The mode of using this machine. is as follows : The ten blocks being all fixed in, as before descri bed, and as shewn in the Figure, the frame F of the gouge is turned to one end of the rest D, and the chuck put in rapid motion by a band round a pulley H, fixed on its axis.. The workman, with the handle G in his right hand, and 1 in his left, sweeps the frame along its rest by the handle G, while he keeps the roller in contact with the shape, by pressing the lever / towardothe machine. •In this movement the gouge cuts all the ten blocks at once to their proper curva ture, at least that face of each which is farthest from the centre. When the frame has. slowly traversed the whole length of its sweep, the outside face of all., the blocks arc finished, and the machine is stopped by casting its movement off from the mill But, as it. preserves a considerable momentum, this is checked by a steel spring at I, which is fixed at one end to the frame, and then extends round a wheel fixed on . the pulley H, or rather cast in the same piece. The other end of this spring has a handle upon it ; and . when this is pressed down, the curved part of the , spring incloses the wheel, and operates as a gripe,. to check the velocity of the chuck. 'When the mo tion ceases, the blocks are all turned one quarter round on the small mandrels a by this means. The.. wheels a have each an endles screw, which turns them round. These screws are cut in the ends of as many spindles d, pointing towards the centre of the chuck.. At the ends of these, nearest the centre, each spindle has a small bevelled wheel e fixed upon it. There is al so a large bevelled wheel K, which is fitted upon the axis between the wheel A and the pulley H, so as to slip freely round upon the axis, and when it is turned round, it is evident it will turn all the wheels, spindles, screws, and mandrels, at once, and by that means turn all the blocks, so as to bring another face out wards. This is not effected by turning the wheel ; but, what has the same effect, the wheel is held fast. while the chucks are turned round. To stop the wheel K, a catch L is employed. It moves on a joint fixed on the ground ; and when pushed.to wards the wheel, a stub, or knob, projecting from its rim, is caught in a fork, or notch, at the up per end of the catch. The wheel is now detained, and the attendant to the machine takes hold of the chuck by its rim, and turns it round four times, which he determines by a mark on the wheel A.' The bevelled and other wheels are so proportioned, that these four times will make the- blocks revolve exactly one quarter on their individual axes, so as' to bring another side of each outside. This being done, the catch L is removed, the roller at h is shift ed by depressing its axis • so that its roller acts against the lower shape, which has a curvature suit ing the other side of the blocks. The machine is now put in motion, and the tool moved along its rest, , in the same manner as before described ; forming,, in this manner, the second side of each block. The machine is now stopped, the blocks turned round an other quarter, and the upper shape is employed to cut the third side, in the same manner as the first ; , which being done, the fourth side is cut in the same manner as the second, and with the same shape. The blocks are now completely shaped, and the ten are removed to make way for another' set, are treated in the same manner.
The roller h, or rather the socket supporting its axis, is not fixed to the slider f, but is fitted to the same in a groove • so that, by means of a screw n, it can he moved along:the slider. The effect of this is, that the tool g projects more or less beyond the shape, as is requited, to cut larger or smaller blocks. The mode of adapting the chuck to take in larger blocks has been before mentioned. The same shapes will serve several different sizes ; and if not, they can easily be removed, . and others substituted of the proper curvature.
The scoring engine receives two blocks, as they come from the shaping engine, and forms the groove round their longest diameters, for the reception of their ropes or straps. A, B, ( Fig. 1. Plate LX.) repro. sent these two blocks, each held between two small pil lars a, (the other pillar is hid behind the block,) fixed in a strong plate D,. and pressed against the pillars
by a screw b, which acts on a clamp d. Over the blocks a pair.of circular planes or cutters EE are situated, both being fixed on the same spindlepwhich is turned by a pulley in the middle of it. The spindle is fitted in a frame FF, moving in centres at ee, so as to rise and fall, when moved, by a handle f. This brings the cutters down upon the blocks ; and the depth to which they can cut, is regulated by a cur ved shape g, fixed by screws upon the plate D, be tween the blocks. Upon this rests a curved piece of metal h, fixed to the frame F, and inclosing, but not touching the pulley. To admit the cutters to tra- . verse the whole length of the blocks, the plate d, (or rather a frame beneath it,) is sustained between the points of two centres. Screws are seen at / on ' these centres. The frame inclines when the handle .
L is depressed. At NI is a lever, with a weight at the. end of it, counterbalancing the weight of the blocks and plate D, all which are above the centre on which they mole. The frame F is also provided with a counterpoise to balance the cutters, &c. The cutters E, E are circular wheels of brass, with round edges. Each has two notches in its circumference, at opposite sides ; and in these notches chisels are fixed by screws, to project beyond the rim of the wheel, in the manner of a plane iron before its face.
)f This machine is used as follows: In order to fix the block, it is pressed between the two pins, (only one of which at a,can be seen in view), and the clamp d screw ed up against it, so as just to hold the block, but no more. The clamp has two claws, as is seen in the Figure, each furnished with a ring, entering the double prints before mentioned, in the end of the block. These rings are partly cut away, leaving only such a segment.of each as will just retain the block, and the metal between them is taken out to the cutter to operate between them, or nearly so. In putting the blocks into this machine, the workman applies the double prints to the ends of the claws of the clamps, ' but takes care that the blocks are higher up between the pins a than they should be ; he then takes the handle', and by it presses the cutters EE, ( which we suppose are standing still,) down upon the blocks, depressing them between their pins at the same time, till the descent of the cutters is stopped by the piece ii resting on the shape g. He now turns the screws bb, to' fix the blocks tight. The cutters being put in motion, , cut the scores, which will be plainly seen by the mode of adjustment just described, to be of no depth at the pin hole ; but by depressing the handle L, so as to incline the blocks, and keeping the cutters down upon their shape g by the handle f, they will cut any depth towards • the ends of the blocks, which the shape g admits.
By this means, one quarter of the score is formed; the other is done by turning both blocks together half round, in this manner : The centres / are not fitted into the plate D itself, but into a frame seen at R, beneath the plate," which is connected with it by a centre pin, exactly midway between the two blocks A, B. A spring catch, the end of which is seen at r, confines them together ; when this catch is pressed back, the plate D can be turned about upon its centre pin, so as to change the blocks, end for end, and bring the unscored quarters (i. c. over the clamps) beneath the cutters ; the workman taking the and L, one in each end, and pressing down, cuts out the second quarter. This might have been effected by simply lifting up the handle L ; but in that case the cutter would have struck against the grain of the wood, so as to cut rather roughly; but by this ingenious device, of reversing the blocks, it always cuts clean and smooth, in the direction of the grain. The third and fourth quarters of the score are cut, by turning the other sides of the blocks upwards, and repeating the above operation. The shape g can be removed and anbther put in its place, for different sizes and curves of blocks ; but the same pins a, and holding clamps d, will suit many different sizes.