US745204A - Wood-fiber-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. G. E. LE CLAIR} WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1903.

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PAT'ENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

' G. E. LB CLAIR. WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.- 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903'.

PATENT OFFICE.

WOOD-FlBER-CUTTING MACHINE. A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,204, dated November 24, 1903. Application filed March 21, 1903. Serial No. 148,954. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LE CLAIR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at vention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to wood-fibercutting machines of the kind employed for cutting fiber for wall-plaster; and the invention consists in the construction of the machine and in the combination of parts thereof substantially as shown and'described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is'a longitudinal sectional elevation on a line corresponding to 0000, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4. is an end elevation of the machine looking toward the right, Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In the machine thus shown, A represents a suitable frame of the requisite size and strength to carry the operating parts, and B represents a gang of saws which are now common in this art and are supported in fixed bearings 1) upon the main frame A. The sawshaft 2 extends beyond frame A at one side and carries a drive-pulley 3 and a worm 1 between the said pulley and frame A lengthwise of the shaft and which serves as a medium for communicating power thence to other parts of the machine. Power-transmitting shaft has a Worm-gear c, which meshes with-worm 4 beneath the same, and power is communicated thence to shafts D, E, and F, respectively, as will now be seen. Thus shaft 0 has a worm c, Fig. 1, which is engaged by a worm-gear 5 on the extremity of shaft D outside of frame A, and within frame A, fixed upon shaft D, are three several difierential gears 6, 7, and 8, with spaces between them, relatively as, shown in Fig. 2. Speed-regulating shaft F in like manner carries three several and differential gears 10, 11, and 12, respectively, which are secured upon or rigid with a hub 13, common to said with any one of the three several gears 6, 7,

and 8, according as greater or less speed of shaft F is desired. Thus gear 6 is small as compared with gears 7 and 8, and gear 10, which is adapted to mesh with gear 6, is 0011- siderably larger than either gear 11 or 12 on the same shaft. Hence if gears 6 and were in mesh shaft 11 would be revolved at the lowest speed arranged for in this mechanism and the greatest speed would be obtained between gears 8 and 12. Alever 15 is provided to slide hub 13 with its gears right or leftto make any desired gear connection with drive-shaft D, and when one set of gears is in mesh the others, of course, are out of mesh, and all may be thrown out, if desired, by carrying the splined gears to the left sufficiently. In this manner I govern not only the speed of shaft F, but the speed of the mechanism which. is rotated from said shaft and for which the said differential-gear mechanism is especially designed. Hence I provide shaft F with sprocket- wheels 16 and 17, respectively, on its ends outside of frame A, and a chain G runs over wheel 16 and a larger wheel 18 on shaft E, Fig. 1, while chain H is engaged over sprocket 17 and sprocket-wheel 20 on short shaft J at one side of the machine for rotating log L. Thus chain G serves to operate the mechanism for feeding the log downward toward the saws, while chain H serves to rotate the log in respect to the saws, and in this manner the feed of the log, both directly and rotarily, is automatically controlled. Now, following these lines of feed mechanism, it will be seen that there are on each side of the machine'two fixed parallel but inclined guide and supporting rods 20 and 21, connected across their top by a piece or part 22, and the log-centering supports 24: and 25, which engage the log at its diametrical center, are

carried centrally in bearing-blocks 28, which are adapted to slide up and down upon guides 20 and 21. The said bearing blocks or pieces have 'the requisite depth vertically to make a firm threaded engagement therewith of feed-v screws 30, one at each side of the machine, and both said screws are threaded alike and operate so as to make certain and uniform downward feed of the log. These screws have beveled gears 31 at their top, meshing with like beveled gears 32 on shaft E, so that uniform operation of these parts is thereby assured.

The rotary feed of the log to the saws is controlled through centering-shaftJ and sprocketwheel 2O thereon, as already indicated, and

thus it will be seen that both feeds are given their proportionate speed according to their respective connections with shaft F.

Now it is desirable when a log is placed in position that all the parts shall be first arranged to receive, the same with as much accuracy as possible, according to the size of the log in cross-section. It will be understood that the sizes vary considerably-say from seven to fourteen inches-and so it is advantageous for centering a log to determine in advance the positions of the parts which are to support the log by the size thereof before placing the log in position. To these several ends and also to handle the log easily I provide a rocking or rotatable carrier supported upon a transverse shaft N, provided with a handle a and supported in the bottom of frame A, approximately near its center. The carrier for the log consists in this instance of two arms 34 and a substantially V-trough 35 of a sufficient length to support the log upon said arms, and the said carrier through its shaft and controlling-handle is adapted to be swung up into log-supporting position,Fig. 3, when the log is being placed for cutting, and down out of way, relatively as seen in Fig. 1, when the log has been placed on its end supports. A pair of tracks or rails 37 is shown, over which the log is rolled to the carrier 35 and received thereby, and the distance the carrier is to be rotated to the right can be accurately determined in advance of receiving the log when the size thereof is known by swinging the carrier inward and noting its position by the lingerpoint 39 on the graduated are 38. Then, again, the log-carrying bearings 28 may be raised or lowered before the log is brought to place by screws 30 and their right position for a given size of log fixed by finger and graduating-marks m on rod 21.

What I claim is- 1. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, a sawcarrying shaft and a drive-pulley thereon for the entire machine, in combination with a counter-shaft and a worm-gear-driving connection from the saw-shaft to the said counter-shaft comprising a worm-thread on the saw-shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, means for regulating the speed of the feed of the log comprising a drive-shaft and a driven shaft and differential gears on both said shafts, and means to move one set of said gears axially on its shaft to make engagement with the opposite set, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine,a powerdriveu shaft and a series of differential gears fixed thereon, and a counter-shaft having dif-' ferential gears splined to slide thereon and adapted to mesh with the gears on the said driven shaft, in combination with a log-supporting mechanism having one shaft to rotate the log and another shaft to raise and lower the same, and power connections between said shafts and the said counter-shaft carrying the slidable gears, substantially as set forth.

4. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, means for bringing a log to a centered position in the machine, comprising a rocking carrier to support the log, substantially asset forth.

5. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, a track on the machine for rolling the log upon, and a rotatable carrier for the log at the end of said track, substantially as set forth.

6. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, the main frame and a track to roll the log upon, and a rotatable carrier at the end of track, in combination with centering and supporting mechanism for the log above said carrier, substantially as set forth.

7. In a Wood-fiber-cutting machine, a set of vertically-adjustable bearings for a log and centering-points in said bearings, in combination with a rocking carrier to support the log and enable the centering-points to be fixed therein, substantially as set forth.

8. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, a set of bearings to carry the log and inclined guides upon which said bearings are adjustable, means on said guides to indicate the elevation of the bearings, a rocking carrier for the log, and an indicator connected therewith to denote the degree of rotation for different sizes of logs, whereby the centering mechanism for the log and the measure of rotation of the carrier therefor may be determined in advance of placing the log, substantially as described.

9. In a wood-liber-cutting machine, a series of saws, in combination with means to support and rotate a log comprising upright supports at each side of the machine, verticallymovable spindles to carry the log on said supports, and screws to raise and lower said spindles, substantially as set forth.

10. The machine having a series of saws, in combination with fixed uprights at each side of the machine, spindles to carry the log, bearing-blocks supporting said spindles and slidable upon said uprights, and a screw connected with each of said blocks to raise and lower the same, substantially as set forth.

1 1. The machine havinga series of saws and uprights at each side, spindles to carry the log and bearings for said spindles slidably engaged upon said uprights, screws to raise and lower the said bearings means to rotate said screws simultaneously, and means to vary the speed of such rotation, substantially as set forth.

12. The machine havingaseries of saws and uprights at its sides, in combination with ver- ICO tically-slidable supports for the log on said uprights, screws to operate said supports, a rotatable shaft and means thereon to turn said screws, and a Variable-speed mechanism to rotate said shaft, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination of a series of saws and log-supports adjustable up and down in respect to the saws, a speed-varying mechanism adapted to raise and lower said supports, and

a separate line of power-driven connections to 10 rotate the log, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 6th day of March, 1903.

GEORGE E. LE CLAIR.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, R. ZBORNIK.

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