Improvements in Veneer-cutting Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Veneer-cutting Machines.
I, EDWIN FLETCHER SMITH, of 1609 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, in the County
of Onondaga, State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to the class of machines which cut veneering or thin boards
from blocks of wood by means of a reciprocating knife.
And the invention consists in the combination of a rectilinearly reciprocating knife
having a straight cutting edge obliquely to the line of travel, and a block-holder
having the plane of the block-seat at an acute angle to the cutting edge of the knife,
whereby the knife is caused to cut the block endwise of the grain and at an acute
angle uniformly throughout the depth of the block. My improved machine thus
obviates straining the grain of the wood and the resultant splitting or slivering of
the wood in the process of cutting the veneering, and produces veneers which are
smooth and free from cracks and less liable to warp.
The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of a machine embodying my improvements, said view presenting the back
of the knife frame; Fig. 2 is a plan view of said machine; Fig. 3 is a vertical
longitudinal section on the line x, x, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation; Fig. 5 is
a vertical transverse section on line y, y, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line z, z,
Fig. 2, showing the connection of the block holder or support with the guides on
which it is mounted, and Fig. 7 is a diagramatic view illustrating the relative
positions of the knife and block to be operated on, and also the direction of the knife
through said block.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a horizontal frame which constitutes the base of the machine. On
one side of the said base is erected and rigidly secured a frame A' extending along
said side and to the upper and lower portion of the latter frame are firmly secured
lengthwise thereof two horizontal guides a a' which are perfectly straight and parallel
with each other. On these guides slides a stout iron frame B to the side of which
is firmly attached the knife b, which is extended length-wise thereof and is disposed
with its cutting edge downward and with the heel or trailing end of said cutting
edge at an acute angle of about 25 degrees from a horizontal line or to the lower
or adjacent guide a¹ best seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing in which the end portions
of the knife are broken away. Back of the knife and parallel therewith is a
longitudinal slot c extending through the frame B for the passage of the boards cut
from the block by the knife. Back of the cutting edge of the knife and parallel
therewith is a roller d which is at a distance from the knife equal to the thickness
of the board to be cut from the block, said roller serving to sustain the wood
directly in front of the knife and prevent the wood from splitting in advance of the
knife.
The knife-frame B receives a reciprocating motion by a pitman C connecting said
frame with a crank D secured to a counter-shaft I which is extended horizontally
across the rear end of the machine and mounted in boxes or suitable bearings secured
to posts erected on the base A. Beneath this counter-shaft and parallel therewith is
the driving shaft I mounted likewise on the sides of the posts and having secured
to it a pinion F which meshes with a gear-wheel G rigidly attached to the aforesaid
counter-shaft, which latter has also attached to it the balance wheel H.
The aforesaid reciprocating motion of the knife-frame B is rendered rectilinear and
horizontal by the guides a a¹ on which the said frame slides.

page_text: .
e and e¹ represent another set of rectilinear parallel guide-rails preferably I-shaped
in cross section and secured to inclined beams L L which are firmly supported on
the base A. Said beams being at a more acute angle to a horizontal line than the
knife b and the guide rails e e¹ being arranged at right angles to the plane of the
knife frame B.
Upon the said guide-rails e e¹ is mounted the block support or holder N for
holding in its requisite position the wood block to be operated on as indicated by
dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawing.
Said holder consists of a stick of timber preferably of rectangular form in cross-
section and having firmly bolted to its back two brackets ff which ride on the guide
rails e e¹ and are formed with lips f¹¹ with which they embrace the top flanges of
said rails as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing. From the aforesaid brackets extend
rigidly and parallel with the guide rails e el, two tubes g g terminating with
brackets g g which engage the guide rails in the same manner as the brackets ff
and thus sustain the tubes in parallelism with the guide rails.
To the brackets g' g' are rigidly attached the nuts h h in which work screws i i
journalled in pedestals secured to the inclined beam on the side of the frame
opposite to that on which the knife frame is arranged. By means of collars n n
attached to the screws at opposite sides of the pedestals the screws are prevented
from moving longitudinally. To the free ends of the screws are rigidly attached
sprocket wheels oo which are connected with each other by a drive-chain o' so that
by turning one of said screws the other is compelled to turn with it in the same
direction. Suitable levers or handles are attached to one of the screws for turning
the same. By means of these screws and their connections with the nuts h h, the
holder N is moved toward and from the knife-frame B as may be desired.
The holder N is provided on the side facing the knife-frame with a suitable
gripping plate p by which to firmly hold the wood block against the side of the
holder. In order to render the gripping plate adjustable in its position so as to adapt it
to hold blocks of different sizes, I provide said plate with vertical slots (not necessary
to be shown) and insert through said slots and through the holder bolts provided at
the back of the holder with nuts rr by which to tighten the bolts. To better enable
the gripper to hold the wood block during the operation of cutting the boards or
veneering from the same I secure to the top of the holder N another plate s
provided with screw-threaded eyes in which are inserted set screws t t bearing on
the top edge of the gripping plate. It will be observed that in my improved
machine the wood block is sustained at an acute angle to the cutting edge of the
knife, and both are at an acute angle to the line of the movement of the knife, which
latter is rectilinearly as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing.
In this manner I obtain a draw cut in such a direction in relation to the grain of
the wood to be cut as to effectually guard against splitting and slivering or
otherwise straining the fibres of the wood in the boards cut from the block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire to say that I
do not claim broadly a reciprocating knife having its cutting edge at an acute angle
to the line of travel of the knife, as I am aware the same is not new, but what I do
claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
In a veneer cutting machine the combination of a rectilinearly reciprocating knife
having a straight cutting edge obliquely to the line of travel, and a block-holder
having the plane of the block-seat at an acute angle to the cutting edge of the knife,
whereby the knife is caused to cut the block endwise of the grain and at an acute
angle uniformly throughout the depth of the block, substantially as set forth and
shown.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.