Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, of 52 Chancery Lane,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, which has been communicated to me from abroad by The West
and Galland Company (Incorporated), of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My improvements relate to a machine for trimming off the blank edge of
embroidery that has a raised figure worked on the face of the cloth. Such work
has usually been done by hand and with scissors, which is a slow and tedious
process. The invention consists in the following construction and arrangement :-
In the drawings accompanying this application making a part of this specification,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine attached to a supporting leaf or table.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on an enlarged scale, in line x, x, of Fig. 1
-a portion of the machine being shown in elevation.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of the frame that holds the shear bar, in line y, y, of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the same parts.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the gauge-bar and its frame.
Fig. 6 is a bottom end view of the gauge-bar.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the feed rollers.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a piece of the embroidery and the gauge resting in
contact with the edge of the same.
The embroidery to be trimmed consists of a strip, P, of fabric, on which is worked
raised figures w, w, which stand up in small ridges above the surface of the fabric.
Outside the figures is a plain blank edge v, which is the part to be trimmed off.
My improvement for doing this work is as follows:-
A indicates a cutter mounted on a shaft B and receiving motion by a pulley on
the shaft, or any other suitable means. It is provided with a series of forwardly

page_text: pointing teeth b, b, which are V shaped in horizontal section, and produce the cutting
action on the cloth. J is a bar, provided at one end with a V shaped notch c, corre-
sponding in shape with the teeth of the cutter which run therein. This bar I
denominate the shear bar." It rests loosely in a frame C, and is adjusted forward
and back by a set screw d, and is held firmly at any adjustment by side set
screws e, e, which force a clamp bar, f, against it, as shown most clearly in the cross
section Fig. 3 and plan view Fig. 4. By this means the notch in the end of the
shear bar can be adjusted very accurately to the teeth of the cutter and very perfect
work can be done. D is an arm forming a guide attached to the top of the shear
bar J, and adjustable with it. It stands in an inclined direction both upward and
inward at the outer end, and may or may not be held by a brace g. The fabric
having the embroidered figures is placed on this guide, the figures standing down-
ward next to the cutter. The incline at which the embroidery stands on the guide
will naturally cause it to press down toward the cutter from its own weight. E is
a block attached to a face-plate or any suitable support, F, in front of the cutter.
G is a gauge-bar, resting in a slot in the block. This gauge-bar is adjustable
vertically by means of adjusting screws h, i, or any other suitable means, and its
lower end is adjustable out and in by means of a set screw j, which screws through
the gauge-bar and rests against the block. By this means the lower end of the
gauge-bar can be raised or lowered, or thrown out or in, which adjustments are
necessary to adapt the gauge at the lower end to the cutter teeth and the notch in
the shear bar. is the gauge proper on the lower end of the gauge-bar, said gauge
consisting of a downwardly projecting shoulder angular or rounded in front and
hollow on the back to allow the points of the cutter teeth to run close to the point
of the gauge. The bottom surface of this gauge is set just far enough above the
shear bar to allow the blank edge, v, of the embroidery to pass freely between, but
not to admit the raised figure of the embroidery. H and I are two feed wheels
located on one side and some distance away from the cutting mechanism, between
which wheels the trimmed strip of embroidery passes, said wheels serving to draw
the embroidery along as fast as it is trimmed, and to produce the desired tension
on the same.
The operation is as follows:-The strip of embroidery is placed on the inclined
guide D, the figure being downward as before described. The blank edge, v, passes
under the gauge k, and is rapidly cut away by the cutter. The raised figure w,
striking the point of the gauge is prevented from passing under, and therefore is
not cut. As fast as the strip is fed forward the undulations of the figure will follow
the gauge, and the blank will be cut away clean between the notches, and better
work can be done than by hand.
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
I claim is
1st In a machine for trimming embroidery, the combination of a cutter a shear
bar through which the cutter passes to cut the material, a gauge for determining the
position of the embroidery to be trimmed in relation to the cutter, and a guide
for sustaining the embroidery in proper position to move toward and from the
cutter, as set forth.
2nd In a machine for trimming embroidery, the combination, with the cutter,
the shear bar and gauge, of a guide standing in an inclined direction, whereby the
embroidery is fed to the cutter by its own weight, as set forth.
3rd In a machine for trimming embroidery, the combination, with the cutter and
gauge, of a shear bar, and an inclined guide adjustable to different positions
relatively to said cutter and gauge, as set forth.
4th In a machine for trimming embroidery, the combination of a cutter, the teeth
of which are adapted to cut away-a portion of the material at each cut, a shear bar,
a gauge with an opening between itself and the shear bar to receive the blank edge

page_text: of the embroidery, and mechanism, as rollers, for drawing the trimmed embroidery
from the cutting mechanism, as set forth.
5th In a machine for trimining embroidery, the combination of a circular toothed
cutter, the teeth of which are adapted to cut away a portion of the material at each
cut, a shear bar, mechanism, as rollers for drawing the trimmed embroidery from
the cutting mechanism, and a gauge with an opening between itself and the shear
bar to receive the blank edge of the embroidery, as set forth.
ALLISON BRO8,
Agents for the Applicant.