Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
I, JASPER WETTER, of the firm of Fairfax & Wetter, Patent Agents and Con-
sulting Engineers, of 133 Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to paper stitching mechanism applicable to paper folding
machines, the object being to fold and stitch paper at the same time.
The peculiar features of this apparatus consist primarily in special mechanism for
seizing the thread, for drawing out the thread and for cutting it off. For the
simultaneous production of several stitches the thread is cut into several pieces, which
operation is performed by the said mechanism at a certain distance from the stitching
line, the pieces being subsequently transported to the stitching line by clips. The
shears are not made in the manner of ordinary scissors, (that is, with pivotal notion),
but like metal shears the blades or cutiers being formed by prismatic bars made
from drawn steel and sharpened at opposite edges, so that their fundamental shape
will not be altered by subsequent sharpening, and that they may be adjusted and moved
like slides.
The thread drawn off a spool is introduced into the eyelet at the outer end of the
thread carrier of the thread drawing mechanism, and passes through one or more
additional eyelets of the thread carrier according to the tension required. The
extremity of the thread projecting from the pointed inner end of the thread carrier is
held with slight pressure by a clip a few millimetres in front of the last cyclet.
The thread carrier is fixed on a horizontally movable slide and may be easily taken
off for introducing the thread into the eyelets. The said thread carrier slide is mounted
on a horizontal guide bar and adapted to slide thereon. When the slide is in its
extreme right hand position, the thread is seized by a stationary thread catcher. For
this purpose the vertically moveable slide forming part of the thread catcher rises up
between the clip and the last eyelet of the thread carrier and presses the thread against
a counter piece situated immediately above the same. While the extremity is thus
firmly held, the thread carrier travels to the left. The clip mentioned above being
mounted on a pivoted axle, slips at the beginning of the motion over the resistance
formed by the raised slide of the thread catcher, and releases the extremity of the
thread at the outside. By forcing back a helical spring, mounted on the clip axlo,
D

page_text: into its original position, the clip seizes the thread again on the inner side, but so
lightly as to produce only a slight friction on the thread which is being drawn out
without interfering with the motion of the slide.
When subsequently the thread carrier slide has arrived at its extreme left hand
position, the thread, having been drawn out to a certain length, is seized at several
points by a series of clips arranged in pairs. Subsequently the vertical thread catcher
slide drops, so as to release the outer extremity of the thread which is simultaneously
cut between adjoining pairs of shears by the shearing mechanism.
The shearing mechanism is constructed as follows. Each of the shearing tools
consists of an inclined upper blade or knife and an upright lower blade or knife
adapted to slide vertically towards and from the lower end of the upper blade. The
blades are made of steel bars of flat rectangular section, the ends placed opposite to
each other being sharpened at the required angle. The upper blade is supported by
a vertical post projecting with its lower end into an extension of the vertical groove
containing the lower blade, thereby ensuring that the cutting edges of the two blades
are exactly in the same plane. To the side of the lower or moveable blade is secured
horizontally projecting adjustable stud, and the studs of the whole row of shearing
tools project into a fork mounted on a horizontal shaft, the oscillations of which impari
motion to the sliding blades.
EL
The thread catchers are also set in motion by the fork, just mentioned; which forms
a groove parallel to the shaft of the fork. This motion is effected by means of a knee
lever mechanism comprising a vertical plate forming an angle lever, and a short link
connecting the top of this plate with the lower end of the thread catching slide
mentioned above. When the knee lever mechanism is near its dead centre, the thread
catching slide is pressed upward against the counter piece held in the same manner as
the upper blade of the shears. The said vertical plate or angle lever has at the lower
end a lateral stud projecting into the fork, like the horizontal studs of the sliding shear
blades, but which is thinner than the said studs in order to allow the fork a certain
amount of dead motion.
:
The short pieces of thread, formed as described, and held by the clips, are trans-
ported by a quarter turn of the clips into the immediate proximity of the stitching
line that is to say, the line in which the stitches will be situated. They reach this
position at the same moment when the hooked needles have pierced the papers held
between a pair of vertical plates. The hooked needles are secured to the extremity of
an arm attached to the lower end of a double armed oscillating beam, and draw the
ends of the short pieces of thread through the paper, whereby the sheet is bound.
By lengthening or shortening the motion of the thread carrying slide, and by
reducing or increasing the number of needles and shears, the number and length of
stitches may be varied. Each of the clips which seize the thread, consists of a hook
fixed on cross bar or clip holder, and of an oscillating presser. The pressers are
mounted loosely between rings on a horizontal shaft, having its bearings on the said
cross bar. The rings mounted between a pair of pressers are fixed on the shaft, and
the pressers are pressed against them by helical springs, which cause the pressers to
take part in the oscillating motion of the said horizontal shaft by friction. The said
hooks have at their point a projection, which, when the thread is being seized, rests
against the thread, while the presser forces the same into the groove of the hook, and
thus holds it fast.
The horizontal bar mentioned above is held by two arms fixed on a horizontal shaft,
which by making a quarter of a revolution, change the position of the clips and cause
the latter to place their pieces of thread on the hook needles.
After the sheet has been stitched, it receives the last fold, in the known manner, by
a horizontal blade of the folding machine, to which the stitching apparatus is attached;
and passes out between two pairs of rollers.
The motions of the various mechanisms are derived from a crank which imparts
oscillating motion to a sector by means of a connecting rod. This sector is mounted
on a horizontal shaft and provided with a lever or radial arm adapted to set in motion
a lever mounted on another horizontal axle, by means of a link. This lever is allowed

page_text: to iurn on its axle, and has a projection acting on a fork fixed on the axle of the lever,
and imparting to the said shaft the quarter turn mentioned above as being necessary
for transporting the short pieces of thread by means of the clips. The said projection
has some clearance or dead motion in the fork, for a purpose which will be explained
later on.
The sector mentioned above produces, also, the motion of the large balance lever
carrying the needles, by means of a connecting rod and a lever mounted on the sector
shaft.
A third motion is that of the thread drawing mechanism or thread carrier slide,
which is derived from the sector shaft by means of a pair of bevel wheels; a lever;
a connecting rod actuating a second lever, provided with a series of holes for attaching
a second connecting rod at a variable radius; and a pair of levers mounted on the
same horizontal shaft, one lever being actuated by the second connecting rod, while
the other is connected with the thread carrier slide by a link.
All other motions are produced by the peculiar combination of the sector with a
four armed cam, the arms of which come in contact with a pair of rollers, as well as
with the circumference of the sector, and with a lateral projection of the same, in the
following manner.
Two of the said arms are situated in the same plane and provided with rollers which
touch the circumference of the sector and keep the cam in its middle position during
the greatest part of an oscillation of the sector. Towards the end of the oscillation,
one of the rollers secured to the sector presses on the contiguous arm of the cam and
causes the latter to make an oscillation. This oscillation causes the thread to be held
by the thread catcher mentioned above, because a curved lever fixed on the cam shaft
is provided with a projecting pin which imparts to the fork shaft (mentioned above)
by means of a link and a lever, an oscillating motion adapted to lift the vertically
sliding rod of the thread catcher, as before mentioned.
During this motion the cross bar carrying the clips arrives in the position at which
the sector begins its return motion, and the hook needles draw the thread, while the
cross bar stops for a short time owing to the clearance space of the fork, as before
stated. Thereupon the clips open and release the ends of the short pieces of the
thread. This opening is caused by the action of the lateral projection of the sector on
the third arm of the four-armed cam piece, mentioned above the latter being thereby
conducted back into its middle position. This oscillation of the cam and of the lever
fixed on the cam shaft, has no effect on the thread seizing appliance previously closed,
in spite of the motion of the fork which is caused thereby in consequence of the
clearance allowed for the pin in this fork as mentioned above. On the other hand
the oscillation of the cam and cam shaft is transmitied by a connecting rod upon an
angle lever provided with a pin which acts on an arm fixed on the horizontal clip-
shaft, and causes the clips to open. The sector continues its motion and while the
clips are thereby raised, the cam remains in its middle position. On approaching the
dead centre, one of the rollers secured to the sector acis on the fork formed by two
arms of the cam, in consequence of which the cata makes a rotary motion in the same
direction as before. This notion causes, firstly, the clips to close and thereby to seize
the thread, owing to the action of the pin of the cam shaft lever upon the arm mentioned
above. The same oscillation causes, secondly, a further turning of the fork by the
connection of mechanism already described, in consequence of which the thread
catching appliance opens, and at the same time the thread is cut off.
When the motion of the sector is reversed, one of the friction rollers secured to the
sector causes the cam to return at once to the middle position, in consequence of which
the shear blades descend, while the opened thread catcher remains at rest during the
dead motion of the pin in the fork. The clips transport the pieces of thread again
upon the hook needles, and the whole operation of the machine is repeated.
1037
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMITIE SIECIFICATION.
Stitching or Binding Machinery Applicable to Machines for Folding
Sheets of Paper and similar Materials.
1, JASPER WETTER, of the firm of Fairfax & Wetter, Patent Agents and Consulting
Engineers, of 483, Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to paper stitching mechanism applicable to paper folding
machines, the object being to fold and stitch paper at the same time.
The peculiar features of this apparatus consist primarily in special mechanism for
seizing the thread, for drawing out the thread, and for cutting it off. For the
simultaneous production of several stitches the thread is cut into several pieces, which
operation is performed by the said mechanism at a certain distance from the stitching
line, the pieces being subsequently transported to the stitching line by clips, whereas
in the machines hitherto known, the pieces of thread have been formed in close
proximity to this place. By the new arrangement, the working parts are rendered
visible and easily accessible.
The shears are not made in the manner of ordinary scissors (that is with pivotal
motion) but like metal shears, the blades or cutters being formed by prismatic bars
made from drawn steel and sharpened at opposite edges, so that their fundamental
shape will not be altered by subsequent sharpening, and that they may be adjusted
and moved like slides.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, along line A-B of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 a horizontal section along line C-D of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3a front elevation of a machine or mechanism embodying this invention.
The remaining figures represent details.
Fig. 4 showing in vertical section the mechanism for cutting off the thread, as well
as the clips which transport the thread, and
Fig. 5 showing the said clips in plan.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation and vertical section of the mechanism for holding the
thread.
Fig. 7a front elevation and vertical section of the mechanism for holding and
cutting off the thread (along line E-F of Fig. 4).
Fig. 8 a plan of details shown in Fig. 7.
Figs. 9 and 10 are two views of a stitched sheet.
The thread drawn off a spool y is introduced into an eyelet at the outer end of the
arm of the thread drawing mechanism or feeder a, and passes through one or more
other eyelets of the said arm, according to the tension required.
The extremity of the thread, as it leaves the inner end of the said arm, is held with
slight pressure by a spring clip 2 a few millimetres in front of the last cyclet.
The thread feeder is fixed on a horizontally movable slide and may be easily taken
off for introducing the thread into the eyelet.
The said thread feeder 3 is mounted on a horizontal guide-bar 4 and adapted to
slide thereon. When the slide 3 is in its extreme right-hand position represented by
the drawings, the thread is seized by a thread-holder. For this purpose the vertically
movable slide 5 forming part of the thread holder b, rises up between the spring and
the last eyelet of the thread feeder and presses the thread against a counter piece 15

page_text: situated immediately above the same. While the extremity of the thread is thus
firmly held, the thread feeder 3 travels to the left. The clip 2 being mounted on a
pivoted axle 6, slips at the beginning of the motion over the resistance formed by the
raise slide 5 of the thread holder and releases the extremity of the thread in order to
seize it again on the opposite side, and is subsequently carried back into its original
position by a helical spring mounted on the clip-axle. The clip 2 holds the thread
with so little pressure that it may slide casily during the motion of the feeder 3.
When subsequently the thread feeder has arrived at its extreme left hand
position, the thread, having been drawn out to a certain length, is seized at several
points by a series of clips arranged in pairs. Subsequently the rod 5 holding its
extremity drops, thereby releasing the thread, which is simultaneously cut by the
shears d'd, is situated between each pair of clips.
The shearing mechanism is constructed as follows:
Each of the shearing tools consists of an inclined upper blade 7 and a lower blade
or knife 8 adapted to slide vertically towards and from the lower end of the upper
blade. The blades are made of steel bars of flat rectangular section, the lower end of 7
and the upper end of 8 being sharpened at the required angle. The upper blade 7 is
supported by a vertical post or plate 9 situated in the same plane as the blade S. To
the blade S is secured a horizontally projecting stud or axle in such a manner that it
may be shifted along the blade 8 after the latter has been shortened by sharpening.
The axles 10, 10 of the whole row of shearing tools project into a fork II mounted on
a horizontal shaft. 12, the oscillations of which impart motion to the sliding blades
or shears.
The sliding rods 5 of the thread holders are also set in motion by the fork 11.
which forms a groove parallel to the shaft of the fork. This motion is effected by
means of a knee-lever mechanism comprising a vertical plate 18 forming an angle
lever, and a pair of short links 14 connecting the top of the plate with the lower end
of the thread holding slide 5 (Fig. 6). When the knee-lever mechanism is near its
dead centre, the thread holding slide 5 is pressed upward against the counter piece 15
held in the same manner as the fixed blades 7 of the shears. The said plate or
angle lever 13 has at the lower end a lateral stud 16 projecting into the fork, like the
studs 10 of the sliding shear blades, but which is thinner than the said studs in order
to allow the fork a certain amount of dead motion or play relatively to the thread
holder.
Transporting the pieces of thread. The short pieces of thread formed as described,
and held by the clips 6, 6, are transported by a quarter turn of the clip carrier into
the immediate proximity of the stitching line, that is to say, the line in which the
stitches will be situated. They reach this position at the same moment, when the
hooked needless have pierced the paper (represented by a line 16-16) held between
a pair of vertical plates, 17 and 18.
These needles ss are screwed to the extremity of arms attached to the oscillating
beam 19, and draw the ends of the short pieces of thread through the paper, in the
known manner whereby the sheet is bound.
By lengthening or shortening the motion of the thread-feeder or drawing slide,
and by reducing the number of needles and shears, the number and length of stitches
be varied.
may
Each of the clips which seize the thread, consists of a hook 20 fixed on the cross
bar or clip-holder; and of an oscillating presser 21. The pressers are mounted
loosely between rings on a horizontal shaft 22, having its bearings on the said
cross beam. The rings mounted between each pair of pressers are fixed on the
shaft, and the pressers are pressed against them by helical springs, which cause the
pressers to takes part in the oscillating motion of the said horizontal shaft by friction.
The hooks 20 have at their point a projection which comes in contact with the
thread in order to guide it while the presser is being closed and forces the thread into
the hook, thus holding the thread.
The horizonial cross bar is held by two arms 23, fixed on a horizontal shaft 33,
and makes about a quarter of a revolution from the position Fig. 4 in which the clips

page_text: take up the thread, into the position Fig. 1, in which they place their pieces of thread
on the hook needles.
After the sheet has been stitched. it receives the last fold in the known manner by
a horizontal blade 21 of the folding machine to which the stitching apparatus is
attached, and passes ou between two pairs of rollers 25, 26, in the sewn state
represented by Figs. 9 and 10.
The motions of the various mechanisms are derived from a crank 27 which imparts
oscillating motion to a sector g by means of a connecting rod 29. This sector is
mounted on a horizontal shaft, 28, and provided with a lever or radial arm 30, adapted
to set in motion a lever 32, mounted on the axle 38, by means of a link 31. This
lever is allowed to turn on the axle 38, of the clip carrier, but has a projection
acting on a fork 34 fixed on the said axle 33, thereby imparting to the said shaft the
quarter turn mentioned above as being necessary for transporting the short pieces of
thread by means of the clips c. c. The said projection has some clearance or dead
motion in the fork 34, during which motion the shaft 33 remains stationary, in order
to allow the necessary time for the motions of the clips, which take place at the
beginning of each oscillation.
The sector produces also the motion of the large balance lever 19 carrying the
needles, by means of a connecting rod 35 and a lever 36 mounted on the sector
shaft.
A third motion is that of the thread-drawing mechanism or thread feeding slide, 3,
which is derived from the sector shaft 28 by means of a pair of bevel wheels 37, a
lever 38, a connecting rod 39 actuating a second lever 40 provided with a series of
holes for attaching a second connecting rod 41 at a variable radius, and a pair of
levers 42, 42 mounted on the same horizontal shaft, one lever being actuated by
the connecting rod 41, while the other is connected with the thread feeder slide by a
link 43.
All other motions are produced by the peculiar combination of the sector with at
piece fixed on the same shaft as the piece ².
The part constitutes a four armed lever Z, Z, Z, Z.
Two opposite armis Z, Z are provided with rollers which roll on the concentric
part of the circumference of the sector, thus allowing the part to remain at rest in
its middle position (shown by the drawing) during the greatest part of an oscillation
of the sector. But the sector carries two rollers r,, one of which is at each
extremity of the concentric part of the circumference. Towards the end of the
oscillation, the roller secured to the sector presses on the arm Z" of the cam h, and
causes the latter to make an oscillation. This oscillation causes the thread to be held
by the rod 5 mentioned above, because a lever i fixed on the cam shaft is provided
with a projecting pin a which imparts to the fork-shaft 12 by means of a link 44 and
a lever 45, an oscillating motion adapted to lift the vertically sliding rod 5, as
described.
During this motion the cross bar carrying the thread-clips arrives in the position
of Fig. 1. at which the sector g begins to return and the hook needles s, s seize the
ends of the pieces of thread which have been cut off, and released by the clips c,
while the cross bar stops for a short time owing to the clearance space of the fork 3-4
mentioned above.
This opening of the clips and releasing of the short pieces of thread is caused by
the impact of a lateral projection of the sector with the arm of the four-armed
cam-piece mentioned above, the latter being thereby conducted back into its middle
position. This oscillation of hand has no effect on the previously closed
thread holder b, in spite of the motion of the fork 11, caused thereby, in consequence
of the clearance allowed for the pin 46 in this fork 11 as mentioned above.
On the other hand, the oscillation of the cams and is transmitted by the
connecting rod 47 upon an angle lever 18 provided with a pin which acts on an
arm 49 or click fixed on the horizontal clip-shaft 22, and causes the clips to open.
While the sector continues its motion, the clips e are thereby raised into the position
of Fig. 4, the cam remaining in its middle position.

page_text: On approaching the dead centre, the roller o secured to the other end of the sector
acts on the fork formed by the arms Z and Z¹ of the cam h, in consequence of which
the cam makes a rotary motion in the same direction which it had before. This
motion causes firstly the clips to close and thereby to seize the thread, owing to the
action of the pin of the piece upon the arm 49, which at this moment is in its
upper position. The same oscillation causes secondly a further turning of the fork 11,
in consequence of which the thread holder & opens, that is, the slide 5 descends, and
at the same time the thread is cut off by the shears d, d.
When the motion of the sector is reversed, the roller e causes the cam h to return
at once into the middle position, the shear blades & descend, while the opened thread
holder remains at rest, owing to the dead motion of the pin 46 in the fork. The
clips e, e transport the pieces of thread again upon the hook needles, and the whole
operation of the machine is repeated.
The separate sections of the hook (or the groups of sheets thus formed by stitching)
are subsequently joined together in the well-known manner, to form a book; paper or
woven fabric, or tapes are pasted on the back or edge, whereby the projecting ends of
the threads are firmly pasted in (or over the tapes,) thus forming an ordinary
pamphlet with paper-cover, or a sort of binding on tapes or bands.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare, that what I claim is:
1. The combination of thread-holding, feeding (or drawing) and cutting
mechanisms (b, a and d) situated on a guide beam at a distance from the stitching
line and adapted to form the desired number or lengths of threads, with mechanism
for transporting the said lengths or pieces of thread to the stitching line, said
mechanism comprising clips c, e arranged in pairs and adapted to describe a quarter of
a revolution with the beam /
2. The thread-holding mechanism (b) comprising a sliding rod 5 adapted to be
pressed against a counter-piece 15 by means of a knee-lever appliance, such as
plate 18 and link 14.
3. The mechanism for cutting the thread into short lengths for the simultaneous
formation of a corresponding number of stitches, said mechanism consisting sub-
stantially of shearing appliances d, d each of which has a slide 8 sharpened at its
extremity (and set in motion by fork 11) and a similar counter-blade 7 held in the
cutting plane by a post or plate 9.
1. The use of a spring clip 2 pivoted on the axle 6, and situated in front of the
last eyelet of the thread feeder a, for maintaining the tension of the thread as it comes
out of the evelet.
5. An oscillating sector g adapted to receive motion from the crank 27, and to
operate the needle carrier 19, the thread feeding or drawing appliance a, and the
thread transporting mechanism, by means of levers (36, 58, 40, 42, 42-; 30 and 32);
their connectious (35; 39, 41, 43; 81) and bevel gearing (37).
6. The combination of sector g, with multiple cam or lever for producing from
its oscillating motion the motions of the mechanism for holding the thread (b), for
clipping and releasing the thread (e), and for cutting off the thread (d), by means of
friction rollers v, e¹ and projections of the sector y in contact with the different arms
or branches of the piece h.
Dated this 9th day of December 1887.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
488, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.