Improvements in Index Cutters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Index Cutters.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by William
Braidwood of Mount Vernon, N.Y., and William Braidwood, Junior, of Brooklyn,
N.Y., both in the United States of America, Machinists, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to an index cutter which can be readily adapted for varying
sizes of work and by which the operation of index cutting can be rapidly and
accurately performed as set forth in the following Specification and claim, and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an index cutter containing the invention.
Figure 2 is a section along a Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section along a Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section along the line y y Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a detail elevation of a rack.
Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure 5.
In this drawing the letter A indicates a frame or support. B, B are shafts
connected by bevel gears C C with a shaft D which can be rotated by a hand
wheel E so as to turn the shafts B. Said shafts B3 carry arms or cams F on which
rests a table G for supporting the book or pamphlet the index of which is to be cut.
The table G has a guide arm I adapted to slide up and down. As the wheel E
is turned one way or the other the shafts B B are actuated so as to move the
cams F to raise or lower the table G. When the table is adjusted to the required
height, the detent M is allowed to catch the toothed wheel L whereby the table is
kept from sinking or sliding down. By having the table vertically adjustable,
books of different thicknesses can be brought into position to be properly
operated on.
The shafts B, B, cams F and table & are mounted on a carriage N adapted
to travel along ways 0. The carriage N has a feed rack Pengaged by a gear
wheel mounted on the shaft R. The shaft R is provided with a friction dise or
plate T pressing against a corresponding friction plate T on the counter shaft S.
This counter shaft has a pulley R' rotated by a belt S' communicating with the
shaft m.
When the carriage N is locked by the pawl g, the shaft S rotates without
moving the shaft R or carriage N. When the pawl is in its releasing position
the friction between the plates T T¹ communicates rotation from shaft S to shaft R
so as to rotate said shaft R and feed the carriage. The friction between the
plates T T can be adjusted by a set screw t'.
From the carriage N rise standards U on which is supported a bar or rest b
which carries a joint or pivot V about which swings the clamping bar W. The catch X
on the rest holds the free end of the bar W. A spring Y holds the catch X in
engagement with the bar and a handle Zenables the catch X to be drawn against
the resistance of the spring Y so as to release the bar W, whereupon the spring a
throws the bar W up about the joint or pivot V. When the bar W is locked by
the catch X, said bar is held against the rest band by clamping the book-leaves to
be operated on between the bar W and rest b, said leaves are firmly held so that
they can be accurately operated on. The bar W and rest thus form a leaf holder
for holding the book leaves operated on. The rest can be adjusted on the
standards U by screws Q' passing through suitable slots in the standards.
The carriage N has a ledge c. A detent rack e is secured by screws or bolts to

page_text: the ledge c, said ledge being slotted for the reception of the bolts, said slots enabling
the rack e to be adjusted along the ledge to any suitable position. The detent or
pawly engages the rack e and prevents the friction plates T T from feeding the
carriage N, except at such intervals as the pawl g may release the detent rack e.
The pawl is supported on a lever i swinging about a fulcrum h. The rod k
connects with the lever i and said rod is momentarily depressed at certain intervals
by the tappet rotating with the shaft m. As the rod is depressed, the lever is
swing so as to move the pawly out of engagement with the rack e and as said
tappet swings past the rod k, the spring n at once carries the pawl g back into
engagement with the rack e. The disengagement of the pawl is long enough to
allow the friction plates T T¹ to feed the carriage N a sufficient distance so that
the pawly will engage the next succeeding rack tooth on said pawl again coming
into engagement with the rack. A step-by-step motion is thus given to the
carriage N. The teeth of the rack e are formed so that the pawl y will hold the
rack e against motion in the direction in which the friction plates T T feed
the carriage N, but when said carriage has passed to the end of such feed it can be
readily returned to its starting point by turning the shaft R by the hand wheels
and during such return motion of the carriage N and rack e the pawl g glides over
the rack.
As the carriage N may have to be feed, for different lengths according as larger
or smaller indexes or work to be done, a series of racks having different sizes or
lengths of teeth can be provided and a rack with larger or shorter teeth is secured
to the ledge e as required by the work.
To the shaft m is secured a cam t which depresses a frame a carrying a cutter or
blade. The two parts of the cutter are placed at an angle to one another so
that the cutter will clip out a suitable strip along part of the edge of the book
leaf so as to leave a projecting portion of the leaf on which an index letter, number
or character can be placed. Said cutter acts against a counter cutter or blade w
fixed to the frame. Said cutters vw act with a shearing motion so as to make a
clean cut. When the cutter v is released from the action of the cam t the lever A'
actuated by the spring B¹ carries the cutter to its starting point. The screw C¹¹
enables the tension of the spring A¹ to be regulated.
The leaf support D' supports the leaf along that portion of the edge which is not
acted on by the cutter thus preventing sagging or bending of the leaf whereby the
accuracy of the work might be injured. The leaf support D' is secured to a slide E¹
and while the cutter acts on a leaf, said slide is held toward the table G so that the
edge of the leaf will rest on the support. When said leaf has been cut, the lever F¹
is oscillated about its fulcrum H¹ by the low portion of the cam G¹ on shaft m
coming opposite to said lever, whereupon the spring I oscillates the lever F se
as to draw the support D¹ away from the table & and the edge of the leaf just cut
drops down beneath the support D'. The high part of the cam G¹ then acts on the
lever F and the support D is moved toward the table G into position to support
the edge of the next leaf to be cut.
The shaft, m has a clutch K' connected to the lever L', having the link M¹ con-
nected to the treadle N₁. By actuating the treadle, the clutch K' is thrown into
engagement with its counter clutch O¹ on the driving pulley P. The shaft m.can
thus be rapidly actuated or allowed to come to rest.
The device operates as follows: The book or pamphlet has the number of leaves
to be operated on (say 26 leaves corresponding to the number of letters in the
alphabet) clamped in the leaf holder and the edge of the first leaf to be cut..is
allowed to rest on the support D', the other leaf edges being held up out of the
way by the operator. The cutter then cuts out a portion of the leaf edge whereupon
the support D' swings out of the way and said leaf edge is pressed down beneath
the support D by the cutter u continuing its downward movement. The cutter..
then rises and the support D' swings back to its supporting position when the next.
leaf is allowed to rest its edge on the support D₁. At the same time the pawl.g
having been oscillated, the friction plates T T' have fed the table G one step so

page_text: that such next leaf will have a greater portion cut out along its edge than the
preceding leaf. Each book leaf is thus operated on in succession until the entire
number of leaves has been cut.
The slide E' which carries the leaf support D' is made in two parts, the upper
part being adjustable on the lower one so that the support D' can be set nearer to
or further from the table G as required by the depth of the index. I find it is of
advantage to place a leather washer between the metallic friction surfaces but any
suitable material may be used for the friction surfaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an index cutter, the combination with a table, a detent rack for the table,
a pawl for the rack, and a main driving shaft, of a counter shaft rotated by the
main driving shaft, an independent shaft engaging the table to feed the same and
friction devices for connecting the adjacent ends of the counter shaft and the shaft
which engages the table, substantially as described.
2. In an index cutter, the combination with a table and a detent for said table,
of a pawl for said rack, a cam or actuator for said pawl, a feed rack for the table a
gear wheel for said feed rack, a shaft for said gear wheel, a driving shaft for the
gear wheel shaft and friction plates T T¹ mounted respectively on the driving shaft
and gear wheel shaft, said friction plates having their adjacent faces pressed
together so as to secure frictional engagement between said plates, substantially as
described.
Dated this Zoth day or may 1091.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.