US788615A - Wood-fiber-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 788,615. PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905. G. L. WELLER.

WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION TILED APR. 8, 1904.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR. W Q Q X1 H 7 iTORNEY PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905.

G. L. WELLER.

WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1904 WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905..

PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE L. WELLER, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO FIBER MACHINERY (10., OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WOOD-FlBEH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,615, dated May 2, 1905. Application filed April 8, 1904. Serial No. 202,180.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. IVnLLm-r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have 5 invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wood-Fiber-Outting Machines; and I do 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 ap- IO pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fiber-machines; and the improvement consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The primary object of my improved machine is to produce wood fiber such as is now extensively used as a binder for plasters, 850., and although various machines for reducing a log to fiber are in use I am not aware of any machine having the simplicity of construction and advantages of operation equal to my improved machine. The size and Weight of the logs used demand a construction of machine which will facilitate the setting of the log in place and provide for the handling of the log thereafter with ease and rapidity and under full control from start to finish; and one of the objects of my construction embodies the 3 arrangement for bringing the log feed and carrier frame down to the leg as it rests upon the floor and from which point after the log has been fastened in place it is raised into position opposite the saws by suitable rack-andgear mechanism, which is both hand and machine controlled.

Another object comprises the use of simple driving mechanism for rotating the log and feeding the log forward to the saws and which 4 is both hand-controlled and automatically operated to give a uniform product. Furthermore, I prefer to use a single line of powertransmitting mechanism leading from the saw-arbor to the other operating parts of the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine with a log in working engagement with the saws. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the speedchanging mechanism which controls the feed 5 of the log; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 00 m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the machine as viewed from the front or saw end. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail and side view of the log-carrier frame and the worm-shaft and its eccentric throw-out lever. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one side of the main frame with a diagrammatical plan of the controllingarm for the speed-changing mechanism.

The main framcA of themachiue comprises two qua-(Irant-shaped castings forming side members, which are tied together by suitable stay-rods 2, as well as by arbor or saw-shaft 3 and rock-shaft 4. Rock-shaft 4 has bearings in the lower right angle at the front of 5 frame members A, and a yoke or H shaped casting B is secured upon rock-shaft 4 and adapted to swing on an are from a vertical to a horizontal position and provides a feed-carrier for the log. The outer or free end of 7 casting or carrier B has side extensions or bearings 55, within which a suitable log screwspindle 6 is mounted at one side and a drive chuck and shaft 7 for the log at the other side.

The means for raising and lowering logcarrier B on an arc comprise a curved rack or segment gear 8, secured to the inner curved portion of each main frame member A, and the radial curve of each rack-gear 8 is centered at the center of rock-shaft at. Across- 3O shaft 9, having bearings in the sides of log carrier B, is provided with a set of pinions 10, which mesh with racks 8, and a crank 11 at the outer end of shaft 9 is utilized to rotate said shaft and pinions and raise or lower the 5 log-carrier by hand when occasion requires, as in the case of placing a new log between spindle 6 and chuck driving members 7. This is done by first lowering log-carrier B until it is substantially parallel with the floor and 9 the spindle and chuck in position to engage the ends of the log. When the log-carrier is brought to substantially vertical position by rotation of crank 11 and the log is carried 'into engagement with the set of saws G, a

further forward feed of log-carrier B and the log thereon toward the saws is mechanically provided for by suitable drive mechanism, which obtains its power from the saw-shaft 3, and which operation is automatically carried on when certain parts are thrown into working relation. Thus saw-shaft 3 has a main drive-pulley D at one side of the machine and a small power-communicating pulley E at the opposite side of the machine. A belt 12 leads from pulley E to a large pulley 13, mounted to revolve on rock-shaft 4, and communicates power to variable-speed mechanism F, comprising a set of oppositely-arranged dish or cup shaped friction-disks G and H, between which-aseries of speed-changing rollers I are revolubly mounted upon a spider J, free to rock on rock-shaft 4, and which rollers are controlled through an upright rod or shaft 1 1, having a bearing at its upper end in a lug on the chuck extension 5 of log-carrier yoke B, and which rod when rotated through hand-lever 16 at its top or arm 17 when engaged by U-shaped member 18 on the side of frame A will serve to shift the rollers in their relationship between the opposite friction-disks and vary the speed proportionately as the log is gradually reduced in diameter. In the reduction of the log it is essential to increase the rotation of the log and the feed of the log to the saws in a gradually-increasing ratio in order that a uniform product of fiber may be obtained from first to last. This may in ameasure be done by hand control through lever 16; but an automatic control is more desirable and effective.

The mechanism for communicating power from the friction-disks to the log and log-carrier is provided for by a sprocket-wheel 15 on the hub of outer disk H and a sprocketchain 19 from said sprocket wheel to the larger sprocket 20 on chuck-shaft 7, which drives the log. A worm-gear 22, cut in shaft 7, drives a worm-gear 23, mounted on a short vertical shaft 2e, supported upon log-carrier B, and by means of which rotation is imparted to cross-shaft 9 by a worm 25 on shaft 2 1 and worm-gear 26 on cross-shaft 9. Shaft 2th is freely held at its top in lug or bearing 27 on extension 5 and is adapted to be shifted to one side at its lower end by means of an eccentric bearing 28, mounted in a rigid arm 29 of yoke B. By this arrangement and a controlling-lever 30 a throw-out connection is obtained which disconnects worm 25 and worm-gear 26 and by means of which the operator can stop the power-feed of the logcarrier at will. This throw-out mechanism is also necessary when a change from handfeed to the power-driven feed is required, as occurs when the log is siiiiiciently raised from the floor and brought into cutting relation with the saws.

The changeable-speed mechanism need not necessarily be of the construction such as shown; but any suitable varying-speed mechanism may be used which can be hand-operated or automatically controlled to vary the speed of rotation of the log and the feed of the log to the saws. As shown, however, the rollers I are supported upon a short yoke K, trunnioned between arms of spider J and connected by segmental gears L, whereby a joint rotary movement is imparted to all the yoke members to shift the rollers to any angle in respect to the opposite friction-disks. An idler-wheel 31 is mounted on an arm fixed to shaft 4 to take the slack out of sprocket-chain 19. Suitable spiral springs are interposed between the spider and the outside friction-disk and a collar M on shaft 1 to maintain the requisite drive relation between the rollers and disks and to take up the wear.

It will be readily seen that if boxes 33 and 34: on the vertical front faces of main frame members A were removed and a duplicate machine without the saws was brought and fastened with its vertical front faces in juxtaposition thereto a single set of saws driven from a single pulley would double the output.

W hat I claim is 1. The quadrant-shaped main frame provided with a curved rack-gear, a rocking logcarrier provided with pinions in mesh with said rack-gear, log-driving mechanism upon said carrier, and means to drive said pinions to feed the carrier, in combination with a set of saws mounted in working relation with the log on said carrier, substantially as described.

2. In fiber-machines, a main frame and a set of rotating saws thereon, a rocking logcarrier and log-driving mechanism thereon, a curved segmental rack on said carrier, and means to drive said pinions and feed said carrier and log thereon forward to said saws, substantially as described.

3. The quadrant-shaped main frame and a set of saws and a curved rack-gear mounted thereon, a rock-shaft and a log-carrier mounted on said shaft, a drive-shaft mounted on said carrier and pinions on said shaft in mesh with said rack-gear, log-driving mechanism on said carrier and power-transmitting mechanism between said log-driving mechanism and said pinion drive-shaft, and means to drive said log-driving mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a fiber-machine, a main frame consisting of quadrant-shaped side members provided with curved rackgear, a rock-shaft mounted on said members and a yoke-shaped log-carrier on said shaft, log centering and drive mechanism at the top of said carrier, a

cross-shaft on said carrier and pinions thereon speed When the log-carrier is under motion,

in mesh with said rack-gear, a poWer-transsubstantially as described. I mitting shaft and gearing connecting said Intestimony whereof I sign this specificacross-shaft and log-drive mechanism, a VHJition in the presence of two witnesses.

able-speed driving device connected with said GEORGE L. WELLER. log-driving mechanism, acontrolling-rod for Witnesses: i said variable-speed device, and means on said W. WELLER,

main frame to actuate said rod to control the F. BISHOP.

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