Year: 1886

page_text: HENRY WOSTEAR 10 Sternhall Lane Peckham S.E. in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
That this Invention is entirely original and founds its claim as regards novelty in
the plan of its construction the machine is a vertical one in its action, being eight feet
in length, seven in height, and four feet wide, a shaft passes through the centre of the
machine, on each end of the shaft is fixed a fly wheel, five feet in diameter, to these
wheels are attched two iron arms four feet long, these are again fixed to an iron
cross beam, running in sliding groves, in connection with the balances fitted into the
fly wheels, causes the machine to work with an easy and rapid motion requiring very
little driving power, the knife box fitts into the cross beam in the form of a half
circle, this allows the knife box full play when in action a steel pin passes through
each end of the cross beam into the ends of the box, on which she rests, being held in
its place by two powerfull springs, attched to the cross beam, by this arrangement
the knife is allowed to deviate to the extent of two inches from its centre line,
though the machine runs eighty revolutions per minet, the knife not being a fixture
adepts its self to the grain of the wood that may be used, this is one of the the special
featchers of this machine, by this action the wood is split with the grain, the bed of the
machine is made of cast iron plates fourteen inches long fitting into one another and
linked togather at the ends, this passes through the centre of the machine, and round
two iron drums at each end of the machine, on this bed the blocks of timber are
placed in layers which is drawn forward by eccentric wheels connected to the centre
shaft, by this means bringing the wood in a direct line with the knife, by a simple
action of a leaver the bed of the machine, can be instantly stoped with the loss of one
revolution only, while the other parts of the machine continue in motion by this
improvement great loss of time is saved.
12th do of Santambor 100

page_text: Firewood Splitting Machine.
I, HENRY WOSTEAR of 53 Azenby Square Lyndhurst Road, Peckham, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer 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 :-
My invention for a firewood splitting machine relates to the construction of 5
apparatus or machines for splitting up timber which has been, more or less, previously
prepared so as to render it convenient for and applicable to the purpose of firewood.
The objects of my invention are, to provide a splitting tool which shall have a
limited amount of angular play to allow its cutting edge to follow the grain of the
wood to be split; to provide a suitable traversing platform or table for advancing the
unsplit wood to and conveying the split wood from the splitting tool; to provide variable
feed mechanism whereby the size of the split wood may be varied to any desired
extent, together with means for readily disengaging the said feed mechanism when
required to provide improved means for firmly holding or pressing the wood to be
split on the platform or table in front of the splitting tool and for assisting in carrying
the wood forward to the splitting tool.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I employ two rigid main frames and
surmount them by two standards braced together by two cross stays and formed with
vertical slots to act as guides for a cross beam to be hereinafter described.
Passing through the two main frames and working in suitable bearings is a shaft-
hereinafter called the main shaft-with fast and loose driving pulleys mounted on its
central part.
On the ends of the said shaft and outside the main frames are mounted
two fly wheels with cranks; these cranks are connected by two connecting rods to
two outside gudgeons of the cross beam working in the two vertical guides of the
standards or top frames beforementioned. It will thus be seen that on rotating the
main shaft a vertical reciprocating motion is communicated to the crossbeam.
To the central part of the crossbeam is hinged a tool box by means of two bolts or
pins which allow of its having a free oscillatory movement within a limited angle and
to this box the splitting tool is secured. When in its normal position the splitting
tool is vertical into which position it is brought and and maintained by two springs.
It will thus be seen that the splitting tool is free to follow the direction of the grain
of the wood operated on. All the reciprocating parts are carefully balanced by means
of counterweights in the fly wheels.
The traversing platform or table is composed of a number of transverse bars
connected together by links and forming an endless band carried over suitable drums

page_text: and chain wheels at the ends of the main frames. The spindle of the carrying drums
at the feed end of the machine bears in adjustable blocks sliding in guides formed in
the framing, the blocks being held in the desired position by suitable set screws. By
these means the platform or table is kept taut and level.
The feed mechanism consists of a ratchet wheel mounted on the non-adjustable
platform drum spindle and actuated by a pawl on a lever bracket. On an extension
of the lever bracket is an adjustable sliding block connected by suitable rods and
levers with an eccentric on the main shaft. It will thus be seen that by varying the
position of the sliding block on the pawl lever the feed may be varied and hence
the travel of the platform or table. The pawl may be thrown out of gear with the
ratchet wheel and the feed arrested at any moment by means of a connecting rod
attached to a lever actuated by the attendant.
At a suitable height above the traversing platform is mounted an adjustable fluted
or grooved roller extending across it and pressed down upon the wood by adjusting
screws and driven from one of the platform driving spindles by means of bevel
gearing.
In order that the wood immediately in front of the splitting tool may be firmly
pressed upon the platform, a plate extending the whole of its width is provided and
held down when in its normal position by two springs. Two pins or gudgeons
extending from the plate through the frame are jointed to two socket ends inside
which the two spigot ends of two connecting rods work so that the said rods can be
freely withdrawn from the sockets but when pushed upwards beyond a certain point
the sockets with the plate attached to them are lifted up and the wood relieved of the
pressure on it. The lower ends of the connecting rods are jointed to two crank levers
on a rocking shaft actuated from an eccentric on the main shaft. The motion of the
rocking shaft is so arranged that the pressure plate is lifted during the time
the wood is fed forward and lowered during the cutting stroke of the splitting tool.
Immediately underneath the splitting tool is a cross beam for supporting the
traversing platform during the descent of the splitting tool. Side plates secured to the
standards are provided for guiding the wood past the splitting tool and auxiliary
platforms at either end of the machine for placing the wood upon. A foot brake is
also provided for stopping the machine.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation
and fig. 2 an end elevation of a firewood splitting machine constructed according to
my invention.
Two main frames A are surmounted by two standards B braced together by the
cross stays and formed with vertical slots D to act as guides for a cross beam E.
Passing through the two main frames A and working in suitable bearings is the
main shaft F with fast and loose pulleys G mounted on its central part. On the ends
of the said shaft are mounted the two flywheels H with cranks I connected by two
rods J to the gudgeons K of the cross beam E. It will thus be seen that on rotating
the main shaft F a vertical reciprocating motion is communicated to the cross beam E
and that the flywheels H serve to steady the machine.
To the central part of the cross beam E is hinged a tool box L by means of two
bolts or pins M which allow of its having a free oscillatory movement within a limited
angle and to this box the splitting tool N is secured. The back of the box L is
curved and is received in a curved recess in the cross beam E so that it is free to
move on the screws M which are not subjected to heavy strains but only keep the
box L in position. When in its normal position the tool N is vertical into which
position it is brought and maintained by two springs O. It will be seen that the
splitting tool is thus free to follow the grain of the wood operated on. All the
reciprocating parts are balanced by means of counterweights P in the flywheels.
The traversing platform or table is composed of a number of transverse bars Q
connected together by links R and forming an endless band carried over suitable
drums S and chain wheels T at the ends of the main frames. The spindle U of the
carrying drum S at the feed end of the machine bears in adjustable blocks V sliding

page_text: in guides W formed in the framing, the blocks V being held in the desired position
by set screws X. By these means the platform is kept taut and level.
The feed mechanism consists of a ratchet wheel Y mounted on the non-adjustable
On an extension b
drum spindle U and actuated by à pawl Z on a lever bracket a.
of the lever bracket a is an adjustable sliding block c connected by suitable rods with
an eccentric on the main shaft as shewn. It will thus be seen that by varying the
position of the sliding block c on the pawl lever 6 the feed may be varied and hence
the travel of the platform. The pawl Z may be thrown out of gear with the ratchet
wheel Y and the feed arrested at any moment by means of a connecting rod d attached
to a lever e actuated by the attendant.
At a suitable height above the traversing platform is mounted an adjustable fluted
or grooved roller fextending across it and pressed down upon the wood by adjusting
screws g and driven from one of the platform driving spindles by means of the bevel
gearing h.
In order that the wood immediately in front of the splitting tool may be firmly
pressed upon the platform, a plate i extending the whole of its width is provided and
held down when in its normal position by two springs j. Two pins or gudgeons k
extending from the plate i through the frame are jointed to two socket ends in
which the two spigot ends of the connecting rods m are free to slide so that the said
rods can be freely withdrawn from the sockets but when pushed upwards beyond a
certain point the sockets / with the plate i attached to them are lifted up and the
wood relieved of the pressure on it. The lower ends of the connecting rods m are
jointed to two crank levers n on a rocking shaft o actuated from an eccentric p on the
main shaft. The motion of the rocking shaft is so arranged that the pressure plate i
is lifted during the time the wood is fed forward and lowered during the cutting
stroke of the splitting tool. Immediately underneath the splitting tool N is a cross
beam q
for supporting the traversing platform during the descent of the splitting
Side plate secured to the standards B are provided for guiding the wood past the
splitting tool and auxiliary platforms st at either end of the machine for placing the
wood upon.
A foot brake u is also provided for stopping the machine.
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 :-
tool N.
In firewood splitting machines
1. The construction of the splitting tool box hinged or pivotted to the reciprocating
cross beam and free to move around the hinge or pivot axis through a limited angle
to allow the cutting edge of the splitting tool to follow the grain of the wood operated
on, the tool being brought back to its normal and vertical position after each deviation
by means of springs substantially as described.
2. The construction of the traversing platform or table composed of transverse bars
connected together by links and forming an endless band carried on drums and chain
wheels at either end of the machine substantially as described.
3. The construction of the bearings for supporting the platform driving spindles
adjustable by means of the bearing blocks sliding in guides and secured by set screws
so as to permit of the tightening or removal of the platform chains when required
substantially as described.
4. The construction of the ratchet feed motion driven from the main shaft and
provided with an adjustable block sliding on the pawl lever extension by means of
which the feed may be varied substantially as described.
5. The arrangement. of mechanism for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet
wheel of the feed gear consisting of a connecting rod with slotted end engaging
with the pawl and lifting it out of gear substantially as described and for the purpose
set forth.

page_text: 6. The arrangement of fluted or grooved roller for assisting the traversing platform
in carrying the wood forward to the splitting tool driven by gearing from one of the
platform drum spindles substantially as described.
7. The arrangement of apparatus for firmly pressing down the wood immediately
in front of the splitting tool consisting of a plate held down on the wood by springs
during the descent of the tool and lifted up free of the same during the forward
movement of the platform by means of working levers actuated from an eccentric on
the main shaft acting through suitable connecting rods, the upper ends of which work
into socket jointed to the beforementioned plate substantially as described.
8. The arrangement and construction of firewood splitting machines substantially
as described with reference to the drawings.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
156, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.