US550594A - coleman - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 1.

T. A. COLEMAN.

, LUMBER TRIMMER. No.550,594. Patented-De0.3,1895.

d V Vzwrma Q/irm70 @ffwe [ja /W (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T; A. COLEMAN. LUMBER TRIMMER.

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llNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. COLEMAN, OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREW KENDIG AND JOHN W. KENDIG, OF SAME PLACE.

LUMBER-TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,594, dated December 3, 1895.

Application filed September 4,1894. Serial No. 522,030. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Texarkana, county of Bowie, State of Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lumber- Trimmers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,for1ning a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the frame in section and the operation of one of the saws on a piece of lumber to be trimmed. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of one of the frames. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, showing the locking device for the wheel, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of a modified form of locking device for the lifting-frame.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in lumber trimmers, of that class which consists, generally stated, in arranging above a suitable carriage or number of carriages for conveying the lumber a series of swinging frames, which carry belted saws and also supporting-wheels, which wheels, if not tripped, will ride over the lumber, carrying the saws up with them out of an operative position, but which wheels, if tripped,will ride over the lumber, but permit the suspended saws to remain in operative position to trim the lumber at different points in its length, as may be desired.

In the drawings, A indicates a suitable frame, in the ends of which are mounted shafts B, carrying sprocket-wheels O, which wheels cause the travel transversely of spurred conveyer-belts D. Power is imparted to the shafts B in any suitable manner, so as to cause them to rotate in the same direction.

Mounted in a suitable frame above the conveyer belts D is a longitudinally-disposed shaft E, upon which are mounted driving-pulleys F in line with the pulleys on the sawshaft hereinafter referred to.

G indicates a longitudinally-(lisposed shaft mounted in the frame in advance of the shaft E, which shaft G forms a pivotal support for the swinging frame carrying the saws and lifting-wheels hereinafter described.

I indicates the bearing-eyes for the swinging frame, which are preferably recessed in their inner faces toreceive said frames, and are formed with slots 2', through which pass bolts into the frame for the purpose of adjustment.

J indicates the frame, which is preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 3, which frame has projecting from its upper and lower faces lugs j, which receive set-bolts j, impinging against the outer end of the bearing-blocks I, said set-bolts being retained in position by j am-nuts arranged on each side of the lugs j. The outer ends of the set-b olts maybe squared to receive a suitable key by which the same may be operated. By turning the set-bolts the frame may be moved toward or from the shaft or eyes to vary the tension of the belt hereinafter referred to.

Mounted in the outer ends of the frames are saw-spindles having saws L mounted on one end thereof, and a powentransmitting pulley mounted about the middle of the spindle between the frame-rails. This spindle is belted to the driving-pulley by a bolt M, and when the saw is in its lowermost position said belt is taut by reason of the pivotal point of the frame being located in advance of the shaft E. When said frame is raised, however, and

the saw is not in operative position belt M is slack, thereby saving power which would otherwise be required to operate idle saws.

Pivoted to the frame J is a lifting-frame N, in the outer end of which is journaled a liftingwheel 0, whose diameter is greater than that of the saw L. This lifting-frame is provided at its upper outer edge with a lateral projection 0, which is formed with a latch-seat for co-operating with a latch P, operating in a suitable extension of the frame J, said latch being controlled by a bell-crank lever Q, one member of which has a slot-and-pin connection with a latch-bolt, and the other member being preferably weighted or provided with a spring to return the latch-bolt into a normal operative position after the lifting-frame has been tripped. A chain, cord, or string is c011- nected to the outer end of the weighted member of the bell-crank lever, and after passing over suitable pulleys are grouped together within easy reach of the operator, so that the operator by pulling one of said chains can throw the saw in any one of the frames into operative position.

A bail R is attached to the outer end of the swinging frame, so as to straddle the belt M, which bail is connected by a link or rod to a beam located at the top of the machine. The function of said link or rod is to suspend the frame andits carried saw in an operative position relative to the travel of the stock on the frame A; but when said stock reaches the lifting-wheels said lifting-wheels will lift the frame and saw vertically, raising the rod or link through its supporting means. Should any of the chains or cords running to the different frames be pulled, however, the stock coming in contact with the lifting-wheel so released will cause said wheel to rise, but permit the saw to remain in its lowest position, causing the lumber to be trimmed by the saw up on the frame so selected in pulling the cord or chain, while all the other frames provided with the lifting-wheels will ride up over the stock and carry-the saws out of operative position.

In Fig. l I have shown five frames, which I have numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, numbers 2, 3, and 4 of which are prowith a cross shaft, of eyes pivotally secured vided with lifting-wheels, while numbers 1 and 5 have not present this means for carrying the saws up out of contact with the lumber.

Of course it will be understood that any number of frames can be mounted in the machine, making its scope of any length, and it is preferable that the first and last frames be permitted to remain in a lowered position, so as to trim the lumber to a certain length without necessitating the operator to pull the chains or cords for such long lengths. In the instance of short-length lumber the cords operating the intermediate frames could be operated so as to get the best length of lumber with very little waste.

The advantage of the machine as above described is that the parts are substantially.

duplicates of each other, and space is all that is requiredto make a machine which will trim lumber of any length.

It may often be found necessary to tighten or loosen certain driving-belts, and to effect such each frame is independently adjustable, as above described, the adjustment being quickly effected. To permit of these adjustments of the frames and to maintain a constant relation between the carrying-frames and saw-frames, so that the locking means will have the same efiect without additional adjustments, the lifting-frames are carried directly by the saw-frames.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of lock for the lifting-frame, which consists in a lever Q, pivoted to a projection on the outer end of the frame J, which lever is formed with a foot g, which co-operates with a lateral proj ection 0 on the lifting-frame. Q is a weight on the lever Q, which weight comes in contact with the outer end of the frame .I to hold the foot (1 in position to permit the projection O to ride past the same in its downward movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lumber trimmer, the combination with a suitable table, of a supporting frame on a plane above the table, a cross shaft,

swinging saw frames, longitudinally adjustable connections between the saw frames and shaft, means for driving the saws comprising belts, vertically swinging lifting frames pivotally secured to and carried bythe saw frames, wheels on the lifting frames, and means for connecting the free ends of the saw and lifting frames comprising latch mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a lumber trimmer, the combination thereon, saw frames carried by the eyes,means for longitudinally adjusting the saw frames on the eyes, saws in the saw frames, means I for driving the saws comprising belts, lifting frames pivotally supported on the saw frames, wheels on the lifting frames, latch mechanism operating automatically to unite the free ends of the frames, and a suspending bail connected with the outer ends of the saw frames, sub- I stantially as described.

3. In a lumber trimmer, the combination with the cross shaft, of eyes loosely mounted 1 thereon having elongated slots therein, saw frames carried by the eye bolts passing through the slots into the frames, means for adjusting the frames in the eyes and retaining the same in adjusted positions, saws mounted in the frames, belts for driving the saws, lifting frames pivotallysupported and carried by the saw frames, wheels on the lifting frames, projections on the lifting frames extending over the saw frames, and latches on the saw frames engaging the projections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of August, 1894.

THOMAS A. COLEMAN.

"Witnesses JOHN W. KENDIG, W. H. H. MARTELS.

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