Amador County Biographies

ISAAC LEPLEY

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


It is to be regretted that we have no personal history of this distinguished inventor. We can only 
form an opinion of his early days by the fruits of his matured mind and judgment. Those who are 
familiar with mining will appreciate the value of the machine at sight. For the information of many of 
our readers who have never seen a mine, we may explain that thousands of framed timbers are put 
into the mines; some to secure the walls from coming together when the vein matter is extracted; 
some to secure the passages from one part of the mine to the other, in short, timber is wanted 
everywhere, with mortises and corresponding tenons or slots, as the case may be. In a building every 
stick is planned beforehand; a hundred men may work at the different parts, but in a mine no one 
knows what is wanted until the emergency comes. The bell rings; an order comes for a timber of certain 
dimensions with tenons and slots; the safety of the mine, perhaps of human lives, depends upon 
having it immediately. Some times dozens of carpenters are kept in waiting for such emergencies; when 
the order comes they jump on a log and work as if at a fire; but haste and want of space makes confusion, 
and liability of mistakes and accidents. The automatic timber-framing machine is equal to a dozen 
carpenters. The powerful cutting head, which, by means of hand screws, is easily handled, bends down to 
the log and rapidly chips a tenon or a slot, cutting a bevel or a circle at the will of the operator; makes a 
mortise, enlarges it to the required dimensions, and in a moment the piece goes whizzing down the shaft 
a thousand feet, ready to go in where the cracking timbers and crumbling rocks indicate a coming disaster, 
and the danger is averted. The following description, with accompanying engraving, from the Scientific and 
Mining Press, will be read with pleasure : 

Isaac Lepley, of Amador City, Amador county, has recently invented a novel piece of mechanism, 
which is intended for the framing of timbers of all kinds, which are to be joined together. One of the 
machines is now in operation at the Keystone  Consolidated mine, Amador. 

The invention consists in the employment of a cutter head or heads, which are caused to rotate upon a 
suitable frame, and this frame is moved both vertically and horizontally by means of slides and guides, 
so that the cutters may be carried across the timbers upon either one or all four sides to form a tenon, dove 
tail, or other cut; and if desired, a round tenon may be formed by the use of a link which has one end 
fixed to the frame, so that the slides will move in a manner to carry the tool around in a circle. 

In the engraving, A represents the cutter head, which is caused to rotate upon its shaft by a belt to 
the pulley, B, so that the cutter acts as a planer. It may be of sufficient height for the tenon to be cut, 
or by moving the timber or carriage the length desired may be cut at two or more operations. Its 
shaft is journaled at the top of a frame, C. This frame is moved up and down in guides upon the 
frame, E, by means of friction rollers, F, which press against a vertical central bar, A", which extends 
parallel with the frame, C. These rollers, F, are driven by pinions upon their shafts, and a hand wheel or 
other device upon a main shaft at the end of the machine, as shown. 

The frame, E, is also adapted to move horizontally upon the main frame, G, by means of similar gearing 
to that which moves the frame, C, and by these two motions, it will be seen that the cutters may be 
moved in any direction. The log is laid upon a carriage with its end near the frame, and its height is 
so adjusted, that when the frame, E, is moved across horizontally, the revolving cutters will be carried 
across, so as to make a cut to the depth desired. 

The frame, C, is then moved downward, and the cutters will cut the vertical face upon one side. The 
frame, C, then remains stationary, while the frame, E, is moved horizontally backward upon the guides 
on the main frame, and the cutters will complete the lower part of the tenon. The frame, E, is then held 
stationary and the frame, C, is again moved upward, so that the cutters will be carried upward across the 
remaining side, and the tenon will be finished. 

The cutters are blades secured to a head similar to those used upon planer-heads, but in order to make 
the vertical cut at the inner end of the tenon so that it will present a clean, square surface, sliding plates 
are fitted to move in grooves on the end of the planer-head. Their outer ends are toothed, or formed so as 
to make the proper cut, and they are held in place by set-screws. 

In order to allow the cutter shaft and its driving pulley to move in the directions and to the distances 
as described, the belt which drives it is carried over tightening pulleys, suitably arranged in sliding 
frames with weights. 

The tenons here described are those which are usually made upon the ends of timbers in timbering 
up mines. The timbers are united, and these tenons allow the timbers to be properly set together. It 
will be obvious, however, that this apparatus may be employed to make any kind of a cut on a timber, or 
to square up the ends of timber, as the cutter may be moved in any direction required. Upon the end 
of the cutter shaft, opposite the planer-head, is a peculiarly shaped boring and cutting tool, J, which 
is intended to form mortises either in the sides or ends of timbers. The end of this tool is nearly flat, but is 
provided with a cutting bit, which enables it to enter the timber as far as may be desired. 

The sides of the tool (which is cylindrical in shape) are cutaway so as to form an enclosed cutting edge, 
and after it has entered the timber far enough to give the required depth, the frame, E, may be moved 
upon the frame, G, where the side cutter will cut away the wood until the mortise is as long as desired. 
The same style of cutter may be employed to form what is termed the boxing, or the depression which 
is cut across the timber equal to the length of the mortise, to receive the foot -of the timber which is 
tenoned to fit the mortise. 

The tenon to fit the mortise is formed by the cutter, A, in the same manner as has been described, 
except that the ends must be rounded to fit the ends of the mortise, which may be left curved by the 
tool, J. In order to make these rounded ends to the tenon, it is necessary to produce a compound 
motion of the two frames, C and E, one of which, as before described, moves vertically, while the other 
moves horizontally. 

This compound motion is produced by the aid of the arm, K, which has one end pivoted to the side of 
the vertically moving frame, C. The opposite end is adapted to slip into a slot in a block, L, which is 
pivoted to a slide, M, this slide moving in a slot in the bar, N, which extends from end to end of the frame, 
G, and inside the frames, E and C. Two stops, O, are fitted to be moved to or from each other by the long 
right and left screw, P, these stops having projections which enter the slot in the bar, N, and they serve to 
limit the motion of the slide, M, and block, L. When a tenon is to be made with rounded ends, the bar or 
arm, K, is slipped through the slot in the block, L, and is secured by a set screw. This arm is secured 
at a distance from the point about which the arm turns, equal to half the thickness of the proposed 
tenon, added to the whole diameter of the cutter-head, as the latter must pass all around the tenon. 

The stops, O, are adjusted by turning the screw, P, until they are at a distance apart equal to the width 
of the tenon to be made, plus the diameter of the cutter-head. 

The operation will thus be as follows: The frame, C. being set at a point which will allow the cutter to 
form the top of the tenon, the frame, E, is moved horizontally upon the main frame, G, until the slide, 
M, has moved the distance between the stops, O. This carries the cutter across the top of the tenon to 
the point where the curve of one side or edge commences. From this point the frame, C, is moved 
downward, and the frame, E, horizontally, the arm, K, acting as the radius or link to hold the frames in 
their relative positions and cutter to its work, until it has passed around the side, and formed the curve at 
that part of the tenon. The arm, K, having then passed around its pivot to form a half circle, the frame, 
C, is allowed to remain stationary, and the frame, E, is moved along to allow the cutter to form the bottom 
of the tenon, the slide, M, moving the distance between the stops, O. From this point the curve at 
the opposite side of the tenon is formed in the same manner as before described. 

If it is desired to form a complete cylindrical tenon, the stops, O, are curved up close to the slide, M, the 
block, L, having been secured to the arm, K, at a distance from the centre pivot equal to half the diameter 
of the proposed tenon, plus the diameter of the cutter, and the frames, C and E, are then moved 
simultaneously, so as to produce a compound movement, the resultant of which will be to form a cylindrical 
tenon. 

This machine is applicable to work upon any form of timber, and make any kind of a cut. The tool, J, 
may be made with cutters which can be detached to be sharpened or renewed. Mr. Lepley, who may 
be addressed for further information, at Amador City, has applied for a patent for his invention 
through the Mining and Scientific Press Patent Agency. 

History of Amador, California With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches 
of its Prominent Men and PioneersOakland, California, Thompson and West, 
1881.