16,221. McLarty, F. M. July 22. Planing; shaping; slotting.-The machine is an improvement on that described in Specification No. 7520, A.D. 1899, [Abridgment Class Stone &c.], and is applicable for planing, dressing, moulding, and polishing metal, stone, &c. The table 51 may reciprocate while the tool-box 71 is stationary, or the table may be stationary and the tool-box reciprocate on the slides 3. Three methods of driving or feeding the table and toolh o l d e r are described ; according to Fig. 1<A> a vertical shaft 18, driven by bevel gearing 16,17, is, by means of a clutch 171, put into gear, either with the wheel 88 which drives the reciprocating arm 99 carrying the tool, or with belt pulleys 160 which drive in turn the vertical shafts 27, 179. The shaft 27 drives the table through a reversing-clutch 180 and adjustable speed-reducing gear 41, 42, and a worm 49 or pinion and rack 50; it also works an indicator 206. The shaft 179 drives, through clutches and speed-reducing gearing, the shaft 68 by which the vertical feed-screw 73 of the toolcarrying slide is worked. These shafts may also be given an intermittent motion by ratchet mechanism 52 driven by a cam 60, or by a hand ratchetlever. In one modification, both the table and the shaft 68 are worked from a single shaft which is driven from the shaft 18 by toothed gearing, or both shafts may be driven direct by separate reversing belt gearing. A crank-pin on the wheel 88 works in a slotted crosshead on the arm 99, and its throw is adjustable. The parts of the pin in the wheel and crosshead are not in line with each other, so that it may be adjusted to increase the range of its throw. The clutch 171 may, when it has disconnected the shaft 18 from its driving- wheel 17, also put a split nut 209 into gear with a traverse feed-screw 208 which may be worked by a hand-wheel 216, or by belt gearing 219. The T-headed end 71 of the driving-arm 99 embraces the two horizontal slides 3, and is provided with packing on three sides of each slide ; its end may be contained in the slides. Its weight is supported by a counterweight 113 and chains 114 through floating slide-bars 112, backlash being thus avoided. The tool-carrying slide may be worked vertically and fed horizontally. The tables shown in Fig. 21 are provided at their sides and ends with slots 147 for T-headed bolts by which brackets may carry adjustable vertical guides 146 with clamps 153 for securing the work. An adjustable ring carrying clamping-screws is also described ; it is secured to an annular foundation bolted on to the table. Several tables may be bolted together, and several machines may be arranged in line, and the table or tables may pass from one to the other. A machine may have duplicate tables on which the work is set up before they enter the machine. The gritexcluding devices described in Specification No. 16,177, A.D. 1900, [Abridgment Class Stone &c.], may be applied to the roller bearings on which the tables work. Tool-boxes may be carried upon the standards also. Figs. 9 and 10 show the end of a ratchet-lever for working the feed-motions by hand in either direction, and comprising a double ratchet-wheel 121, 122 and a double pawl 125 having a conical tail 126 which is pressed to one side or the other, or held central, by a spring block mounted upon an oscillating spindle 128. Such an arrangement may be used in connection with the ratchets 52 which are automatically put into gear when the clutches 180 are put out of gear and vice versÔ. When a single ratchet is employed, the putting of the clutch into gear brings a rod or cylinder into the path of the pawl and trips it. A footstep bearing for the shaft 18 comprises a rounded steel disc mounted upon levelling-screws and supporting a similar disc in the heel of the shaft. The Provisional Specification also describes means for driving at variable speeds from a belt-driven shaft running at a uniform speed, and means for adjusting the tension of the belt.