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| From the October 1829 Journal of the Franklin Institute Vol. 7, pages 247-248."With Remarks and Exemplifications, by the Editor. 1. For an improved machine for Mortising, Boring, and Sawing; Reuben Medley, Bloomfield, Nelson county, Kentucky, July 7."The inventor of this machine has not pointed out any particular part which he claims; we are, therefore, left to the conclusion, that the whole is new. The sawing part, is, we apprehend, intended principally for cutting tenons; at all events, it is designed for articles of a moderate length only. A saw frame is moved vertically by a crank, and the article to be cut is fastened upon a carriage forced forward by a feed hand; the piece to be mortised is to be secured, and made to advance in the same way, a second crank working the frame up and down, in which the chisel is fixed. The augers, or bits for boring, are to be fixed in the end of a vertical cylindrical shaft, working both above and below, through holes in guide pieces; a screw is cut upon the shaft, and in one of the guide pieces, or collars, and, in consequence, when the shaft is turned, the auger is raised, or lowered, by the action of the screw. By means of two fixed, and two moveable, whorls, and of two bands, one of which is crossed, the shaft may be made to turn in either direction, so as to force forward, or to withdraw the auger. The whole machinery is to be moved by drums, whorls, and bands, acted upon by hand, or other power."The only point of novelty which we perceive in this instrument, is, in the mode of forcing the auger forward, and withdrawing it; we are very apprehensive, however, that if this part be really new, it will not be found to be very useful. Bits, or augers, rarely admit of being forced forward by screws, and where they do, they must be screws of a very fine thread, but little calculated for the rapid whirling motion intended to be given by the kind of machinery which we have described."The absence of any claim, leaves the patent upon, what appears to us, a very insecure basis."The Reverend Reuben Medley (1785-1853) obtained three patents within a one-year span, for a corn mill, a flex and hemp machine, and this mortising and tenoning machine. We find no evidence that any of them were successful. |
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