The document discusses different types of shaper machines and their mechanisms. A shaper machine removes material from a workpiece to produce flat surfaces. It holds a single-point cutting tool that reciprocates over the stationary workpiece. There are three main types - crank, gear, and hydraulic - which differ in how they convert rotational motion into the reciprocating motion of the ram. A quick return mechanism is also described, allowing the return stroke of the ram to be faster than the cutting forward stroke to reduce total machine time.