IMPROVEMENTS IN SLATE- DRESSING MACHINES, FOR CUTTING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF SLATES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Gilson, of the Maen Offeren Slate Quarries,
Festiniog, North Wales, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLATE-
DRESSING MACHINES, FOR CUTTING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF SLATES."
Sealed the 16th April 1862, and dated the 25th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Gilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
October 1861.
I, HENRY GILSON, of the Maen-Offeren Slate Quarries, Festiniog, North
Wales, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SLATE-DRESSING MACHINES, FOR CUTTING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF SLATES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements In slate-dressing machines,
for cutting and trimming the edges of slates. The machine consists of a
wheel in the form of an ordinary fly wheel, working on horizontal axes fixed
upon a strong frame, with two, three, or more knives for cutting and trimming
slates fixed at equal distances on the side of the wheel, or if two slate cutters
work at the same wheel, then another set of knives may be fixed upon the
other side of the wheel in alternate order.
The knives should be fixed at such distance from the spokes of the wheel
as to admit of the slate being presented to the knife, without the projecting
end coming in contact with the spokes of the wheel. The knives should be

page_text: of sufficient length to cut the sides of the largest slates in ordinary use. They
may be fixed either parallel to the spokes of the wheel, or diverging slightly
from them, but radially from the axis of motion, so that the inner end of the
knife shall first come in contact with the slate. The slate to be cut is rested ob-
liquely on a cutting edge, fixed on the framework of the machine, and receives
the revolving knife progressively from its inner to its outer extremity, as from
a pair of shears. The knives, to make the progressive cut more gradual, may
be slightly curved upwards like a scimitar.
The size of slate to be cut will be regulated by gauges fixed in the usual
manner to slate-dressing machines; knives may be substituted for spokes in
the wheel, but I prefer fixing the knives at a short distance from the spokes
as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Gilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GILSON, of the Maen Offeren Slate Quarries, Festiniog, North Wales, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Gilson, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Gilson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Gilson, 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLATE-
DRESSING MACHINES, FOR CUTTING AND TRIMMING THE EDGES OF SLATES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Gilson, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Inven-
tion 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Gilson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object 'improvements in slate-dressing machines,
for cutting and trimming the edges of slates.
The machine consists of a wheel, in the form of an ordinary fly wheel,
working on horizontal axes fixed upon a strong frame, with two, three, or
more knives for cutting and trimming slates fixed at equal distances on the
side of the wheel, or if two-slate cutters work at the same wheel,' then another
set of knives may be fixed upon the other side of the wheel in alternate order.
The knives should be fixed at such distance from the spokes of the wheel as"
to admit of the slate being presented to the knife, without the projecting end-
coming in contact with the spokes of the wheel. The knives should be of
sufficient length to cut the sides of the largest slates in ordinary use. They
may be fixed either parallel to the spokes of the wheel; or diverging slightly
from them, but radially from the axis of motion, so that the inner end of the
knife shall first come in contact with the slate. The slate to be cut is rested
obliquely on a cutting edge, fixed on the framework of the machine, and
.receives the revolving knife progressively from its inner to its outer extremity,
as from a pair of shears. The knives, to make the progressive cut more
gradual, may be slightly curved upwards, like a scymetar. The size of slate
to be cut will be regulated by guages fixed in the usual manner in slate-"
dressing machines. Knives may be substituted for spokes in the wheel, but
I prefer fixing the knives at a short distance from the spokes as above de-
scribed.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a side view; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, an end view of
a machine constructed according to my Invention. a is the wheel to which the
knives are affixed; this wheel is fixed on a shaft b, which is supported in bearings
carried by the framing of the machine; these bearings are not shewn in the
Drawings. The shaft b is caused to revolve by a strap passing over a pulley b¹,
which is fast on the shaft; the Drawings shew the wheel to have fixed on each
side of it two knives c, but the number of knives affixed to the wheel may be
varied; the knives also shewn in the Drawings are made straight, but they
may be curved upwards, so as to cut the slates more gradually; the knives c

page_text: on each side of the wheel are, as is shewn at Figures 2 and 3, at a distance
from the spokes, so that when a slate is held in a position to be cut by either
of them, the portions of slate which are to be cut away will not come in
contact with the spokes. Each knife is fastened to a piece of angle iron d,
one end of which is received in a socket e, keyed on to the shaft b, there
being a socket on each side of the wheel, the other end of each piece of angle
iron is bent at right angles, and is connected to the periphery of the wheel
by a triangular piece of sheet iron f, as shewn. On each side of the wheel
is a stationary knife g, carried by the framing of the machine. The slate to
be cut rests on the upper edge of this knife, and is cut by one or other of
the knives c, as the wheel a revolves, the slate being cut progressively, as by
a pair of shears, the inner end of the knife c, first commencing to cut the
slate. The slate is cut to the proper size by being held by the workman
against fixed guages in the usual manner; in slate-dressing machines these
guages are formed with steps, as is usual in order to be able to cut slates
of different sizes, and the guages have stops h combined with them against
which the slates are held as is usual so that the slates may be cut square.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gilson have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.