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Title: |
1895 Article-John Pickles, & Son, Telegraph Post Arm Shaping Machine |
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Source: |
The Engineer Magazine, 01 Nov 1895, pg. 441 |
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Insert Date: |
2/19/2013 8:00:53 PM |
TELEGRAPH POST SHAPING MACHINE
The engraving represents an ingenious machine for shaping and boring telegraph or telephone post arms, which vary in length from 2 ft. to 8 ft., and in width and thickness from 2½ in. square to 3½ in. by 3 in. The machine consists of a main frame, carrying eight vertical boring spindles; one horizontal ditto; and two special chamfering cutter-heads. The oak arm to be worked is cramped on a suitable slide, and with a lever arrangement is worked past the chamfering cutter-heads, thus doing both the ends at the same time, the centre hole also being bored; then, by working a lever which actuates an ingenious friction arrangement, the chamfering cutter-heads are worked towards each other within a certain distance, then back again: the vertical spindles are then actuated by a foot-lever and eight vertical holes bored at one time; the operation is now complete.
All the arrangements have been designed and everything made so that an unskilled man can work the machine with the aid of a lad to hand to him and take away the arms before and after treatment. The machine is practically self-contained, the horizontal and chamfering spindles being driven from a countershaft fixed overhead and contained by the machine, the eight vertical spindles being driven by a counter-shaft fixed on the floor a suitable distance behind the machine. This special machine is now working in the large saw mills of Mr. Thos. A. Aspden, Blackburn, who has recently secured contracts for many thousands of these post arms from the telephone and telegraph authorities, and he has found it one
of the most labour-saving machines ever produced, as finished arms can be produced at from four to eight per minute, according to size, thus effecting an enormous saving over hand-labour, by which these processes have hitherto been done. A number of arms are shown on the floor in front of machine ready chamfered and bored, also one is shown in the machine. Messrs. Pickles and Son also supplied special machinery for sawing, cross-cutting, and planing these oak arms.
Image courtesy of Grace's Guide.
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Pickles_and_Sons |
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1895 John Pickles, & Son, Telegraph Post Arm Shaping Machine
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