US337990A - Vehicle-dash - Google Patents

Description

(NO'MOdeL) J. M. PERKINS.

VEHICLE DASH.

No. 337,990. Patented Mar 16. 1886.

ENITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHh M. PERKINS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

VEHICLE-DASH.

$PECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,990, dated March lG, 1886.

Application filed Octoberli, 1885. Serial No. 179,893. (No model.)

To all whom it away concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Dashes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the manufacture of curved sleigh-dashes and similar curved forms of laminated wood. The usual method of forming a curved dash of laminae of wood is to cement the thin sheets of wood together,with the grain of each sheet crossing that of the contiguous sheet, the grain of the outer sheets running vertically,and then to press this product in a form or templet. This method is expensive, as the templets are costly and difficult to make. Only a few dashes can be pressed in one templet at one time, and when so pressed and dried are very rigid, so much so that they are framed with difficulty unless they are pressed to the same curve of the frame to which they are to be attached; also, when thus formed they are bulky to ship, and quite liable to be broken.

My method consists in taking an outside sheet of dry veener, the grain of the wood running vertically, uniting it with one or more inside sheets of damp and preferably thicker veneer, laid horizontally or crosswise, by a suitable glue or cement, and pressing the sheets flat or substantially flat, so that during the process of drying the shrinking of the inside sheet or sheets will naturally cause the product to assume acurved form,and this ourvature inwardly is dueto the thicker and consequently stronger inside sheet. By this method the product can be shipped in a fiat form and curved afterward to the desired shape by the purchaser. The same result may be accomplished by taking the sheets while damp, immediately after pressure, and by some simple means holding them about the desired curve until dry, or placing them in the desired location in aframe,where they will be held until the drying and shrinkage are accomplished, and then maintained in the final curved shape, hard and rigid, and at the same time elastic, as if so formed by the templet method.

My invention is illustrated in the accompa' nying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2, and 3 are different views of a curved dash or similar curved article made by my method, but of differently-arranged sheets of veneer.

In Fig.1, a represents the dry outside sheet of veneer, its grain running in a vertical direction; b, an inner sheet laid crosswise; c, a vertical sheet, and D a cross-sheet, or two sheets like D can be used. In this combination a, b, and c are united by an elastic cement and D with a quick-setting and non-elastic cement.

By elastic cement I mean a glue which is prevented from immediately drying by the employment of some retarding agent-such as chloride of calcium or its equivalent. This does not injure the tenacity or strength of animal glue or any marine cement, and when used in the right proportions may render the cement elastic for a longer or shorter time, as may be desired.

When two sheets (like D in Fig. 1) are used, they may be made as damp as possible,in which case elastic glue need not be used to unite them, as when a quite damp inner sheet of veneer is employed the dampness will answer the same purpose of admitting the curvature by shrinkage as the elastic glue.

Vhen I desire to curve the fabric as soon as or very soon after being pressed before the cement gets hard, I make up the compound with common glue or hard cement of any kind,and then curve to the desired shape to dry.

Fig. 2 shows a combination of three thicknesses of veneer, a the dry vertical sheet, and D D the cross-laid sheets. In making the article in this shape it is not necessary that the cement should be made very elastic, and not elastic at all, if the curve is desired to be made before the glue gets hard. When drying, the inner sheets, such as D, will shrink and contract, drawing the outside sheet, a, into a corresponding curvature.

Fig. 3 is another modification with only two veneers, a and D, the former, a, as in all cases where the best results are to be obtained, being dry and running vertically,and the lat ter, the inner sheet, placed crosswise. Where two or more inner sheets are employed, theyneed not be thicker, as two or more sheets of the same thickness answer the same purpose as a single thick sheet.

Sometimes I incorporate with the veneer fibrous or textile material, particularly when a thin dash is required. A very good article, for instance, may be made with all the veneers laid crosswise, providing there is an intermediate layer of paper or cloth between the inside and outside layers of veneer to hold the fabric from splitting. Made in this manner it will curve easily, and with a very short or small circle or segment.

' What I claim is- 1. The method of making curved dashes and other curved forms of laminated wood, consisting of uniting by means of a suitable cemr cut an outer sheet of dry veneer with an inner sheet of veneer less dry, and then pressing the sheets together flat,whereby when the inner sheet or sheets shrink the fabric will be drawn into a curved form, substantially as described...

2. A form in Wood composed of sheets of laminated wood, the outer sheet dry and the tie glue, substantially as described.

inner sheet or sheets damper than the outer sheet, in combination with a suitable cement for uniting the sheets, substantially as described. v I 3o 3. An article composed of sheets of laminated wood, the outside sheet being dry and having its grain running in avertical direction, and the inner sheet or sheets being damper and thicker and running'crosswise of the 35 outer sheet, incombination with an elastic glue, substantially as described.

4. 'A curved form composed of sheets of laminated wood, in combination with an clas- 5. A form in wood composed of two or more sheets of veneer, one outer sheet being drier than the others and having the grain running vertically, in combination with intermediate layers ot fibrous material, substantially as de- 5 scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. PERKINS. Witnesses:

J. L. TAYLOR, Gno. MJWITWER.

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