IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING WOOD
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel William Worssam, junior, of King's Road,
Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING WOOD."
Sealed the 23rd July 1867, and dated the 9th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel William Worssam
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th May 1867.
I, SAMUEL WILLIAM WORSSAM, junior, of King's Road, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING WOOD," to be as
follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus:
for working wood, and relates to the application of various improvements to
machines for joiners' purposes, but refers more particularly to that class of
machine known as the "general" or "universal joiner," whereby such machines
are made more generally useful and rendered capable of producing work not:
hitherto done by such machines.
The Invention consists, firstly, in the application to such machines of means
or apparatus whereby tenons may be completely cut in one traverse of the
wood. For this purpose I employ according to one arrangement in addition
to the ordinary saw or machine spindle two vertical rotating spindles upon
which suitable saws or cutters are fixed, the wood being fixed in a vertical

page_text: position to a suitable clamp and passed across a pair of saws on the main
spindle of the machine, thereby producing two cuts or "kerfs" the length of
the required tenon; then by continuing the traverse of the clamp the material
is passed between the saws or cutters on the two vertical spindles in such manner
as to-form the shoulders of the tenons and allow the "cheeks" or waste pieces
to fall-away. The saws may, however, be entirely dispensed with for producing
tenons, in which case suitable cutters will be fixed on-the two vertical spindles
before referred to, and thereby entirely remove the material which in the
preceding instance constituted the "cheeks." Instead, however, of employing
the vertical spindles above described for this purpose I in some cases employ
in addition to the ordinary saw or machine spindle another spindle parallel
therewith, and upon each of these spindles I mount suitable cutters (the saws
being entirely dispensed with for this purpose); the wood is fixed in or upon
a suitable sliding plate, and by being passed between the rotating cutters the
tenons are completely formed ready for insertion into their corresponding
mortises. Motion may be communicated to the various spindles-in-any
convenient manner. The vertical spindles before described may also be
employed for the purposes of grooving, tongueing, rabbeting, chamfering, and
for either linear, curvilinear, or irregular moulding, suitable cutters being fixed
thereon, as will be readily understood. When employing these vertical
spindles for producing mouldings the platform or table is made longer than
usual, and the spindles are so arranged as to be capable of being used either
simultaneously above the general level of the platform or table, or one may be
above whilst the other is under, rotary motion being imparted to the spindles
in opposite directions.
:
The Invention also consists in the application to such machines of means
whereby they are rendered capable of producing larger and more perfect
mouldings than has previously been the case. For this purpose I employ self-
acting feed rollers to feed the material up to the cutters, which I place on a
cutter block on the end of the machine spindle, the material being fed beneath
such cutters on a suitable table by the feed, motion above described. If
desired other cutters mounted on vertical axes may also be employed, thereby
enabling two or more sides of a moulding to be worked at one operation. The
table is capable of adjustment to different thicknesses of material, and the
rate of feed, is also capable of adjustment to suit the nature, character, or
quality of the material under operation.
The Invention also consists in the application to such class of machines of
means for squaring out and completely finishing the ends of mortises which
are at present left of a semicircular form on account of the form and action of

page_text: the cutters by which they are produced, the squaring out (according to the
ordinary plan) being afterwards effected by hand. For this purpose I fix
suitable chisels or cutters to the main standard or other suitable part of the
machine in such manner that when the revolving tool has done its work in
producing the mortise the material without removal from its table is pressed
forward on to the chisels or cutters so as to effect the completion of the
mortise, such chisels or cutters being capable of adjustment to different sizes
of mortise, and being capable of removal or of being turned out of the way
when not in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel William Worssam in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEl
WILLIAM WORSSAM, junior, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel William Worssam, junior, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
William Worsam, junior, my-executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Samuel William Worssam, junior, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING
Wood," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel William
Worssam, junior, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and inmediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel William Worssam, junior, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus
for working wood, and relates- to-the-application of various-improvements to
machines-for-joiners' purposes;-but-refers more particularly to that class of
machine known as the "general or "universal joiner," whereby such
machines are made more generally useful and rendered capable of producing
work not hitherto done thereby.
The Invention consists, firstly, in the application to such machines of means
or apparatus whereby tenons may be completely cut in one traverse of the
wood. For this purpose I employ according to one arrangement in addition
to the ordinary saw or machine spindle_two_vertical_rotating-spindles-upon-
which suitable saws or cutters are fixed, the wood being fixed in a vertical
position to a suitable clamp, and passed across a pair of saws on the main
spindle of the machine, thereby producing two cuts or "kerfs" the length of
the required tenon; then by continuing the traverse of the clamp the material
is passed between the saws or cutters on the two vertical spindles in such
manner as to form the shoulders of the tenons, and allow the "cheeks" or
waste pieces to fall away. The saws may, however, be entirely dispensed with
for producing tenons, in which case suitable cutters will be fixed on the two
vertical spindles before referred to, and thereby entirely remove the material
which in. the preceding instance constituted the "checks." Instead, however,
of employing the vertical spindles above described for this purpose I in some
cases employ in addition to the ordinary saw or machine spindle another
spindle parallel therewith, and, upon each of these spindles I mount suitable
cutters (the saws being entirely dispensed with for this purpose); the wood is
.fixed in or upon a suitable sliding plate, and by being passed between the
rotating cutters the tenons are completely formed ready for insertion into
their corresponding mortices. Motion may be communicated to the various
spindles in any convenient manner. The vertical spindles before described
may also be employed for the purposes of grooving, tongueing, rabbeting, and
chamfering.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the application to such machines of
means, whereby they are rendered capable of producing larger and more
perfect mouldings than has previously been the case.
For this purpose
I
employ self-acting feed rollers to feed the material up to the cutters, which
I place on a cutter block on the end of the machine spindle, the material
being fed beneath such cutters on a suitable table by the feed motion
above described. If desired other cutters mounted on vertical axes may also

page_text: be employed, thereby enabling two or more sides of a moulding to be worked
at one operation. The table is capable of adjustment to different thicknesses
of material, and the rate of feed is also capable of adjustment to suit the
nature, character, or quality of the material under operation.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in the application to such class of machines
of means for squaring out and completely finishing the ends of mortises which
are at present left of a semicircular form, on account of the form and action
of the cutters by which they are produced, the squaring out (according to the
ordinary plan) being afterwards effected by hand. For this purpose I fix
suitable chisels or cutters to the main standard or other suitable part of the
machine in such manner that when the revolving tool has done its work in
producing the mortise the material without removing from its table is pressed
forward on to the chisels or cutters, so as to effect the completion of the
mortise, such chisels or cutters being capable of adjustment to different sizes
of mortise; and being capable of removal or of being turned out of the way
when not in action.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings
more fully to describe the same.
DESRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is an elevation, partly in section, Figure 2 is a plan, Figure 3
is a cross section on the line 1, 1, of Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a cross section
on the line 2, 2, of Figure 2, of portions of a "general" or "universal
joiner" having the first part of my Invention applied thereto, whereby a tenon
may be completely formed in one traverse of the wood.
a is the ordinary saw or machine spindle, upon which are mounted the
saws a¹, a², as usual, and b, b', are two vertical rotating spindles upon which
saws or other suitable cutters 6º, 63, are mounted; the wood c is fixed in a
vertical position to a clamp d, which is capable of being moved to and fro
upon the slide e.
The operation of this part of the machine is as follows:-
The wood c is first fixed in the clamp d, it is then passed accross the saws a³, a³,
on the main spindle a, thereby producing two cuts or "kerfs" the length of
the required tenon; then by continuing the traverse of the clamp d on the
slide é the wood is passed between the saws or cutters 62, 63, on the vertical
axes b, b, whereby the shoulders of the tenons are formed and the "cheeks" or
waste pieces c', c, removed and allowed to fall away. Rotary motion is com-
municated to the spindles or axes b, b', by means of a strap, band, or gut
passing partly around a pulley a³ on the saw or machine spindle a, and thence

page_text: partly around the guide pulleys f. f, f, and partly around the pulleys 6, 65,
mounted on the vertical axes or spindles b, 6: The various parts are capable
of adjustment, as shewn in the Drawing, or in other suitable. manner. The
saws a, a, and 62, 63, may however. be-entirely-dispensed-with-for producing
_tenon's, in which-case-suitable-cutters, as-will-be-readily-understood, will be
fixed to cutter blocks, such as that shown at Figures 5, which will be mounted
upon the two vertical spindles 62, 63, such cutters acting to clear away and
entirely remove the material, which in the preceding instance constituted the
"cheeks" c¹, c². Instead, however, of employing the vertical spindles b, b²,
for this purpose I in some cases employ in addition to the ordinary saw or
machine spindle a another spindle parallel therewith, and upon each of these
spindles I mount suitable cutters, the saws_in_this_case_also_being_entirely
dispensed with. The wood is fixed in or upon a suitable sliding plate or
clamp, and by being passed between the rotating cutters the tenons will be
completely formed ready for insertion into their corresponding mortises.
I have not thought it necessary to give Drawings of the cutters used in
these two last modifications, as aided by the description already given a
competent mechanic will readily understand how to carry the same into
effect.
Figures 6 show two views of a cutter or "drunken saw" to be applied to
one or both of the vertical spindles b, b, for the purpose of grooving and
rabbeting, the upper part of the spindles b, b', with the saws thereon being
previously removed. When it is desired to employ the vertical spindles b, 61,
for tongueing or chamfering suitable cutters will be applied to the cutter
blocks shown at Figures 5, which will then be mounted on the spindles b, b,
instead of the saws, as will be well understood.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 8 is a plan of parts of a
"general" or "universal joiner," having the second part of my Invention
applied thereto, whereby such machines are rendered capable of producing
larger and more perfect mouldings than has heretofore been the case.
a, a, is
the saw or machine spindle, upon one end of which a cutter block b is fixed,
such cutter block being supplied as will be well understood with cutters of a
form suitable to produce the description of moulding required; and in order to
feed the material up to the cutters on the cutter block b I employ feed
rollers c, d, the lower feed roller c being mounted upon a suitable axis, and
being free to rotate as shewn; or, if desired, rotary motion may be given
thereto by suitable gearing, whilst the upper feed roller d is mounted upon an
axis d' to which rotary motion is given in the following manner:-On the
opposite end of the axis d' to that of the feed roller d is fixed a worm wheel d

page_text: which receives motion from a worm or screw el on the upright shaft or axis e,
on the lower end of which is fixed a bevilled pinion e2, which is taken into by
and receives motion from a bevilled pinion f¹ on the shaft or axis f, and such
shaft or axis receives rotary motion from a countershaft (not shown in the
Drawings) by means of a strap, band, or gut passing from a pulley-on-the-
countershaft to the cone pulley f2 on the shaft or axis f, the countershaft-or
axis being driven by any suitable means. The wood is supported on the
table g, and is prevented rising therefrom by the weighted presser h and spring
presser i, as shewn, whilst the table g is provided with facility of adjustment to
different thicknesses of material, as shewn. The gearing giving motion to the
feed roller d is thrown in and out of gear by means of the clutch handle j
acting upon the clutch ¹. If desired other cutters mounted on vertical axes
may also be employed, thereby enabling-two-or-more-sides-of_a_moulding to
be worked at one traverse of the wood. I have not thought it necessary to
shew the application of such cutters mounted on vertical axes, as such will be
readily understood by a competent mechanic.
The third part of my Invention is shewn applied to Figures 9 and 10,
where a³ is the rotary cutter by which the mortise is made in the wood in the
usual manner, but which at present leaves the mortise with ends of a rounded
or semicircular form; but in carrying out my Invention I apply suitable cutters
or chisels k, k, mounted in sockets k¹, k¹, working on suitable centres of
motion in such manner that after the rotary cutter a³ has acted to produce a
mortise the wood held on the table l, as is well understood, is drawn back
free from the rotary cutter a³, and after one of the cutters or chisels k has
been placed in a suitable position parallel with the rotary cutter as the wood
on the table is again forced forward against the cutter k for the time being
in action, whereby one end of the mortise is squared out, such cutter k is then
turned out of the way, and the other cutter & brought into position, when the
operation is repeated in a similar manner for the other end of the mortise, as
will be well understood. If desired only one of such cutters k may be
employed, the socket k¹ in this case being capable of removal and of being
replaced in a reversed position. When the rotary cutter a³ is in action the
cutters k, k, are turned out of the way at right angles to such cutter a³. The
cutters are capable of ready removal from their sockets k¹, k¹, in order that
different sizes of cutters may be applied as required.
In my Provisional Specification I referred to modifications of means for
producing linear, curvilinear, or irregular mouldings, but since the filing
thereof I have found that such means do not possess that amount of utility
which would render it advisable to give a further description thereof.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in
which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described, nor do I
claim the mechanical parts separately considered; but what I do claim is,―
Firstly, the combination or adaption of means or apparatus to "general"
or "universal joiners," whereby tenons may be completely cut in one traverse
of the wood, substantially as herein shown and described.
I also claim in combination with such machines means for grooving,
tongueing, rabbeting, and chamfering, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Secondly, I claim the combination or adaption of means or apparatus to
"general" or "universal joiners," whereby such machines are rendered
capable of producing larger and more perfect mouldings than has previously
been the case, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Thirdly, I claim the combination or adaption of means or apparatus to
" general" or "universal joiners," whereby such machines are rendered
applicable for squaring out and completely finishing the ends of mortises,
substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof,, I, the said Samuel William Worssam, junior, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven..
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
S. WORSSAM, -JUN.
(L.S.)
35, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London.