IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SPLITTING WOOD
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rowley, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
AND SPLITTING WOOD."
Sealed the 12th March 1880, and dated the 13th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rowley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1879.
JOHN ROWLEY; of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SPLITTING WOOD."
"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting and splitting
wood into pieces suitable for lighting fires, or for laths, or other purposes.
My Improvements are applicable to that class of machines for cutting wood in
which successive slices are cut or split off from blocks of wood by means of a
reciprocating knife or cutter mounted upon a reciprocating slide moved to and fro
by an eccentric or otherwise.
•
The reciprocating slide carries a plate or frame in front of the tool or cutter on
which plate or frame a series of fixed knives or cutters are mounted so as to cut
a series of nicks or channels on the underside of the block of wood of a depth
equal to the thickness of the slice to be cut off by the blade or cutter, and part of
my present improvements relates to the form, arrangement, and method of mounting
the series of cutters for cutting the nicks or channels on the underside of the
block of wood prior to cutting off the slice.
In place of employing single cutters for cutting the series of nicks or channels I
employ two (or more) cutters, one in advance of the other, the leading cutter being
about half the length or height of the one behind it, by which arrangement half
the depth of the nick or channel is cut by the forward cutter, the full depth being
cut by the back cutter or cutters. By this arrangement the cutters are not so
liable to be broken.
The same result may be obtained by forming each cutter with cutting surfaces
at different elevations..

page_text: According to another part of my improvements I arrange the cutters in two or
more rows at angles to each other in place of one as heretofore, the back row of
cutters being arranged opposite to the spaces between the front row of cutters, and
I mount the cutters in slots or otherwise in the reciprocating plate so that they
can be readily adjusted.
Another part of my improvements consists in the application of a series of
adjustable stops (with spaces between them) which are so arranged as to act as
stops to the pieces of wood when cut off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Rowley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th March
1880.
JOHN ROWLEY, of 84, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND SPLITTING WOOD." .
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting and split-
ting wood in pieces suitable for lighting fires, or for laths, or other like
purposes.
My improvements are applicable to that class of machines for cutting wood in
which successive slices are cut or split off. from blocks of wood by means of a
reciprocating knife or cutter mounted upon a reciprocating slide moved to and
fro by an eccentric or otherwise. .
The reciprocating slide carries a plate or frame in front of the tool or cutter, on
which plate or frame a series of fixed knives or cutters are mounted so as to cut
a series of nicks or channels on the underside of the block of wood of a depth
equal to the thickness of the slice to be cut off by the blade or cutter, and part of
my present improvements relates to the form, arrangement, and method of mounting
the series of cutters for cutting the nicks or channels on the, underside, of the block
of wood prior to cutting off the slice.
In place of employing single cutters for cutting the series of nicks or channels I
employ two (or more) cutters one in advance of the other, the leading cutter being
about half the length or height of the one behind it, by which arrangement half
the depth of the nick or channel is so cut by the forward cutter, the full depth
being cut by the back cutter or cutters. By this arrangement the cutters are not
so liable to be broken.
The same result may be obtained by forming each cutter with cutting surfaces
..at different elevations.
According to another part of my improvements I arrange the cutters in two or
more rows at angles to each other in place of one as heretofore, the back row of
cutters being arranged opposite to the spaces between the front row of cutters, and
I mount the cutters in slots or otherwise in the reciprocating plate so that they can.
be readily adjusted.
"'

page_text: Another part of my improvements consists in the application of a series of
adjustable stops (with spaces between them) which are so arranged as to act as
stops to the pieces of wood when cut off.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, Figure 2, a longitudinal section, and Figure 3, an end
view of so much of a machine for cutting fire wood as is necessary for illustrating
my Invention.
a, a, is part of the fixed frame of the machine, b, b, is a slide moving and sliding
in V grooves in the fixed frame a, a. To the slide 6 is attached the plate b¹ which
carries a series of vertical knives b*, and it also carries the horizontal knife c.
The block of wood d to be cut into pieces suitable for kindling fires is placed by
the workman into the holder e carried by the fixed frame a, and is pressed down-
wards by a weighted lever or by any other suitable mechanism. An adjustable
plate e* is moved to and fro in the holder e by the screw e¹ for the purpose of enabling
blocks of wood of different sizes to be suitably held and guided by the holder e.
The slide b receives a to and fro motion from a crank or by other means, and in
so doing causes the vertical knives 6* to pass through the block of wood in
succession, making a series of vertical cuts on the under side of the block. The
horizontal knife following after, by a horizontal cut extending across the block,
severs the pieces from the block.
In order that the pieces so severed from the block may not be carried along
with the cutter frame they come against stops f carried by the holder e; these stops
are so arranged as to admit of the passage of the vertical knives between them and
yet to retain the pieces of wood severed from the block. For this purpose they
are carried by a frame attached to or forming part of the holder e, and between
them are placed distance pieces f* corresponding to the distances the vertical
knives are placed apart in the plate 6', a screw g secures the stops and distance
pieces in their relative positions.
By thus arranging the stops fin case any of them break they can be released
and readily readjusted by lowering any one or more of them. The vertical
knives b* are arranged in the plate b¹ in the order shown, it being essential that
they should be so arranged as to act on the block of wood in succession, their
cutting surfaces also may be of any form so long as they rise from front to back,
as indicated at Figure 2, thus allowing of their entering the block of wood gradually
and in succession. The cutters 6* may be secured to the plate 61 in any suitable
manner, for example I form incline slots across and through the plate, and secure
the vertical knives therein by a screw separating the knives by distance pieces; by
this means the position of the cutters can be adjusted to different widths as may
required. Figures 4 and 5 show two forms of cutters full size.
Figure 6 shows the end of a block of wood having the cuts indicated, the lines
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, indicate the cuts made by the vertical knives, and the line 2, 2,
the cut made by the horizontal knife in severing the pieces of wood from the
block.
The pieces of wood after being severed from the block fall down into any suitable
receptacle placed to receive them.
By constructing and arranging the vertical knives 6* as above described the
machine may be worked much more rapidly with a considerably less amount of
power.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice I would observe that I do not claim any of the
mechanical parts separately which are well known and in common use, nor do I
claim the mechanical action of the machine for cutting wood into pieces suitable for
fire wood, but what I claim is,―

page_text: First. The improved form and arrangement of the vertical cutters 6*, the forward
cutter or edge of the cutter being lower than the back cutter or edge, so that the
depth of the cut is made gradually by the cutter or cutters in place of the cutter
entering the block to its full depth in commencing its cut, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement of the cutters 6x in two or more
rows at angles to each other and mounted in slots or otherwise in the the plate b¹,
so that they come into action in succession, and so as to be readily adjusted and
act substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore dercribed and
represented in the Drawings annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the improved arrangement and application of a series of
adjustable stops f, with distance pieces f* between them, arranged to act sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rowley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings, .
W.C.
J. ROWLEY. (L.S.)