CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SHAPING OR CUTTING OUT IRRE- GULAR FORMS IN WOOD OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES WHICH ADMIT OF BEING CUT BY CUTTERS OR TOOLS REVOLVING WITH A CIRCULAR MOTION, WHETHER SUCH MOTION BE CONTINUOUS OR RECIPROCATING
Year: 1822

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN WILLIAM
BUCKLE, of Mark Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at West-
minster, the Second day of March, in the third year of His reign, give and
grant unto me, the said John William Buckle, my exors, adññors, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
John William Buckle, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SHAPING OR CUTTING OUT IRRE-
GULAR FORMS IN WOOD OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES WHICH ADMIT OF
BEING CUT BY CUTTERS OR TOOLS REVOLVING WITH A CIRCULAR MOTION, WHETHER
SUCH MOTION BE CONTINUOUS OR RECIPROCATING," made to me by John Parker
Boyd, of Boston, in the United States of America; in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said John William Buckle,
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said

page_text: Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same, re-
lation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
William Buckle, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention of
Certain Improvements in Machinery for Shaping or Cutting out Irregular
Forms in Wood or any other Materials or Substances which admit of being
cut by Cutters or Tools revolving with a Circular Motion, whether such
Motion be Continuous or Reciprocating, which Invention has been com-
municated to me as aforesaid, is particularly described and ascertained in and
by the Drawings or plans hereunto annexed, and in the following description
thereof (that is to say) :-
Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings contains three different views of a
machine supposed to be in the operation of shaping or cutting out a shoe last
from a rough unshaped block of wood, to correspond in form and dimensions
with a model or pattern last which had been previously prepared and fixed in
the machine.
Fig. 1 shews à front view of the whole machine; Fig. 2, an end section
supposing the wood frame to be partly removed in order to explain the con-
struction more clearly; and Fig. 3, a horizontal plan, part of the wood frame
being also removed to render the operative parts of the machine visible.
Note, the Figures are drawn to a scale of about one inch and to a foot,
and the same characters or letters of reference are used to denote corre-
sponding parts upon all the Figures. A, A, represent the principal frame of
the machine, which is composed of four pieces of timber mortised together at
their ends, and supported upon four legs a, a, which are strengthened by the
cross pieces b, b. The principal frame has two pieces of timber B, B, mor-
tised into its upper surface, which rise up a considerable height, and are
connected together at top by means of the cross timber C. c, c, represent
two short pieces mortised into the timber C, and projecting downwards
sufficiently to support the pivots or centers of the hanging frame or lathe D, D,
which is made of iron, and is suspended upon center screws d, d, passing
through the upper part of its arms. The lower part of the hanging lath is
divided into two equal compartments by the cross rail E forming two square
or oblong frames, one of which frames contains the model or pattern last P,
and the other is adapted to receive the block of wood or rough material R
intended to form the last. The cross E rail has a bearing or collar formed in
it to support one end of a short axis e, upon which the pattern last P is
mounted, so as to turn round freely. The end of the said axis projects a short

page_text: distance through the collar formed in the nail E, and is furnished with a
dog or driver a, having two or more sharp points formed on it, which points
are adapted to penetrate the substance of the rough material sufficiently to
cause the same to turn round steadily along with the pattern last as upon
one common axis. The opposite end of the block of wood or rough material R
is supported and kept in its place by the centre screw 8, which passes through
the hanging lathe D, and is made pointed, so as to hold the rough material in
the same manner as the wood or work is held in a common turning lathe.
The short axis c of the pattern last P before mentioned passes through a
collar formed in one of the arms of the hanging lathe, and is furnished with a
rigger or pulley h, round which a leathern band i passes, and proceeds to a
small pulley k, which is mounted upon an axis situated in a direct line with
the center screws or pivots d of the hanging lathe D, so that the motion of
the hanging lathe upon its pivots does not interrupt the action of the band i,
which gives motion to the pattern last P and rough material R, as will be
herein-after explained. The main frame A, A, of the machine has two iron
rails or ribs r, r, fixed upon its upper surface, parallel to each other, being of
an angular form, as represented in Fig. 2. These rails serve as guides for the
sliding carriage F, F, to move upon in a direction parallel to the axis of the
pattern last P and rough material R. The sliding carriage F, F, has three
cross bars in it, as represented in the plan Figure 3, upon which bars three
small standards or poppets G, G, G, are formed. The middle poppet is
furnished with a double center pivot, which is secured by a damping screw 5.
One point of the said double pivot supports the axis m of the cutter spindle
carrying the cutter wheel M, and the other point supports one end of the
axis n of a friction wheel or roller N, the periphery of which is adapted to be
always in contact with some part of the surface of the pattern last P. The.
other end of the axis n is supported by a pivot p passing through one of the
poppets G, so that the friction roller N may be capable of turning round
freely and without shape, being quite independent of the cutter spindle m in
its rotary motion. The opposite end of the spindle m is supported by a
pivot passing through one of the poppets G. The pivots p and q are
secured by clamping screws 3 & 4 situated upon the tops of the poppets G.
The cutter wheel M consists of a circular plate of metal having small cutters
or knives of a hooked shape fixed against its surface, and projecting beyond the
circumference of the circular plate to such a distance as to correspond exactly
with the circumference of the friction roller N. The axis m, with its cutter
wheel M, is caused to revolve quickly by means of a leathern band O passing

page_text: round a small pulley v fixed upon the axis m, which band receives its motion
by passing the large or main drum wheel H situated beneath the frame of the
machine upon an axis I, which turns in bearings or collars fixed to two of the
legs a, a, of the frame. The axis I is put in motion by power applied to the
pinion K or otherwise by a winch or band wheel, as circumstances might
require. L represents a small pulley which is fixed upon the axis I, round
which a leathern band 8 passes, and gives motion to a pulley Q fixed upon
the end of a long axis, which has a screw formed on it, as seen at S in the
plan, Fig. 3. This screw turns between two center screws 4*, 4*, which
pass through the wood frame A, A, so as to lie beneath the cross bars of the
sliding carriage F, as seen at S in Fig. 2. One of the said cross bars has a
nut or female screw attached to it, as seen at T in Figures 2 and 3, which nut
works upon the screw S, so that when the said screw is turned round by
means of the leathern band 8 it moves the sliding carriage F, with its appen-
dages, along with the guides or rails r, r, with a slow and regular motion.
The nut or female screw T is divided into two halves which move upon a joint
in the manner of a pair of pincers. By this means the nut is caused to
embrace and engage in the threads of the screw S by depressing the end
of the small lever or handle t, seen in Fig. 2; but, when required, the nut
may be disengaged entirely from the screw by raising the end of the said
lever, which opens the jaws of the pincers, and separates the two halves of the
nut T. The axis I of the main drum is furnished with a small pulley V,
round which a leathern band w passes, and gives motion to a larger pulley W
situated upon a separate axis turning in bearings attached to one of the upright
legs a of the frame. Upon the axis of the pulley W a small pulley X is fixed,
communicating its motion by a band y to the pulley Y, which is fixed upon
the same axis as the small pulley K before mentioned, being in a line with the
center of motion of the hanging lathe D, thereby giving motion to the pattern
last P and rough material R. The hanging lathe D is furnished with an arm or
lever projecting backwards. This arm has a weight 2 suspended from it, which
operates continually to press the hanging lathe towards the front of the machine,
and keep the surface of the pattern last P always into close contact with the
circumference of the friction wheel N.
The operation of this machine is as follows:-Having prepared an exact
model or pattern of the intended object, as for example, a shoe last, I
place this model or pattern in one of the divisions formed at the lower
part of the hanging lathe D, and upon the short axis e, so as to be capable of
turning round freely along with the said axis. I then fix a piece of rough or

page_text: unshaped wood of sufficient demensions to make a last (similar to the pat-
tern) in the other, division of the hanging lathe, and secure it in its place
by the center screw s, which presses it against the dag or driver with a
force sufficient to cause the prints upon the dog a to penetrate the substance
of the rough or unshaped piece of wood, and oblige it to turn round along
with the spindle e and pattern last P. In this state I raise up the small
handle or levert situated upon the sliding carriage, which separates the two
halves of the nut T, and disengage it from the threads of the screws S, leaving
the sliding carriage F at liberty to be moved along upon the ribs or rails 2, 1,
until the friction roller N comes opposite to the point or tce of the pattern
last P, the leather band O being moved along upon the circumference of the.
drum H in an equal degree, so as to remain in a line with and upon the
pulley v.
In this situation the cutter wheel M comes nearly opposite to one
end of the rough piece of wood R. I then press down the handle t, and cause
the two halves of the nut to embrace the screw S. The machino being now
put in motion by any adequate power applied to the axis I, the cutter wheel
is caused to revolve with great velocity by the band O passing round the great
drum H. At the same time the sliding carriage F, with its appendages of
friction roller N, cutter wheel M, &c., is moved along upon the rails 2, 7, with
a slow motion by the action of the screw S, which is put in motion by the
pulleys I and Q, before mentioned. This action of the sliding carriage, &c.
causes the hooked knives or cutters upon the cutter wheel M to cut away all
the projectings parts of the rough piece of wood R that may happen to fall
within the range of their motion. The depth or distance of the cut is deter-
mined by the friction roller N bearing continually against the pattern last P
in all situations. The pattern last P and rough piece of wood R turn round
with a slow motion upon their axis e, at the same time by the action of the
pulleys V, W, X, Y, k & h, with their respective bands, being so arranged
that the pattern last and rough piece of wood may move (at that part of the
surface which is being cut) in an opposite direction to the motion of the cutters
themselves, so as to meet the cutters in their revolution. From this arrange-
ment it is obvious that the combined motions of the sliding carriage F, cutter
wheel, &c., and the revolving motion of the patern cast and rough piece of
wood would cause the cutters or hooked knives upon the cutter wheel to remove
all all parts of the rough wood which projected beyond the line of surface of
the pattern last, the friction roller N preventing the perephery of the cutter
wheel from approaching any nearer to the axis of the rough wood than the
periphery of friction roller itself, thereby producing an exact fac simile of the
pattern last, provided the machine is kept in motion suflicient time to allow

page_text: the friction roller N to pass over every part of the surface of the patern
last P.
Sheet II. of the annexed Drawings contains four views of a machine which
differs considerably in its arrangement from the machine herein-before described,
although it acts upon a similar principle. The machine represented in Sheet II.
is adapted to cut or shape two objects at the same time; as, for example, two
shoe lasts, by having only one model or pattern last previously prepared and
mounted in the machine. It possesses also the property of being able to cut
or shape a pair of shoe lasts at one operation from rough pieces of wood, one
being adapted to the form of the right foot, and the other to the left foot, the
model or patern last being shaped either for the right or left foot indifferently,
as may be found most convenient.
Figure 1 shews an horizontal plan of the machine, exhibiting the patern
last P and the two lasts R and R*, which are being cut or shaped from
rough or irregular pieces of wood. Figure 2 shews a side elevation of
the machine. Figure 3, a side section taken nearly through the center, in
order to explain the construction of the lathe or moving cutter frame, its
operation being different from that of the machine described in Sheet I.
Figure 4 represents a cross section of the machine supposed to be taken
through the rough pieces of wood or the two lasts R, R*, and the pat-
tern last P, to shew the two cutter wheels M and M*, which operate upon
the said rough pieces of wood, and and also the friction roller N which acts
against the surface of the patern last P. Note, the same letters of reference
are used to denote corresponding parts upon all the four Figures. A, A, repre-
sent the main frame supported upon four upright legs a, a, and strengthened
by several cross pieces b, b, which cross pieces also serve to support the various
moving parts of the machine, as will be herein-after explained. The pattern last
P is fixed upon a short horizontal axis e, which passes through fixed cellars in
the frame piece A, I, so as to be capable of turning round, and the two rough
pieces of wood R, R*, are mounted in a similar manner upon short axis 2, 2*,
situated on each side, and parallel to the axis e of the pattern last. The said
pieces of wood are caused to turn round along with the axes 2 and 2*, by
means of dogs x, x, having points formed on them, which points penetrate the
substance of the wood in the same manner as described in the Sheet I. of the
Drawings. The opposite ends or toes of the two lasts R and R*, and also the
patterns last P, are supported by pointed center screws 8, s, passing through the
cross rail A 2 of the frame, which screws are farmed with small handles to turn
the screws round by, in order to take out the finished lasts and put in other
pieces of rough wood to be cut or shaped into lasts, as may be required. The

page_text: pattern last is connected with its spindle e by means of a dog x, having
points on it, as before described, for the spindles 2, 2*. This enables the
pattern last to be removed, in order to receive any other model or pattern
which may be desired, either to form lasts or other objects. The cutter wheels
M and M*, and also the friction roller N, are mounted upon axes in a frame D
situated under the pattern last, &c. The frame D is supported upon centres
d, d, which pass through holes formed in projecting parts of the sliding car-
riage F. The carriage F also supports a cross axis w, having two levers or
arms Z, Z, upon the ends of the said axis outside the frame, as seen in the
plan, Figure 1. The levers Z, Z, are furnished with weights z, z, at one end,
and the other ends act beneath projecting pieces 3, 3, of the moving frame D,
so as to cause the friction roller N (situated in the moving frame, as before
mentioned) to bear constantly against the surface of the pattern last P, thereby
directing the motion of the cutter wheels M and M*, which operate upon the
rough pieces of wood R and R*, the cutter wheels being also mounted upon
axes in the moving frame D. The sliding carriage E, with its appendages,
moves upon rails or ribs r, r, fixed upon the upper surface of two of the cross
pieces b', b', of the frame, as seen in the cross section, Figure 4, and is put in
motion by the screw S, which turns in bearings in the pieces 62, 63, and works
through a female screw or nut T fixed to one of the bars G of the sliding
carriage. The nut T is divided into two halves like a pair of pinchers, as
before described in the Sheet I. of Drawings, and is acted upon by the lever t
to cause the two halves of the nut to approach and embrace the threads of the
screw, or to separate and disengage them from the screw, as may be required.
The screw S receives its motion by the pulley Q and band 8, which passes
round another pulley L fixed upon the axis e of the pattern last P, as seen in
the section, Figure 3, the axis e being put in motion by the pulley h, and band i
passing round a small pulley k situated upon the end of the main axis I. The
main axis I turns in bearings or collars fixed to the cross pieces 3, 63, and is
furnished with a pinion K engaging into the teeth of a wheel 7, which is
turned round by the winch or handle 9, or otherwise by any adequate moving
power, to give motion to the whole motion. H represents the great drum
which is fixed upon the main axis I, and communicates motion by a leathern
strap o to the small pulley v, which pulley is fixed upon an axis 10, situated
in the moving frame D, the upper part of the pulley v being in a line with the
centers d, d, of the moving frame D, so that the up-and-down motion of the
frame D, upon its centers d, d, does not materially affect the tension of the
strap o. The axis 10 has a pulley 11 fixed upon it, round which a band 12
passes. This band puts the cutter wheel M in motion by the small pulley 13,

page_text: as seen in the plan, Figure 1. The small axis 10 has also a small cog or
toothed wheel 14 fixed upon it, which engages in the teeth of another cog
wheel 15, upon the axis of which is a pulley 16, communicating motion to the
cutter wheel M by the band 17 passing round the small pulley 18 fixed upon
the axis of the cutter wheel M*, as shown in the plan, Figure 1. This arrange-
ment causes the two cutter wheels to revolve in opposite directions, and to
continue their motion in every position of the moving frame D and the
sliding carriage F, by the leather strap o sliding along upon the circumference
of the great drum H, as before mentioned in the description of the first
machine. The axis e of the pattern last P has a cogged or toothed wheel 20
upon it, which engages into the teeth of a wheel 21 fixed upon the axis 2* of
the rough piece of wood R*, so that the pattern last P and piece of wood R*
revolve in opposite directions and in equal times, by the wheels 20 and 21
having each the same number of teeth or cogs; the wheel 20 also engages into
the teeth of an intermediate wheel 22, which turns round freely upon a fixed
stud or pin in the frame piece A'. The teeth of the intermediate wheel 22
engage with the wheel 23, which is fixed upon the axis 2 of the rough piece of
wood R. The wheel 23 has the same nnmber of teeth as the wheels 20 and
21, which causes the rough piece of wood R to revolve with the pattern last P
in equal times, but in the same direction, being in the reverse direction to the
motion of the picce R*. It is this circumstance alone which produces a pair of
lasts, one to the form of the right foot, and one to the form of the left foot at
the same time, although the pattern last P be formed either for the right or for
the left foot indefferently. The moving frame D is steadied in its motion by two
curved guides 4, which slide up and down between the side pieces A and b', con-
stituting part of the frame of the machine; the operation of this machine is nearly
the same as the one first described, excepting that in this present machine the
pattern last P, and pieces of rough wood R and R* (intended to be shaped or
cut) are mounted upon axes turning in collars in the fixed frame of the machine;
and the cutter wheels M and M*, and friction roller N, are mounted upon
axes in a moving or swinging frame D, to cause the friction roller N to direct
the action of the cutter wheels; instead of the pattern last and rough piece of
wood being fixed upon axes in a hanging frame, and the cutter wheels and
friction roller being mounted upon axes turning in stationary bearings or collars
upon the sliding carriage, as herein-before described in the Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, the machine might be made to produce two, three, four, or more lasts
or objects at one time, and from the same model or pattern, by widening the
frames and having a corresponding number of spindles, &c., to hold the rough
materials, and also of cutter wheels, the principal movements of the machine re-

page_text: maining the same as I have already described. In some cases it is found advan-
tageous to make the cutter wheels move with a reciprocating 'or vibrating move-
ment backwards and forwards: a portion of a revolution, having cutting edges
formed on both sides of the hooked knives or cutters.before mentioned, so as to
operate upon and cut the piece of wood in both directions. This movement would
be effected by having a long crank upon the main axes, in place of the great
drum H, and a connecting rod jointed to an arm or lever upon the axis 10 in
the place of the small pulley v, the connecting rod being at liberty to slide along
upon the crank in the same manner as the strap o slides upon the drum H, to
accommodate itself to the various positions of the sliding carriage P, before
described.
Having described the machinery in such manner as to enable persons con-
versant with such matter to put in practice, it remains for me to state what I
consider as constituting my claim; and I hereby declare that I do not make
claim to the invention of cutter wheels, screws, pulleys, or any other parts
(separately), but only as combined and applied in the manner herein-before
described, to produce machinery capable of cutting out or shaping objects or
articles of an irregular form in wood or other materials or substances which
admit of being cut by cutters or tools revolving with a circular motion, whether
such motion be continuous or reciprocating, by which machinery I am enabled
to produce any required number of objects or articles from one model or pattern,
and at one continued operation or at once fixing in the machine; for I hereby
declare that I do not make claim to those machines which are capable of
imitating or cutting a portion only of the surface of any irregular formed object
or article without refixing the said object or article in the machine to complete or
cut the other parts of the surface. But I confine my claim to the combination
of parts and machinery which shapes or produces at one continued operation a
fac similie of any particular model or pattern, which model or pattern has been
previously prepared and fixed in the machine, and also for making a reverse of
the said model or pattern, as herein-before described, for the right and left
shoe lasts; the form and proportion of the various parts of the machine may
be varied according to the size or shape of the objects or articles intended to
be produced in the machine, or according to the direction of the workman, as
well as the materials of which the same may be made.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Buckle, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.
JOHN WILL (L.S.) BUCKLE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1822, the aforesaid John William Buckle came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-two.