181.9.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



117 



That blade-bearer carriage is composed of a cast-iron frame J, 

 which, at its two opposite extremities, is provided with the two 

 cast-iron chairs R, intended to receive on one side the cast-iron 

 guide, or pressing leader L. That last guide rests constantly on 

 all the length of the wood, immediately above the sharp edge of 

 the blades, in order to prevent them from causing the wood to 

 split, or from taking off a greater quantity of it than they ought 

 really to do. The application of that leader L to the machine is, 

 as has been herein-before described, of the utmost importance, as 

 it permits to obtain results which could not possibly be attained 

 without its use. It has been disposed in such manner that its po- 

 sition may be regulated as exactly as it can be required. For tliat 

 purpose the cast-iron chairs K, which are to support the extremi- 

 ties of the above-mentioned leader, are crossed by bolt screws h, 

 which allow it to be lowered, raised, or moved on the right or left 

 side, to be inclined in one way or another, so as to comply with all 

 the required necessities, according to the nature of the wood, the 

 tliickness of the sheets which are to be cut, &c. In order to make 

 well understood the construction of that guide or leader, it is re- 

 presented minutely in fig. 7, which is a transverse section. From 

 this it is easy to understand that, by its nerves and its strong thick- 

 ness, it presents a great resistance. As it must bear with a cer- 

 tain strength during the working on all the length of the log, it is 

 e.tpedieut to make it solid and without chance of being flexible. 



The two knives, MM', between which is kept tight tlie addi- 

 tional blade /, by which the wood is cut, are placed underneath the 

 forward face of the guide L, and in a tangential direction to the 

 external circumference of the log, as shown by fig. 7. Those 

 knives are both fixed by a cast-iron ruler N, going over all their 

 length, and are kept in an immovable position by means of the 

 iron holdfasts O, on the extremities of which they are screwed. 

 Their fastenings are placed at equal distance, and in a sufficient 

 quantity, over the breadth of blade-bearer carriage. In order that 

 the latter may give to the knives the exact position which is ne- 

 cessary relatively to the pieces to be cut, it has been necessary to 

 adjust on one side upon the ends of the chairs K, some projecting 

 screws d, upon the heads of which the ruler N rests at its extre- 

 mities, so as to cause it to occupy a more or less elevated position ; 

 and on the other side some bolt-screws e, have been placed on the 

 forks which end the iron holdfast O ; the screw e holds the hold- 

 fasts O upon the blade-bearer carriage, and permits at the same 

 time, to incline them more or less, or cause them to advance or 

 recede relatively to the surface of the log. It results from that 

 contrivance that, whatever may be the size of the block, the direc- 

 tion of the knives and of the blade can always be regulated so as 

 to have the sharp edge of this last in the most convenient part ; 

 that is to say, in order that on one side it should not tend too 

 much to penetrate into the wood, for which purpose the forward 

 knife M, resting on the surface of the cylinder, guides and main- 

 tains that blade, and in order that the other side should not hold 

 back. That is prevented by the blade held by the second knife 

 M', which rises very near the sharp edges, and forces in the mean 

 time the sheet, as soon as it is cut, to pass between it and the 

 pressing leader. 



It is therefore evident by that contrivance, that the cutting- 

 blade is neither too eager nor too slow in working. 



When the machine has been regulated for a requii-ed thickness, 

 it is certain always to be obtained all through the operation. 



That disposition is the more remarkalde, and the more advan- 

 tageous, as it permits to change the blade and the knives, to put 

 them on or take them off with greater facility, without discon- 

 necting the other logs which may be fastened to them, as it suffices 

 to loosen the screws which fasten them to the iron holders. 



When the blade and the knives which hold it fast, as well as the 

 pressing leaders, are exactly regulated, the machine can then be 

 put in motion. To that effect it is to be observed, the movements 

 have been so disposed that the two axes BB', at the extremity of 

 which the log is supported, may both at the same time be acted 

 upon with the same velocity, in order to prevent any attempt to 

 twisting, and to have the block moving regularly all along its 

 length. Thus it has already been seen, that the two similar 

 wheels GG', are set upon those axes to which they are fastened, 

 each of them by a pin, adjusted in a groove contained in their 

 length, in order to allow them to remain in the same place. When 

 the axes are caused to advance or recede, those wheels catch with 

 the pinions P and P'. Figs. 1 and 4, which are set on the inter- 

 mediate shafts Q and Q', which are themselves commanded by the 

 eight wheels R, R', adjoining the preceding, and catching with the 

 pinions s.s. These two last pinions, of small diameter, are set on 

 the same shaft T', which is the moving shaft of the machine, and 

 which, for that purpose, is provided with the pulley U, having 



several diameters, in order to receive, in case of need, different 

 speeds, more or less rapid, according to the dimensions or size of 

 the logs to be cut. 



It will be easily understood, that the motion can be given to 

 those pulleys by any moving power whatever, by means of which 

 a convenient velocity may be obtained. 



\Miilst the rotative motion is so given by means of those trans- 

 missions of movement to the piece of wood set between the two 

 points, the blade-bearer carriage is caused to advance very slowly, 

 and of a quantity corresponding to the thickness of the sheets to 

 be obtained. 



That forward motion is effected by the machine itself, without 

 any trouble, and in the following manner: — 



Under the carriage is set a nut /, through which passes an hori- 

 zontal screw V, inserted in a collar contrived in the centre of the 

 cast-iron cross-bar X, bolted on the sides of the main frame Y, 

 which serves as a basis to the carriage. On the head of that 

 screw is set a pulley g, facing another smaller pulley (;', set in ;i 

 small intermediate axis represented in fig. 4, and provided with a 

 small bevel wheel It. This last wheel receives its motion from a 

 similar wheel A', fastened to a second axis similar to the first, but 

 perpendicular to the precedent, and bearing a pulley H' whicli has 

 been already represented as placed on the axis B. Thus the 

 movement of the screw V, having a very small h orm, is always 

 proportional to the velocity of the rotative motion of the log of 

 wood. The more quickly the block turns, the more rapidly also 

 the blade-bearer carriage advances. But if the thickness of the 

 sheets is to be changed it is necessary to modify the ratio of velo- 

 city, which is effected very easily, as it suffices to replace one of 

 the pulleys g or g, by another larger or smaller one. By tliis con- 

 trivance, sheets extremely thin, or of any required thickness, can 

 be cut all over the length of the log of wood. 



It is understood that, as the log turns in a continuous manner, 

 and as the blade-bearer carriage is always advancing progressively 

 at the same time, and of a similar quantity; the sharp edge is 

 always made to rest tangentially on the external surface of the 

 log. By such means it is perfectly easy to cut sheets of a per- 

 fectly equal thickness, the development of which can reach several 

 hundred yards without interruption. 



This mechanism, by which the knife-leader and the blade- 

 bearer receive a motion in a continuous manner, and proportioned 

 to the rotative movement of the block, is therefore equally very 

 essential. 



From the apparatus before described, not only very long slices 

 or sheets can be cut from a log, but also from any piece of wood, 

 whatever may lie its shape, the dimensions of the sheets being, 

 however, proportioned to the sizes of the pieces of wood. To ob- 

 tain that effect, it is sufficient to set, in lieu of the two axes B and 

 B', which support the blocks, a drum, which is composed of an 

 iron shaft and of several cast-iron discs or cross-bars, on the plain 

 parts of which are bolted two set-up flat bands, intended to re- 

 ceive some wooden frames. The pieces or blocks of wood to be 

 cut, are fastened upon those frames in the same manner as they are 

 set upon the ordinary frame of the sawing machines for veneering. 

 It is easily understood that, by causing that drum to turn on itself, 

 as it would be done in causing the block which it replaces to turn, 

 each of those pieces of wood is successively presented to the 

 action of the blade-end of the knives, and will be cut into thin 

 sheets, which, as a matter of course, will be separated from each 

 other. 



That disposition is also a most important addition to the improved 

 apparatus, and increases as much the value of that system which 

 thus unites all the required advantages for practical and manu- 

 facturing working; and by the celerity with which the operations 

 are carried into effect, by the great saving of w ood which it effects, 

 as well as on account of all the profit obtained from the machine 

 and the excellent work it produces, that system aftords very great 

 advantages. Another very simple addition is equally applied to 

 that machine, and has for effect to cut the wood, not only in 

 sheets, but also immediately after into matches of different lengths 

 and sizes. That addition consists merely in the application of a 

 cylinder set on the leader itself and provided with circular blades. 

 These blades rest on the wood and cut it transversely — tliat is to 

 say, perpendicularly to its own axis, whilst some grooves contrived 

 over all the surface of the cylinder impress on the wood, a kind of 

 denting, more or less deep, while at the moment that the lower 

 cutting blade arrives to perform its operation, causes the sheets of 

 wood already cut in the direction of the axis to be separated in 

 small breadths, and at the same time as the saws divide the wood 

 lengthwise. 



This additional cylinder is composed of an iron axis, in which is 



