IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE WOOD PLANING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Knox and Adam Easton Knox, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers and Machine Makers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE WOOD PLANING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Knox and Adam
Easton Knox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May
1879.
ADAM KNOX and ADAM EASTON KNOX, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineers and Machine Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SURFACE WOOD PLANING MACHINES."
The said Invention has reference to the general construction or combination of
the parts of surface wood planing machines known as surface planers, and also in
special improvements in the constructions and arrangements of the gearing for
driving. The rollers for feeding in or drawing the wood through the machine to be
planed, and other minor improvements, which will make such planing machines
more simple, easier managed, and inexpensive than they have been as heretofore
constructed.
And the nature of the said Invention consists all as follows:-The framing of the
machine consists of two strong main open cast iron longitudinal side frames or
cheeks, with webs and strengthening feathers at the edges, and expanding or curved
outflanged feet for securing the whole to a proper foundation or strong floor, or it
might be to an open box framing. The side cheeks are strongly screwed together
by transverse rails or stay frames and cross rods, and formed with bearing recesses
at the upper top edge of the side frames fitted with long journal bearings, or bushes
and covers in the centre for the cutter head or shaft to revolve in, which is preferably
made in one solid bar; and those for the two feeding roller shafts to rotate in are
placed one on each side of the former, just clear of its cutting knives, and bolding
down bars or pressers and hinged bonnet over the cutter head by guiding the
shavings clear over the back feed rollers and gearing. The bushes of these rollers
rising and falling in their bearing recesses are fitted with spiral springs and screws,
or other equivalent, in brackets or recesses for them above or below the bushes,

page_text: The bed or table on which the wood is fed or drawn in to be planed is made in the
form of a long plate, projecting beyond the side frames at the feeding in and delivery
ends the full width between these, and planed on top, with guiding edge feathers,
with deep under feathers at the sides with guides working up and down in slotted
planed slides formed in the centre on the inner sides of the side frames, carried
preferably in the smaller machines by one central screw spindle, working in a deep
screwed eye or nut in a strong cross beam or rail secured or cast on the said deep
flanges of the table, and securely mounted by collar bearings in the cross rail
securing the side cheeks of the frame below, with a large hand wheel on the lower
part of the screw spindle to turn it freely from the side, to raise or lower the table,
and secure it there at the proper distance below the planing head and feeding rollers,
to suit the thickness of wood being planed for the time being. This bed plate
carries the usual anti-friction or pressure receiving idle rolls in transverse recesses,
with bush bearings in the deep side feathers of the bed or table exactly below the
centre of the feeding rollers, pinching screws being mounted below the bushes of
these under rollers to adjust them to the proper height, in line or slightly above the
flush of the upper surface of the bed plate, to grip the wood between them and the
feeding rollers, and prevent the wood pressing too hard on the table and causing
unnecessary pressure or friction on the wood.
But for the larger sizes of these machines it is preferred to carry and raise and
lower the platform or table by two screws similarly mounted, one at each side, in
bearing brackets secured on the inside of the side frames, and with bevel wheels on
their lower ends, gearing into pinions on a cross shaft mounted on bearings in the
side frames, and with bevel wheels, on their lower ends, gearing into pinions
on a cross shaft mounted on bearings in the side frames, and actuated by a
hand wheel on its outer end outside of one side of the frame of the machine,
so as to raise or lower the bed plate equally and simultaneously at both sides
of the machine. The cutter head is driven, as usual, by a small broad pulley
on its one overhanging end, at a high speed, by a belt from a large pulley
or drum on any first motive power adjacent shaft. One improved arrange-
ment of feed gearing for working the feed rollers consists of a worm or screw
wheel, mounted preferably on the other overhanging end of the shaft of the cutter
head or cylinder to that of its driving pulley, which screw works into a corresponding
screw toothed wheel mounted on the middle of a shaft carried in bearing brackets
projecting from the side frame horizontally below the ends of the overhanging ends of
the shafts of the two feeding rollers, so as to work either at an angle to, or it might
be parallel to the side frame, and so drive the feed rollers by screws on its outer
ends working into corresponding screw wheels mounted on the ends of the feed
roller spindles over each screw, and thus get a very simple and steady slow feed
motion from the first revolving knife shaft, without the usual complication of several
belts, and reducing speed pulleys and intermediate shafts; the angled screw shaft
And when
of course requiring skew screw wheels to suit the angle of the shafts.
this counter duplex screw shaft (for driving the side feeding rollers from a screw on
the shaft of the cutter head) is set parallel to the side of the machine, its two end
screws may be made to work into the skew or curved teeth on the face rim of the
wheels on the end for the feed roller shafts, instead of on the edge or periphery of
these, as in the former modification. For the larger class of these surface planing
machines another modification or arrangement of this screw reducing speed motion
of the feeding rollers from the shaft of the cutter head consists in mounting a small
pulley on the one end of the latter, with a belt passed over it to a large, preferably
hollow, rimined pulley revolving loose on a strong stud or axle fixed in the side of
the frame, and a bracket at its outer end carrying the foot step of an angular screw
shaft out at the rear or advanced lower side of the frame, to give sufficient length
for the said open belt to work freely. This angle shaft is carried at its upper part
in a bearing bracket projecting from the side frame of the machine, and has a right
and a left handed screw on its upper end working into corresponding screw wheels
on the overhanging ends of the feeding or drawing in rollers. The lower end of this

page_text: angled shaft may either be driven by a large friction surface disc, secured on its
lower end by a small edge running friction pulley traversed radially on its eye by a
feather and groove connection on the long sleeve or eye of the large belt pulley, and
shifted radially across the face of the disc, so as to drive it by stiff friction at
different speeds, by a forked arm hand lever working in a grooved collar recess at
one end of the friction pulley; or otherwise a large bevel wheel may be keyed on
the lower end of this angled shaft, driven by a corresponding pinion gearing into
it, and running loose on the axle of the large driving belt pulley, so that it may be
driven by this through a friction leather disc surface by a slight end shift of the
belt pulley and a hand lever for the purpose. A further improvement consists in
fitting these machines so driven with a low portable or tables, fixed on the top
of the feeding-in table or bed plate, to plane the under surface of the wood by hand
feeding on the upper surface of this supplementary table, raised off the lower bed to
the height of the upper surface of the revolving cutters, and for the true planing of
the edges or surfaces of the wood, as for jointing. It is essential to have the upper
surface of this table planed very straight and fair, with the front part slightly
lower (as from th to th) than the part behind the cutter head, to allow for the
cut and insure the straightness of the finished surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Adam Knox and Adam Easton Knox in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th November 1879.
ADAM KNOX and ADAM EASTON KNOX, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineers and Machine Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SURFACE
WOOD PLANING MACHINES."
Our said Invention has reference to the general construction or combination of
the parts of surface wood planing machines, known as "surface planers," and also in
special improvements in the construction and arrangement of the gearing for driving
the rollers, for feeding in or drawing the wood through the machine to be planed,
and in other minor improvements, which will make such planing machines more
simple, casier managed, and inexpensive than they have been as heretofore con-
structed.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing our said Invention
may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to describe the several Figures
on the Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto appended for that purpose, the
same reference letters and numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the
Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are a front elevation and plan, and Figures 3 and 4 an end
elevation and transverse section, all respectively of a general arrangement or com-
bination of the parts of a surface wood planing machine constructed in accordance
with and illustrative of one modification of our said Invention, or improvements
thereof. Figures 5 and 6 are an end view and sectional corresponding plan'; and
Figures 7 and 8 a partial front elevation of the gearing end, and a transverse
section, all respectively of another modification or general arrangement and combi-
nation of the parts of a new or improved surface wood planing machine constructed
in accordance with and illustrative of our said Invention, or improvements thereof;
and Figure 9 is a transverse section of the cutting knives 41, 4', and cylinder 4,
showing the new or improved guard I, 1", with holding down or pressure bars 1º, 2º,
for steadying the wood on each side of the cutting cylinder 4, 41, to a large scale;
these I, I, I, 23, being removed in the general arrangement, Figures 5 to 8, to
shew the other parts more clearly; and Figures 10 and 11 are respectively an
elevation and plan of a somewhat different arrangement of the screw wheels and
gearing for driving the feeding rollers 5, 5', than that shown in Figures 1 to 4.
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the nature of the
said Invention and general construction and improvements of the machine consist
as follows-The framing of the machine consists of two strong main cast-iron
longitudinal side frames or checks 1, 1, formed of main webs and strengthening edge
feathers 1', and expanding or curved out to broad flanged feet 1", for securing the
whole to a proper foundation or strong floor, or it might be an open plate or box
sole framing. The side checks 1, 1, are strongly screwed together below by the
transverse rails or stay frames 2, and the cross stays or rods 21. The side frames
1, 1, are formed with bush journal bearings 3, at the upper top edge of the sido
frames, fitted with long journal bearing bushes, and covers 3' in the centre, for the
journals of the cutter head or shaft 4, 41, to revolve in, which is preferably made in
one solid bar 4. The recesses fitted with their bushes 51, for the shafts of the two
upper feeding rollers 5, 5', to rotate in, are placed one on each side of the former
4, with the rollers just clear of its cutting knives 41, 4'; and having a curved guard
or hinged "bonnet " I, secured on one of the upper stays 21, projecting over the
cutter head and the front roller 5, for guiding the wood cuttings or shavings clear

page_text: over the upper back feed roller 5' and its fittings. The bushes 511 of these rollers
5, 51, rise and fall in their bearing recesses fitted with spiral springs and regulating
tightning screws and nuts 5111, below the sole or flange of their bushes and recesses
511, or it might be other equivalent fittings in brackets or recesses above their
bushes 5. The bed or table 6 on which the wood W is laid and fed or drawn in
to be planed is made in the form of a long plate projecting beyond the side frames
at 1, 1, the feeding in and delivery ends z, z¹, the full width between these frames,
and planed on top, with guiding edge feathers 6' near the centre projecting from
strong deep under webs 6" at the sides which work as guides up and down on
slotted or planed slides 1× formed in the centre on the inner sides of the side frames
1, 1, and carried preferably in this smaller class of machines by one central screw
spindle 7, working in a deep screwed eye or nut in a strong transverse cross beam
or rail 6, secured or cast on the lower central deep flanges 6" of the table 6, the
screw 7 being securely mounted by a collar bearing in the lower cross rail or
frame 2, securing the side cheeks or frames 1, 1, below, and having a hand or bevel
wheel 71 on its lower end to turn it by a pinion and shaft 71, 71, at one side, to
raise or lower the table 6, and hold it there at the proper distance below the planing
head-stock 4, 4, and the feeding rollers 5, 5¹, to suit the thickness of wood W being
planed for the time being. The bed plate 6 carries the usual anti-friction or pres-
sure receiving idle rollers 52 in transverse recesses formed for them in the upper
part of the tablo on bush bearings fitted at 6 in the deep side feathers 6" of the
bed or table 6, exactly below the centre axes of the feeding rollers 5, 5¹, pinching
screws 63 being mounted below the bushes 62 to adjust the under rollers to the
proper height in the surface line of the table 6, or a little above, to grip the wood
between them and the feeding rollers 5, 51, and prevent the wood from pressing too
hard on the table, and thus cause unnecessary pressure or friction on the wood in
passing through the machine. But for the larger sizes of these machines it is
preferred to carry and raise and lower the platform or table 6 by two screws 7, 7,
similarly mounted, one at each side in bearing brackets 8 secured on to the inside
of the side frames 1, 1, and having bevel wheels 7' on their lower ends, gearing into
pinions 7 on a cross shaft 71, mounted on bearings in the side frames 1, 1, as
indicated in Figures 5 and 7. This shaft 7111 is actuated by a hand wheel 8' on its
one end, outside one side or end frame 1 of the machiue, so as to raise or lower the
bed plate 6 equally and simultaneously at both sides, all otherwise as and for the
purposes described in reference to Figures 1 to 4. The cutter head 4, 4', is driven
much as usual at a very high speed direct by a small broad pulley 9 on its one
overhanging end, preferably with a bush bearing 4" beyond, at its extreme end,
carried on a strong bracket 10 screwed to one end frame 1 of the machine, so
as to be actuated by a belt 9' passing over it from a large pulley or drum on any
motive power adjacent shaft.
Referring to Figure 9, an improvement specially applicable to the larger sizes of
these surface wood planing machines, consists in an improved construction and
arrangement of the hinged guard or "bonnet" I, which is formed of two segmental
or crescent shaped end webs, jointed at their back cars 1, 11, to snugs on the upper
edges of the bearing frames 1, 1, encircling the cutting cylinder 4, 4', with a thin
circumferential web or case I in front, which guides the shavings so that they are
thrown right back over the top of the cutters, and the rear or delivery feed roller
5. The bottom edge of improved delivery hood I, for the cuttings, is formed
as a wedge shaped pressurebar 1, rounded on its under face to hold down the wood
close in front of the cutters 4', by the weight and lever. I³, formed or secured on one
side, and in front of the delivery hood and bar I', 1ª. Another equivalent portable
wedge shaped pressure bar is fitted close in and right across behind the cutters 4'
mounted by fat ends or tenons in slotted recesses, in the cheeks 1, 1, between
the bearings of the cutting cylinder and back feeding roller 5'; india-rubber or
other springs, with top plate and adjusting pressure pinching screws are fitted in

page_text: cleaner or
the recesses over the ends of the bearing bar 22, also smoothly rounded on its under
side to hold down the wood firmly without injuring the planed surface. To prevent
any of the cuttings or shavings getting in between the back feeding roller 51, or
being carried back over it, a guard plate j and hollow box J, or other equivalent
"doctor" is fitted right across over the top of the feeding roller 5', pre-
ferably formed on or secured by two arms j¹ to the upper edge of the back pressure
bar So that this protector j, J, is held down in front by the springs of the
pressure bar ², and held down behind by spiral or other equivalent springs 1,
mounted on end snugs at j¹¹, and on the holding brackets J" over them, secured to
the upper edge of the bearing part of the side frames 1, 1. The front feeding roller
5 is preferably made with fine close cut flat edged grooves and ridges, to catch and
feed in the wood by its upper unplaned surface; but the back feeding and delivery
roller 5 is turned quite plain and smooth, so as to feed forward the wood on its
planed surface without injuring or marking it, and the protector or box J is pre-
ferably filled with cotton waste or other equivalent, moistened when required with
a liquid which would keep the surface of the roller clean, as naptha, which would
clean off rosin when that adhered to the surface of the roller.
One modification or arrangement of the new or improved slow speed transmitting
gearing for working the feed rollers 5, 5', as shown in Figures 1 to 3, consists of a worm
or screw A mounted on one overhanging end of the shaft 4 of the cutter head or cylin-
der 5, 51, which screw A works into a corresponding screw toothed wheel A¹, mounted
on the middle of a horizontal shaft B, carried in the journal bearing brackets C, screwed
to and projecting up from the bracket 10, below the overhanging ends of the shafts
of the two feeding rollers 5, 5¹, so as to work er at an angle to the side frame
1, 1, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and drive t feed rollers by screws b, b, on its
outer ends, working into corresponding skew o gled screw wheels b, b', mounted
on the ends of the feed roller spindles 5, 51, 6, er each screw. Thus obtaining a
very simple, direct, and steady slow feed motion for these rollers 5, 5¹, from the fast
first motion knife shaft 4, without the usual complication of the several reducing
speed pulleys, belts, and intermediate or counter shafts; the angled shaft and its
screws of course require skew or angled screw toothed wheels b', to suit the angle
of the screws as the machine maker or engineer will quite understand. Although
the speed reducing shaft B has been shown angled for the purpose of getting larger
screw wheels b¹, b₁, yet it will be evident that it might be fitted parallel to the
frame 1, 1, at right angles to the shafts 4 and 5, and fitted with ordinary screw
wheels, or as shown in detached clevation and plan in Figures 10 and 11, with face
toothed screw wheels b, b², on the ends of the feed roller spindles 5, 5', the screws b, b,
on this shaft B to work into wheels 62, quite as large in diameter as can be got by
angling the shaft B, as in the angled arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3. The
teeth on the face rim of the wheels b2, b2, keyed on the extreme end of the feed
roller shafts 5, 51, would be angled and curved to work into the screws b, b, freely
in entering and leaving them, working all otherwise to drive the feed rollers 5, 5¹,
at a slow speed from the first motion cutter shaft 4, as hereinbefore described in
reference to the first modification, Figures 1 to 3.
Referring to Figures 5 to 8, another modification or arrangement of this screw
reducing speed motion of the feeding rollers 5, 51, from the shaft of the cutter
head 4, suitable for the larger class of these surface planing machines, consist in
mounting a small driving belt pulley D on the one end of the latter shaft 4, with a
belt D¹ passed over it, to a large preferably hollow rimmed pulley D₁ revolving
loose on a strong stud or axle D fixed on the side of the frame 1, and a strong
bracket E at its outer end secured to a sole plate or bracket E' bolted to the side
frame, and carries the footstep bearing f of an angular screw shaft F out at the
front or rear lower side of the frame 1 so as to give sufficient length for the
said open belt D' to work freely on the pulleys D, D". This angle shaft F is
carried at its upper neck part in a journal bearing bracket f, projecting from the

page_text: side frame of the machine, and has a right and left handed screw F1, F" on its
upper end working into corresponding screw wheels F2, F3, on the overhanging
ends of the feeding rollers 5, 51, which draw the wood W through the machine.
The lower end of this angled shaft F is preferably driven (by a large friction surface
disc G secured on its lower end) by a small edge running friction pulley G¹,
traversed radially by its eye, fitted with a groove and feather connection on the
long sleeve or eye D of the large belt pulley D", and shifted radially across the
face of the disc G, so as to drive it and its shaft F by stiff friction at different
speeds, and shifted through a grooved collar recess g at one end of the friction
pulley G¹, with a forked lever g¹ working in it, and secured on a spindle g working
in a journal bracket below by a hand lever g². The said driving stiff friction may
be given by mounting the disc G to move slightly on its shaft F by a feather, key,
and groove, with a strong spiral spring f" mounted between a fixed collar fui, and
its eye G to press it down, and which may be raised by a collar groove at f² and
a forked L hand lever få fulcrumed on an arm E" of the bracket E, and which
would thus either throw the feeding screw shaft F into or out of motion as desired.
By another arrangement a large bevel wheel, instead of the dise G, may be keyed
on the lower end of this angled shaft F, driven by a corresponding pinion gearing
into it, and returning loose on the axle D of the large driving belt pulley D", so
that it may be driven by this pinion through the friction of a leather disc surface
and the slight end shift of the belt pulley D" and hand lever arrangement for the
purpose. A further improvement consists in fitting these surface wood planing
machines with a low portable planing bed or table H, H', fixed or screwed on the
top of the feeding in table or bed plate 6 by the edge webs and flanges /¹ to plane
the under surface of the wood W by hand feeding on the upper surface of this
supplementary table, which may be made in two parts or plates H, H', raised off
the lower bed to the height of the upper surface of the revolving cutters 41; and
for the true planing of the edges or surfaces of the wood, as for jointing, it is
essential to have the upper surface of this table planed very straight and fair, with
the front part H slightly lower (as from 3 to 18 part of an inch) than the part H¹
behind the cutter head 4, 41, to allow for the cut and insure the straightness of the
finished surface for jointing purposes, all as seen particularly in Figure 4.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the
presise details herein described or delineated, but what we consider novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction or combination of the parts of surface wood
planing machines with the new or improved arrangements of screw reducing speed
gearing for driving the feeding rollers, and the bars and fittings for holding down
the wood close to the cutters, all substantially as described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The general construction or arrangement and use of screw reducing
speed gearing with horizontal transmitting screw shaft, either angled or parallel to
the side frame, for the driving of the feeding rollers from the cutter spindle in
surface wood planing machines, all substantially as described in reference to and
indicated by reference letters in Figures 1 to 3 and 10, 11, respectively of the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The general construction or arrangement of vertical angled screw reducing
speed shaft and gearing, driven through transmitting differential speed friction disc
and pulley or bevel wheels, by a belt and pulleys from the cutter shaft for driving
the feeding rollers of surface wood planing machines, all substantially as described
in reference to and indicated by reference letters in Figures 5 to 8 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of additional or supplementary table
for planing over the cutter cylinder, as well as under it, on the ordinary lower

page_text: adjustable table of surface wood planing machines, substantially as described in
reference to and shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Knox, have, on behalf of the said Adam
Easton Knox and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty
sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventynine.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ADAM KNOX. (L.S.)