IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TURNING, SHAPING, AND CUTTING METAL.
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas. Dunn, of Pendleton, in the County of Lan-
caster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
TURNING, SHAPING, AND CUTTING METAL.."
Sealed the 18th December 1866, and dated the 23rd June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dunn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd June 1866.
I, THOMAS DUNN, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR TURNING, SHAPING, AND CUTTING METAL," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in a duplex lathe for turning up
the four journals of two railway axles, or for other purposes. This lathe
consists of a bed to which are cast or bolted four fixed headstocks, the loose
headstocks are cast double, and they are made to be lifted by a balance weight,
or swivel round on a stud to allow the axles to passed through the
hollow spindles of the fixed headstocks. The screws of the double slide rests
are coupled together by spur pinions for acting simultaneously on the tools,
and the slide rests are traversed to and fro alternately by two pinions gearing
alternately in a wheel mounted on a stud fixed in a radial arm; this wheel is

page_text: fixed to a pinion gearing into a wheel fixed to the screw for driving the slide
rests. For turning up the two wheels on a railway axle, or for other pur-
poses, I employ a double-gap lathe, with the fixed headstock cast to the bed,
the axle is supported in pedestals, one fixed to the face plate, and the other
in the loose headstock, two double slide rests are placed so as to bring four
tools into operation simultaneously, the feed motion of all the tools is given
and regulated by a double cam on the driving spindle actuating a slotted
lever, which is connected by a link to a grooved side shaft, on which are
levers connected to the double slide rests. For turning up and boring out
two tyres for railway wheels or for other purposes, I employ a lathe with the
headstocks cast to the bed, and with two face plates connected by gearing,
the slide rest of this or other lathes is moved to and fro by a screw gearing
into two worm wheels, which act as a screw nut when the screw is moving
the slide rests, and which act as pinions when the screw is stationary and
serves as a rack. The worm wheels are cast or fixed to spur wheels gearing
into each other, and one of the spur wheels is fixed on a shaft provided with
a cross handle.
The bed of this and other lathes is made with a socket for
a jib crane, which supports a pair of blocks for lifting the tyres and other
articles into and out of the lathe.
The second part of my Invention consists in cutting and shaping metal by
an improved machine consisting of a revolving drum and a round cutter
mounted in a fixed bearing. The plate of metal to be cut is supported on
two adjustable rollers and on the drum, and it is carried forward by the
drum, the cutter which is placed over one edge of the drum indents or shears
off the plate. This machine may be modified to make true the edges of
plates by mounting the cutter above the inner edge of the drum. The same
principle for cutting plates can be applied without the revolving drum, the
machine consists of a table on which the plate to be indented or cut is fixed;
in this table are grooves for a ribbed steel rail, above which is the cutting tool,
which is capable of being moved to and fro in a slide by a screw, and the
tool and slide are moved lengthwise by side racks and pinions, and a side
shaft.
The third part of my Invention consists in a shaping and cutting machine
for operating at various angles at the same time. The machine consists of a
bed with two or more adjustable tables, also two or more swivel slides and
tool holders; each slide is adjustable on a bottom plate, and each bottom
plate is traversed to and fro by a crank fitting in a slot in a disc; also in a
machine for shearing or cutting bars or sheets of metal, consisting of a
pendulum T-shaped lever, with a cutter or punch at the end of each hori-

page_text: zontal arm, and the vertical arm is worked to and fro by a piston or pistons
working in steam or water cylinders, or by a cam, the gearing for actuating
which is all below the level of the bed plate, thereby leaving the machine.
free of access. in every direction..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Thomas Dunn. in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. THOMAS
DUNN, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Dunn, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Dunn, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Dunn, 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
FOR TURNING, SHAPING, AND CUTTING METAL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Dunn, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Thomas Dunn, 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 Specifi-
tion thereof, reference being had to the accompanying eight Sheets of Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation, and
Figure 3 a sectional elevation of my improved duplex lathe for turning the
four journals of two railway axles, or for other purposes.
On Sheet 2, Figures 4 and 5 are a side and end elevation of a similar lathe

page_text: drawn to an enlarged scale. This lathe consists of a bed a, to which are cast
or bolted the four fixed headstocks a¹, a¹; the ends of the bed are supported
on stands as usual, but the centre portion, or that part under the fixed head-
stocks is carried down to the floor and secured to the foundation, thus insuring
great rigidity and strength. The headstocks support the two hollow spindles
b and c, the former being driven direct from the bead gear by a strap passing
around the speed pulleys 6', 6', and the latter is driven by the spur wheels b
and . The pinion 6 fixed to the speed pulley 6 gears into the wheel c³
loose on the spindle c. This wheel gives motion to the screws i in the
following manner:-The wheel c³ gears into the wheel d¹ fixed on the shaft d;
at each end of this shaft is fixed a pinion d' gearing into the pinions e¹, and
into the wheels f, to the boss of each of which is fixed a pinion f gearing into
the wheels h, which are keyed to the screws i for moving the slide rests to
and fro; g, g, are the loose headstocks, which are cast double, as shewn in
Figure 2; these loose headstocks are connected to the balance weight g', as
shewn in Figure 1, so that they may easily be lifted out of the way to allow
the axles to be passed into or drawn out of the hollow spindles b and c; or
they may be made with swivel bearings, as shewn at 93, in Figure 2, which
bearings can be thrown back when required. By this latter arrangement the
loose headstocks do not need to be removed when the axles are put in or
taken out of the lathe; or the loose headstocks may be swivelled round on the
studs g³, on Figures 4 and 5. The four slide rests j, j, are mounted in pairs
on the slide plates j, j¹, and they are traversed to and fro alternately by the
screws i, i, taking as usual in nuts connected to the plates j. The mode of
reversing the direction of motion of the slide rests is as follows:-When the
pinion d is in gear with the wheel f, as shewn in Figures 2 and 5, the slide
rests move asunder, but by moving the brackets få so as to disengage the
wheelf from the pinion d³, and by swivelling the bracket e partly round, so
as to bring the pinion e¹ into gear with the wheel ƒ the direction of motion of
the screws i is reversed, and consequently the slide rests would be made to
approach each other so long as the pinions et remain in gear with the wheels f.
The tool holders of the slide rests ; are also made to approach and recede
from each other simultaneously by screws k, k, which are connected by spur
pinions, consequently by turning the handle k¹ both screws are turned round.
The handles are connected to the usual nuts taking into the screws i, and by
turning these handles partly round the screws are disengaged from the nuts,
and the slide plates ; may then be moved laterally to and fro by the usual
racks and pinions.
On Sheet 3, Figure 6 is a side elevation, and Figure 7 an end elevation of

page_text: my improved duplex wheel lathe with four cutting tools working simul-
taneously. This lathe is shewn adapted for turning up the tuyeres of two
railway wheels mounted on their axle, but it may be employed for other
purposes. a is the bed, which is cast with two gaps or openings for the
wheels; to one end of the bed a is cast the fixed headstock a¹; the face
plate a is driven by the pinion m¹ on the shaft m, to which are fixed the
speed pulleys m³, driven from the head gear; g is the loose headstock ;
and j,j, are two double slide rests, which are placed on opposite sides of the
wheels or other articles to be turned. It is evident that the tools must be set
in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 7, and in order that both tools of a
pair may be moved nearer to or further from the wheel or other article in the
lathe, the screws k of the two slide rests forming a pair are connected by the
spur pinions, as above described, and as shewn in Figure 6. The axle
supporting the wheels to be turned revolves in a pedestal fixed to the face
plate a, and in another pedestal fixed to or forming part of the loose head-
stock 9, thereby ensuring accuracy in the work. The feed motion of all the
tools is given by the double cam a fixed on the driving spindle, or on the boss
of the face plate a*; this cam acts on a bowl in the lever n, to the outer arm
of which is jointed the link n', which actuates the lever n² on the grooved side
shaft n; to this shaft are fixed the levers n', which actuate the slide rest by
means of the links n', and ratchet wheels and catch levers of the usual con-
struction. By making the bed a with gaps, as shewn, the loose headstock
and the slide rests are lower, and consequently much firmer than usual.
the other
On Sheet 4; Figure 8 is a side elevation, and Figure 9 an end elevation of
a duplex tyre lathe with two or more tools working simultaneously; Figure 10
is a detached view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of part of the same. a is the
bed, to which are cast or fixed the bearings a' for the driving spindles b and c,
and for the centre spindle a", on which the speed pulleys a³ are fixed; to one
end of the spindle a' is fixed a pinion as, gearing into the wheel d³ fixed to
one end of the shaft d³, to the other end of which is fixed the pinion d*
gearing into the teeth on the circumference of the face plate 64;
face plate c' is driven from the face plate &, as shewn in Figure 9. The four
slide rests are all mounted on the cross bed 3, which is traversed along the
bed a by the screw i in the following manner :-To the spindle 6 are fixed the
speed pulleys 65, driving by a strap the pulleys o; to these pulleys is fixed
the pinion o', gearing into the wheel o² fixed to the same shaft as the pinion o³
gearing into the wheel o' which drives the wheel it on the end of the screw i;
this screw gears into two worm wheels, as shewn in Figure 10; the upper
of these worm wheels is fixed to the shaft of the spoke wheel or cross

page_text: handle, and the lower one is fixed to a short shaft, which is driven by
means of the spur wheels . The shafts of the worm wheels revolve in
bearings fixed to the cross bed . When the screw i is moving the slide
rests the worm wheels act as a screw nut, but when it is desirable to move
-the slide rests by hand the tightening handle jo is slackened, and on then
turning the spoke wheel the worm wheels i act as pinions, and the screw i
being stationary acts as a rack. It is evident that the tool of each slide rest
can be moved independently of the others, consequently two of the tools can
be made to bore out the tyres or other articles, and the other two to turn up
the exteriors. The bed a and the beds of other lathes can be made with a
socket for the jib crane p, which supports a pair of blocks p¹ for lifting the
tyres and other articles into and out of the lathe.
On Sheet-5, Figure 11 is a side elevation, and Figures 12 and 13 are two
and elevations of one of my improved slide lathes with a hand crane p,
supported in a socket projecting from the bed a. The driving spindle is
supported in bearings a¹ cast with the bed, as before described; the other
parts of the lathe are similar to those now in use.
On Sheet 6, Figure 14 is an elevation, and Figure 15 a plan of my
improved machine for cutting and shaping plates of metal. This machine
'consists of a broad revolving drum R, the shaft of which is supported in
pedestals, and in the standard S which is arched over the drum R, and
supports the axle of the round cutter T. The drum R is turned round by the
speed pulleys and the pinion and wheel shewn in the Drawing, or in any other
convenient manner, and the plate of metal to be cut is supported partly by
the drum R and partly by the antifriction rollers in the brackets U, which are
adjustable on the foundation plate, and can be set nearer to or further from
the drum R according to the width of the plate to be cut. The outer edge
of the drum R is in line with the inner edge of the cutter T, and as the plate
is carried forward by the rotation of the drum the shearing action of the two
edges displaces or indents the metal, and either shears off or allows the
required strip or portion to be broken off the plate.
Figures 16 and 17 are two views of a modification of the cutting machine
above described. This machine is suitable for cutting the edges of the plates
true, or for cutting narrow strips off plates. In this machine the cutter T is
set to act on the inner edge of the narrow drum R near the standard S.
Figure 18 is an elevation, and Figure 19 a plan of another of my improved
machines for cutting and shaping plates of metal. In this machine the plate
to be cut is secured to the table W, supported by the end frames Y, Z. The
table W is made with grooves, into one of which the rolled steel rail W

page_text: is secured. The round cutter T is mounted on the nut of the screw T',
which is supported in bearings in the cross slide T, to which a traversing
to-and-fro motion is given by the side shaft X, which has a groove taking into
a key in the mitre pinion X¹, the boss of which revolves in a bearing con-
nected to the cross slide T. The pinion X' gears in a similar pinion on the
cross shaft T³, on which are pinions taking into racks extending from one end
of the frame to the other, consequently as the side shaft X is made to revolve
by steam or other power, the slide T* moves over the table W, and the
cutter T acting with the edge of the ribbed rail W₁ shears off or indents the
plate on the table W. It is evident that two or more cutters T may be
employed with a corresponding number of rails W₁, and that the position of
the cutter or cutters and rail or rails can be varied.
On Sheet 7, Figure 20 is a side elevation, and Figure 21 an end elevation
of my improved multiple shaping machine for forming various angular cuts at
the same time; Figure 22 is a plan of part of the same, and Figure 23 is an
enlarged section of part of the tool holder bar and the gearing for driving it.
The machine consists of the bed C, to which are secured two or more adjustable
tables D, and a corresponding number of slides and tool holders, as shewn in
Figure 20. The tool holder bars marked E fit in grooves in the swivel
plates F, the angle of which on the square plate G can be regulate.! by the
screw G¹, see Figure 20. The tool holder bars are traversed to and fro by
the shaft H revolving in bearings at each end of the bed, and in intermediate
bearings if required. On this shaft are mounted as many, bevel pinions H' as
there are swivel slides, and these pinions gear into the wheels I¹ fixed to the
spindle of the discs I. The plates and tool holder bars are traversed to and
fro by the crank stud F¹ fitting in a slot in the disc, and the length of the
traverse can be varied as usual by varying the distance of the crank stud from
the centre of the disc. This improved tool will be found very beneficial in
shaping the ends of a rail or other article at different angles, and the front of
the plate is graduated to assist in setting the angle of the tool bar.
On Sheet 8, Figure 24 is a side elevation, Figure 25 an end elevation, and
Figure 26 a plan of my improved machine for cutting and shaping sheets and
bars of metal. The machine consists of the strong frame N, through the
upper part of which passes the fulcrum stud N¹ of the pendulum T, lever N³.
One of the horizontal arms of this lever is provided with a V cutter, which
with a corresponding cutter fixed to the frame form shears for shearing bars
of angle iron; the other horizontal arm of the lever is provided with a plain
cutter set to an angle of forty-five degrees, or otherwise, which with another
cutter fixed to the frame form shears for plates or bars as usual. The vertical

page_text: arm of the pendulum lever has an open slot, in which rotates an eccentric or
cam, which is turned round by the gearing shewn in the Drawing, or in any
other convenient manner, each rotation of the eccentric causing both pair of
shears to act alternately. By this arrangement the plates or other articles to
be operated upon may be passed with facility over the top of the machine
from one side to the other. The shears instead of being arranged as shewn
in Figure 24, may be made as shewn in Figure 27, or one side of the machine
may be provided with a punch, and the other with shears, and instead of
driving the pendulum lever by means of an eccentric or cam, as shewn in
Figure 24, it may be worked by a piston or pistons working in cylinders, and
actuated by water under pressure, as shewn in Figure 28; or ordinary pistons
acted upon by steam may be employed. The Diagram, Figure 29, represents
the form of teeth which I prefer to adopt for the gearing of the various
improved machines above described.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described various
modes for carrying the same into operation, I declare that I claim as my
improvements in lathes or machinery for turning,―
First, casting the fixed headstocks or the bearings of the driving spindles of
lathes in one piece with the bed, and making that portion of the bed under
the fixed headstocks to reach to the ground, as shewn in Sheets 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5.
Secondly, the improved gearing for reversing the motion of the screw or
screws of slide lathes, as shewn in Sheets 1 and 2.
Thirdly, connecting the screws of two slide rests, the tools of which act on
opposite sides of the same, or of different articles, as shewn in Sheets 1, 2,
and 3.
Fourthly, applying a crane to lathes to facilitate the lifting in and out of
the articles to be turned, as described and shewn in Sheets 4 and 5.
Fifthly, the improved mode of giving motion to the slide rests of lathes, as
described and shewn in Sheet 4.
Sixthly, the general combination and arrangements of all the lathes, as
shewn and described.
I also claim as my improvements in machinery for shaping and cutting
metal,―
First, the general arrangement of the parts of the machines described. and
shewn in Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Secondly, the application of the adjustable supporting rollers and stands U
to drum shearing or cutting machines, as shewn in Figures 14 and 15.
Thirdly, the general combination of the machine for cutting and shaping

page_text: plates of metal, and the various parts thereof, as shewn and described in
reference to Figures 18 and 19.
Fourthly, the improved arrangement of machinery described and shewn on
Sheet 7 for cutting metal at different angles simultaneously.
And, lastly, the improved arrangement of shearing machines described and
shewn on Sheet 8, and particularly the modes described for giving motion to
the pendulum lever.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dunn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.