Improvements in Machines for Pointing Skewer Blanks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July. 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Pointing Skewer Blanks.
I, THOMAS WALROND HAMLIN, residing in Brookholm, in the Township of Sarawak,
County of Grey and Province of Ontario, Brick Maker, 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 :-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in skewer pointing
machines, and relates more particularly to the means employed for continuously
feeding the skewer blanks to the cutting knives, and the object of the invention is to
so arrange the machine that the skewer blanks can be fed regularly and continuously
to the cutter knives; to so arrange the cutter knives that the knives will, during the
passage of the skewer blanks from the hopper to the delivery table, shave the skewer
blanks from heel to point of taper; to provide a concaved course, for the skewer
blanks, concentric with the cutter heads; and the invention consists essentially of
the device hereinafter more fully set forth and more particularly pointed out in the
claims.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a view partly in section of the cutter heads and shaft.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cutter head.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and
drawings.
At the head of the frame A is located a hopper B to temporarily hold the skewer
blanks, and at the bottom of the hopper B is an opening b, through which the skewer
blanks are delivered into a vertical chute c. Located below the hopper B are two
horizontally movable tables D D. Each of the tables D D' has a concaved face E.
Connected to the sides a' of the frame A, in front of the tables D D', are two cross
beams F, each of which is slotted longitu linally. Mounted on the cross beams F,
opposite the space intervening between the tables D D', are two standards G Gi
respectively, each provided with boits 9 passing through the slots in the cross beams.
By means of the slots and bolts the standards can be moved laterally into any
adjusted position. Connected to the top of the outer side of the standards G is a
sleeve H, on which is loosely mounted an idler 1. The idler I is opposite the table D,
the concavity of which is concentric with the perimeter of the said idler. Secured to
the outer side of the standard G is a similar sleeve H', on which is mounted an
idler I', opposite the table D¹. The concavity of the table D' is concentric with the
perimeter of the idler I. Journalled in the sleeves H H' is a horizontal shaft J, the
ends of which are journalled in bearings K, mounted on the top of the sides a'.
The shaft J revolves loosely in the sleeves H H. Rigidly mounted on the shaft J
are two cutter heads L L respectively. The cutter head L is located contiguous to
the outer side face of the idler I, whilst the cutter head L' is located contiguous to
the outer side face of the idler I. The cutter heads 1. L'are rigidly mounted on
and revolve with the shaft J. Each of the cutter heads L L is provided with a
series of adjustable knives M, M', M", M. The cutting edge of each of the
knives M, M, M, M is arranged obliquely to the plane of the revolution of the
cutter bead, the point of each knife being upturned so that the knife will shave
the skewer blank from the heel to the point of the taper. Journalled in the sides a
of the frame A, in front of and below the shaft J, is a shaft N, and rigidly mounted

page_text: on the shaft N are two pulleys 0,0', which are located in alignment with the
idlers II respectively. Passing around the idler I and the pulley O is a rubber
belt P, and passing around the idler I and pulley O is a rubber belt P. The
belts P P are a distance remote from the concaved faces of the tables D D¹
respectively, approximately equal to the diameter of the skewer blank. Journalled
in the lower part of the foot of the machine is a counter shaft Q, and mounted on the
shaft Q is a pulley R. Mounted on the shaft J is a pulley S, on the same side of the
machine as the pulley R. Passing around the pulleys R and S is a belt T. Mounted
on the shaft Q is a pulley U of a lesser diameter than the pulley R, and journalled in
the head of the machine is a shaft V. Mounted on the shaft V is a pulley W. The
pulley W is of a greater diameter than the pulley U, and passing around the pulleys U
and W is a belt W. Mounted on the opposite end of the shaft V is a pulley V', of a
smaller diameter than the pulley W, and mounted on the shaft N is a pulley N', of a
greater diameter than the pulley V₁, and passing around the pulleys V₁ N' is
a belt N. Motion is transmitted to the counter shaft Q, .and from the counter
shaft Qmotion is transmitted to the shaft J by means of the belt T. As the pulley R
is of a greater diameter than the pulley S, the shaft J will revolve at a much higher rate
of speed than the counter shaft Q. Motion is also transmitted from the counter shaft Q
to the shaft V by means of the belt W¹. As the pulley U is of a lesser diameter than
the pulley W the shaft V will revolve at a lower rate of speed than the shaft Q, and
motion is transmitted from the shaft V to the shaft N by means of the belt N, and
as the pulley V' is of a lesser diameter than the pulley N, the shaft N will revolve at
a slower rate of speed than the shaft V. It will therefore be seen that the shaft N
will revolve at a much slower rate of speed than the counter shaft Q. The belts P P¹
move in the direction indicated by arrows, and carry the skewer blanks down the
concaved faces of the tables I D¹. The cutter knives revolve in the direction indicated
by arrows, that is, reverse to the belts P P1, and work against the skewers whilst
they are passing down the concaved faces of the table, and shave the skewers from
the heel to point. To regulate the delivery of the skewer blanks from the hopper, I
provide two slides X X', located one about one-quarter of an inch above the other,
and entering the side of the chute slightly below the opening b at the bottom of the
hopper. Mounted in bearings Y in the head of the machine is a horizontal shaft Y',
and mounted on the shaft Y are cams Y Y Mounted on a shaft Y journalled
in the framework are two rocking levers Z Z, operated respectively by the cams Y Y
The lever Z moves the slide X, whilst the lever Z moves the slide X. The
operation of the levers Z Z' is alternate, in order that the slides X X will be alternately
moved. The lever Z moves the slide X to allow of the delivery of one skewer blank
to the top of the slide X'. The lever Z then returns the slide X to arrest the
delivery of the skewer blanks, until the lever Z' has moved the slide X' to deliver
the said skewer blank to the concaved surfaces of the table; this action being con-
tinued during the operation of the machine. By means of these slides and levers the
skewer blanks are delivered 'regularly and continuously to the concaved surfaces of
the tables, to allow of the cutter knives shaving. Mounted on the end of the shaft Y
is a pulley C, and mounted on the corresponding end of the shaft V is a pulley C¹ and
passing around the pulleys C C is a belt c", by means of which motion is transmitted
from the shaft V to the shaft Y. As the skewer blanks vary in diameter it is
necessary to provide a means for increasing under pressure the width of the space
between the concaved faces of the tables and the adjacent faces of the rubber belts.
To accomplish this result I provide the periphery of each of the idlers II' with a
circular rubber cushion i. Mounted on the shaft V is a drum e, and journalled in
the sides a' of the frame A is a drum b', and passing around the drums is a belt e",
on which the skewers drop from the tables.
The action of the machine is as follows: Motion is transmitted to the various parts
by means of the belts and pulleys hereinbefore described. The skewer blanks are
placed in the hopper, and are fed to the tables passing down between the rubber
belts PP, and the concaved faces of the tables D D. During their passage down
their course they are operated on, by the knives of the cutter heads, and are afterwards

page_text: delivered to the belt ", which is continually moving around the drum v, and are
delivered from the belt into receptacles placed to receive them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, I hereby declare that what I claim is:
1. The skewer pointing machine hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of
the drawings.
2. The cutter head for a machine for pointing skewer blades herein before described
and illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
3. In a skewer pointing machine, the combination with the hopper, of a feeding
apparatus consisting of two slides one located above the other, a shaft journalled in
the frame, cams mounted on the shaft, levers operated by the cams, arranged to work
the slides alternately, to allow of the delivery only of one skewer blank at a time
from the hopper, substantially as specified.
4. In a machine for pointing skewer blanks, a cutter head comprised of a circular
disc, a series of cutter knives adjustably secured to the disc, the cutting edge of each
knife arranged obliquely to the axis of the disc, to shave the skewer blanks from the
heel to the point of the taper, and an upturned point for each of the knives to stub
the point of the skewer, substantially as specified.
5. In a machine for pointing skewer blanks, the combination of a hopper, an
opening through the bottom of the hopper, two alternately working slides one located
above the other, adapted to permit of the delivery of one skewer blank at a time from
the said hopper, a rock shaft, two levers mounted on the rock shaft, each lever
engaging with its respective slide, an eye in the lower end of each of the said levers a
shaft passing through the eyes, cams mounted on the said shaft operating the said
levers, and means for imparting motion to the said shaft, substantially as specified.
Dated the 11th day of July 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.