IMPROVE- MENTS IN TONGUED AND GROOVED BOARDS AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY C. TUNIS, of 481, Park Avenue, Baltimore, in the United States of
America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TONGUED AND GROOVED BOARDS AND IN THE METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for
planing, tonguing and grooving boards, at one operation, and it has for its objects:
1st To provide a plurality of revolving cutter-heads, with blades, which shall act
to dress the stock on both sides to form tongues thereon and to sever the same, as
the stock is fed through the machine, without any waste of the stock.
2nd To provide means whereby access may be had to the intermediate edge of a
board, for the purpose of grooving the same, yet without waste.
3rd To provide improved cutting blades, of such character as to form deep grooves
in the upper and lower surfaces of the stock, leaving an intermediate portion of the
material to constitute the tongues and
4th To provide blades, which shall act on the intermediate portion of the material
which is left, so as to sever it, and at the same time form the proper finish to the
edges of the tongues.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and on which
like letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding features,
Fig. 1, represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through my
improved machine.
Fig. 2, an end view thereof, looking toward the tail.
Fig. 3, a transverse sectional view of the same.
Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional view, ou an enlarged scale, showing the devices for
varying the planes of the boards, and for cutting the groove.
Fig. 5, a detached side elevation of the horizontal cutter-heads, carrying the
planing, tonguing and grooving blades, and
Fig. 6, an end elevation of my improved flooring board.
The letter A, designates the frame-work of my improved machine, the same being
preferably constructed of iron, and of any desired shape, a bed B, being attached
thereto and extended from the front to the second pair of feed-rollers.

page_text: A series of roller journal-frames C, are attached to the respective sides of the
frame, and are provided with suitable journal boxes, in which fit the journals of the
feed or pressure rollers D. These rollers are capable of vertical adjustment by
means of the screw-threaded rods E.
Beneath the upper-surface of the frame A, and in proximity with the respective
rollers D, are a corresponding series of pressure feed rollers F, which are mounted
and adjusted in the manner above described..
Located near the rear end or tail of, the machine, are frames G, similar to the
frames C, in which is adjustably mounted, through the medium of suitable journal
boxes and the adjusting rods H, a transverse pressure bar I, the lower surface of
which is smooth, so as to permit the boards to pass thereunder.
Located in suitable standards J, secured to the frame of the machine, is a
transverse horizontal revolving shaft K, the sides of which are preferably rectangular
with each other.
Secured to the said shaft and on diametrical sides thereof, are the planing
blades L, the shanks of which are provided each with slots, by means of which they
are firmly connected with the shaft and are capable of being adjusted so as to vary
the depth of their cut.
'
The intermediate sides of the shaft K, are supplied, respectively, with a series of
tonguing blades M, and parting blades N, the shanks of which are also provided
with slots, whereby, through the medium of bolts and nuts, they may be detachably
and adjustably connected with said shaft.
The blades M, are set slightly beyond the circle described by the rotation of the
planing blades, whereby they are made to take somewhat deeper into the stock to
be acted upon; and the blades N, are in turn adjusted slightly beyond the circle
described by the blades M, whereby they too are in turn made to take somewhat
deeper into the stock.
Mounted, in suitable bearings in the frame A, I provide a further transverse
horizontal revolving shaft O, and to diametrical sides of which are attached, in 'the
manner above described, the planing blades L, and to the intermediate diametrical
sides are also similarly attached grooving and parting blades, respectively. The
location of this shaft it will be observed, is below the plane occupied by the shaft K,
or beneath the passage in which the stock travels through the machine.
The object of this arrangement, is to dress both sides of the stock, also to tongue"
the same on its opposite sides, by merely passing it through. the machine, as will be
presently described.
1
At a convenient point, alongside the sides of the machine, are mounted the
shafts P, carrying suitable grooving tools in their heads, which may be secured
therein by screws, or in any other convenient manner.
One of these shafts is mounted, as seen in Fig. 3, in suitable. bearings extending
from one side piece of the frame, and its grooving blades are adapted to engage the
adjacent edge of the stock against which they are rotated as it is fed through the
machine.
The other of these shafts P, is. mounted in sliding boxes Q, which fit over the
transverse rods R, the upper of said block having an extension provided with a
female screw-thread, through which is passed the correspondingly threaded shaft S.
This shaft is also mounted in the frame of the machine and is provided at one
end with a crank, whereby the shaft P, may be adjusted to bring the grooving
knives up to the adjacent edge of the stock according to the width of the same..
These shafts are each provided with pulleys over which suitable belts are
designed to be placed in order to give them the required rotary motion.
Thus it will be observed that the grooves on the opposite or outer edges of the
stock are formed by the grooving cutters or blades just described.
It will be seen from figures 3, and 5, that the stock is being formed into three
boards, the outer ones or those designated as 1, and 2, being provided each with a
tongue by the action of the blades M, and with grooves on their outer edges by the
grooving cutters just described.

page_text: '
The board designated by 3, however, while provided with a tongue on one side,
is not, by the operation just described, provided with a groove on its opposite edge.
It is a material feature of my invention to accomplish this end, for doing which,
I provide the machine with an inclined plane T, located so as to elevate the board
adjacent to the untouched edge of the one to be grooved, as the stock is forced
through the machine, the parting blades having effected a separation between it and
the adjacent boards before it reached this point.
Near or at the tail of the machine, I mount a shaft U, in suitable blocks fitted in
transverse slots, in the cross pieces V.
These pieces are preferably secured to the frame of the machine and in order to
adjust the shaft to and from the edge of the board, I provide an arrangement like
that just described for adjusting transversely, the shafts P.
Mounted upon one side of the machine, is an arm or bracket W, the horizontal
arm of which extends over the bed of the machine.
Fitted within an interiorly screw-threaded head on the end of this frame is a
correspondingly screw-threaded shaft X, to the lower end of which is attached a shoe
or presser-foot Y, the forward and rear ends of which are slightly curved, as seen in
figures 1, and 4, so as to prevent the board passing under the same, from liability
to be obstructed.
The function of this presser-foot, is to hold the boards firmly down upon the bed
of the machine, a bed Z, being provided at this point, for the purpose of supporting
the board, while the grooving tool is working.
Thus it will be seen that the grooving knives, carried by the shaft U, may be..
brought in contact with the edge of the board designated number 3, and thereby
form a groove in the same, the elevation of the adjacent board above it, allowing
ample room; and at the same time avoiding such loss of material as would occur if
the cutter had to force its way through and between the boards.
It is noticeable that one set of the tonguing blades are flat across their cutting
edge and are equal in width to the width of two tongues, while the parting blades
which act in conjunction with these particular grooving blades, have a V-shaped
point.
The other set of tonguing blades, are also flat across their cutting edges, but are
equal in width to the width of one tongue only, and the parting blades which act
in conjunction with them, are straight on one side and tapered on the other.
Thus. it will be seen that the first set of tonguing blades, or those nearest the
left, as seen in Fig. 5, act to cut away the stock from both sides, while the co-acting
parting blades, merely part or sever the tongues after being thus formed, their
double taper, giving the proper finish to the edges of the respective tongues.
On the other hand, the other set of planing blades, merely form one tongue, yet
act on both sides of the board, and their co-acting parting blades sever the tongue
thus formed from the adjoining board, and at the same time give the proper finish
to the edge of such tongue.
.>
The tonguing, blades, may be provided with short cutting points, so as to do the
work of the pointed parting blades, but such form of blade would be objectionable
in that such points would wear off more rapidly than the remaining portion of the
blades and thereby create an inequality in the depth of the cut of the respective
portions of such blade.
For this reason I, have made the tonguing and parting blades separate and also
adjustable on the shafts, so that if the pointed blades wear off more rapidly than
the flat blades, they may be readily adjusted to compensate therefor.
It is obvious that some other means of elevating one board above the other, may
be adopted, and I do not therefore confine myself to the inclined plane shown and
described.
It is obvious that several of the groove-cutting blades or knives which are
mounted on the revolving shaft U, may be placed at different intervals across the
machine, so as to form grooves in several of the intermediate boards, when more

page_text: than three are being cut from a single piece of stock, without departing from the
spirit of my invention.
A corresponding number of inclined planes would also be used in connection with
this arrangement.
A further part of my invention consists in the manufactured article, or board,
known in the trade, as "flooring," the novelty of which consists in bevelling off the
corners or edges of the tongues, so that they will more easily enter the adjacent
groove when in the act of laying the flooring, wainscoating etc.
The groove in cross-section, may be made to agree with the tongue.
A still further part of my invention also consists in the method herein indicated,
of manufacturing flooring.
This method consists essentially;
1st In simultaneously grooving the opposite sides of the piece of stock, so as to
leave a reduced or thin portion of the material, intermediate the sides, and in
severing such portions from the opposite sides by incisions of V-shape configuration
in cross-section, whereby the separation is effected without waste of material.
2nd In grooving the outer edges of the stock, and in grooving the intermediate
edge of one of the boards cut from the stock by the operation above described,
by varying the plane of the adjacent board from the plane occupied by the board
to be grooved.
19
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner, the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1st. In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the frame thereof, and suitable feed rollers, of the shafts carrying, respectively,
the planing, the flat-tonguing, and V-shaped parting blades; the said shafts being
located in consecutive order and on opposite sides of the passage of the stock.
2nd In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination,
with a suitable frame, of the shafts carrying the planing, tonguing, and parting
blades, the shafts being located in consecutive order and on opposite sides of the
passage of the stock, the grooving blades, and a device to separate the boards, so
that one of said grooving cutters can act upon an intermediate edge of the stock,
or of a board.
3rd In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with a suitable frame, of the shafts carrying, planing, tonguing, and parting blades,.
the said shafts being located in consecutive order and on opposite sides of the
passage of the stock, the grooving blades, and the inclined plane adapted to act on
the stock so as to separate the boards and allow access to the intermediate edge
thereof by said grooving blades.
4th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the grooving knives or blades, of a device constructed to separate the boards,
whereby access to an intermediate edge may be had by said grooving blades.
5th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the intermediate revolving grooving blades, of the inclined plane located in
advance of said blades to elevate one of the boards, whereby access to the
intermediate edge of the adjacent board may be had by said grooving blades.
6th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the intermediate grooving blades, and the inclined plane located in advance of
said blades for elevating one of the boards, of the presser-foot or shoe, whereby the
board being grooved may be firmly held.
7th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the frame thereof and the shafts for carrying planing, tonguing and parting
blades, of the grooving blades located at each side thereof, the grooving blades
located intermediate the sides, the inclined plane for. varying the plane of the
boards, located in advance of said grooving blades, and the shoe for holding the
intermediate board down to its place, while being grooved.

page_text: 8th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the shaft provided
with planing, tonguing, and parting blades, the tonguing, and parting blades, having
flat and V-shaped cutting edges, respectively.
9th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the shaft having
the adjustable flat-edge tonguing blades, and the adjustable V-shaped parting
blades, the said tonguing and parting blades being on diametrical sides of the
shaft.
10th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination.
with the shaft having, respectively, planing blades, a set of flat-edge tonguing
blades equal in width to two tongues, a set of V-shaped parting blades, and a set
of tonguing blades equal in width to one tongue, and a set of parting blades having
straight and tapering sides, each shaft being placed on.opposite sides of the passage
of the stock.
11th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the parting blades,
having straight and tapering sides to their cutting edges.
12th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the parting blades,
having V-shaped cutting edges.
13th In a machine for planing, tonguing, and grooving boards, the combination
with the inclined plane for separating the boards, of the adjustable presser-foot for
firmly holding the board, while being grooved.
14th In a machine for grooving boards, the combination therewith of a board
separator, constructed and located to separate the boards as they pass through the
machine, whereby access may be had to an intermediate board by a grooving blade.
15th As a new article of manufacture, the herein described flooring, having a
groove on one edge and a tongue on the other, the edges of which latter are
bevelled off.
16th The herein described method of making flooring, consisting, first, in grooving
the opposite sides of a piece of stock and in severing the material left between the
said grooves, by forming an incision on the opposite sides thereof, V-shape in
cross-section, and secondly, in grooving the outer edges of the stock and an
intermediate edge of one of the boards cut therefrom, in one continuous operation.
17th The herein described method of tonguing flooring, the same consisting in
grooving the opposite sides of a piece of stock and in severing the material left
between the said grooves, by forming an incision on the opposite sides thereof,.
V-shape in cross-section.
1
18th The herein described method of grooving the edge of an intermediate board,
of a series of boards, the 'same consisting in separating the board adjacent to the
edge of the board to be grooved, from the latter.