Improvements in Machines for Dressing, Moulding; Planing, and Shaping Stone and like Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Dressing, Moulding; Planing, and
Shaping Stone and like Substances.
1, JOHN SPENCER of Atlas Works, Keighley in the County of York, Engineer
and. Machine Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
In connection with the employment of. machines for dressing, moulding
planing and shaping stone and like..substances considerable loss is entailed
by the inability to make these said machines (except in the case of those of, the
old and well known planing. machine type wherein the cutters or tools are fixed to
a rocking head and which have only a very limited range of action). perform their
cutting actions over the entire surface of the stone under operation without break-
ing away a certain portion of. said stone as its outer end is, being approached by the
cutters.
To obviate this loss and produce a machine that will act, or perform its cutting
operations evenly over the whole surface of such parts of the stone as are desired
to be operated upon, is the object of this invention.
To attain this object I make use of circular, conical or disc cutters (except as is
hereinafter explained) which I. mount on differential swivel bearings held and
operated by ratchet, cam, screw or worm and wheel mechanisms, carried by an
appropriately formed tool holder, this latter being preferably square in cross
section so that its position in the box or clamped-holder may be altered or changed
and yet in any one of such positions it may be firmly and securely held.
This tool-box is mounted to slide on bearings which are pivotally carried by
other bearings arranged to slide on supports extending vertically from the machine's
bed, and to said parts .which slide upon the vertical supports (which are made
adjustable so that they may be fixed at any angle), reciprocatory motion is
imparted or transmitted from the main shaft of the machine or otherwise, by cam,
crank or other appropriate mechanism, whenever desired, in order that by such
movements the cutters carried by them may be brought into .contact with the
stone that they have to operate upon; while by suitable screw, rack and pinion or
like mechanism the said cutters may also have a lateral movement imparted to
them either automatically or manually as occasion may require.
The stone is placed into position upon any of the well known..clamping devices
by which it is held, and which I may arrange to be pivotally carried by a moveable
table mounted upon the machine's bed in proximity with the vertical supports fixed
thereon. This table I construct in such a manner that it may either slide upon
grooved or otherwise prepared surfaces on the machine's bed (which arrange-
ment I preferably employ when the moveable table is used as the "feed" to the
cutters) or it may travel over antifriction bowls or pulleys which 1 mount on
adjustable bearings, as by same having eccentrically formed axle pins or shafts, so
that when the table has a more rapid and extensive movement imparted to it (as
when moving the stone against the cutters to perform the cutting operations) less
resistance is offered by the friction of its supports or bearing surfaces.

page_text: Again the mechanism for imparting motion to the table may be of the well
known rack and pinion type or it may be obtained through cranks, cams or the like
while to counteract the concussion at each reversal of the direction of motion of
the table, particularly when same is being operated at the increased speed above
referred to mount springs upon the connecting rod or otherwise so that on said
table approaching the end of its path of motion, one or other of these springs acts
as a buffer and is compressed thereby thus in addition to its use as a retarder of
motion its resilience on the return of the table is of benefit for overcoming the
inertia of said table at this time.
The clamping devices on the table are arranged to be operated upon their
trunnions, by ratchet and wheel or worm and segment mechanisms in order that
the stone held by them may be rotated or oscillated about said trunnions as
desired.
The actions of the machine are as follows;-
Assuming that the stone is fixed upon the machine and that the cutting operations
thereon are desired to leave their markings crosswise the surface being acted upon,
then the crank or like mechanism is put into operation to reciprocate the tool box
upon the vertical slide, while at the completion of each rising and falling movement,
the rack and pinion or screw mechanism will cause the table to advance and feed
the stone to the cutters, such cutters having also at the completion of each of their
rising and falling motions, being tilted or moved on their swivelled bearings by
lever arms coming in contact with buffer pieces which cause them to move the
ratchet wheel, worm or cam mechanism, so that they are made to assume their
proper inclinations or positions relatively with the surface of the stone they are
acting upon in order that their cutting actions may be performed with the same
precision whether they are moving one way or the other, this feeding of the stone
to the cutters and the said cutting operations proceeding until one end of the
stone has been acted upon or prepared for a suitable distance thereon, on which
the machine is stopped, the tool holder is turned over in the tool box and the table
is moved to bring the stone so that the cutting operations may commence in at the
other and opposite end and in the opposite direction to the one previously being
followed with the result that the cutting operations may be proceeded with until
the entire length of the stone is traversed and that without any part of it being
broken away thus said operations are performed as desired.
Provided only one cutter is being employed then the tilting action of the swivel
bearings is arranged so that said cutter may perform what may be termed the
"rough-cut" in one direction, while it tilts and falls back to perform the finishing
cut which it will thus make deeper into the stone in the other direction.
Now, assuming that the cutting operations are desired to be performed length-
wise the stone then the reciprocatory motion of the cutters is arrested and their
bearings are fixed upon the vertical slides, although the cutters are allowed to
remain free as to their lateral motion which may be manually or automatically
imparted to them by the screws or other mechanisms, while the driving mechanism
of the table is made to impart a quicker reciprocatory motion to it, and at this
time the swivelling of the cutters' bearings may be utilized for bringing them into
position to form a hollowed or a cylindrical surface on said stone as may be desired
or as is necessary to produce the mould or design required upon the stone being
acted upon.
It will readily be seen that wherever the nature of the work permits it, simple
scraping tools or cutters may be fixed on the tool bar instead of the rotary or disc
cutters herein before described.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Dressing, Moulding, Planing, and
Shaping Stone and like Substances.
.
I, JOHN SPENCER of Atlas Works, Keighley in the County of York, Engineer
and Machine Tool Maker, 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, that is to say :-
In connection with the employment of machines for dressing, moulding, planing
and shaping stone and like substances considerable loss is entailed by the inability
to make these said machines (except in the case of those of the old and well known
planing machine type wherein the cutters or tools are fixed to a rocking head and
which have only a very limited range of action) to perform their cutting actions
over the entire surface of the stone under operation without breaking away a
certain portion of said stone as its outer end is being approached by the cutters.
To obviate this loss and produce a machine that will act or perform its cutting
operations evenly over the whole surface of such parts of the stone as are desired
to be operated upon, is the object of this invention.
This object attain by the means hereinafter described reference being had to
the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a plan or view of the machine as seen from above.
Fig. 2 is part sectional elevation of same on line A-B and as seen in the
direction indicated by arrow C.
Fig. 3 is end elevation of the machine, as seen in the opposite direction to that
indicated by the arrow C.
Fig. 4 is side elevation of the machine as seen in the direction indicated by the
arrow D.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine and shows the method of
coupling same to an additional operating crank.
Figs. 6 and 7 are side and sectional elevations, drawn to an enlarged scale of
part shown by Fig. 5.
Figs. 8, 9 and 1 are front, back and top views of the parts for supporting and
operating the cutters these being also drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figs. 11 and 12 are drawings in detail, enlarged scale illustrating the bearing
spindles or studs on which the trunnions for supporting the machine's table, are
mounted.
Fig. 13 is side elevation similar to Fig. 4 but shows a modification in the
formation of the vertical supports whereby I am enabled to make the cutters
operate at any desired angle to the vertical plane for purposes hereinafter
explained.
Fig. 14 is a drawing in detail of the parts shown by Fig. 5 and as seen from
above.
Fig. 15 is sectional end elevation of a piece of cut stone to illustrate the result
attainable by certain adjustments and actions of the machine.
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the
several views.
The bed a and the upright 6 constitute the principal portions of the machine's
framework.
The circular cutters c are mounted upon a spindle d arranged to rotate freely
within the bearings e, the forces acting thereon, bring chiefly in a direction
lengthwise this spindle d, are withstood by the cross piece el which is secured by
bolts to the bearings e and against which the end of the spindle d abuts.

page_text: The pivotal arme of the bearings e is arranged to pass through the swivel f which
forms sufficient support for it and allows it to be moved therein on the wheel e³
secured to it being rotated by the worin e carried by bearings secured to the bar g
and operated by the rod f" as is hereinafter explained.
The swivel is mounted upon the bar g by its pivotal arm f passing through it
so that the lever:f11 may he secured to it to enable it to be oscillated by the
rod hereinafter described...
The bar g fits within the slide where it is held by the cross pieces g¹g gill
secured by their several screws, and by this bar g being square in cross section it
will fit equally well within said box whether it is in the position therein shown by
the several drawings, or in a position at right angles to this or if entirely turned
over so that its present upper becomes its lower surface as will be well understood,
by which formation I am enabled to adjust or arrange the cutter in the most
appropriate position relatively with the barg and the piece of stone k under
operation, by simply moving said bar g and without removing or disarranging the
parts securing said cutter c to the said bar g.
The slide is mounted upon the box h¹ wherein it is operated by the screw as
may he desired and in the well known manner which is similar to the operating by
hand of most slides on lathes and other tools, while the box is swivelled on the
saddle to which it is secured by the bolts htaking into the circular: slots h³
made concentrically with the pivotal projection on said box . in order that the
bar g may be adjusted when desired at an angle to the horizontal plane by which
means when it is moved by its screw h" it will travel in a path at said angle to the
horizontal plane and so carry its cutter c to act upon the surface of the stone k at
said angle, by this arrangement pieces of stone may be cut into the shape shown by
the sectional view Fig. 15.
When the machine is being used and the stone k is being fed to the cutter c, then
reciprocatory motion is imparted to the saddle fróm. the main driving shaft m
(which derives its motion from any prime motor; through the pulleys m¹) through
the medium of the gear wheel ml secured to said shaft m, gear wheel mill fixed on
the shaft m (carried by bearings m³) crank or plate me fixed on said shaft m* and
connecting rod m' pivotally coupled to said crank m and to the saddle h, while
when the cutter c is being fed to the stone k, this latter being moved or reciprocated
lengthwise the bed a as hereinafter described, then the connecting rod m is
detached from the saddle and this latter is moved vertically by. the nut h* on
the screw h' being secured in the lug on said saddle which screw his manually
moved by the wheel 8 through the gearing wheels 10 shown in broken lines
Fig. 4 or this screw may be automatically and intermittently rotated in one
direction or the other by the ratchet 3 operating the wheel 4 as it is reciprocated
by the crank 5 fixed on the rotary shaft" said crank 5 being coupled to the
lever 6 upon which the ratchet 3 is mounted, by means of the rod 7 as shown. by
Fig. 14, or if said cutter is moved horizontal by its screw " being rotated manually
or otherwise:
The stone k is fixed or mounted upon the table n by the employment of any of
the well known devices at present in use for effecting this purpose, and said table n
is made to slide upon the bed a, at such times as it is being used for feeding the
stone k to the cutter c and which is usually at a comparatively slow rate of speed,
by means of the screw n' taking into the rack n fixed on said table n, this screw n
being secured to the shaft n which is operated by its wheel n (which is secured
to it by the clutch n') gearing with the worm n fixed to the shaft n' operated in
one direction or the other according as to whether the gear wheel ne secured to it,
is being operated by the shaft o directly through the wheel o' and toll or. through
these wheels and the wheel ol (the positions of these being determined by the
operative moving the swing plate o on which the wheels o" and o are mounted
by the holding bar o the actions of which are well known) the said wheel o
deriving its motion from the shaft o which is rotated by a belt o' shown in broken
lines Fig. 1 from the shaft m through the medium of the speed cones o' and. 08.

page_text: And at the time this table n is being thus moved through the worm n the driving
belts which impart motion to the shaft p are on their loose pulleys pl p, where
when a quicker movement is desired to be imparted to the table n when the
clutch n is thrown out of gear and one or other of the belts on the pulleys pl p
(according as to which direction it is desired to rotate the shaft p, one belt driving
it one direction the other in the opposite direction) is shifted on to the pulley p
fixed to said shaft p this latter being thereby rotated, its rotary motion being
transmitted through the gear wheel p (which is fixed to the shaft p) and p (which
is fixed to the shaft ). This quicker motion of the table is for the purpose of
enabling the workman to bring. the stone quickly up to the cutter. when it (said
cutter) has been properly mounted on the table or for other purposes. wherein a
comparatively quick movement is thought desirable..
For the purpose of operating the table n at yet a quicker speed as is desirable
when the cutting operations have to be performed by its movements, the cutter e
at this time being stationary with the exception of its feed and rotary motion
which latter is at all times produced by its contact with the stone it is acting upon,
the screw n¹ is detached or taken from the shaft n and the table n is coupled
through the coupling parts g spring g', bar g" and rod to the operating.crank
mounted on the shaft deriving its rotary motion from any prime motor. The
bar q is made to slide loosely in the part q so that it will by its shoulder press.
the hoop, q against the spring g' which in turn forces the shouldered bush g
against the part q on the rod moving in the direction indicated by the arrow. z,
while when it is moving in the opposite direction the nut q' at the end of the bar gli
forces the bush q to press the part q thus the power of the crank.r is at all times
exerted on the table n through the resilience of the said spring.g' by which means
the motion of the said table n is more gradually arrested and reversed at each
extremity of its path than it would be had no resilience to be afforded its coupling
parts:
The actions of the machine are as follows:-..
Assuming that the cutting operations have to be performed on the face & and.by
one cutter c as shown by the drawings, then the table a is moved into its position
with said cutter c by bringing one or other of the belts on the pulleys pl pil on to..
the pulley p (the clutch n being at this time out of gear). On said table being
brought thus into position the belt is shifted back on to its pulley pl or pl and the
clutch is then put into gear after which the main driving belt is shifted on to
the pulley m' thus the cutter c is moved or. reciprocated vertically while as it is
completing each rising and falling movement its hoops 9 and 10 are brought into
contact with the stop piece 11 thus motion is imparted to this rod f" to cause it to:
tilt or move the cutter c by the lever (the greater or less extent of its said..
movement being prearranged by the adjusting. pieces 12, 13 being fixed to lengthen
or shorten the slot 14 made in said rod f" the actions of said pieces 12, 13 and the .
rod being transmitted to the lever by coming into contact with the
projection 15 fixed to said lever ) either from the position shown in full lines
Fig. 9 into that shown by broken lines of the same figure, or vice versa, these
respective positions being merely assumed to be the right. ones. for the cutter c to
occupy when noving in its two separate directions for the purpose of illustrating.
its movements, since I am well aware that the class, quality or nature of the stone
to be cut might require this movement to be greater or less as well as the inclination
of the said cutter c to it to be different to that illustrated. The setting of the said
cutter c and the amount of motion that it will be necessary to impart to it in this
direction being left to the skill or judgment of the user or as to what he might find..
most suitable for it to do.
Further on said rod" being moved as described a portion of its motion is trans-
mitted through the projection 17 to the lever 18 fixed on the spindle of the worm e,
to the said cutter e in the other direction thus moving it from the position shown
in full lines Fig. 10 into the position shown in broken lines of same figure or vice
versa, this said motion being regulated to be sufficient to cause the cutter c to take

page_text: the "rough-cut" in one direction while it falls back to take the "finishing cut" in
the other direction, the extent of this action also being determined as is that of its
other motion last hefore described.
When two or more cutters c are mounted on the spindle d this last described
motion may or may not be employed as the user may desire or find to be
advantageous.
At the time the cutter c is being reciprocated vertically as above described, the
stone k is fed thereto by the table n being moved by the screw n¹ which at this
time is rotated by the belt o and its several intervening parts.
To prevent the cutters c from breaking away any parts of the stone k as the ends
or extremities of same are being approached they are mounted on the machine, say
in the position shown in the drawings, then the actions of the machine are brought
into operation as above described to cause them to act in at one end of the stone k
for a certain distance, (the cutters being adjusted at this time so as not to cut to
the full depth to which it will be necessary for them to go to produce the finished
surface but nearly so) on which the motion of the machine is arrested, the cutter
is turned or tilted to perform its cutting operations in the opposite direction and
the table n moved so that the other and opposite end of the strone k is brought
into position, when the machine is again fully set in motion and the cutting
operations commence in at the opposite end of the stone k whence they continue
until the part first acted upon is again reached and now passed over but since only
a very slight cut is at this time required at this part, the force of the cutter against
the surface of the stone is not sufficient to break it away, although its cutting
actions are continued until the end is reached in order to leave the markings of the
cutter thereon even and regular throughout the entire surface.
During the performance of the cutting operations as above described, the crank
and the several parts are disconnected from the machine and are entirely inoperative
however when the stone k has to be acted upon lengthwise its surface, these several
parts are brought into use, while the shaft m is made inoperative and the connecting
rod m' is detached from the saddle . The motion of the crank r is then trans-
mitted to the table n while the screw 'causes the cutters c to advance as has been
herein before described, in this case the rod is brought into a horizontal position
nud its stop piece 11 is fixed to the table n as shown in broken lines Fig. 4.
On the crank being brought into use the table n is relieved of its friction on
the bed a by the eccentric studs 18 of the trunnions 19 being rotated to raise these
trunnions 19 sufficiently to support the table n just clear of its said bed a thus these
trunnions act as anti-friction bearings at this time while when comparatively little
motion is imparted to the table n when they are lowered out of this position and
remain inoperative.
Provided it is desired to have the cutter markings on the stone k at an angle to
the vertical plane, the vertical support 6 is pivoted at 20 as shown by Fig. 13 so
that it may be adjusted in any desired position by its adjusting screws 21.
Of course it will be seen that for simple operations the ordinary straight or
scraping cutters may be used in connection with my improved machine, instead of
the rotary ones herein described, and often these may be of great service since
when a mould has been cut or produced by the rotary cutters the markings left by
these may be somewhat unsightly, hence a scraping tool having its cutting edge-
formed to correspond with the mould produced may be fixed to the opposite end of
the bar 9 (somewhat as shown in broken lines Fig. 2) thus to be ready for use or
said bar g being detached from its holder, turned over endwise and its said scraping
tool brought into the position previously occupied by the rotary cutter, the extent
contour being in this way produced with ease and precision.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter. a spindle upon

page_text: which said cutter is mounted, pivotal bearings in which said spindle is mounted,
supports upon which said bearings are pivotally mounted, and means for oscillating
or partly rotating said pivotal bearings to alter the position of the cutter,
substantially as herein specified.
2. In a stone dressing machine the combination of a rotary cutter, a spindle upon
which said cutter is mounted, pivotal bearings for supporting said spindle, swivel
bearings for supporting said pivotal bearings and means for operating said pivotal
and swivel bearings substantially as herein specified.
3. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter, a spindle upon
which said rotary cutter is mounted, pivotal bearings for supporting said spindle,
swivel bearings for supporting said pivotal bearings, lever, worm, and wheel
attachments for imparting motion to these said pivotal and swivel bearings, a
sliding rod carrying adjusting pieces to enable its actions on said attachments to be
varied and means for operating said sliding rod substantially as specified.
4. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter, a spindle upon
which said cutter is mounted, pivotal bearings for supporting said spindle, swivel
bearings for supporting said pivotal bearings, means for operating said pivotal and
swivel bearings, a supporting bar of the sectional form described, for supporting
said cutter and its bearings, and a sliding holder to which said bar inay be detachably
secured substantially as specified.
5. In a stone dressing machine the combination of a rotary cutter, a spindle and
pivotal and swivel bearings for supporting said cutter, a bar square in cross section
upon which said cutter and bearings are mounted, a sliding holder for receiving
said bar which is detachably secured to it, a box upon which said slide is mounted,
a saddle upon which said box is pivotally secured said saddle having slots made
concentrically with said pivot, and a screw for operating the slide substantially as
herein specified.
6. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter, a spindle for
supporting same, pivotal and swivel bearings upon which said spindle is mounted,
a bar for supporting said bearings, a sliding holder for said bar, a box upon which
said holder slides, a saddle upon which said box is pivotally mounted, a support for
said saddle to slide upon and means for operating said saddle and parts secured
upon it substantially as hercin specified.
7. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a bar, square in cross section,
a cutting tool fixed to said bar, a sliding holder made to receive said bar which is
detachably secured to it, means for supporting said holder and crank, connecting
rod and other mechanism for imparting reciprocatory motion to said bar and its
cutting tool substantially as specified.
8. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a bar square in cross section,
a cutting tool fixed to said bar, a sliding holder for securing said bar, a box for
supporting said sliding holder a saddle having the box pivotally mounted on it and
concentric slots formed in it to enable the adjustment of the box thereon and
means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said saddle substantially as specified.
9. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a bar square in cross section,
a cutting tool mounted upon said box, sliding and holder attachments for securing
said box, a saddle on which said attachment are mounted, and screw and hand
wheel mechanism for operating said saddle substantially as herein specified.
10. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a cutter, swivel and pivotal
bearings, for said cutter, means for automatically operating these bearings,
reciprocatory bearings for supporting said swivel and pivotal bearings, means for
operating these reciprocatory bearings, a sliding table, a bed upon which said table
is mounted, and screw and other devices for imparting motion to said table to feed
the stone carried by it to the cutter substantially as specified.
11. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter, moveable
bearings for supporting said cutter, means for automatically operating said moveable
bearings to reverse or alter the position of the rotary cutter, a table mounted on
its bed to slide in suitable proximity with said rotary cutter and crank mechanism

page_text: for imparting a comparatively quick movement to said table, substantially as herein
specified.
12. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of a rotary cutter, moveable
bearings for supporting said cutter, means for automatically operating said moveable
"bearings, to alter the position of the rotary cutter, screw, ratchet, crank and wheel
mechanisms for. automatically feeding the cutter to the stone it has to act upon, a
table mounted to slide in proximity with said cutter and means for imparting a
comparatively quick movement thereto substantially as specified.
13. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of rotary cutters, means for
supporting these cutters, mechanism for automatically operating said cutters, sliding
bearings upon which the cutter's supports are mounted, means for operating said
sliding bearings a table mounted to reciprocate in proximity with sliding bearings
adjustable trunnions for supporting said table, and means for imparting reciprocatory
motion to said table substantially as herein specified.
14. In a stone dressing machine, the combination of cutters, .hearings for said
cutters and a vertical support for said bearings, said support being arranged so that
its position relatively with the vertical plane can be adjusted, and means for
securing same in its adjusted positions, substantially as specified.
Dated this 4th day of November 1896.
1
JOHN SPENCER,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.