On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Messrs. Barton &Son, tool-makers, of Derby, England, have sent us a communication in which they give us the following particulars of their new machine, and to render them thoroughly intelligible to our readers, we have added the accompanying engraving : The extended substitution of machinery in place of manual labor, and the consequent ac-curateness and rapidity of oxecution requisite in the manufacture of machinery, have led to the production of many ingenious mechanical tools, and foremost amongst them stands the shaping machine—one of the most valuable aids to the engineer and machinist. Its peculiar object is the production of those parts most difficult of execution by hand labor, and, considered financially, its value is very great. Any additional improvement in this most valuable tool must therefore be received with pleasure by mechanical men. The subject of the accompanying illustrations, by Messrs. Barton &Son, is of this character, combining great simplicity with readiness of application to various classes of work. The design of it is to combine a planing, shaping, and slotting machine. Fig. 1 is a perspective view. The bed, A, and the vertical slide, B, are one casting. At the end of the bed, A, a circular recesa is bored to receive an inverted bevel-wheel, C, which is driven by a pinion keyed on the end of tho cone pulley shaft, I/, carried by a long bearing cast on the side of the bed, A, so that the main slide, D, can pass over it. Across the top of the bevel-wheel, C, is cast an inverted V-slot, E, to carry the nut and stud, F, from which, by means of a connecting rod, G, reciprocating motion is given to the slide, D. Cast on the end of the slide, I), and at right angles to it, is the horizontal cross slide, II, upon which the tool box moves in ordinary planing. The saddle of the cross slide, I, has on the front side a central stud upon which turns the worm-wheel, J, cast to which are the bevel side pieces, K, between which the front slide, L, and tool-box, M, are fixed. The table, N, is secured to the slide, B, by angular side pieces, and is raised or lowered by means of a screw and hand-wheel, 0. On the table, N, may be fixed the parallel vice, P, as shown in our engraving. The vice is fastened to the table by V-headed bolts, which work in a corresponding groove turned in the vice bottom, so as to allow the jaws to be set at any angle. When the machine is to be i used for shaping bosses, the casting carrying *X the cone mandrel, Q, Fig. 2, is fixed on the r k table, by bolts and steady pins. The table is Unmoved until the top corresponds with the in- dex on the angle of tho vertical slide, B, the cone mandrel will then be perfectly central with the worm-wheel, J. The tool-box, M, is lifted and secured at right angles to the vertical slide, D, by a bolt through a projection, E, cast on the top of the tool-box. The strong wrought-iron toolholder, S, Fig. 2, is then fastened in the tool-box, and the machine is ready. In shaping external curves, the necessary motion to the tool is given by means of the worm and worm-wheel, J. For shaping internal curves, the work (either held in the vice or on the cone mandrel) must be lowered until the distance between the center of the worm-wheel and the work corresponds to the radius of the circle required.
