A NEW MODE OF CUTTING VENEERS OR THIN BOARDS BY MACHINERY
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ISAMBARD BRUNEL, of Portsea, in the County of Southampton, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of September,
in the forty-sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Marc
Isambard Brunel, my exors, adñors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said Marc Isambard Brunel,
my exors, admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW
MODE OF CUTTING VENEERS OR THIN BOARDS BY MACHINERY;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Marc
Isambard Brunel, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
give a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months after the date of the said recited

page_text: Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may moro
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Mare Isambard Brunel, do hereby declare that my said Invention of cutting
veneers or thin boards consists in separating the wood by means of a sharp
instrument, forming part of an engine, which I specify as follows:-
The Figure 1 represents the plan of the engine; Figure 2, the longitudinal
eleration; Figure 3, a transversal section; and Figure 4, a transversal clera-
tion. A, Fig. 1, 2, 3, and 4, represents the cutter of the engine. This
cutter, which might be made of one single piece, is, on account of its length,
represented as being composed of several pieces or plates of steel 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.,
Fig. 1, held together and fastened by micans of screws 6, 7, 8, 9, &c.,
Fig. 1 and 2, and of a clamp C, Fig. 3, to a frame B, Fig. 1, 2, 3. It must be
observed, that these pieces or plates of steel can be pushed out in proportion as
they wear out. This frame B forms a slider, which is to move along the two
rails D, D, Fig. 1 and 3. As the two rails D, D, require a considerable
degree of strength, they extend, by means of brackets, along cach side of a
pipe E, Fig. 1, 2, 3, together with which they form one solid body. This
pipe, having a flanch at each extremity, is fastened to two standards F, F,
Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, which are strongly bolted through their base to a platform G,
Fig. 1, 2, and 4. The frame or slider B is connected, by means of a rod f,
Fig. 1 and 2, to the machinery by which it is to be put and kept in motion.
The part of the engine which carries the wood is composed as follows:-II,
Fig. 1, 2, 4, and 5, represents a cast-iron bed bolted to the platformi G,
Fig. 1 and 4 The upper edge of each side of this bed terminates into a pro-
jecting angular rail J, J, Fig. 2 and 5; K, Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7; repre-
sents a cast-iron frame, which may be denominated a carriage, intended to
slide on the bed H, by the assistance of a screw L, and rack M, Fig, 3 and 5.
This sliding motion of the carriage, guided by two clamps N, N, Fig. 2 and 5,
is to propel the wood towards the cutter. When the vencer or thin board has
been separated from the piece of wood by the operation of the cutter, the car-
riage is removed back in order to clear the wood from under the cutter. This
piece of wood is then to be elevated proportionally to the thickness of the
vencer which is next to be cut by means of a parellell motion disposed as
follows: The table O, Fig. 1, 2, 3, and 4, upon which the piece of wood is
placed, is supported by four screws P, P, two of which are seen in the Figures
2, 3, 4, and 6. These screws P, P, pass through four nuts Q, Q, Q, Q,
Fig. 7, let in sockets, which make part of the carriage K. It is evident that
by turning these nuts Q, Q, the screws P, P, and consequently the table O,

page_text: will be elevated or lowed at pleasure. The four nuts are turned all together
and at the same time, by the assistance of endless screws R, R, Fig. 7, which,
being fixed on the same spindle T, Fig. 2 and 7, act upon the wheels S, S,
Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. These wheels S, S, are connected with the nuts
Q, Q. The two screws, placed at a and b, Fig. 7, are right-hand, and the two
others, at c and d, are left-hand screws (see also R, R, Fig. 6). In lieu of a
long cutter, similar to that which is herewith described, another might be sub-
stituted (see Fig. 8). A, Fig. 8, represents the cutter, B the frame or slider ;
both answer to the section of the same parts represented under the cor-
responding letters in Fig. 3. This slider B is in this case intended to be
moved from one end to the other of the rails D, D. It is obvious that the
cutter, whether long or short, requires to be kept perfectly flat and true with
respect to propelling motion of the carriage K and the parrellel motion of the
slider B, and also very sharp. In order to obtain these three points, I have
added to the engine a lap U, Fig. 2, 3, 4, and 5, upon which the cutter is to
be ground when requisite. V, V, Fig. 5, represent two uprights fixed on the
front of the carriage K. The frame X, X, Fig. 5, of this lap, is supported by
means of two steady pins let into the uprights. It is elevated or lowered at
pleasure by the assistance of the screws Y, Y, Fig. 5. The lap U is brought
under the cutter by sliding back the carriage as much as is necessary.
The engine before specified is used and managed in the following maner :-
The piece or pieces of wood to be cut into veneers or thin boards are placed
and fastened on the table O by means of cement or glue (in the latter case the
top of the table O ought to be lined with wood). The slider B being supposed
in motion, the workınan attending the engine adjusts at first the table to a
proper degree of elevation, propels the carriage by the assistance of the
wheel Z, Figures 1, 2, and 4. The workman, guided by the apparent effect
of the cutter, continues to force the carriage until the veneer is entirely
separated. Ile then moves back the carriage, with the assistance of the samo
wheel Z, and prepares for another cut, by clevating the table as much as is
necessary. This is accomplished by turning the spindle T, Fig. 2 and 7, with
the assistance of the handle e, Fig. 1, 2, and 4, which being done he can
proceed as before.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Isambard Brunel, have hereunto set
hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seven.
my
M I. BRUNEL. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of March,
in the year of our Lord 1807, the aforesaid Mare Isambard Brunel came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and spe-
cified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stampt according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seven.