IMPROVEMENTS IN OPERATIONS AND MACHINERY FOR Seasoning, Marking, and Cutting WOOD
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert John Jones, of Walton, near Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OPERATIONS AND MACHINERY FOR Seasoning, Marking, and Cutting WOOD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert John Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st July 1874.
I, ROBERT JOHN JONES, of Walton, near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OPERATIONS AND MACHINERY FOR SEASONING, MARKING, AND
CUTTING WOOD," to be as follows:-
C
The improvements in sonsoning the wood consists in placing it in a
tank or other suitable receptacle, into which is allowed to flow hot water
from a condensing engine or other source, the flow being either inter-
mittent or constant. The water may also remain stationary in the tank,

page_text: project through, which they do as in the case of a joiner's plane. They
are set to the required fineness in projection for finishing the wood, or
set fuller when used more for roughing. The cutters may be set square,
but I prefer to set them diagonally, as by this means I get a cleaner
cut, particularly when working by hand. I also place the cutters
diagonally in two directions, thus some cutters lead from the right and
some from the left.
Thirdly. For the purpose of rabetting I use a rotary head, carrying a
number of cutters of the required shape. They aro set in the head
parallel with the line of its diameter, so that there is a scraping instead
of a cutting action. This enables me to rabbett against the grain, thus
avoiding the use of two blocks running in opposite directions. I vary
the depth of rabbett either by causing the fence or the block to move as
required.
Fourthly. Of improved arrangements which I adopt for the purpose
of enabling me to vary the position of the various cutter blocks
and planes named under my first and second heads, and the scrapers
named in my third head. The blocks or heads in overy case run in
suitable bearings, these bearings being attached to a frame, which I will
call a cutter frame. The blocks and frames in which they work retain
their relative position one to another always. The cutter frame is mado
to turn on a pivot, universal joint, trunnion, or face plate, or any com-
bination thereof. By this means any required motion or position is
attained. I use dummies or templates to guide the cutter frame or
cutter blocks to the position to shape the article. When requisito
I make the cutter frame a fixture, and make the article to be shaped to
fit and work on a suitable cam, pivot, oscillating shaft, table, or other
contrivance. In this case I move the article instead of the cutter frame,
or I may use a combined movement of the cutter frame and the article
operated upon.
By the improvements enumerated I am enabled to work wood into

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert John Jones in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 28th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOHN JONES, of Walton, near Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert John Jones, Her
special licence that I, the said Robert John Jones, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
John Jones, 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 thercin expressed, should and lawfully
might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OPERATIONS AND MACHINERY FOR SEASONING,
MARKING, AND CUTTING WOOD," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert John Jones, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert John Jones, 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 :—
The improvements in seasoning the wood consist in placing it in a
tank or other suitable receptacle, into which is allowed to flow hot
water from a condensing engine or other source, the flow being either
intermittent or constant. The water may also remain stationary in the
tank, and be heated by waste steam or other heat. After the water is

page_text: withdrawn high-pressure steam is injected, and after this hot air. To
facilitate the filling and emptying of the tank the same has loose ends,
which allow waggons to run in on rails; or it opens at the top and allows
cages or their equivalents ready filled to be lowered into it. I find it
is advantageous to thus season the wood before working it by the
machinery herein-after described.
The improvements for marking wood are more particularly applicable
where the samo has to be moulded into irregular forms by band or other
sweep cutting saws, and is intended to supersede the method at present
adopted of laying a pattern on and marking around it with a pencil.
For the purpose of marking I use a plate, herein-after called a marking
plate. This plate may be of any suitable material, and I let into it a
strip of metal or a number of pins formed to the shape of the article to
be cut out. The marking plate may consist of any number of patterns,
which may either be alike or different. This marking plate being pressed
on the wood by any suitable means, an impression is thereby left for the
These improvements consist,-
'
Firstly. In having cutters ground to the shape of the article to mould
the wood into, such cutters being fixed to a rotary block in a diagonal
or twisted manner, the block being of such a shape that the cutting
edge of the cutters projects a regular distance along it, or a front plato
or iron is screwed on to serve the same purpose, which is analogous to
the back iron in a joiner's plane, the object being to stiffen the cutting
iron, and prevent it from tearing the wood. The head may be made to
the requisite form, and have grooves in it to receive the cutters, and
keyways and keys to hold them in their places. When cutting very
deep by these cutters, or where it is requisite to leave a square shoulder,
I use lances, projecting just beyond the other cutters.
Secondly. In using what I term a rotary plane for the purpose of
cleaning up or cutting to shape. For flat work the same is flat on the
edge, or it may be shaped to any required form. The edge of this plane
is used to receive the cutters, and slots are made for the cutters to

page_text: project through, which they do as in the case of a joiner's planc. They
are set to the required fineness in projection for finishing the wood, or
set fuller when used more for roughing. The cutters may be set square,
but I prefer to set them diagonally, as by this means I get a cleaner
cut, particularly when working by hand. I also place the cutters ₺
diagonally in two directions, thus some-cutters lead from the right and
some from the left.
Thirdly. For the purpose of rabetting I use a rotary head, carrying a
number of cutters of the required shape. They are set in the head
parallel with the line of its diameter, so that there is a scraping instead 1
of a cutting action. This enables me to rabet against the grain, thus
avoiding the use of two blocks running in opposite directions. I vary
the depth of rebat cither by causing the fence or the block to move as
required.
Fourthly. Of improved arrangements which I adopt for the purpose 1
of enabling me to vary the position of the various cutter blocks and
planes named under my first and second heads, and the scrapers named
in my third head. The blocks or heads in every case run in suitable.
bearings. These bearings being attached to a frame, which I will call á
cutter frame, the blocks and frames in which they work retain their 2
relative position one to another always. The cutter frame is made
to turn on a pivot, universal joint, trunnion, or face plate, or any com-
bination thereof. By this means any required motion or position is
attained. I use dummies or templates to guide the cutter frame or
cutter blocks to the position to shape the article. When requisite I 2
make the cutter frame a fixture, and make the article to be shaped to
fit and work on a suitable cam, pivot, oscillating shaft, table, or other
contrivance. In this case I move the article instead of the cutter frame,
or I may use a combined movement of the cutter frame and the article
operated upon.
By the improvements enumerated I am enabled to work wood into
any desired shape, however intricate.
3
The before-going being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now proceed to describo more in detail how the same
may be carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have 3
hereunto attached two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, marked
with letters and figures of reference corresponding with those in the

page_text: following explanation. Like letters and figures denote similar parts
throughout the various views.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a tank or receptacle and
apparatus to be used for seasoning wood according to this Invention;
Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a longitudinal section on the line O, D, Figure 1;
Figure 3, Sheet 1, is a longitudinal section on the line A, B, Figure 1. .
Figures 4 to 9 inclusive, Sheet 1, represent the improvements for
marking wood according to my Invention.
Figure 10, Sheet 1,. illustrates an end elevation of an apparatus for
working irregular forms, such as chair backs, scrolls, and other articles
of irregular form used by cabinet makers, coach builders, and wheel-
wrights; Figure 11, Sheet 1, is a side clevation of Figure 10; Figure 12,
Sheet 1, is a plan of Figure 10.
Figure 13, Sheet 1, illustrates a rotary plane constructed according to
this Invention; Figure 14, Sheet 1, side view of same.
...
Figure 15, Sheet 2, illustrates a rotary machine carrying a number of
cutters for rabetting.
Figures 16 to 18 inclusive, Sheet 2, illustrate examples of rabetting
which can be done by a machine constructed according to this
Invention.
Figures 19, 20, 21, and 22, Sheet 2, illustrate improved arrangements
which I adopt for the purpose of enabling me to alter the positions of
the various cutters, blocks, and planes named under the first, second,
and third heads herein-before referred to.
-
Upon reference to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive it will be seen that my.
improvements in seasoning wood consist in placing the wood or shapes-
of wood in a waggon or carriage A. This waggon or carriage is formed
in divisions, and is in fact an open cage. The said waggons A are
mounted on wheels B, and are arranged to run into a tank or other
receptacle C, said tank or receptacle being provided with Z iron or rails,
The tank
as at O³, forming a railway for the waggons A. to run on.
or receptacle O is provided at the top with a series of perforated
pipes D, D, D. These pipes may be termed water inlet pipes, and
distribute water as shown by the dotted lines, Figure 1. The tank C is
provided with a water outlet E, Figure 2. The tank C is also provided

page_text: with a steam or hot air pipo F, which is perforated to distribute steam
or hot air, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
provided with an outlet G to discharge the waste steam.
also provided with a suitable door H.
The tank C is
The tank C is
In working the apparatus for seasoning wood, beforo described, hot 5.
water from a condensing engine or other source is allowed to enter
through the pipe D, either intermittently or in a constant stream. The
water may remain stationary in the tank, and be heated by waste steam
or other heat. When the water is withdrawn high-pressure steam is
injected through the pipe F, and after this hot air. By seasoning wood 1
by subjecting it to water, steam, and hot air, as described, I find it
advantageous to prepare the wood for working by the machinery
bercin-after described, or by any other mode of working that wood may
be subjected to.
:
The form of tank or receptacle, and the manner of admitting water, 1
steam, or air, may.be varied, and the waggons or cages dispensed with,
and the material to be operated upon may be filled in and emptied out
in various other ways without departing from the principle of scasoning
adopted.
Upon reference to Figures 4 to 9 inclusive it will be seen that my 20
improvements in marking irregular forms on wood for manipulation by
the sawyer or otherwise consist in using a marking plate I. This plate
is provided with strips of metal J, or a series of pins or other means of
making an impression or indent may be used, formed to the shape of
the article to be cut, as shown by the lines K, Figures 1, 6, and 8, which 26
illustrato scrolls, chair backs, for oxample. This marking plate I use to.
supersede the common practice of marking wood by means of a pencil
and template, as is at present the practice. The necessary pressure or
blow for effecting the impression may be by any of the well-known
means of percussion or pressure already in use for a variety of purposes. 30
Upon reference to Figures 10, 11, and 12 it will be seen that my
improvements in machinery for cutting wood into irregular forms
consist in having the cutters ground to the shape of the article I wish
to mould the wood into. For example, L are cutters carried by the
framework and table M, and driven by tho pulleys N, such cutters 35
moulding the block of wood O into tho required shape. The cutters L
arc fixed to the rotating block P in such a manner that their cutting.
"

page_text: edges project.a regular or almost regular distance along it. The cutters;
are so arranged on the block that they can be adjusted in manner similar,
to the back iron in a joiner's plane; the object being to stiffen the cutter,
and prevent it from tearing the wood. Either one or several articles
may be placed in the frame at once, and held by a screw or other
suitable fastening during the time it is they are being operated upon:
I work across the grain of the wood in most cases.
It will be seen by referring to my improvements in varying the cutter
frames that by the application of suitablo dummies or templates any
desired bevil, twist, hollow, or round, or combination of them, may be.
imparted to the wood operated upon. By preference I use à cutter
block of a twisted form, in order that the cut may be diagonal.
Upon reference to Figures 13 and 14 it will be seen that my improvo-
ments in machinery for cleaning or cutting flat or other shaped work
consist in a rotary plane fitted with adjustable blades or cutters Q, which
cutters are inserted into grooves cut in the plane to receive them. Tho
cutters are by preference set diagonally in reverso directions, as shown
at Figuró 14, so at not to draw the wood unevenly to the right or left.
By holding an article that requires rounding in a suitable frame or other
contrivance I can round the ends off, and when semicircular or segment
ends are required I use two blocks running in opposite directions, tho
frame holding the article first presenting it to one to bo half cut with
the grain, and then to the other to have the other half cut.
Upon reference to Figure 15 it will be seen that my improvements in
machinery for rabetting consist in using a rotary head R, which carries
a number of scrapers S of form corresponding with the shape they are
required to cut. These cutters S are set in the lead R parallel or nearly
parallel with the line of its diameter, so that there is a 'scraping instead
of a cutting action, thus enabling me to: rabett against the grain, and
avoid the use of: two blocks running in opposite directions." The depth
of the rabett may be varied by causing the fence or the block to move
as required.
-1
:
Upon reference to Figures 19 to 22 inclusive it will be seen that the
improved arrangements which I adopt for the purpose of enabling me to
alter the position of the various cutters, blocks, planes, and_scrapers
named under my first, second, and third heads. Such cutters, blocks,
planes, and-scrapers always rotating..in suitable bearings,-and-being

page_text: or a
attached to a suitable frame, the blocks and frames always retain their
relative position one to another, but the cutter frame may be made to
turn on a pivot and one or two face plates, as at Figures 19 and 20,
universal joint, as at Figures 21 and 22, or any combination thereof, as
will bo understood. By this means any required motion is obtained, and !
dummies or templates may be used to guide the cutter frame, as will bo
understood.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention, and shown how the same may be put
into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to any particular dimensions or relativo proportions of any parts
of the apparatus herein-before described, as the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from my Invention; but what I
claim as my Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
is,―
I
Firstly. The improved method of and apparatus for seasoning wood
described in the first part of the before-going Specification, such method
consisting in intermittently saturating the wood (when cut into blocks
for treatment or in any other condition) by water, such saturation being
intermittent or constant; after saturation subjecting the wood to the
action of ordinary or superheated steam and hot air, the apparatus for
carrying this method into effect being a tank or receptacle and cages or
waggons, substantially as shown at Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, of the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thercof.
; Secondly. Marking wood into shapes for treatment by the saw by :
means of a plate so arranged with strips of metal, or pins, or their equi-
valent, as to leave an impression or indent on such wood when such
marker is applied by pressure or percussion, substantially as described in
the before-going Specification, and illustrated at Figures 1 to 9 inclusive
of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The application of cutters ground to the shape of the article
to bo modelled, and fixing such cutters to a rotary block, substantially
in the manner and for the purposo described in the before-going
Specification, and illustrated at Figures 10, 11, and 12 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fourthly. The application of a rotary plano having return diagonal
cutting blades, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described

page_text: in the before-going Specification, and illustrated at Figures 13 and 14 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The application of a rotary head carrying a number of cutters
to be used for rabetting purposes, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes described in the before-going Specification, and illustrated at
Figure 15 of the accompanying Drawings.
"
Sixthly. The application of the several arrangements of apparatus for
imparting various motions to cutters for modelling wood, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes described in the before-going
Specification, and illustrated at Figures 19 to 22 inclusive of the accom-
panying Drawings.
"
Seventhly. The combination of one or more of the operations or parts
of them for the cutting of wood for any purpose.
Eighthly. The improvements in operations and machinery for
seasoning, marking, and cutting wood, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described, set forth in the before-going
Specification, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert John Jones, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy-
five.
DADADO TOTEN
A