Untitled record

Application filed May 26,1890. Serial No. 353,148. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ephraim F. Weston, a citizen of the United States, residing at Torrington, in the county of Litchfield and State 5 of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of MakingPulley-Blocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to skilledin the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the manufacture of pulley-blocks; but more particularly does it ap15 pertain to the construction and method of formation of the shell which forms a base, in which the sheave is journaled and adapted to revolve.

It is one of the principal objects of my in20 vention to so construct this shell that the sheave shall be central relative thereto and the block thereby be perfectly balanced. Another object is to so arrange the shell that the insertion of the straps and the assembly of 25 the completed block may be as simple as possible. Furthermore, by turning the shell while held by its ends I am enabled to leave the stock in the block-cheeks at about its original thickness where the fastening-pins 30 pass through the shell.

In order that such persons as are skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its operation, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the 35 accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which—

Figure 1 represents the four pieces of which the shell is made, the cheek-blocks being routed longitudinally for the purpose pres40 ently explained. Fig. 2 shows the pieces built up and sawed into the desired outline. Fig. 3 represents the shell of Fig. 2 supported by lathe-dogs for the purpose of shaping the exterior. Fig. 4 shows the shell after the turn45 ing operation. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a finished block; Fig. 6, an end elevation of the turned shell.

Like numerals refer to the same parts in all the figures of the drawings.

As the first step in the construction of a block in accordance with my invention, I take two pieces of wood, which presently form the cheek-blocks of the shell and are designated in the drawings by 1, and rout them, as at 2, by means of a suitable plane or routing-ma- 55 chine. When so routed, these blocks are separated by end blocks 3, so as to leave an open space for the accommodation of the sheave, the parts being glued firmly together in their assembled position. This structure is then 60 cut into the shape shown at Fig. 2 by means of a saw. It will be observed that this sawed composite block has at each end two holes formed by the routed grooves in the cheekblocks and the outer surfaces of the inter- 65 posed end blocks. As the cheek-blocks were routed on the same router, these holes will comprise between them the longitudinal centers of the block, unless the end blocks vary in thickness, which should not.be the case. 70 Taking advantage of the location of these holes, the sawed blank is next supported either by two-pronged dog at each end, which is preferred, (see Fig. 3,) or by a dog and a cooperating center, as is shown at Fig. 4. While 75 so supported the shell is turned by means of a Blanchard lathe or similar machine for turning irregular forms to the oval contour desired for its exterior surface. This turning operation produces two very beneficial re- 8c suits. In the first place, the cheek-blocks.are reduced to exactly the same shape and thickness, so that the block is accurate and graceful in form, and, second, the ends of the cheekblocks where the fastening pins or rivets 5 pass 85 through them are diminished in thickness only to a very small degree, so that their strength is substantially unimpaired.

After the formation of the shell, as hereinbefore setforth, the block is completed by the 9c insertion of the straps 6 through the holes 2 and securing them and the mounting of the sheave 7 within the shell by means of a journal-pin 8, passed through the cheek-blocks and straps, and preferably headed down on its 95 outside ends. The block may then be finished in any desired manner, as by painting or varnishing.