Who invented the shaper machine tool?
James Nasmyth is credited with inventing the shaper in 1836, according to Roe (1916). Samuel Bentham had developed an earlier version of a shaper between 1791 and 1793.
Questions about Shaper
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is a shaper machine used for?
A shaper is used to cut straight, flat surfaces on metal workpieces using a single-point cutting tool that moves in a linear stroke. It can also cut keyways, dovetail slides, internal splines, gear teeth, and irregularly shaped internal features that are difficult to produce with milling or boring tools.
How does a shaper machine work?
A shaper clamps a single-point cutting tool in a tool holder on a ram that slides back and forth above a stationary workpiece. Cutting takes place on the forward stroke; the return stroke is idle and governed by a quick return mechanism that moves the ram faster on the return than on the cutting stroke. The workpiece is advanced by a pawl and ratchet mechanism between strokes.
What is the difference between a shaper and a planer?
In a metalworking shaper, the cutter rides a ram that moves relative to a stationary workpiece. In a metalworking planer, the workpiece moves beneath a stationary cutter. Both machines cut in a linear motion, making them analogous in function but opposite in which part moves.
Are shaper machines still used today?
Shapers are still used in many machine shops, including jobbing shops, repair shops, and tool-and-die shops, where only one or a few pieces are required and alternatives are cost- or tooling-intensive. They also retain considerable appeal among hobbyist machinists, some of whom build new shapers from scratch.
What is the difference between a vertical shaper and a slotting machine?
A vertical shaper and a slotting machine are essentially the same tool. The technical distinction is that a true vertical shaper has a slide that can be moved from the vertical, while a slotter is fixed in the vertical plane. Vertical shapers are generally fitted with a rotary table to allow curved surfaces to be machined.