An Improved Machine for Working or Generating Forms and Surfaces in Wood and other materials.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Working or Generating Forms and
Surfaces in Wood and other materials.
I, MANUEL RUL of 21, Calle de la Acequia, in the City of Mexico, in the
Republic of Mexico, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
The polygenerator of surfaces serves as its name indicates for working or
generating many forms and surfaces in wood, uniting the advantages of a
mechanical plane with those of a lathe for forming cylinders with or without
mouldings and those of the polyhedral lathe or for forming straight prisms with
regular bases, the work of this machine differing in that the prisms obtained by it
are composed of plane faces more or less moulded.
The machine frame is composed as represented in the accompanying drawings of
four cast-iron bases or feet 10-in the upper ends of which are the bearings 11 two
of which are mounted on slides-and of two side frames 12 which should unite the
bases 10; and in the centres of the sides a space 37 is left which is sufficiently large
to accommodate a frame B and this frame can slide vertically. This frame will
carry a fixed bearing 40 near one of its ends and a movable one 41 on the other end,
the movement of this latter one being in a horizontal direction. Each side 12 will
carry its corresponding frame B.
Bolted to the sides 12 above the opening 37 before mentioned, there are cast-iron
standards 55 in which slide the bronze bearings 56 for the shaft 63 which carries
an assemblage of cutters 65 or heads in which the knives or cutters can be placed,
Buch as will generally be used in this machine. The bearings 56 are connected with
two vertical screws 57. which when turned by means of a cross-shaft 59 and mitre
gear wheels 60 will cause the bearings 56 to move up and down and the latter will
impart this movement to the shaft 63 and consequently to the knives, thus permit-
ting of giving the board the proper thickness if the machine is used as a plane, or
the proper diameter to the work if it is used as a lathe, for which purpose a
scale is marked on one of the sides of the standards 55 while a pointer is fixed on
the cutter shaft journal bearing to indicate the desired point.
In the bearings 11 are mounted two shafts 17, 18, and on each of these are keyed
two sprocket wheels 19 all of the same size and of cast-iron. The teeth of these
sprocket wheels are engaged by endless chains of links A, the two chains being
connected by cross-rods 32 which also serve as pivot-joints for the links, the object
of the sliding bearing 11 being to keep the chain taut which object is attained by
means of the screws 20 that push the bearings, pressing against the sides 12 on
which the nut is.
Each endless chain is composed of, say, fifty-eight links of equilateral triangular
form pivot-jointed together at their lower angles whilst the third forms a support
in which a shaft is placed. Each link is composed of two triangular plates 21
connected together by spacing tubes 22, 23, so as to leave a space between them for
the passage of the teeth of the sprocket wheels 19. In the upper vertex of each
link is mounted a shaft 25 carrying a turning chuck or centre 28. Between this
and the other corresponding one of the other chain is placed a piece of wood to be
turned, for there is a conical aperture in the end of the shaft in which is placed the
centre, the link having also a grooved projection on which the heads for the prisms
can be placed. The shaft 25 is free to rotate and the pulley 30, which is placed at
the side opposite the chuck or centre, should be fixed on it and the adjacent one 31
should be loose and should have a groove to pass on the upper and lower
.

page_text: tracks 15, 14, the object of which is to keep the endless chain perfectly horizontal
as otherwise it would sag by its own weight and would wear the bearings unneces
sarily causing at the same time greater friction and waste of motive force. When
we have the chain in place let us see the object of the sliding side frames B; these
as already stated have each two bearings 40, 41, and in them are placed two
shafts 42, 43, on each of which there are two pulleys 44, 45, which are just inside
of the main frame and directly below the pulleys 30 which are fixed on the shafts 25
and on each pair of these pulleys runs a belt 46 which should be of steel covered
with rubber. Between said pulleys 44, 45, and so that the band or belt will be
exactly tangential to them are five rollers 47 placed as close together as possible, so
that one is in the centre directly below the vertical line which passes through the
centre of the cutter shaft 63, the band 46 should pass over said rollers, the object
being to keep it horizontal. The object of the sliding bearings 41 of the frame B
(adjusted by screws 42*) is as will be readily understood to keep taut the steel
band 46 covered on the outside with rubber. The four pulleys 44, 45 are also
covered with rubber, like those which are used in sawing machines with endless
saws or bands. The object of the covering of the pulleys as well as the upper
surface of the steel band is to prevent their slipping and increase the adhesion
between the pulleys 44 45 and the band 46 and also between the band and
the pulleys 30 to the movement of which this part of the machine is dedicated.
The frames B are pressed upwards by a lever 50 and a counterpoise 52, thus
increasing the adhesion of the band 46 against the pulleys 30 which action is
equalized by means of the pressers 87 located above the grooved pulleys 31 and
mounted on rods 88 sliding in guides 89 pressed by springs 90 the pressure of which
is adjusted at the same time as the counterweights 52 of the levers 50.
The general movement of the machine is obtained by means of a belt 66 on
pulley 67 keyed on sprocket wheel shaft 18 from whence it is transmitted in the
same direction by pulley 69 belt 70 and pulley 71 to a shaft 72 which carries on
the opposite end two large pulleys 73, 74, from the larger one 73 of which the
motion is transmitted in the same direction by a belt 75 to the pulley 64 on the
shaft 63 of the cutters or knives while the smaller one 74 on which the band 76 is
crossed imparts an inverse movement to the pulley 77 on the shaft 42 of the movable
frame B. If we suppose that by this arrangement all the direct movements are to
the right, the shafts of the pulleys of the frame will have a movement toward the
left and as this motion is transmitted by means of the steel band 46 covered with
rubber to the shafts 25 of the chucks, these will receive motion in the inverse
direction or to the right and likewise the cutters or knives 65 turn in the same
direction while the chain moves beneath them. At the point of contact of the
work or when vertically below the knives or cutters, the movement at this point
will be in the opposite direction and consequently the cutting velocity will be equal
to the sum of the two contrary velocities and we can suppose, without danger of
mistake, that at the end of three complete revolutions of the endless chain, the
pieces to be turned will be finished.
Thus in three complete revolutions of the endless chain, we will have ninety-six
pieces turned identically the same. Having completed the general description of
my machine I pass to the description of the details.
A link is represented in side, end, and sectional elevation in Figures 8, 9, 10, in
which the tangent-screw 26. is shewn to prevent end motion of spindle 2; by
engaging in groove 27 as well as the grooved projection 24 on which is placed the
hollow heads or chucks for use in turning prisms and which are represented by the
letter C in Figures 11, 12, and 13, which are retained on 24 by a tangential screw
which engages in the groove of 24 allowing the chuck to turn freely but preventing
it from coming off.
Figure 11 represents the link as carrying a chuck or head C for triangular
prisms. This chuck is fastened in the proper position by means of the stop 82 and
spring 81 fastened to the link and which prevent the chuck from turning to the left
in the links that correspond to the left side of the machine but that permit this

page_text: movement toward the right. This movement takes place on passing by the lower
part of the machine and is effected automatically, so as to bring another face of
the work uppermost or in position to be worked by the knives or cutters.
Figure 15 shews a triangular straight prism 83 throughout the length of which
a slot 85 has been made in which are located the eye-bolts 86 which are fastened at
any point of the groove by nuts. There are as many prisms as there are links in
the chain, the end tenons 84 of each prism being placed between a pair of chuck
heads of the chains, so that together they form a table on which, being limited by
the width between the eye-bolts 86, the boards are guided when the machine is
used for making mouldings; when planing or working boards, two presser rollers 92
are used whose shafts are journaled in the holes 91 of the presser 87, so that when
a board is placed on the table of prisms only a slight impulse is necessary (and
this at the first board only) for the board to be pressed by the rollers 92 and
carried under the knives 93 which work it, making use of two rollers 92 one before,
and the second after, the knives so that the whole board is worked and as the
boards are placed continnously one after the other the simple movement of the
table is sufficient to prevent the descending of the roller and to keep it continuously
pressing the boards and working them.
The work to be turned is mounted between the pairs of chuck centres before the
links reach the upper track by withdrawing the screw 26 (detail Figure 10) which
leaves the shaft 25 free. In order to turn cylinders, it will be sufficient to tern-
porarily withdraw the shafts of one side of the chain in succession and mount
between the chucks, the pieces of wood which have been cut to the proper size and
in the ends of which grooves have been made for the chisel edges of the chucks.
The shafts 25 are then secured again by the screw 26.
The proper cutters having been mounted on the cutter shaft, to obtain the desired
figure or moulding the knives are moved down until the pointer marks on the scale
the maximum diameter which the pieces are to have, reading the scale by difference
and by halves, that is if the zero corresponds to the line of the centres with knives
ten inches in diameter and if we make them rise until the pointer marks one it is
clear that the piece to be turned should have a maximum diameter of two inches,
but as the scale is arranged for prisms and for boards we will have to place the
zero of the scale when the knives are tangential to the table of prisms and as these
are three inches above the centre line we should place the zero there so that the
enumeration of the scale will mark the thickness of the boards and even when we
follow the scale downward marking minus 1 minus 2 etc. When we have to turn
cylinders and the knives are in the line of the centre the scale will mark minus 3
and consequently if we desire to obtain pieces the maximum diameter of which is
to be two inches, the scale will mark minus 2 but if we want three inches the
scale will mark 14.
If prisms are to be turned the chuck-heads C, Figure 11, will be placed on the
part 24 of the link and the hinged side of the chuck is opened and the piece of
wood on which the tenons have been made is put in place. When this has been
done, the machine is started, the knives are lowered until the necessary size is
obtained on the scale and after as many turns of the chain as there are sides to
the prisms to be turned, the operation will be completed, all the prisms being
identical.
If the machine is to be used for planing or moulding, it is used in the manner
described already except that we have not stated that the knives are to be raised
or lowered according to the thickness that the boards are to have or the depth of
the mouldings.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Working or Generating Forms and
Surfaces in Wood and other materials.
I, MANUEL RUL, of 21 Calle de la Acequia, in the City of Mexico, in the
Republic of Mexico, Machinist, 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 :-
My invention has for its object to provide a compact, durable, economic and
readily manipulated machine which may be employed for turning surfaces and
performing all of the work capable of being accomplished upon an ordinary lathe,
and which may be further converted into use as a planer and the parts of the
machine be so adjusted that said machine will plane prisms, pieces having many
faces, mouldings or boards and like objects as may be required.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Speci-
fication, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine, partly in horizontal section, the section
being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3; Figure 3 is an end view; Figure 4 is a
longitudinal vertical section, taken practically on the lines 4-4 of Figures 2, 3
and 5; Figure 5 is a central vertical transverse section, taken essentially on the
lines 5-5 of Figures 2 and 4;
Figure 6 is a vertical section taken through a portion of an inner sliding frame
of the machine, illustrating tension rollers and the application of the rollers to a
belt and the application of the belt to driving pulleys carried by the endless chains
of the machine, the section being taken practically on the line 6-6 of Figure 7,
and Figure 7 is practically an end view of the said sliding frame, illustrating the
part shown in section in Figure 6 in side elevation;
Figure 8 is an end view of one link of the endless chains removed from said
chains;
Figure 9 is a side elevation of a link illustrating its appearance when the machine:
is employed for turning purposes ;
Figure 10 is a vertical section through the link shown in Figures 8 and 9, the
section being taken practically on the line 10-10 of Figure 8;
Figure 11 is an inner face view of one of the links of the chain, illustrating the
application thereto of a chuck adapted to receive prisms or triangular figures; and 3
Figure 12 is a side elevation of the link and the chuck illustrated in Figure 11;
Figure 13 is an outer face view of the chuck removed from engagement with
the link ;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a rack used upon the machine and adapted
to operate in connection with the link shown in Figure 11;
Figure 15 is a side elevation of a section of a platform adapted to connect the
endless chains when the machine is to be used for planing boards or like objects ;
Figure 16 is an end view of the platform section ;
Figure 17 is a vertical section through the platform section, taken essentially on
the line 17-17 of Figure 15, and
Figure 18 is a plan view of the platform section ;
Figure 19, is an end view of a guide adapted for use in connection with the
cutter shaft; Figure 20 is a side elevation of the said guide;
Figure 21 is a side elevation of a friction roller carried by the guide;
4
Figure 22 is an end view of one of the cutter heads when used for planing; and 50
Figure 23 is a partial side elevation of the said head, illustrating its construction.

page_text: will first give a description of the general construction of the machine and
its especial adaptability for use as a turning lathe.
The frame of the machine consists of four corner posts 10, each carrying at its
upper end a journal box 11, the boxes at one set of end posts being fixed and the
5 others laterally adjustable. In addition to the posts the frame proper consists of
side plates 12, which are secured at their lower end surfaces to the corner posts,
their upper portions 12" being concaved and removed some distance from the posts,
as is best shown in Figure 1. Each end set of posts is connected by a transverse
beam 13, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the beam being adapted to support two
tracks 14, which extend from end to end of the machine, one near each side; and
similar tracks 15, are located upon the upper edge of each side plate of the machine
frame, as illustrated in Figure 5. The frame cross beams 13, are further adapted
each as a support for two racks 16, shown in detail in Figure 14 and as applied in
Figure 5, the racks being located between the outer ends of the cross bars or
beams and their central portions. The racks are not employed when the machine
is in use for turning purposes, but are brought into requisition only when the
machine is used for planing prisms, etc., as will be hereinafter set forth.
In each set of journal boxes 11 a shaft is journaled, designated respectively
as 17 and 18; and each shaft has secured thercon within and near the sides of the
frame two large sprocket wheels 19. Each horizontally-aligning pair of sprocket
wheels carries an endless chain belt A, the belts being tightened whenever required
through the medium of adjusting screws 20, supported at the ends of the side plates
of the frame and connected with the adjustable journal boxes 11, as illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2. The chain belts are composed of a series of links a, pivotally
connected and of peculiar construction, as the links are adapted to carry the ends
of articles to be turned.
The detail construction of the links is illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12,
in which it will be observed that the link comprises two parallel and opposing
plates or blocks 21, preferably of triangular shape, connected at their apex by a
spacing tube 22, and at the base by means of two spacing sleeves 23, the sleeves
being located at each side of the base.
The upper spacing tube 22 of each link extends beyond the inner side face of
the inner block or plate 21 of the link; and the inner projecting end of the tube
is provided with a peripheral groove 24. Within the spacing tube 22 of each link
is located a revolving spindle 25 which is ordinarily prevented from having end
movement by passing a set screw 26 downward through the inner plate or block 21
of the link, the lower end of the set screw being unthreaded and entered into an
annular groove 27, produced in the spindle. The inner end of each link spindle 25,
is provided with an opening adapted to receive a centre 28 of any approved con-
struction. The spindles extend some distance beyond the outer face of the outer
block or plate of the links of the chains, and each spindle is usually provided close
to the outer face of the link carrying it with a collar 29, and adjacent to this
collar a driving pulley 30, is secured upon each spindle by means of a feather, or
in any other approved manner, as the pulleys 30, are adapted to impart a rotary
movement to the spindles; in addition to the pulley 3 each link spindle at its
extreme outer end carries a loosely mounted guide pulley 31. These guide pulleys
are peripherally grooved, and they are adapted to travel upon the upper tracks 15
of the frame when the links are passing over the top portion of the machine, and
they travel upon the lower track 14 when the links pass. beneath the machine.
By this means the endless chain belts are kept moving in perfect parallelism, and
are not permitted to have any lateral movement or sag. Again, the tracks serve
to support the chains and to take strain from the material carried by them and
their connecting devices, as the two endless chain belts are connected, and the con-
necting medium consists of rods or pins 32, which pass through the face of the
links at their sides and through the lower spacing sleeves 23, the rods or pins
extending from one chain to the other, uniting opposing links in each of the chains.
The pins or rods 32 form the pivot joints for the links of the chains, and the links

page_text: are connected in any approved manner; usually, however, each inner face of the
blocks or plates of one link is provided with a recess 33 as shown in Figures 9
and 10, and the link to be joined with it has correspondingly-shaped recesses 34,
formed upon the outer face of its plates or blocks. By these means an interlocking
and pivotal connection may be effected between adjoining links.
In order that the chain belts shall not have backward movement but will be
compelled to move forwardly, upon the inner face of the forward posts adjacent
to the forward ends of the lower tracks 14, spring-pressed detents 35, are pivoted,
as shown in Figure 4, and these detents are adapted to engage with the guide
wheels 31 of the links of the chain. It is evident that as the chain revolves
in a forward direction at the bottom of the machine the guide pulleys may
readily pass the detents 35; but after passing the detents the latter engage
with the rear faces of the pulleys and prevent the chain slipping backward at
the bottom of the machine, thus insuring a steady and uninterrupted forward
movement.
At the central portion of the machine, between the side pieces of its frame, a
supplemental or inner frame B, is located, which extends longitudinally of the
main frame, and is located centrally between its ends. The supplemental frame B,
comprises two side plates 36, and these side plates have vertical movement in
or upon the side plates of the main frame. In the drawings the main frame is
shown as provided with longitudinal openings 37 at the points where the sup-
plemental frame is located, and the end walls of the openings in the side plates
of the main frame are provided with vertical grooves 38, and the ends of the side
plates with tongues entering said grooves; but this arrangement may be varied
without departing from the spirit of the invention. The side pieces of the
supplemental frame are connected by one or more cross bars 39, the cross bars
being attached to about the central portion of the side pieces with respect to
both the length and the height of the same.
The side pieces of the supplemental frame near each end, are provided with
a journal box, the boxes at one end being designated as 40 and boxes at the
opposite end as 41; and the boxes 41 as will be seen by reference to Figure 1,
are laterally adjustable through the medium of adjusting screws 42, carried by
the frame and of any approved construction. The pair of boxes 40 journal a
shaft 42 and the adjustable boxes 41, likewise journal a shaft 43. These shafts
therefore extend transversely across the frame near its ends.
Each shaft 42 has secured to it within the frame near its ends two pulleys, one
set of pulleys being designated as 44 and the other as 45; and the longitudinally-
aligning pulleys in the supplemental frame are adapted to carry an endless belt 46,
the belt being preferably made of steel, and it is provided upon its outer surface
with a coating of rubber, leather, or a like material. The peripheral surfaces of
the pulleys 44 and 45 are likewise covered with a like material, so as to insure the
best possible frictional contact between the pulleys and the belt. The belt is
given its friction face in order that it may have perfect frictional contact with
the driving pulleys 30 of the endless chain links, as the belts 46 are adapted
to drive these pulleys and therefore turn the spindles 25 carried by the links.
The spindles are not given rotary motion at any other point in their length than
where their driving pulleys 30 are brought into frictional engagement with the
driving belts 46.
In order that the belts 46 may be held up firmly against the driving pulleys of
the chain spindles a series of guide pulleys 47, is journaled in standards 48,
projected upward from the cross bar 39 of the supplemental frame. These guide
pulleys are arranged in pairs, as shown best in Figure 6, the pairs being connected
by shanks 49, and the shanks are journaled in the uprights or standards. Thus
there is a series of friction rollers at each side of each standard, and the friction
rollers are so placed that they extend upward above the upper edges of the
standards.
It is necessary at times that a greater or less amount of frictional contact should

page_text: be maintained between the belts 46 and the driving pulleys 30 of the spindles, and
this is accomplished by moving the supplemental frame upward or downward as
occasion may demand; and this movement of the supplemental frame is ordinarily
effected through the medium of levers 5, fulcrumed at each side of the main
frame, the levers being preferably of the elbow form, the horizontal members of
the levers being fulcrumed, and the vertical members are secured to the outer side
faces of the supplemental frame, as best shown in Figure 1.
The forward extremities of the elbow levers are provide.l with handles 51, to
facilitate the manipulation of the levers; and the horizontal member of each lever
is provided also with an adjustable weight 52, capable of being secured at any
point upon the said members, as is likewise shown in Figure 1. After the sup-
plementary frame has been raised or lowered by proper movement of the levers,
the lever weights are manipulated in a manner to support the frame in the position
in which it was placed.
In order that the adjusting device, namely the levers 50, may be assisted, a
spring 53, is made to bear upon the under central portion of the cross har of the
supplemental frame, and upon a second cross bar 54, utilized to connect the sides
of the main frame at their central portion, as illustrated at Figure 4.
Two vertically slotted standards 55, are carried on the side pieces of the main
frame, one of said standards being located upon each side piece of the main
frame at the centre thereof; and in the slot of each standard slides a journal
box 56. These boxes are raised or lowered as occasion may demand by means of
vertical screws 57, swivelled at their lower ends in the journal boxes, which screws
are passed upward through threaded openings in the tops of the standards, as
illustrated in Figure 5.
A frame 58 of yoke-like pattern is loosely mounted upon the upper end of each
screw, and in these frames the ends of a feed shaft 59, are journaled, the shaft
being provided near each end within the yokes with mitre gear 60, meshing with
corresponding gears 61, secured upon the upper ends of the feed screws 57 and
likewise within the yoke frames 58. The feed shaft may be turned in any
approved manner, but it is ordinarily manipulated through the medium of a crank
arm 62, secured to one end.
In the journal boxes 56, a cutter shaft 63, is journaled, the shaft being readily
removable from the boxes, and said shaft is provided at one end with a driving
pulley 64. Cutters are shown on this shaft in both Figures 3 and 4, being
designated as 65 and it will be readily understood that the cutting tools employed
and placed upon the cutter shaft may be of any desired shape necessary to impart
the proper configuration to the article to be operated upon. In Figure 3, the
group of cutters is shown brought together to form a figure to be reproduced upon
the articles to be carried between the centres of the chain spindles.
The parts of the machine are driven in the following manner :
Motion is communicated to the sprocket wheel shaft 18 by means of a belt 66,
connected with any suitable motor, and passing over a pulley 67, located at one
end of said shaft. At the opposite end of the shaft another pulley 69 is secured,
and this pulley is connected by a belt 70 with a small pulley 71, located upon a
countershaft 72 journaled transversely in the main frame of the machine. At the
opposite end of this shaft two pulleys 73 and 74 are secured, the pulley 73 being
connected by a belt 75 with the driving pulley 64 on the cutter shaft, while the
pulley 74 on the counter shaft is connected by a belt 76 with a pulley 77, located
upon the outer end of the shaft 42 of the supplemental frame.
In the operation of this form of the device the work to be turned is placed
between the centres of the chain carriers, and any desired number of centres may be
brought into requisition. After the cutters upon the cutter shaft have been fed
downward a considerable distance to engage with the material between the centres
of the chain belts, and the supplemental frame has been properly adjusted,
power may be applied to the machine. The chain belts will then pass, the

page_text: bottom strands in direction of the front and the upper strands in direction of
the rear, taking with them the material to be operated upon. The moment that
the driving pulleys 30 engage with the endless belts 46 of the supplemental
frame the said pulleys by frictional contact with the belts will be revolved, and
therefore the spindles carrying the centres will be given a like movement, and
this revolution of the spindles and the work carried by them is continued while
the work is being carried beneath the cutters and after it has passed the cutters
for a short distance. By this means a series of articles is consecutively presented
to the cutters, and a number of pieces may therefore be turned at the same
time. It is evident that this form of the machine may be used in turning
material of any description, and may be used for all the purposes for which an
ordinary lathe is employed.
When the machine is to be used as a planer, proper planing heads or tools
are mounted upon the cutter shaft 63, and the centres 28, are removed from
connection with the spindles of the chain links, as instead of the centres,
chucks C are substituted therefor. Any form of chuck may be used, but that
shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13, is adapted for use when prisms are to be
planed, and substantially the same form is employed when figures polygonal
in general contour are to be planed. This chuck C comprises a head 78 of
triangular shape, the base portion of which is hinged so as to admit the tenon of
the article to be planed, as the shape of the tenon in cross section indicates the
shape that the body of the article is to assume. In addition to the head 78
the chuck comprises a sleeve 79, securely attached to the back of the head,
and this sleeve is provided with an attached or integral gear 80, and the gears
of the heads are adapted to engage with the racks 16, secured to the cross bars:
of the main frame and heretofore alluded to. The number of teeth in the rack
is such that when a gear 80, engages with the rack the head of the chuck will be
turned the distance of one face only; that is, the face that has been planed will be
brought out of the track of the planers, and a face to be dressed will be brought
into said path.
The chucks C are slipped over the projecting ends of the spacing tubes of the
links of the endless chains, and are attached thereto by means of a set screw or its
equivalent, passing through the sleeves of the chucks and into the grooves 24 in the
Baid spacing tubes. In this manner it is evident that the chucks are free to revolve
upon the links, but it is necessary that the chucks should be held perfectly stationary
while the planers or cutters are acting upon the material carried thereby, and such
a device is shown in Figure 11, consisting of a spring rod or bar 81, secured to the
outer face of a link and extending beyond an upper edge thereof parallel with a
side of the chuck head, the spring bar being preferably provided with an adjustable
block 82, which engages with the chuck head when the spring bar is in its normal
position, and prevents the head from turning. When planing is to be done upon
the machine the supplemental frame B, is lowered so that its traction belts 46 will
be carried out of the path of the driving pulleys 30 of the links, as the spindles 25
of the links are to remain stationary and the chucks only are to be turned.
In the operation of the machine for planing prisms and like articles, the articles
to be planed are fastened in the chuck heads, and extend in transverse series along
the entire length of the chain belts if so desired. When the machine is started
and one surface has been planed, when the links approach the forward cross bar 13,
the spring rod 81, will be engaged by the cross bar, and will be forced away from
the chuck head of the link with which it is connected, thus leaving the chuck free
to turn; and when the chuck head is released from the clamping or stop bar, the
gear 80 of the chuck is made to engage with a rack 16, and during the passage of
the chuck over the rack the chuck head will have been turned a proper distance to
carry the planed face downward, and a rough face, or a face to be planed, upward,
and at this time the chuck will have passed the cross bar and likewise the link, and
the spring stop bar will be released from the cross bar and will return immediately

page_text: to its normal position, that is in engagement with a face of the chuck, and the
latter will be prevented from turning. This operation is repeated at each revolution
of the chain. The cutters or planing tools are adjusted downward by the manipula-
tion of an adjusting shaft 59 no change being made in this portion of the
machine.
When the machine is to be employed for planing boards or equivalently shaped
articles, a head of any desired shape, preferably a triangular head, is secured upon
each of the link spindles; and a head of each opposing link of the chain belts is in
this event adapted to receive one end of a platform section 83, shown in Figures 15,
16, 17 and 18, the ends 84 of the platform sections being of less cross sectional area
than the cross sectional area of the body section. The sections are preferably
made triangular in cross section, as shown in Figure 16, and their reduced
extremities 84 are of like shape. This shape is given in order that when the sections
have been fitted in the heads of the chain belts, with their wide faces uppermost,
they will present practically a platform continuous with the chains, and as the
narrow portions of the sections are innermost there is ample room between the
sections to permit them to conform to the contour of the sprocket wheels as
the chains are carried from them; and the platform thus made is adapted to support
the boards or like material to be planed.
Each platform section is provided with a longitudinal slot or opening 85,
extending through it normally from end to end and from top to bottom. In each
of these openings two adjustable centres 86 are located. The centres are provided
in order that they may be adjusted toward or from each other to provide guides
for different shaped boards, as the boards are to be placed between the centres.
It is necessary when planing the faces of boards that a feed roller capable of
acting also as a pressure roller should be provided to engage with a board being
planed at each side of the shaft carrying the cutters; therefore two spring-
pressed heads 87, shown in detail in Figures 19 and 20, are used, shown as applied
in Figures 3, 4 and 5. These heads are provided with posts 88, extending upwardly
therefrom, near the ends, and the posts have sliding movement in offsets 89, formed
upon the inner faces of the standards 55 in which the cutter shaft rotates. The
heads are normally pressed downward by means of springs 90, and each of the
heads is provided near each end with bearings 91, and in said bearings the trunnions
of feed or pressure rollers 92, are journaled, these rollers being adapted to bear
upon the boards one at each side of the cutter shaft.
In Figures 22 and 23 I have illustrated a preferred form of head E upon which
to secure the planing knives or cutters 93. The head consists of a series of
wheels 94, adapted to be mounted upon the cutter shaft and placed at desired
intervals apart, the peripheral surface of the wheels being polygonal as shown in
the said Figures 22 and 23. These wheels are connected by a series of plates 95,
screwed or otherwise attached to their peripheral faces and according to the number
of wheels employed and the distance they are apart, the head will be made long or
short. The cutters 93 are secured upon the continuous plates 95 and they are so
placed that the cutting edge of one cutter will overlap or extend beyond the heel
of the cutter next to it.
The machine above described may be used as a lathe and any article may be
turned thereon that is capable of being manipulated upon an ordinary lathe, and
with but slight alteration or alterations which may be quickly and conveniently
made; the machine may be converted for use as a planer and employed for planing
moulding, prisms, or objects polygonal in cross section, or flat surfaces, such as the
faces of boards; and with all that the machine is capable of performing it is
exceedingly simple, durable and economic in its construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
¡ claim is —
1
In
•
machine for turning and planing endless chain carriers adapted to

page_text: receive the article or articles to be operated upon, substantially as shown and
described.
2. In a machine for turning or planing, an endless chain carrier and clamps
connected with the links of the carrier and adapted to receive the articles to be
operated upon, whereby one or a number of articles may be carried beneath the
cutting tools consecutively, as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a machine for turning or planing, the combination, with chain wheels,
endless chains carried by the same, guides carried by the links of the chains, and
chucks or centres also carried by the links of the chains, as and for the purpose
specified.
4. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with chain wheels and
endless chains carried by the same, of spindles carried by the links of the chains,
and driving pulleys carried by the spindles.
5. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with chain wheels,
endless chains carried by the same and a driving mechanism connected with the
wheels, of spindles loosely mounted in the links of the chains, drive wheels carried
by the spindles, and an actuating mechanism adjustable to and from the drive
wheels, as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with chain wheels, endless
carrying chains, sprocket wheels supporting the chains, and a driving mechanism
connected with the wheels, of spindles mounted to revolve in the links of the
chains and adapted to receive centres or chucks, driving pulleys attached to the
spindles, guide pulleys also secured to the spindles, tracke engaging with the guide
pulleys, and a driving mechanism engaging with the driving wheels of the spindles,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with sprocket wheels,
endless chain carriers supported thereby, spindles loosely mounted in the links of
the endless chain carriers and adapted to receive centres or chucks, and a driving
mechanism connected with the sprocket wheels, of driving pulleys secured to the
spindles, guide pulleys also attached to the spindles, tracks engaging with the drive
pulleys, the tracks being independent of the carrier, pulleys adjustable to and from
the spindle driving pulleys, belts carried by the adjustable pulleys and adapted for
frictional engagement with the spindle driving pulleys, and an adjusting and driving
mechanism connected with the adjustable pulleys, as and for the purpose specified.
8. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with endless chain carriers,
a driving mechanism communicating motion to the carriers, spindles mounted to
turn in the links of the carriers, driving pulleys attached to the spindles, and guide
pulleys loosely mounted on the spindles, of tracks independent of the carriers and
engaging with the guide wheels of the spindles, a frame adjustable to and from the
spindle driving wheels, pulleys carried by the frame, belts carried by the pulleys
and adapted for frictional engagement with the spindle pulleys, and a cutter shaft
adjustable to and from the endless chain carriers, the cutter shaft being located
above the carriers and above the adjustable frame, as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a machine for turning articles, the combination, with endless chain carriers,
a driving mechanism connected therewith, spindles turning in the links of the
carrier and adapted to receive centres or chucks, driving pulleys secured to the
spindles, and guide pulleys loosely mounted upon the spindles, of tracks engaging
with the guide pulleys, pulleys arranged between the upper and lower strands of
the carriers and vertically adjustable, belts carried by the pulleys and adapted for
engagement with the driving pulleys of the spindles, a tension device connected with
the pulleys, guide rollers supporting the belts, and a detent mechanism engaging
with the lower strands of the endless carriers, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
10. In a machine for turning articles, the combination with endless chain carriers
having a connected driving mechanism, spindles loosely mounted in the links of the
carrier and adapted to receive centres or chucks, driving pulleys secured to the
spindles and guide pulleys loosely mounted thereon, of tracks engaging with

page_text: the guide pulleys, driving belts adjustable to and from the driving pulleys of the
spindles and located beneath them, a tension and adjusting device connected with
the pulleys carrying the driving belts, a cutter shaft arranged above the carriers
over the driving belts, and an adjusting and driving mechanism connected with the
cutter shaft, substantially as shown and described.
11. In a machine for planing articles the combination, with an endless chain
carrier and a driving mechanism connected with the carrier, of chucks attached to
the links of the chain carrier, and a cutter shaft located above the carrier,
substantially as shown and described.
12. In a machine for planing material, the combination with an endless chain
carrier and a mechanism for driving the same, of chucks carried by and revolving
upon the links of the carrier, a trip mechanism located beneath the carriers and
adapted for engagement with the chucks and a stop mechanism connected with the
carrier and engaging with the chucks, as and for the purpose set forth.
13. In a machine for planing material, the combination, with endless chain
carriers and a driving mechanism connected therewith, of chucks revolubly carried
by the links of the carrier, gears attached to the chucks, racks supported beneath
the carriers and adapted to mesh with the chuck gears, spring stop rods secured to
the carriers and normally engaging with the chucks, and a trip device located
adjacent to the racks and adapted for engagement with the stop bar, as and for the
purpose specified.
14. In a machine for planing material, the combination, with an endless chain
carrier, a driving mechanism connected with the carrier and chucks mounted to
revolve on the links of the chain carrier, guide pulleys carried by the links and
tracks receiving the guide pulleys, of gearing secured to the chucks, racks located
in a stationary manner beneath the carriers and adapted to engage with the chuck
gearing, spring stop bars attached to the carriers and adapted normally for engage-
ment with the chucks, a trip mechanism adapted for engagement with the stop bars
and located adjacent to the racks, and a cutter shaft adjustably located over the
carriers, as and for the purpose specified.
15. In a machine for planing material, the combination, with endless chain
carriers, a driving mechanism connected therewith, and chucks or heads carried by
the links of the carriers, of platform sections the extremities of which are located
in the chucks or heads in near engagement with each other, guide centres adjustably
carried by the platform sections, a cutter shaft located above the carriers, and
pressure rolls located over the carriers and adapted for engagement with the articles
placed upon the platform sections, as and for the purpose set forth.
16. In a machine for planing material, the combination, with endless chain
carriers, chucks or heads carried by the links of the carriers, and a driving
mechanism connected with the carriers, of a platform constructed in sections, the
sections being held at their extremities in the chucks or heads of the carriers,
adjustable guide centres located in the platform sections, a cutter shaft adjustably
located above the carriers and adapted to receive cutting tools, and spring-controlled
pressure rolls adapted for engagement with the material to be planed at each side
of the cutter shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.
17. In a machine of the character described, a cutter head consisting of discs
adapted for attachment to the shaft and having a polygonal exterior contour, plates
attached to the faces of the discs and connecting the same, and knives attached to
the plates, the cutting edges of the knives on one face overlapping the heel of the
knives on the adjacent face of the head, as and for the purpose set forth.
Davou tuis
LAYA
M. RUL,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.