Improvements in Machines for Sand-papering, Dressing, or Finishing Wood and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
CUMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Sand-papering, Dressing, or Finishing
Wood and the like.
'
I, JOSEPH EDWARD ALMON, of the City of Montpelier, in the County of Washing-
ton and State of Vermont, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
This invention relates to a machine for dressing wood, it being of that class
known in the art as sand-papering machines, and it is intended primarily for
finishing or smoothing moldings and other like ornamental work the surfaces of
which are curved or of irregular shapes; and the apparatus is simple in con-
struction and capable of cleanly and evenly removing all imperfections and rough-
nesses in the surfaces of wood of the character specified.
My improved wood-dressing machine involves, as one of its features, a carrier, which
may be of any suitable construction, and a dressing device thereon, said dressing
device including a series of sheets roughened on their working-faces, and these
sheets are preferably slitted for a portion of their length for the purpose of securing
a greater amount of lateral flexibility when in action upon the wood or other
material.
In the present instance a series of these dressing devices is mounted upon the
carrier, and they are desirably located at regular intervals apart and in a circuit
on the carrier, and the latter is rotated by a suitable driving mechanism and at
a comparatively high rate of sneed, the centrifugal force developed being usually
relied upon to throw the effective portions of the several dressing devices against
the work, it being evident from the description that the said dressing devices
have a multiplicity of strips, and, being laterally yieldable, can automatically
conform or shape themselves perfectly to the configuration of the article under
operation.
My improved machine, therefore, includes as one of its fundamental features a
dressing device consisting of a series of roughened sheets. secured together for a
portion of their length. to form a unitary article. said sheets being roughened,
either upon one or both of their surfaces, by being coated with sand or some
analogous substance and while the article may be efficiently employed as thus
constructed, I prefer to slit or cut the sheets for a predetermined distance so as
to insure a greater amount of lateral or sidewise flexure. Therefore it is evident
that the improved machine comprises, broadly, a dressing device including a
multiplicity of roughened or sanded strins, a large number of these latter being
employed. the device thus formed resembling somewhat a brush, the construction
being such that it is adapted to cover and clean a large area, and the dressing
operation is accomplished with a facility equal to that of the ordinary hand method.
The several dressing devices are adjustably mounted, by reason of which all
wear caused by the rubbing action thereof against the wood may he readily com-
pensated for, and the respective sheets thereof are usually of cloth; and I prefer
to coat the same with the abrading material upon both sides, so that said devices
can operate in opposite directions.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1

page_text: is a side elevation of my improved wood-dressing machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional
front elevation of the same, the section being taken in the line 2-2, Fig. 1, and
looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is an isometrical perspective, on an
enlarged scale, of the carrier and dressing devices thereon; and Fig. 4 is an
enlarged detail of one of the dressing devices.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The framework for supporting the different parts of the apparatus may be of
any suitable or preferred construction, and it is represented as including a main
frame A upon which the shaft or arbor of the carrier is supported, and an auxiliary
frame or bracket B, bolted to the main frame, and said bracket serves as a feed-
table for the molding or other article to be dressed.
My improved apparatus involves one or more dressing devices, as. C, and a
carrier therefor, as D, and said carrier may be of any suitable construction, it
heing represented as consisting of a disk or circular plate fixed in some suitable
manner to the shaft 12, said shaft also carrying a driver, which may be a pulley.
as 13. connected by a belt (not shown) with a suitable motor, the shaft being
carried by the journal-box or hearing 14 upon the framework.
In Fig. 1 I have represented the normal direction of rotation of the carrier
by the arrow, although it is understood of course that it may be oppositely rotated
and the same advantageous results obtained, and for the purpose of obtaining a
greater rubbing surface I prefer to roughen both faces of the sheets composing
the dressing devices.
A convenient means for supporting the several dressing devices Cupon the
carriers consists in devices for clamping the same between the adjacent branches
of the angular projections or offsets 15 on the front face of the carrier, as shown
clearly in Fig. 1.
In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a dressing device C in detail, the coating or roughen-
in not being shown thereon but being represented by 40 in the other views; and
said dressing device consists of a large number of substantially rectangular
sheets 20. of the same size, built or laid upon each other to form a block, the
separate sheets prior to this step being slitted, as at 21, for about half-way of their
length, so that the completed article is of a brush-like structure. Any convenient
means may be employed for holding the several sheets or plies together, a simple
means being the pins 22.
In Figs. 1 and 3 I have represented a series of five of these dressing devices.
they being of substantially similar construction, and preferably coated upon all
sides with the abrading or dressing material, and they are adapted to bear edge-
wise against the surface of the stock, as shown in Fig. 2.
By constructing a dressing device as aforesaid, a multiplicity of roughened
strips, as 25. Fig. 4, is formed; and by reason of the large number thereof and
their flexibility in all directions, they can perfectly conform themselves to the
shane of the article being dressed.
The unslitted portions of the several dressing devices C are snugly fitted between
the adiacent branches of the several angular projections 15. and bear against the
outer face of the carrier or disk D, and are shown as held in such positions by
a corresponding series of clamping devices, as 30, each of which consists of a
substantially-shaped member secured to a reinforcing or follower plate, as 31.
the several plates being adapted to directly engage said uncut portions. The
clamping members fit in notches, as 32. in the branches of the angular pro-
jections 15, and the legs thereof project through openings in the carrier and are
engaged by nuts 33 constituting a convenient means of holding the clamping
devices firmly in their seats and against the several dressing devices.
In Figs. 1 and 2 I have represented the dressing apparatus as operating upon
a molding M, which rests upon the feed-table B and is positively fed forward in
the direction of the arrow ¹ in Fig. 1 by mechanism (not shown), and the carrier
or disk D being rotated in the direction of the arrow, the successive dressing
devices will be brought into engagement with the molding, to clean or remove

page_text: all imperfections and roughness from the surface thereof, the several strips 25
of each of said dressing devices yielding laterally and edgewise, as represented
in Fig. 2, so as to adapt themselves perfectly to the contour of the molding and
at the same time to permit the opposite roughened faces of the several strips to
come against the molding for dressing the same, the carrier being preferably driven
at a high rate of speed so as to throw the several dressing devices outward by
centrifugal force and maintain them in firm engagement with the wood.
It will be evident from the preceding description that the several dressing devices
are radially adjustable, they being movable toward and from the axis of the carrier
to adapt the apparatus for dressing moldings of different depths, and for also
regulating the amount of pressure to be applied. This adjustment also permits
the movement of the several dressing devices to compensate for wear at the free
ends thereof.
To adjust any one of the dressing devices, the nuts 33, engaging the clamping
device which holds the same in position. are loosened, which permits the said
dressing device to be moved either forward or from the axis of the carrier as the
case may be; and when said dressing device is set the nuts are tightened to firmly
hold the same, and this operation will be repeated with the others of the series.
While the apparatus is peculiarly and primarily adapted for dressing moldings
and other irregular stock, it is evident that it can be employed equally as well
for smoothing straight work. It is obvious. also, that the apparatus can operate
with the same advantage upon materials other than wood.
It is, of course, understood that the dressing devices can be manufactured and
sold separately, and that their working-faces may be of different degrees of
abrasive effect to suit different kinds of wood, &c.
This invention is not limited to the details illustrated and described for these
may be varied without departing from the scope thereof.
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 a wcod-dressing machine, the combination, with a carrier, of a dressing
device thereon including a series of slitted sheets roughened on their working-
faces.
2. A dressing device for wood and the like including a series of sheets roughened
upon one side and slitted, said sheets being secured together to form a unitary
article.
3. In a wood-dressing machine, the combination, with a rotatively-supported
carrier, of a radially-adjustable dressing device thereon including a series of slitted
sheets roughened on their working-faces.
4. In a wood-dressing machine, the comination, with a carrier having a series
of angular projections, of a series of dressing devices fitted between the adjacent
branches of said projections; U-shaped clamping devices fitted in notches in the
projections and extending through openings in the carrier; and nuts on the legs
of the clamping devices.
5. In a wood-dressing-machine, the combination, with a support for the work,
of a shaft: a carrier on said shaft; and a series of dressing devices secured to the
carrier and each including a series of roughened slitted sheets adapted to act edge-
wise against the work, said sheets being laterally yieldable.
Dated this 4th day of April 1809
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, WC.,
Agents for the Applicant.