Improvements in Machines for Pointing Skewers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Pointing Skewers.
We, JOHN LEMON, residing at 57 Stephen Street, in Owen Sound, in the
County of Grey and Province of Ontario, Canada, Manufacturer of Pottery, and
WILLIAM JACKSON, residing in Brookholm, in the County of Grey and Province
of Ontario, Canada, Author, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for
pointing skewers, and relates more particularly to the construction, arrangement
and operation of the skewer feeding, pointing and delivering apparatus, and the
invention consists of a machine comprised of a hopper to receive the skewers, a
revolving corrugated feed drum, so located in the framework that each of its
corrugations will be successively brought into position during its revolution, to
automatically receive one of the skewers from the delivering part of the hopper,
in order that each skewer can be carried into the proper position to be uniformily
regularly delivered, a skewer supporting table, down the rounded or convexed face
of which the skewer is carried by an endless skewer feeding belt or belts, cutter
heads or knives, which are so located, arranged and driven, at a sufficiently high
rate of speed, as to plane each end of the skewer, whilst it is being carried down
the rounded face of the table, to a slightly stubbed or rounded point, tapering
uniformly and not too abruptly from the original thickness of the skewer, and a
carrier arranged to receive the skewers from the table and deliver them into boxes
or other receptacles placed to receive them; the whole device being hereinafter
more fully set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the skewer pointing machine, showing one side of
the main frame removed.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view.
Fig. 3 is a view showing the skewers being carried down the supporting table.
Fig. 4 is a view of one of the cutter heads.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the Specification and
drawings.
The skewer pointing machine consists essentially of a suitable frame A of
sufficient strength to maintain the several working parts in their proper relative
positions, and of sufficient rigidity to resist the vibration of the various operating
parts. Mounted on the top of the frame A and at the rear thereof is a hopper B
Baving an inclined bottom 6 to cause the delivery of the skewers towards a delivery
opening in the front of the hopper. Journalled in the frame A in close proximity.
to the hopper B is a feeding drum C, provided with a series of longitudinal corru-
gations c parallel with the longitudinal axis of the drum. Each of the corrugations c
is of a sufficient depth to receive and retain one skewer until it has been displaced by
the means hereinafter set forth. The feeding drum C is so placed that during its
revolution each of the corrugations c successively comes into close proximity to the
delivery opening b in the side of the hopper, in order that the skewers may be
delivered successively one into each of the said corrugations, as the corrugation comes.
opposite the said opening during the revolution of the drum. Journalled in thet
frame above the drum Cis a corrugated idler D, by means of which each of the
skewers is pressed firmly into its respective corrugatione during the revolution of
the drum C.

page_text: Mounted on the spindle of the feeding drum C is a pulley E, and passing
around the pulley E and around the pulley F, on the main driving shaft G, is a
belt H, by means of which a rotary motion is transmitted from the main driving
shaft G to the drum C. The relation of the pulleys E-F to each other is such
as to cause the feeding drum C to revolve at a sufficiently high rate of speed to
deliver the skewers in rapid succession from the hopper to the skewer supporting
table, but not at such a high rate of speed, however, as to prevent the entry of the
skewers into the corrugations of the said drum. Connected to the framework A,
and extending transversely across the skewer pointing machine are a series of cross
heads I. Mounted on the cross heads I are two or more skewer supporting
tables JJ respectively, laterally and longitudinally adjustable to accommodate the
length of the skewers fed to the machine to be pointed. Each of the tables J-J
consists of a rounded supporting surface ; and a rearwardly extending horizontal
arm Formed through each of the arms are holes to receive the
clamping bolts, which fasten the arms to the cross heads I. Journalled above the
top of the tables J-J is a spindle O, on which is mounted two pulleys O'-0",
one of the said pulleys being slidably adjustable on the said spindle. Journalled
in line with the bottom of the tables J-J is a spindle P, similar to the spindle O,
and mounted on the spindle P are pulleys PP corresponding in location and
adjustment with the pulleys O'-0". Journalled in the framework A, so as to
form a triangle with the spindles O, on that side of them remote from the
tables JJ, is a drum or idler Q. Passing around the drum or idler Q, and the
pulleys O¹, O and P1, P, are two endless belts R, which travel down the rounded
or convexed facej of the said skewer supporting tables. The object of making one
or both sets of the said pulleys movable on their respective spindles is to permit of
the pulleys being adjusted laterally to meet the lateral adjustment of the tables.
Mounted on the end of the spindle P is a pulley S, and mounted on the main driving
shaft G is a pulley T. Passing around the pulleys S-T is a belt U by means of
which motion is transmitted from the main driving shaft G to the endless belts R.
The endless belts R travel down the rounded or convexed surface of the
tables J-Jat a rapid rate of speed, and the object of these endless belts moving
in this manner is to cause the rapid revolution of the skewers when carried down
the said rounded and convexed surface of the tables by the said belts, in order that
when the skewers come in contact with the cutter heads they will be operated on
and properly pointed by the said cutter heads. Journalled in the frame within the
convexity of the tables J-J is a spindle V, and mounted on the spindle V are the
cutter beads, laterally adjustable on the said spindle, and mounted on the spindle V,
on the outer side of the cutter heads, is a pulley W. The object of making the
cutter heads adjustable is to accommodate them to the adjustinent of the table.
Passing around the pulley W and a pulley Y, mounted on the main driving shaft G,
is a belt Z, by means of which motion is transmitted from the main driving shaft to
the cutter heads. The cutter heads are revolved at a very high rate of speed, in
order that they will point the skewers as they are passing down the convexed or
rounded surface of the tables. Pivoted in the upper part of the frame A are
arms A¹, which are arranged to swing upon their pivots, and come into close
proximity to the endless belts R. Journalled in the arms A' is a weighted drum
or cylinder A", which is arranged to normally bear on the endless belts R, and
place a tension on the said belts. It might here be stated that it is preferable to
use two cutter heads at the same time, and that each cutter head is adjusted to each
end of the skewer, in order that each skewer can be pointed simultaneously at both
ends, and afterwards cut into two equal parts. The cutter head X is frustro-conical
shaped, and adjustably secured to the cutter head X are a series of projecting
knives x.
Each of the cutting knives is provided with a cutting edge x', and the
knives are so adjusted that each knife will cut and plane a different part or portion
of the skewer in such a manner that the skewer will be tapered, and the point
stubbed or rounded off. By securing the knives to the frustro-conical head, in the
manner shown in the drawings, a heel is formed by the combination of the knives

page_text: and head, which serves to prevent the skewers flying up whilst being pointed, and
gives the knives sufficient clearance to work easily. Mounted in the rear of the
frame A, below the tables J-J', is a drum B', and passing around the drum B¹
and around a drum B, journalled in the frame A below the tables J-J', are
endless belts B", to which are connected a series of slats C'. The endless belts Bl
and slats C, passing around the drums B1-B, form a conveyor, by means of"
which the skewers are carried to boxes or other receptacles placed to receive them
beyond the frame A. Passing around the pulley A on the main driving shaft G,.
and around the pulley C on the spindle of the drum B1, is a driving belt D,
by means of which motion is transmitted from the main driving shaft to the con--
veyor. To successfully dislodge the skewers from the feeding drum C, it is
necessary to form in the feeding drum C circumferential grooves C", of a deeper
depth than the depth of the corrugations c, to receive the curved or bent wires D'.
connected to the tables J-J'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a skewer pointing machine, a skewer supporting table, consisting of two.
sections, one or both of said sections laterally adjustable to accommodate the table to
the length of the skewers being pointed, in combination with means for pointing-
the skewers, means for feeding the skewers across the table, and means for
holding the skewers preparatory to feeding them across the table, substantiaily as
specified.
2. In a skewer pointing machine, the combination of a skewer holding receptacle,
a skewer supporting table, means for automatically, continuously, and regularly.
feeding the skewers from the skewer holding receptacle to the skewer supporting
table, cutter heads, adapted to point the skewers during their passage, a spindle on
which the cutter heads are longitudinally adjustable, and means for transmitting
motion to the cutter heads, substantially as specified.
3. A skewer pointing machine, consisting of a skewer holding receptacle, a
skewer supporting table, comprised of two sections, one or both of said sections.
laterally adjustable, endless belts passing down the face of said table, one or both
of said belts laterally adjustable, a revolvable spindle in close proximity to the
said table, cutter heads mounted on said spindle and adapted to revolve therewith,.
one or both of said cutter heads longitudinally moveable on the said spindle, a
corrugated drum located between the skewer holding receptacle and the skewer
supporting table, adapted to convey the skewers continuously and regularly from
the said receptacle to the said table, an idler located above the corrugated drum,
adapted to press the skewers into the corrugations of the said drum, and a weighted
cylinder or idler bearing on the top of the said endless belts to place a tension on
the same, substantially as specified.
4. A skewer pointing machine, consisting of a skewer holding receptacle, a skewer
supporting table, comprised of two sections, one or both of said sections laterally
adjustable, endless belts passing down the face of said table, one or both of said
belts laterally adjustable, a revolvable spindle in close proximity to the said table,.
cutter heads mounted on said spindle and adapted to revolve therewith, one or both
of said cutter heads longitudinally moveable on the said spindle, a corrugated drum.
located between the skewer holding receptacle and the skewer supporting table,.
adapted to convey the skewers continuously and regularly from the said receptacle-
to the said table, an idler located above the corrugated drum, adapted to press the
skewers into the corrugations of the said drum, a weighted cylinder or idler bearing.
on the top of the said endless belts to place a tension on the same, and a conveyor,.
located below the said skewer supporting table, adapted to carry the skewers from
the skewer pointing apparatus to receptacles placed to receive them, substantially
as specified.
5. In a skewer pointing machine, a means for pointing skewers, consisting of a.

page_text: frustro-conical cutter head, a series of cutting knives connected to the frustro-conical
head and arranged to cut to different depths, in order that they will plane the
skewer to a point tapering uniformly and not too abruptly from the original
thickness of the skewer to a point slightly stubbed or rounded, substantially as
specified.
Dated the 30th day of January 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.