IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PLANING METALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Richards of No 12 City Road Manchester in the
County of Lancashire, for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR PLANING METALS A communication from abroad by John Richards of
San Francisco, United States of North America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Richards at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th May 1882.
GEORGE RICHARDS of No 12 City Road Manchester in the County of Lancashire
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PLANING METALS a Communication from
"
abroad by John Richards of San Francisco United States of North America
This Invention relates to certain Improvements in Machines for planing metal,
and consists in a saddle or tool carrying carriage, mounted and sliding on a frame.
The tools acting parallel to the frame and at the side, being supported by a
projecting or overhanging arm. So that one side of the machine is open to receive
large pieces and to permit easy access to the tools and to pieces being acted on.
It consists also of a rolling frictional feeding device connected to and operating
by the tool frame or saddle.
It further consists of the combination of lateral and vertically adjustable tables
or supports combined with a travelling and overhanging tool carriage.
It also consists in the arrangement of parts to shift the driving bands by a sliding
bar and radial arms, the latter being moved differentially by means of projections
on the sliding bar so that first one and then the other band may be shifted with
such relation alternatively as may be required.
It further consists in two or more split or adjustable nuts on an actuating screw
such nuts being so arranged as to be adjusted to compensate for any wear of the
screw and to prevent backlash.
With the exception of some special machines for preparing the edges of plates and
acting on vertical faces, planing machines for metal cutting have always been made
in two modifications. One wherein a traversing plateau or table carrying the work
beneath tools supported on the fixed framing the other wherein the cutting tools and
their supports are given a short motion transverse to the main frame, the latter
[Price Gd.]

page_text: called shaping machines. In my improved machines the method of operating differs
from both of these. The tools are given both a traversing and feeding in a horizontal
plane the traversing movement being parallel to the main frame and not transverse
as in the case of shaping machines.
The tools being supported on a projecting arm or bracket, are removed from the
main frame and from the line of the actuating mechanism, the cutting movement
can be parallel to the main frame.
The driving mechanism, preferably a screw being mounted on the main frame
one side of the cutting plane is open and unobstructed so that large or irregular
shaped pieces can be operated upon, pieces that would not pass through between the
standards of any but the largest machines if arranged in the usual way.
The functions of my machine correspond more to a common planing than shaping
machine in so far as having a cutting range. While the mode of mounting and
adjusting the work is much the same as with shaping machines.
For long work machines constructed on my method do not require to be twice
as long as pieces to be planed as is the case when a travelling carriage is employed.
The main frame and traverse ways are made as long as the required range the
length of the tool carriage added.
In the drawings Fig. 1. is a front view of the improved machines. Fig. 2. is an
end view and Fig. 3. a plan of the same with a few details omitted.
Similar letters of reference on the different figs indicate corresponding parts.
A, is the main frame on the top of which is formed ways for the reciprocating
carriage B, C C are supporting tables on which are fastened the pieces to be planed
D is the driving pulley and E a strong screw that moves the carriage B on this
carriage is formed or fastened a projecting arm or bracket F, on which is mounted
the usual tool holding appliances.
This tool box or saddle has a few adjustments to and from the main frame and
transverse to the movement of the carriage B and is operated by the feed screw G
Fig. 2. This screw is driven by the reciprocating pawl gearing at H and by the
cross shaft I in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The shaft I Fig. 3. is given a
reciprocating or semi rotary movement by means of a quadrant or sector of a
wheel J, rolling on a bar K.
When the carriage B is moved in either direction this quadrant engages with the
bar K and rolls the length of the periphery, then drags almost without friction to
the end of the stroke and again engages when the motion is reversed:
This communicates a reciprocating motion to the paul gearing and a feed motion
to the tool saddle L corresponding in extent or speed to the position of the link a
on the crank, c,
The tables C C are adjustable on the main frame so the distance between them
can be arranged to suit different kind of pieces to be planed, or the two tables can
by connecting them with screw bolts be employed like the jaws of a vice to clamp
pieces between. These tables are raised or lowered by screws e, c, operated by the
cranks m, m, and suitable gearing inside the table not shown in the drawings. I do
not confine myself to any particular number of these tables or supports; for a short
machine one table will answer while for a long one three or more would be most
convenient. In some cases one long continuous table would best suit the
requirements.
The tables as well as the adjusting mechanism below, I construct so that both
.can be readily and easily removed from the main frame and thus permit large pieces
to be placed beneath the cutting tools.
For driving the machines, are employed the usual band pulleys, as shown at D
These are placed directly on the end of the screw, E, The middle or fast pulley is
made fast twice as broad as the bands used. Two bands are employed one to drive the
carriage forward and the other to move it back, the latter movement being much
quicker than the forward one. The relative speed of the forward and back
movements is regulated by band pulleys of different diameter on the overhead
gearing.

page_text: To shift the bands and thus produce the forward and back motions I employ
swinging radial arms, n, n, These are moved by bevelled projections on the sliding
bar o so arranged that when this bar, o, slides in either direction the the shifting
arms n, n, are moved differentially, that is, one moves before the other alternately
to such extent that the driving bands then acting on the middle or fast pulley will
be shifted to the outer or loose pulleys before the other band engages and reverses
the middle pulley and screw E. By this means the bands do not act one against
the other and as neither has to slip on the pulleys, no screeching or noise takes
place and no power is lost by friction. The sliding bar, o, is moved by a long
rod S having movable tappets v, v, which can be set to produce any stroke
desired.
If desired a lever not shown in the drawings may be suitably constructed and
arranged with the reversing rod S for reversing or stopping the motion of the tool
box at any point of its stroke by shifting the driving bands.
The machines when provided with vertical and angular feed in the tool boxes are
in no essential matter different the rolling quadrant, J, is for acting to operate the
feed in all directions.
The nuts which connect the screw E with the carriage B are preferrably three or
more in number. By giving to one of these screw nuts a lateral adjustment
backlash" can be prevented in case the screws or nuts become worn.
"
These nuts are held separately by screw nuts, i,.
I do not confine myself to the various details of the machine as described.
Some of the devices are new, and some of them well known and employed on
planing machines of ordinary construction.
Having described the nature of my improvement and the manner of constructing
and operating the same, what I claim as my invention is the construction
arrangement and combination of the several parts composing a metal planing
machine as and for the purposes represented and described in the foregoing
Specification.
In witness whereof I the said George Richards have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
GEORGE RICHARDS (L.S.)