US767938A - Engraving-machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904,

R. E. GRAY. ENGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILE]? AUG. 3, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO IODEL- PATENTBD AUG. 16, 1904.

R. B. GRAY. BNGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1903.

2 SKEETS-SHEET 2.

- citizen of the United States, residing at 1106 I tained must be greatly lacking in uniformity UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROSS E. GRAY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ENGRAVlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 767,938, dated August 16, 1904.

' Application filed August 3, 1903.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Ross EVERETT GRAY, a

K street, northeast, Washington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Engraving-Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to machines for engraving on metal, and is primarily designed for the purpose of engraving the large letters I used in titles and similar matter appearing upon maps, charts, and similar publications. In the usual practice of the art the engraver is required to design and spacethe letters to be engraved and then trace and transfer the same to the surface of the plate before the operation can be commenced. The engraver" then outlines the letters with a' graver and finishes the same by threading or lining the surface to be printed within the outline. This process necessitates the expenditure of much time and results in the production of work of varying exactitude and value, and it is obvious to any one that in places employing a large number of men the results atand very expensive in production, and while machines have been proposed for this purpose embodying an adjustable work-holder such have not been practical, chiefly because of the great amount of space required on large work and the additional elements needed to efiect adjustment of the work, whereby undue complication of the mechanism results. This invention is designed to overcome these objections and to provide an efficient and simple mechanism by means of which lettering and similar matter may be produced upon metal plates from previously-designed types or patterns arranged in any suitable way in such manner as to insure a uniform style in the result or product and at minimum expenditure of labor and skill in its production. With these objects in view my invention consists in the novel combination and details thereof, as hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying, this specifi- Serial No.'168,048. (N0 model.)

cation, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the method'of supporting the traveling beam upon which the pantograph is carried.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3 8 of different patterns.

Referring to the drawings, A is a fixed base or table forming a support or work-holder upon which the plate to be engraved is carried and provided at each end with elevated guide-rails a a, supported on blocks A A, which rails are provided with vertical longitudinal slots A A and bearing-surfaces A A,

upon which the ends of a traveling beam B, 1

supported in suitable bearings, are adapted to slide. The ends of the beam B are supported in bearing-blocks b 6, provided with vertical slots 5 6, adapted to register in line with the vertical slots A A in the guide-rails A A, in which slots gear-wheels Z2 6 are rotatably mounted and mesh with racks A A at the bottom of said slots, and thereby move the traveling beam along the rails. For the purpose of moving the traveling beam along the rails and imparting equal motion to the gears Z2 5 a longitudinal shaft 0 is mounted in suitable bearings 0 0 on the rear face of the traveling beam B and provided at its ends with pinions C O, adapted to engage thev gears 6 b the shaft being rotated bya bevel-gear O mounted near its'oenterand receiving motion from a similar gear C mounted on a short vertical shaft D, carried in recessed bracket 03 and provided with a suitable handle D. The rotation of this handle through the gearing imparts an equal and steady motion to the two ends of the traveling beam to and from the front of the table independent of the direction of rotation. In'order to prevent the unsteadiness that might arise through end play in the bearing-blocks, one of the guide.-

. ferring the pattern to the plate.

rails. is made V-shaped, as indicated at m, and the corresponding bearing-block suitably grooved.

A dovetailed bracket Efor supporting the pantograph is slidably mounted on the face of the beam B and is moved longitudinally thereof by means of a hand-wheel 0, carried in a projecting bracket 0 and provided with a pinion 0 meshing with a rack R, carried by the beam 13. Mounted within the face of the bracket E is a vertical slide F, provided with horizontal brackets ff, between which is carried an upright spindle G. The slideF is adjustable vertically in relation to the bracket E by means of a screw H, mounted therein and passing through a boss f, projecting from the back of the slide F and moving in a vertical slot 6 in the bracket E. The screw H is provided, preferably, with a milled head by which it may be readily turned. The spindle G is mounted at its lower end upon an adjustable screw 9 and at its upper end in a short spindle g, carried by an adjusting-block, which is movable in relation to the bracket on which it is carried through an adjustingscrew 9 by means of which the alinement of the spindle is kept at the vertical.

Upon the spindle G is mounted a bracket I,

sustaining two of the arms of a suspendedpantograph K. This pantograph may be of any well-known construction as long as the essential features of a wide range of adjustability and the maximum of accuracy are secured; but the preferred form is one in which the ends of the bars 70 7c are suspended from the head of the spindle G by wires 7c is, attached at their ends to adjusting-screws 70 71?, carried in posts 71: k mounted on the bars. The outer end of the bar K of the pantograph carries an adjustable tracing-point L, by which the lines of the pattern can be followed, and the intermediate bar K carries a holder in which is secured the tool M, used for trans- The bars are adjustable in relation to each other in order to vary the relative movement of the tracing-point and reproducing-tool and are preferably provided with graduations or scales, by means of which the amount of variation may be determined, and as the supporting-slide of the pantograph is adjustable in three directionsthat is, horizontally in two directions at right angles to each other and verticallya wide range of adjustment is provided for various sizes of work, such ada 02/ secured thereto in such a manner as to form a channel 71?, within which the matrices or patterns P may be inserted. At one end the channel is closed by a stop-piece a", against which the end of the line of matrices is held by means of a clamp a", forced against the rear end of the line.

The patterns P are preferably formed of sheet metal and are provided with an intaglio pattern or letter engraved therein, which patterns may be in simple outline, as shown in pattern 6, in which case the finishing ol the work would be done by hand or with lining or threading 1 as shown in pattern (3", in which case the entire operation of engraving the letter can be finished by the machine. The lining or threading shown in pattern 6" consists of a series of lines 9/ engraved within the outline of the letter and terminating in a channel or groove of greater depth, as shown. As a result of this arrangement, the tracing-point will be guided from one line to another and a practically continuous line covering the area which it is desired to engrave will result.

In the operation of the machine the sliding bracket is adjusted to proper position longitudinally and transversely in relation to the plate by moving the same along the traveling beam and the beam along its suprmrtiug-rails. Vertical adjustment to allow for variations in the thickness of plates, &c., is secured by moving the slide carrying the pantograph by means of its adjusting-screw.

Any form of tool desired may be used for cutting the lines. For instance, a rotary tool may be driven from the point of suspension of the pantograph, a point may be used to indent or cut the copper, or the plate may be coated and after transfer of the work may be etched with suitable acid.

It is obvious that the mechanism may be greatly varied as to details of construction and arrangement without departure from my invention and that other arrangements of the types, patterns, and chases may be substituted for that shown.

I claim as my invention 1. In an engraving-machine, the combination with a fixed base upon which a plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-heam movable across said base, a pantograph-support in which a pantograph is freely suspended carried by said beam and adjustable both longitudinally and vertically with respect thereto, substantially as described.

2. In an engraving-machiue, the combination with a fixed base upon which a plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam movable across said base, a pantograph-support in which a pantograph is freely suspended carried by said beam and adjustable both longitudinally and vertically with respect thereto, means by which the beam may be moved across the base, and means by which the pan- JIO tograph-support may be adjusted longitudinally and vertically with respect to said beam, substantially as described.

3. In an engraving-machine, the combination with a fixed base upon which a plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam mounted upon suitable guides fixed to the base and movable across said base, a bracket slidably mounted on said beam and movable longitudinally thereof, aslide mounted in vertical guideways in said bracket and provided with bearings for a spindle towhich the pan-' tograph is attached, and a pantograph attached to said spindle, substantially as described.

4. In an engravingmachine, thecombination with a fixed base upon Which a plate and pattern are supported, of a supporting-beam mounted upon suitable guides fixedto the base ROSS E. GRAY.

Witnesses:

O. G. DOUGHERTY,

C. W. LEHEW.

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