Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming Photographic Prints, Paper, and like Material.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Trimming Photographic Prints,
Paper, and like Material.
I, HARRY HOWARD NEWCOMB, of 179 Tremont Street, Boston, in the County
of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 has for its object to provide a simple and convenient device
whereby photographic prints may be trimmed in rectangular form and to any
desired size, and it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to
describe.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification,
Figure represents a perspective view of my improved trimming apparatus.
Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3, 3, Fig. 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.
In carrying out my invention I provide a supporting base or bed a of rectangular
form, which is provided with a series of guiding lines or marks extending
parallel with one of its sides, and a similar series of marks extending parallel
with another of its sides, the marks and forming right angles, as shown in
Fig. 2. I prefer to form the marks upon a surface which is covered by a
transparent plate c of glass, the marks being formed on the material of which the
Supporting base is composed, said material being preferably of wood. The glass
plate c protects the base and the marks thereon and acts as a cutting bed to adapt
it to co-operate with a hardened steel rotary knife, such as is commonly used in
trimming photographs.
The bed a is provided upon two of its sides with raised flanges a¹ a², said flanges
forming a right angle. represents a rectangular plate, preferably of glass, of
smaller size than the base a and so proportioned that when two of its edges bear
against the flanges a¹ a² its other two edges will co-operate with the lines bb¹ in
forming a rectangle of given dimensions, which dimensions are preferably marked
upon the base a in suitable proximity to the lines. In other words, the edges 2, 3 of
the plated co-operate with one set of lines 6 61 in forming a rectangle of the size
for which said lines were intended, one side of said rectangle being, for example,
3 inches long and the other 1 inches long. The next set of lines 6 61 co-operate
with said edges in forming a rectangle which may be 5 inches long in one
direction and 4 inches long in another, and so on, the edges of the plate
co-operating with as many sets of lines as may be formed upon the base.
The operation is as follows: A print e to be trimmed is placed upon a glass
plate c, and the plate d is placed upon it and held down with sufficient firmness to
retain the print in place while the operator trims its projecting edges by means of a
suitable tool, guided by the edges 2, 3 of the plate d. The operator then turns the
print around so that its trimmed edges will coincide with the lines bb' of the desired
size, and then trims the other two edges in the same manner, the result being that
the print is cut in an exactly rectangular form and of the exact size of the
rectangle described by the edges 2, 3 of the plate d and the lines >> b¹ on the bed.
It will be seen that this improved device enables the operator to quickly and
accurately trim photographic prints, without liability of cutting the prints out of
true by their slipping while being cut. The device is particularly intended for the
use of amateur photographers, although it may obviously be used for trimming
paper or like material for any other purpose or purposes.

page_text: ³ represents a raised flange at the edge of the board opposite the flange a¹.
Said flange a is intended merely to prevent the plate d from sliding from the
board.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :
1. A paper trimming device comprising in its construction a bed provided at two
of its edges with raised stops or flanges a' a³ and on its face with lines 6 b', all
relatively arranged as shown, and a plate or guide d formed to bear at two of ts
edges against the stops a¹ a² and to bear on the bed, two of the edges of said plate
constituting guides for a trimming tool, as set forth.
2. A paper trimming device comprising in its construction, first, a bed having
raised stops a¹ a at two of its edges, lines b¹ on its face, and a transparent plate c
covering said lines and constituting a cutting bed; and, secondly, a transparent
plate or guided formed to bear at two of its edges against the stops a¹ a² and to
bear on the bed, two of the edges of said plate constituting guides for a trimming
tool, as set forth.
Dated his 10th
A D 1000
HARRY HOWARD NEW COMB.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.