IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR PLANING WOOD
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Edmund Shill, of Ashton Villas, Derwent Grove,
East Dulwich, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR PLANING WOOD,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Edmund Shill at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1878.
RICHARD EDMUND SHILL, of Ashton Villas, Derwent Grove, East Dulwich, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
OR PLANING WOOD."
"
:
The object of the Invention is simplicity and economy in construction and use.
The improvements are particularly applicable to the cutting or planing of blind
laths, but are also applicable to the cutting or planing of wood for other
purposes.
In carrying out my improvements the wood to be operated upon is supported to
travel on a table between rollers or drums, one or more of which bear by adjustable
or it may be by spring pressure on one surface of the wood to be cut, whilst an
opposite roller, or it may be more than one, has motion given to it or them to carry
the wood forward by the pressure of the nip exerted. By this nip and forward
motion the upper and under surfaces and the two opposite edges of the wood are
conducted against to be cut by the respective cutters.
The respective cutters are formed of cutting blades held at angles to the surfaces
to be cut, and they are adjustable to the depth or character of the cuts to be
effected.
I also apply one of these cutters for one of the surfaces to admit of variation in
the thickness of the wood to be cut, or for cutting bevelled surfaces by applying
the cutter in a shoe or adjustable surface, borne with facility of adjustment to such
surface.
One of the guides for the wood to be operated upon, together with its cutter, is in
use a fixture, though capable of adjustment to different withs of wood to be operated
upon, whilst the other, with its cutters, is adjustable by spring pressure to inequalities
in the width of successive laths or pieces under operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Edmund Shill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
January 1879.
RICHARD EDMUND SHILL, of Ashton Villas, Derwent Grove, East Dulwich, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer.. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
OR PLANING WOOD."
use.
The object of the Invention is simplicity and economy in construction and
The improvements are particularly applicable to the cutting or planing of blind
laths, but are also applicable to the cutting or planing of wood for other
purposes.
In carrying out my improvements the wood to be operated upon travels on a
table between rollers or drums, one (or more) of which bears by elastic pressure on
one surface of the wood to be cut, whilst an opposite roller (or rollers) has a rotary
motion imparted to it or them in such a manner as to feed the wood forward so as
to bring the upper and under surfaces and the two opposite edges into contact with
the respective planė irons or cutters.
The plane irons or cutters are formed of cutting blades held at suitable angles to
the surfaces to be cut, and they are capable of adjustment, according to the required
depth of shaving to be removed.
For planing the upper or top surface of the lath or wood to be operated upon I
employ a cutter fitted to a suitable frame or block, arranged in such a manner as to
be capable of adjusting itself whilst in operation to the varying thicknesses of the
wood under operation.
One of the guides for the wood to be operated upon, together with its cutter,
is in use a fixture, though capable of adjustment to different widths of wood to be
operated upon, whilst the other, with its cutter, is adjustable by spring or other
suitable pressure to inequalities in the width of successive laths or pieces under
.operation....
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will proceed, by the aid
of the accompanying Drawings, to describe more in detail apparatus arranged
according to my Invention.
Figure 1 shows a side view of the apparatus; Figure 2, a plan view; and
Figure 3, an end view thereof.
In each of the views the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding
parts.
a, a, represents the main framing, and a' the table or upper surface thereof, on
which the piece of wood for the time under operation is in part supported to be cut
on its upper and under surfaces and its edges by the respective cutters b, c, d, and e.
These cutters are supported respectively in frames or holders b', c¹, d', e¹, each of
which is formed to receive its cutters or plane irons b, c, d, or e, which are mounted
in their frames, and capable of adjustment in a similar manner to the ordinary
hand plane, and arranged in such a manner as to act upon the stuff under
operation with an elastic pressure similar to that employed by an operative
ineclianic.
.
The piece of wood under operation (supposed to be that for a blind lath; though
it might be for other purpose) is represented by the dotted lines f, and it is fed
forward to the plane irons or cutters by the rollers g, h, i, j, in the direction of the
arrows. The roller g is applied to the axis y', which is supported to be capable of
revolving in suitable bearings formed in parts of the main framing a, whilst the
necessary rotary motion is given to the shaft or axis g¹ by means of the winch
handle g² affixed thereon; or the axis gl may have a drum or pulley or other wheel
applied to it so as to be driven by band or strap or otherwise from a steam engine or
other suitable power, as may be found most convenient in use. On this axis or shaft g'

page_text: "
is also applied the wheel g³, which may be a toothed wheel, to give motion by
means of the intermediate wheel k formed with similar teeth to take into the teeth
of a wheel h¹ affixed on the axis h² of the roller h, or, as shown, the motion to the
roller from the roller g may be simply by friction of the surfaces of these wheels
in contact. The wheel k is supported to turn on the adjustable stud k¹.
The rollers and jare simply pressure rollers to bear on the one surface of the
wood for the time under operation, whilst the action of the rollers and h is to
carry it forward. The roller i is controlled in its action by the ends of its axis i' in
passing into the ends of lever arms, whose other ends are supported with capa-
bility of movement on the studs 12, carried by arms from standards 7, one on each
side of the main framing a, and fixed thereto. These standards are connected
together by the cross bars and ; the cross bar 18 is tapped to receive the screw
pin, the lower end of which rests on a small plate 4 bearing on an india-rubber,
spring applied in a socket provided for it in the cross bar i, connecting the two
arms, by which an adjustable elastic pressure is imparted to the roller i.
In place of india-rubber other elastic pressure may be applied.
The roller is controlled in its motion by the ends of its axis being passed
each through one of a pair of lever arms 2, the opposite ends of which are supported
to move on the studs 12, and the amount of pressure exerted by the roller j is,
capable of adjustment by means of the screws j³, with their set nuts j. A piece of
india-rubber, or it may be other spring, is applied to each screw j³ to give elasticity
to such pressure.
The holders or frames b¹ and c¹ for the cutters b and c are, though adjustable in
position, yet stationary in use, whilst the holders d', e', for the cutters & and e are
supported so as to be capable of yielding in case of need during the cutting action.
For this purpose the holder or frame d¹ is connected by pins or studs d², d2, at each
side to one end of a pair of links d³ and d', the other ends of which links are. con-
nected by other studs or pins d³, ds, to the standards to admit of a parallel motion
to the frame or holder d¹.
Elasticity is afforded to the action of the frame or holder d¹ in the following
manner The two opposite links d³ are connected together by a cross bar do, which
is formed with a socket to carry a piece of india-rubber d', with a plate de over it,
which is acted upon by the lower end of a screw pin.do passed through a hole
tapped for it in the cross bar to the standards 1, 1; or such elastic pressure may
be otherwise obtained. m is an adjustable stop or index, capable of being regulated
by the set nut m' on one of the standards to adjust the extent of depression of the
frame or holder d¹.
The holder or frame el is supported with capability of movement on the table a¹
by being guided by its spindle e2 moving in a socket es, whilst elastic pressure is
given to it by the action of the end of the spring et applied to the screw stem c³ for
facility of adjustment to the tension desired.
e is a set screw to adjust the extent of the inward movement of the frame or
holder e¹.
The cutting edges of the respective plane irons, particularly those for the edges
of the wood under operation, may be varied to the form desired to be obtained to
the parts acted upon, as when forming the rounded edges of blind laths, or for the
formation of beads, bevils, or other forms required, and the direction of holding of
the respective plane irons or cutters need not be inclined to the work, as shown,
but may be at right angles thereto for scraping; or they may be held in
other direction, according to the character of cut for the time desired to be
produced.
It will thus be seen that the top and bottom cutters, with their holders or
'planes," are at all times capable of ready withdrawal from their position in such
apparatus by the simple withdrawal of the pins or studs holding them, and such
holders or planes when thus released are capable of being used as ordinary planes
for the more complete adjustment of the edges of their cutters or otherwise, and
they may then be readily replaced in the apparatus when required.

page_text: As already stated, by applying the cutters to act in cutting in a vertical direc-
tion, and by the use of appropriate cutting irons, "scraping" or such like operations
may be effected.
The holders for the cutters to the edges operate as guides to the wood to be cut.
Having thus described my Invention, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts as shown and described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,
but what I do claim is,―
Firstly. The adaptation of the ordinary hand plane to machinery in such a manner
as to plane the top and bottom surfaces and edges of blind laths and similar wood
in the manner herein-before described.
Secondly. The mounting or arranging the plane irons or cutters planing the upper
or top surface in a frame or block, so arranged as to be capable of mechanically
adjusting itself to the varying thicknesses of the laths or other wood whilst in
operation; and, further, I claim the utilization of the weight or pressure of the
frame or block carrying the top cutter for the purpose of keeping the lath or other
wood in contact with the bottom cutter planing the lower surface.
Thirdly. I claim the arrangement of a moveable side fence or guide fitted with
edging cutter or cutters, and capable of mechanically adjusting itself to the varying
widths of the lath or other wood whilst under operation, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Edmund Shill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
ALFRED G. BROOKES,
37, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London.
R. E. SHILL. (L.S.)