US10614A - Machine fob - Google Patents

Description

I UNITED STATES j PATENToFnicE.: 'f

ADDISON M. sawYER, or TEMPLETON, 'i'LfissaoHUsETTs.l i

, MAGHN'E Fon srniTTINe RATAN;

pecifcationof Letters Patent No. 10,614, dated March `f, 1854. y

' following is a full, clear, fand exact descrip;

tion of the construction and operation 'thereof, take-n in connection with :the accompanyin'g drawings, 'makin-g a partof this specilication, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation; 2, an end elevation, part yin section; Fig. 3, a'trans'vers-'e sectional elevation on the 'line Xof Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan and Figs. 5', '6 'and7 are details of some of theparts Adrawn to alarger scale in yorder jto show 'more clearly their,

construction. y A

The letters of reference indicate like .parts in all the figures. I p The subject matter of my 'invention 'is a new and useful machine for the purpose off splitting -canes or raftans 'into separate parts or strands; which, "by, subsequent operationsv are to vbe dressed into finished strands of the proper form to be used in lseating -chairs,

and for 'other similar purposes.

tubular cutter of a peculiar form and joperation, the cutting iedge of which is made annular, and the outer surface of which is provided with a series of spurs 'arranged around it; in connection with a guide by means of which the strip of ra'tan is presented centrally to the cutter; so that when the stick is carried forward longitudinally by any appropriate means, its circumference is split off and divided into separate portions byv the action of the spurs while the central part of the stick passes through the interior of the cutter.

In the drawings A represents the frame of the machine upon which the several parts are arranged. l

B, B, &c., are feeding rollers, arranged in pairs as shown, by which the ratans are carried forward through the machine. These feeding rollers are fixed upon the shaftsB which run in boxes attached to the frame as is shown. The upper boxes C are made movable to allow the feeding rollers to approach and recede from each other to accommodate the varying size of the ratan The most essential characteristic of my,` invention consists in 'the `errnoloyment of ay and; 4at the "same time to retain itin a central position inthe machine. The boxes C and, with them`,-the feeding 'rollers B are drawn together -byl theheli'cal springs D which are v'coiled around the rods d and press upon 'the nuts b 'upon the `same forcing the rod downward. To the upper endf'of V'the rod the links c are .attached whichare also respectively attached to the movable boxes G'ofieach'pair'off 'feeding rollers. The rod d slides kthrough 'the 'guide a and asitis forced down Iby the spring D the feeding;

rollers willybe drawn together with anV equal movement "inra: perfectly' obvious manner.

The'lower-ends "of the shafts B run inboxes CV which Aare 'hung upon, pivots to permit the `upper. 'ends 'of .the shafts to vibrate.l Near Lthe lowerends of the shafts B are a seriesofpitdh wheels E which vtake into the endless piijch chain F as i's shown, vwhich gives' tojall thefeeding rollers an equalk and correspondin'g motion. A ilhe 'pitch chain receives its mot-ion from 'the pitch wheel Gr throughv which f thepower isapplied to actuate the machine. Gr is 1a corresponding pitch wheel atthe other bight of the chain Vwhich isypfro vided with a tightening.'apparatus asv showny to take up'the'slack of 'thechaim y y is' a .guide stock, bygwhchjthe :rata'n :is guided to 'the cutter Land ,ist confined 'in the yoperation of splitting; it is placed'close A infrfOnt ofthe, cutter and concentric with it.

yThe guide stockian'd cutter are shownfon ya larger scale in Figs;` 5, `6,1and`7.` Fig. 5 is la side. elevation, with the cover `plate removed to *show 'its "internal construction;Fi g..6 is a sectionthrough the center', and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the cutter.

The guide stock is made with four movable dies z., h, z, z., which are pressed against the stick by the leaf springs g arranged around the periphery of the stock. The

faces of the dies on the side opposite to the cutter are beveled o-if to permit the entrance of the stick. These dies are made to work in pairs so that lthose upon opposite sides of n one end of a small bala-nce lever j, the ff other end of which engages with the opposite die in a manner clearlyshown in the drawing.

The cutter I is madek of a tubular form,

with an annular edge, as is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and its outer surface is made with a series of ribs, the Vforward ends of which are made sharp and actas spurs to divide the circumference of the ratan into a definite number of parts, according to the size of the finished strand to be afterward formed therefrom. It is fixed by one end into the standard K, which is liirmly fixed to `the frame A as shown; Vand is set central to the guide H. The orifice in the cutter is made a little smaller at the edge than at the back end Where it is attached to the standard K, in order to enable the central partor core of the stick to pass through it freely. Y

L is a guide or Vfinder attached `to the standard K, to direct the strands from the under side of the stick upward, so that they shall be discharged clear of the feeding rollers. y i y Y.

M is a guide to direct the stick to the feedi ing rollers as it is put into the machine.

In operating the machine," the ratan is entered through the guide M, and caught by the feeding rollers, by the united action of which, the stick is carried forward and forced through the guide I-I, the dies z of which recede to permit its` passage; and on to the cutter I, the annular edge of which splits off the circumference from the cen-v tral portion, and the spurs divide the same into the requisite number of parts to form strands of the size required. The centrali i portion of the stick Vis `discharged through..

the orifice of the cutter in a round `form and finished state, proper to be used in the making of willow Work, `or for VVany other simiv lar purpose. In the operation of this machine it is an important requisite to keep all parts of the stick from being bent so farv i as is possible and for this purpose the edge of the cutter is made very thin and the ang e of the bevel which forms the cutting edge is made to approach the central line as near as possible. 4The strands when split'off, are much thicker than when finished and are unequal both in thickness and width according to the varying size of the ratan from? which they are made; but the central portion is gaged to a uniform size by the cutter. By this means the `enamel of the ratan is preserved from being cracked or split by the operation of dividing the stick. After the stick has passed the cutters, the central portion or pith is caught by the after feeding rollers which assist to draw it through, and the strands are by the action of the guide L discharged upward, above thefeeding rollers, fromthe machine.

It is obvious that the several parts of the machine may be much modified, and still Y embody the essential features of my invenltion;'as for instance, ,the spurs, instead of being formed upon the surface of the cutter might be made separate and set at the proper places around the stick, to divide its circumference into the requisite number of parts; and the guide H-also might be Vmade much different in formland still guide the stick centrally to thel cutter and hold it firm under the Voperation of splitting. The means of carrying the stick throu h the machinemay also be changed as I o not consider any particular modeessential to the operation of my invention.;

WhatlI claim as my :invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, this:

In a machine for splitting ratans or other similar'substances as described, I claim the Vemployment of a tubular vspurred cutter or its `equivalent in combination with a guide `for holding` and guiding the stick thereto, substantially as is hereinbefore described.

j January `4th 1854. t

ADDISON M. SAWYER.

`Witnesses: WM. C. HIBBARQ H. A. PEELER.

sYA

Images