IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING, TONGUING, AND GROOVING BOARDS OR PLANKS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting."
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of October, in the thirteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors, admors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLANING,
TONGUING, AND GROOVING BOARDS OR PLANKS," being a communication from
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
.
This Invention consists in an improved arrangement of machinery, whereby
the several operations of planing, tonguing, and grooving may be simultane-
ously effected if required, or instead thereof any one of such operations may
be performed separately. In the accompanying Drawings this improved
arrangement of machinery is shewn in side elevation at Fig. 1, in plan view
at Fig. 2, in end view at Fig. 3, and in cross section at Fig. 4. a, a, is the
main framing for supporting the several parts of the machinery. Near one
end of this framing a pair of carrying wheels 6 is placed, and a similar pair of
carrying wheels c is located near the middle of the length of the frame. Over
these carrying cylinders an endless travelling belt or platform d passes, which
is formed of plates of metal or other suitable material (the outer surface of
which should be fluted) linked together in an endless chain, and the hinged
joints of the platform fit into half round sockets formed in the periphery of
the wheels b, c, as shewn in the enlarged view Fig. 3*. The upper
part of this platform runs on ways or rollers affixed to the frame for that
purpose, and which sustain it perfectly level. This platform is actuated by
a train of pinions and wheels e, f, g, h, i, which receive motion from any first
mover through a strap on the pulley a* of the main driving shaft 6*, on which
the pinion e is mounted. Directly over the platform d there is another endless
belt on platform k, of similar construction but somewhat shorter, this is
geared to the one below so as to move at the same velocity. Between
these carrying platforms the board is made to pass endways to the stationary
cutters hereafter described, and for this purpose the two revolving carriers
are made to grip the board, and as they cover a considerable extent of its
surface they will hold it firmly and drive it under the stationary cutters
to be planed. In order to admit of materials of different thicknesses being
passed into the machine to be operated upon, the upper carrier is mounted
in a frame m which is capable of adjusting itself to any thickness of wood.
This frame is attached at either side thereof to the cutter frame 1 by two
connecting rods n, n, which are placed at such an angle as to create the

page_text: necessary amount of friction for carrying the wood past the cutters. The
frame, which is also adjustable, carries vertical screws 1, 1, at its ends,
which screws are in contact with the face of the lower framing a, a; when,
therefore, they are turned they will raise or lower the frame 1, as required.
This frame is connected to the main framing a, a, by screws 2, 2, which
pass through slotted brackets, forming part of the frame l, as shewn in the
cross section, Fig. 4. In lieu of the endless platform k pressing rollers
may be employed to force the wood under the cutters, and one or more pairs
of geared rollers or platforms may be applied to the machine beyond the
cutters, for the purpose of conveying from the machine the plank or board
after it has been planed. The cutters for planing the upper side of the
plank are eight, more or less in number, varying according to the purpose
for which they are wanted; they are mounted in the adjustable frame l, and
situated over the inner ends of the platform d, or that end which is near
the middle of the framing. The cutters are single and double plane irons o,
as shewn, in the section Fig. 5, made similar to those of a common plane;
they are attached to cast-iron beds p, that extend across the machine, from
one side to the other, and fit into sockets or recesses p* formed in the
frame, as shewn in the detached view Fig. 6. Affixed to the frame 1,
on either side thereof, immediately above the recesses for the ends of the
beds p.
is a bar *, and through these bars a series of vertical screws 9 pass
for the purpose of pressing upon the beds p, and thereby adjusting the cutters
to the proper position for operating. The cutters may either be placed at
a right angle to the length of the plank of wood or at any oblique angle
thereto, as may be found most desirable. These beds are formed with varying
inclines, in order to present the several cutters at different angles to the
plank. The foremost cutter is set at the most acute angle to the plank,
and the following ones approximate gradually towards a vertical position.
Between each of the cutters, and directly in front of their edges, a presser bar
or roller is provided to form moveable mouth-pieces to the several cutters.
These bars or rollers r are made to press upon the wood under operation by
means of springs s, placed between the rigid bars and the presser bars; or, if
preferred, weights might be employed; they thus are rendered capable of yielding
to any inequalities in the wood, and prevent the machine from clogging when in
work. If preferred, the springs and set screws can be placed below the cutters,
as shewn in the enlarged sectional view Fig. 7, and in the cross section Fig. 8.
Instead of employing the screws 1, 1, at the ends of the frame to regulate
its height, the bevil gearing, shewn, at Fig. 9, may be employed. In this
Figure 3 is a horizontal shaft mounted in stationary bearings and carrying

page_text: bevil pinions 4, 4, at either end, in gear with similar pinions mounted on the
lower end of vertical screw shafts 5, 5. The lower ends of these screw shafts
turn in socket bearings, and their threaded ends work through threaded lugs
projecting from the slotted brackets of the frame 1; when, therefore, the shaft
3 is turned, the screw 2 having been previously slackened, it will, through the
agency of the screw shafts '5, 5, either raise or depress the frame as may be
desired. The 'screws 2 are then tightened, and the frame is thereby held
rigidly in its position. If the plank of wood under operation is required to
be planed on both sides, a second but an inverted set of planes or cutters u; u,
is mounted in a frame '6 and attached to the main framing a, a. The same
frame 6 also carries pressing rollers t, t, between which and the cutters the
wood is passed to be planed on its under side. "The operation of grooving
and tonguing, which has also been simultaneously carried on with the double
planing operation, is effected by a' fixed and moveable set or series of side
cutters, shewn best in the plan view Fig. 2. vis the stationary set of edge
cutters fixed in the frame 6, and wis the moveable set fixed in a sliding
piece 7 (see the end view Fig. 3), through the lower part of which the set screws
x, x, of the framing a, a, work, for the purpose of bringing up the cutters w
into position for grooving or tonguing. There are two sets of short friction
rollers that pinch the edges of the board between them; the rollers y are
stationary on their shafts, but the rollers y have a lateral motion given to
them corresponding to that of the cutters w. The cutters must be sufficient
in number to complete the tongue or groove, and for this purpose cight will
generally be required. On these cutters spur cutters are formed, or instead
thereof they may be made separate like those in a carpenter's/groove plane.
The cutters may stand in an oblique directión instead of at right angles to
the line of motion, if found desirable, and the two last planes should be double
ironed, and be set at about the same angle as a carpenter's finishing plane.
It will be obvious that mouldings of any description that can be executed by
a hand plane may be cut in this machine, and for chamfered boards the move-
able platform will require to be made inclined on its surface.. A blower or
brush roller may be used to clear off the grit from the surface of the board
before it reaches the cutters, and also 'to roll up and clear away the shavings,
if necessary, and a circular saw may be used for edging the boards. To
sharpen the plane' irons, they can be removed together with the stocks and
sharpened upon a grindstone or emery wheel, which will give the proper bevel
to the plane, and will also curve out the stock so as to make as little bearing
as possible just behind the cutting edge. The frame in which the stocks, are
set is adjusted according to the thickness of the stuff to be worked.;r each

page_text: stock is set in the frame and adjusted to take off successive shavings till the
material is finished to the thickness required.
Having thus fully described the improved planing, tonguing, and grooving
machine, I wish it to be understood that I claim,-
First, the general arrangement of the machinery, as above described.
Secondly, causing the top platform, or rollers substituted in lieu thereof,
to bind or press upon the plank or board under operation with a force varying
with the resistance of the cutters by means of the links or connecting rods n,
for the purpose of forcing the plank under the stationary cutters, as above
described.
Thirdly, I claim the use of the stationary cutters in combination with the
yielding bar mouth-pieces, as above set forth.
Fourthly, I claim the adjustable edge rollers in combination with the
tonguing and grooving cutters, or other stationary edging cutters, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifter
Enrolled the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.