US2128521A - Shake-splitting machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1938. A. E, BECKMAN 2,128,521

SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1937 INVENTOR. AXEL E. BECKMAN ORNEY.

Patented Aug. so, 1938 2,128,521

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SHAKE-SPLITTING MACHINE Axel E. Beckman, Oregon City, on Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,023

4 Claims. (Cl. 144-193) This invention is directed to an apparatus for from the center with openings III, II, l2 and I3. the manufacture of shakes and is constructed These openings are designed to provide for the with a view to providing for the splitting from an connection of the pltman 8 to the power wheel 9 appropriate block of a shake of the desired thickand obviously provide for different length throws Q ness at the butt end and of tapering formation or movements of the bars 8. from the butt end. The bars 5 are provided near their upper ends Heretofore, at least in the majority of inwith channels '28 to receive cross-bars l4 which stances, shakes have been formed by the use of are thus mounted to be adjusted longitudinally cutting knives which are forced through the of the bars 5 so that the space between any pair 1' block, or saws which operate on the block, with of cross-bars 14 maybe adjusted. In the inthe disadvantage that in the first instance the stance shown, there are two sets-or pairs of such surface of the shake is naturally smooth and cross-bars l4 and the space'between these bars must be subsequently treated .to get the desired is to be regulated through positioning in selected roughness or grain, and in the second instance channels 28 to receive the length of block I5 from ll there is a considerable loss of material dueto the which the shakes are to be split. The block is 15 cutting width of the saw. positioned between the side bars 2 of the frame The primary object of the present invention, and between a pair of cross-bars l4, thus permittherefore, is the provision of a wedge-shaped ting the block to be merely placed in position, splitting element which may be forced into the provided, however,-that if desired holding blocks M block and split therefrom a shake of the desired 21 may be mounted upon the blocks l5 and prethickness at the butt end, tapering from such vented from endwise movement though permitted butt end and having the natural rough grain adjustable vertical height, to accommodate the finish by reason of its being split from the block blocks originally and as they are split away, by

rather than out therefrom. pins projecting from the blocks 21 and guided a The invention is illustrated in the 'accompanybetween uprights 29, as clearly illustrated, as the 25 ing drawing, in which: cross-bars prevent endwise movement -'of the Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus block during operation of the machine. as a whole. The block of material is loosely confined be- Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tween the bars M, at the same time the bars act a machine shown in Figure 1. as abutments for the block at the time the wedge Figure 3 is a similar view showing the splitting splits a shake. In order to facilitate the splitimplement entering the block from the end oppoting action and enable the wedge to follow the site the operation indicated in Figure 2. grain of the wood and thereby properly shape the Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the shake, the block of material tilts slightly. line 4-4 of Figure 2. Secured to the longitudinally operating bars 6 Figure 5 is a transverse section through the is a splitting element It, which element is an apparatus on the line 5-15 of Figure 2. appropriate length of metal having rather abrupt Figure 6 is a broken longitudinal section, partends terminating at each side edge in a splitting ly in elevation, of the apparatus. edge H which is naturally sharpened. The

Figure '7 is a broken elevation showing the thickness of the splitting element l6 increases 40 means for providing adjustable stroke lengths of from the abrupt side edges or ends toward the the slide bar. center, being thicker'at the center, as indicated at Figure 8 is a transverse section of the splitting IS in Figure 8. tool. Beyond the splitting element, the bars 6 are 5 The construction providesaframe including an connected by a supporting plate IS. The supupper box-like body I having'side walls 2 and end porting plate is secured to the under side of the walls 3, with the body supported upon appropribar but is presented with an upstanding offset 2!] ate legs. Side walls 2 are provided on their infitting a recess 2| in the inner surfaces of the nor surfaces with longitudinally extending verbars 6, so that the supporting plate is on a horitically spaced bars 4 and 5 providing between zontal plane below that of the splitting element 50 them channels in each of which are mounted which is secured tothe upper surfaces of the bars slide bars 6 united at one end beyond the frame 6. The splitting wedge has its end seated in a in a connecting plate 1 to which is pivotally contransverse recess 22 in the upper surfaces of the nected a pitman 8. A belt or other power-driven bars 6, being secured by a bolt 23, the lower end of I wheel 9 is formed at different radial distances which is provided with a securing nut 24 seated in an opening 25 in the lower surfaces of the bars 6. The connection described, and which is shown more particularly in Figures 4 and 5, permits vertical adjustment of the splitting element as a whole in order to select a desired thickness of the butt end of the shake to be produced.

In the instance shown, the machine is designed for two blocks and the splitting element [6 and supporting plate i9 will be duplicated, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3.

In operation, the blocks l5, or one such block if only one is to be used, are placed in position between the appropriate pair of cross-bars i4.

These cross-bars have been adjusted to prevent undue endwise movement of the block in the splitting operation and the block in position rests upon the particular underlying supporting plate I 9. In the driving of the power wheel 9, the bars 6 are moved in one direction, the splitting element is caused to enter the end of the block, but incident to its construction, compels a splitting operation rather than a cutting operation.

This splitting operation incident to the formation of the block follows the grain of the block in a taper, so that the resultant shake is tapered from one end to the other. As the splitting element moves through the split and beyond the block at the opposite end, the corresponding movement of the supporting plate i9 permits the split shake to drop free of the plate into a pile in the lower portion of the frame. The splitting element is now beyond the opposite end of the block and as the movement of the power wheel is continued, the bars 6 are moved in the opposite direction and a second shake is split from the block with the butt end at the opposite end of the block. Thus, in a reciprocation of the pitman, two shakes are formed, as will be plain from Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. Furtherm re, if two blocks are used and the splitting element and supporting element are duplicated, the apparatus will form two shakes at each movement of the supporting bars 6 or four shakes in each complete reciprocation of the bars. 7

If longer shakes are to be produced than the minimum for which the machine is adapted, the cross-bars I 4 are adjusted to accommodate the greater length of block and the vertical position of the splitting element I6 is adjusted and through the obvious use of supporting means in the channel 22 below the connected portion of the splitting element, so as to increase or decrease the thickness at the butt end of the shake for providing the different desired lengths of shake.

It is to be particularly noted that the splitting elements do not cut the material. In cutting through the material of the block, there is necessarily approximately the same thickness of material of the block divided by the cutting whereas through the use of the improved splitting element, which splits and does not cut, it will be apparent that the wedge formation of the splitting element causes that portion of the block divided by the initial split to be iorced to bend downwardly, thus splitting the shake from the block ahead of the splitting element, resulting in a breaking of the fiber and bringing the shake to the desired taper and presenting at the same time that desired roughness or grain-showing highly desirable in articles of this character.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A shake making apparatus including a frame having side and end bars, upper and lower guide bars secured on the inner surface of each side material block supporting plate connected to the respective slide bars, said plate having offset terminals secured to the lower surfaces of the slide bars, with the offset terminals of a depth to hold the supporting plate in a position below any possible position of the tool in the slide bars, means for reciprocatitng the slide bars to simultaneously operate the tool and supporting plate, the upper guide bars being formed with a series of notches extending longitudinally of said bars, and cross bars loosely fitting similar notches of the respective guide bars to hold the material block against longitudinal movement on the supporting plate during operation of the knife.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, including holding blocks to rest upon the upper surface of the material block and means carried by the upper guide bars for preventing longitudinal movement of the holding block without interfering with free vertical movement thereof.

3. A shake making apparatus, comprising a frame, upper and lower guide bars secured on the inner surfaces of the frame and spaced apart to form guideways, slide bars movable in the respective guideways, a wedge arranged transverse and connected to the respective slide bars, a material block supporting plate connected to the respective slide bars, the upper surface of the plate being below the path of movement of the wedge and spaced therefrom, means for loosely confining a material block on the plate to permit a slight movement of the block in the direction of movement of the wedge and tilting of the block in the formation of a shake, whereby when the wedge is advanced toward the block of material on the plate, the wedge will split a shake from the block, the forward end of the shake passing between the plate and wedge and the block falling in position for formation of a subsequent shake.

4. A shake making apparatus, comprising a frame, upper and lower guide bars secured on the inner surfaces of the frame and spaced apart to form guideways, slide bars movable in the respective guideways, a two-edge wedge arranged transverse and connected to the respective slide bars, a material block supporting plate con-4 nected to the respective slide bars, the upper surface of the plate being below the path of movement of the two-edge wedge and spaced therefrom, means for loosely confining a material block on the plate to permit a slight movement of the block in the direction of movement of the wedge and slight tilting of the block in the formation of a shake, means for reciprocating the two-edge wedge whereby when the two-edge wedge is advanced in one direction toward the block of material on the plate, the wedge will split a shake from the block, the forward end of the shake passing between the plate and wedge and the block falling in position to be acted on in the reverse movement of the wedge in the formation of a subsequent shake.

AXEL E. BECKMAN.

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