An Improved Method and Machine for Making Firelighter Grids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left 5th Jan 1807 Accented 20th Feb
1897
Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left 5th lan 1807 Accepted 20th Feb 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Machine for Making Firelighter Grids.
We BOOTH SUTCLIFFE and EDWARD LOSH DUTTON, both of the Firm of
John Sutcliffe & Son, Wood-working Machine Makers, New Bank, Halifax in
the County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention is for a machine for automatically boring slots or mortises in wood,
and is intended for use in making an improved firelighter. The firelighter consists
of a block of wood with two or more slots through lengthwise, leaving the block
in the form of a grid, this grid is afterwards dipped in a composition of resin or
similar substance mixed with sawdust or wood borings. These grid firelighters
have been made previous to our invention but have been made by fastening together
loose pieces of wood to form the grid.
By our improved method the wood is sawn into blocks, the size that the grid is
to be, these blocks are placed into the machine which automatically hores the slots
and delivers the block in the desired grid form. Our improved machine has two
boring headstocks, fitted with four winged or other traversing boring bits, the
heads are mounted upon cross slides fixed on the bed of the machine and are
reciprocated to and fro by a crank shaft fixed at the back of the machine, the
throw of the cranks giving the length of the slots to be bored. One of the head-
stocks is of higher centres than the other, so that whilst the lower one is boring
one slot the higher one is boring one above it. The headstocks are moved up
towards each other by cams on a cam shaft fixed beneath the bed, the cams are
shaped to give a quick return motion when the slot is bored through. In
modifications of the machine instead of the two headstocks as described, we might
use one or three or more headstocks, having two or more boring spindles either at
fixed centres or adjustable to bore slots different distances apart. The crankshaft
which reciprocates the boring heads, the cam shaft, and the spindles of the boring
heads are all driven from a countershaft in the base of the machine. The wood
blocks are placed in a hopper which leads them down into a vice, of which one jaw
is actuated by a cam on the cam shaft and holds the blocks until bored through.
As soon as the slots are bored through, the vice jaw is opened releasing the wood
and a plunger comes forward and knocks the block out. The plunger is moved by
a rocking shaft worked from the cam shaft. As soon as the block is thrown out,
another block slips down from the hopper, the vice jaw closes upon it, the boring
heads advance and bore the slots. The cams are all shaped to give the movements
at the right speed or time, and the working of the machine is continuous and
automatic, the attendant merely having to keep the hopper supplied with the wood
blocks.
Dated this Fourth day of March 1896.
BOOTH SUTCLIFFE.
EDWARD LOSH DUTTON.

page_text: We, BOOTH SUTCLIFFE and EDWARD LOSH DUTTON of the Firm of Messrs.
John Sutcliffe and Son, Wood-working Machine Makers, New Bank, Halifax, in
the County of York, 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 :--
Our invention is for a machine for automatically boring slots or mortises in wood,
and is intended for use in making an improved firelighter, but is also applicable
for other purposes.
The firelighter consists of a block of wood, with two or more slots formed
lengthwise in the same, leaving the block in the form of a grid, this grid is
afterwards dipped in a composition of resin or other suitable inflamable substance,
mixed preferably with saw-dust or wood borings.
These grid firelighters have been made previous to this invention but have been
made by fastening together loose pieces of wood to form the grid. By our
improved method the wood is sawn into blocks or slabs the size required, these
blocks are placed into the machine which automatically bores the slots and delivers
the block in the desired grid form.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of our machine for making firelighter grids, without
plunger.
Fig. 2, is a back elevation of our machine for making firelighter grids.
Fig. 3, is an end elevation of Fig. 1, partly in section, shewing plunger applied,
and mechanism for operating same.
In our machine we employ two boring headstocks A, B, fitted with four winged
or other traversing boring bits C, the headstocks are mounted upon cross slides D, D,
fixed on the bed E of the machine and are reciprocated to and fro by a crank shaft F
fixed at the back of the machine, this crank shaft is operated by gear wheels F
and pulley F from the driving shaft L of the machine, the throw of the cranks F
giving the length of the slots to be bored in the block or slab K. One of the head-
stocks is of a higher centre than the other, so that whilst the lower one is boring
one slot the higher one is boring the one above it.
The headstocks A and B are moved up towards each other by cams G, G, on
cam shafts H, H, engaging with projections A, B, on the bottom slide D' of the
headstocks, fixed beneath the bed E, these cam shafts are driven by worm
wheels H', H', gearing with worms H2 on the crank shaft, the cams are shaped to
allow a quick return motion of the headstocks when the slots are bored through,
this being effected by means of suitable springs J or weights. In modification of
the machine instead of the two headstocks as described, we might use one or more
headstocks, or headstocks having two or more boring spindles, either at fixed
centres or adjustable to bore slots different distances apart.
The crank shaft F which operates the boring heads, and the spindles or cutters C
of the boring heads A, B, are all driven from a counter shaft L in the base of the
machine, by means of pulleys M, and straps N. P are the fast and loose driving
pulleys of the machine.
The wood blocks K are placed in a hopper K¹ which leads them down into a
vice of which one jaw R holds the blocks until they are bored through and the
grid formed, this jaw is mounted upon a pivotted lever S actuated by a disc or
cam T upon the cam shaft H, which operates upon a connecting rod, bar or

page_text: extended part V of the lever S, within the aforesaid disc is a conical recess T'
engaging with which (as the disc revolves). is an antifriction bowl T fixed upon
the extended part V of the lever S, a spring S¹ or counterpoise weight keeping
the bar V in position. When the bowl T2 engages with the recess T', that is
when the slots have been bored through, the jaw R releases the wood block which
is automatically knocked or forced out by a plunger or ram U; one of the inclined
sides of the recess (as the disc continues to revolve), then bears against the runner
forcing same out on to the outer periphery of the disc causing the jaw to seize aud
hold the next block to be bored which has automatically fallen from the hopper
into position upon an adjustable bracket or support U'.
The plunger U is operated preferably by a cam or disc W having projections W'
which engage with and move at intervals a lever X upon a rocking shaft X
supported by an arm or bracket Y attached to the side of the bed, at the other
end of this rocking shaft is a second lever Z to one end of which is secured the
plunger or ram U.
The operation is as follows:-As a block or slab falls upon the support U' it is
seized and held by the jaw R, the cutters C advance and bore the holes, the
cams G, G, simultaneously giving the reciprocating motion to the headstocks A, B,
for the purposes before described. When the holes are bored through the
antifricticn bowl T2, engages with the recess T¹ in the cam or disc T on the cam
shaft H, causing the jaw R to immediately release the block K, the plunger U
then comes forward and throws out the firelighter grid made, a second block falls
from the hopper K' into position and the operation is repeated. All the cams
and discs are shaped and arranged to give the movements at the right time or
speed, so that the working of the machine is continuous and automatic, the
attendant merely having to keep the hopper supplied with the wood blocks or
slabs.
The machine with slight modifications can also be used for other work where
slots have to be bored in wood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. Automatically boring slots in wood blocks or slabs for the manufacture of
firelighter grids and the like in the manner substantially as shown and described.
2. In the manufacture of firelighter grids from wood blocks or slabs, the use
and employment of one or more boring headstocks having a feed and to and fro
motion imparted to them in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shown
and described.
3. In the manufacture of firelighter grids from wood blocks or slabs the use and
employment of boring headstocks A, B, hopper K, jaw R and plunger U all
operating automatically in the manner and for the purposes substantially as
described.
4. In apparatus for manufacturing firelighter grids by boring or cutting a slot
or slots in blocks or slabs of wood, the use and employment of one or more boring
heads A, B, having suitable cutters C slides D and D', crank shaft F, cranks F,
cams G, hopper K, jaw R, cam or disc T and plunger U all operating automatically
substantially as shown and described.
Deted this Fourth dor of January 1807
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Patent Agent for the Applicants.