IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND TOOLS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TURNED WOODEN BOXES USED FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rogers, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey,
Wood Turner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
TOOLS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
TURNED WOODEN BOXES USED FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES, SUCH
IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th April 1878, and dated the 17th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rogers at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1877.
JOHN ROGERS, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Wood Turner. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND TOOLS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF TURNED WOODEN BOXES USED FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER
PURPOSES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate, firstly, to the cutting tool for turning out the inside of
the box and of the lid for same. The cutter is fixed in the head of the tool by a
pin or screw beyond the centre, so that the cutter passes the centre of the tool and
of the cutting, and is thus enabled to cut out clear of the centre. Underneath the
cutter is well hollowed out to allow the cuttings to get away freely. The cutting
tool used for the box differs from that used for the lid only in the provision for the
edging and for the outer cutting on the box for receiving the lid. The latter
operation is effected.by a cutter attached (so as to be capable of being set) to a rim
surrounding the body of the tool with an annular space between the tool. In the
tool for cutting the lid this annular space does not exist, but a cutter is fixed to
a rim surrounding the body of the tool for the purpose of edging the lid.
These cutting tools may be worked either vertically or horizontally. When used
horizontally I prefer that they operate together, so that both box and lid be thus
formed in one operation, one at each end of a piece of wood of the proper size and
form. The cutting tools are each carried in a lathe head, the two heads being
made to move in the same bed to and from one another by crank, cam, lever, screw,

page_text: or other suitable motion. This traverse is regulated in each case to the depth of
cut required. After the head and body of the box are thus formed they are divided
by a circular saw. The piece of wood to be operated upon is held between the
cutters by any suitable means.
When the cutting tools are used vertically I prefer that the body of the box and
the lid be operated on separately. In this case the pieces of wood (to form the
bodies and the lids) are moved successively under the cutter either in a curved
or straight line, and the cutter is then moved down to the wood either automatically
or by hand or foot lever.
To move the pieces of wood thus successively under the cutter two discs, with
their peripheries working together, may be employed, the said discs being provided
with semicircular (or nearly so) cavities around their peripheries, so that a cavity
in each disc will meet on the line of contact of the discs, and so form a circular
cavity immediately under the cutting tool. The cavities of one of these discs are
kept charged with the pieces of wood to form the boxes (or the lids, as the case may
be), and the discs being kept continually revolving the box blancs are successively
moved to a position immediately beneath the cutting tool, the two discs being so
set that the blancs will be gripped between them and so be firmly held whilst being
operated on by the cutting tool. On successively passing the line of contact of the
two dises the boxes (or lids) are discharged, instead of the two discs two straight
bars, each with similar semicircular cavities, and made to travel backwards and
forwards beneath the cutting tool, may be employed to hold the blancs whilst being
operated upon by the cutting tools.
The wood is first rounded in lengths by a head and cutter fixed on a circular saw
bench, the wood being cut to the required lengths by the saw.
Either wood or cutter may be made to run according to the work to be done.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th April 1878.
JOHN ROGERS, of Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Wood Turner. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND TOOLS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF TURNED WOODEN BOXES USED FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER
PURPOSES, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery and tools to be used in
connection therewith for the manufacture of turned wooden boxes used for
medical and other purposes, such improvements being also partly applicable for
other purposes.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying
Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon and in
which,-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine constructed according to my Invention,
and in which my improved tools (herein-after described) are used; Figure 2 is an
end elevation thereof; and Figure 3, a plan.
'
Figures 4 to 11 illustrate my improved tools more fully, herein-after described.
I will first describe the tools, and afterwards the machinery in which they are
used. I have one tool to form the body of the box and one to form the lid.
That for forming the body is illustrated at Figures 4 to 11 of the accompanying
Drawings; O is the shank, and P the head of the tool. The cutter Q for cutting
out the inside of the box is fixed in the face of the head of the tool beyond the
centre thereof, as shewn clearly at Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 being a plan of the
front face of the tool; and Figure 7, a longitudinal section through the line a, b,
Figure 6; Figure 5 is a back view.
The cutter Qis shewn detached at Figures 9, 10, and 11. Figure 9 being a face
view; Figure 10, a front edge view; and Figure 11, a back edge view. The shank
of the cutter enters the bore q, Figure 7, in the head of the tool, and the cutter
is then secured by a set screw R. As will be seen the cutting edge of the cutter
extends across the centre of the head of the tool to the circumference, so that in
the revolution of the tool the cutter will make a clean bore, cutting out at the
centre as well as at the circumference, the tool being held by the shank O in the
chuck. Underneath cutter Q the head of the tool is well hollowed out, to allow of
the shavings getting away easily and quickly; this is seen clearly at Figures 5, 6,
and 7, at p. Around the head of the tool is a flange p', constructed so as to leave
an annular space 22 between it and the head of the tool. This flange carries a
cutter S, the purpose of which is to take a cut off the outside of the upper edge of
the box for the reception of the lid. As this cut is made the inner part left enters
the annular space p*, at the top of which is fixed another cutter T for finishing off*
the top edge of the box. This cutter is by preference made of an in-turned V sliape,
as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, so as to take a small cut off both the inner and outer
sides of the top edge of the box, thereby bevelling it. The cutters S and T are of
course arranged in relation to one another and to cutter Q, so that all will complete
their several operations at the same time. The cutters S and T are also adjustable
like. the cutter of a plane and are held in position, as shewn, by set screws.
The tool for forming the lid of the box is of similar construction to that above
described, but has not the cutters S and T. It has one outer cutter only for finishing
off the edge of the rim of the lid. This cutter is fixed in a flange surrounding the
head of the tool, similar to flange pl, but without an annular space between it and
the head of the tool. The bore of the lid has of course to be a little larger than that
of the box, and the cutter Q for the lid has therefore to be in the same degree larger
than for the box. In other respects the two tools are similar.

page_text: The face of the head of the tool and cutter Q may be curved instead of square,
as shewn, for giving a curved form to the bottom of the bore when desired. A
machine, constructed according to my Invention, for the use of the above-described
tools is illustrated by Figures 1, 2, and 3. A is the framework; and B, the bed,
Bimilar to the framework, and bed of an ordinary lathe; C, D, are two heads sliding
on the bed B, on ordinary V, or other suitable guide cheeks, as shewn at V, Figure 2.
Each of these heads carries fast and loose pullies c¹, c², d¹, d². One of the heads (C)
carries an ordinary cup-chuck piece E, into which the rounded wood F, to form the
boxes (bodies or lids, according to the cover used), is fixed, the other end of the
wood being supported freely in a support G between the two heads. The other
head D carries the turning tool (say H), and in one form of my apparatus (which I
will first describe) is stationary on the bed B. The other head C is capable of being
forced along the bed of the machine by a lever I. The wood F having been placed
in position, one end in chuck E and the other in the support G, motion is given to
the two heads (in contrary directions, so as to increase the relative speed of cutter
and wood), and head C is slid up towards D, pressing the wood evenly on to the
cutting tool. The box is thus formed, and when the wood has been pressed home
the box is completed as far as the turning tool is concerned. The motion of the
revolving cutter is now stopped and a cutting knife attached to the support G is
brought down and pressed by hand on to the wood whilst revolving, thus severing
the length protruding through the support on the cutter side by a cut at right
angles to the length of the wood and forming the bottom of the box (or top of the
lid, as the case may be). The support G is now slid back from the cutter sufficient
to allow of the box being removed, and is then replaced in position, and the head C
pressed further forward towards the revolving cutter, and the wood further through
the support G, so that another length is acted on by the revolving cutter as
before.
In case the wood should in any part be a little too large to pass through
support G a cutter K, capable of adjustment, is attached thereto on the side on
which the wood enters.
In another form of my machine a motion along the lid of the machine is given
also to the head (D) with the revolving cutter, so that it is moved on to the wood
as the cutting is effected. This I accomplish as follows:-At the back of the
machine runs a shaft L, on each or one end of which is a driving cone / and a
pinion, which latter gears into a bevel pinion at right angles thereto, the shaft
of which passes across the back of the head D, and by crank (or eccentric) M and
adjustable connecting rod N imparts a reciprocatory motion to said head D. The
cutter and the wood to be operated upon being driven rapidly in opposite directions
(say, each at 2000 revolutions per minute), the forward motion of the head and
cutter, as described, is timed in speed to allow of the turning of the box to be
effected during such forward motion, the wood in this case being only held up
against the cutter by lever I, and not continuously pressed forward by it as in
the form of machine first described. If the wood is pressed too far through
support G towards the cutter the latter in its forward motion will force it back to
its proper position. The return stroke of crank (or eccentric) M draws back the
cutter, and the box (or lid) is then cut off, as before described, and the wood pressed
forward to be acted upon by the next forward movement of the revolving cutting
tool.
In another form of my apparatus both heads are provided with a cutting tool,
and are caused by the mechanism described to advance towards another simul-
taneously. In this case a piece of wood of sufficient length to form two box bodies
or two lids, or a body and a lid, is supported between them by any suitable holder,
and the two revolving cutters being made to advance upon it both ends of the
wood are formed simultaneously. It is then removed (to be afterwards divided by
a circular saw or other suitable means) and another piece of wood is placed in
position, to be operated upon on the next forward motion of the heads and revolving
cutters.

page_text: The wood, before being used in my improved machinery, is first rounded to the
size required by any suitable means.
Sometimes motion is given to the wood only, sometimes only to the cutting tool,
and sometimes to both, as previously described.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be performed, I claim
as my Invention to be secured in the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent,―
Firstly. The new or improved tool for turning wooden boxes, substantially as
herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 4 to 11 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. The new or improved apparatus for turning wooden boxes, substantially
as herein described, and illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Rogers, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
JOHN. W. GRAY, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
16, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.
JOHN ROGERS. (L.S.)