US684764A - Rift-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. [5, I90l. A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.) (N 0 II o d e l.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. l5, [90L A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ms Norms PUERS 50.. PHDTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, u c.

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. l5, l90l. A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. I5, I90l.

A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE (Applicatioh filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Shaets$heef 4.

(No Model.)

NH rt v. moraumm WASHXNGTON. a, q.

A. CUNNINGHAM.

Patented Oct. l5, I901.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

UNrTnn STATES l aTnnT Crater...

ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE FILER AND STOWELL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IVISCONSIN.

RIFTHVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 684,764, dated October 1 5, 1901.

Application filed January 30, 1897. Serial No. 621,352. No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Rift- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines designed to split or resaw lumber wilh as little waste as possible into the desired widths and com prising two sets of saws mounted on. parallel arbors, so that their kerfs will meet approximately midway in the cuts. Its main objects are to facilitate the adjustment of the arbors, so that the saw-kerfs will meet as the saws are reduced in diameter by filing and the meeting lines of the kerfs will be about midway in lumber of different thicknesses, thus distributing the work about equally between the upper and lower saws, to prevent the escape of the cooling-water supplied to the saws through the arbors between the spacing-collars when some of the saws are removed and the collars are brought together face to face, and generally to improve the construction and operation of machines of this class. i

The invention consists in certain novel features in the construction and arrangement of component parts of the machine, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figores.

Figure l is a side elevation of a rift-machine embodying myimprovements. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections on the lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the lineet 4., Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, a horizontal crosssection on the line 5 5, Fig. 3.

The main frame of the machine consists of two side pieces or sections AA and one or more intermediate sections A, rigidly connected by cross-pieces A as shown in Figs. 2 and at, or in any other suitable manner. One at least of the side sections A is formed with an opening a through it of sufficient size to permit of the removal of the saws from the arbors without displacing the arbors. All of the frame-sections may be formed with such openings and are so shown in the drawings, although this is not absolutely necessary, openings of sufficient size to permit of the necessary adjustments of the saw-arbors being sufficient, ex cept on one side of the machine. As the supporting and adjusting connections of both saw-arbors are substantially alike I will describe them specifically in connection with one arbor only.

13 B are bridge'trees formed or provided with boxes I) b for the saw-arbor and pivotally connected at one end to the frame-sections A A on one side of the openings a therein by a tie-rod C, which is threaded and provided with a hand clamping-nut c at the end adjacent to the opening a. next to the saws. At the opposite end this tie rod may be provided with a head, collar, or nut.

D D are tubular spacing-pieces placed on the tie-rod C between the parts which it connects, so as to hold them firmly in their proper relations to each other when they are forced together by the tie-rod and its clamping-nut. The two outer bridge-trees are attached to the outer faces of the side frame-sections A. At or near the ends of the bridge-trees opposite the tie-rod C they are formed with longitudinal or horizontally-disposed slots 1) I) and are adjustably connected with said framesections by a tie-rod C, passing through said slots and vertically-disposed openings at in the frame-sections. This tie-rod is, like the other, threaded and provided with a hand-nut c and is also furnished with tubular spacingpieces D D.

E E are vertically-disposed adj llSlJllJg-SCIGWS having bearin gs in the several frame-sections and extending lengthwise through the slots 0!. a. therein. They are provided between their bearings with nuts F F, which are formed on one side with transverse holes or sleeves f f, through which the tie-rod C passes.

The screws E E are provided atone end ICC) with bevel-gears e e, which mesh with similar gears g g on a transverse shaft G, supported in suitable bearings provided therefor in the frame of the machine parallel with the saw-arbors and tie-rods. This shaft G is squared at one end to receive a crank or wrench for turning it. The bevel-gears connecting saidshaft with the adjusting-screws are preferably inclosed in housings, as shown.

The tubular spacing-pieces D, which are mounted onthe vertically-adjustable tie-rod C, are held from turning thereon when they are released by slackening the nut on the tierod by means of bolts d d, tapped in end flanges of said spacing-pieces and engaged at their tips with recesses in the adjacent nuts F F, as shown in Fig. 5.

H H designate the sa'w-arbors, which are supported parallel with each other by the bearings b b in the bridge-trees B B, one above the other. One of the saw-arbors is placed a little to one side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the opposing saw-kerfs will meet without bringing the saws close enough together to conflict with each other. Each arbor is provided with a pulley I, which is connected by a belt in any suitable manner with a driving-pulley. These pulleys are located between one of the side frame-sections A and the intermediate section A, and between the other side section and the intermediate section the arbors are each provided with a number of saws J J, which are properly spaced by interposed collars j and secured together upon the arbor between collars j and 7' by rodsj passing through them and the several collars parallel with the arbor. ends of the rodsj the outer collarj and the several saws and spacing-collars may be removed from the arbor and rearranged thereon in any desired number, order, or position, according to the widths it is desired to cut or the dimensions and character of the lumber to be operated upon. It is sometimes desirable to arrange the saws on each arbor in two or more groups, with wider spaces between the groups, or in spacing the saws to employ two or more of the spacing-collarsj together. For the purpose of removing, rearranging, and replacing the saws, as above explained, the bridge-tree B, spanning the opening a next to the outer saw, is removed by unscrewing the hand-nuts o c on the tie-rods O C, the saw-arbor being held in place when said bridge-tree is removed by its hearings in the other two bridge-trees.

It is customary in this class of machines to supply water through the. saw-arbors to the faces of the saws through grooves or passages formed in the collars which separate the saws. This method is found objectionablewhen some of the saws are removed and two or more collars are brought together, because the water is discharged between adjoining collars, where it is not needed, and is thrown by the rapid By unscrewing the nuts on the outer l rotation of the arbor over the machine and work, thus causing great annoyance, as Well as injury. To avoid this objection, I construct and arrange the water-supply passages as hereinafter described. Each arbor is formed through one end with an axial passage h, which communicates, through a crosspassage, with longitudinal grooves h h in that portion of the arbor which is surrounded by the saws and spacing-collars. The several saws are formed in their faces with radial groovesj, which extend from the center to a point which is outside of the spacing-collars or are of sufficient length to cross the faced portions of said collars. The several spacing-collarsj, as well as the sides of the collarsj and j next to the saws, are accurately faced, so that they will fit closely to the adjoining faces of the saws or when brought together will produce tight joints through which water will not escape. A water-supply connection is made with the passage h in each arbor through a stuffing-box h as shown in Fig. 5. By this construction and arrangement of the spacing-collars and the grooves in the faces of the saws water will be delivered from the saw-arbor only between the saws and adjacent collars, where it is required, whatever the arrangement and spac ing of the saws may be.

The machine is provided in the usual way at each end with a table K, which may be conveniently and is usually constructed of framed timbers. Upon it are mounted at suitable intervals transverse lumber supporting and guiding rollers 7t; and laterally-adjustable longitudinal guides 70'. The lumber is placed upon the rollers of one of these tables and supported and guided in the proper position with reference to the saws by the rollers Zr 70' and is deposited after it leaves the saws upon the rollers of the other table, by which it is supported in the proper position until it clears the saws.

L L are feedrollers of the usual or any suitable construction, arranged in pairs before and behind the saws, with their upper faces at approximately the same level as the tops of the rollers 70 7c.

-M M are roller-driving shafts extending transversely through the machine and each supported by suitable hearings in the frame midway between and parallel with the feedrollers. They are each provided at one end with a gear m, which meshes on opposite sides with similar gears H on the roller-shafts, as shown in Fig. 5. At the opposite ends the shafts M are provided with pulleys m, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which are connected by a belt, as shown in Fig. 1. One of the shafts M is provided with a gear m which meshes with a similar gear n on a short shaft N, parallel with said shaft N and provided with a bevel-gear n.

O is a shaft supported in suitable bearings at or near the front end of the main frame below the table K and parallel with the shafts M.

It is movable endwise in its bearings by means of a lever P, extending underneath table K, to the front end of said table, within reach of the operator. It is provided with a widefaced pulley 0, which is driven by a belt from any convenient source of power, and with a pair of paper friction-wheels 0'0, as shown in Fig. 5.

Q is a shaft provided at its upper end with a bevel'pinion q, meshing with the bevel-gear n, and at its lower end with face frictionwheel g, which is yieldingly held in engagement with the periphery of one of the friction-wheels 0' by a spring g as shown in Fig. 3. The friction-wheel q is cut away or recessed at the center, so as to clear the periphery of either of the friction-wheels 0 when it is brought into a position opposite, as shown in Fig. 3. By shifting the shaft 0 either of the friction-wheels 0 may be brought opposite the recess in the center of the frictionwheel q, while the other is moved in engagement with the working face of said friction- Wheel and set at any point from the center, according to the speed at which it is desired to turn the feed-rollers L. Thus by means of the driving connections above described the feed-rollers may be turned in either direction at any desired rate of speed.

R R are presser-rollers supported above and parallel with the feed-rollers L in vertically-swinging frames r in the usual way. They serve to hold the lumber down in engagement with the feed-rollers.

In Fig. 1 a piece of lumber is shown on the front table in position to be fed to the saws, and in Fig. 2 the position of a piece of lumber passing between the saws is indicated by dotted lines, and in Fig. 3 it is shown in a similar position by full lines.

My improved machine is adjusted and operates as follows: The saws J having been arranged on the arbors H opposite each other, as hereinbefore explained, and the gage 7t" adjusted on the feed-table, the saw-arbors are adjusted by applying a crank to the squared ends of the shafts G and turning them so as to raise or lower either arbor, as required, to carry the saws thereon into position. to out about half-way through the thick ness of the lumber, the saws being set so that their kerfs will meet or pass slightly by each other, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The stuff is then placed upon the rollersk 7c of the feeding-table K against the longitudinal guide or gage 7t" and advanced underneath the first set of presser-rollers R. The first pair of feeding-rollers L now engaging therewith move it forward between the saws, by which it is cut into the desired widths in the usual way. During the operation of the saws they are kept cool by water supplied to their faces through the passages h in their arbors and the grooves in their faces. The feed is adjusted according to the thickness and nature of the lumber by shifting the friction-drivers 0, as hereinbefore explained.

In case it is necessary to run a piece of lumber back before the saws have finished a cut the friction-drivers 0 are shifted by means of the lever P, so that the driver which acted upon the friction-wheel q to feed the stud forward will be brought opposite the recess in said friction-wheel and the other driver will be brought into engagementwith its face on the opposite side of its center.

To adjust either saw-arbor, the nuts 0 on the tie-rods O O are slaclzened, so as to loosen the bridge-trees supporting it, and after the adjustment is made said nuts are tightened, so as to firmly clamp the bridgetrees in place.

Although I prefer to employ the tie-rods C and spacing-pieces D for pivoting the bridgetrees to the frame and holding them securely in place at one end, they may be dispensed with and the bridge-trees pivoted to the framesections in line with each other by individnal pivot pins or bolts or otherwise.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details of construction shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described, as they may be modified in various ways within the spirit and intended scope of my invention.

1. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame having openings in the sides through which the saw-'arbors extend, the opening on one side of the machine being of sufficient size to permit the removal of the saws therethrough, of vertically-adjustable bridge-trees extending across said openings and connected at their ends with said frame, two horizontal saw-arbors supported parallel with each other by hearings in said bridgetrees, one obliquely above the other, saws mounted upon each arbor in the same'planes with opposing saws on the other arbor so that their kerfs will meet, and means for adjusting said bridge-trees whereby either saw-arbor may be raised or lowered independently of the other, substantially as described.

2. In a rift-machine the combination witha suitable frame having openings in the sides through which the saw -arbors extend, the opening on one side of the machine being of sufficient size to permit the removal of the saws therethrough, of horizontally-disposed bridge-trees, extending across said openings and pivotally connected at one end with said frame, vertically-disposed adjusting-screws journaled in said frame, nuts pivotally connected with the other ends of said bridge-trees and engaged by said screws, two horizontal sawarbors supported parallel with each other, one obliquely above the other, by bearin gs in said bridge-trees, and saws mounted upon. 7

each arbor in the same planes with opposing saws on the other arbor so that their kerfs will meet, substantially as described.

3. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, of bridge-trees pivotally connected therewith, a saw-arbor having bearings in said bridge-trees, means of turning said bridge-trees on their pivots, and thus raising or lowering the arbor supported by them, a tie-rod passing through the frame and bridge-trees, one or more spacing-pieces interposed between the parts through which the tie-rod passes, and a nut threaded on one end of said rod for clamping the connected parts together and immovably holding said bridge-trees in place when adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, of bridge-trees pivotally connected therewith at or near one end and having horizontally-disposed slots at or near the other, vertically disposed adjusting screws having bearings in the frame and provided with nuts, and a pivot-rod passing through the slots in said bridge-trees and transverse holes in said nuts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, of bridge-trees provided with arbor-bearings, pivoted on one side of said bearings to said frame and provided on the other side thereof with s1ots,ad j llSilllllg-SCIQWS having bearings in the frame and provided with nuts, a tie-rod passing through said slots and nuts, one or more distance-pieces interposed between parts connected by said rod, and a clamping-nut on one end of said rod, substantially as and'for the purposes set forth.

6. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame having an opening through one side somewhat larger than the saws, of adjustable bridge-trees provided with bearings for a saw-arbor, one of said bridge-trees spanning said opening, tie-rods passing transverselythrough the frame and several bridgetrees on opposite sides of the arbor-bearings and provided with nuts for binding the connected parts together, and a saw-arbor supported in said bearings, substantially as and for the. purposes set forth.

'7. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, of bridge-trees provided with arbor-bearings, tie-rods passing transversely through the sides of the frame and the bridgetrees on opposite sides of the arbor-bearings and provided with nuts for binding the connected parts together, one of said tie-rods being adjustable vertically, while the other serves to pivotally connect the bridge-trees with the frame, and a saw-arbor supported by the bearings in the bridge-trees, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a rift-machine the combination of a frame comprising two side pieces or sections and an intermediate section, one of the side sections having an opening through it somewhat larger than the saws, bridge-trees provided with arbor bearings pivoted to the frame-sections on one side and adjustably connected therewith on the other side of said bearings, one of said bridge-trees spanning the saw-opening in the frame and being removable, and a saw-arbor supported in said bearings and provided with saws which can be removed therefrom and placed thereon, through said opening when the bridge-tree is removed therefrom, said arbor being held in place byits remaining bearings, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In arift-machine the combination of a frame comprising two side sections and an intermediate section, one of the side sections having an opening through it of sufficient size to permit the removal of the saws from their arbor, bridge-trees provided with arborbearings, and tie-rods passing through said frame-sections and bridge-trees and provided at one end next to the bridge-tree spanning the saw-opening in the frame with clampingnuts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination with the frame provided with arbor-bearings, of an arbor supported in said bearings and formed with a longitudinal water-passage which communicates with a groove in that part of its surface upon which the saws are mounted, saws having radial grooves in their faces, and spacingcollars faced to form tight joints when brought together, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. The combination with aframe provided with arbor-bearings, of an arbor supported in said bearings and formed with a water-pas sage which communicates with that part of its surface upon which the saws are mounted, spacing-collars faced to form tight joints when brought together end to end, saws having radial grooves in their faces and clampingcollars and tie-rods for binding the saws and spacing-collars together upon said arbor, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. The combination with'a saw-arbor having a water-supply passage of collars having faced ends which produce tight joints when brought together, and a saw having a groove in its face extending outside of the faced end portions of said collars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, FRANK A. KREHLA.

ICO

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