IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WOOD-CUTTING MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVING THEREFROM DUST, CHIPS, AND SHAVINGS PRODUCED BY THE OPERATION OF THE CUTTING TOOLS
Year: 1872

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Allen Ransome, of King's Road, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO WOOD-CUTTING MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVING
THEREFROM DUST, CHIPS, AND SHAVINGS PRODUCED BY THE OPERATION OF THE
CUTTING TOOLS."-A communication from abroad by John Richards,
Engineer, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
Bealed the 5th November 1872, and dated the 16th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Allen Ransome at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th May 1872.
I, ALLEN RANSOME, of King's Road, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WOOD-CUTTING MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE
OF REMOVING THEREFROM DUST, CHIPS, AND SHAVINGS PRODUCED BY THE OPERATION
OF THE CUTTING TOOLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the removal of sawdust, wood chips,
shavings, or other kinds of debris from wood-cutting machines by means

page_text: of pipes connected with a pneumatic apparatus for creating currents of
air in the pipes strong enough to lift and convey such dust, chips,
shavings, or other debris to the outside of the manufactory, or to
furnaces where they may be burned.
The apparatus consists of a rotary or centrifugal fan blower placed
centrally or at some convenient position in the building. This fan is
connected by means of induction pipes with the several machines,
through which the dust, shavings, chips, or debris is drawn by the
induced current of air into the fan casing. The dust, shavings, chips,
or debris is then discharged through an eduction or exhaust pipe con-
nected with the periphery of the fan, and
is desired to deposit or burn this debris.
leading to any place where it
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Allen Ransome in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALLEN
RANSOME, of King's Road, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Engi-
neer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Allen Ransome, Her special licence that I,
the said Allen, Ransome, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Allen Ransome, 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 APPLICABLE TO WOOD-CUTTING
MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVING THEREPROM DUST, CHIPS, AND SHAVINGS
PRODUCED BY THE OPERATION OF THE CUTTING TOOLS," being a communication to
me from abroad by John Richards, Engineer, of Philadelphia, in the
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Allen Ransome, 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 Allen Ransome, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates to the removal of sawdust, wood chips,
shavings, or other kinds of debris from wood-cutting machines by means
of pipes connected with a pneumatic apparatus for creating currents of
air in the pipes strong enough to lift and carry such dust, chips,
shavings, or other debris to the outside of the manufactory, or to
furnaces where they may be burned.
The pneumatic apparatus consists of a rotary or centrifugal fan or
blower placed centrally or at some convenient position in the building.
This fan is connected by means of induction pipes with the several
machines, and through these pipes the dust, shavings, chips, or other
debris is drawn by the induced current of air into the fan casing.
The dust, shavings, chips, or debris is then discharged through an
eduction or exhaust pipe connected or adapted to the periphery of the
fan, and leading to any place where it is desired to deposit or burn this
debris.
Any other kind of exhausting or blowing apparatus may be employed
if desired, but I prefer the fan blower as being the simplest, cheapest,
and most manageable.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn the way in which I
propose to carry out the Invention in reference to various kinds of wood-
cutting machinery. The Figure represents a vertical section through
a room in a wood manufactory. This room contains the following

page_text: sawing machine; Fig. 3, a wood planing machine; and Fig. 4, a buffing
or sand papering machine for smoothing and polishing surfaces.
a is a centrifugal or rotary fan blower of ordinary construction
mounted in bearings attached to the ceiling rafters of the room. The
pipes marked c are induction pipes, through which the shavings or dust
is or are drawn from the several machines to the fan a, from which it is
expelled through the exhaust or eduction pipe 6, and is carried to any
place where it may be wanted.
Combustible refuse, such as wood dust, shavings, debris from the
manufacture of textile material, or paper, can be carried into a steam
boiler furnace directly and there burned, or (as is generally found best
in the case of wood shavings or sawdust) it may be deposited in a fire-
proof vault to be burned when required.
The Invention is applicable to any machines for sawing, planing,
shaping, or otherwise working or polishing wood, in working which is
created dust or debris that is not too heavy to be raised by a strong
current of air. It should be clearly understood that the Invention can
only be conveniently and advantageously used where it is possible to
gather the debris into funnel-shaped orifices at the ends of the con-
ducting pipes.
+
The objects of the Invention are both economical and sanitary, because
to inhale wood dust is well known to be injurious to the operatives, con-
sisting as it does of various earthy and other matters that collect upon
the surface of the wood during the process of seasoning. More especially
are the cases of buffing or flint paper polishing injurious, as the wood
dust is mixed with the fine particles of glass or flint that are loosened
from the polishing wheels or belts during the process of buffing or
polishing. All this dust and other fine particles are by a proper
arrangement of pipes collected and expelled from the building by the
apparatus described. The shavings, sawdust, or other debris that have
no considerable weight are at the same time gathered up and removed as
fast as they are made, and this is done without any attention or labour
on the part of the workman, and at a much less cost than it could be
done in the usual manner by porters or by being carried on belts.
Currents of air can be created by other means than by the fan blower
without departing from the object of the Invention. The fan blowers

page_text: are however used by preference in consequence of the facilities they
afford for the passage of blocks, chips, fibres, or cuttings, which would
derange positive blowing engines or other analogous devices that require
a close fit between the moving and stationary parts of the machine.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, the adaptation to wood-cutting and polishing
machinery of pneumatic apparatus as herein set forth for the purpose of
collecting and removing dust, shavings, or other debris created by the
operation of the said machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Allen Ransome, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.