IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING WOOD BLOCKS INTO PLATES OR SHEETS OR INTO BARS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES, MATCH CASES, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth of. the firm of Wirth and Company
Patent Solicitors at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, for an
invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING WOOD BLOCKS INTO
PLATES OR SHEETS OR INTO BARS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES, MATCH
CASES, AND THE LIKE A communication from Georg Sebold, of Karlsruhe
in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd April 1882.
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR CUTTING WOOD BLOCKS INTO PLATES OR SHEETS OR INTO BARS FOR
"
THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES, MATCH CASES AND THE LIKE [A communication
from Georg Sebold, of Karlsruhe in the Empire of Germany.]
This invention relates to machinery for cutting wood blocks into plates or sheets
or into bars, for the manufacture of matches, match cases, and the like. One of
the present improvements consists in imparting to the knife or cutter a motion in
the direction of its length at the same time as the advancing motion in order to
obtain a smooth cut surface instead of the rough surface obtained at present when
the knife or cutter receives only an advancing motion.
In adapting this arrangement to machines of present construction, where the
wood block is mounted in a lathe chuck and receives rotary motion while the knife
cuts a continuous spiral sheet from the same, the knife, instead of being fixed on
the advancing slide, is mounted on a transverse slide thereon, and is actuated by
an eccentric on a counter shaft at right angles to the driving shaft so that the knife
while it advances receives a to and fro-motion in the direction of its length as the
wood revolves in contact therewith
According to another arrangement the cutting machine is constructed as follows
The wood block is mounted vertically in a box or casing on a frame in which it is

page_text: gradually moved downwards by, a slide acting on the top surface thereof and
receiving a step by step motion by a ratchet wheel geared by a clutch to a shaft
having a pinion in gear with a rack on the slide. The ratchet wheel is actuated by
a pawl carried by a bell crank lever connected by a rod to a lever that is acted on
by an incline on one of the cutter slides, so that as this slide moves to and fro it
imparts the desired step by step downward motion to the wood block. The lower
end of the wood block comes in contact with an elbow lever that indicates when it
is depressed to the required degree and it is held in this position partly by two
claws pressed laterally against it by a weighted arm, and partly by a bar pressed
against another side thereof by springs.
The framing of the machine carries, at a level corresponding with the lower end
of the wood block, two slides, one of which is the cutter slide before mentioned,
which at certain intervals receives a to and fro-motion so as to bring a number of
small cutters beneath the lower surface of the wood block, thereby cutting a series
of parallel slits in such surface, corresponding to the length of the matches to be
produced. The second slide has a motion at right angles to the first named slide
and carries up on it, firstly, a set of slitting cutters that cut a series of slits close
together at right angles to the first named slits, and corresponding to the width of
the matches, secondly, the said slide carries a third slide which moves at right
angles thereto, that is to say, in the same direction as the first slitting slide, and
this third slide carries a knife or cutter that slices off a certain thickness from the
lower surface of the wood block after the slits have been cut therein by the other
two sets of cutters, whereupon the resulting separated small sticks or bars fall
down into a receptacle below.
The main slide, which receives its to and fro motion from any suitable gearing,
has a slot with an incline in which gears a roller on a bent lever connected to the
first slitting slide, so that the motion of the main slide in one direction causes the
slitting slide to advance and make its cut, after which the slitting slide recedes and
on the further advance of the main slide the second set of slitting cutters is brought
into action. After these cutters have passed through the wood the main slide
brings the third slide into a position in which a roller thereon gears with an
inclined slot in the framing, so that the continued motion of the main slide causes
the third slide with its knife, while still moving in the direction of the length of
the latter, to advance under the wood block, thus. making an oblique slicing
cut thereon. The main slide then recedes again and the above operation is
repeated.
When the wood block has descended so far that only a thin slab thereof remains
stud on the sliding frame that actuates the block comes in contact with the arm
of a disengaging lever that throws the clutch of the ratchet wheel out of gear.
At the same time a spring stud on the sliding frame is caused to engage beneath a
projection on the before mentioned connecting rod that actuates the pawl of the
ratchet wheel, so that as the rod is moved downwards by the action of the incline
on the slitting slide, it pulls down the sliding frame and causes the plate thereof
that rests upon the wood block to force down and eject the remnant of wood block
from the machine. The sliding frame can then be raised again and a fresh block
be inserted.
In order to insure that the outer strips formed by the slitting cutters shall be
of the same thickness as the inner ones, the frame carrying the slitting cutter has
two outer knives that cut away any excess of thickness at the sides of the lower
end of the wood block.
By changing the form and position of the several before described cutters the
machine may be made to cut thin sheets or plates of wood for boxes and other
articles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd October
1882.
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company Patent Solicitors at
Frankfort ou the Main, in the Empire of Germany
IMPROVEMENTS
IN
MACHINES FOR CUTTING WOOD BLOCKS INTO PLATES OR SHEETS OR INTO BARS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES, MATCH CASES AND THE LIKE A communication
from Georg Sebold of Karlsruhe in the Empire of Germany
"
This invention relates to machinery for cutting wood blocks into plates or
sheets or into bars, for the manufacture of matches, match cases, and the like.
One of the present improvements consists in imparting to the knife or cutter a
motion in the direction of its length at the same time as the advancing motion, in
order to obtain a smooth cut surface instead of the rough surface obtained at
present when the knife or cutter receives only an advancing motion.
In adapting this arrangement to machines of present construction where the
wood block is mounted in a lathe chuck and receives rotary motion while the
knife cuts a continuous spiral sheet from the same, the knife instead of being fixed
on the advancing slide, is mounted on a transverse slide thereon, and is actuated
by an eccentric on a countershaft at right angles to the driving shaft so that the
knife while it advances receives a to and fro motion in the direction of its length
as the wood revolves in contact therewith.
According to another arrangement the cutting machine is constructed as follows.
The wood block is mounted vertically in a box or casing on a frame in which it is
gradually moved downwards by a slide acting on the top surface thereof and
receiving a step by step motion by a ratchet wheel geared by a clutch to a shaft
having a pinion in gear with a rack on the slide. The ratchet wheel is actuated
by a pawl carried by a bell crank lever connected by a rod to a lever that is acted
on by an incline on one of the cutter slides, so that as this slide moves to and fro
it imparts the desired step by step downward motion to the wood block. The
lower end of the wood block comes in contact with an elbow lever that indicates
when it is depressed to the required degree, and it is held in this position partly,
by two claws pressed laterally against it by a weighted arm, and partly by a bar
pressed against another side thereof by springs.
The framing of the machine carries at a level corresponding with the lower end
of the wood block, two slides one of which is the cutter slide before mentioned,
which at certain intervals receives a to and fro motion so as to bring a number of
small cutters beneath the lower surface of the wood block, thereby cutting a series
of parallel slits in such surface, corresponding to the length of the matches to be
produced. The second slide has a motion at right angles to the first named slide
and carries upon it, firstly a set of slitting cutters that cut a series of slits close
together at right angles to the first named slits, and corresponding to the width of
the matches, secondly the said slide carries a third slide which moves at right
angles thereto, that is to say in the same direction as the first slitting slide, and
this third slide carries a knife or cutter that slices off a certain thickness from the
lower surface of the wood block after the slits have been cut therein by the other
two sets of cutters, whereupon the resulting separated small sticks or bars fall
down into a receptacle below.
The main slide which receives its to and fro motion from any suitable gearing,
has a slot with an incline in which gears a roller on a bent lever connected to the
first slitting slide, so that the motion of the main slide in one direction causes the

page_text: slitting slide to advance and make its cut, after which the slitting slide recedes
and on the further advance of the main slide the second set of slitting cutters is
brought into action. After these cutters have passed through the wood the main
slide brings the third slide into a position in which a roller thereon gears with an
inclined slot in the framing, so that the continued motion of the main slide causes
the third slide with its knife, while still moving in the direction of the length of
the latter, to advance under the wood block, thus making an oblique slicing cut
thereon. The main slide then recedes again and the above operation is repeated.
When the wood block has descended so far that only a thin slab thereof remains
a stud on the sliding frame that actuates the block comes in contact with the arm
of a disengaging lever that throws the clutch of the. ratchet wheel out of gear.
At the same time a spring stud on the sliding frame is caused to engage beneath a
projection on the before mentioned connecting rod that actuates the pawl of the
ratchet wheel, so that as the rod is moved downwards by the action of the incline
on the slitting slide, it pulls down the sliding frame and causes the plate thereof
that rests upon the wood block to force down and eject the remnant of wood
block from the machine. The sliding frame can then be raised again and a fresh
block be inserted.
In order to insure that the outer strips formed by the slitting cutters shall be of
the same thickness as the inner ones, the frame carrying the slitting cutters has
two outer knives that cut away any excess of thickness at the sides of the lower
end of the wood block.
By changing the form and position of the several before described cutters the
machine may be made to cut thin sheets or plates of wood for boxes and other
articles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig 1 shews a plan and Fig 2 a section on line x Fig 1 of a wood cutting
machine of the kind wherein a revolving cylindrical block is presented to a cutter
arranged as first herein before described. The cutter or knife a instead of being
fixed as heretofore, is carried by a slide c capable of moving in dovetail grooves b.
This slide is connected by a rod d to the eccentric g fixed on a countershaft f
driven by the main shaft e, and the knife consequently receives a to and fro motion
in the direction of its length while the wood block h is made to revolve in front of
it. By this means the knife is made to operate on the wood with a smooth cut as
before described. The other parts of this machine are of known construction and
need not be further described.
Figs 3 to 11 shew the second before described construction of machine, Fig 3
shews a plan, Fig 4 a front view, Fig 5 a section on line xx Figs 3 and 6, Fig 6 a
horizontal section on line y y Figs 4 and 5, Figs 7 and 8 shew separate views of
the feed mechanism. Figs 9, 10 and 11 separate views of the knife block for the
small knives.
The wood block A to be operated upon, having been previously cut to a
rectangular shape is placed in the casing B acting as a guide and is pressed down
until its lower edge comes in contact with the inwardly projecting end of the bell
crank lever C which serves to indicate to the workman when the block is
sufficiently depressed. The block is held in this position firstly by the two claws E
pressed against its back surface by weighted levers D and secondly by the bar F
Fig 4 which is pressed against one of its narrow sides by springs G. On the top
of the block rests the plate H carried by the frame K moveable in guides 1, by
which the block is moved downwards by a step by step motion to an extent equal
to the thickness of the wood to be cut off. The frame K is actuated by the
toothed pinion L gearing with the rack M on the frame. The pinion L is fixed on
the shaft N receiving intermittent rotary motion, by means of the ratchet wheel O
and coupling P, the ratchet wheel being actuated by the pawl Q connected to the
lever R. This lever is connected by rod S to another lever T which bears upon
"

page_text: an incline W on the slide U carrying the cutters V, so that the forward motion of
the slide causes motion to be imparted to the lever R and ratchet wheel O.
The operation is as follows:-Assuming that the parts of the machine are in the
position shewn at Fig 6, and that the slide X carrying the main or sliding cutter y
is moving backward in the direction of the arrow. The slide X has a curved slot
Z into which takes a roller a¹ on the lever a. This lever being connected to the
slide U of the knives V, moves these towards the wood block as soon as the.
roller a passes into the curved part of the slot Z. At the commencement of its
motion the slide U actuates the feed gear of the wood block by means of the
incline W as described causing the wood block to be depressed to the extent of
the thickness of the part to be cut off, whereupon the continued motion of the
slide U causes the knives V to slit the undersurface of the block transversely
cutting it into divisions corresponding to lengths of the matches to be formed.
This being completed; the slide X, will be at the end of its backward motion, and
begins to advance again, causing the slide U to move backwards, and on the
continued motion of X the small slitting knives c carried thereby are caused to
slit the undersurface of the block longitudinally into divisions corresponding with
the thickness of the matches. By the time the knives c have passed through the
wood the stud & of the slide f working between guides on X and carrying the
slicing knife or cutter y, arrives in the curved part of the fixed slot g and
consequently causes the knife y to advance towards and cut through the wood
block, while at the same time the slides X and f together with the knife y.continue
to move longitudinally, thus producing a slanting cut, the angle of which
corresponds to the angle formed by the slot g. The knife y having completed its
cut, the slides X and f move back again and the above described cycle of operations
is repeated. The finished matches separated from the block by the knife y fall
through the opening h of the slide X into a receptacle below, from which they are
removed from time to time. When the wood block has been cut down to a
thickness of about in to
in the frame K will have descended so far that the.
studi on the same comes in contact with the end of the disengaging lever k, as
shewn at Figs 7 and 8. At the same time the stud m situated on a spring socket
at the back of the frame will have arrived below. the stud n adjustable on the
rod S, and will place itself immediately beneath the same owing to the action of
the spring socket, so that on the further downward motion of the rod S the
stud will force n and with it the frame K downwards with an increased stroke.
By this means firstly the stud i will be caused to actuate the disengaging lever k
so as to throw the coupling P.out of gear, and allow the ratchet wheel to continue
its motion without acting on the frame K; secondly the increased downward
stroke of K will cause the plate H to force the remaining thin slab of wood out of
the casing B. Without stopping the inachine the frame K can now be raised
again by means of the hand wheel (having first disengaged the stud m) and a
new wood block be introduced, after which the coupling P is again thrown into
gear, and the operation of cutting begins again as above described. In order that
all the matches cut off from the block shall be of equal thickness, which is essential
for placing in the dipping frame, there are provided on each side of the knife
block p Figs 9, 10 and 11, small angle cutters q which cut away so much of the
wood as would project beyond the sides of the knife block, so that all matches
will be of the same thickness and of rectangular section notwithstanding any
differences in the thickness of the blocks. By suitably regulating the ratchet feed
and adjusting the small knives of the knife blocks c and U, the machine may
be used for cutting and slitting shavings or slabs for boxes and various other
objects.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my correspondent, I claim :-
First. In wood cutting machines wherein a revolving wood block is operated on
by a stationary cutter, the arrangement of the knife or cutter A on the slide b to
which a to and fro motion is imparted from the main shaft e either directly or

page_text: through a countershaft, in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the wood block;
substantially as herein described with reference to Figs 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Second. In machines for cutting matches, box shavings and the like, the use of
the slide carrying the slicing knife y and moved by the slot g at an angle to the
wood block to be cut, substantially as described with reference to Figs 3 to 11 of
the Drawings.
Third. In machines for cutting or slitting matches, box shavings and the like
the use of the slide f with knife y in combination with the slide U actuated by the
lever a and the slitting knives V carried thereby, substantially as described.
Fourth. The use of the slide f with knife y, in combination with the knife
block P with knives c and with or without the angle cutters q substantially as
herein described.
Fifth. In machines for cutting matches, box shavings and the like, the use of
the casing B for holding the wood block in combination with the weighted claws E
and spring bar F substantially as herein described.
Sixth. In combination with the casing B referred to in the preceding claim the
use of the elbow lever C for indicating the correct position of the wood block
therein, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The use of the frame K with plate H, receiving an intermittent down-
ward motion by means of the incline W lever T rod S, elbow lever R, pawl Q and
ratchet wheel O, substantially as herein described.
Eighth. In combination with the mechanism referred to in the preceding claim
the adjustable stud n on the rod S operating in combination with the spring
stud m on the frame K, for imparting increased downward motion to the frame
directly from the rod S when the frame has descended to a certain point,
substantially as herein described.
Ninth. In combination with the frame K the stud / operating the disengaging
lever of the clutch P through which the frame receives its motion, substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof I the said Frank Wirth have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty sixth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
FRANK WIRTH (L.S.)