IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING TEXTILE FABRICS, LEATHER, PAPER, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING TEXTILE
FABRICS, LEATHER, PAPER, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Albin Warth, of Stapleton, Manufacturer, and
William Frederick Jobbins, of the City of New York, Merchant,
both in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd May 1872, and dated the 19th February 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 19th February 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 19th February 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: OTHER LIKE
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR CUTTING TEXTILE FABRICS, LEATHER, PAPER, AND
MATERIALS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com- 5
municated to me from abroad by Albin Warth, of Stapleton, Manu-
facturer, and William Frederick Jobbins, of the City of New York,
Merchant, both in the State of New York, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and 1
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification.
The first part of this Invention relates to certain improvements in 1
that class of machines for cutting textile fabrics and other materials in
which a reciprocating knife is used as the cutting instrument.
These improvements consist in the arrangement of a spring stop in
combination with the lifter of the presser slide in such a manner that
when the presser slide is raised and the spring stop is forced in and the
lifter of the presser slide is released, the downward pressure of the lifter
retains the stop against the action of the spring, and by slightly
raising the lifter the spring stop is released automatically, and the
presser slide can be brought in its working position by the aid of
one head.
Also in the arrangement of a protector covering the knife and
forming a guard to prevent the workman from cutting his finger, and
also a guide whereby the workman is enabled to direct the course of
the knife with accuracy.
Also in the arrangement of an index on or in the protector to indicate
the end of the cutting edge, and to enable the workman to cut exactly
to the desired point.
Further, in the arrangement of a hollow column rising from the
platform which supports the cutting mechanism, said hollow column
forming a passage for both strands of the belt which transmits the
motion from the lower to the upper feed wheel, thus protecting said

page_text: belt from getting soiled by the lubricating material applied to the
cutter bar.
Also in the arrangement of a graduated stop under the lifter of
the presser slide to regulate the distance between the lower and
5 upper feed wheel, and to prevent the upper feed wheel from striking
against the surface of the lower feed wheel.
Further in the arrangement of a cog wheel on the side of the lower
feed wheel to transmit its motion to the upper feed wheel while the
working surface of the lower feed wheel is left smooth.
Also in the arrangement of an eccentric pin forming the bearing for
the pinion which gears in the cog wheel attached to the feed wheel, so
that if the feed wheel is adjusted up or down the position of the pinion
can be regulated accordingly, simply by turning the eccentric bearing.
Also in the arrangement of a lever and pulleys in combination with
3 the presser slide and the belt transferring motion from the lower to the
upper feed wheel in such a manner that the tension of said belt can be
regulated, and that the same is not affected by the rising and falling
motion of the presser slide.
Further in the arrangement of a rod extending up through the
hollow guide bar of the sleeve which transmits motion to the cutter
bar, the said rod being acted on by an eccentric or cam and serving to
impart motion to the feed wheel.
Also in the arrangement of a cam lever sliding in the direction of the
length of the conical feed cam and acting on the feed bar, so that by
3 moving said cam lever the feed motion can be regulated.
Further, in the arrangement of a sleeve moving up and down on a
guide rod projecting from the bracket which supports the bearings of
the feed wheel and other parts connected therewith, said sleeve being
provided with a circular flange which engages with a notch in the cutter
bar in such a manner that the cutter bar can be swivelled all round
said driving sleeve without being thrown out of gear with the same.
The second part of this Invention relates to certain improvements in
that class of machines for cutting textile fabrics, leather, paper, and
other materials in which an endless band saw is used as the cutting
instrument.

page_text: plane of section. Figure 6 is a transverse section of the spring stop for
the presser slide in the plane x³, x¹, Figure 2, when the said spring stop is
thrown back. Figure 7 is a similar section of the same when the spring
stop is thrown forward. Figure 8 is a transverse section of the lower
portion of the machine in the plane y¹, y', Figure 1. Figure 9 is a
horizontal section of the same in the plane z¹, 21, Figure 8. The same
letters indicate corresponding parts throughout these Figures.
A designates a table, which is provided with a circular cavity to
receive the platform B, which supports the working parts of this
machine. From the lower surface of this platform extends a U shaped
bracket C, which forms the bearings for the axle of the feed wheel D,
and for the parts connected with or acting on the said feed wheel. The
said feed wheel is driven by a dog a turning freely on the shaft of the
feed wheel, which is acted on by a bell-crank lever b, to which the
required motion is imparted by a tappet rod c. From the bottom end
of the bracket C extends a hollow rod d, secured at its lower end to the
frame of the table A, and through this hollow rod extends the tappet
rod c, whose foot rests upon a lever E (best seen in Figures 8 and 9).
This lever slides on its fulcrum pin e, and its outer end is bifurcated
and made to straddle an arm f, which is mounted on a vertical rock
shaft 9, to which an oscillating motion can be imparted by a handle h
(see Figure 8). By turning this handle the lever E is caused to slide
on its fulcrum pin. The bottom surface of the lever E is cam-shaped
(see Figure 8), and it bears on a tapering cam i (see Figures 1, 8,
and 9), mounted on a shaft F which receives a revolving motion from
the driving shaft G. As the shaft F revolves the cam i imparts to the
lever E and to the tappet rod c a rising and falling motion whereby
the feed wheel is actuated, and the amount of this motion is regulated
by moving the lever E towards the thick or towards the thin end of the
tanering cam i

page_text: The sleeve J terminates in a circular flange m, which engages with a
slot n in the lower end of the cutter bar L, so that the rising and falling
motion imparted to said sleeve is transmitted to the cutter bar, and at
the same time the cutter bar can be swivelled all round the sleeve J
without being thrown out of gear with its driving flange. The said
cutter bar extends up through a guide slot provided for it in the lower
part of the bracket C and through another guide slot in the platform B,
and it carries the cutting blade or knife o, which is secured to it by
means of a screw or in any other desirable manner. From the platform
B rises a column M (see Figures 1, 2, and 3), against which the back
of the cutter bar rests, and to one side of this column is secured the
presser slide N (see Figure 1), the outer end of which forms the bearing
for a pivot g supporting the protector O. When this protector is turned
down to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 it covers the knife, and
it prevents persons from bringing their fingers in unpleasant contact
with said knife, but when the protector is turned up on its pivot free
access can be had to the knife. The protector rises and falls with the
presser slide according to the thickness of the pile or layers to be cut.
The outer end of the protector is provided with a recess 7 (see Figures
2 and 3) so that the face of the said outer end is in line with the cutting
edge of the knife (see Figure 3), and consequently the protector forms
a guide by which the direction in which the knife cuts can be observed
and directed. The protector also prevents the material while being cut
from being raised by the action of the knife. On the protector is an
index * (see Figure 2) to enable the workman to observe the end of
the knife, and to cut precisely to a certain point. The said index may
consist of a slot, as shown, or it may be an index hand marked on the
protector. On the cutter bar below the knife is secured a serrated
clearer P to prevent the socket in which the knife works from becoming
choked with fibres and threads disengaged from the fabric during the
operation of cutting.
The presser slide N is depressed by the action of a spring 8, one end
of which is hitched to an arm projecting from the column M, while its
other end is attached to a lever Q that has its fulcrum in the top of
the presser slide, and which extends beyond its fulcrum and carries a
pulley t, while to the upper end of the presser slide is secured another
pulley u. In the lower end of the presser slide is secured a pivot v

page_text: that forms the bearing for the upper feed wheel S, on the side of which
is formed a grooved pulley w to receive a belt T crossed (see Figure 1),
one strand passing over the pulley u and the other over the pulley t,
whence both strands descend through a hole provided for this purpose
in the column M (see Figures 1 and 3), and beneath the platform B
said belt embraces a pulley a' mounted on a pin 6 (see Figures 4 and 5)
which is secured in the bracket C, and on which is also mounted a
pinion C¹ that is rigidly connected with the pulley a¹ and engages with
the cog wheel & secured to the side of the lower feed wheel D. By
means of the belt T therefore the motion of the lower feed wheel is
transmitted to the upper feed wheel, and the two feed wheels act on the
fabric or material to be cut in the same manner as drawing rollers, so
that the working faces of one or both feed wheels may be made smooth
without reducing their effect.
In practice it is preferable to make the face of the lower feed wheel
smooth and to change that of the upper feed wheel, according to the
nature of the material to be cut; and in order to keep the working
surface of the lower feed wheel smooth I am obliged to form on its side
the cog wheel d¹ for the purpose of transmitting its motion to the upper
feed wheel, as previously described.
The connection between the pin 6¹ and the bracket C (see Figure 4)
is not direct, but said pin is secured eccentrically in a disc el (see
Figure 5) which is mounted on a clamping screw f¹ passing through
the bracket C. By releasing this disc and turning it round the pinion c¹
can be adjusted to engage properly with the cog wheel d¹ on the feed
wheel D, and since this feed wheel has to be adjusted up or down
according to the goods to be cut, the adjustment of the pinion c¹ is
indispensable. By means of the lever Q and pulley & the spring 8,
which acts on the presser slide, also serves to keep the belt T taut, and
by the peculiar disposition of the pulleys w, u, and t, the presser slide
can be moved up or down without affecting the tension of the belt T.
The lever Q is provided with a series of notches, so that the action of
the spring on the tension of the belt can be regulated by moving the
springs closer to or further from the fulcrum of said lever.
The presser slide is raised against the action of its spring by means
of a lifter U, which has its fulcrum on a pivot g¹ secured in an arm /¹

page_text: extending from the column M, and which extends over the handle V,
that serves to rotate the platform B, so that the said lifter can be operated
conveniently with the hand which holds the handle V. Through the
arm h¹ extends the stop " (see Figures 6 and 7), and the said arm is
recessed to make room for a spring, which has a tendency to drive the
stop back to the position shown in Figure 6. When the lifter is
depressed to raise the presser slide the stop 2 can be readily forced
in so as to catch beneath the lifter by the hand which operates the
lifter, and if the lifter is permitted to bear down upon the stop the
springs of the presser slide retains said stop against the action of its
spring. By slightly depressing the rear end of the lifter the spring
stop is released and allowed to recede to the position shown in
Figure 6, and the presser slide can be lowered with one hand, and
without requiring the aid of the other hand for the purpose of with-
drawing the stop. In the lifter is a notch ¹ (see Figure 1), which
when the presser slide is allowed to descend catches over a knife-edged
rest, whereby the teeth of the upper feed wheel are preserved against
injury from striking against the face of the lower feed wheel. The
notch ¹ is stair shaped, and the rest & can be adjusted so as to engage
with either of the steps of the notch and to retain the upper feed wheel
at a greater or smaller elevation above the lower feed wheel according to
the thickness of the pile or layer of cloth or other fabric to be cut.
The knife is also sharpened on its front edge so that it passes easily

page_text: the downwardly moving branch that sufficient room is obtained for
manipulating the material to be cut on the table A. On the table A
is secured a metal plate I, from which rises a guide J that crosses the
back of the saw and prevents its getting jammed in the kerf, and also
its being twisted when the material is turned round on the table
during the operation of cutting. To the inner side of this guide is
secured the presser slide K, which is depressed by the action of a
spring a, and which can be raised by a foot lever L, that connects with
the said presser slide by means of a rock shaft b, lever c, rod d, and
lever e (see Figure 10). From the top of the presser slide extends a
pin that serves as a handle if it is desired to raise the said slide by
hand. To this presser slide is secured by a pivot g the protector M,
which can be turned up or down, and which when turned down covers
the saw and prevents the workman from cutting his fingers. The point
of this protector also serves as a guide to direct the course of the saw
during the operation of cutting.
The material to be cut is fed towards the saw by the action of two
feed wheels N, O, one of which is mounted on a stud extending from
the presser slide, while the other is situated beneath the table and has
its bearing on a stud mounted in a hanger projecting from the lower
surface of the plate I. The two feed wheels are geared together by
cog wheels and belts, so that they revolve together in opposite directions,
and the material to be cut receives a uniform feed motion, particularly
if many thicknesses of cloth or other material are to be cut simul-
taneously. The connection between the two feed wheels may be effected
in other ways beside that shewn in the Drawing.
The lower feed wheel connects by a belt i with a pulley j mounted
on a shaft k that connects by a belt with the driving shaft C, or if
desired the connection between the driving shaft and the feed wheel can
be effected by worms, worm wheels, and gear wheels so that the feed
wheels N, O, receive a continuous rotary motion whenever the driving
shaft is set in motion, and consequently the material to be cut receives
a uniform and continuous feed motion.
The teeth of the saw are set at a certain distance apart, so that the
strain on the saw during the operation of cutting is reduced, and the
shape of the saw teeth is such that their cutting edges can be sharpened
without reducing the width or impairing the strength of the saw.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim in relation to Figures 1 to 9 of
the said Drawings, —
First. The spring stop in combination with the lifter of the presser 5
slide and with the handle which serves to operate the platform B,
substantially in the manner set forth.
Second. The protector O in combination with the knife o and with
the presser slide, constructed and operating substantially as described.
Third. The arrangement of an index on the protector to indicate the 10
end of the knife, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The hollow column M forming a passage for the belt T,
which connects the upper and lower feed wheels, substantially as
described.
Fifth. The rest and stair shaped notch ¹ in combination with the 15
lifter U and feed wheels D and S, substantially as described.
Sixth. The arrangement of a cog wheel d on the side of the feed
wheel D to transmit the motion of said feed wheel to the upper feed
wheel S, substantially as described.
Seventh. The eccentric pin b¹ and screw f¹ in combination with the 20
pinion c, cog wheel d³, and feed wheel D, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The lever Q and pulleys t, u, in combination with the presser
slido and with the belt which transmits motion from the lower to the
upper feed wheel, substantially as described.
Ninth. The tappet rod c passing through the hollow guide rod d 25
extending from the bracket 0 in combination with the cam i and feed
wheel D, substantially as described.
Tenth. The lever E, having a transverse motion on its pivot e, in
combination with the taper cam i, tappet rod c, and feed wheel D, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Eleventh. The sleeve J, provided with a circular flange and connected
to the eccentric pin h, in combination with the notched cutter bar L,
substantially as described.
30

page_text: And in relation to Figures 10 and 11 of the said Drawings I claim,-
First. The guide roller or rollers G in combination with an endless
band saw H running over drums D, D', and with a suitable feed
mechanism, constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.
Second. The guide J rising from the platform I, and serving to
protect the saw and made to pass through the cut opened by the saw,
substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with an endless band saw of two feed
wheels N, O, one above and the other below the platform supporting
the material to be cut, the said feed wheels being geared together, sub-
stantially in the manner shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
EDWARD O. JACKSON.
Wч. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)