Im- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LEATHER, WOOD, PAPER, CARD, AND OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ephraim Death and John Ellwood, both of
Leicester, Engineers and Co-partners, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LEATHER, WOOD, PAPER, CARD, AND
OTHER MATERIAL."
Sealed the 19th March 1869, and dated the 24th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ephraim Death and
John Ellwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th September 1868.
We, EPHRAIM DEATH and JOHN ELLWOOD, both of Leicester,
Engineers and Co-partners, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LEATHER, WOOD,
PAPER, CARD, OR OTHER MATERIAL," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object the substitution of a continuously
revolving roller with knives or cutters on its periphery for the ordinary
vertical reciprocating apparatus, and consists in the use of a roller with
a series of suitably formed knives or cutters fixed in the periphery of
the roller at the requisite distances apart. This roller is caused to revolve

page_text: in contact with and press against another roller covered with wood,
lead, or other suitable substance that will not injure the cutting edges of
the knives or cutters. The leather or other material required to be cut
is introduced between the rollers, and is cut as required by the con-
tinuous action of the succession of knives or cutters on the said knife
roller.
The bed roller may or may not be furnished with a flange to serve
as a guide for the leather or other material under operation. The knives
or cutters are cleared from the separated leather or other material
as required by means of plugs, punches, or plates, which are forced
outwards by means of springs or excentrics or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EPHRAIM
DEATH and JOHN ELLWOOD, both of Leicester, Engineers and Co-
partners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
.Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood,
Her special licence that we, the said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
LEATHER, WOOD, PAPER, CARD, OR OTHER MATERIAL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Ephraim Death and John Ellwood,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-.
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say): :-
Our Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Leather,
Wood, Paper, Card, or other Material," has for its object the substitution
of a continuously revolving roller with knives or cutters on its periphery
for the ordinary vertical reciprocating apparatus, and consists in the use
of a roller with a series of suitably formed knives or cutters fixed in the
periphery of the roller at the requisite distances apart. This roller is
caused to revolve in contact with and press against another roller covered
with wood, lead, or other suitable substance that will not injure the
cutting edges of the knives or cutters. The leather or other material
required to be cut is introduced between the rollers and is cut as required
by the continuous action of the succession of knives or cutters on the
said knife roller.
The bed roller may or may not be furnished with a flange to serve as
a guide for the leather or other material under operation. The knives or
cutters. are cleared from the separated leather or other material as
required by means of plugs, punches, or plates which are forced outwards.
by means of springs or excentrics or otherwise.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, we will proceed
to describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be per-
formed by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are.
represented the parts of apparatus herein-before referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section of
the machine, in both of which Figures the same letters of reference.
indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, is the frame or standards of the machine; B is the main shaft

page_text: with a spur wheel D fixed on the shaft E, on which is fixed the knife
roller F, furnished with a series of knives or cutters G, G, fixed in and
around the periphery of the roller by means of bolts or other suitable
These knives or cutters or cutting dies are so formed in plan
as to adapt them for cutting out from the piece of leather or other
material under operation portions of the said material of the required
shape.
means.
In Fig. 3 is shewn a plan of a knife or cutter adapted to cut out
portions of leather of the shape required for the soles of boots and
shoes.
Another form of knife or cutter might be adapted for cutting out from
scale board portions of the material of the shape required for making
lucifer match boxes, and another form for cutting out paper collars. In
all cases the form in plan of the knife or cutter will be varied to adapt
it for the purpose required. The knives or cutters may be inserted or
fixed in the periphery of the roller F by means of bolts, or in any other
convenient manner; H, Fig. 2, shews a plate, one of which is applied
to the inside of each knife or cutter for the purpose of freeing the
cutter from the piece of leather or other material cut off. This plate is
acted upon by a spring I, so as to become pressed outwards as required;
but in some cases it may be advisable to force out the plate H by means
of a pair of rollers K fixed as shewn, against which rollers the studs L, L,
are brought in contact as the roller G revolves, and are thereby caused
to press outwards their respective plates H, as these are successively
brought in contact with the rollers K; M is a roller covered with
wood supported in bearings as shewn. This roller may be covered with
lead or other material or substance adapted to prevent injury to the
knives or cutters, and is intended to act as a bed roller. It will be
obvious that by passing the leather, thin wood, paper, or other suitable
material between the rollers G and M, portions of leather or other said
material will be continuously separated from the material under
operation; such portions being of the shapes determined by the forms
in plan of the knives or cutters, the latter being freed from the separated
leather or other material by the action of the plates in the manner
described, or the knives or cutters may be freed as required by other
means.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that what we

page_text: claim as of our Invention is, the substitution for the ordinary vertical
reciprocating apparatus for cutting leather of a continuously revolving
roller furnished with knives or cutters of suitable form in plan combined
with a bed roller suitably covered, and plates or other mechanism for
freeing the knives or cutters, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ephraim Death and John
Ellwood, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Eighteenth
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
ROBERT LAW,
Oxford Street,
Leicester,
Commission Agent.
EPHRAIM DEATH. (L.8.)
JOHN ELLWOOD.
(L.S.)