DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1401#0162
112
THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.
CIRCULAR PLANING MACHINE.
PORTION OF PLANING- MACHINE,
WITH REVOLVING ARM AND
CUTTERS.
m €)i dtort iKxjjiliitimt 9kilutig .—No. v.
BY CHARLES POWLER, J UN.
The building has been truly characterised as a gigantic specimen of our manufactures, and, as such, it is natural t
expect an extensive use of machinery for the reproduction of the various parts. It was only in this manner that the
erection of such a building in so short a time became a possibility at all. Nor was the saving of time the only advan
tage o-ained by the use of machinery : in no other manner could_ the thousand repetitions of the same part be repro-
driced with such exact precision as at once to fit their destined position. Some of the machinery used in the construc-
tion of the building was entirely novel, and was invented and arranged for the specific requirements of the case; other
mechanical contrivances were such as already existed, but required to be adapted for the particular work they were to
assist. We will endeavour therefore to familiarise our readers with some of this machinery, and will commence with
that employed in forming the Paxton gutters, as being some of the most novel and interesting.
This machinery was worked at the Chelsea Saw-mills, which were
taken by the contractors for the express purpose, and, being near the
river, were convenient for the delivery of the timber. The baulks of
timber were sawn up into pieces of the requisite size for the Gutters
which were then planed on all their sides by machinery, before under-
going the scooping process to bring them to the form of section already
shown. The planing operation was effected by small cutters (a)
attached to the ends of an iron arm revolving with great rapidity in a
horizontal plane. Three widths of timbers were operated upon at
once, and these were wedged up into a frame (I), see engraving) tra-
versing on rails. As the timbers were moved forward, the upper sur-
face was taken off by the cutters ; at the same time, to prevent the
disturbance of the timbers by this action, they were held down upon
the frame by a large cast-irom disc (c) pressing upon their upper
surface. . This disc, together with the revolving arm carrying the
cutters, had a means of adjustment vertically, so as to suit the exact
dimensions of the timbers; and the traversing-frame on which they
were fixed was slowly propelled
by the machinery. The first en-
graving shows the general arrange-
ment of the machinery, and the
second gives, at a larger scale, the
parts which perform the planing
operation. On leaving this plan-
ing machine the timbers were 6
inches deep and 5 inches wide, and
in lengths of 24 feet 6 inches.
The scooping machinery con-
sisted of four different forms of
cutters : four of each were attached
to cast-iron blocks, which were
made to revolve. As the piece of
timber passed over each set, a cer-
tain form of groove was scooped out by it; and, as they were placed one behind
the other, their collective effect produced the gutter in its finished form. The first set of cutters revolved in a
vertical plane, and roughly hollowed out the larger groove to the section shown in Fig. 1; the two next_ weie
counterparts, and formed the same section m op-
posite directions. They were set at an inclination
to the upright of about 45 degrees, the one to tne
right, and the other to the left; and each scooped
fev. sm
oirToiie'of the "small grooves and the opposite side
of the larger one, leaving the section of the timbei
respectively of the forms shown at Figs. 2 and 6.
SECTIONS OP THE D1FPERENT STAGES OP THE PAXTON GUTTERS. r?- £ a .U™ +\ie form 0f its section after it MCI
passed both, leaving only the small portion in the centre to be removed by the fourth set of cutters, wnicn rcvo
vertically, and completed the operation.
To prevent the timber from pressing
unequally upon any of the cutters, it was
supported during its progress by rollers at
the ends, and it was kept in the straight
direction by a guiding groove, being
pressed gradually forward against the cut-
ters by means of a small revolving roller,
with projecting points on its surface,
which seized upon the timber and pro-
pelled it forward. The general view of
this piece of machinery will some-
what assist the understanding of its
action. It was worked by a 20-horse
power engine, which, however, drove other
machinery in addition. In this manner
3 feet run of gutter were made per minute,
and 42 of the 21 feet lengths in the course
of a working day of ten hours; and, as
the machine was worked double time, a
THE GUTTER-CUTTING MACHINE.
BlOHtJ
THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.
CIRCULAR PLANING MACHINE.
PORTION OF PLANING- MACHINE,
WITH REVOLVING ARM AND
CUTTERS.
m €)i dtort iKxjjiliitimt 9kilutig .—No. v.
BY CHARLES POWLER, J UN.
The building has been truly characterised as a gigantic specimen of our manufactures, and, as such, it is natural t
expect an extensive use of machinery for the reproduction of the various parts. It was only in this manner that the
erection of such a building in so short a time became a possibility at all. Nor was the saving of time the only advan
tage o-ained by the use of machinery : in no other manner could_ the thousand repetitions of the same part be repro-
driced with such exact precision as at once to fit their destined position. Some of the machinery used in the construc-
tion of the building was entirely novel, and was invented and arranged for the specific requirements of the case; other
mechanical contrivances were such as already existed, but required to be adapted for the particular work they were to
assist. We will endeavour therefore to familiarise our readers with some of this machinery, and will commence with
that employed in forming the Paxton gutters, as being some of the most novel and interesting.
This machinery was worked at the Chelsea Saw-mills, which were
taken by the contractors for the express purpose, and, being near the
river, were convenient for the delivery of the timber. The baulks of
timber were sawn up into pieces of the requisite size for the Gutters
which were then planed on all their sides by machinery, before under-
going the scooping process to bring them to the form of section already
shown. The planing operation was effected by small cutters (a)
attached to the ends of an iron arm revolving with great rapidity in a
horizontal plane. Three widths of timbers were operated upon at
once, and these were wedged up into a frame (I), see engraving) tra-
versing on rails. As the timbers were moved forward, the upper sur-
face was taken off by the cutters ; at the same time, to prevent the
disturbance of the timbers by this action, they were held down upon
the frame by a large cast-irom disc (c) pressing upon their upper
surface. . This disc, together with the revolving arm carrying the
cutters, had a means of adjustment vertically, so as to suit the exact
dimensions of the timbers; and the traversing-frame on which they
were fixed was slowly propelled
by the machinery. The first en-
graving shows the general arrange-
ment of the machinery, and the
second gives, at a larger scale, the
parts which perform the planing
operation. On leaving this plan-
ing machine the timbers were 6
inches deep and 5 inches wide, and
in lengths of 24 feet 6 inches.
The scooping machinery con-
sisted of four different forms of
cutters : four of each were attached
to cast-iron blocks, which were
made to revolve. As the piece of
timber passed over each set, a cer-
tain form of groove was scooped out by it; and, as they were placed one behind
the other, their collective effect produced the gutter in its finished form. The first set of cutters revolved in a
vertical plane, and roughly hollowed out the larger groove to the section shown in Fig. 1; the two next_ weie
counterparts, and formed the same section m op-
posite directions. They were set at an inclination
to the upright of about 45 degrees, the one to tne
right, and the other to the left; and each scooped
fev. sm
oirToiie'of the "small grooves and the opposite side
of the larger one, leaving the section of the timbei
respectively of the forms shown at Figs. 2 and 6.
SECTIONS OP THE D1FPERENT STAGES OP THE PAXTON GUTTERS. r?- £ a .U™ +\ie form 0f its section after it MCI
passed both, leaving only the small portion in the centre to be removed by the fourth set of cutters, wnicn rcvo
vertically, and completed the operation.
To prevent the timber from pressing
unequally upon any of the cutters, it was
supported during its progress by rollers at
the ends, and it was kept in the straight
direction by a guiding groove, being
pressed gradually forward against the cut-
ters by means of a small revolving roller,
with projecting points on its surface,
which seized upon the timber and pro-
pelled it forward. The general view of
this piece of machinery will some-
what assist the understanding of its
action. It was worked by a 20-horse
power engine, which, however, drove other
machinery in addition. In this manner
3 feet run of gutter were made per minute,
and 42 of the 21 feet lengths in the course
of a working day of ten hours; and, as
the machine was worked double time, a
THE GUTTER-CUTTING MACHINE.
BlOHtJ