IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING THE TEETH OF FILES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING THE TEETH OF FILES." A com-
munication from abroad by Alfred John Dobson, of the City and State of
New York, and Charles Frederick Mudge, of Brooklyn, New York, both in the
United States of America.
Sealed the 29th March 1878, and dated the 15th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1878.
«
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
THE TEETH OF FILES." [A communication from abroad by Alfred John Dobson,
of the City and State of New York, and Charles Frederick Mudge, of Brooklyn,
New York, both in the United States of America.]
This Invention relates to machinery for cutting the teeth of files, and consists in
the novel construction and combination of parts as herein-after set forth.
More-
In this machine the motion of the feeding apparatus is positive, the feed screw
being always in motion when the machine is running, although the said feed screw
does not run at a uniform speed; this partially intermittent motion of the said feed
screw is obtained by the action of peculiar gearing herein-after described.
over in this machine the file is cut from tang to toe, whereas both hand and machine
cut files are ordinarily cut from toe to tang, in which operation the fibres of the
steel are destroyed or injured, but by this improved machine the fibres of the steel
are forced together, and thus give strength to the tooth.
The said machine has a circular supporting bed; at or near the top of this bed is
formed a recess into which is fitted a toothed rack or rim, whose teeth are formed
on its under surface, to prevent the accumulation of dirt or other foreign substance
in the same.
The said toothed rack or rim has a circular motion imparted to it by
J

page_text: means of a pinion. On the said circular rod are fixed two strong standards or
vertical sides, which are parallel with each other, and supported and stiffened by a
cross bar.
The said machine also has a swivel frame adjustable to any degree of a circle,
and which is bored or planed to receive a circular travelling bed. The said circular
bed is truly fitted to the said swivel frame, and has a horizontal travelling motion
imparted to it by a feed screw. A half nut is secured to the said circular travelling
bed, and engages with the feed screw, but is capable of disconnection from the same
to allow the said travelling bed to be moved quickly back or forth in the said
swivel frame for withdrawing a file blank already cut or placing one in position for
cutting.
A vertical handle is secured to the said travelling bed for moving the same back
and forth in the aforesaid swivel frame. A lock plate with a handle works freely
around the base of the said vertical handle for keeping the said half nut in position
when the same is locked in or on the feed screw.
The said machine is provided with an adjustable tang holder that consists of a
small bridge under which the tang is placed, and which has spring pins and jamb-
nuts in the top and sides; the said pins and nuts are self-adjusting to tangs of various
sized blanks; the other part of the blank is held in position by any suitable means,
but I prefer to use a device consisting of two adjustable jaws, which are opened or
closed together, or simultaneously, by a cam or excentric, in such a manner that
they will always remain in a central position.
A plate is secured to the end of the said swivel frame, and provided with a
suitable bearing for the end of the feed screw. A bracket is secured to one of the
vertical parallel sides of the machine, and provided with bearings for some of the
working parts.
One very important feature of this Invention is the employment of two excentric
gear wheels, one of which is fixed on a shaft running in bearings provided in the
said bracket, and one of the parallel sides of the machine, which shaft has motion
imparted to it by means of suitable gearing from the driving shaft of the machine;
this excentric wheel communicates motion to the other excentric gear wheel which
is secured to one end of a shaft running in suitable bearings, provided in the said
bracket and frame. This shaft also carries the aforesaid pinion for driving the toothed
circular rack or ring.
The driving shaft runs in suitable bearings in the vertical parallel sides of
the machine, and carries a balance wheel. It also carries the trip or cam for
operating the cutter.
A spring saddle is arranged to work freely on fulcrum studs, supported and held
by suitable bearings in the said vertical sides of the machine. One end of the said
spring saddle is raised or lowered by means of a hand screw to increase or diininish
the tension of springs for regulating the force of the blow of the cutting tool. The
said hand screw is held in position by a shaft mounted in bearings in the said
vertical sides. There is also anotlier shaft held in bearings in the said vertical sides,
and a hinged bar is supported by and works freely upon the said shaft; and another
shaft, also supported in bearings in the two vertical sides, supports a hand screw
which has a shoulder impinging against the under surface of the said hinged bar.
To the under surface of this hinged bar is secured a spring, whose tension is
increased or decreased by theans of the said hand screw. A cross head working in
suitable guides attached to the said vertical parallel sides is provided with a friction
roller, upon which impinge the ends of the said springs. A stationary steel-faced or
other lug or piece is attached to the said cross head, and the aforesaid cam or trip is
provided with three lifting arms acting against the under surface or face of the said
stationary steel-faced lug, thereby raising the said cross head three times for every
one revolution of the aforesaid driving shaft. The said cross head being raised by
the action of the said trip is thrown down and the force of the blow determined by
the action of the said regulating springs, and at the moment the blow has been
given, the said cross head is raised sufficiently by the action of the spring on the
..

page_text: under surface of the hinged bar to allow the aforesaid travelling bed to be advanced.
the distance required for one tooth.
Guides are provided to receive the sides of the cutting tool. A lug or stop is
secured to the said cross head to keep the said tool from being driven upward by
the force of the blow. A metallic yoke fitted to the lower end of the said tool
guides is formed with a horizontal slot or aperture, and provided with a set screw
by which the said cutting tool is held firmly in the recessed guides, and the end of
the set screw impinges upon the surface of the said cutting tool, and holds it firmly
in position for cutting. By simply loosening the set screw the cutting tool can be
removed and replaced by another. Gibs are fitted to the guides and tightened by
the set screw and jamb nuts.
A stand secured to the aforesaid swivel frame serves as a journal for a shaft which
carries a pinion gearing into the said toothed rack or rim. A. plate secured to the
front end of the swivel frame is provided with a suitable bearing for the front end
of the said feed screw. The lower end of the said plato is provided with a bearing
for the said pinion shaft, which, by means of other suitable gearing, gives motion
to a sleeve running on a stud held in position by the said plate. A gear wheel
secured to the front end of the feed screw is driven by another gear wheel running
upon a stud held by a quadrant. This last-named wheel gears with another wheel
running upon a stud held in position by the said quadrant, and which receives
motion from another gear wheel placed in front of the gear wheel on the said sleeve
and secured to the same.
The said quadrant is arranged to swing freely on the end of the feed screw, one
of its arms being provided with a semicircular or curved slot and handle; the said
slot allows the quadrant to be adjusted to various sized gear wheels, according to
the required speed of the feed screw and travelling bed, to adapt the machine
for cutting either fine or coarse files. A screw and nut are arranged in combination
with the said quadrant to hold it in any required position.
The said travelling bed is provided on its face with a strip of copper or other
suitable material upon which the blank rests during the process of cutting the
game.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
July 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
THE TEETH OF FILES." A communication from abroad by Alfred John Dobson,
of the City and State of New York, and Charles Frederick Mudge, of Brooklyn,
New York, both in the United States of America.
This Invention relates to machinery for cutting the teeth of files, and consists in
the novel construction and combination of parts as herein-after set forth.
In my machine the motion of the feeding apparatus is positive, the feed screw
being always in motion when the machine is running, although the said feed screw
does not run at a uniform speed; this partially intermittent motion of the said
feed screw is obtained by the action of a peculiar form of gearing herein-after
described.
Moreover in these machines the file is cut from tang to toe, whereas both hand
and machine cut files are ordinarily cut from toe to tang, in which operation the
fibres of the steel are destroyed or injured, but by my improved machine the
fibres of the steel are forced together, and thus give strength to the teeth of the
files.
In the accompanying Drawings,
Figure is a side elevation of a file cutting machine, constructed according to this
Invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a horizontal
section on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line y, y,
Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are a plan and elevation of a tang holder herein after described.
Figures 7, 8, 9, shew portions of the said machine detached.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
A is a circular supporting bed; at or near the top of this bed is formed a recess,
into which is fitted the toothed ring B, whose teeth are formed on its under surface.
The object of placing the teeth on its under surface is to prevent the accumulation
of dirt or any other foreign substance in these teeth; the said toothed rim has a
circular motion imparted to it by means of the pinion D. On the said circular bed
are fixed two strong standards or vertical sides A¹, which are parallel with each
other and supported by a cross bar.
E is a swivelling fraine, adjustable to any degree of a circle upon its swivel or
centre, which is a strong piece, shewn at E¹, fitted to turn in a hole in the centre of
the bed A. The said frame is bored or planed to receive a travelling bed F, which
is nearly circular in transverse section. The said travelling bed F is truly fitted to
the swivel frame E, and has a horizontal travelling motion imparted to it by means
of a suitable feed screw G, extending centrally throughout the entire length of the
bed. The latter also has longitudinal grooves F' at its sides, and extending from
end to end thereof; screws F2 are passed through the top of the frame E, with their
heads projecting into these grooves. This contrivance permits the adjustment, as
herein-after described, of the bed F to any irregularities occasioned by differences in
the shape or size of the file blank or in the cutter. H is a half nut secured to the
end of the travelling bed F, and engaging with the feed screw G. In Figure 1 this
nut is shown thrown up from the said feed screw, and when in this position it
allows the said travelling bed F to be moved back or forth in the swivel
frame E for withdrawing a blank already cut or placing one in position for
cutting.
I is a vertical handle secured to the travelling bed F, for moving the same back
or forth in the said swivel frame E. J is a lock plate with a handle K working
freely around the base of the said vertical handle I, for keeping the said half nut H
in position when the same is down upon the feed screw G.

page_text: L is an adjustable tang holder shewn detached and somewhat modified in
Figures 5 and 6. It is provided with spring pins and jam nuts at L¹ in its top and
two sides, which pins are self-adjusting to the tangs of various sized blanks; the
blank to be cut is inserted into the holder at L2, the other part of the blank being
held in position by any suitable means. I have shewn for this purpose the following
device, that is to say I use a plate O with a vertical flat side, against which the
blank is laid; O¹ is a cam or excentric lever; the plate O is fixed by a screw, and
the lever is fitted to turn on a pivot, as shewn, so that by adjusting or turning the
said lever, the blank will be accurately held between the same and the plate O.
:
M is a plate secured to the end of the swivel frame E, and provided with a suit-
able bearing N for the end of the feed screw G.
The vertical parallel sides A' of the machine secured to the circular supporting
bed A. are additionally strengthened and supported by means of the cross bar P.
Q is a bracket secured to one of these vertical parallel sides by bolts and nuts R, or
by other suitable means. The said bracket is provided with bearings for some of
the working parts of the machine herein-after described.
S and S are two excentric or heart-shaped gear wheels; the wheel S¹ is
secured to one end of a shaft T, running in bearings provided in the said
bracket Q, and one of the parallel sides A¹. The said excentric gear wheel S¹
and shaft T have motion imparted to them by means of the gear wheel U,
secured to the shaft T, the said shaft being held in position by the collar V or by
other suitable means. This excentric gear wheel S¹ communicates motion to the
other excentric gear wheel S, which is secured to one end of a shaft W, running in
a suitable bearing provided in the said bracket Q, the said shaft having secured to
its other end the pinion D.
X is the driving shaft running in suitable bearings in the vertical sides A¹,
and this shaft carries the balance or fly wheel Y, the trip Z, and the gear
wheel a; this gear wheel a communicates motion to the gear wheel U.
b is a spring saddle, working freely on the fulcrum studs c, the said fulcrum studs
being supported by suitable bearings in the two vertical parallel sides A'. One
end of the said spring saddle b is raised or lowered by means of the hand screw d,
to increase or diminish the tension of the spring or springs e for regulating the force
of the blow of the cutting tool. The said hand screw d is held in position by
a shaft sustained in bearings in the vertical sides A' of the machine. is a shaft
held in bearings in the said vertical sides; his a hinged bar supported by and
working freely upon the said shaft g; i is a shaft supported in bearings in the two
vertical sides A'; j is a hand screw held by the said shaft i, the said hand screw
having a shoulder & impinging against the under surface of the hinged bar h; lis a
spring secured to the under surface of the hinged bar h, and whose tension is increased
or decreased by means of the said hand screw j; m is a cross head or cutter head
which holds the cutter and works in suitable guides n, attached to the vertical
parallel sides A', the said cross head m being provided with a friction roller o, upon
which impinges the end of the said compound spring or series of springs e; p is a
stationary steel-faced lug attached to the said cross head m; the trip Z is provided
with three lifting teeth or points acting against the under surface or face of the said
stationary steel-faced lug p, thereby raising the said cross head m three times in
every complete revolution of the driving shaft X. The said cross head m being
raised by the action of the trip Z is thrown down and the force of the blow deter-
mined by the action of the said springs e, and at the moment the blow has been
given, the said cross head m is raised sufficiently by the action of the said spring
allowing the travelling bed F to be advanced the distance required between the
teeth
q, q, are the tool or cutter guides recessed to receive the sides of the cutting tool r;
8 is a lug or stop secured to the cross head m, for preventing the said tool r from
being driven upward by the force of the blow; t is a metal yoke fitted to the lower
end of the said tool guides q, the said yoke being provided with a set screw u;
the cutter or cutting tool is placed in position in the recesses of the said guides

page_text: and brought up closely to the under surface of the said stop; the set screw u is then
tightened; by these means the said cutting tool r is held firmly in the recessed
guides q, and the end of the set screw u impinges upon the surface of the said
cutting tool r, and holds it firmly in position for cutting. By simply loosening the
set screw u, the cutting tool can be removed and replaced by another; v, v, are
gibs or bearing straps, fitted to the guides n, n, and tightened by the set screw and
jam nuts w. By the tightening or slackening of these nuts the cutter will be
supported and guided more or less rigidly, and the character of the teeth of the
file will be varied accordingly.
x* is a bracket secured to the swivel frame E, serving as a journal for the
shaft y; is a pinion secured to the end of the said shaft y, and gearing into
the toothed rim B; a¹ is a plate secured to the front end of the swivel frame E, at
or near the top of which is provided a suitable bearing b¹ for the front end of the
said feed screw G; the lower end of the said plate a¹ is provided with a suitable
bearing c¹ for the shaft y; d¹ is a gear wheel secured to the end of the
shaft y, and communicating motion to the gear wheel e¹.
The said gear
wheel e¹ is secured to a sleeve f¹, running on a stud held in position by the
said plate a¹; g' is a gear wheel secured to the front end of the feed
screw G; h' is a gear wheel running upon a stud held by the quadrant i, and
communicating motion to the gear wheel g¹; j¹ is a gear wheel running upon a stud
held in position by the said quadrant i¹, and communicating motion to the said
gear wheel h¹; k' is a gear wheel placed in front of the gear wheel e¹, and secured
to the said sleeve f, and communicating motion to the gear wheel_; _is_a
horizontal bolt and nut for holding the said quadrant & in position.
The said quadrant i¹, ¹, is arranged to swing freely on the end of the feed screw
.G, one of its arms being provided with a semicircular slot m¹ and handle n'; the
said slot m¹ allows the quadrant to be adjusted to various sized gear wheels,
according to the required speed of the feed screw G and travelling bed F, to adapt
the machine to cut the files with fine or coarse teeth as desired, that is to say, with
any required number of teeth or cuts to the inch.
The said travelling bed F is provided on its face with a strip of copper or other
suitable material, upon which the blank rests during the process of cutting, so that
a blank cut on one side or surface may be turned over and cut on the other side
without injuring the teeth already cut.
One very important result obtained by my Invention is the cutting of the files
with hook or saw shaped teeth. This result is obtained by the co-operation of the
said cutter, the sliding cross head, the springs e and 7, the trip wheel Z, and the
excentric or heart-shaped gear wheels S, S'. The spring e, in forcing down the tool
holder, tends to give the point of the tool a movement inward or under the tooth
last formed, after the formation of each tooth by the descent of the cutter; the
spring tends to force the point of the tool outward and clear of the edge of the
tooth bofore raising the cutter. This peculiar movement, without which the for-
mation of hook or saw shaped teeth would be impracticable in the said machine, is
permitted by so adjusting the screws was to give a slight slackness or freedom to
the slide or cross head m in its bearings.
The advantage of cutting from tang to toe arises from the peculiar action of the
excentric gear wheels, whereby a "dwell" or "pause" is produced in the action of
the tool at the time the point thereof is in contact with the blank with the tool
arranged as shewn; if it were attempted to cut from toe to tang, the teeth would not
be properly formed, or the edge of the tool would be broken. By the peculiar
arrangement of the tool and the consequent cutting from tang to toe a better form
of tooth is obtained.
The blank is first placed on the bed in the proper position to commence cutting
at the tang end, and is secured by the holders herein-above described. The bed F
is adjusted on its axis to get the blank properly levelled, and by the devices shewn in
Figure 4, the bed F is allowed to oscillate on its axis till its proper position is found,
the screws F2 being then adjusted according to the inequalities in the blank, so that

page_text: the teeth will all be cut uniformly.
When the file is finished the nut H is thrown
out of gear, the bed F is pulled back, and a new blank placed on the same without
stopping the machine. The bed is conveniently manipulated by the handle I.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim in a machine for cutting the teeth of files,-
First. The combination with the cutter operating as set forth of a travelling
bed for supporting the file blanks and the mechanism for operating the bed
with an alternate quick movement and "dwell" or pause, as and for the purpose
specified.
Second. The combination with a cutter operating as described of a travelling bed
and screw or worm for operating the same, and mechanism for imparting motion to
the said screw or worm, comprising the excentric or other suitable gear wheels
from which alternate quick movements and pauses are imparted to the bed, as and
for the purposes specified.
Third. The combination of parts comprising the travelling bed, the inverted
toothed ring or circular rack, and suitable gearing for imparting the required
motion from the said ring or rack to the bed, as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Fourth. The combination with a cutter, operating as set forth, of a travelling bed.
and supporting frame capable of being swivelled or adjusted to work at different
angles in a horizontal plane, as and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The combination of a reciprocating cross head or cutter head and guides
therefor, capable of being adjusted to effect the adjustment of the said cutter head
and cutter at different angles, as and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The combination with a reciprocating cross head or cutter head of a spring
for impelling or driving the same downward to effect a blow of the cutter, a pivotal
saddle for supporting the said spring, and a set screw inpinging against the said
saddle, to provide for the adjustment of the same, and regulate the force exerted
by the said spring on the cutter head, as above specified.
Seventh, The combination with the reciprocating cross head or cutter head of
the spring for elevating the same after each blow of the cutter, a pivoted arm
carrying the said spring, and the set screw for adjusting the same, as and for the
purpose specified.
Eighth. The combination of parts comprising the cutter head working in adjustable
bearings, provided with screws or other devices for tightening or slackening the
same, the springs and the excentric heart-shaped or other suitable wheels, and
other parts, whereby I obtain the above-described peculiar motion of the cutter for
the purpose specified.
Ninth. The combination with a reciprocatory cutter of a bed for supporting the
file blanks adapted to adjust itself, or be adjusted to compensate for irregularities in
the thickness of the blanks, as above specified.
Tenth. A inachine for cutting the teeth of files, and which consists of the parts
above described, constructed, combined, and arranged as shown in the Drawings,
and operating in the manner specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)