IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1836

page_text: SHARPE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SHARPE, of Broad Street Buildings, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, represent to His most Excellent Majesty
King William the Fourth, that, in consequence of a communication from a
certain foreigner resident abroad, I was in possession of an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAWING WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS," and His said Majesty
of his especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion did issue His.
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the third day of May, in the sixth year of His reign, whereby His
said Majesty did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Sharpe, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Henry Sharpe,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Sharpe,
my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said.
Invention, within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad; in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Henry
Sharpe, by an instrument in writing, under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same instrument to be enrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calander months next.
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said

page_text: Henry Sharpe, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the mannner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a side view or elevation of the sawing machine, and Fig. 2 a front
view of the same; the same letters of reference indicating the similar parts in
both Figures. a and b are two wheels, upon and around which the hardened
and tempered steel band or strap c, toothed on one of its edges, so as to form
an endless saw is lodged, its tooth projecting beyond the flat traces of the
wheels a and b. The upright standard d is affixed into the beam or foot c,
which with the cross beam f, the upright legs 9, 9, and the upper cross bars
and i, constitute the frame which bears the whole machine; k, k, are the
props or supports which carry the metal bearings 1, 2, for the necks or pivots
of the axle of the upper wheel a to turn in; these props or supports k, k,
being firmly affixed to the upright standard d; m is an adjustable or moveable.
support, which carries the axle upon which the lower wheel v turns. Motion
is given to the upper wheel a by means of the winch or handle p, which is
mounted upon its axle o, the lower wheel v revolving at the same time, in
consequence of the saw c acting as a strap upon it. The bar q affixed to the
standard d, has a hole made at one end of it, into which is fitted the upright
bar carrying the horizontal one; and its two pigs or pins r, r, between which
the saw c passes and is by them prevented from yielding in its work. To the
bars there is likewise attached a frame in which the axis of a guide or
friction wheel t turns, having a groove or slit around it, in which the opposite
side of the band saw c runs, in order to still farther steady its movement; - u is
a table or platform which rests upon the blocks u, v, and upon this table the
wood or other material to be sawn is laid, and when to be cut in a straight
line it is kept in a right direction, by being pressed into contact with the
guide bar, which is kept tightly down upon the table or platform x, by
means of the block and wedge w, w; in order to allow the guide bar x to
be fixed nearer to or farther from the saw c, and to ensure its always lying
parallel with the saw, it is connected with the table u by two similar metal
bars of equal length, and which are affixed underneath and near to each end
of the guide bar x, and to the table or platform u, and which are yet allowed
to move around their screws, so as to keep the guide bar always parallel
with the saw. The moveable support m, in which the axle of the lower wheel
vis affixed, is bound fast to the standard d of the machine frame by means
of a screw y and its washer and screwed nut after it has been properly
adjusted by means of the pair of similar wedges, so as to tighten, or slacken,

page_text: or loosen the saw, as required in use. In order to clear the saw from the
sawdust there is hung under the table u a spring a, and a leaden weight ẞ
upon it, which presses the spring against the saw whilst it is in motion; upon
the upper cross bar i is mounted a sliding block y which can be wedged fast
upon the cross bar, and upon which said block a pin or spike is fixed, to serve
as a centre for any pieces of wood or other materials which are to be sawn in
a circular form. In the table u there is also a groove at &, which may be
used for guiding the wood or other materials to be sawn instead of the parallel
bar x, a carriage being provided having underneath it projecting parts exactly
fitting the said groove, and upon this carriage the wood or other materials
to be cut must be securely bound or clamped, and pushed forward against the
saw. The two wheels, a and b, are mounted so that the uppermost a projects
a little beyond the lowermost one b, and by this means a larger portion of the
saw c is lodged upon it than upon the lower one. This contrivance prevents
the saw from springing off the upper wheel. The ends of the saw are united
by soldering them, and the doubled parts must afterwards be thinned by filing
or otherwise, so that they may be only of the same thickness as the other parts
of the saw.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Sharpe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
HENRY (L.s.) SHARPE.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Sharpe, in the presence of
W* SHARPE,
D.ICD..