Year: 1885

page_text: I FREDERICK WILLIAM GRAUERT of King County, Washington Territory, United
States of America and at present of 13 Craven Street Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Chair Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for shaving the strips or
strands into which the hard outer portions of rattan canes are split for various
purposes. And the invention has for its object to provide a machine by which the
strips of rattan are reduced to the required thickness and width by the successive
removal of two or more fine shavings of such a character as to be suitable for
stuffing upholstery, whereby all waste is avoided.
The machine comprises a consecutive series of planing knives for operating on
the lower or pith side of the rattan strip, these knives being mounted transversely
in the bed of the machine in which they are fixed adjustably by set screws and
eccentric clamps to enable the thickness of shaving removed to be regulated,
the strip of rattan being pressed against these knives by rollers mounted
immediately above them and being conveyed through the machine by a series of
pairs of feed rollers placed alternately with the knives and pressing rollers, all
these rollers being geared together.
The upper feed rollers of each pair have spring cushioned bearings to allow
them to yield to inequalities in the rattan, their downward pressure being adjusted
by screws.
At the front end of the machine are knives for operating on the upper or outer
side of the strip. These knives correspond in number to the number of strips to
be passed through the machine at one time and they are guided in upright slots in
the inclined front end of the machine frame and their cutting edges are pressed
down by springs upon the rattan strips, to whose curvature the cutting edges
correspond These knives are for planing off the joints of the rattan and they
are provided with leverhandles for raising them when required.
Suitable guides for the strips are fixed upon the bed in front of these knives and
also between the knives and feed rollers first described.
The last pair of feed rolls are mere narrow discs or flanges of less thickness than
the width of the rattan strip and each pair of such discs or flanges turns between
a pair of knives whose cutting edges are in a vertical plane and opposite to the
point of nip of the rollers, whereby the strips are brought to a uniform width.
Dated thin 95th day of Santember 1885

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Shaving Rattan.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM GRAUERT, formerly of King County, Washington Territory,
United States of America, and at present of 7 Melbourne Street, Leicester, in the
County, of Leicester, Chair Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for shaving the strips or
strands into which the hard outer portions of rattan canes are split for various
purposes. And the invention has for its object to provide a machine by which the
strips of rattan are reduced to the required thickness and width by the removal of
one two or more fine shavings of such a character as to be suitable for stuffing
upholstery, weaving, matting & so as to avoid all waste, the dressing operation
being so effected as to make the pith side smooth without breaking the hard outer
portion or rind.
t
The machine comprises knives for removing the joints from the outer side or
rind, one or a consecutive series of planing knives for shaving the lower or pith
side of the rattan strips, guides, pressing and feeding rollers and knives for
reducing the strips of rattan to a uniform width all as hereafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section.
Figure 2 a cross section.
Figure 3 a part plan and Figures 4 and 5 details.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
a-Figures 1 and 4 is a inclined knife at the front end of the machine for
planing off the joints of the rattan on the outer side of the strip.
This knife works in a guide on the inclined front end of the machine frame and
its cutting edge which corresponds in curvature to the outer surface of the rattan
.(see figure 4) is pressed down thereon by a spring 6 and lever handle 6' by means
of which the knife is raised when required. There are as many of these knives
placed side by side as there are strips passed through the machine at one time.
c c¹ are successive pairs of pressing and feeding rollers, the pressing rollers c
alternating with the feeding rollers c. The upper roller of each pair is above, and
the lower roller below the level of the table or bed of the machine, all the rollers
being journaled in spring cushioned bearings adjustable by pressure screws.
These pairs of pressing and feeding rollers are all geared together by wheels on
their journals as will be readily understood, so as to rotate at uniform speeds.
The upper roller of each pair is grooved to receive the strip of rattan and
determine the thickness of the strip, whilst the lower roller is plain as shown in
Figure 5.
Horizontal transverse knives d are mounted on the bed of the machine between
each pair of pressing rollers c, the cutting edge of the knife being situated directly
between the two rollers of the pair. These knives are fixed adjustably by set
screws to enable the thickness of the shaving removed to be regulated.

page_text: The operative parts of the last pair of rollers e, e, are mere narrow rims or
flanges equal to or less than the width of the rattan strips, those of the upper
roller being concave to correspond to the rounded upper surface of the strips
whilst the under ones are flat and the flanges or discs of each pair turn between
a pair of knives whose cutting edges are in vertical planes at either side of, and
opposite to the point of nip of the said rims or flanges as shown in Figure 8 which
is a plan with the upper roller removed. These knives whereby the strips are
brought to a uniform width are set at an angle as shown in Figure 3, and are
Becured by set screws in suitable holders.
Suitable guides g for the strips are fixed upon the bed in front of each of the
knives of each of the three sets. Although I have shown three consecutive sets of
pressing rollers and knives, I would have it understood that one, two or more
sets may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The herein described machine for shaving strips of rattan, substantially as
specified, and illustrated in the drawings.
2. In a machine for shaving rattan strips, the combination of pairs of feeding
and pressing rollers, with a transverse knife situated immediately between the
upper and lower rollers of each pair of pressing rollers substantially as described
and shewn in the drawing.
3. In a machine for shaving rattan, the combination with the pair of narrow
rims or flanges of knives set with their edges in planes parallel to and at either
side of the said rims or flanges and opposite to their point of nip, so as to
shave the side edges of the strip whilst the same is held by the rims or flanges
substantially as shown and described.