CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR TOOLS FOR CUTTING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO HYDRAULIC AND OTHER MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, of the Bridgewater Foundry,
Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR TOOLS FOR CUTTING METALS
AND OTHER MATERIALS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO HYDRAULIC AND
OTHER MACHINES."
. Sealed the 4th June 1869, and dated the 21st December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1868.
I, ROBERT WILSON, of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, near the
City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR TOOLS FOR CUTTING
METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO HYDRAULIC AND
OTHER MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my improvements has reference to the working of
planing and other straight line cutting machines.
It is now generally admitted that more perfect work is obtained by
the motion of such machines being communicated by a screw than by a

page_text: chain or spur gearing, but the screw motion as generally applied has the
following objections:-First, the backlash at the return of each stroke
caused by the gradual wearing of the nut. To overcome this I make
use of two nuts, one of them so constructed that it can be turned round
in its socket when required and thus be made to take up the slack
caused by the wearing of the nut. Second, the swagging or bending of
the screw by its own weight when of extra length. To overcome this
I introduce two or more rests or supports, which are connected with
each other and which are made to travel below the screw and so support
it when the nuts are near to either end of the screw.
Another method of applying the screw motion is by a short screw or
worm fitted or fixed on a longitudinal shaft or spindle working into a
rack with angled teeth or cogs to suit the angle of the thread of the
worm or screw; and to make up for the wear or backlash at the return
of each stroke I make the worm double or in two lengths, having room
between the parts for screwing or tightening up when either or both the
worm threads or rack teeth or cogs are worn. The worm is placed at or
about the centre of the bed and runs in an oil box so that the threads may
be constantly kept lubricated to reduce wear and friction as much as is
possible. These modes or methods of communicating motion may also
be applied to slotting, paring, and such like machines with equal
advantage.
Another of my improvements in planing machines consists in making
the uprights or cross slide bearers movable along the bed of the machine,
and in some cases to have two pairs of uprights with a cross slide on
each pair, so that by an arrangement of their position a much longer
piece of work may be operated upon than with an ordinary machine of
the same size, or two pieces of work may be operated-upon at once and
thus effect a great saving of time.
The second part of my improvements in planing machines consists
in an improved reversing motion for preventing the reversing levers
being acted upon by the motion of the machine like a blow. This I
accomplish by a certain form being given to the tripper, which form
may be termed an increasing angled incline plane, the first contact with
the reversing catch or lever being of a very slight incline and then
increasing as rapidly as the motion requires for the reversing of the
machine.

page_text: My third improvement in planing and other reciprocating machines is
to work them direct with hydraulic power, and to reverse the motion of
the machine by my improved tripper being applied to reverse the valve
of the hydraulic cylinder. This improved tripper is also applicable to
other reciprocating machines, whether worked by hydraulic or steam
power as well as by straps and pulleys or other gearing.
The fourth part of my improvements has reference to paring said
slotting machines. In all these upright machines for cutting downwards
it is of great importance to have the ram to which the cutting tool is
attached so balanced as that there may be no jar from the tool either
when entering or leaving the cut, and also that it should have a quick
return motion upwards.
To accomplish the first I apply a double-ended lever or working
beam, to one end of which is attached the ram of the machine and to the
other a balance weight with rather a preponderance of weight, so that
the tendency of the ram will be upwards, or to rise instead of fall as in
ordinary machines of this class; and in order to obtain a quick return or
upward motion I apply a crank motion to the outer end of the lever in
which there is a slot wherein the bush of the crank pin works. This
improvement is in some cases applied to the shaping machine to obtain
a quick return motion.
My next improvement is to apply the balance weight to drilling and
boring machines either by means of a lever, beam, or of pulleys with
chain to act upon the spindle of the machine so as to give it an upward
tendency and thus prevent the drill or boring bit dropping when nearly
through the hole and being broken.
My next improvement in machine tools is in the construction of
screwing taps and dies, by which they are capable of cutting a more
perfect thread with less power and less wear and tear than when made
in the ordinary way.
In the usual method of constructing screwing taps the tap is first
made parallel or slightly tapered towards the point, and when the
threads are cut to the desired diameter and depth they are turned down
taper from the full thread towards the point until the thread at the
point is all cut away or nearly so; the tap is then grooved out on three
sides or parts, each groove being about one-sixth of the circumference
of the tap, and then the threads are filed off from the cutting point at

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILSON, of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, near the City of
Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Wilson, Her special
license that I, the said Robert Wilson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Wilson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channe!
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR TOOLS FOR CUTTING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, PART OF WHICH
1B APPLICABLE TO HYDRAULIC AND OTHER MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Wilson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
The first part of my improvements has reference to the working of
planing and other straight line cutting machines,

page_text: It is now generally admitted that more perfect work is obtained when
the motion for traversing the table of such machines to and fro is com-
municated by a screw than by a chain. or spur gearing, but the screw
motion as generally applied has the following objections-First, the
backlash at the return of each stroke caused by the gradual wearing of
the nut. To overcome this I make use of two nuts, one of them con-
structed so that it can be turned round in its socket when required and
thus be made to take up the slack caused by the wearing of the nut or
screw. This part of my Invention is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 on
Sheet 1 of the three accompanying Sheets of Drawings, Figure 1 being
a transverse section, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the bed and
table of a planing machine to which my improvements are applied. In
these views a is the bed; b, the table; and c, the screw by which the
table is traversed to and fro; the screw is driven as usual by the side
shaft d, bevel pinion d¹ gearing into the wheel e¹ on the short shaft e
and the pinion gearing into the wheel c' on the screw c or in any
other convenient manner. The nut of the screw c, instead of being in
one piece fixed to the table b as usual, I now propose to make in two
parts, marked c and c³, both of which fit in the socket 6' cast or fixed
to the table b, but the former nut is keyed therein while the latter is
capable of being turned round by means of the worm f gearing into
the worm wheel c' which is fixed to or made in one piece with the nut c³.
The worm is fixed to the shaft f' passing through the table b, and
by applying a handle to the end of the shaft f¹ the worm can be made
to turn the nut c³ round in its socket to take up the slack caused by the
wearing of the thread of the nut and of the screw.
The second objection to the screw motion is the swagging or bending
of the screw by its own weight when of extra length. To overcome this
I introduce two or more rests or supports, which are connected with
each other and which are made to travel below the screw, and so support
it when the nuts are near to either end of the screw. This is illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, and 3. In these views g, g, are two rests cast or fixed
to the connecting bar g¹; these rests are convex to fit the circumference
of the screw c to be supported, and they are at liberty to travel to and
fro in the channel h which extends the whole length of the planing or
other machine, the screw of which owing to its great length requires
support. As the table b traverses to and fro the shoulders of the nuts
and act alternately on the rests g and cause them to travel along

page_text: the channel h, thereby bringing one rest always towards the centre of
the length of the screw as the other recedes from and thereby pre-
venting the swagging or bending of the screw.
Another method of applying the screw motion for working the tables
of planing and other straight line cutting machines is by a short screw
or worm fitted or fixed on a longitudinal shaft or spindle working into a
rack with angled teeth or cogs to suit the angle of the thread of the
worm or screw; and to make up for the wear or backlash at the return
of each stroke I make the worm double or in two lengths, having room
between the parts for screwing or tightening up when either or both the
worm threads or rack teeth or cogs are worn. This part of my Invention
is shewn in Figures 4 and 5. In these views the parts marked from a
to e are similar to those above referred to, excepting that in this arrange-
ment the screw c is not required, and the shaft c is used in its stead.
To the bed b is fixed a rack b the teeth of which are set at an angle
corresponding to the angle of the thread of the two worms c, both of
which are keyed to the shaft c, but are capable of being moved length-
wise thereon by means of the worm gearing into the worm wheel i¹.
the boss of which forms a nut taking in a screw cut on the boss of the
plate; this boss fits loose on the end of the shaft c, and it is supported
by a bearing or bearings in the bed a, and also in bearings in the oil
box j, which may be cast with or fixed to the bed a. The worms c
are left a little distance apart, and the threads of the worms are pressed
against opposite sides of the teeth of the rack by the plate, which can
be set up to press the worms c towards each other by turning the worm
wheel by means of the worm i so as to compensate for the wear of
the worms c and rack b³. In some cases a single worm c may be
used to work the table b to and fro without provision for preventing
back lash. The worms c³ are placed at or about the centre of the bed
and run in an oil box j so that the threads may be constantly kept
lubricated to reduce wear and friction as much as is possible. These
modes or methods of communicating to-and-fro motion to the table of
planing machines may also be applied to slotting, paring, and such like
machines with equal advantage.
Another of my improvements in planing machines consists in making
the uprights or cross slide bearers movable along the bed of the machine,
and in some cases to have two pairs of uprights with a cross slide on
each pair. This part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

page_text: which represent a side and end view of a large planing machine con-
structed according to my improvements. b is the table, and a is the
bed, which is constructed as usual, with this exception that the sides of
the bed are faced and provided with slots to take in the heads of the
bolts by which the standards are bolted to the bed; by this means the
position of the standards when one pair only is used can be varied, and
when two pairs of standards are used, as shewn in Figure 6, their dis-
tance apart and their positions on the bed can also be varied. It is
evident that each pair of standards must be provided with a cross slide
and tool holder or holders, so that by varying their position a much
longer piece of work may be operated upon than with an ordinary
machine of the same size, or two pieces of work may be operated upon
at once, and thus effect a great saving of time.
The second part of my improvements in planing machines consists in
an improved reversing motion for preventing the reversing levers being
acted upon by the motion of the machine like a blow. This I accom-
plish by a certain form being given to the tripper m, shewn in Figure
6, and on an enlarged scale in Figure 8, on Sheet 2, which form may
be termed an increasing angled incline plane, the first contact with the
reversing catch or lever being of a very slight incline, as shewn at m',
and then increasing as rapidly towards the point m² as the motion
requires for the reversing of the machine. These improved trippers are
also applicable to other reciprocating machines, whether worked by
hydraulic or steam power, as well as by straps and pulleys or other
gearings.
My third improvement in planing and other reciprocating machines is
to work them direct with hydraulic power and to reverse the motion of
the machine by the improved trippers above referred to, which are
applied to reverse the valve of the hydraulic cylinder.
In Figures 6 and 7 I have shewn a convenient mode of working the
table of a planing machine to and fro by hydraulic power. n is a cylinder
the length of which must be rather greater than the traverse of the
table b; this cylinder is connected by the pipes n' to the valve box n²
containing a balanced valve for admitting and discharging the water to
and from the cylinder. The rod n³ is provided with a piston fitting in
the cylinder n, and is jointed at n' to the table b. The water under
pressure for working the piston is conveyed from the pumps to the valve
box n by the pipe n³, and the discharged water is conveyed by the pipe n°
to the cistern. The ends of the cylinder n are connected to the air

page_text: vessels n', the object of which is to prevent the shock which owing to
the non-elasticity of water would otherwise be given to the table on the
To the table bare
action of the water being reversed by the valve.
attached the adjustable tripper plates m above described, which act
alternately on the valve levers m¹ connected by the rods and levers,
When the
clearly shewn in the Drawing, to the valve in the box n².
machine is at work the pressure of the water against the piston moves
the table in the direction required for giving the cut, and when the
water under pressure is shut off from that end of the cylinder n the table
is brought back by the water acting on the opposite side of the piston,
the area of which is reduced by the area of the piston rod n", conse-
quently the return motion is accelerated in inverse proportion to the
difference of the two areas.
The fourth part of my improvements has reference to paring and
slotting machines. In all these upright machines for cutting downwards
it is of great importance that the ram to which the cutting tool is
attached should be so balanced as that there may be no jar from the tool
either when entering or leaving the cut, and also that the tool should
have a quick return motion upwards. This part of my Invention is
illustrated by Figures 9 and 10 of Sheet 2, Figure 9 being a front
elevation, and Figure 10 a side view of a slotting machine to which my
improvements are applied. In these views o is the main framing; o',
the circular table; o, the ram or cutter bar; o", the driving shaft and
pulleys, all of which are made as usual. To balance the ram or cutter
bar I apply the double-ended lever or working beam p to the upper part
of the machine, to one end of which is attached a chain or metal band
connected to the ram or cutter bar o, and to the other end is suspended
the balance weight p' with rather a preponderance of weight, so that the
tendency of the ram will be upwards, or to rise instead of fall, as in
ordinary machines of this class; and in order to obtain a quick return
or upward motion for the cutting tool I apply a crank or cam motion to
the outer end of the lever in the following manner:-To the usual
driving pulleys o" is cast the pinion of gearing into the wheel q', to
which is cast or fixed the grooved cam g; this cam acts on the lever q
fixed to the shaft q³, to the other end of which is keyed the slotted
lever q, connected by the link q³ to the ram or cutter bar o. The
groove in the cam q is set out in such a manner that the return stroke of
the cutting tool is performed in one-half of the time required for the

page_text: down stroke, and that both in the up and down strokes the motion of the
cutter shall be equally divided from the starting to the stopping point.
I wish to observe here that although the cam is shewn and described to
perform the return stroke in half the time of the down stroke, I do not
intend to limit myself to this proportion. This improved cam is in some
cases applicable to shaping machines to obtain a quick return motion.
My improvement in balancing the cutter bars of slotting machines
may be applied to drilling and boring machines, either by means of a.
lever, beam, or pulleys with chain, to act upon the spindle of the
machine, so as to give it an upward tendency, and thus to prevent the
drill or boring bit dropping when nearly through the hole and being
broken.
This last part of my Invention is shewn on Sheet 3 in Figures 11 and
12, which represent a side view and a front elevation of an upright drill
to which my improvements are applied, and Figures 13 and 14 are a
2° is
plan and elevation of part of the same drawn to an enlarged scale.
the framing; s, the boring spindle; t, the driving shaft, and t', the
ordinary speed pulleys for driving the speed pulleys u¹ which are loose
on the shaft u, but connected to it when required by the double gearing
shewn best in Figure 11, which is similar to that of a double geared
lathe. The boring spindle s is balanced by the weight p¹, which is
suspended to the chain p2 passing over the guide pulley p³ and around
the pulleys p', which are fixed to the same shaft as the pinion p³, gearing
into a toothed rack cast on the tube s¹, through which the upper end of
the boring spindle s passes. This tube s¹ rises and falls with the boring
spindle s. In order to be able to vary the speed at which the drill
descends I make use of the following mechanism shewn in Figures 13
and 14. To the outer end of the shaft u is keyed the disc u³, with a
catch taking into the internal ratchet wheel formed on the inside of the.
speed pulley, to the boss of which is keyed the spur pinion gearing
into the pinion w loose on the boss of the disc w¹ keyed on the short side
shaft w. The pinion w is also provided with internal ratchet teeth, and
a catch is jointed to the disc w¹. To the shaft w³ is also keyed the
pinion w gearing into the pinion u cast or fixed to the speed pulleys u':
The motion from the speed pulleys is transmitted by a strap to the
pulleys on the shaft a³, and to the drilling spindles by the worms and.
wheels, as herein-after explained. The mode of operation is as follows:-

page_text: when the various parts are in the positions they occupy in Figure 13 the
pinion u³ is transmitting the quick downward motion to the spindle s for
boring, but when the shaft w has been moved laterally in the direction
of the arrow the pinion w is taken out of gear with the pinion u*,
thereby allowing the shaft w to revolve without giving motion to the
pinion ut, and the speed pulleys u³ are then connected to the shaft
by moving the button v, so as to put the catch jointed to the discu³
in gear with the internal ratchet wheel in the pulleys u³, as shewn in
Figure 14; the spindle s would then descend at a reduced speed for
drilling.
"
I also arrange the feed motion of drilling machines so that in addition
to the changes above described I am enabled to work it by hand when
required; or I can withdraw the spindle quickly from the work operated
upon, and vice versa. This I accomplish in the following manner:-
The worm on shaft a', Figure 12, Sheet 3, gears into the worm
wheel x, which is loose on the cross shaft x but may be made fast upon
it by means of the disc and bolt x in the usual manner. Upon the
other end of the shaft is keyed a worm, which gears into the worm
wheel keyed upon a tube which forms part of the disc ". The
upright shaft y has the hand wheel y¹ fixed to its lower end, and is con-
nected at its upper end by means of the mitre or bevel wheels y to the
pinion shaft with the pinion y fixed upon it, which gears into the rack
bush s' on the drilling spindle. This upright shaft y may work loose
through the worm wheel x and disc, or may be fixed to the worm
wheel by means of the disc a and bolt y', as shewn. If the machine is
required to be self-acting in the feed motion the worm wheels x and x
are made fast to the shafts x and y by means of the discs x and x, and
the bolts x and y. By unlocking the worm wheel x by the bolt and
disc the cross shaft is allowed to run free of the worm wheel x',
and the feed motion may then be worked by the hand wheel y5 keyed on
the end of the shaft as through the worm and wheel and upright
shaft y.
If both worm wheels x and x are unlocked by means of their
respective discs and bolts, the upright shaft y may be worked by the
hand wheel y', and being then in communication with the pinion y³
through the mitre or bevel wheels y² the spindle may be worked quickly
either upwards or downwards by hand, and thus save much time other-
wise lost by the ordinary slow motion,

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare. that I claim,-
Firstly. The machinery described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2 for
preventing the back lash in the nuts of screws for working the tables of
planing and other straight line cutting machines to and fro.
Secondly. The machinery described and shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3
to prevent the swagging or bending of long screws used in planing and
other cutting machines.
Thirdly. The machinery described and shewn in Figures 4 and 5 for
preventing the back lash in working the tables of planing and other
straight line cutting machines, by means of short screws or worms
gearing into racks the teeth of which are set at an angle corresponding
to the screw or worm.
Fourthly. The apparatus described and shewn in Figures 4 and 5 for
lubricating the screws or worms for working the tables of planing and
other cutting machines.
Fifthly. Connecting the uprights or cross slide bearers of planing
machines to the bed, so that they may be moved from one position to
another to suit the work in hand, as shewn and described in reference to
Figures 6 and 7.
Sixthly. The application of two pairs of stationary or movable uprights
with cross slides to the bed of a planing machine, as shewn and
described in reference to Figures 6 and 7.
Seventhly. The application of hydraulic power for working the tables
of planing machines and other straight line cutting machines to and fro,
and the machinery or apparatus for effecting the same, as shewn and
described in reference to Figures 6 and 7.
Eighthly. The improved tripper shewn and described in reference to
Figure 8, and the application thereof to steam, hydraulic, and other
engines and tools to which a reversing motion is applied.
Ninthly. The improved mode of balancing the cutting bar of slotting
machines and other machines of the like nature, and the drilling
spindles of upright drills, and other boring tools, as shewn and described
in reference to Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12,

page_text: And, lastly. The improved cam marked q in Figures 9 and 10 for
depressing the cutting tool slowly and raising it rapidly, as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ROBERT WILSON. (L.S.)