Improvements in and relating to Lathes for Turning Pearl Buttons and other similar Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
A STUITIGATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lathes for Turning Pearl Buttons
and other similar Articles.
I, JULES CLERET, of Beauvais, Oise, France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to lathes for turning pearl buttons and other similar
articles.
My improved lathe consists of a movable puppet with chuck for receiving the
button or other blank, a special tool carrier, and a movable tool sharpener working
in such manner that the tool can be sharpened without appreciable stoppage of the
work.
The button or other blank to be turned is inserted into a chuck supported by the
movable puppet. The construction or arrangement of this puppet forms no part
of the present invention. The cutting tool is supported by a tool carrier in an
oblique position so that it offers much greater resistance than if held horizontally.
It is shaped according to the form which is to be given to the button, and the
sharpening is effected horizontally so as to give to the edge of the tool the acute
angle formed by the inclination given to it. This tool is held in the tool carrier
by a square headed screw which regulates its height by means of a milled nut. A
plate forming a stay fixes it against the front wall of the tool carrier and a screw
keeps it against the side wall and serves to centre it concurrently with the position
of the tool carrier on the bed of the lathe. Thus the tool is fixed and it is the
chuck which rotates and presents the blank to the cutting action. The arrange-
ment may, however, be the reverse of this.
The sharpening device is placed above the tool and is composed of an emery
wheel or analogous appliance supported by a frame fixed to the carriage upon
which the tool carrier is mounted. The emery wheel is keyed on a vertical shaft
which carries fast and loose pulleys on its upper part. A vertical rod parallel to
this shaft is fixed thereto at the upper part by means of a stay piece. A coiled
spring around this rod bears upon the frame and exerts pressure against the stay
piece so as to keep the emery wheel raised. A lever jointed to the frame serves to
ower the emery wheel by acting on a pin which passes through the said rod; on
recing the lever the emery wheel is returned to its previous position by the action
f the spring. During the downward movement of the emery wheel the driving
elt which was on the loose pulley passes on to the fixed pulley by the simple
hange of position of these parts. The contrary action takes place when the emery
heel rises.
It will be readily seen that this method of sharpening requires a very short
toppage of the machine. The tool does not require to be removed and the emery
heel is brought down at once upon the tool and acts thereon rapidly.
Dated this 7th day of November 1890
J. C. MEWBURN.
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lathes for Turning Pearl Buttons
and other similar Articles.
I, JULES CLÉRET of Beauvais, Oise, France, Manufacturer, 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 the construction of apparatus or mechanism for
turning pearl buttons or analogous articles, particularly such as have a concave
centre. Such buttons have been heretofore manufactured by the use of turning-
lathes operated by hand or with a carriage bearing the cutting-tool; but the results
have not been satisfactory either in respect of the amount of the product, the
quality of work, or the economy and facility of manufacture.
In operating with edge-tools upon pearl the extreme hardness of the material
speedily dulls the edge and occasions much delay in sharpening. The brittleness
of the stock also gives rise to waste and breakage necessitating the exercise of
great care in operating upon the expensive raw material. These and other diffi-
culties that have interfered with the manufacture of pearl buttons by automatic
machinery are explained in my Specification No. 17606 of 1890.
In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a machine constructed in accordance with
the invention; and
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, the sharpening mechanism being omitted.
The button-blank to be operated upon is introduced into the chuck-jaws a, which
are advanced by a carriage. This part of the mechanism is or may be identical
in construction with that set forth in the Specification above referred to, and there-
fore need not be here described. It forms no part of the present invention, which
relates to the construction of the cutting mechanism and to the means for
sharpening the cutting-tool without removing the same from the machine or inter-
rupting the operation thereof.
The cutting-tool c is a long and thin bar of steel shaped to correspond with the
form to be given to the button and adapted to be advanced as fast as the edge is
worn off by use and by sharpening. It is supported in the holder d obliquely with
reference to the axis of the chuck a, in which position it offers greater resistance
and cuts to greater advantage than if supported horizontally, as is usual. The
sharpening is effected horizontally or in the plane of the axis of the chuck or a
plane parallel therewith, so that the cutting-edge will always present a sharp angle
with reference to the plane of inclination of the tool.
Holder d has an opening lengthwise for the insertion and adjustment of the tool,
which rests at its end against the head of a screw f. A milled-edge nut g, engaging
with the threads of this screw, serves to adjust the cutting-edge to the proper
position. The tool is clamped near its edge against the front of the holder d by a
clamp h, while a screw i presses its edge against the side of the holder. The tool c
is therefore held stationary in operation, while the chuck a advances the button
blank and rotates it against the edge of the tool.
The sharpening device is supported above the tool. It consists of a wheel j, of
emery or other suitable material, carried by an arbor 1, which has bearings in
frame k, in which bearings it can move vertically. Arbor / carries the fast and
loose pulleys mn. Parallel with the arbor is a rod o, solidly connected therewith
at the upper end by a cross-piece p, and around rod o is coiled a spring 9, which
bears at its lower cud against the frame k and has sufficient strength to maintain
the arbor and parts connected therewith in their upper position, as shown in
Figure 1. A lever r, pivoted to frame k, serves to depress the grinding-wheel j
and bring it into action by acting upon a pin or lugs upon rod o. On releasing
the lever the spring a will throw the sharpening-wheel out of action and return

page_text: the parts to their normal position. During the movement of depression the driving-
belt which is upon the loose pulley n, slips into the fast pulley m by the simple
displacement of the shaft. Thus the wheel j is started in operation automatically.
The reverse motion of arbor / transfers the belt from the fast to the loose pulley
and the wheel ; ceases to revolve.
It will be understood that the sharpening of the tool takes but little time and
necessitates practically no interruption of the operation of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
-:
1. The combination, with the chuck and its movable carrier, of a stationary
tool-holder adapted to support a cutting-tool at an oblique angle with the axis of
said chuck and provided with means for adjusting the tool, a sharpening device or
wheel movable toward and away from said tool-holder, so as to sharpen the tool
without displacement thereof, and operating means for said sharpener, substantially
as described.
2. The combination of the stationary tool-holder for supporting a cutting-tool
obliquely, a chuck mounted on a carrier movable horizontally toward and away
from said tool-holder, and a sharpening-wheel supported above said tool-holder and
movable vertically, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the chuck movable horizontally, the stationary tool-
holder, the sharpening wheel normally held out of contact with the tool and
carried by an arbor having fast and loose pulleys, and a lever or device for moving
said arbor vertically and thereby causing the driving-belt to slip from the loose to
the fast pulley when the sharpening wheel is brought into action, and vice versa,
substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of July 1891
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.