IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GRINDING EDGE TOOLS AND OTHER ARTICLES:
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Muir,, of the Britannia Works, Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Machinist, for
the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
GRINDING EDGE TOOLS AND OTHER ARTICLES:"
Sealed the 1st September 1853, and dated the 12th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Muir at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th March 1853.
-I; WILLIAMMUIR, of the Britannia Works, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer and Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR GRINDING EDGE TOOLS AND OTHER ARTICLES" to be as
follows,
My improvements consist in having two grindstones working in the
same trough, and in supporting the shafts of the grindstones in bearings
connected by a screw, which has a right-hand thread at one end, taking
into a nut-fixed to one hearing, and a left-hand thread taking into á

page_text: nut in the other bearing. The grindstones are in contact with each
other, and they are made to revolve in contrary directions, but at different
velocities, so as to produce a rubbing action at the point where the
peripherics are in contact; or the grindstones may be made to revolve
in the same direction to produce the same rubbing action, the effect and
object of which is to cause the inequalities on the periphery of one
grindstone to be removed by the action of the other. I also propose
to give a slight lateral motion to one or both of the grindstones, to
assist in making the peripheries wear equally. The lateral motion may be
given by a worm fixed on the grindstone shaft, taking into a worm
wheel, in the face of which is a crank pin, giving motion to a lever,
the vibrating end of which is connected to the end of the shaft by a
clip. In some cases the grindstones may be made to swivel partly round,
for the purpose of keeping the periphery true; or a piece of stone or
other suitable material, moving to and fro, may be made to fit between
the peripheries of the grindstones.
The object of my improvements is, to cause the grindstones to keep
cach other in repair, and thereby obviating the necessity of turning the
peripheries of grindstones when they become uneven, owing to the
inequalities in the hardness of the surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Muir, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 9th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM MUIR, of the Brittania Works, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer and Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.and
grant unto me, the said William Muir, Her special licence that I, the
said William Muir, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or sach

page_text: others as I, the said William Muir, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times. thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend; within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR GRINDING EDGE TOOLS AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Muir, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
'manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Muir, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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:
My Invention consists in improved modes of combining and giving
motion to grindstones, whereby their peripheries are kept in working
condition, and the labour, inconvenience, and expense of turning up the
peripheries of the grindstones are dispensed with. And in order that
my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I
will proceed to describe the annexed sheet of drawings, reference being
had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1, is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a transverse section, and Fig. 3,
a plan of one of my improved modes of combining and working grind-
stones. In these views, a, is a trough, which I prefer to make of cast-
11

page_text: strap passing round the pulley b', and the other by a crossed strap pass-
ing round the pulley. When the grindstones are of the same dia-
cter as shewn in the drawing, the pulleys must be of different
diameters, in order that 'there may be a rubbing action between the
peripheries of the grindstones. This rubbing action has a tendency
to keep the peripheries of both the grindstones cylindrical; 'but; in
order to produce this result more effectually, I give a lateral as
well as a rotary motion to one or both of the grindstones, in the
following manner-Upon the shaft of the grindstone c, is fixed a
spür pinion c, which gears into another pinion f, revolving on a
stud fixed in a bracket d', bolted to one..of the pedestals d; to
the pinion is fixed a boss, with, a spiral groove f'; in this groove
a stud, projecting from the link g, enters; this link is supported
in the bracket d', and its outer end is jointed. to the lower. end
of the lover h; this lever vibrates on a stud fitting in the bracket
; its upper end is forked, and takes into a groove in the shoulder c*;
which is also fixed on the shaft of the grindstone c. By this arrange
ment it is evident that the rotary and lateral motions of the grind-
stone are simultaneous; for the pinion c, drives the pinion f, which,
in revolving, moves the link g, to and fro: this motion is communi
cated to the lever h, and by it to the grindstone. I have only shown
one of the grindstones as being fitted up with the apparatus for
moving laterally, but a similar apparatus, may be applied to each,
if it should be found. desirable. When the. grindstones diminish
in diameter, the bearings d, in which they revolve are gradually
brought closer together, so as to keep the peripheries in contact, by
the attendant turning the shaft i. This shaft is furnished with
two worms taking into the wheels, j, fixed on the screws ; each
of these screws is made with a right-handed thread at one-end,
and a left-handed thread at the other; consequently, when the
shaft, is turned in one direction, it causes the pedestals d, to
approach, and when turned in the other directii. it causes them.-to
recede from each other; the rubbing produced by tlie peripheries of
the grindstones moving at different velocities, and by the lateral

page_text: In Figs. 4, and 5,
motion, cause the, inequalities on the peripheries of one stone to be
removed by the other; thereby keeping them both in working con-
dition. Instead of.making the peripheries of the grindstones revolve at
different. velocities, and. of giving a lateral to and fro' motion to one or
both of them, I propose, in some, cases, to introduce a flat piece of
stone, or other suitable material, between the peripheries of the grind-
stones at the point e, in Fig. 1, and to give a to and fro' motion to this
piece of stone, or other suitable material, the action of which on the
peripheries of the grindstones would keep them true. The, same, object
may also be obtained by causing one or both of the grindstones to
swivel partly round, so as to produce a rubbing action on their peri-
pheries. The stones may also be driven so that they revolve in the
same direction; the peripheries at; e, in Fig. 1, would then run in
opposite directions, as shewn by the dotted arrows.
I have shewn another modification of my Invention. In these views, m,
is a grindstone revolving in fixed bearings in the ordinary manner; n,
is another grindstone, placed beneath the stone m, or in any other
convenient position; this stone is made to rotate slowly by means of
the worm m, which gives motion to the wheel m², fixed on the upright
shaft m, the lower portion of which is screwed, and drives the wheel n',
fixed on the shaft of the stone 1. On the same shaft is also fixed'a
cam n, with an inclined groove in it; a stud projecting from the
bracket n³, takes into the groove in the cam ; consequently, when
the stonen, rotates, it also traverses slowly to and fro', thereby keeping
the periphery of the grindstone m, true. In proportion as the peri-
pheries of the stones m, and n, wear away, the attendant elevates the
bearings of the stone by turning the screws o, o, which fit loosely in
the said bearings, and pass through nuts o', fixed to the grindstone
trough.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of, performing the same, I declare that I claim the improvements
in machinery or apparatus for grinding, as hercin-before shewn, and
as described, whereby the peripheries of grindstones are kept in

page_text: working condition, and the turning of them by hand is dispensed
with.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Muir, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
W. MUIR. (L.S.)