Improvements in Machinery for Splitting or Cutting Wood into Sticks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Splitting or Cutting Wood into
Sticks.
I, ADOLPHUS BARRON, of Rydal Street, Leicester, 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:-
This invention relates to machinery for splitting or cutting wood into sticks,
and consists of means for intermittently feeding forward into the path of a
knife or knives the blocks of wood to be split or cut, means for allowing for the
expansion of the wood in consequence of the splitting or cutting operation, a gauge
or guide to deliver the wood into the path of the knife or knives in an upright
position and to prevent tilting and also means of adjustment so that blocks of
wood of different heights may be split or cut in the same machine.
The invention will be understood by reference to the drawing accompanying
this specification, Figure 1, being a front elevation and Figure 2, a side eleva-
tion of a machine for splitting wood constructed in accordance with this inven-
tion. Figure 3. is a sectional plan showing the knife holder.
Figure 4, is a plan showing a part of the trough and means provided for the
expansion of the blocks when penetrated by the knife or knives, and Figure 5, is
a plan of the trough detached.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures.
The blocks of wood to be split are placed upright and grouped together in the
stationary trough A, which is bolted through the bosses A' to the bed B, the
latter being bolted or otherwise fixed to the standards B. The blocks of wood
are pushed forward into the path of the feed-rolls C fixed on the spindle D, the
latter has also mounted on the cone thereon, a spur wheel E gearing with the
spur wheel E mounted on the cone of the spindle I, the feed-rolls C being
fixed upon the latter. The said feed-rolls CC are preferably grooved circum-
ferentially and cross cut to form a roughened surface for feeding the blocks to
the knife or knives, though the surface of the feed-rolls may be roughened for
the said purpose in any other desired manner.
It is essential that the wood blocks to be split or cut should be fed inter-
mittently to the knife or knives, the feed movement taking place during the
time the knives are clear of the blocks as will be readily understood.
To give the required feed movement there is mounted on the crank shaft G
an eccentric GI surrounded by a strap G2, connected by a rod G³ and stud (*
to the lever H pivotted at H to one of the standards B
The said lever II is also engaged by a connecting lever J pivotted to the
lever J fixed on the spindle D.
The said lever J' is combined with the lever Je and carries the lever J³ whose
free end lays in the groove of the pulley J* fixed on the shaft D.
Instead of the well-known "silent feed" mentioned, the said levers J¹ J
may carry a pawl or clawker to act upon a ratchet wheel, (in substitution for the
pulley J), in the manner well understood.

page_text: The silent feed" however, allows of a fine adjustment so that the wood blocks
may be fed to the knives any desired distance at each stroke.
The gauge or guide plate K is adjustable in relation to the trough A for vary-
ing heights of blocks by the studs K and lock-nuts thereon, and the said plate K
is placed in such relation to the feed-roll C₁ as to ensure the wood blocks passing
within the control of the feed-rolls CC in a vertical position, and also prevents
any unevenly cut blocks from tilting. by reason of one part reaching a feed-roll
before the other part.
To adjust the feed-rolls C C to the height of blocks passing under the said
plate K. the spindle F passes through slides F working in the standards B¹ of
the machine, the said slides being controlled by a plate spring F or equivalent
means in the well known manner, the spur wheels E E being formed with teeth
of sufficient depth to gear after allowing for slight adjustment for the purpose
mentioned; or the said spur wheels may be entirely removed and others of larger
or small diameter substituted, the cones D F allowing for the ready changing
of the said wheels.
The knives L are fixed in the knife holder M by means of bolts (not shown
in the drawings) passing through the sides of the latter, the said holder being
provided with a series of lugs or projections M on its upper edge, against which
the upper edges of the said knives abut to receive the thrust.
Motion is imparted to the knives by means of a connecting rod N from the
crank G* on the crank-shaft G.
"
The upper part of the said rod N. is screw threaded (for adjusting the knives
in relation to the trough) and passes through the cross-head 0, and is fixed in
relation to the latter by the lock nuts N. The connecting rods P P are also
fixed in the said cross-head 9, their upper ends engaging the journals Q. formed
on the knife holder M.
As motion is imparted to the knife holder M through the connecting rods N
and P P the former is kept in its proper vertical path by means of the slides M³
formed thereon working up and down in the standards B.
Although the knife holder M. journals and slides M2 are shown as made in
one piece, it is obvious that the said holder M and slides M may be made
separate and connected by one shaft Q, having the said parts fixed thereon.
To allow for the expansion of the wood blocks through the penetration and
splitting by the knives LL the trough A is provided with a movable plate R
in its side A. The said plate It is provided with studs which bear upon the
spring plates R which are fixed by the bolts R³ to the side A3 of the trough A.
As the wood blocks also have a tendency to bind against the side A* of the
trough, a lever S is pivotted at $1, its free end S passing through a slot in the
said side A and pressed in contact with the side of the blocks at each stroke of
the knives by means of the connecting rod P¹ which bears upon the edge Sand
forces the free end of the lever S inward.
The lever S is brought into its normal free position by a spring T surrounding
the stud T fixed in the standard 1. A delivery roller of any suitable material
is carried in brackets one of which is fixed to each standard B, the said roller
being provided with strips 2 to throw the sticks clear of the machine. The
spindle of said roller U is driven from the crank-shaft G by means of the
pulleys V1 V
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is;-
1. In wood splitting machines the combination with the feed mechanism and
feed rolls having an intermittent movement, of a gauge or guide adjustable for
varying heights of blocks and for delivering said blocks in a vertical position to
the feed rolls and means for allowing for the expansion of the blocks substan-

page_text: tially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
2. A wood splitting machine consisting of standards B and bed B. a crank-
shaft mounted in bearings at the base of the standards, connecting rods so
arranged that the knives perform their operation while the said rods are in ten-
sion, a stationary feed trough, means for feeding blocks to the knives, and
mechanism for actuating the feed rolls, substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
3. A wood splitting machine constructed, arranged and operating substantially
in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 6th day of March 1899.
ADOLPHUS BARRON: