IMPROVEMENTS IN BAND SAWING MACHINERY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Andrew Brophy, of 97, Beaufort Street, Chelsea,
London, S.W., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAND SAWING
MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Andrew Brophy at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1879.
JAMES ANDREW BROPHY, 97, Beaufort Street, Chelsea, London, S.W. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN BAND SAWING MACHINERY.”
This my Invention consists in arranging on the upper part of the one side of
a single standard or frame, on a strong arm or bracket, a series of endless band
saws on revolving pullies, contiguous to but entirely separate and independent
of each other, as to tightening, changing, lengthening, or shortening, by repairs, or
otherwise, and having a corresponding number of pullies below the saw table or
bench on a single shaft revolving on proper bearings, and by which all the
bandsaws which are stretched vertically on each pair of pullies are driven simul-
taneously, thereby combining the speed and continuous cutting of bandsaws with
the advantage of the number and variation of thickness of cutting attainable by
the ordinary reciprocating saw frames, and also requiring much less motive power.
This my Invention is effected by fitting the saw pulley having a fixed axle in-
a shackle, and revolving in gun metal or other suitable bearings in outer ends
of shackle. The solid end of shackle is prolonged, turned, & chased with screwed
thread and large wheel nut to suit; this shackle and pulley is then placed in a
double guide bracket with circular seat at base through which screwed end of
shackle passes, and an india rubber or other spring is fixed on the seat under
the wheel nut. The brackets with pullies are placed side by side on a strong
bracket cast on or bolted firmly to upright standard; a similar set of saw pullies
are slid on to a shaft below the saw table, each the same size as the one imme-
diately plumb over. Each saw is then placed on the upper pulley and under its
fellow below, and screwed up to the required tension by. the wheel nut. The
timber or other material to be cut is then placed on the usual saw bench with

page_text: any ordinary roller or continuous feed apparatus for pushing it through, and also
adjustable guides through which the saw blades run, one set above and one below,
or in the bench table. The whole is driven by a belt from the engine or other
motive power to pulley on the end of lower shaft, thus revolving all the pullies and
saws at the same time. The position of the driving shaft and pullies can be
changed to one side, or overhead if the necessities of the workshop required it.
The different thicknesses of leaves cut may be altered by either substituting
different size pullies by expanding rims, or the double guide brackets in which the
saws are fitted can be moved laterally backwards or forwards in grooved slides to
suit any thickness required. By the addition of another set of smaller moveable
pullies under the bench the saws are always kept perfectly vertical. Also by fixing
another strong bracket parallel to the first mentioned, and on the same side of the
standard with similar sets of saws, pullies, and guide brackets, a double number of
outs can be run at the same time.
An alternative arrangement can be effected by having two coned drums (on the
one side of the standard) formed of separate and different sized pulleys easily
changed on shafts of drums to suit variation of sawing, the upper set having the
usual spring or lever and weight arrangement for tension, and all driven by the
belt on lower shaft from engine as before. The band saws pass over those two sets
of pullies and another set at side of frame arranged alternately, one above and one
below, to allow the saws to follow quite close after each other, those last set of
pullies to be moveable. laterally for giving saws the required tension.
".

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Andrew Brophy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
March 1880.
JAMES ANDREW BROPHY, of 97, Beaufort Street, Chelsea, London, S.W.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAND SAWING MACHINERY."
This Invention consists in certain arrangements of machinery or apparatus
whereby a series of endless band saws placed contiguous to, but entirely separate
from and independant of each other, as to the tightening, changing, lengthening,
shortening, or repairing the saws, are so employed as to combine the speed and
continuous cutting action of band saws, with the advantage of number and
variation of thickness of boards or leaves of timber or other material cut attainable
by ordinary reciprocating saw frames, but with the expenditure of much less motive
power.
In the Drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation partly in section; Figure 2,
a side elevation; and Figure 3, a plan of one arrangement of machinery constructed
in accordance with my Invention. A is a strong cast iron standard with which is
cast or to which is firmly bolted, as may be preferred, a strong arm or bracket B.
This bracket is planed parallel on top and bottom surfaces, and grooved trans-
versely to receive on the top side the double guide brackets C¹, and on the bottom
side the brackets C. The double guide brackets Care planed and grooved to
receive and guide vertically the shackles D which are adapted to fit into them.
The shackles are fitted at their upper ends with gun metal or other suitable
bearings C³, adapted to receive the axles G which are fixed in the saw pulleys F.
The lower ends of these shackles are made solid and provided with screwed spindles
or tail pieces D¹ which project downwards, passing through the bases of the guide
brackets C¹ into the spaces D2 in the brackets B. The screwed spindles or tail
pieces D¹ are provided with wheel nuts E resting upon india rubber or other suitable
springs H which bear against the bases of the guide brackets C. When certain
fixed thicknesses only are required the shackles D may all be carried through and
adjusted in a second bracket parallel to the bracket B.
The lower pulleys K, K, which are by preference similar in size to the corre-
sponding pulleys above, are secured by a feather key, or otherwise, upon the main
shaft I so as to be driven thereby when the latter is caused to revolve by a
driving belt applied to the fast and loose pulleys L, L. The shaft I is carried
in bearings S and S' in the standard A, the outer end being carried by a bracket
P with suitable bearings R at its lower end. This bracket P is swivelled on a
centre pin P to lugs P' cast to or fixed upon the bracket B, whereby the said
bracket P may be easily swung out of the way when it is required to change the
pulleys K. The saws T are stretched vertically on each pair of pulleys, and
tightened up by means of the wheel nuts E. They pass through moveable guides V
arranged in the usual manner, so as to form a kind of box with a hard wood
bottom, or otherwise, and with ordinary hemp or other suitable saw packing above
for lubrication. The alteration or adjustment of the thickness of the stuff to be cut
is effected in the following way:-Each of the brackets C² carries a guide pulley F',
the fixed axle G₁ of which revolves in bearings in the said bracket. Each pair of
brackets C¹ and Cs being adapted to slide transversely across the bracket B in the
grooves prepared to receive them is caused to do so simultaneously to the extent
required to determine the thickness of stuff to be sawn by means of the screws W,
which take into the lugs Y and Y¹ formed on or secured to the brackets C¹ and C²
respectively. Each pair of these screws is geared together so as to turn simul-
taneously, and to the same extent by means of the bevil gearing W¹ operated by
the hand wheel X. It will now be readily understood that on turning any one of

page_text: the hand wheels X in the requisite direction, the corresponding pair of brackets C¹
and C2 is drawn out or pushed back as may be required, and with them the guides
V together with that part of the saw blade which extends between the saw pulleys
F and the guide wheels F¹. When the adjustment is satisfactorily completed the
brackets C and C2 may be secured firmly to the bracket B by the tightening bolts
and nuts B'; M is a pulley on the main shaft I which drives by a strap the feed
cone pulleys N, which in their turn drive by another strap the cone pulleys N¹,
whereby the rate of feed may be regulated to suit various materials as required.
The cone pulley N' carries a worm which gears into the worm wheel N³ on the
vertical shaft carrying a strap pulley N³, a strap from which drives the pulley N* on
the vertical feed shaft No, which carries at its upper end the grooved or toothed
feed roller O. This shaft is mounted in a moveable bracket or headstock No
adapted to slide transversely in guides below the table N', being drawn towards
the material to be cut N8 by the action of the weight No exerted through the cord
or chain N1. When it is required to withdraw the pressure of the feed roller O
from the material to be cut N8 the screw N¹¹, which takes into a nut in the
moveable headstock N6, is turned by means of the hand wheel N12 and draws the
said headstock backwards away from the material, raising the weight Nº. On
turning the screw N" in the opposite direction, the headstock and feed roller O are
drawn by the weight N° towards the material to be cut. The feed roller O is
provided with a tapered stem O' adapted to fit into a recess in the head of the
upright shaft N³, being secured therein by the taper key or cottar 02 tightened up
by the nut 03. By these means the feed rollers may be changed to vary the speed
of feed and to suit the shape of the material to be cut. In the Drawing the saw
pulleys are shewn of various sizes suited to the production of boards or leaves of
certain thicknesses, the centres of the upper set of pulleys being in the same
vertical plane, but, as explained above, the thicknesses may be regulated more or
less by moving out or in one or more of the brackets C1, C2, by means of the
gearing W₁ and screws W, or the lower set of saw pulleys may be of various
diameters, approximating more or less to those necessary to produce the required
thicknesses of boards or leaves, while the upper set of saw pulleys may be all of one
diameter, but their outer peripheries adjusted to the proper positions for sawing to
the required thicknesses by moving the brackets C₁ and C in or out to the
requisite extent.
In some cases the gearing W' may be dispensed with and the brackets C¹ and C²
adjusted separately and independantly of each other by the aid of the screws alone,
or otherwise.
The machine may be adapted to work with the saws running horizontally or
inclined, so as to flitch heavy timber or other material.
By arranging another bracket on the standard A parallel to and similar to B
with guide brackets similar to C1 and C2, with similar sets of saws and saw pulleys,
and a second main shaft similar to I, a double or any required number of cuts may
be run at the same time in the same machine.
An alternative arrangement may also be effected by mounting two cone drums
on the same side of the standard, such cone drums being formed of separate pulleys
of different diameters, which may easily be changed on the drum shafts to suit the
thicknesses of sawing required.
The upper set having the usual spring or lever and weight arrangements for
general tension, and all driven by belt applied to the lower shaft as in the arrange-
ment first above described. The bandsaws pass over these two sets of pulleys and
over another set at the side of the frame alternately arranged, one higher, and one
lower to allow the saws to be placed quite close behind each other. Each of the
pulleys comprising this third set is moveable laterally for giving to each saw the
required tension.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that I do

page_text: not claim generally the application of bandsaws as a substitute for frame saws, as
I am aware that various arrangements of machinery for that purpose have been
before invented, but what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The combination of the adjustable shackles D carrying the series of saw
pulleys F with the adjustable double guide brackets C', whereby each of the said
saw pulleys may be adjusted separately, both for regulating the tension of the saws,
and the thicknesses of the timber or. other material to be cut, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of the adjustable double guide brackets C¹ carrying
the adjustable set of saw pulleys, with the guide brackets C³ carrying the guide
rollers F, with or without the connecting gearing W₁, for the purpose of adjusting
the saw blades into position for regulating the thicknesses of the timber or other
material to be cut, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
Thirdly. The general arrangement in one machine of a series of band saws
mounted on two sets of saw pulleys, one set fixed on and driven by a main driving
shaft, the other set carried in open shackles adjustable for tension in double guide
brackets, which are adjustable transversely upon a strong bracket or arm projecting
from a main standard, such double guide brackets being placed contiguous to but
entirely separate from and independant of each other, in such manner that each
separate saw blade may be adjusted and tightened up or removed without
interfering with the rest, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Andrew Brophy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.