claim as my iiivention: 1. A machi-ne for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or (@ther @vork embodyi@ig therein, a support, ail endless tread mounted on the support for 15 engagement @Lild rnovement upon the -work operated upon, a chamfering cutter carried by the @upport for operative engagement with said worlc and disposed intermediate the longitudinal liraits of the endless tread, mea-D-s for driving the 20 cutter, and means for gauging Lhe Dosition of t'ne cutter in its chamfering operation on the edge of said work. 2. A machine for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or other worl,. embodyin.- therein, a SLIP- 25 port, an endless tread mounted on the sli-pport for engagement alid movement upon the work operated upon, a pair cf charnfering cutters carr,'@ed by the support for opera'tlive er@gagemert with top and bottom marginal port-ions of said work ard 30 disposed intermediate the longitudinal limits of the endless tread, means on said siipport for driving the cutters, and means for gaugirg the position of the cutters in their chamferiilg oocrations on the said marginal portions of said Nxiork. 3,5 3. A @,nochine for chamfering the edae of a vat bottom or other work embodying t@iec-in a ,uiapor'*, meaiis p@ov4@ding art a,,-,cuate endl-,,..s tread for @,aid SUDPort hav4n., ai, axis pc)ir-,t Qubstar-ti-ally at the center of the work operated upon, a 40 chamforing cutter carr-ied by tha support f or operative engagement with se,.id wo.,.%k, meaiis for driving the cutter@ and means for gauging the pos,',- tion of the cutter in its chamfering operation on the edge of said work. 45 4. A machiiie for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or other work enibodying therein, a n-iobile support for eligagement on the work operated upon an er@dless tread mounted on the sll-,port, means for travelling the support, a pair of cutters 5( carried by the si-lpport for operative engageri-ent with top and bottom inarginal portions o.,L said work said cutters being disposed intermediate the longitudinal limits of the endl.,ss tread, and means for gauging the position of the cutters 55 in their chamfering operations on the said mar-, ginal portions of said work. 5. A machine for chamferil-ig the edge of a vat bottom or other work embodying therein, a suppo rt, an endless tread mounted on the support 60 for engagement and moverne,@it upon the v@ork operat ed upon, a pair of chamfering cutters carried by the support f or operative engagemelit with opposi te sides of an edge portion of s,@tid @,iTork, means for driving the cutte--,,s and travelling the 65 suppo rt@ upon its endless tread and means for gaugin g the position of said cutters in their chamf ering operations upon said opposite sides of said edge portion of the work. 6. A machine for chamfering theedge of a vat 70 botto m or other work embodying therein, a support, an endless tread mounted an the support for engagement and movement upon the work operat ed upon, a, pair of chamfering cutters carried by the support for operative engagement 75

4 1- i)9897!ig with opposite side@ of an edge portion of said work, meaiis cartied by the support for drivid-g the cutters aiid for travelling the support, upon i-ts endless tread and nleans for gauging the position of the cutters in their chamferiiig ope,.,atioiis upon said opposite sides of said edge portion of the work. 7. A machiiie for chamfering the edge oL a vat bottor.,i or other work embodying therein, a 10 mobile support includiiig an arcuate endless tread for engage@-nent on and having aD axis point substantid.Ily at the center of the work operated upon, a cutter carried by the sudport for operative engageit-ient Nvith the edge of sa-id work, a so-,irce of 15 power mounted on the support, means for driiting said tread and the cutter fror-.i said source of power, and ireans for gauging the positioi-i of the cutter in its char@ifering operation on said edge of sg,ld work. 20 S. A machine for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or otheiwork embodyi.,ig tberein, a r-iobile support including a,-,i endless arcuate tread for engagenient on and having an axis point sub,Dta,ntiaEy at the center of the work operated upon, 25 -t cutter carried by the svpport for operative engagemetit with the edge of said work, a source of power mounted on tl-ie support, -means ing reduction and reverse gearillig for drivi.[ag said tread frora said source of pov,7er, iieads fo., dii-v30 -@'i)g the cutter from said soihce of po,,,ver, a-nd i-neans for gauging the position of the cutter in its chamferiiig op-,ration upon said edge of sa,,d work. 9. A r-qachine for chamfering the -dge of a vat 35 ')Dottom or other ,vork erqbodying t)2erein 9, slipport, ard arcuate endless tractioii tread for one end therec@' having an axis 1,3oi@'it at substant-loily ti-ie centei@ of said ivork, a wheel for the other end of said suppo,-ot, said tread and whee.t being 40 adapted for a movable engagement upon the work operated upon, a cutte--@ carr,'@ed by the support for opera'uive engagement with the edge of said work, a source of power on said suppoi:t, meat-is for driving the trepd and the cutter from 45 @-ctid soure-c of power, and means for gaugiiig the ope2:atiire position of the cutter iii its chamfering opei:at-lons upon the edge of said work. 10. A machine for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or olher woiIc e-ml)odyipg therei-n a 50 ,@,-apport, an arcuate endless tread element hairirig its axis poin'u at substantially the center of the wori@:, operatively positioned with respect @uo one ey-id of the support and a t-.,ai!iTi.- cas'uer wheel for the othej: eiid of the support, said tread elenient 55 ,),nd v@heel bein,@ @idapted to en@a ge upon the work operated u,,noii, a cutter cai:rl.ed by th-- su.,pport for operative eiigagement with the edge oi' said work, a source oi' power on said support, -,neaiis includinf, @,peed i:edLici,@ig mea,.as for driving the 60 tread from the Po,,irce of power, r,,l.--ans for driving tho cutter froni said souriae of power, and nieans for the cuttei, i,,,l its chariiferin,operatior.s upoq the edge of said vrork. 11. A mach;ne for chamfering the edge of a vat 65 -r3o+@tom oi, oth.--2 wo.,@k enibodying therein, a sUPport, aii end!.-ss tread cari!;Ied by the support foiengager-qent and niovernei-it upon the work 0-0erated upov, a vertical shaft journalled in the support, top and bottorft cutters xhountod ori said shaft aDd each having a cutting edge for operative engagement with top and bottom edge portions of said work, means for driving said vertical shaft, ayid means for gauging the position of the 5 said cutters in their chamfering operations on the edge of said work. 12. A machine for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or other work embodying therein, a support, an endless tread carried by the support for 10 engagement and movement upon the work opeiated upon, a vertical shaft joumalled in the slipport, top arid bottom verticaliy spaced rotary cha-rafering cutters carried on said shaft for operative enga.-cment with opposite sides of an 15 edr,,e portion of said work, means for adjusting the s7---,aciiig between the cutters on said shaft, means for driving said vertical shaft, and means for gouging the position of the cutters in their chamfering ope.,,gt3ons upon said opposite sides 20 of the edge of said work. '@S. A i--achine for chamfering the edge of a vat botto-m or other Nvork embody'mg therein, a support, aii endless tread carried by the support for onffa,-ernent a@-d movement upon the work op- 25 erated upon, o. cutter head carried by the support outwardly of the edge of said work operated upon, a d2iven shaft journalled in said head, top and botto@,n c,,,,tters fixed on said shaft for operative en-.a.-cr.,ient with top and bottom marginal por", 0 tiori@- of said work, means for driving said shaft, ard -,neaus at each side the cutter head for engagirig the edge of said work for gauging the position of said -@utters in their chamfering operations on said marginal portions. 35 14. A machi-ne for chamfering the edge of a vat bottom or other work enibodying therein a horlzditally d-isposed support, an arcuate endless traction tread operatively engaged therewith and having an axis point substantially at the center 40 of said work, a wheel carried by said support, a ril-otoi, on said support, a vertically arranged casirg a-LI oiie end of said support, a cutter shaft journalled therein and driven by the motor, cutter position rsauging n-ieaiis carried by said - casing, 45 gea.,@,ing for driving the shaft frorn the motor, and geai:irif, between the motor and endless traction tread -'Lor driving the same in the desired direction. 15. A niachine for chamfering the edge of a vat 50 bottom or other work eiabodying therein a horizontally d;sposed support, ari, arcuate endless tractioy-l tread operati-Vely engaged therewith and having @ia axis pgint at substaiit-ially the center of said work, a ivheel car,,,ied by said support, a Motor 55 on said suppo--ot, a vertically arranged casing at oiie erd of said support, a cutter shaft journalled there,,.n ind driven by the motor, a vat bottom edge PYigag-irg roll@,Dr at each side of the cutter shaft, means for molinting each roller with re- 60 s-@,ect to said casing whereby the same may be adjusted toward or away from the edge of the work opera;,,,-d iipon for gauging the position of the cu@L,er lii its chamfering operation, gearing for di-ivi--,io@ sa-id shaft from the motor, and gearir_g 65 betweeii the motor aiid endless traction tread for driving the same in the desired direction. CHARLES M. E. WENDNAGEL.

Patented Dec. 11, 1934 11983,719 UNITED, STATES 'PATENT OFFICE 1,983,719 CHAMFERING MACHINE Charles M. E. Wendnagel,.Chicago,,IH. Application June 9, 19'03 Serial No. 675,059 15 Claii-ns. This invention relates to improvements in chamfering machines and it consists 6f the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the manufacture of the larger sizes of wooden vats or tanks, great difficulty is encountered in properly chamfering the edges of the bottom for engagement in the grooves of the associated staves. If the chamfering is faulty, 10 ,tssenibly would be d-ifficult and leakage might occur. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a rqacliine e-,@pecially adapted for aec-,irately chamfering vat or tank bottoms of large ,5 di-ameter, regardless of the otitline or shade theregf as well as upon work of other kinds, Another object of the inveiition is to p--eovide a nlachine of this kind which is self-oropelled around the toD and bottom margins of the bottom being chatiifered and wh'chi to a certain extent is self-guiding and is accurate though the bottoin be uneven. A further object of the iilver@tion is to provide a -,na-chine of this kind which is not only fast in 2,,3 operat-lon but which may be quickly adjusted for operation on vat bottoms of different thicknesses. S'@ill another object of the invention is to provide -a tnachine of this kind which is simple and durable in construction and is easy to operate even 30 by an inexperienced workman. The above mentioned objects of the invention, as v,,ell as others, toge'Llher with the several advantage@. thereof will ipore fully appear as I proceed with @nay specification. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of one: forrn of chamfering machine embodying my inventlon, illustrated in operative relation upon a vat bottom being operated upon and which vat bottom 4f) is shown substantially all in sectioli; Fig. 2 is a. vertiml sectional view through the front or cutter end of the machine as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through 45 a part of the machille as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the machine in position upon the vat bottom being operated upon, with parts of the machine shown as being 50 broken away and in section to better illustr,ate theconstruction thereof; Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale through the rear end of the machine as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; ;55 Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal verti-cal sectional view as taken on the iine 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal sectional view through the driving shaft for an endless tread forming a part of the invention; aiid 60 Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectional view on (Cl. 147-40) an enlarged scale through a part of the driving necb.p,,nism of the machine as taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. in geiieral, my improved chamfering machine incl@iides ), carriage or support adapted for move- 5 ment arotmd the margin of the vat or tank bot@tom operated upon. Said support includes a horizontally disposed plate mounted at one end upon an endless traction tread rnember and carrying a swivel-'ng caster oil its other end. On@ lo the first mentioned end of the carriage or support is mounted a head or casing in which is journalled a driven shaft carrying a pair of rotary cutters for operating upon the top and bottor,,l margins of the vat bottom near its edge 15 to chamfer the same. The rotary cutters are so mounted on said driven shaft as to be adjustable toward and aviay frorn each other, to accommodate different thicknes ses of vat bottoms upon which it miglit 0 be desired to operate. The head or casing is provided with means that have a rolling ena.agement with the edge of the vat bottom. This means is capable of being adjust,-d or set to determine the gauge or radial depth of the cham- 5 fering cut to be made. On the carriage or SUPPOTT iS mounted an electric motor which not only drives the cutters in their chamfering operations but which also drives, through suitable reduction gearind, 30 the endless tread member by which the machine as a whole is caused to travel around the morgin of the vat bottom. Included in said gearing is a clutch for controlling the forward and reverse moveme nt of the machine on the vat bottom aiid 35 said gearing is provided with a control lever. This control lever may be actuated to provide forward, or reverse or may be set in nelitral so that the cutters are driven even though the machine is not traveling around the vat bottom 40 margin. A pair of bandles.is provided on the machine by which the operator may assist in guiding the moveme nt of the machine and may better hold the machine in the operative position it should@ 45 occupy to function properly for its intended purpose. When the machine is in operation, it travels axound the margin of the vat bottom and the rotai@y cutters will chamfer the top and bottom i5O surfaces of said margin to fit in the groove of the.associated staves with which it is later vssembled. The travel movement of the machine in operation is fairly slow but the o-utter speed is relatively high and therefore, the,cut,55 made is a sweeping one that insures a smooth planed off chamfey for the vat bottom. Referring now in, d.etail to that embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings 60

2 1 indicates as a whole a carriage or support in the form of a horizontally disposed plate having a swiveling caster 2 arranged near its inner end and suitably fixed to the underside thereof. At the front end of the carriage plate an endless traction tread mechanism 3 is provided, which includes shafts 4 and 5 respec'uiv,-Iy, suitably connected to the underside of the plate 1 by brackets 6-6. These shafts converge slightly toward their lo inner ends and are radial with respect t6 the axis of a fairly large vat bot-Llom, say one having a diai-neter of from 18 to 20 feet. Fixed to 'uhe'shaft 4 is a pair ol spaced inner a,-ad outer sprocket wheels 7 and fixed to the shaft 15 5 is a pair of smooth faced or untoothed wheels 8 which may be pul-ley whef-,Is of the desired diameter. Trained about said pairs of wheels is an eiidless belt made up of broad i-nterconnected links 9. Each link lias o,-q one side thereof, a lug 20 10 for engagement with tne recesses or spaces between the teeth of the sorockets 7. Thb top lap of this belt passes above the top of the -oiate 1. To hold the active bottom lap against Liapping wheii travel-Ing over an uiieven vat bottom, I pro25 vi,@le a depending element 11 on the bottom surface of the support and which element has an edge eng@.,,gement w'@th the lugs on the various lii-iks ' This keeps the bottom lap of the endless tread mechanism in good tread et-igagement with 30 the vat bottori. A guard plate 12 is provided at '6h,- outside o-'c the tread mechanism and this plate I.ncl,,ides a felt seali-Ti.a strip 13 along its bottom edge. The guard plate and sealing strip coact ir pi,eventii,ig the cutters, which rotate at high 35 -,ueed, from throwing chips into or under the trc,admechanisms. On the top side of the carriage plate aiid extendi-pg lorgitudiiially thereof is an electric motoi, 14. The rear end of the armature shaft of 40 the motor has a pinion 15 secured thereto. This pin-ion, through sliitable speed reduction and associated reverse gearing 16 operates to drive a pair of gears 17 and 18, in oppo@ite directions. These gears 17 and 18, are relatively mounted in 45 spaced relation upon a shaft 19 exte@,iding longitudir.ally of !-.he carriage plate along that si.de thereof associated with the drivin.- sprockets 7 for the endless traction tread mechanism. Each gear encompasses a friction clutch mem50 ber 20 and 21 respectively, both of which are so secured to the shaft 19 as to rotate therewith. Each clutch member includes a hub 22 and an annular band 23 th,-.,@t is connected to the hub by a web portion or spoke 24. Each band is split at 55 one point and arranged between the ends of the band at the split is a spreader cam 25 to which is secured an arm that terminates near the shaft 19. Tiie gearing rqentioned is all enciosed in a su4@',@'able housing. 60 Splined on the shaft 19 between the clutch niembers is a clute-h arm actuator 26 that is tapered at each end. This actuator is provided wilth an annular groove 27 in its periphery to receive studs carried by the bifureal@ed end 28 of a 65 sh@;fter lever 29. The lever 29 is pivotally mounted on the plate I and has a handle 30 extending from that side thereof opposite thegearing. When the clutch arm actuator stands. in a position midway between the clutch members 70 20-21. as shown in Fig. 7, the gearing is in neutral, and ne-.@ther gear 17 i-ior 18 is bperative to drive the shaft 19. However when the ac4.u - ator 26 is shifted in one direction or the other, one of its tapered ends enacts to swing said arin outwardly. This raovement of the arm spreads the clutch band into clutching engageme-nt with the ass.-ciated gear and locks said gear to the shaft 19 so that said shaft is driven in the desired direction. 5 As the tread mechanism is made on an are, and as the shafts 4 and 5 therefor radiate from the axis or center of the arc it is apparent that the shafts 4 and 5 must incliiie downwardly toward their inner ends as shown in Fig. 6. The inner 10 end of the shaft 4 is connected by a gimbal or universa7i joint 31 with the associated end of the shaft 19. The front end of tlae motor 'L4 has secured thereto, a suitable head 32. Rising from said 15 head is an open front casing 33 includinq a top wall 33a. The o-ben front of this casing may be closed by a curved cover plate which has been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clearness. 20 Journalled in the head 32 by means of top and bottom antifriction bearings 34.-35 is the elongated hub 36 of an upwardly facing, spiral bevel gear 38 and which gear is disposed in the casin,-, @03. The front end of the armature shaft of the 25 niotor extends into said casin.- and there has fixed to it, a spiral bevel gear 39 that meshes with a@-id di,ives the gear 38. The antifriet@ion bearings mentioned are combined tllxust and rotative bearings and are held 30 in operative position by retainer rings 40 and 41 resp,,ctively. The ring 40 is clainped in place between the head 32 and the bottom of the casing 33 while the retainer 41 has a threaded engagement with the bottom end of the bevel gear hub 36. 35 The bevel gear 33 and its hub 36 have a splined @-onnection with an upright shaft 42. Fixed to and depending from the head 32 is a rotary cutter casing 43 that is open at both its front and rear. The open front of the clitter 40 casing is usually closed by a cover that has been omitted for clearness in illustration. The bottom end of this casing is formed by a removable wan or plate 44. The shaft 42 has its bottom ei2d jou-rnalled in 45 a suitable opening in the plate 44 whi'le its top end is journalled in an antifrict-lon bearing 44a in the top wall 33a of the casing 33. This bearing is a combined radial and thrust bearing and associated with said bearing is suitable means for 50 ho'@ding the same in its operative position. Within the casing 43 there are secured to the shaft 42 in suitably spaced rel.%tion, top and bottom chamfering cutters 45 and 46. Preferably, each cutter comprises a hub and a plurality 55 of arms 47 and 48 respeCt4 ely that are curved in iv the direel@ion of their rotation. The arrias of the top cutter have bottom cutting edges and the arms of the bottom cutter have top cuttip-g edges. The cutters are held in spaced relation by means 60 of spacing collars 49 on the shaft 42 and nuts 50 on the bottom end of the shaft operate @o clamp the collars and cutters in the desired relation. To change the spaced relation of the cutters to accomr.,odate operations on vat bottoms of dif- 65 ferent thicknesses, the plate 44 is removed and theelampnuts5Oaretakenoff. Thisgivesaccess to the spacing collars which may be reraoved and replaced by others to not only properly positicn the cutters but also to determine the spacing 70 therebetween, on the shaf,t. After t-he proper adjustments have been made, the parts are re,,ssembled as before. On opposite sides of the cutter caslig are vat 75 gages that arm 26a toward which it is moved and bott6m edge engaging guides 51, each in the 7,5

f orm of a roller 52. Each roller wliich has its axis arranged parallel the shaft 42, is journalled in a plate 53 having a slot 54 therein. A screw 55 .carried by the associated side of casing 43 extends tbxough the slot in each plate and a nut 56 is arranged on each screw whereby the associated plate may be clamped in the desired position. Projecting from the head 32 is a handle 57 ,ind fixed to the rear end of the carriage plate is 10 secodd handle 58. By means of these handles, the operator controls and guides the machine, although the arcuate endless tread tends to maintain the machine in position. Vat bottoms are usually rnade of heavy boards 15 -)iiitably doweiled together -Ln edge-to-edge relation. In a vat bottom having a large diameter, after the same has been trimmed by qawing to the desired outline shape, it is mounted on suitable @upports. Such a bottom will have a flat up20 ri,--ht edge. The machine is then positioned on the margin of the bottom. The rollers 52 are then set to engage the edge of the bottom and thus provide a gauge for the machine in the chamfering oper25 ation. When the motor 14 is started, the cutters 45-46 are rotated at a high speed a-nd cut into the top and bottom margins of the vat bottom in their initial cut. Thereafter the operator through the 30 .1@--ver handle 30 throws the traction gearing into operation. This connects the endless tread mechanism to the motor so that the machine as P. ivl-iole starts its travel about the margin of the vat bottom. The operator by exerting a lateral 35 .@l",,2-iard pressure on the handle 57, holds the machine with the rollers 52 engaged with the edge of the vat bottoni so that said rollers act as a gauge for the machine. In this movement of the machine the caster 2 swivels ilito a, trailing 4o position that operatively slipports the inner end of the machine in its travel around the margin of the vat bottom. Duri-ng this travel the top and bottom cutters ch,,imfer off the top and bottom margins of the 45 bottorn outside the path of travel of the endless traction tread mechanism. Thus the machine travels around the bottoin and simultaneously chamfer@ the top and bottom surfaces thereof so that they will have a bevelling fit in the grooves ,5 o of the associated staves when the bottom and staves are assembled in operative relation. By -LT-ie use of the curved cutter arms, the chamfered cuts made are generally smooth and even, irres, ' 3ective of the direction of the grain of the wood at any given point. The motor employed is preferably one using a,lternating current and as shown, the cutters are &,'.Ven at a ratio of one to one with tb-e armattire thereof. If desired, a frequency changer 60 r-,iay be used in connectioll- with sa4d motor whereby changes in the speed thereof and, of course, cha-nges in speed of the cutters, may be obtained. The inproved machine makes it possible to craickly arldaccurately chamfer the marginal, 65 edges cf the larger vat bottoms. In some cases, due to the diamete--e of the vat bottom operated upon, tl,,ere rd-ight be a relgtively s-mall slippage of the endless tre@-d mechanism, but such a slipp,ige is of no importance and, therefore, does not 70 affect the operation of the machine. The machine may be easily adjusted to operate upon vat bottoms of different thickness and may also be easily adjusted to make chamfering cuts of different radial depths merely by properly 75 positioning the gauge rollers. The machine is also capable of use upon otlier Icinds of bottonis, regardless of their outline, shape or size and may also be used for chamfering operation on the edges of boards, timbers and the like. While in describing the inventio-Li, I have re- 5 ferred in detail to the form, and construction of the various parts tb-ereof, the same is to be considered only in its illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the ap- lo pended claims. I