A power-feed slab slasher, which differs greatly from the ordinary type of slabbing ma chines, made by D. S. Abbott, Olean, N. V., has but one saw, and this is borne on the end of a frame which is pivoted at its lower end, and bears near its upper end a cross-head with pro jections that engage on the sides of a guide-bar, the outline of which is a circular arc, and which is intended to hold the saw square and true to its work. The table or bed has live rolls which feed the slab. The feed is by friction rolls, and pressure of the foot on a treadle con nects the frictions which bring the saw forward and make the cut. When the saw recedes from the cut, and is at or near the back end of its stroke, an arm comes in contact with connec tions which actuate the friction gear and the live rolls, and they start, carrying the slab for ward for the next cut. Pressure again on the foot treadle starts the saw forward, and at the same time releases the frictional contact of the rolls, which stand idle while the saw is making its cut, and start again when the saw swings back to the proper point.
For making square stick slats for wire fences, trunks, etc., it is best to employ a special machine. Such a one has a horizontal carriage, with a track on which there runs a carriage bearing the log or cant to be sawed up ; between two parts there is a cross-head or saddle the whole width of the machine, and this bears a horizontal mandrel lying across the line of the track, and a vertical one ; the latter having separate adjustment for height and for distance from the parts. The horizontal mandrel bears two saws, which cut their way into the stock to a definite depth, and the horizontal saw upon the vertical axis then makes a cot in a hor izontal plane. By adjustment of this last saw the planks may be sawed tapering, with alter nate butts and tops, so that the sawing is continually with the grain. This machine saws with the backward movement of the carriage as well as with the forward, thus saving the time otherwise lost in gigging back. The vertical arbor is driven from a vertical drum hav ing the lower end of its shaft in a pot-box on the floor, and its upper end in a timber bearing on the ceiling. In sawing both ways two operators are required, one at each end ; they remove the piece that has just been sawed, and adjust the log carriage by a hand wheel until the next log strikes t h e gauge. When sawing o n e way, only one oper ator is needed. The machine automatical ly reverses itself, the carriage and log start back for another cut ; hence the operator must be prompt in ad justing the log over against Lite gauge. There is a lever by which tire carriage may be reversed by hand, if for any reason iL is desired to back out of a cut before it is finished.
Fool-power Circu lar Saws. —The devel opment of a new country would be ren dered much more dif ficult if there were no medium between power-driven machin ery and hand tools. In this particular the line of wood-working machinery is especially fortunate in having provision for the large class of small operatives in slightly populated yet growing districts ; hand and foot-power machinery for sawing, boring. etc., being plentiful, and in the main quite well adapted for the work that it is called upon to do.
There may be said to be two classes of foot and hand-power machinery ; those for ama teurs and those for workmen. Machines in the first class are usually adapted to do but
light work, and several operations on one machine ; the latter are built to stand continued work on stock such as has to go into actual service, and there is seldom the same range of operations.
The application of man power to the circular saw has been of great use to small manufac turers. In this line such a machine as that made by Illarston & Co., and shown in Fig. 9, has done good service. There is an iron frame with a wooden top or table ; a treadle in front gives motion to the crank shaft of the machine ; a large spur-wheel drives a small pinion on a lower shaft, which bearsa large band-wheel from which a belt extends to a small pulley upon the saw arbor. The large band-wheel serves as a fly-wheel. A crank at the left-hand side of the table, and upon the crank shaft which is driven by the treadle, enables the work of the foot to lie supplemented or superseded by hand. Such a machine as this will carry a 7-in. saw, and do cross-cutting and ripping, being supplied with necessary gauges. An extension of the saw arbor enables boring to be clone, a separate sliding table for bringing the work up to the hit being added. There is also a side treadle which works independently of the saw treadle, and permits the operator to stand upon the boring side or end of the machine, directly in front of his work.
In another foot-power machine, a scroll-sawing attachment is put on by throwing otT the main belt which drives the saw arbor from the fly-wheel, and passing it over the fly. wheel to a small pulley upon a crank shaft, instead of over the fly-wheel to the saw pulley. The lower end of the jig-saw blade is attached to the upper end of a pitman from the crank ; the upper end of the same blade being attached to a wooden spring-beam.
The number of saw filing and gumming machines is legion ; and for circular-saw work they arc supplemented by a jointer, the teeth in a true circle concentric with the saw arbor. In one saw-mill the jointer is combined with the saw guide, consisting of a block of emery or equivalent abrasive at tached to the bracket which bears the guides, and which may be brought up to the teeth, while the saw is running at full speed ; the block being turned as the saw rotates, in order to keep its surface free from scores, which would destroy it and make its work untrue.
An automatic machine for sharpening circular rip-saws of from 8 to 72 in. in diameter, mounts the disk in a frame in which there is a belt-driven emery-wheel, of the proper section to give the desired tooth form ; this cuts its way across and finishes the face of one tooth and the back of another ; then the wheel is brought back to its original position, the disk is moved on the space of one tooth, and the machine continues, automatically, to work its way around the disk, in the same way as a gear-cutting machine does around a blank. There is suitable adjustment to take in disks of various diameters, and the amount of partial rotation after cutting or sharpening cacti tooth is governed by the position of an arm with regard to a graduated arc. The same principle is adapted to sharpening long, straight blades ; the spacing in this case being in a straight line instead of circular,