An Improved Cutting Machine, more particularly applicable for Cutting the Round Corners of Cards, Books, or other Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE SEYBOLD MACHINE COMPANY, of Dayton,
in the County of Montgomery and State of Ohio, United States of America,
Manufacturers of Book Binders' Machinery.]
An Improved Cutting Machine, more particularly applicable for
Cutting the Round Corners of Cards, Books, or other Articles.
I WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY of the Firm of Wheatley and Mackenzie,
Engineers and Patent Agents of 40 Chancery Lane, in the County of London 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:-
Our improved cutting machine is more especially designed and adapted for use
in cutting round corners on cards, books or other articles, the essential features of
said improvement consisting of the means hereinafter set forth and claimed for
operating the knife and clamp.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a machine, as preferably constructed, embodying
my invention; and, Fig. 2, is a side elevation taken at right hand of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a top view of the machine shown in preceding figures, a portion of the
top plate being broken away.
Fig. 4, is a central vertical section taken through the top plate, knife and its
supporting rod, showing the clamp in position on a pile of cards with the knife in
the act of cutting the corners of said cards, said view also illustrating the relative
position of the operating toggle arms when the knife is in the position indicated.
This view is on a diminished scale and taken through line 4-4 of Figure 3,
looking to the left. but with the crank wheel which operates the toggles and which
would be cut out by the section, shown in dotted line.
Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail sectional view of the preferred forin of clutch
mechanism for engagement with the driving pulley mounted loosely upon the
main shaft.
Fig. 6, is an enlarged top view of the knife-guide attached to the top plate of
the machine, said plate being broken away.
Referring to the drawings, A, represents a hollow cast base upon which the
operating mechanism is mounted, and A 2 represents a top plate or table supported
by the corner rods, A 3, as shown.
The knife, B, is attached to the top portion of the rod, B2, which latter is
supported in a vertical position by being passed through an opening in the base
and top plate, said rod being capable of a vertical movement therein, in the
manner hereinafter set forth. This knife is preferably of a circular outline in
cross-section to correspond with the desired outline to be cut on the corner of the
cards, or other articles; but, the configuration of the cutting portion of the knife
may be of any desired outline. The rod, B 2, is provided near its lower end
portion with a stop-collar, B3, adjustably connected thereto for the purpose of
limiting the downward movement of said rod and knife, and also for the purpose
of affording a leverage to lift the clamp-rod, as will presently appear. This
stop-collar is preferably provided with a lateral arm, h, provided with a vertical
rod b2, which latter is mounted within an opening in the base, which construction
tends to prevent any rotary movement of the said rod B 2, after the said collar is
attached thereto by a set-bolt b 3, or other suitable means.

page_text: The clamp, D, is adjustably connected to its operating rod, D2, in any desired
manner preferably by means of the set-nuts, d, in which event said clamp is
provided with a rearward projection d2, the latter having a vertical rod d3 which
enters an opening in the rear of top plate A 2, said projection and rod being adapted
to prevent any lateral movement of said clamp when mounted on its rod, as shown.
This clamp-rod, D 2, is made to fit snugly within an opening in the base and top
plate, and is adapted to move therein in a manner similar to that of the knife
rod, 132, in the manner presently to be described.
The knife-rod, B2, and clamp-rod D 2, are connected together and operated by
means of a compound toggle-connection, substantially as illustrated, said toggle
mechanism being operated by a crank on the main shaft.
When constructed as shown, we provide two toggle-arms, E, mounted at one end
on the pins e attached to the knife-rod, B 2, and two toggle-arms, E 2, mounted at
one end on the pins e 2 attached to the clamp-rod, D2, the inner end portion of
said arms, at each side of said rods, being pivoted together and to the rear end of
the bars E 3, as shown at e3. The front end portion of bars E3 are loosely.
mounted upon a crank-pin, F, the latter being attached to the peripheral side face
of a wheel F 2, which wheel is attached to the inner end of the shaft F 3, as
shown.
Any suitable operative driving mechanism may be employed for rotating the
shaft, F 3, and for automatically stopping the same. In the drawings, G, represents
a collar having a feather-and-groove connection with the shaft upon which it is
mounted, said collar being thus mounted between the sleeve G 2 and the hub of
the band-wheel, H, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, the latter and sleeve G 2
being loosely mounted, in a rotatable position, on the shaft. J, represents a foot-
treadle pivotally connected to the base of the machine, said treadle having the
upwardly projecting lever portion J 2, and lateral pin J 3, the latter entering a
counter-sunk recess in the side face of the sleeve G 2, as shown in Fig. 5. An
elastic packing, j is preferably interposed within the recess of said sleeve G 2 and
pin. J 3, as shown. A pin, g, is attached to the inner face of sleeve G 2, which pin
engages within an angular groove or recess formed in a portion of one side face of
collar, G, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, when said collar is in the position
shown. h, represents openings formed at intervals around one side face of collar G,
within one of which openings the spring compressed pin, h2, on the hub of the
band-wheel, enters, said hub also having a similar pin h3 with a head h 4, which
latter rides in the same path as pin h2, but will not enter said openings on account
of the enlarged head.
The object of the clutch mechanism just described is to drive the shaft and
automatically stop its rotation when it has made one revolution, and the operation
of this mechanism is as follows. The band-wheel is continuously in motion upon
its shaft while the machine is being operated. To rotate the shaft, the operator
pute pressure upon the treadle J, the movement of which, through the medium of
lever J 2 and pin J 3, will cause the collar, G, to slide over on its shaft toward the
hub of the band-wheel, at the same time compressing the headed pin 3 inward
within said hub; so soon as the spring-compressed pin h 2 comes into line with any
one of the openings h, at that instant said pin h 2 will enter said opening, thus
causing the collar G and its shaft to rotate with .the band-wheel. The pin, g
being released from its angular recess, in the manner just described, said
pin will
hold said collar in position until it has made almost one revolution, when the
spring-compressed pin h 3 will act to force the collar G back into the position
shown in Fig. 5, the pin, g, riding down the angular face of the recess. This last
movement releases the collar from the pin h 2, which movement stops the rotation
of the former and its shaft....
L, represents two gages which are adjustably connected to the top plate or
table, A 2, by means of set bolts / passed through an elongated opening in each
angular base of said gage, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The gages, L, are set
at a proper angle so that one corner of the pile of cards, M, or other sheets of

page_text: paper, placed against said gages, will be directly over the opening m in the top-
plate through which the knife, B, enters: This opening is provided with an-
over-lapping guide-plate, n, which has a rounded lip, n2, corresponding in outline
to the inner face of the knife, with which it co-acts. This plate, n, is preferably
attached to the top plate A2 within a properly countersunk portion thereof, as-
shown by section in Fig. 4.
We will now describe the operation of the knife and clamp. The operator first
places the pile of cards, or other articles to be cut and cornered, in position against
the gages, L, when he places his foot upon the treadle, J, which will cause the
shaft F3 and its crank-wheel F 2 to rotate, in the manner hereinbefore stated.
When not in the act of cutting, the knife will be lowered below the table while the
clamp will be elevated to its highest point, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,-the-
collar, B 3, of the knife-rod resting upon base of the machine when said parts are
in this position. So soon as the bars, E 3, begin to draw the pivoted toggles E.
and E2 inward, the latter will act to force the rod D 2 and its clamp D downward ;.
and, as the clamp comes into contact with the pile of cards (see Fig. 4) or other
articles, said clamp will tightly compress them, at which time the further downward
movement of the clamp and its rod is stopped. The downward movement of the
clamp-rod having been stopped, in the manner just described, the toggle-arms El
will act to force the rod B 2 and its knife, B, upward, which movement cuts the
corners of the pile compressed beneath the clamp. It will be seen that it takes but
one-half of a revolution of wheel F 2 and its crank F to cause the clamp to descend:
and the knife to ascend, in the manner afore stated: the last half of the revolution
of said crank will cause a reverse movement of the bars E3 and toggle-arms E:
and E 2, which movement will draw the rod B2 and its knife downward until the
collar B3 strikes the base of the machine, at which instant the arms E 2 will.act
to force the rod D2 and its clamp upward, thus releasing the pile of articles having
had their corners cut, as afore stated.
From the description just given, it will be seen that the knife-rod moves in a
direction opposite that of the clamp-rod, and that the clamp, resting on the articles
to be cut, serves as a base or support to drive the knife upward, while the collar oni
the knife-rod (when lowered) acts as a base or support to drive the clamp upward.
after the knife has made its cut.
To counteract the weight of the clamp and its rod, and to insure against any
backward movement of the shaft after the clamp is elevated, we have provided a
spring-compressed pin, t, mounted within a hollow base, T, the latter being made
fast to the base of the machine. This pin, t, is adapted to enter a ratchet notch
formed in the periphery of wheel F 2, and thus, acting as a pawl, retain the latter
and its shaft in a fixed position until operated upon by the driving mechanism when
coupled to the shaft in the manner afore stated.
When it is desired to remove the knife for grinding or to adjust it in any manner,
we have provided the hand-wheel, S, on the end of the shaft, by the aid of which
the shaft and its collar, G, may be rotated to elevate the knife and its rod above
the top plate, A 2, without operating the band-wheel. Having elevated the
knife to proper position by means of said hand-wheel, all the parts will remain in
that position until the knife is properly adjusted, when the band-wheel may be
again set in motion.
It is preferred to provide the lower face of clamp, D, with a detachable strip of
soft metal, a, to protect the cutting edge of the knife after having passed through
the articles on its up-stroke.
The advantages of our invention are many and apparent. The feature of having
the knife and clamp connected and operated by the toggle mechanism, insures the
greatest possible clamping power, which is very essential in all corner cutters.
The more power that is required to drive the knife, by reason of its dulness, will
insure that much more additional clamping force on the articles being cut, as the
knife and clamp pull against each other, and any power applied to the knife must
be transmitted to the clamp.

page_text: The machine as a whole is compactly and economically built, while the adjustment
of the knife and clamp is quite simple and effective.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. In a cutting machine, the knife attached to a vertically supported rod, B2,
and a clamp adjustably connected to a rod D2 parallel with rod B 2, said rods
being movably mounted and connected by toggle actuated mechanism for driving
said rods in opposite directions, for the purposes specified.
2. In a cutting machine, a knife mounted at top of a movable rod, the latter
having a suitable stop for limiting its down-stroke, and a clamp mounted upon a
rod parallel with the knife-rod, said rods being suitably supported in a movable
position and connected by toggle actuated mechanism, substantially as set forth.
3. In a cutting machine constructed substantially as set forth with a base A and
top plate A 2, the latter having gages, L, a knife mounted upon a rod B2 and
adapted to pass through an opening in said top plate, a clamp mounted on a
rod D2, and suitable operative mechanism connected to said rods for moving
them in opposite directions, for the purposes set forth.
4. In a cutting machine, the base A, top plate A 2 suitably supported and having
gages as L, rod B 2 having a knife and a stop for limiting the down-stroke of said
rod, rod D 2 having a clamp adjustably connected thereto, toggle-arms E and E 2
pivotally connected to said rods and to the horizontal bars E3, the latter being
attached to a crank mounted on the driving shaft, and suitable means for rotating
the latter.
5. In a cutting machine having a knife and clamp adapted to be actuated by
toggle mechanism, the main shaft, the crank wheel secured upon said shaft, a link
connecting the crank pin of said wheel to the toggle mechanism, said crank wheel
having a notch in its peripheral face, the elastically supported pin held in contact
with the face of the crank wheel and adapted to enter the notch in its face when
the driving mechanism is disconnected, and act as a brake to prevent the wheel
from turning backward by the weight of the clamp and its supports, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 31st day of March 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.