![This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.
Title: The Evolution of Modern Band Saw Mills for Sawing Logs
Author: D. Clint Prescott
Release date: October 31, 2017 [eBook #55863]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Charlie Howard, and
the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net
(This file was produced from images generously made
available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE EVOLUTION
OF MODERN BAND SAW MILLS FOR SAWING LOGS ***](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/25909245-250519214220-8705c5ea/85/The-Memory-System-Of-The-Brain-Reprint-2020-J-Z-Young-24-320.jpg)
The Memory System Of The Brain Reprint 2020 J Z Young
- 1. The Memory System Of The Brain Reprint 2020 J Z Young download https://ebookbell.com/product/the-memory-system-of-the-brain- reprint-2020-j-z-young-51818490 Explore and download more ebooks at ebookbell.com
- 2. Here are some recommended products that we believe you will be interested in. You can click the link to download. From Conditioning To Conscious Recollection Memory Systems Of The Brain 1st Edition Howard Eichenbaum https://ebookbell.com/product/from-conditioning-to-conscious- recollection-memory-systems-of-the-brain-1st-edition-howard- eichenbaum-5230530 From Conditioning To Concious Recollection Memory Systems Of The Brain H Eichenbaum https://ebookbell.com/product/from-conditioning-to-concious- recollection-memory-systems-of-the-brain-h-eichenbaum-1023130 The Memory Palace Of Bones Exploring Embodiment Through The Skeletal System David Lauterstein https://ebookbell.com/product/the-memory-palace-of-bones-exploring- embodiment-through-the-skeletal-system-david-lauterstein-47888282 The Neurobiological Basis Of Memory A System Attribute And Process Analysis 1st Edition Pamela A Jackson https://ebookbell.com/product/the-neurobiological-basis-of-memory-a- system-attribute-and-process-analysis-1st-edition-pamela-a- jackson-5234366
- 3. The Science Of Perception And Memory A Pragmatic Guide For The Justice System 1st Edition Daniel Reisberg https://ebookbell.com/product/the-science-of-perception-and-memory-a- pragmatic-guide-for-the-justice-system-1st-edition-daniel- reisberg-4743960 The Evolution Of Memory Systems Ancestors Anatomy And Adaptations 1st Edition Elisabeth A Murray https://ebookbell.com/product/the-evolution-of-memory-systems- ancestors-anatomy-and-adaptations-1st-edition-elisabeth-a- murray-5893994 The Role Of 5ht Systems On Memory And Dysfunctional Memory Emergent Targets For Memory Formation And Memory Alterations 1st Edition Alfredo Meneses Auth https://ebookbell.com/product/the-role-of-5ht-systems-on-memory-and- dysfunctional-memory-emergent-targets-for-memory-formation-and-memory- alterations-1st-edition-alfredo-meneses-auth-4674952 The Memory System You Cant Avoid It You Cant Ignore It You Cant Fake It Bruce Jacob https://ebookbell.com/product/the-memory-system-you-cant-avoid-it-you- cant-ignore-it-you-cant-fake-it-bruce-jacob-46201436 How To Remember Anything The Proven Total Memory Retention System Dean Vaughn https://ebookbell.com/product/how-to-remember-anything-the-proven- total-memory-retention-system-dean-vaughn-47439538
- 5. The Memory System of the Brain
- 7. The Memory System of the Brain BY J. Z. Young UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES 1966
- 8. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY AND L O S ANGELES CALIFORNIA © 1 9 6 6 , BY T H E REGENTS OF T H E UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD N U M B E R : 6 6 - 1 2 6 4 9 PRINTED IN THE U N I T E D STATES OF A M E R I C A
- 9. Preface These Hitchcock Lectures, delivered at the Univer- sity of California, Berkeley, California, in November, 1964, are now published approximately in the form in which they were given. This has the disadvantage that the somewhat personal style may seem out of place in print, but perhaps there are compensating advantages. The view of nervous activities presented here is a per- sonal one. It has been arrived at with the assistance of the work of many colleagues, but they do not by any means always agree with my conclusions. To all of them I should like to express my warmest thanks. Brian Boycott devised and carried out many of the early experiments with the octopus. Mrs. Marion Nixon helped with the more recent ones and Vernon Barber and George Savage assisted in the preparation of this book. Mrs. Jane Astafiev prepared many of the illustrations. Mr. G. Sommerhoff helped at many points with criticism of my ideas, as have others with whom I have been lucky enough to work, including N. S. Sutherland, E. G. Gray, W. R. A. Muntz, N. J. Mackintosh, J. Mackintosh, M. J. Wells and J. Wells. I am most grateful to all of them. It is a pleasure also to thank the various individuals and organisations who have given their co-operation.
- 10. vi PREFACE First, Dr. P. Dohrn and the staff of the Zoological Sta- tion at Naples, without whom the work on the octo- pus could not have been done. Mr. A. Packard has been especially helpful in many ways. Mr. J. Armstrong supervised much of the work in London on the struc- ture of the brain, and Miss P. Stephens carried out the extensive histological preparations. The work has been aided financially by the Nuffield Foundation, and more recently by the European Office of the United States Office of Aerospace Research, to whom we are most grateful. The structures in the octopus brain and the phe- nomena of learning shown by the animal have stimu- lated me to develop a system of ideas about cerebral coding and memory, which are incorporated in the recent book, A Model of the Brain. The present work is in the main a summary of this, but such systems de- velop with each reformulation. There is much here that has not been published elsewhere, especially on the touch learning system and the origin of memory. Finally, it is a great pleasure to thank the Univer- sity of California and all those in Berkeley and Los Angeles who welcomed me for the delivery of the lec- tures. Professor W. J. Asling, Professor T. H. Bullock, and many others combined to give me some idea of the greatness of the University of California. J. Z. YOUNG, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S. Department of Anatomy University College, London February, 1965
- 11. Contents One The Brain as the Computer of a Homeostat 1 Two Breaking the Code of the Brain 26 Three The Requirements of an Exploratory Computer 51 Four The Nature of the Memory Record and the Origin of Learning 88 References 117 Index 125
- 13. CHAPTER ONE The Brain as the Computer of a Homeostat Explanation in Biology Probably we should all agree that the question "How do brains work?" is important and that it would be a good thing to know the answer, but would there be agreement on the form the answer might take? The brain is an exceedingly complicated system and our language and powers of understanding are but weak. In what sense therefore can we expect to be able to say, "I understand the brain"? In the last analysis, the most severe criterion hy which we judge our understanding of a system is our ability to take it to pieces and then put it together again, or make one like it. This might seem to be an absurdly ambitious criterion to apply to the brain, though it can be argued that in some respects we are already moving toward this end. We are beginning to come within sight of the power to make simple living things. It will be a long step from that to making a complex brain, but who is to say that this goal will not be achieved? In the meantime perhaps we should
- 14. 2 THE BRAIN AS COMPUTER be more humble. We are so far from a complete under- standing of the brain that we must not yet expect to be able to see a complete picture, but must be con- tent for the present with what I shall call a model of the brain. We shall try to build this model from var- ious sources. The present chapter presents various facts about the basic components of the nervous sys- tem. These are necessary before we can attack the much more interesting and difficult question of how to think about the way in which these components are assembled to make a whole brain. For that synthesis, when we come to it, we may rely mainly on two sources. First, the facts of the organisa- tion of the relatively simple brain and memory system of the octopus provide us with a model with which to approach the complex human brain. Second, to or- ganise this information we shall explore how far it is possible to use the terminology of computer science. Computers are machines that perform some of the ac- tions of brains. Apart from their great practical value they equip us with a language with which we can describe and discuss brains. Throughout human history there have been re- peated cycles of discovery. A substitute is invented to assist an activity previously performed only by human beings or animals, for example engines that assist the labour of man's hands. The basic sciences evolve along- side the development of such artifacts, studying the principles of operation of the tools and providing a language by which better machines can be produced. These are, in turn, applied to produce further new knowledge. To make a machine work properly it is
- 15. THE BRAIN AS COMPUTER 3 necessary to understand its principles thoroughly. Every engineer knows this and every biologist should learn it from him. With the aid of the more exact language, biology is much better able than before to "explain" the living process for which the substitute was in- vented. This cycle has been repeated over and over again. For example, "energy," a concept originally ap- plied only to living things, has been greatly refined and can now be used to give a vastly better under- standing of biology. Thus one group of meanings given to the word "ex- planation" as applied to living activities is certainly connected with the capacity to devise machines that assist in these activities. One of the most exciting ad- vances of our age is the development of machines that help with some functions previously performed only by brains. But computers and automatic control sys- tems do more than this. They actually imitate some of the features of living things as a whole. To some extent they are self-maintaining systems or homeostats, the name invented by W. B. Cannon of Harvard, the Hitchcock Lecturer in 1941 (Cannon, 1932). No man- made system is yet able to maintain itself over a pro- longed period, nevertheless, from the humble gas oven or icebox to the guided missile or automatic factory, we now have many examples of machines in which control is exercised. These have become possible be- cause of the development in this century, especially over the last twenty years, of a scientific study of the function that we call "control," previously a property attributed only to living systems. In particular there has been a great advance in understanding the prin-
- 16. 4 THE BRAIN AS COMPUTER ciples of control through feedback systems, giving rise to what have been called directive correlations, for ex- ample servomechanisms (Sommerhoff, 1950). The lan- guage and the mathematics developed for the study of artifacts are available to biologists in their investiga- tions of the organs that exercise control in the living body, especially the deoxyribosenucleotides of the nu- clei, and the networks of nerve-cell fibres in the brain. I propose to try to show to what extent we may be said to understand the brain in the terms that are used by engineers in their studies of communication, of computation, and of control. But my point of view throughout is that of a biologist, indicating the con- nections with these other methods of description rather than pursuing them in detail. I shall be using examples from machines to form a model that may help in understanding the brain. T o simplify, I shall, for the most part, deal not with the human brain but with that of the octopus, which is complicated enough to be interesting but not too complicated for us to begin to understand it. More- over, the very unfamiliarity of the animal, in its be- haviour and in the parts of its brain, forces us to think hard about such matters as motivation and memory. I shall also use the word "model" in yet another sense, saying that the brain contains a model of the animal's world, that indeed each species of animal or plant in a sense "models" or represents the world around it. Of course each species has receptors that detect changes only in a limited number of features that are relevant to its life. It can be said to represent the outside world only in respect of these features.
- 17. THE BRAIN AS COMPUTER 5 The Maintenance of Homeostasis by Selection of Responses One of the first questions to ask if we are to under- stand any machine is "What is it for?" As regards the brain, the answer may be phrased as follows. Brains are the computers of homeostats and the essence of homeo- stats is that they maintain a steady state. Put in another way, the most important fact about living things is that they remain alive. Curiously enough, this is not always the central theme in discussions of living pro- cesses, though perhaps it should be. It may imme- diately be objected that a principal characteristic of organisms is that they die, and although the point is irrelevant we must deal with it. Living things main- tain an astonishing stability. The mammals are older than the Rocky Mountains. But this survival is made possible only by a special device, which in a sense evades the problem. Permanent self-maintenance seems to be a logical impossibility. Every sort of ma- chine has defects and these can be repaired only by other special repair machines and so on ad infinitum. "What repairs the repairer that repairs the repairer . . . ?" Living things escape this regress by the subtle means that we ordinarily call reproduction. They do not attempt indefinite repair. At intervals they discard the whole machine, keeping only the instructions by means of which it is rebuilt. These instructions are then combined (in sexual organisms) with the set that built a slightly different machine, and with the com- bined instructions a new model that is slightly differ- ent from either of the old ones is produced.
- 18. 6 THE BRAIN AS COMPUTER Thus living systems do not avoid the paradox. They are not truly self-maintaining systems; they maintain an approximately constant organisation only by re- peatedly changing into something slightly different. This change is, of course, evolution, which thus ap- pears as the long-term aspect of homeostasis. This shows the significance of the life cycle of birth, growth, and death. The entity that is preserved is not the in- dividual but something greater, which goes on when each individual dies. T h e processes of reproduction and of evolution are direct continuations of the pro- cesses of control of bodily functions that we ordinarily deal with as the physiology of homeostasis. All control consists in selection of the right response from a repertoire of possible actions of the system. Or- ganisms remain alive by selecting at each moment of time the appropriate response. In the processes that we ordinarily call "physiological" we see how the ani- mal selects the right values, say of its heart rate, to suit the circumstances. In evolution there is similarly se- lection of the right instructions to allow survival. The changes of evolution are in effect long-term physiologi- cal adjustments, long-term homeostasis. T h e continuance of life for short term or long is thus dependent on selection of the response that is ap- propriate to whatever circumstances occur. We may define "information," at least for our present purposes, as the feature of any change in the communication channels of a homeostat that allows selection of an ap- propriate response. For adequate selection the basic instructions (or construction) of the homeostat must obviously correspond to the events that are likely to
- 19. Random documents with unrelated content Scribd suggests to you:
- 23. The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Evolution of Modern Band Saw Mills for Sawing Logs
- 24. This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Evolution of Modern Band Saw Mills for Sawing Logs Author: D. Clint Prescott Release date: October 31, 2017 [eBook #55863] Most recently updated: October 23, 2024 Language: English Credits: Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN BAND SAW MILLS FOR SAWING LOGS ***
- 25. The Evolution of Modern Band Saw Mills for Sawing Logs PRESENTED BY THE PRESCOTT COMPANY MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN COPYRIGHTED 1910 D. CLINT PRESCOTT
- 27. Preface The history herein given and the facts stated are taken from authentic records and also are the result of the personal experiences and observations of the author. It is intended to show the efforts made by the Saw Mill Machinery Builders of this country from about the year 1880 and thenceforward, to produce a Band Saw Mill that would render acceptable service to large saw mill operators. No attempt is made to display all of the productions of later days, the main object being to show the transition logically from earlier types to the splendid machines now built by THE PRESCOTT COMPANY of Menominee, Mich., under whose auspices this work has been published and is now presented to the Saw Mill world. By the author, D. CLINT PRESCOTT.
- 28. The Evolution of Modern Band Saw Mills for Sawing Logs It is not the purpose to begin this narrative with a history of the crude methods employed by our ancestors to obtain lumber for building purposes; it is enough to know that they were able to obtain the necessary material with which to provide homes for themselves, as well as establishments in which to carry on business, to say nothing of schools and houses of worship; and some lumber for these purposes they certainly did have, and it was not cut by anything like a modern saw mill, either. It is sufficient to state that we have advanced from the early Hand Whip Saw to machines in order about as follows: The Sash Saw, the Mulay Saw, the Round or Live Gang, the Slabbing Gang and its partner the Flat or Stock Gang; then the Circular or Rotary Mill, and lastly the Band Saw Mill, and one generation of men, some of whom are now alive, has seen all of these machines at regular work in saw mills sawing logs. In passing it may be of interest to state that the old Sash Saw was usually run by undershot water wheels, and a man would start a cut in the morning and then, go to plowing out in his field. By noon, that cut being finished, he would set over the log for another board, go home to dinner, after which he would resume his plowing, and by evening the second cut would be completed; so that by close attention to business a man could get two boards a day. A sawyer on one of these mills once told the writer that he could sit on a log that was being sawed and go to sleep. When the log had moved up far enough the saw would scratch him when it came down
- 29. and he then had plenty of time when the saw went up to wake up and get off the log before the saw came down again. But since then times have changed and we have progressed far away from the Stub Shot to the Circular Mill and to the Band Mill for sawing logs, the Stock Gang being still in use in some instances for sawing cants prepared by both of them. The use of the Band Mill in place of Circulars and Gangs became very desirable for two important reasons; one of them was that the saw kerf of a band saw is so much less than that of a circular saw that the saving in sawdust yielded a greater quantity of lumber from the logs, thus accomplishing a clear saving of valuable material. The other reason was that while Gangs made perfectly sawed lumber, they produced a great deal of cullen stock from rough or unsound logs, for as the saws are hung in the sash so must the lumber come out, and there is no way of varying the thicknesses to accommodate the quality of the stock. While a Band Mill will not cut so much lumber in a day as a Gang, it is a machine with which a log can be sawed to the best advantage, and that with a saw as thin as a gang saw. So that if the lumber coming from a Gang and often rated as cull, could have been sawed into piece or thick stuff, it would make it valuable and marketable. This made the Band Mill attractive, and lumbermen began to take an interest in it and to investigate the operations of those known to exist. The result of their inspections, however, was far from being satisfactory, because none of them were doing good work or anywhere near enough of it, and with exceedingly few exceptions the mill men rejected them and regarded them as an impracticable machine for sawing logs, and few dealers would buy lumber that was cut with a band saw. Mr. L. L. Hotchkiss who operated a mill in West Bay City, Mich., and was very desirous of saving as much of his logs as he could, told the writer that the men to whom he sold his lumber had refused to buy any of it if he cut it with a Band Mill.
- 30. A prominent lumberman of Minneapolis also told the writer that he would not take a Band Mill as a gift and be obliged to put it in and use it. And that was the prevailing view among mill men of the northwest generally in 1886. Band Mills that would satisfy the lumber manufacturers of Indiana and the valley of the Ohio where they were to be found, could never meet the requirements of the men of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Mississippi Valley as far south as St. Louis. Now what was the trouble? It was simply because a band saw if forced to do a satisfactory day’s work, invariably would cut snakey or crooked lumber; and even when sawing a small amount of lumber each end of a board would have a crook, showing that the saw for some reason would deflect from a true line when entering a log and also when leaving it, while the cut through the center might be quite straight; but in all cases the effort to push things so as to get a satisfactory day’s work as demanded by the northern mill men, would result in bad snakey lumber every time, and dealers did not want such lumber. Previous to 1887 there was not a Band Mill in existence for sawing logs that fully met the wishes of lumbermen engaged in large operations, although quite a number of such machines were then at work with varying success in mills owned by men who felt encouraged to try them. The builders of saw mill machinery were then studiously endeavoring to produce a Band Mill that would perform the full duty of making straight lumber and plenty of it, and a number of them had already devoted several years of hard work upon them. They appeared to know what the trouble was, but were greatly at a loss to know precisely how to correct it. The story of the trouble briefly told is as follows: A band saw runs on its wheels just the same as a belt runs on pulleys. The saw, just the same as a belt, has a tight side and also a slack side. The
- 31. tight side is on the log side and the slack side is opposite on the back side; and if for any reason the saw should slip on the lower or driving wheel, then in that case the momentum of the upper wheel would carry the slack over to the front or log side, and a snake or crook in the lumber would be the result. This was generally understood to be the trouble and various expedients, some of which were very amusing, were adopted (as hereinafter shown) by machinery builders, only to be discarded later as band mill construction developed.
- 32. THE HOFFMAN BAND SAW MILL Built by J. R. Hoffman & Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., and advertised in the NORTHWESTERN LUMBERMAN May 9, 1885 The first Band Mill to attract the attention of mill men was in operation at Fort Wayne, Ind., in a saw mill operated by the Hoffman Bros. They had used one for several years, and the writer visited their mill in 1885. They were then buying large first clear logs up in Michigan and sawing them into stuff for pigeon holes and other cabinet stock.
- 33. The wheels were of wood five feet in diameter, with rubber faces and iron spoke centers. Both wheels were alike. They used a saw five inches wide, which they procured in France, claiming that no saw makers in this country knew how to make a band saw, and they probably did not; but their operations attracted so much attention that they commenced to build and market Band Mills of the same character as the one in use by themselves, and they did sell quite a number of them. The iron work shown is mounted on a wooden post, and while this mill is insignificant when compared to our modern mills, it nevertheless made a serious impression upon the men who inspected it at work. J. J. Kennedy of Rib Lake, Wis., had one of them, and was the first man to employ a Prescott Steam Feed to operate its carriage, which he did under the protest of Hoffman’s expert who did not believe it could be used; but really it materially increased the cut of the little Hoffman mill.
- 34. Second Band Saw Mill of J. R. Hoffman & Co. Subsequently the mill of J. R. Hoffman & Co. was enlarged to an all iron Band Saw Mill. It was written up in the Nov. 28, 1885, issue of the Northwestern Lumberman, and thenceforward they advertised until they quit the business. An illustration of the mill is shown above.
- 35. Band Saw Mill of Cordesman & Egan Co. In the Dec. 15, 1883, issue of the Southern Lumberman, Cordesman & Egan Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio, enjoyed a write-up in connection with a new Band Mill for sawing logs which they had devised and placed on the market. It sold to some extent in the Ohio Valley, but never in the northwest. The wheels had wooden rims with rubber faces and both were alike.
- 36. Band Saw Mill of London, Berry & Orton Up to 1888, London, Berry & Orton of the Atlantic Works, Philadelphia, were builders of log Band Mills and enjoyed quite an extensive trade, and some of them found their way into the northwest. Their mill is here shown. The wheels were six feet in diameter with wood rims attached to a metal rim inside of them; the faces were rubber and the saws were six inches wide.
- 37. Band Saw Mill of Sinker-Davis Company Next we have the celebrated Gold Dust Mill built by Sinker-Davis Co. of Indianapolis, Ind. They were advertising this mill in the Southern Lumberman as early as 1884 and were building band mills for some time previous. Their improved mill of 1885 is here shown, wood rims with rubber faces composed the wheels, and their market was the middle sections of the country but never in the mills of the northwest.
- 38. Band Saw Mill of Smith, Myers & Schnier A Log Band Mill was also built at Cincinnati, Ohio, by Smith, Myers & Schnier, and this mill was advertised by them in the Mississippi Valley Lumberman as late as Mar. 9, 1888. It is a crude looking affair with wooden wheels built on iron flanges. They were builders of Band Mills, however, for many years previous and were in competition for business with those previously named.
- 39. BAND SAW MILL OF THE STEARNS MANUFACTURING CO. Inspected by the writer at Cadillac, Mich. in 1885 The operation of all these mills did not escape the careful attention of the men who were builders of the machinery found in the great lumber mills, realizing as they did that the right kind of a Band Mill for sawing logs was yet to be created, and they went at it. And to the Stearns Manufacturing Co. of Erie, Pa., must the credit be given for the first vigorous measures taken to introduce the band saw into the large mills of the country, and for their efforts to
- 40. convince lumbermen of their usefulness and value. To that end they built a mill having wheels nine feet in diameter for saws eight inches wide. The rims were of wood with rubber faces, and the spokes were of wrought pipe. It was their belief that a band saw would be less liable to crack if run on large wheels. In combination with this mill they mounted on the same frame a large circular arbor so that a lumberman could use either a Band or a Circular should he so desire. Mr. Wellington W. Cummer in 1887 Mr. Wellington Cummer, of Cadillac, Mich., was the first to install one of them in his mill; and no lumberman in this country has been more ready to adopt improved methods than he. Mill men generally do not wish to try machines they look upon as experimental in any respect, no matter how good they may appear; usually they want somebody else to try them first, overlooking the fact that an inventor must find some one broad enough to permit their mill to be used, or one who is willing perhaps to invest in a machine that apparently is
- 41. a good thing. Mr. Cummer was just the man for Mr. Stearns to apply to in the effort to introduce his new Band Mill. And looking back the writer recalls with so much pleasure the many delightful and helpful interviews had with him. What a comfort it is to an inventor to find a man of his qualities of mind and heart to whom he can go, knowing that he would surely be interested in whatever he might have to say. Such men move things, and Mr. Cummer did. Other mills of the Stearns Company were put in at Pequaming and Menominee, Mich., and also at Minneapolis, Minn. But these mills were not a complete success. They did serve, however, to open wide the eyes of the lumber world generally and set the pace for other machinery builders to follow. The Stearns Company finally abandoned this construction and adopted a plan modeled on the Hoffman mill, which they advertised in the Northwestern Lumberman, January 29, 1887. Their first mill, however, was the better of the two. The writer pauses here to pay a tribute to the memory of Mr. E. H. Stearns who possessed the brains from which sprung the splendid machinery built by the Stearns Company. To him more than to any other man living or dead, are the lumbermen of this country indebted for the mill equipments which brought the greatest success to them. He was the first man to give grace and beauty of design as well as strength to saw mill machinery. He was the first to produce carriages with accurately setting head blocks with self-receding knees, in place of the old time wooden head blocks with screw sets. The eccentric setting blocks, and subsequently the double acting set works, which we all now copy, came on the market through him. The big circulars with reversed top saw models of construction, came from him. Live Rollers and labor saving machines originated with him, as also did the splendid Gang Edgers which we now have in place of the old single saw edger with its traveling table. He designed and built the first of the special heavy class machinery required in California now largely in use in that state.
- 42. And yet, with all the splendid service he rendered the lumbermen of this country, he was allowed to go down to his death with not enough to pay his funeral expenses, and few to do him honor. The men with whom he dealt are now mostly dead, but the living successors should remember that to him they are largely indebted for the full measure of prosperity they now enjoy. Mr. E. H. Stearns in 1885
- 43. BAND SAW MILL OF E. P. ALLIS & CO. Described as the latest candidate in the NORTHWESTERN LUMBERMAN of January 9, 1886 In 1885 E. P. Allis & Co. of Milwaukee, Wis., actively began operations with Band Mills for sawing logs. In principle their constructions were similar to all the others heretofore named, but for nearly four years they persistently adhered to a mill having at least one glaring defect, namely, overhanging wheels; that is, there was no supporting boxes outside of them. In 1889 they corrected this defect.
- 44. But the amusing feature in the mill of E. P. Allis & Co. is shown in the effort to keep the slack slide of the saw on the back side of the mill where it belongs, and thus prevent making snakey or dishy lumber. The overhanging wheels, nine feet in diameter for eight-inch saws, are shown. The top wheel was almost entirely of wood, and the spokes were flat and wide, the object being to obtain an atmospheric resistance continually as a pull back on the cutting side of the saw. A tightener pulley was also applied to the saw on the rear side. This sounded good and they sold a lot of mills on the strength of it; but the wind that came from them would blow the sawyer out of the mill unless the wheel was boxed in, and finally it happened that a saw came off and the wheel did not meet with resistance enough to stop itself, but kept on going, and that burst the bubble. Attention is also directed to the fact that the combination of a circular saw with a band saw, as in the Stearns’ mill, was adopted by the Allis Company.
- 45. Second Band Saw Mill of E. P. Allis & Co. Improved Reliance Band Saw Mill of E. P. Allis & Co. Advertised in the Southern Lumberman, January 1, 1889, as the “best on earth.” This mill they continued to build until 1892. It shows metallic wheels and supporting arms outside of them as in the Stearns mills.
- 46. Band Saw Mill of Benjamin & Fischer Feby. 14, 1885, The Northwestern Lumberman caused a shiver to run through the mechanical world by publishing an account of “A New Entry,” and showing two illustrations of a Band Mill for sawing logs invented by Mr. Benjamin of the firm of Benjamin & Fischer of Chicago, Ill. It was extensively advertised, and really was an ingenious mill. It was intended to correct the defects existing in other mills which had made such crooked lumber, cracked saws, and performed all sorts of mischief, which they really had, and there was no doubt about it.
- 47. Apart from the fact that the lower wheel was much larger in diameter than the top wheel, the main distinguishing feature in the Benjamin mill was the application of a ball centrifugal governor to automatically adjust a tightener pulley impinging on the back side of the saw to instantly take up and prevent a slack from going over to the tight side and thereby making snakey, crooked lumber. One of these mills was erected at Chicago. A car of logs was brought there and many prominent mill men were invited to see the mill at work. A large number attended; but the mill did not satisfy any of them. There was just one thing Mr. Benjamin did not take into account, namely, a governor cannot act until there is a perceptible increase or diminution in the speed of an engine or a machine; consequently in a band mill it got in its work too late to stop the mischief. The mill never went into general service. Its wheels were of wood with rubber faces. * * * * * Early in 1886 Mr. Charles Esplin, of the Pray Manufacturing Co., of Minneapolis, Minn., built a Band Mill upon an entirely new principle, and one of them was operated that year by the Superior Lumber Co., of Ashland, Wis. It was illustrated and advertised in 1887 as “the only perfect Band Mill in use.” It transpired, however, that the analysis of band saw troubles and their causes as published by Mr. Esplin was truly perfect, but the Band Mill built by him to correct the troubles was imperfect to the extreme, as will be seen; and the wonder is that he did not see it himself, when clearly on the right track.
- 48. Band Saw Mill of Charles Esplin To understand this construction it is proper to state that the attempt is made to apply an exceedingly sensitive and automatic strain to the band saw; a strain instantly responsive to any change in the run of the saw, whether due to expansion or slippage; no matter what might happen the strain would always be uniform, and perfect lumber with lots of it would be the continual result. The top wheel with its shaft was mounted in fixed boxes, adjustable only in order to change saws. But the heavy lower wheel with its large shaft and belt pulley was mounted in boxes integral with an iron rocker or tightener frame to which was attached a long
- 49. weighted lever like an old fashioned safety valve lever; and the wheel thus equipped was placed in the saw. Thus it will be seen that the weight of the wheel with its shaft and the rocker frame, lever, weight and pulley, was employed to strain that saw downward automatically; and it was designed that this wheel acting through gravity should respond instantly to changes which might occur to the saw, whereby all slack would be taken up and a perfectly uniform tension be maintained. This kind of talk was certainly catchy with lumbermen for it also sounded good. There was, however, just one thing Mr. Esplin and others overlooked, namely, if an adjustment is at all necessary to meet changing conditions in a band saw running from 9,000 to 10,000 feet in a minute, then that adjustment must of necessity take place almost like a flash of lightning, and that automatically. Mr. Esplin’s lower wheel, boxing, shaft, belt pulley, rocker frame, lever and weight probably weighed four tons. Such a weight cannot move like a flash, and goes too far when it does move, and broken saws or snakey lumber were the logical result. The inertia of such a mass prevents quick action. This mill was a failure like the rest, and the designers of Band Saw Mills for sawing logs were left groping in darkness. To be sure, Band Mills to some extent were in use though largely under protest because of the poor lumber they made, the small quantities produced, and the troubles experienced with cracked and broken saws.
- 50. Cunningham Inclined Band Saw Mill It was in the same year, 1886, that The Filer & Stowell Co., of Milwaukee, Wis., flattered themselves into believing that other machinery builders did not really understand just how a Band Mill for sawing logs should be built, and being perfectly cognizant of the difficulties experienced and of the remedy to be applied, they designed and brought out and advertised the Cunningham Inclined Mill, an illustration of which is here shown. For a unique organization this mill took the cake. The idea of it was good, and it should have been a winner, but for some reason it
- 51. was not. They built and sold quite a number of them, and then later they changed to a more sensible kind of a mill. As will be observed, this mill inclined to the rear twenty or more degrees, with the result that the saw would enter a log like a circular saw, cutting under in a manner similar to the circular instead of straight down across the grain as band saws usually do. It was understood that a circular could do straight work and very much more daily than was possible with a band saw. It was, therefore, quite natural to suppose that if a band mill could be constructed so as to operate substantially like a circular with equal advantages, then there appeared no reason why it should not do as good work if not quite so much. At all events it was expected that this mill would do more work and better work than any of its predecessors. But it did not, and proved to be quite a nuisance as it required about six men to place the saw on its wheels every time they were changed; and the mill went out of use.
- 52. Band Saw Mill of Wilson & Hendrie In 1886 Wilson & Hendrie, of Montague, Mich., tried their hand at Band Mill construction. Their mill as here shown is an enlarged copy of the Hoffman mill, but having a cast frame of apparently large dimensions. Locally this mill may have gone into use to some extent, but it found no market among saw mills generally.
- 53. Welcome to our website – the perfect destination for book lovers and knowledge seekers. We believe that every book holds a new world, offering opportunities for learning, discovery, and personal growth. That’s why we are dedicated to bringing you a diverse collection of books, ranging from classic literature and specialized publications to self-development guides and children's books. More than just a book-buying platform, we strive to be a bridge connecting you with timeless cultural and intellectual values. With an elegant, user-friendly interface and a smart search system, you can quickly find the books that best suit your interests. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery services help you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading. Join us on a journey of knowledge exploration, passion nurturing, and personal growth every day! ebookbell.com