engages a washer 83 which bars against the carriage 76.
The upper end of the bolt carries a nut 84 which engages a washer 85 overlying
washer 81 and separated therefrom by a yielding washer 86. By adjusting the
nut 84 the friction between the plate 71 and the carriage 76 and between the
lever 70 and the disc 81 may be adjusted so that a steady and accurate movement
will be imparted to the lever 70 and through it to the carriage 56. A lock nut 87
holds the nut 84 in its adjusted position. By connecting the lever so that it has
a sliding connection with two of its pivots, as above described, or in any other
suitable manner, the amount of motion imparted to the carriage 56 by succes-
sive movements of the slide 72 will be in the same ratio as that between the suc-
cessive movements of the slide 72, and by so constructing the cam 74 that it shall
move the slide 72 equal distances each time the cam is advanced, the teeth may be
equally spaced across the rasp blank. An adjustment of the pivot about which
the lever fulcrums will not effect this equal spacing although it will effect the
distance between the teeth. While it is preferred to provide the sliding con-
nections between the pivots on the slide connected to the carriage and the fulcrum
pivot, it will be understood that the same result may be effected by providing the
sliding connections between any two of the pivots.
The cam 74 is secured to a shaft 88 which is suitably journalled in the frame and
has a ratchet wheel 89 secured to its outer end. The wheel 89 is engaged by two
spring pressed pawls 90 which are pivoted within a drum 91 surrounding the
wheel 89 and pivoted on the shaft 88. The drum is rocked to give the cani 74 a
step by step movement by means of an eccentric 92 secured to shaft 29 which is
engaged by an eccentric strap 93 connected to an arm 94 on said drum by a rod 95.
A friction dise 96 is secured to the shaft 88 and is engaged upon opposite sides by
two friction washers 97 one of which is interposed between said disc and the
frame, and the other between said disc and a disc 98. The disc 98 is secured to
the frame by bolts 99 and by adjusting said bolts the friction upon the disc 96
may be adjusted so that the cam 74 will be given a steady and accurate movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1-In a rasp machine, the combination of a pivoted support, a head rigidly
mounted on said support, means for mounting a cutter upon said head, and means
whereby said head may be adjusted on said support to vary the angle at which
the cutter enters the blank, substantially as described.
2-In a rasp machine, the combination of a pivoted support, a head adjustably
pivoted on said support, means for mounting a cutter on said head, and means
for securing said head in its adjusted position on said support, substantially as
described.
3 In a rasp machine, the combination with a pivoted support, of a head pivoted
on said support and provided with a slotted ear, a bolt passing through said slotted
ear for securing said head to said support, and means for mounting a cutter on
said head, substantially as described.
4-In a rasp machine, the combination with a pivoted support, of a head pivoted
on said support, means for securing said head to said support, a cutter carriage
mounted on said head, and means for moving said carriage on said head, sub-
stantially as described.
5 In a rasp machine, the combination with two arms having their pivots in
line, of a head pivoted between said arms, means for securing said head to said
arms, means for mounting a cutter on said head, and means for rocking said arms
on their pivots, substantially as described.
6-In à rasp machine, the combination with two arms having their pivots in line,

page_text: of a head connecting said arms, a cutter carriage mounted on said head, means
for moving said carriage on said head, and means for rocking said arms, sub-
stantially as described.
7-In a rasp machine, the combination with a pivoted support, a head rigidly
secured, thereto extending laterally therefrom substantially parallel to the axis
of said support, and means for mounting a cutter upon said head, substantially
as described.
8 In a rasp machine, the combination with a pivoted support, a head extend-
ing therefrom substantially parallel to the axis of said support, a cutter carriage
mounted on said head, and means for moving said carriage laterally on said head,
substantially as described.
9 In a rasp machine, the combination with a pivoted support, a head rigidly
secured thereto extending therefrom substantially parallel to the axis of said sup-
port, means for mounting a cutter on said head, one or more arms depending from
said support, and means for oscillating said arm or arms, substantially as described.
10-In a rasp machine, the combination with a lever and means for rocking said
lever on its pivot, of a head rigidly secured thereto extending from said lever
substantially parallel to its axis, and means for mounting a cutter on said head,
substantially as described.
11 In a rasp machine, the combination with two pivoted arms having their
pivots in line, and means for rocking said arms on their pivots, of a head connect-
ing said arms, and means for mounting a cutter on said head, substantially as
described.
12-In a rasp machine the combination with two rotary members, of a spring
connecting said members, means for rotating one of said members, and means
for restraining and releasing the other member, substantially as described.
13 In a rasp machine the combination with a rotary member, of a spring for
rotating said member, automatic mechanism for energizing said spring, and
means for restraining and releasing said spring, substantially as described.
14 In a rasp machine the combination with a rotary member, of a spring con-
nected to rotate said member, automatic mechanism for energizing said spring,
and means for restraining and releasing said spring, substantially as described.
15 In a rasp machine the combination with two rotary members, of a spring
connecting said members, means for continuously rotating one of said members,
and means for restraining and releasing the other member, substantially as
described.
16 In a rasp machine the combination with two rotary members, of a spring
connecting said members, means for rotating one of said members, ratchet teeth
connected with the other member, pawls for alternately engaging said teeth, and
means for alternately operating said pawls, substantially as described.
17 In a rasp machine the combination with two rotary members, of a spring
connecting said members, means for rotating one of said members, ratchet teeth
connected with the other member, two pawls one of which engages a tooth when
the other is half way between two teeth, and means for operating said pawls, sub-
stantially as described.
18 In a rasp machine the combination with two rotary members, of a spring
connecting said members, a ratchet wheel secured to one of said members, pawls
arranged to alternately engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel, and cams carried
by the other member for operating said pawls, substantially as described.
19 In a rasp machine the combination with a shaft, of a gear on said shaft,
a spring connecting said gear and shaft, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft,
two pawls one of which engages a tooth when the other is half way between two
teeth, and a series of cams secured to said gear for engaging said pawls, substan-
tially as described.
20 In a rasp machine the combination with a carriage, of a shaft for feeding
the same, a spring for rotating said shaft, mechanism for energizing said spring,
and means for restraining and releasing said spring, substantially as described,

page_text: 21 In a rasp machine the combination with a carriage, of a shaft for feeding
the same, a rotary member, a spring connecting said shaft and member, mechanism
for rotating said member, and means for restraining and releasing said shaft, sub-
stantially as described.
22 In a rasp machine the combination with a carriage, of a nut on said carriage,
a shaft provided with a screw thread engaging said nut, a spring for rotating said
shaft, mechanism for energizing said spring, and means for restraining and releas-
ing said spring, substantially as described.
23-In a rasp machine the combination with a carriage, of a shaft for feeding
the same, rotary member, a spring connecting said shaft and member, means for
rotating said member, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, pawls for alternately engag-
ing the teeth of said wheel, and means for operating said pawls, substantially as
described.
24 In a rasp machine, the combination with a head, of a cutter carriage mounted
thereon, a slide connected with said carriage, a lever, a pivot connecting said slide
and lever, a pivot for said lever, a second slide, a pivot connecting said slide and
lever, means for reciprocating said second slide, and a sliding connection between
said lever and two of said pivots, substantially as described.
25-In a rasp machine, the combination with a head, of a cutter carriage
mounted thereon, a slide connected with said carriage, a, lever, a pivot connecting
said slide and lever, an adjustable pivot for said lever, a second slide, a pivot
connecting said slide and lever, means for reciprocating said second slide, and a
sliding connection between said lever and two of said pivots, substantially as
described.
26 In a rasp machine, the combination with a head, of a cutter carriage
mounted thereon, a slide connected with said carriage, a lever, a pivot connecting
said slide and lever, a pivot for said lever, a second slide, a pivot connecting said
slide and lever, a cam for operating said second slide, and a sliding connection
between said lever and two of said pivots, substantially as described.
27 In a rasp machine the combination with a head, of a cutter carriage mounted
thereon, a slide connected to said carriage, a pivot on said slide, a lever having a
sliding connection with said pivot, an adjustable pivot with which said lever has
a sliding connection, a second slide to which said lever is pivoted, and a cam for
operating said second slide, substantially as described.
28-In a rasp machine, the combination with a head, of a cutter carriage
mounted thereon, a slide connected to said carriage, a second slide mounted on
said former slide, means for adjusting said slides with relation to each other,
and means connected to said second slide for reciprocating said slide, substan-
tially as described.
29 In a rasp machine, the combination with a head, a cutter rigidly mounted
on said head, means for operating said head to carry the point of the cutter through
a definite path, a support on which said head is mounted, and means whereby said
head may be adjusted on said support to vary the angle at which the cutter enters
the blank, substantially as described.
30 In a rasp machine, the combination with a cutter, of a head on which said
cutter is mounted, a pivot for said head so arranged that the point of the cutter
is carried downward and with an inward sweep towards a plane passing through
said pivot perpendicular to the blank, means for oscillating said head, and means
for adjusting said cutter on said head to vary the depth to which the cutter enters
the blank, substantially as described.
JAMES ALFRED MCHARDY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45. Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.