IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STONE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents;"
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STONE."-A
communication from abroad by George Jeffards Wardwell, of Rutland, in
the State of Vermont, United States of America.
Sealed the 14th November 1865, and dated the 15th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents; with his Petition, on
the 15th September 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,.
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STONE," to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the quarrying of large stones by
cutting vertical or inclined channels by automatic mechanism.
The Invention consists in arranging one or more sets of cutters vertically
on the outside of a frame or carriage, and giving them a rapid reciprocating
motion. The cutter carriage is carried and guided by rails, and is auto-
matically fed up to the work, the cutters forming channels in the stone of any
desired length. The movement of the carriage follows the downward stroke
of the cutters for the purpose of causing the latter to strike-in a different
place at every blow, and the construction and arrangement of the cutters may
be such that the operation of cutting can be performed during either back-.
ward or forward motions of the machine. Thus the cutters are arranged in'

page_text: steps so as to come into action in succession, but to obviate the necessity of
reversing their order they may be arranged in the holder in steps rising at
each side. The mechanism is driven by a portable steam engine supported
independently upon the same rails, but connected to the machine by a link or
connecting rod: A carriage for receiving the cutters and. the mechanism is
provided with shoes, which rest upon and overlap the rails to prevent it from
having any lateral movement. The rails are provided with rack teeth on
their-inside surfaces, into which take spur wheels mounted on the lower ends
of vertical shafts carried in bearings near the rear end of the carriage. These
vertical shafts are connected by bevil gear with a horizontal transverse shaft,
which carries a large spur wheel, and also two ratchet wheels for giving
automatic motion to the machine. Between these ratchet wheels, whose teeth
are set in opposite.directions, an arm vibrates loosely carrying a pawl on-each
side, either of which may be caused to engage with their respective ratchet
wheels according to the direction of motion required. The main driving shaft
is mounted in a line parallel with the horizontal shaft on the carriage framing,
and carries at one end outside the framing a driving pulley, which receives
motion by a belt from the engine. The opposite end of this shaft carries, a
pinion, and forms also the fulcrum of a vibrating lever, having a stud pin at
its end carrying an intermediate spur wheel that is constantly in gear with
the pinion of the driving shaft. According as this lever is depressed or elevated
the intermediate-wheel it carries will gear with the spur wheel of the before-
mentioned ratchet wheel shaft, or with a cam shaft mounted in front, of the
main driving shaft. In the first case the machine will be moved either back-
ward or forward without actuating the cutting tools, and in the, latter.
motion will be communicated to the cutters. From this cam shaft motion is
given by spur gear to a short transverse shaft having a disc plate and stud pin,
to which is attached one end of the vibrating rod carrying the pawls which
operate the ratchet wheels before mentioned. Longitudinal.tilting lever beams
secured near their rear ends to rock shafts mounted in bearings.on the frame
of the machine, have beneath their rear ends india-rubber or metallic springs
_to move their forward ends downward with considerable force. These tilting
lever's are raised-by-snail cams on the cam shaft either simultaneously or
alternately, and serve to actuate the cutters through strap or chain couplings.
On each side of the forward part of the carriage frame of the machine-are
rectangular boxes mounted in trunnions upon the forward transverse beams of
the carriage frame, and standards or guides, between. which the cutters have
their reciprocating motion, are secured to the inner or outer sides respectively.
The outer side of these boxes are hinged to allow of the removal and replace-

page_text: ment of the cutters. The upper end of the outer standards are similarly
secured to gates hinged to a horizontal yoke rigidly attached to the inner
standards. By this means the two standards mutually support each other,.
and they are sustained in position by an inclined brace attached to the inner
standard and pivotted .to the carriage frame. By shortening or lengthening
these braces the standards or guides can be fixed: at any desired. angle for:
cutting channels either perpendicularly or obliquely into the stone... Flanged
pulleys are provided over which the straps or chains. from the ends of the
tilting levers or. beams pass to the cutters, so that some portions of the said
straps will always be in a line coinciding with that in which the lever or beam.
moves. The cutters are formed of long strips of steel of an equal thickness,.
the lower ends chisel-edged and wider than their upper portions.. These
entters are secured together by clamps, which have grooves on their outer.
sides to receive the projecting rib guide of the standards.. A windlass is. pro-
vided near the centre of the machine to raise and maintain the cutters in an.
elevated position when the machine is travelling from one part of the quarry
to another. Two cutters are placed. in each group, whose, edges are, set
obliquely to the others, so that the elevations.produced by the transverse, cuts
may be removed. When the cutters are arranged to operate at the back 'as
well as, forward movement of the carriage, as above mentioned, the, central
chisel may have a pyramidal point, and the concavity left by its blow will be
reduced by the succeeding transverse and diagonal cutting edges.:
1

page_text: 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 IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STONE," being a communication from:
abroad, upon the condition- (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that. I, the said Alfred Vincent 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the quarrying of large stones
by cutting vertical or inclined channels in stone quarries by machinery;
and thus preparing for removal large blocks suitable for shafts, pillars, and
other purposes.
.
The first part of the Invention consists in arranging one or more gangs of
cutters in such manner that they are susceptible of receiving a rapid recipro-
cating motion outside of the frame or carriage upon which they are supported;
which carriage is moved upon and guided by means of a rail track, so that the
cutters will form channels in the stone of any desirable length, according to
the size of the block or shaft which it is desired to remove from the quarry.
The second part of the Invention consists in contrivances for supporting,
guiding, and moving the gang or gangs of cutters, and for adjusting their
,cutting edges as they are worn away.
The third part of. the Invention consists in certain machinery for auto-
matically feeding the cutter carriage up to the work as it progresses, so that the
movement of the carriage and the downward stroke of the cutters will take
place alternately for the purpose of causing the latter to strike in a different
place at every blow, thus making a channel of uniform depth and of any
-desired length, according to the size of the stone which it is desired to quarry
out.
2
The fourth part of the Invention consists in a mode of constructing the
-mechanism for moving the carriage and the cutters, whereby the operation of
cutting can be performed as well in moving the machine backward as in
Imoving it forward, thus saving time in the operation of the machine.

page_text: The fifth part of the Invention consists in the employment of a portable
steam engine in conjunction with a stone-cutting machine, which will be.
herein-after described, in such manner that. both the engine and the machine
are supported independently upon the same track, and are connected together
so that they can be detached at pleasure for moving them separately from one
quarry or bed of stone to another...
The sixth part of the Invention consists in arranging the cutters in a gang
in such manner that the machine to which they are applied can operate in
going backward as well as in moving forward without the necessity of reversing
the gang..
The seventh part of the Invention consists in combining in the same gang
of cutters a series of transverse. cutting edges with one or more pyramidal
cutters for the purpose of facilitating the operation of cutting the channels in
stone and reducing the chips to powder in the centre of the channel.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1. is, a side elevation of the machine,
shewing it mounted upon a track and having a portable engine applied thereto;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is an end view showing one of the
cutters arranged for cutting inclined, channels in stone; Eig. 4 shews in plan
view the arrangement of cutting edges; Fig. 5 shows the lower ends of a
gang of cutters which are adapted for cutting in two directions without
reversing them in their standards; and Figure 6 shews in perspective view.a
pyramidal cutter.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A. is a horizontal frame or carriage which is suitably
braced and adapted for receiving the cutters and the mechanism for operating
them. and moving the machine backward and forward on its track. This
frame is provided at bottom with shoes a, a,.which bear upon the supporting
rails a', a', of the track upon which the machine is moved. These shoes are
recessed to receive the rails, and they slide upon them and prevent the frame
A from having any lateral movement. The. rails a, a, have teeth formed on
their inside surfaces, as shown in Fig. 2, into which gear spur wheels a², a²,
mounted on the lower ends of vertical shafts b, b, placed near the rear end of
the frame A, and having their bearings. in suitable boxes thereon... These
shafts b, b, carry on their upper ends bevil spur. wheels 6, 61, which engage
with the teeth of and are driven by the pinion wheels b, 62, on a horizontal
transverse shaft c. This shaft c has a large spur wheel c¹ keyed on it, and
also two ratchet wheels c,, between which latter an arm d vibrates loosely.
The arm & carries at each side a pawl d', which pawls can be engaged with
or detached from their respective ratchet wheels c³, c, at pleasure; the ratchet
teeth of these wheels are pitched in opposite directions, and their respective
:

page_text: pawls are adapted to engage with them and to give the horizontal shaft c and
the vertical shafts b, b, a forward or backward movement, whichever direction
it is intended to move the frame A. Two clicks d; d, are pivotted on the
rear end of the frame A for preventing the backlash of the ratchet wheels
"
they can be engaged with or disengaged from their respective wheels at
pleasure. B is the main driving shaft mounted in bearings e, e, and carrying
at one end outside of the frame A a large belt wheel N for receiving motion
from a bélt wheel N¹ on the engine Q, which moves upon the rails with the
frame A The opposite end of the driving shaft B carries a spur pinion B',
and also a vibrating lever B, which latter supports an intermediate spur
wheel B that is constantly in gear with the spur pinion B'. The lever-B
extends backward and passes between an upright segment guide C that is
secured upon the rear end of the frame A, to which guide the- lever B³ is
affixed by means of a transverse pin either in an elevated or a depressed
position, according to the direction in which it is desired to move the machine.
When this lever is depressed to the dotted position of Fig: 1, so as to engage
the spur wheels B, C, the machine can be moved backward or forward as
rapidly as desired without actuating the cutting tools, provided both of the
ratchet wheels c, c³, are released from their stay and driving pawls. In
front of the main driving shaft B is a horizontal transverse shaft C, which
carries a two-throw cam on each end, as will be herein-after- more fully
described. This shaft C¹ has a large spur wheel D keyed on it in a line witli
the spur wheels B, C, so that by raising the rear end of the lever B³ its
driving wheel B³ will be engaged with the teeth of this large spur wheel, D;
as shown in Figures 1 and 2: The cam shaft C¹ has another spur wheel
keyed on it for giving motion to a spur pinion C, which is keyed on a sliort
transverse shaft C* turning in bearings-ff, as shown in Fig. 2. A slotted
disc fis keyed to the shaft C to receive a coupling or wrist ping, which
connects it with a rod f. The rear end of this rod is pivotted to the upper
end of the vibrating arm d above described, and the pin g can be adjusted and
fixed nearer to or further from the axis of the shaft C* according to the amount
of throw required to be given to the vibrating arm d. By this arrangement
the length of strokes of the vibrating pawl arm & can be adjusted to a nicety;
and the movement of the machine and-the-cutters can be timed with respect
to each other, so that these movements will always be in harmony. E, E, are
two longitudinal beams which extend forward of the main driving shaft B
and are arranged. near the sides of the frame A, as shewn in Fig. 2. These
beams are secured near their rear ends to rock shafts E, E; which are sup
ported.in the bearings e, e, e¹, e¹, and beneath their rear ends india-rubber or

page_text: metallic springs g' are suitably applied, the object of which is to move. their
forward ends downward with considerable force. These beams E, E, are acted
upon by cams' on the cam shaft C, which cams may be so arranged as to
elevate and depress the beams simultaneously or alternately. Near the
forward ends of the beamis E, E, and arranged beneath the same upon the
frame A, are stop blocks h, h, upon which the forward ends of the beams. rest
when they are allowed to fall; two props h'; h', may be pivotted to the rear
sides of the stop blocks h, h, for supporting the forward ends of the beams
E, E, in an elevated position free from their respective. cams when desired.
In rear of the carriage A is the portable steam engine. P is the cylinder
mounted upon the boiler Q, and its piston rod is suitably connected to the
shaft of the belt wheel N¹, as shown, in Figures 1 and 2, so that the belt wheel
can be rotated either backward or forward by reversing the position of the
slide valve. The engine is mounted upon wheels W, W; and connected to
the frame or carriage of the stone-cutting machine by means of a coupling
link G. The wheels W, W, are flanged like ordinary car wheels, and they
roll upon the track B as the machine is moved forward or backward. The
coupling link G which connects the engine with the carriage A is so con-
structed and applied that the engine can be detached from the carriage at
pleasure when it is desired to move the machine from .one quarry or bed of
stone to another.
Having described the mechanism for actuating the cutting tools and moving
the machine upon its track forward or backward, it now only remains. to
describe the construction of the cutting tools, and the manner. of guiding
and directing them to their work of forming deep channels in stone beds: or
quarries.
On each side of the forward part of the carriage A is arranged a swinging
box, to which two standard guides F, F, are secured; between these guides
the cutters are confined, so that they are free to receive a reciprocating
movement. As the standards F, F, on both sides of the carriage A are con-
structed and arranged precisely alike, a description of one of these will suffice.
The standards F, F, are secured at or near their lower ends to a rectangular
box G', which is supported at its forward and rear ends upon the forward
transverse beams of the frame A by means of trunnions i, i. The outer side
of this box is hinged to the forward end of the other portion of the box so
that it can be swung open, and when closed, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, it is.
secured by means of a staple and bolt, or in any other manner.
standard guide F is secured to the inner side of the box G₁ at an intermediate.
The inner
point between the ends of this box, and the outer standard F¹ is secured to the.

page_text: hinged side of the box G' by means of screw bolts, and steady pins are used
to adjust this standard and keep it parallel to the standard F. The upper
end of the standard F is similarly secured to a hinged gate j, which is hinged
to a horizontal yoke F2 that is secured rigidly to the standards F by means
of the open yoke F. The two standards F, F, mutually support each other at
their upper ends when they are locked together. These two standards F, F',
are sustained in position by means of a strut G³, consisting of a screw rod 1,
which is jointed to the standard F, and at its lower end is connected to a
cross bar 2, to the ends of which are coupled two rods 3, 3, pivotted to plates
on the frame A. The screw rod 1 passes-loosely through the cross bar and
receives nuts for affixing it thereto, and by means of this strut the standards.
can be adjusted and fixed rigidly at any desired angle for cutting channels
either perpendicularly or obliquely into the stone.
.. When the two, standards are arranged in inclined planes, it is desirable to
employ pulleys over which to pass the, straps that connect the forward ends
of the beams E, E, to the cutters, as shewn in the Drawings, so that some
portions of the straps will always be in a vertical line or in a plane coinciding
with that in which the beam E-moves. These pulleys k, k, and ke are flanged
so that the straps 1, 1, will not slip from them during the operation of the
machine, and one of the pulleys ¹ is adjustable in a slotted sector.
The cutters S consist of long strips of steel of an equal thickness, having
their lower ends brought to a chisel edge and upset, so that their cutting edges
shall be wider than their upper portions; these strips are secured together by
means of head and foot clamps T, U, both of which are constructed alike, with
the slight difference that the head clamp T is adapted to fit corrugations
which are formed on the surfaces of the cutter stems, as shown in Fig. 3.
The clamp. T consists of two plates which are secured together by means
of transverse bolts, and also by means of a packing block p, which is used for
drawing the cutter stems together edgewise. The two clamps T and U have
grooved ribs formed on their outer sides, the grooves of which receive pro-
jections, or tenons which are formed on the standards F, F, and thus the
cutters are held together between said standards and guided in their recipro-
cating movements. The cutting edges of the cutter stems are stepped or
arranged one above another, so that-the-largest cutter in the gang will operate
first, then the next, and so on, and as these cutting edges wear-away the
clamp U is adjusted upward until the stems are too short for use, when they
are removed and longer stems are introduced in their stead. The clamps T
and U are both provided on each end with loops S, S'; to which the actuating
straps 1, 11, are connected, which straps are secured to the forward end of the
.

page_text: beam E. By this mode of connecting the gang of cutters to its working
beam E, the beam will act upon the former in ascending as well as in
descending, and as the straps are flexible very little jar will be communicated
to the feed mechanism.
.
L
When the cutters above described are, used, it will be necessary, in moving
the machine backward and forward if it is desired to cut both ways, to reverse
them so that their stepped cutting edges may always occupy the same relative
position to the cuts in the stone, and for this reason the two outside standards
F, F, are hinged so that they can be easily opened and the cutters taken
out and reversed. It will be necessary, before reversing the gangs of cutters;
to detach their lifting and depressing straps 1,, from their clamps. One of
the cutting stems of each gang of cutters should have a hole through its upper
end for the purpose of receiving a hook that is attached to a rope or chain for
elevating these gangs when the machine is stationary.
The rope is not shewn in the Drawings, but 'the flanged drum upon which
it is wound is shewn at J. This drum is located near the centre of the
forward end of the machine, and on one end is secured a ratchet wheel t
which is acted upon by a catch u for preventing the drum from rotating
backward when not required to do so. The shaft of the drum J has a band
crank on its forward end, by means of which a person can wind up the rope.
or chain and lift the gang or gangs of cutters. Each one of the inner
standards F, F, is provided on its upper end with a pulley n, over which the
rope or chain passes as the cutters are elevated or lowered by the windlass.
During the operation of the machine the windlass or drum J is not used, it
only being required when the inachine is stationary and it is desired to raise
the cutters for repair or other purpose.
:
The cutters which are by preference employed in the operation of the
machine are constructed as follows: Two of the cutting edges a, a, in the
gang shown in Figures 4 and 5 are formed so as to make diagonal cuts
across the ridges which are formed in the stone by the transverse cutting
edges b, b. These oblique cutters a* are arranged in or nearly in a hori
zontal plane with the transverse cutting edges which immediately succeed
them in the gang, so that an oblique and à transverse cutting edge will strike
the stone at the same time. By this arrangement the formation of any con-
siderable elevations in the line of cut by the transverse cutters is prevented;
as the elevations formed are reduced by. the oblique cutters; thus the trans-
verse cutters will always strike.upon a surface which is nearly, level, and will
not therefore be turned aside or broken, as they would be liable to be if they
struck upon the sides of ridges.

page_text: If it is thought desirable to have the cutters operate when the machine is
moved backward as well as forward without the necessity of reversing them,
as above-mentioned, the cutting edges may be arranged in the stepped form
on each side of the central chisel c', as shewn in Fig. 5, these edges rising. in
regular order from the lowest central point. By this arrangement of the
cutters in a gang it will be seen that those which are on one side of the
central chisel c¹, together with this chisel, will cut the stone when the machine
-is-moving in one direction, and those which are on the opposite side of the
chisel will cut the stone when the machine is moving in a contrary direction;
therefore it will not be necessary to remove the gang of cutters from their
standard guides for the purpose of reversing them, as two sets of chisels are
combined in one gang and adapted for cutting in different directions. Instead
of having the largest chisel which strikes the bottom of the channel. first
chisel-edged, is preferred to make it pointed by bevilling the four sides of
the lower end so as to form a tapering or pyramidal point; as shown in Fig. 6;
such a point will break up the stone in the centre of the channel which is
being formed, and leave a concavity which is reduced to a level by the suc-
ceeding transverse and diagonal cutting edges; by these means the stone is
rapidly reduced, and the cutters work to.a much better advantage.
. When it is not required to make inclined or oblique channels in stone, the
standard guides, above described, may be permanently fixed in vertical
positions, and the boxes to which they are secured may in this event be dis-
pensed with, the standards being secured rigidly to the frame of the carriage;
and in some cases only one pair of standard guides will.be required, and 'con-
sequently only one gang of cutters will be used, in which case the carriage of
the machine may be made much lighter, and less machinery will be required
to operate the cutters and move the carriage.
:
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improved machinery
for cutting stone, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be. understood that; under the above in part recited Letters
-Patent, I claim,-
First, the stone-cutting machine, constructed as above described, to move
upon a track, and which is provided with reciprocating cutters supported
in standards arranged on the outside of the carriage and outside of the said
track.
. Second, the combination of two or more cutters in a gang which are con
nected together by means of head and foot clamps that are adapted to slide
freely between standard guides F, F', supported on the outside of the frame
of the machine, substantially as described.

page_text: Third, hinging the outside standard F¹ to the standard F, or to some part
of the frame A, so that it can be opened or closed at pleasure, substantially as
described.
Fourth, actuating the cutters S through the straps by means of the
vibrating beam E, whose motions are controlled in the manner and for the
purpose above described.
Fifth, the serrated cutter stems in combination with serrated head clamp T,
substantially as described.
Sixth, giving a forward and backward movement to the stone-cutting
machine at pleasure and simultaneously with the upward strokes of the
reciprocating cutters S, and confining the machine positively in position
upon its track during the descending strokes of the cutters, substantially as
described.
Seventh, so constructing the yoke F2 and applying it to the standard F,
that it will admit of the cutters being removed from the machine at pleasure,
substantially as described.
Eighth, providing for adjusting the cutters together with their guides, and
setting them to work at any desired angle, for the purpose and in the manner
substantially as described.
Ninth, the application of a windlass J to a stone-cutting machine which
employs rectilinear reciprocating cutters, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described.
.
Tenth, the combination of one or more diagonal cutting edges with trans-
verse cutting edges formed on the ends of bars which are secured together so
as to form a gang of cutters, substantially as described.
Eleventh, the stepped arrangement of the cutters on both sides of a central
cutter c', substantially as described.
Twelfth, the combination of a pyramidal cutter with transverse and diagonal
chisels, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)