Index Cutting and Round Cornering Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Combined Index Cutting and Round Cornering Machine.
1, WILLIAM CORFE, trading as Thos. Ollis & Co., of 87 Duke Street,
Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Printers' Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Designed with the object of automatically cutting out index spaces in account
and other books and also to round corner cards, books and other such articles of
paper. The various contrivances and working parts embrace a unique device for
instantly and firmly holding down the book to be operated upon, by means of an
eccentric locking arrangement and also that the lateral movement of book when so
held is effected without the aid of tooth gear of any sort whatever, but which, in
the absence of a better definition I would call a hold-fast travelling clamp.
In carrying my invention into effect, as applied to cutting indexes in account
books, I provide a vertical reciprocating knife for cutting out the indexes, the
knife itself being so shaped as to cut a round corner. This is worked preferably
by a foot treadle but it may be otherwise arranged. The book to be indexed is
firmly clamped or locked on a table while being operated upon by the knife. The
arrangement for locking them on this table comprises a pivoted lever or clamp
adjustable to the level or height of the paper, this lever or clamp being held down
and locked in place by an eccentric also adjustable vertically.
The table is capable of sliding laterally (with the book clamped thereon) on a
suitable bed, and this sliding movement is effected without the aid of toothed
gearing of any description. Instead thereof I provide an arrangement comprising
a straight metal bar secured to the table underneath but at a little distance from it,
and a swivel clamp and gripper pivotted to a bracket capable of sliding parallel to
the table, this swivel clamp and gripper being capable of grasping the bar of the
table between them, or releasing the same as required, so that the table and the
frame carrying the gripper and clamp will slide together or independently
according to whether the bar is grasped or not. The gripper is operated by the
treadle by the following arrangement, namely, -The gripper is formed with a
depending arm or lever arranged so as to provide the necessary leverage, and
part way down this lever it has pivoted to it crosswise an adjustable bar, one end
of which is coupled by a diagonally placed link with the extreme end of the
depending lever of the pivoted gripper aforesaid. A rod operated by the foot
treadle is adapted to push against the diagonal edge of the link when the treadle
rises, the treadle being counterbalanced so as to rise automatically when the
pressure of the foot is taken off. The result is that the lever is forcibly pushed
laterally aside by the rod pushing against the diagonal edge of the link. The
gripper will press the table bar against the swivel clamp, thus clutching, it, and
sliding the table bodily forward. When, however, the treadle is depressed again,
the grip on the table rod is at once released, the frame carrying the swivel clamp
and gripper flies back by means of a spring, leaving the table behind. It is
obvious that the forward movement of the table can be easily adjusted by altering
the slope of the diagonal link, thus by making the horizontal rod to which this
diagonal link is coupled adjustable this is readily effected. A scale may be provided
to facilitate the adjustment.
The mode of action is as follows:-
FA
1
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shable in nosition by

page_text: means of the eccentric locking arrangement; the treadle is then depressed, the
result of which is that the knife descends cutting an index in the leaves. One
index being cut, the treadle is released, it & also the knife ascend by the counter-
weight. The rising of the treadle presses the rod against the diagonal edge of the
link and pushes the lever aside, thus operating the gripper and causing it to clutch
the table, and slide it forward on its bed the required distance to cut the next index.
Then by depressing the treadle again, the table is unlocked, the frame on which the
swivel clamp and gripper are mounted, spring back to their normal position leaving
the table behind, and in position for the next index to be cut in the leaves. This
action is repeated again and again until all the indexes are cut, the table being
moved forward the exact distance required at each upward movement of the treadle
and an index cut at each downward movement.
Dated this 10th day of January 1895.
WILLIAM CORFE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Index Cutting and Round Cornering Machine.
I, WILLIAM CORFE trading as Thos. Ollis & Co, 87 Duke Street,
Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Printers' Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is designed with the object of automatically cutting index spaces
in account and other books and also to round corner cards, books and other such
articles of paper. The various contrivances and working parts embrace a unique
device for instantly and firmly holding down the book to be operated upon, by
means of an eccentric locking arrangement and also that the lateral movement of
book when so held is effected without the aid of tooth gear of any sort whatever,
but which, in the absence of a better definition I would call a hold-fast travelling
clamp.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my machine for cutting index spaces in account
books;
Figure 2, a plan ;
Figure 3 an end elevation.
In these figures, A is a vertically reciprocating knife for cutting out the index
spaces, the knife being so shaped as to cut a round corner. The plunger at end of
which knife is secured is mounted in suitable bearings and is worked preferably
by a foot treadle B, counterweighted at B1 which causes the knife to fly upwards
automatically when the force which depressed the treadle is removed, but it may
be otherwise arranged or other method of applying power employed. C is a table
on which the book or pile of papers C' to be indexed is firmly clamped or locked
while being operated upon by the knite A. The arrangement for locking the
books on the table comprises a pivoted lever or clamp D adjustable to the level or
height of the pile of sheets by the slot E in which the pivot d is secured by a nut,
this lever or clamp being held down and locked in place by an eccentric Falso
adjustable vertically in the slot f. The table C is mounted on the saddle C2
capable of sliding longitudinally on the bed G. This sliding movement is effected
without toothed gearing of any description. Instead thereof I provide an arrange-
ment comprising a straight metal bar H (preferably of square section) secured to
the saddle C² beneath the table C but at a little distance from it, and a gripper I
pivoted to a carriage or bracket J, also capable of a limited sliding movement
longitudinally parallel to the table. The sliding carriage J is provided with a

page_text: projection and the bar H is capable of being grasped between the projection
and the gripper I or released as required, so that the table C and the carriage J
carrying the clamp and gripper I will slide together or independently according
to whether the bar is grasped or not. The gripper is operated by the treadle B
by the following arrangement :-
The gripper I is formed with a depending arm or lever i arranged so as to
provide the necessary leverage, and at or near the end of this lever i it has pivoted
to it a roller or disc i. K is a diagonal link bolted to the lever L which is
operated by the foot treadle B, the diagonal edge of said link K being adapted to
push against the roller when the lever is raised by the rising of the treadle, the
readle being as already mentioned counterweighted so as to rise automatically
when the pressure of the foot is taken off. The result is that the lever i is forcibly
pushed aside by the diagonal link pushing against the roller ", and thus the gripper I
will grasp the table bar H between it and the projection or clamp j, thus clutching
it and sliding the table bodily forward a given distance. When the treadle B is
depressed again by the foot, the grip on the table rod H is at once released, the
frame which carries both the projection j and the gripper I sliding back to its
The actual
original position by means of a spring M, leaving the table C behind.
slope of the diagonal link K which may be provided with an extension piece k to
provide for the necessary travel of the roller can be adjusted by means of the
slotsk and the length of the step by step travel controlled by simply altering the
slope of the said link. A scale may be provided, if desired, to facilitate this
adjustment. N is a handle bolted to the depending lever i to unlock the gripper 1
from the bar H if so required.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact mechanism set
forth, as equivalent mechanism may be employed to effect the same purpose. Thus,
for example, the lever i may have pivoted to it crosswise, an adjustable bar, one
end of which is coupled by a diagonally placed link with the extreme end of the
depending lever i. The lever L may have a rod adapted to push against the
of course
diagonal edge of said diagonal link when the treadle rises. The result
precisely the same. Moreover it desired the solid projection j may be substituted
by a swivel clamp.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The book or pile of sheets to be indexed, say for the letters A to Z inclusive, is
laid on the table in position face downwards that is with the sheet bearing index
letter A at bottom and the sheet bearing index letter Z on top. The pile is clamped
on the table by means of the eccentric locking arrangement, the lever D being first
adjusted to the level or height of the paper and then brought over so that the
plate D' shall rest on the surface of the paper. The end of the lever D is now
under the eccentric F and by rotating said eccentric a quarter turn, the lever D
will clamp the pile of sheets in position as shown in Figure 2. The treadle B is
now depressed, the top sheet bearing the index letter Z being turned or folded back
clear of the knife, as that sheet does not require having an index space cut in it at
all. The result is that the knife descends cutting an index space in the remaining
sheets. The treadle is released and it and the knife ascend by the counterweight.
The rising of the treadle presses the diagonal edge of the link K against the roller¹
pushing the lever i aside, thus operating the gripper and causing it to clutch the
bar H and slide the carriage J and table C bodily forward on its bed the required
distance to cut out the next index space. This being accomplished, the top sheet
bearing the index letter Y is turned aside clear of the knife leaving the remaining
sheets on the table. Then by depressing the treadle again, the knife descends, the
bar H of the table unlocked, the carriage on which the clamp; and gripper I are
mounted springs back to its normal position by the action of the spring M leaving
the table C behind, so that the sheets are in the proper position for the knife to
5 cut out the next index space, the sheet bearing index letter Y as well as index
letter sheet Z having previously been turned aside clear of the knife so that they
will not be cut. This action is repeated again and again until all the index spaces

page_text: are cut, one or more sheets being turned aside after each cutting clear of the knife.
The table is moved forward the exact distance required at each upward movement
of the treadle and an index space cut at each downward movement. When the
table C has reached the end of its travel and all the index spaces cut, it is pulled
back by hand to the other end of the bed G ready to repeat the same operation on
the next book. Should the gripper I clutch the bar H when it is desired to pull
the table back, all that is necessary is to pull upon the handle N which will at
once unlock the bar from the gripper.
In Figure 2 is shown a pile of sheets clamped on the table C in which sixteen
index spaces have already been cut out and the knife is descending to cut the
seventeenth space, seventeen sheets or series of sheets being turned aside clear of
the stroke of the knife.
If it is desired to use the machine for round cornering cards etc. the lever L may
be disconnected from the treadle and the table C will then not be fed forward at
each stroke of the knife A, but will remain stationary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is :-
The combination of improvements in or relating to apparatus applicable for
cutting out index spaces in account and other books, substantially as herein
described and illustrated; also the following parts or improvements taken
separately:-
(a) The combination with the table of a locking arrangement for locking the
book or pile of sheets to be indexed in position thereon, said arrangement
comprising a pivotted lever or clamp pivotted at or wear one end of the table
and adjustable to the level or height of the book or pile of sheets thereon, and a
rotatable eccentric mounted at or near the opposite end of the table also adjustable
vertically, whereby when the lever or clamp is folded down on to the pile of sheets,
its end will be in proximity to the rotatable eccentric and can be engaged and held
in place thereby by rotating the eccentric a quarter of a turn or more, substantially
as described.
(b) In combination for the purpose of imparting to the table, an intermittent
sliding movement, a bar secured to the table on the under side thereof, a frame or
carriage capable of a limited sliding movement located in proximity or parallel to
said bar, a spring or its equivalent for pulling back the carriage after being slid
forward, a gripping device pivotted to said carriage for grasping the bar, and means
whereby when the treadle or other source of applying power presses the gripping
lever in one direction, it will clutch the bar and slide the carriage and table bodily
forward a given distance, while when the force which caused the gripper to clutch
the bar is removed, the bar is unlocked, and the carriage on which the gripper is
mounted springs back by the action of the spring or its equivalent, to its normal
position, leaving the table behind, substantially as described.
(c) The mechanism for imparting to the table an intermittent forward sliding
movement without the aid of toothed gearing, and for varying the length of each
forward step or stroke thereof, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 10th day of October 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.