A MODE OR MODES OF OR AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTTING, DRESSING, PREPARING, AND POLISHING STONES, MARELE, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND ALSO IN FORMING FLAT OR ROUNDED MOULDINGS AND
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, We, WILLIAM
NEILSON, Builder, residing in Glasgow; and DAVID LYON, Builder, residing in
Tradeston, of Glasgow, both in the County of Lanark; and PETER MOONIE,
Engineer, residing in Kinning Place, Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, all
in Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of December, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said William
Neilson, David Lyon, and Peter M.Onie, our exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
William Neilson, David Lyon, and Peter Me Onie, our heirs, exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others' as we, the said William Neilson, David Lyon, and
Peter Mc Onie, our exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of Her United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland called England, Her Dominions of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and in Her Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, our
Invention of "A MODE OR MODES OF OR AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
CUTTING, DRESSING, PREPARING, AND POLISHING STONES, MARELE, AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES, AND ALSO IN FORMING FLAT OR ROUNDED MOULDINGS AND

page_text: FIGURES THEREON ; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
that we, the said William Neilson, David Lyon, and Peter M° Onie, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument .in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, to be enrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference. being thereunto had, may more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
William Neilson, David Lyon, and Peter MoOnie, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, and. by the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon :-
In Sheet 1, Figures 1 and 2 exhibit a machine in which 1 is the
bed of the framing; 2 are supports of the bed affixed to stones o; 3 are
pillow brackets which support the driving shaft G, bolted to the bed; 4,
two upright pieces of framing in which the axes of the breadthers work;
5, two arched pieces of framing for supporting the polisher spindles; 6,
a bridge connecting these framings, and having the collar of a shaft T fitted
into it; 7, a horizontal piece of framing connecting the two uprights 4 with
one of the arched framings, and having the collars of the shafts S fitted
into it, a cistern X is also supported by it; 8, the planed rails of the
bed; 9, a bracket for supporting the outer ends of the axlès of two of the
wheels N; 10, a bracket with pillow blocks supporting the doupled ends of
the breadther shafts; 11, ends of railway attached to the machine. A, stones
affixed by screws a, in carriages B, of which a succession are shown. C,
breadthing wheels which act first on the stones, being set to suit any width
required, and being adjustable to cut from two feet six inches to ninė inches.
The axles of these wheels are turned parallel, and are coupled at the middle.
They have two strong feathers on each, one on each side, and are hollow from
their outer ends about half their lengths. On the outer end of each a nut is
fastened, into which screws work, and these screws with forks passing through
the naves of the whee's shift them to any width. Each wheel is bored to fit
accurately on its shaft, and when in operation is secured by screws acting on
the feathers. The shafts of these wheels do not work exactly in line, but at
the coupling are set up, say an eighth of an inch, and are set back about the
same, so that the planes in which the points of the tools revolve are not parallel

page_text: either horizontally or vertically, yet cut the stones nearly perpendicularly. By
this means the tools, when they reach the lowest point, are free of the stone.
These wheels can be made to act to any depth according to their diameters.
The arrow in Fig. 2 shows the direction of the motion; D are wheels for
dressing the surface of the stones, r being sockets to contain the tools; and
there may be one, two, or more tools in each socket, and of different forms, to
suit the stone to be dressed or the kind of surface wanted. These wheels re-
volve in the direction of the arrows, so that the tools act in from the edges of
the stone, crossing about the middle; S are the shafts of these wheels, and are
inclined forward at top about one fourth of an inch over the perpendicular, and
therefore, as in the case of the breadthing wheels, the edges of the dressed part
of the stone pass untouched.
Each of the shafts S has also two strong feathers, and the wheels D being
bored to fit accurately are fixed by screws acting on the feathers; and when
the wheels are to be raised or lowered, these screws are slackened, and
the screw bolts tacted on, u being flanges on the shafts S for the
nuts of these bolts to rest on. E is a circular plate of iron full of
holes, and keyed on a vertical spindle. On its upper side are annular
receptacles to contain sand for grinding and polishing. To this plate
another is bolted, also full of holes and turned true, the bolting being such
as to permit the removal of this plate when worn; water is admitted
into the annular receptacles from a cistern W, by small cocks q, and
in its descent carries the sand through the plates. This polishing apparatus
can be raised or lowered, and when in operation rests with its whole weight
on the stones. F is a second polisher of the same construction, and is simi-
larly supplied with water, but using finer sand to finish.
In this Sheet are exhibited seven carriages, but many more may be used.
Each is furnished with a rack, and the racks, when the carriages are coupled,
are propelled forward by two spur pinions j, on shafts z, communicating by screw
geering with the shaft G, and working into screw wheels L. The pinions are
loose on their shafts and have clutches h, which are thrown in gear when the
carriages are to move forward; 9 are levers for throwing the clutches in
geer; k is a rail for supporting. the shafts z. Two sets of feeding gear are
necessary, because between each pair of carriages there is a space without
any rack, where one of the pinions is inactive till the succeeding rack comes
forward. This feeding gear is so constructed that the two pinions enter cor-
rectly into one rack, and the links c and the hooks 6 by which the carriages
are coupled are of such lengths as to keep the distances between the racks
equal to the space occupied by a given number of their teeth. Each carriage

page_text: has wheels which move along the rails, and the carriages are fitted to these
rails;
K is a bevil pinion on shaft G, and works in a wheel R, communicating
motion by the upright shaft T, and spur wheel U, to two spur wheels V.
These wheels are bored to fit accurately on the polisher spindles, and have
feathers in their naves; they rest on tops of framings 5, and permit
their spindles to be raised or lowered. N are three spur wheels, the
lowest of which has a bevel wheel M bolted to it; I is a pinion on the
main shaft, and works into this bevel wheel, communicating motion through
the wheels N to the breadthing wheels; Q are two spur wheels on the
shafts S, geering into each other and securing the sockets of the surfacing
wheels in their places. A bevel wheel is secured on the under side of one
of these spur wheels by bolts, and is driven by a pinion J, giving motion to
the surfacing wheels; P are plates of iron laid on the coupling links. and
covering the spaces between the carriages, to prevent sand and other matters
from falling on the rails. The front carriage has scrapers affixed to it for
clearing the rails; X is the cistern placed on the top of framing 7, containing
water. The cistern W is supplied from it by cocks P; O are cocks by
which water can be conveyed to the tools of the surfacing wheels. The
shafts being cast hollow down to holes S, the water issues out and is conveyed
into channels on the upper edges of the naves of the surfacing wheels,
and thence by conduits to the tools, to keep them cool when cutting very
hard stone; n are cocks for admitting water on the breadthing tools ;
they turn in stuffing-boxes, and traverse so as to admit water on the tools at
whatever width the wheels may be set. In Fig. 3, Y, Y, are the axles of the
breadthing wheels coupled at m. 12 is a bracket affixed to the framing 9
above described, for bearing the inner end of the axle of the bevel wheel M
and spur wheel N. d are screws for setting the stones to any required height.
e is a pivot on which the upper part of the carriage can be made to revolve as
a turn-table. This Fig., as well as giving a view of the breadthers, shows a
carriage partly in section, f being the axles and wheels, and v. the rack. In.
Fig. 4 is shown the application of the surfacing wheels, the arrows on the
wheels showing the direction of motion, and the angled dotted lines the
position of the tools. In Fig. 5 is shown a view of the polisher E, w being
the lever by which it is raised or lowered, and on the prongs of which is a facer!
ring resting on pivots. On this ring a ruff z is borne, excepting when the
polisher is resting on the stones. The lever is worked by a wheel a, on a
screw, which has its nut in the socket y. In Fig. 6 is exhibited one of the
breadthing wheels, containing three sets of tools. Those marked 6 cut farthest
forward and farthest out. Those marked c cut after them and about an inch far-.

page_text: ther into the stone, and those marked d, with flat-faced tools, finish, taking only
as much of cut as will perfect the surface. The whole are kept in their places
by the ring a, but any tool can be taken out by unscrewing a bolt on each side
of it. The shaft G may work at thirty revolutions per minute, and the stones
be advanced at two feet three inches per minute; and the various parts described
being calculated by the scale, will give the other dimensions and speeds.
In regard to the other parts of our Invention:-In Sheet 2, Figure 1 is a
view of a machine, of which A, B, C, are framings; D, a vertical axis, on
which is fastened a table E, having cast on the under side of its periphery a
spur wheel F, shown here by part of it being broken off; M and P are
wheels fitted on axles, and constructed in many respects similarly to the wheels
D described in Sheet 1. On this table are shown part of the base of a
column S, and part of a grindstone R, motion being communicated by the
bevel. pinion I to the wheels J and K, which are fastened together, but are
loose on their axis D. Either or both of the wheels L can be made to revolve,
each being made to lift out of gear or be fixed down at pleasure.
In dressing the base of a column, the wheel L to the left is lifted out of
gear, and the wheel P raised towards the flange on its axle; motion being
then communicated to the wheels K, L, M, the screw H communicates with
the pinion G, and causes the table with the stone to revolve slowly under the
operation of the tools in the wheel M. The arrows show where these tools
act, and the mouldings being cut the plain part is dressed by a slotting
apparatus N, impelled from below by a connecting rod O. In case of dressing
a grindstone R, the wheel L to the right is raised out of gear, and the wheel
M raised towards the flange on its axle, and motion being communicated as
before to the wheel P, the table is caused to revolve by geering similar to that
on the other side, but not shown here. The extreme too's in the wheel dress
the surface, and those at Q the periphery, these last-mentioned tools being
adjustable to cut any diameter of grindstone.
Fig. 2 shows another mode of application of an apparatus for forming part
of the column base in lieu of the slotting tools.
Fig. 3 shews the application of the surfacing wheels, described in Sheet
1, to the forming of running mouldings. The stones being first dressed, as
described in Sheet 1, are inverted and fixed in the carriages by the ends instead
of the sides. The carriages are then moved forward, and one of the breadth-
ening wheels cuts the side B, the surfacing wheel to the right cutting the
surface G, and the tools fastened on the other surfacing wheel at A cut
successively the parts indicated by the horizontal lines and arrow points, the
breadthing wheel on the same side cutting the parts indicated by the vertical lines.

page_text: Fig. 4 shows a mode of dressing a column. A are stools on which the
lathe heads B are fixed; L are axles on which the chucks C are fastened,
having the block of stone secured in them; D are bevel pinions fastened on a
shaft, which being driven by a handle communicates motion to the wheels E,
fixed on screws which raise or lower the axles L to suit any diameter of
column. Tools being fixed as shown on the hollow cylinder I, it is caused to
revolve in the direction of the arrow, and the stone being lowered by the
screws to its position, a belt M is put on, and motion being thereby given by
gearing G, H, to a pinion working in a wheel on the back of the chuck C, the
column is made to revolve slowly until cut entirely round. The wheels G are
fastened together, but are loose on the axle L. K is a box containing water,
into which the tools dip at every revolution; J is a screw for setting the end
of the cylinder I to either side of its central line, so that when finishing the
mouldings the planes of revolution of the tools have an inclination similar to
that described in Sheet 1.
Fig. 5 is an end view, shewing the lathe head and feeding geer described in
Fig. 4.
We may here remark, that cutting tools affixed upon an axis, in some
respects like to those described in Sheet 2, Fig. 4, have been already.known
and in use, but only for the purpose of preparing plain surfaces.
Having now, described the nature of our Invention, we hereby declare that
we claim the combination of the various parts described to effect the purposes
of our Invention, and particularly the use of a succession of carriages whereon
to. affix the stones in position previous to entering the machine, and whereby
leisure is afforded for correct adjustment. Also the cutting wheels, and the
inclined position in which these wheels are affixed; also their app'ication to
forming the shafts, bases, and other mouldings on rounded columns, either in
combination with the slotting apparatus or without it. The forming of lineal
or running mouldings by cutting wheels. The grinding and polishing of stones
by revolving metal plates, with the aid of sand and water, in combination with
the other apparatus, and the use of the turn-tables as parts of our carriages
for altering the positions of the stones without slacking them in the carriages.
We also reserve to ourselves the power of using stones as po'ishers in lieu of
metal plates, and of making the racks of our carriages of such length as to
meet and form a continuous line, in which case one set of feeding gear only
will be necessary. And, lastly, we declare that although we have stated
particular dimensions and materials, yet we reserve to ourselves the power of
using our machinery of other dimensions and upon other materials, it being

page_text: bvious that our Invention applies to the working of other substances than
tone, such as marble, alabaster, fire brick, and the like.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Me Onie, for myself, and on behalf
of the said William Neilson and David Lyon, have affixed my hand
and seal to these Presents, and to the said Sheets of Drawings, this
Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and forty-two