A Carving Machine for Forming the Irregular Shapes of Solid Seats of Chairs and for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec.. 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Carving Machine for Forming the Irregular Shapes of Solid Seats
of Chairs and for other purposes.
I THOMAS ASHMAN of Leigh on Mendip in the County of Somerset Timber
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
To form the irregular shapes of solid seats for chairs by means of this invention
I use a revolving cutter or bit of a suitable form and shape attached to the end
of a shaft mounted in suitable bearings and driven by belting or other gear at the
requisite speed. The said shaft is mounted vertically by preference the lower
end carrying the cutter or bit and is capable of being raised or lowered whilst
running to suit the requirements of the work as hereinafter described.
The bearings in which the aforesaid shaft and cutter runs are fixed or made in
the extremity of an arm carried on a vertical shaft and made to swing thereon
and the said arm may have one or more joints in the course of its length each
joint, being provided with suitable pulleys or other gearing whereby to transmit
the driving motion to the cutter shaft before mentioned, over the said cutter shaft
at a suitable height is fixed a pattern or template of the shape desired the upper
end of the before mentioned cutter shaft is kept is contact with the said pattern
or template by springs or other means, now the work to be shaped being fixed
beneath the cutter shaft aforesaid in a suitable position and the cutter being made
to revolve. The said cutter may also by means of the joints in the arm as aforesaid
be moved to and fro over the work to be shaped thereby reproducing the shape of
the pattern or template affixed over the cutter shaft as aforesaid.
In the foregoing description of the working of this invention the pattern or
template and the work to be shaped are both fixed and the cutter shaft is moved
over the work, the different depths of cut being produced by the cutter shaft heing
raised or lowered in following the shape of the pattern or template as aforesaid the
whole being described as in a vertical position but I may place the pattern or
template and the work in any other suitable position and the whole in other than a
vertical position or I may make the pattern or template and work to travel to and
fro and the revolving cutter shaft to be stationary the main principal of this
invention being maintained viz. :—the formation of irregular or other shaped surfaces
by means of an end cutter or bit attached to a revolving shaft made to follow a
pattern or template of the shape required.
The cutter shaft arm and vertical shaft carrying the same as herein before
described is provided with a table or bench on which the work to be operated on
is fixed, the said table or bench may be fixed in the case of a movable cutter shaft
or may be made to move in the case of a fixed cutter shaft and may also be made
to carry the pattern or template or more than one pattern or template as desired,
provision being made to raise or lower the cutter shaft whilst working by contact
with the pattern or patterns as before described.
Dated the 3rd day of March 1894

page_text: A Carving Machine for Forming the Irregular Shapes of Solid Seats
of Chairs and for other purposes.
I THOMAS ASHMAN of Leigh on Mendip in the County of Somerset Timber
Merchant 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 :-
The nature of this my invention consists in forming the irregular surfaces of
solid seats of chairs and other similar surfaces by means of a rotary cutter mounted
on the end of a shaft or spindle and driven at a suitable speed the said shaft and
cutter attached thereto being capable of a motion in its longitudinal direction in
addition to a rotary motion.
This shaft and cutter I mount in connection with a pattern or template of the
shape desired or similar thereto in such a manner that the shaft and cutter whilst
rotating is made to follow the irregular surface of the pattern or template aforesaid
thus reproducing the shape of the pattern or a shape similar thereto on the material
or work the cutter is made to operate upon provision being made for either moving
the cutter over the pattern or template and the material operated upon or for
moving the pattern or template and material operated upon to the cutter as desired
and as hereinafter described.
To perform this my invention I may proceed by preference in the following
general manner. I construct a machine as shown in the accompanying drawing or
similar thereto. In the said drawing A A is a table or bench on which an upright
shaft or pillar B is fixed, C is an arm or bracket made to swing on pillar B.
DD is another shaft or pillar fixed in the end of bracket C and parallel to
pillar B, on D D a second arm or bracket E is made to swing. The bracket or
arm E having bearings F F at its extremity wherein is carried the cutter shaft GG
to the lower end of G G the cutter H is attached. The cutter shaft G G is
capable of a vertical motion in its bearings F F and also through pulley W by
which the cutter shaft is driven by means of a keyway and feather or other suitable
means. L L L is a frame which carries the template or pattern J which is fixed
immediately over the workbed M. The workbed M is carried by adjusting
screws N N and is provided with clamps OO to hold the work to be operated
upon. The cutter shaft G G is held up to the template or pattern J by a spring I
and is provided with a cap K to reduce the friction when in contact with template
or pattern J.
PP are fast and loose pulleys on shaft. Q to which is also attached bevel
wheel R which drives bevel pinion S, this pinion is attached to and drives pulley T
running loose on pillar B the driving motion is communicated to the cutter
shaft GG by letting running on pulleys T. U and V W. To operate the before
described machine I fix the material or work to be operated upon in clamps 00
on the workbed M and adjust the same at a suitable height by set screws N N.
The cutter shaft and cutter which may be moved in any desired direction by the
deflection of the arms C and E is then brought under the pattern or template J
and the cap K coming in contact therewith the cutter shaft and cutter is raised or
depressed according to the shape of the pattern or template and being rotated the
material or work on the workbed is shaped similar to the pattern or template as
desired. I provide a handle X or other suitable means wherewith to move the
arms C and E so that the cutter may be readily moved in any direction desired.
I may also provide an extension or run out at one side or corner of the template J
or on the frame L L carrying the same, to enable the cutter shaft to be run out
of the way whilst changing the work. I may vary or alter the details of the

page_text: before described machine or construct and drive it in any suitable way or by any
suitable means the main principal of this part of my invention being maintained
as hereinbefore set forth and described.
Another manner in which this my invention may be performed is as follows:-
I may make the machine with the arm or bracket C fixed on or made part of
pillar B and dispensing with the bracket or arm E mount the cutter shaft in place
of shaft D D. The cutter shaft being provided with the vertical motion and
fittings as before described, or similar thereto and driven by belting from pulley T
or by other suitable gearing. The workbed may then be made to carry the
frame L L L and template J attached thereto and may be provided with a means
whereby the workbed with material to be operated upon and frame L L L with
template attached thereto may be moved in any desired direction, the template
causing the cutter shaft and cutter to be raised or depressed whilst working thereby
producing the pattern desired on the material operated upon. The template or
pattern in the foregoing and similar cases I make reverse to the pattern desired or
nearly thereto as shewn in drawing at J or in such other manner as to produce the
pattern desired.
I may make the workbed to be moved and operated either by a
self acting motion or by hand as may be desired or I may dispense with the
frame L L L and fix a pattern or template of the shape desired or similar thereto
or more than one pattern or template if desired on an extension of the workbed
and raise or depress the cutter shaft by means of a collar on the cutter shaft and
an arm or arms extending from the said collar outwards and downwards to the
pattern or patterns affixed to and moved by the workbed as aforesaid or I may
make the cutter shaft to be raised and depressed by other suitable means and I
may place the pattern or template in other suitable position on the movable
workbed or attached thereto and I may move the workbed in any other suitable
manner to bring about the performance of this part of my invention viz.: the
provision of a rotary cutter attached to a shaft capable of movement in a vertical
direction the said cutter shaft being carried by a fixed arm and raised or depressed
by contact with a template or templates attached to a movable bed carrying the
material or work to be operated upon and thereon reproducing the shape of the
template or pattern or a shape similar thereto. I may make the cutter shaft and
cutter to be carried in an horizontal or other position and make provisions similar
to those hereinbefore described but suitable for operating with a cutter shaft in a
horizontal or other position instead of a vertical position as herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The invention of a machine for the purpose before named the principal features
of which are:-.
1. A rotary cutter and vertical cutter shaft having a vertical movement
controlled and guided by and kept in contact with (B) the template or pattern
of the shape desired in combination with the movable jointed arm provided
with the necessary gearing wherewith the driving motion is conveyed to the
cutter shaft the said cutter shaft being carried in the extremity of the said
movable jointed arm and the said jointed arm template or pattern and cutter
shaft being in combination with the movable workbed and all or any of the parts
set forth working together or in spart to bring about the object of this invention
as before described.
2. A rotary cutter and cutter shaft with vertical motion as before set forth
running in a fixed arm provided with the necessary driving gear and in contact
with and controlled in its vertical motion by the template or pattern aforesaid the
template or pattern being over the cutter shaft and attached to and carried by a
movable workbed all combined and working together with other necessary parts
as before described to bring about the object of this invention as before set
forth.

page_text: 3. A rotary cutter and vertical cutter shaft with vertical motion as before
described running in a fixed arm and in contact with and controlled in its vertical
motion by the template or templates being fixed to and moved by the workbed
combined and working together with other parts before described wholly or in part
to bring about the object of this invention as before described.
4. A rotary cutter and cutter shaft in other than vertical position having a
motion in its longitudinal direction mounted in any suitable manner so that a
template or pattern may be made to control its longitudinal motion whereby the
shape or pattern may be reproduced on the material operated upon being brought
into contact with the cutter.
The material operated on and the template or pattern being moved and the
cutter shaft carried by a fixed arm or bracket or the pattern and material operated
upon being stationary and the cutter being movable as desired.
Dated 4th day of December 1894.
SAMUEL WATTS,
Acting as Agent for Applicant.