Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Engraving or Profiling.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th July, 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Engraving
or Profiling.
We JAMES KEEVES of Boundary Street Shoreditch, Tin Plate Worker, and
THOMAS AUTY of 60 Gilpin Grove, Edmonton Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus to be employed for the
reproduction by engraving or profiling of letters, figures, or other designs, cut in,
or formed in relief upon, metal or other surfaces, such original designs from which
the reproductions are made being commonly known as "formers."
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby an engraved or profiled
reproduction may be obtained upon a larger or smaller scale than the original
design if desired. We are also enabled by our invention to obtain reproductions
in which the proportion the width bears to the length (or vice versa) has been
varied.
The
According to our invention, the machinery or apparatus we employ consists of an
arm hinged or pivotted at one end and free to move in a horizontal plane through
ares of a circle. Upon this arm are mounted two sliding tool boxes, one holding
a graving tool, and the other a tracing tool. As it is more convenient in practice
to reduce than to enlarge from the "former," since by so doing any irregularities
or imperfections in the original design will be less evident in the reproduction, we
usually prefer to place the tracer tool box nearest the free end of the arm.
tracing tool box is caused to travel in a longitudinal or radial direction upon the
pivotted arm by a suitable regulating screw, or other convenient means such as a
rack and pinion, after the fashion of a slide rest, and its longitudinal or radial
movement is communicated to the graver tool box by means of adjustable lever and
link connections, so arranged and constructed, as that by shifting the points of
connection thereof, the proportion of movement between the tracer and graver tool
boxes may be varied at will. The graver may be rotated from a lathe or other
suitable motor by any convenient arrangement of gearing and universal joint
connections, and both the tracer and graver should be provided with means for
vertical adjustment.
The
In operating with the apparatus, the tracer is adjusted to engage with the outline
of the design on the "former" and the graver is brought into contact with the
surface upon which such design is to be reproduced and caused to rotate.
tracer is then made to follow the outline of the design, all lines requiring its
movement in a radial direction as regards the pivot of the arm being followed by
means of the before mentioned adjusting screw, whilst lines requiring its movement
in any other than a radial direction may be readily followed by combining the
longitudinal or radial movement of the tracer tool box along the arm with the
movement of the arm itself through arcs of a circle. Both tool boxes being
mounted upon the arm and connected together by the aforesaid lever and link
connections, it follows that all movements of the tracer must be followed or
reproduced by the graver, the proportions of the reproduction to the original design
or former depending, 1, upon the proportion the distance between the graver
and arm pivot bears to the distance between the tracer and arm pivot, and, 2, upon
the relative positions of the points of connection between the lever and links, and
the fulcrum of such lever.
66
'
When it is desired to reproduce the design upon a larger scale than the original,
the position of the tool boxes must be reversed, and the graver tool box placed
nearest the free end of the arm.

page_text: We find a convenient lever and link connection between the tool boxes to
consist of a lever pivotted to the arm and adjustably connected with the tool box
nearest the axis of motion thereof by a link, a second link (which should be of
telescopic construction) connects the other tool box with the before mentioned
lever arm, and is adapted to engage the same at any desired point. The relative
proportion of movement of the tool boxes is then regulated by varying the
position of the point of connection of the lever and last mentioned link.
Both the lever and the arm will be suitably graduated to indicate the proper
positions for producing the engraved or profiled reproduction in the proportion or
proportions it is desired to bear to the original design or "former."
Although we have referred to the graver as rotating, we may in some cases
employ a non-rotating graver which will engrave upon the desired surface by simply
following the motion of the tracer.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Engraving
or Profiling.
We JAMES KEEVES of Boundary Street, Shoreditch, Tin Plate Worker, and
THOMAS AUTY of 60 Gilpin Grove, Edmonton, Engineer, 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 machinery or apparatus to be employed for the repro-
duction by engraving on profiling of letters figures or other designs cut in or
formed in relief upon metal or other surfaces such original designs from which the
reproductions are made being commonly known as "formers."
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby an engraved or profiled
reproduction may be obtained upon a larger or smaller scale than the original
design it desired. We are also enabled by our invention to obtain reproductions
in which the proportion the width bears to the length (or vice versa) has been
varied.
According to our invention, the machinery or apparatus we employ con-
sists of an arm mounted upon a pivot or hinge at one end and free to
swing or oscillate in a horizontal plane through arcs of a circle. Upon this
swinging arm are mounted two sliding tool boxes, one holding a graving tool, and
the other a tracing tool. As it is more convenient in practice to reduce than to
enlarge from the "former," since by so doing any irregularities or imperfections
on the original design will be less evident in the reproduction, we usually prefer to
place the tracer tool box nearest the free end of the arm. The tracer tool box
may be caused to travel along the swinging arm longitudinally or in a radial
direction as regards the pivot or hinge thereof by convenient means such as a rack
and pinion or a regulating screw after the fashion of a slide rest, and its longitudinal
or radial movement is communicated to the graver tool box by means of adjustable
lever and link connections, so arranged and constructed, as that by shifting the
points of connection thereof, the proportion of the longitudinal or radial movement
of the graver tool box to the longitudinal or radial movement of the tracer tool
box may be varied at will. The graver may be rotated from a lathe or other
suitable motor by any convenient arrangement of gearing and telescopic universal
joint or equivalent connections and both the tracing tool and graving tool should
be provided with ineans for vertical adjustment.
We will now proceed to describe our invention more particularly also the manner

page_text: of performing the same having reference to the accompanying drawings in which
similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, shows the general construction and arrangement of an engraving
or profiling machine embodying our invention.
Fig. 2, (Sheet 2) is a plan of the swinging arm and its appurtenances.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale of the graver tool box
shewing convenient means for regulating the depth of cut.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views shewing in plan and part sectional elevation
the catch piece or stop which may be employed in regulating the depth of cut.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent the tracer tool box in side elevation and vertical transverse
section on line 3-4 Fig. 2, shewing a convenient method of securing quick vertical
adjustment of the tracing tool.
Fig. 8, is a vertical transverse section of the tracer tool box on line 5-6
Fig. 2.
A is the swinging arm mounted at one extremity upon a pivot a (see Fig. 1) which
passes up through the bearing a¹ formed on the extremity of the arm A. B is the
graver tool box and C the tracer tool box both of which re free to travel along
the arm A longitudinally or in a radial direction as regards the pivot a.
Longitudinal or radial movement is here shewn as imparted to the tracer tool
box C by means of a pinion a² mounted in a bearing formed on the tool box C
which pinion a² engages with a rack a³ situated within a recess formed in the
face of the arm A. All longitudinal or radial movement of the tracer tool box C
along the arm A is here represented as transmitted in variable proportion to the
graver tool box B by the following arrangement :-
b is a lever working on a fulcrum 6' situated at the extremity of the arm A.
63 is a link of telescopic construction pivotally connected at one end by the knuckle
joint 63 with the tracer tool box C and at the other end with the socket piece b
which may be fixed at any desired point of the lever b by a set screw 6. is a
second link of similar construction to 62 pivotally connected at one end by the
knuckle joint with the graver tool box B and at the other end with a socket
piece which may also be fixed at any desired point of the lever b by a set
screw b. By altering the relative proportionate distances between the fulcrum 61
and socket pieces the proportion of the longitudinal or radial movement of
the graver tool box B to the longitudinal or radial movement of the tracer tool
box C will be varied as desired.
c is a bracket arm conveniently secured to the vertically sliding face d of the
tool box B which carries a tubular bearing c¹ through which passes the shaft or
axis of the bevel wheel e which gears with the bevel wheel mounted upon the
axis of the graving tool e which passes up through the sliding face d of the tool
box. represents a universal joint connection between the shaft or axis c² and a
telescopic shaft provided at its opposite extremity with a similar universal joint
connection which may be attached to the spindle of a lathe as shewn in Fig. 1.
The sleeve of the telescopic shaft ce should be provided internally with a feather or
equivalent arrangement to prevent rotation therein of the divided portions of
the shaft embraced thereby whilst permitting longitudinal movement of the same.
Vertical adjustment of the graving tool e is represented as effected by the
following arrangement :-The sliding face d of the tool box has a bracket arm
secured thereto upon the upper end of which is formed the bearing through
which passes the plain portion of the adjusting screw 7, the threaded portion of
which engages with a tapped hole in that portion d¹ of the tool box which has no
vertical movement. g' is a sleeve secured upon the screw g by a set screw g² and
provided with a convenient handle g³. g is a shoulder upon the screw g which bears
against the underside of the bearing f¹. Upon rotating the screw g by the
handle the bracket arm will raise or lower, as the case may be, the sliding
face d and graving tool e carried thereby.
f
Any convenient means may be provided if desired to secure the return of the
graving tool, after being raised for any purpose, to the exact depth at which it

page_text: was originally set, and we have found the following arrangement to answer well
in practice.
h is a collar surrounding the sleeve gl and secured thereto by the set screw .
is a catch piece pivotally mounted upon the pin ³ projecting from the side of
the collar h. is a projection on the catch piece 2 adapted to engage with a stop
pin upon the upper surface of the bearing f. is a spring bolt contained
within the catch piece 2, which bolt beats against a flat surface ' formed upon
the side of the pin and thus tends to maintain the catch piece normally in the
position shewn in the drawings whilst permitting of its being turned up out of the
way when required. The catch piece offers no obstruction to the turning of
the screw g to effect the raising of the graving tool e since the stop pin will then
meet the rounded portion of the catch piece and slightly lift and pass under the
same, but when the screw y (which is here shewn as left handed) is turned so as
to lower the graving tool, the projection will engage with the stop pin and
arrest further movement of the screw 9. Suppose it is desired to raise the graver
from the work for some reason and then to return it to the exact depth at which
it was set, the operator will count how many turns he gives to the handle g³ in
raising the graver, and in lowering the same, will, after turning up the catch
piece out of the way, give the same number of turns in the opposite direction
to the handle, turning down the catch piece just before the number is completed,
when the catch piece will engage with the stop pin ½³ and stop further motion
of the screw g at the moment the graver has descended to its original position.
As it is desirable to raise and lower the tracing tool i with greater rapidity than
could be effected by an ordinary screw adjustment, we prefer to employ for this
purpose the following arrangement illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 which we find to
answer well in practice :-
k is a lever pivotted at ¹ to that part of the tracer tool box C which is
incapable of vertical movement. is a link connecting the lever with the
vertically sliding face of the tool box C to which it is pivotted at . is a
bolt traversing a recess in the sliding face . is a washer fixed upon the bolt k
and is a spring which tends to force the bolt into one of the recesses k' formed
in the portion of the tool box C; quick vertical movement of the tracing tool i
can thus be obtained by withdrawing the bolt * from the recess with which
it engages and lifting or depressing the lever until the bolt engages with
another recess 7. Finer adjustment of the tracing tool i may be secured by
adjusting it within the lug by the set screw 1³. m (Fig. 8) is a pin traversing a
recess in the portion of the tool box around which is a helical spring m¹ which
bears against a bracket m² fixed to the sliding face l' of the tool box and tends to
elevate such sliding face, thereby keeping the side of the bolt k in close contact
with side of the recess with which it engages thus preventing all shake or
vibration.
Referring to Fig. 1, which illustrates a convenient arrangement of machine
embodying our invention, D represents a lathe bed formed with a pillar n upon
which is mounted the pivot a for the swinging arm A.
oo are rollers mounted on
a dependent bracket p secured to the free end of the arm A which rollers support
the same and travel along the curved rail or path q secured to the bed plate D.
r is a speed cone driven from any convenient source of motion the shaft r¹ of which
is connected with the universal joint of the telescopic shaft c herein before
referred to, the telescopic shaft and universal joint connections ce permitting
the rotation of the graving tool e whatever the position of the arm A, or bracket c.
E is a table to which is secured the surface to be engraved upon, the table E is
mounted on the carriage & which may be caused to travel longitudinally as regards
the lathe bed D by means of a rack and pinion t¹ the table E being traversed
within the carriage in a direction at right angles to the motion thereof by any
ordinary arrangement of adjusting screw u. E' is a table constructed and arranged
in a precisely similar manner to the table E and lettered correspondingly, to which
table E¹ the former" is intended to be secured, although it is not absolutely
66

page_text: necessary to provide the table E¹ with means for moving the same at right angles
to the motion of its carriage s.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows.
The tracing tool is adjusted to engage with the outline of the design on the
"former" secured to the table E' and the graving tool e is brought into contact
with the surface secured to the table E upon which such design is to be reproduced,
and caused to rotate. The tracing tool is then made to follow the outline of the
design, all lines requiring its movement in a radial direction as regards the pivot a
of the arm A being followed by means of the before mentioned rack and pinion a' a³
or equivalent arrangement whilst lines requiring its movement in any other than a
radial direction may be readily followed by combining the longitudinal or radial
movement of the tracer tool box C along the arm A with the movement of the
arm A itself upon its pivot a through arcs of a circle. Both tool boxes B and C
being mounted upon the arm A and connected together by the lever and link
connections hereinbefore described it follows that all movements of the tracer tool
must be followed or reproduced by the graving tool e the proportions of the
reproduction to the original design or "former" depending, 1, upon the proportion
the distance between the graving tool e and arm pivot a bears to the distance
between the tracing tool and arm pivot a (the adjustment or regulation of these
distances being permitted by the telescopic construction of the links b²) and, 2,
upon the relative proportionate distances between the fulcrum 6 of the lever b and
the points of connection 68 between the lever b and the links b² 16.
When it is desired to reproduce the design upon a larger scale than the original
the position of the tool boxes must be reversed and the graver tool box placed
nearest the free end of the arm the tool box B being connected with the link and
the tool box C with the link 66.
Both the lever b and the arm A will preferably be suitably graduated to indicate
the proper positions of the link connections 66 and tool boxes BC for pro-
ducing the engraved or profiled reproduction in the proportion or proportions it is
desired to bear to the original design or "former."
Although we have referred to the graving tool e as rotating, we may in some
cases employ a nonrotating graving tool which will engrave upon the desired surface
by simply following the motion of the tracing tool i.
If desired we can adapt our machine to reproduce from the "former" upon a
precisely similar scale, by disconnecting the links 626 from the tool boxes BC
and connecting the tool boxes together by a simple connecting rod. The arm A
would in this case be fixed in a line with the lathe bed D, and for the oscillating
or swinging motion of the arm A we should substitute movement at right angles
thereto of the "former" and surface to be engraved upon, which would be mounted
side by side upon the same table.
In conclusion we would observe that we do not limit or confine ourselves to
the precise construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus herein before
described, as the same might be obviously modified in details without in any way
departing from the spirit of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An engraving or profiling machine, wherein the graving tool and tracing tool
are carried by separate tool boxes mounted upon and free to slide in a longitudinal
or radial direction upon an arm capable of swinging or oscillating upon a pivot or
hinge, the graver and tracer tool boxes being connected together by adjustable
lever and link connections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In an engraving or profiling machine, in combination, an arm free to swing
or oscillate upon a pivot or hinge, a graver tool box and a tracer tool box mounted
upon and capable of longitudinal or radial movement along said arm, a lever
working upon a fulcrum or pivot attached to said arm, and links or connections of

page_text: telescopic or equivalent construction connecting such lever with the tool boxes,
the points of connection between the lever and said links being adjustable,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In an engraving or profiling machine the combination of an arm swinging or
oscillating upon a pivot or hinge, tool boxes, one carrying a rotatable graving tool
and the other a tracing tool, mounted and free to slide in a longitudinal or radial
direction thereupon, means for imparting longitudinal or radial movement to one
of the tool boxes, adjustable lever and link connections between the tool boxes,
and a telescopic universal joint connection or equivalent device between the gear
for rotating the graver and the motor which drives the same, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. The use in combination with an engraving or profiling machine constructed
and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described, of the means for securing a
quick vertical movement of the tracing tool i substantially as described with
reference to and illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
5. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts constituting
machinery or apparatus for profiling or engraving, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.