Improvements in Grinding Machines for Metalwork.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grinding Machines for Metalwork.
We FREDERICK HARVARD STACEY, of Heeley Bridge Foundry, Manufacturer, and
WILLIAM BRIGHT of Penistone Road, Grinder, both of Sheffield in the County of
York do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in machines for grinding articles such as files,
machine knives and the like, having a stone adjustable in its vertical position, and a
travelling table upon which the work is carried; the object of the invention is to
simplify the construction, increase its capabilities, and reduce its cost.
We propose to erect two standards either upon a metal or ashler foundation, carrying
a vertically moving slide or saddle which carries the grindstone (or its equivalent) and
its axle and driving pulley or pulleys.
The saddle may be raised and lowered by any suitable mechanical means, or device,
and the surface of the grinder may be kept true by a revolving or other hacker.
Underneath the grindstone, or other grinder, we fix a pair of strong supports
carrying a spindle having two rollers upon which the table is moved backwards and
forwards, and which may be fitted with some elastic medium to give a slightly yielding
action when necessary.
At a short distance in front and at the back of the said supports we fix other
auxiliary supports, to support the weight of the table as it approaches the end of
its travel in either direction; these supports are made of any desired degree of
elasticity.
If preferred the central strong supports may be made rigid, that is without any
elastic medium, such medium being applied to the table.
The table is made in the form of an open trough of any suitable dimensions
according to the nature of the work for which the machine is constructed. It is
moved to and fro upon the rollers before mentioned, and for this purpose we propose
to attach to it removable runners, which when varied in shape, may be made to cause
the grinder to grind an article to a corresponding configuration.
Within the trough-shaped table, any desired number of bridge shaped supports
may be arranged to carry a slab, tray, or other plate, or means of holding the articles
to be ground, and water is also supplied until it is sufficiently deep to cover the said
articles, or of any depth to suit the operator, and a sludge door may be constructed at
the back.
A reciprocating motion is imparted to the table or trough preferably by means of
a long screw attached to one end of the trough or table, and working through a fixed
revolving nut driven by a reversing motion-but it may be imparted by other like
means, and this part of the mechanism is preferably attached to the back end of the
trough or table, so as to be out of the way of the workman.
The point of contact of the stone or other grinder upon the article to be ground
is always in a line drawn between the centre of the grinder and the supporting
rollers.
We propose to construct a removable cover to fit over and enclose the grinder, and
to cover the open top of the trough; and in connection with this we use a displacer
of any construction, that will be let down into the trough when the cover is down so
as to raise the water above the articles under operation, and be drawn out when the
cover is raised so that the water will be lowered, and leave the said articles clear for
examination.
T
2000

page_text: Improvements in Grinding Machines for Metalwork.
We FREDERICK HARVARD STACEY of Heeley Bridge Foundry, Manufacturer, and
WILLIAM BRIGHT of Penistone Road, Grinder, both of Sheffield in the County of
York, 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:-
Our invention relates to improverents in machines for grinding metallic articles
such as files, machine knives and other work having either flat or unequal surfaces,
the object of the invention being to simplify the construction, reduce the cost, and
increase its capabilities.
The invention is illustrated in the annexed sheet of drawings, similar letters of
reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a complete grinding machine, and according to our
invention.
Fig. 2, end elevation, back of machine.
Fig. 3, transverse section of trough.
In carrying out our invention we propose to construct a grinding machine by,
erecting two standards A upon a foundation plate B, or upon an ashler stone if pre-
ferred, and carrying upon their front faces a vertically moving slide or saddle Con
which is mounted the grindstone axle D, the stone or other grinder E and the driving
pulley F.
The saddle C, can be raised and lowered vertically upon face of the standards A, by
any suitable means such as that shown consisting of a screw G, working through a
worm wheel H driven by a worm I and the adjustment may be made by turning the
hand wheel J, with chain connection by hand, or when a quicker movement is requisite
for a longer distance a belt may be placed upon the pulley K, in connection with a
driving shaft.
The stone may be kept true upon its face by means of a hacker L consisting of a
number of toothed discs which is a device at present in use, and we may here remark
that the parts above described form no part of our improvements, and we make no
claim to them centrally.
Underneath the grindstone or other like circular grinder we fix a pair of strong
supports or bearings M, carrying an axle N, and two rollers P upon which the
trough Q is supported.
The brasses or journals of the said bearings rests upon blocks of rubber R or other
elastic medium, so as to be able to yield slightly under pressure when desirable, or we
may place such elastic medium between the rails or runners R upon which the trough
before mentioned is supported, and the shoulder against which they bear.
These rails or runners R are fastened to the side of the trough and are interposed
between the rollers P, and longitudinal strips or shoulders S upon the sides of the
trough Q, and they act both as rails, and as shapers or templates to enable the stone or
grinder to follow unequal or curved surfaces.
They may therefore be parallel, taper, or curved, of any configuration to which
the article when ground is desired to correspond.
In machines requiring a trough of considerable length, for example one for grinding
long saws, we fix auxiliary supports under the trough in front and at the back of the
strong central supports before described, to receive and support the weight of the
trough as it approaches the end of its travel in either direction, and these supports
may have a greater degree of elasticity than the central support they are not shown in
the drawing not being essential.
The trough Q instead of being stationary as is the case in all other such grinding
machines, is made movable, and has a reciprocating horizontal motion, and this
travelling trough constitutes the chief feature of our invention.

page_text: We therefore make the said trough Q preferably of an oblong box shape, and of
any dimension suited to the class of work for which the machine is constructed, and
inside the trough we form supports such as solid or attached strips T, arranged to
carry a table or work holder U, of any construction contrived to hold the work or
articles to be ground securely and conveniently, and capable of adjustment as regards
its position in the trough.
It is desirable to have a projecting ledge or guard inside the trough at each end to
prevent the water flowing over the ends by reason of its momentum when the move-
ment is stopped and reversed at each end of its travel.
The mechanical arrangement for producing the reciprocating movement of the
trough that we have adopted and shown, and which answers well in practice, is fixed
at the back of the machine so as to be out of the way of the workman. It consists of
a fixed screw V attached to the back end of the trough, and passing through a screw
threaded bevil wheel W driven by a corresponding wheel and an ordinary reversing
arrangement of pulleys X, but it will be evident to a mechanical engineer that other
means may be used, such as that known as the link motion which is much used to give
a reciprocating motion to shaping machines for metal works.
The table U upon which the work is placed, is fixed in such a position in the trough
that water may be supplied until it covers the articles to be ground or the normal
height of the water in the trough may be below the articles; but may be raised so as
to cover the articles, by immersing a displacer of suitable bulk, such as for example a
block of metal, thus providing a means for examining the articles without removing
them, or the table on which they are fixed, but we do not make any claim to the use
of a displacer. A sludge door Y is provided for cleaning out the trough when
required.
We propose to enclose the stone and the open top of the trough with a cover that
can be raised and lowered, and attach or connect the displacer to this cover, so that
when the cover is raised to examine the progress of the operation, the displacer is
drawn out of the trough and the water sinks below the articles leaving them exposed
to view. When the cover is drawn down the displacer raises the water level so as
to cover the articles and immerse the face of the stone-an essential in wet grinding.
We are aware that grinding machines are already made, somewhat closely resembling
the general features of the hereinbefore described machine, some being without
troughs, others with a travelling table that is caused to move alternately into and out
of a fixed trough, and we therefore disclaim any such arrangements, nor make any
claim to the already known parts of grinding machines that we have described in
endeavouring to render our invention clear, as it is carried out in the construction of
a grinding machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried into practice we declare
that what we claim is :-
In a grinding machine, and in combination with a grindstone or like grinder, and
the mechanism for rotating and adjusting it; a horizontally moving trough to contain
water and a support for the articles to be ground, a roller or rollers supporting the
said trough and means for giving it a reciprocating motion to move the work under
the stone, and to keep the water and suspended grit in motion, substantially as herein-
before described.