AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY PLANES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY PLANES."-A communica-
tion from abroad by John Sperry, of the City of New York.
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 7th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th May 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY PLANES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of an improvement in rotary planes consist, 1st, in con-
structing a plane of a series of thin plates in the form of cyma-reversa,
or other form approximating thereto, and placed side by side of one another
on a revolving axis or shaft, and confined in place by means of a screw nut.
By thus constructing a plane in sections, one end of the plane is made always
to balance the other, as all the sections are made according to one form or
pattern, and each of its sections can be adjusted so as to succeed one another
in their cutting operations, and thus allow of a heavy shaving being removed
without great resistance being offered to the progress of the plane.
The Invention consists, 2ndly, in having the edges of the central portion
of the several sections of the plane, both at the back and front of the
plate, mado in such a manner that they will be parallel to a lino at
right angles to the axis of the plane, so that by placing these portions upon

page_text: a flat even surface, all the cutting points or edges of the several sections may
be brought exactly in line with one another, and thus all be in condition for
being sharpened or having any desired configuration imparted to them at the
same time and by the same instrument.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Scal Patent Oflice
on the 7th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
. thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Nowton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY PLANES," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after tho
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention of an "Improvement in Rotary Planes" consists, first, in
constructing a plane of a series of thin plates in the form of a cyma-reversa,
or other form approximating thereto, and placed side by side of one another on

page_text: a revolving axis or shaft, and confined in place by means of a screw nut. By
thus constructing a plane in sections, one end of the plane is made always to
balance the other, as all the sections are made according to one form or pattern,
and each of its sections can be adjusted so as to succeed one another in their
cutting operations, and thus allow of a heavy shaving being removed without
great resistence being offered to the progress of the plane.
:
The Invention consists, secondly, in having the edges of the central portion
of the several sections of the plane, both at the back and front of the plate,
made in such a manner that they will be parallel to a line at right angles to
the axis of the plane, so that by placing these portions upon a flat even surface,
all the cutting points or edges of the several sections may be brought exactly
in line with one another, and thus all be in condition for being sharpened or
having any desired configuration imparted to them at the same time and by
the same instrument.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved
rotary plane adjusted for sharpening; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section
of the same in the line of its axis; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same adjusted
for use.
A, A, represent the several sections constituting the improved plane; each
section resembles in form a cyma-reversa, and has its two extremities brought
to a planing edge, and made so as to be perfectly balanced by bevelling the
same in opposite directions nearly at right angles to the axis on which they
aro arranged, as shewn at a, a, in Fig. 3, and by hollowing out the sections
from their extremities at back and front to within a short distance of their
axis, as shewn at b, b, The sections A, A, have a circular hole through their
centres, so as to be fitted snugly on the axle or shaft B, as shewn in Fig. 3;
C. C', (Fig. 2,) are collars on the shaft B; the collar C is fast on the shaft, and
C' is loose so as to be removed, and allow the sections of cutter to be placed
on the shaft; D is a clamping nut, which is placed on to the screwed end of
the shaft, and jams against the loose collar C', so as to confine the sections A
of the plane between the fast and loose collar C and C', and hold them
immoveably alongside of one another while they are performing tho planing
operation.
By examining the Drawing it will be observed that the centre portion of
cach section of the plane at back and front is at right angles to the shaft B, and
consequently the planing edges of all the sections of the plane will, after
having been adjusted as shewn in Fig. 3 (if the plane is laid with its back
or front, as shewn in Fig. 1, resting upon a flat level surface), be caused
to assume a position exactly in line with each other, and thus be in con-

page_text: dition for being sharpened or shaped, so as to plane the timber with any
desired configuration.
In Fig. 3, the plane is shewn adjusted for use, the sections being set in the
line of a screw thread, but so that each shall plano in a direction at right
angles with its axis, and one succeed the other in its planing operation not, in
the same line however; facilities are also afforded for multiplying the number
of sections of the plane, so as to plane lumber of the greatest desirable width;
facilities are also afforded (in case one or more sections of the planes become
damaged or broken) for removing and replacing any defective sections by
perfect ones at a slight cost, instead of being compelled, as is often the case, to
throw aside at a considerable loss a complete plane, which has only one of
its corners or some other portion of it broken away.
By the present Invention, instead of discarding, I substitute therefor a perfect
plane, or waiting until the injured plane can be re-ground, it will only bo
necessary to remove the defective section, which may afterwards be ground
down with others to an operative condition.
In order to be able to multiply the sections of the plane so as to produce a
plane suitable for planing the greatest desirable width of lumber, it is proposed
to have both the collars C and C¹ loose, and to use two jam nuts D, as this
arrangement will allow of additional planes being slipped on each cud of
tho shaft, and thus always have the plane balanced on both sides of the centro
of the bed.
Having now described this Invention of "An Improvement in Rotary
Planes," and having explained the manner carrying the same into effect, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of
constructing rotary planes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)