AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING FILES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Kennedy, of New Orleans, Louisiana,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING FILES."
Sealed the 28th August 1868, and dated the 3rd March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Kennedy at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd March 1868.
I, HUGH KENNEDY, of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING FILES," to be as
follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists chiefly in regulating and
controlling the movements of the cutter or the file blank, so that the
teeth cut in the latter are not exactly parallel with each other; also
in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the mechanism for

page_text: supporting and adjusting the file blanks, in the novel formation of
the cutter, and in the means for operating and adjusting the same.
It has been found in using files made by machinery that when a single
cut file is moved backward and forward in a straight line on a metal
surface it tends to an irregular course or lateral movement, and when
a "bastard or double cut file is moved forward and backward on a
metal surface it will produce scratches or lines on the said surface.
The difficulty in both instances is caused by the teeth of the file being
made exactly parallel to each other. In the case of a double cut file
the parallel lines of the teeth of both cuts produce geometrical angles
and points at their crossings or intersections, and these again form
parallel rows and lines lengthwise along the surface of the file.
The object of my Invention is to make by machinery a file which
shall be absolutely free from the difficulties and objections above
described.
The main bed of my improved machine supports a revolving sub-bed
arranged upon the main bed and connected with the same by suitable
bevel, screw, or other gear, in such a manner as to be regulated as
desired with regard to its movement upon the main bed, and also as
to the angle of its movement in reference to the angle of the file
tooth to be cut. A feed screw is operated by bevel and intermediate
gearing in connection with a feed ratchet, feed crank, and a feed screw
step. The file bed rests upon and is connected with the revolving
sub-bed by means of a bevel wheel. A feed nut is connected with
the feed screw and is regulated by a cam nut. The file stock or blank
is held and regulated upon its bed while being cut by pins, screws, or
other suitable appliances. The motion of the various parts and devices
of the machine is derived from a main or driving shaft, to which power
is applied by a belt and pulleys, or otherwise. In connection with the
said main shaft are arranged a lever, hammer, hammer cam, and
adjusting cam, a crank for moving the sub-base and operating the feed
movement, and a ratchet for operating the cutter cam which operates
and controls the cutter cam lever. The edge of the cutter is at right
angles to its length, and the said cutter is arranged in a cylindrical
plug and held by a centre pin. The cutter plug is fitted to turn in
à hollow wrist attached to the cutter arm by an adjustable joint. The
cutter cam lever is securely fastened at one end to the cutter plug, while
the other end is connected with the cutter cam. The cutter cam is formed

page_text: with peripheral projections, and when the said cam is made to revolve
these projections will cause the connecting end of the cutter cam lever
to vibrate or move laterally to and fro,, and consequently the cutter
plug carrying the cutter is made to oscillate or turn in its socket in
the wrist. This motion, which alternately changes the angle of the
edge of the cutter across the face of the file blank, is irregular or
otherwise according to the conformation of the cam employed, which
may be made curvilineal, dentated,, zig zag, or of any other desirable
form.
I can attach the cutter to the hammer rigidly or otherwise, and
cause a cam or other suitable mechanism. to change the angle of the
cutter as desired, and produce irregular cuts or teeth on a file blank;
or I can dispense with the irregular movement of the cutter altogether
and yet produce the same effects by causing the file blank itself to
alternately change its position under the cutter; or I can produce a
somewhat similar effect, that is, give a wavy or irregular direction to
the longitudinal lines or intersections of the cuts of a double cut file, by
arranging the feed gear to produce one of the cuts (either the "over
cut" or "up. cut" as may be desired) finer than the other..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Kennedy in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGH
KENNEDY, of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send' greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her-
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March,, in the year:
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc--
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Hugh Kennedy, Her speciali
licence that I, the said Hugh Kennedy, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others, as I, the said Hugh Kennedy, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the.

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR CUTTING FILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Hugh Kennedy, 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 Hugh Kennedy, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
My Invention relates to a machine wherein the file blank is sup-
ported below a vibrating cutter which by a succession of blows forms
the teeth from end to end of the said blank, either the cutter or the
blank being caused to travel in the proper direction to cause the teeth
to be cut regularly from end to end of the same.
The nature of the said Invention consists chiefly in regulating, con-
trolling, and varying the movements of either the cutter or the file
blank, so that the teeth cut in the latter are not exactly parallel with
each other; also in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the
mechanism for supporting and adjusting the file blanks; in the novel
formation of the cutter; and in the mode of and means for operating
and adjusting the same.
I am aware that files cut by machinery have been used previous
to my Invention, but such files have not been found equal to those
made by hand. When a "float" or single cut file made by file cutting
machinery as hitherto constructed is used upon a metal surface it has
a tendency to deviate from a straight line into an irregular course or
lateral movement, and when a "bastard" or double cut file made by
such machinery is used upon a metal surface it will produce scratches
or lines on the said surface. The difficulty, which in both instances
is caused by the teeth of the file being made exactly parallel to cach
other, is greater in the case of a double cut than in a single out file,

page_text: as the parallel lines of the teeth of the double cut file produce
geometrical angles and points at their crossings or intersections, and
these again form parallel rows and lines lengthwise along the surface
of the file, and thereby increase the difficulty experienced in using
the same.
To make a file by machinery which shall be absolutely free from
these objections is the special object of my Invention, and the manner
in which I have overcome these difficulties, as well as the degree of
perfection which I have arrived at in regard to the mechanical devices
employed to carry the said Invention into practice, may be well under-
stood from the following description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a plan of my improved machine; Figure 2, is a front
elevation of the same; Figure 3, is a vertical section on the line x, x,
Figure 1; Figure 4, is a side elevation of part of the said machine;
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, represent detached portions of the same drawn to
an enlarged scale. Like letters indicate the same parts in all of the
Figures.
The main bed A supports the bearing posts or standards B and
the adjustable slide rest or bed C. The flange C₁ of the latter is formed
with curved slots C² which allow the rest to be adjusted in any desired
position with regard to the cutting apparatus D. The rest C is formed
with a projection C³ which extends through the wheel E and is fitted
to turn freely in the same, so that the adjustment of the said rest
may be effected without moving or otherwise interfering with the
wheel E. This wheel is provided with teeth on both sides. The
lower teeth E¹ gear with the pinion F on the shaft G whose outer
end carries the ratchet wheel H. By means of this ratchet H pawl
I, lever J, rod K, and crank K', the shaft G receives an intermittent
motion from the main driving shaft L. This intermittent motion is
communicated to the wheel E, which by means of its upper row of
teeth E, transmits this motion through the pinion M to the feed screw
N which operates the file bed O. The adjustable nut P fits the feed
screw N and carries the file bed forward as the screw rotates. When
it. is desired to move the said bed backward to commence a fresh cut
the nut P is raised from the screw by means of the handle P¹. The
bed O can then be drawn back to the desired position and the nut

page_text: again dropped on the screw, with which it is kept properly in gear
by the springs P². The feed screw is supported at its inner end in
a bearing formed in the projection C of the rest C, and at its outer
end upon the adjustable centre N'. It will be seen that the pinion
M on the said screw remains in gear with the wheel E in what-
ever position the rest C is adjusted. The shank of the file stock or
blank a is held by the clamp Q which is readily adjusted to receive
or release the blank by means of the handle Q. The forward end of
the said blank is held in the proper position upon the bed O by means
of the adjustable roller R which offers no obstruction to the endwise
movement of the said blank produced by the feeding mechanism. The
roller R is pressed down upon the blank by the spring R' attached to
the bracket R2, and is raised when desired by means of the excentric R³
which is operated by means of the handle R. The hammer S is
fixed on the end of the lever S₁ which extends from the hammer shaft S*
the latter being parallel with the main shaft L. The said hammer
is properly arranged to strike fairly upon the top of the cutter T and
the force exerted by the said hammer is derived from the spring U
which bears against the short arm S2 of the hammer lever. The
hammer is raised by the cam V which is brought by the revolution
of the main shaft L into contact with the arm S2, and the blows of
the hammer are delivered as the cam V leaves the said arm. The
force exerted by this spring upon the hammer is regulated by adjusting
the shaft W, and this adjustment is effected automatically to adapt
the cutting to the variation in thickness of taper ended files, by means
of the taper bar X which acts through the medium of the lever X'
and arm X2 upon the shaft W. The lever X' is provided with a
roller X3 which bears on the bar X, and when the reduced end X*
of this bar is under the said roller the lever X' which is pivotted at
✗* is raised slightly from the arm X³, and thereby diminishes the
pressure of the spring U upon the arm 83, diminishing the force of
the blow of the hammer to a corresponding extent. The edge of the
cutter T is at right angles to its length, and the said cutter is arranged
in a cylindrical block T in which it is held by a centre pin Te. The
cutter block T is fitted to turn freely in a socket T attached to the
cutter arm T. The cutter cam lever T is securely fastened at one
end to the cutter block T¹ by a set screw T or other suitable means,
while the other end lies in contact with the cutter cam Y. This cam
is fixed on the shaft Y¹ whose other end carries the ratchet wheel

page_text: Y. The rod Y' whose end takes into the teeth of this ratchet wheel
is operated by the excentric Y* on the main shaft L, and thereby imparts
the required rotation to the cam Y. It will be seen that the cutter
cam Y is formed with lateral projections Y*, and when the said cam
rotates these projections will cause the cutter cam lever 1" to vibrate
laterally and consequently the cutter block is made to oscillate or turn
in its socket T. By this means the angle of the edge of the cutter
across the face of the file blank is varied, and this variation is irregular
or otherwise according to the conformation of the cam Y which may
be made curvilineal, dentated, zig-zag, or of any other desirable form.
To prevent the breaking of the edge of the cutter by the blow of the
hammer the said edge is brought down upon the file blank before
each blow is struck. I accomplish this object by means of the cam Z
fixed on the main shaft L and the lever Z. The cutter is raised
after each stroke of the hammer by the spring 6 which draws down
the lever c fixed on the shaft or axis Ts of the cutter arm T. The
cam Z is so arranged with regard to the cam V and other parts of
the mechanism that it acts on the lever Z' just before the cam V leaves
the arm S2, so that the edge of the cutter is resting on the file blank
before the blow is struck. Motion is communicated to the main shaft
L by a belt passing over the driving pulley L* or by other suitable
means.
When a file is made by a machine wherein the cutter is regulated
by a cam in the above manner its teeth will not be parallel. The
angles formed by the crossing of the teeth will be irregular, or in other
words, the objectionable geometrical regularity of these angles will not
be produced and the longitudinal lines or rows formed by the intersections
or crossings of the lines of the teeth of a double cut file will be broken
up and made to vary according to the conformation of the cam Y. If
desired I can attach the cutter to the hammer rigidly, or otherwise,
and cause a cam or other mechanism to change the angle of the cutter as
desired to produce irregular cuts or teeth on the file blank, or I can dis-
pense with the irregular movement of the cutter altogether, and produce
the same effects by causing the file blank itself to change its position
under the cutter. I can also produce a somewhat similar effect, that is,
give a wavy or irregular direction to the longitudinal lines or inter-
sections of the teeth of a double cut file by arranging the feet gear
so as to produce one of the cuts (either the "over cut" or "up cut"
as may be desired) finer than the other, but the cam movement being

page_text: the simplest and most convenient way of arriving at the desired result
I have adopted that plan, though be it understood that I do not limit
myself exclusively to the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Kennedy, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
W. ROB. LAKE.
HUGH KENNEDY. (L.S.)