Year: 1888

page_text: We, WILLIAM DOUGLAS and EDWIN DOUGLAS, both of Kingswood Hill in the
County of Gloucester, engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
"
"
This invention relates to machines for cutting what are termed
" split-lifts" and
runners and for skiving or bevelling the edges of "stiffeners" and other parts of
boots and shoes.
Under this invention the arrangement is such that when the angle of the splitting
knife has been first adjusted to diagonally divide strips of leather of a given and
uniform width, the said strips are divided more equally and with greater accuracy of,
angle notwithstanding variation in thickness.
For this purpose the bearing of the upper feed roller is connected to a bracket
adjustable on a collar which partially embraces an arm extending backwards from the
back of the frame of the machine. One side of the knife takes into a groove formed
in the said arm.
This groove constitutes a fulcrum for the knife to turn on. The
other side of the knife is received in a groove formed in the collar.
The knife is first adjusted to any required angle by means of the bracket aforesaid
which is then secured on the collar by binding screws.
The upper roller yields in the usual way to the strips of leather as they are fed
between it and the lower roller, and as the upper roller rises to an extent varying with
the thickness of the material, the collar, acted upon by the bearing through the link
which connects it thereto, turns to a corresponding degree about the arm aforesaid,
and thus the knife is tilted on its fulcrum and the strips of leather are divided and
more evenly and with increased accuracy.

page_text: By introducing a second link connected at one end to the frame and at the other to
the link which connects the bearing of the upper feed roller to the bracket, absolute
accuracy in dividing the strips from the right hand top corner to the left hand lower
corner is ensured in cases of wide variation in thickness.
The arm above referred to is preferably made in one piece with the guide or gauge
and adjustable therewith towards or from the usual vertical knife by which the leather
is divided into desired widths.
The lower feed roller is capable of being raised and lowered by means of a vertical
screw acting upon the bearing thereof.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
"and 66
Improvements in Machines for Cutting "Split-lifts
Runners
and for Skiving or Bevelling "Stiffeners" and other Parts of
Boots and Shoes.
We, WILLIAM DOUGLAS and EDWIN DOUGLAS, both of Kingswood Hill, in the
County of Gloucester, engineers, 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 relates to machines for cutting what are termed "split-lifts" and
* runners" and for skiving or bevelling leather in the manufacture of boots
and shoes.
Under this invention the arrangement is such that when the angle of the splitting
knife has been first adjusted to divide diagonally strips of leather of a given and
uniform width, the said strips are thereafter divided more equally and with greater
accuracy of angle notwithstanding variation in thickness.
The
For this purpose the bearing of the upper feed roller is connected to a bracket
adjustable on a collar which partially embraces an arm extending backwards from the
back of the frame of the machine. One side of the knife takes into a groove formed
in the said arm.
This groove constitutes a fulcrum for the knife to turn on.
other side of the knife is received in a groove formed in the collar.
The knife is first adjusted to any required angle by means of the collar aforesaid
which is then secured in the bracket by binding screws.
The upper roller yields in the usual way to the strips of leather as they are fed
between it and the lower roller, and as the upper roller rises to an extent varying
with the thickness of the material, the collar, acted upon by the bearing through the
link which connects it thereto turns to a corresponding degree about the arm
aforesaid, and thus the knife is tilted on its fulcrum and the strips of leather are
divided more evenly and with increased accuracy.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation
of a machine constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is an end view,
and Fig. 3 a view at the side opposite to that at which Fig. 1 is taken. The spindle a
of the upper feed roller A is carried in the tubular bearing c pivotted at a¹ to the
frame F of the machine. At the front the bearing c is connected to the bracket e in
which the collar E is adjustably clamped by the binding screws f passed through
elongated slots cut in the bracket e, the screws being screwed into holes in the
collar E. The connection between the bearing c of the spindle a of the roller A and
the bracket e is made by the links g and h of which the former is pivotted at G to the
frame F and the latter, which is loosely jointed at H to the link g, is connected at its
lower end to the bracket e. From the lug c of the bearing c a pin C extends into the
slot in the link g. This pin C is adjustable in the slot in the lug c¹. The
splitting" knife I is received at one side in a groove formed for its reception in
the arm K extending outwards from the frame F of the machine, as shown. This
"

page_text: groove is the centre on which the knife turns. At the outer side the knife is supported
in a groove provided for it in the collar E and is securely driven into place. By an
adjustable clamp rest m on the spindle m¹ the knife is prevented from moving back
when cutting. The adjustable knife L by which the leather is cut into desired widths
is of the usual kind. M is a gauge or guide of the ordinary description.
The tubular bearing d of the spindle of the lower feed roller B is pivotted at b¹ to
the frame F and is tilted at the front by the adjustable screw N.
Acting upon the front of the tubular bearing c is the usual flat spring O the power
exerted by which is governed by the regulating screw P.
In putting the machine into operation the splitting knife I is adjusted to any
required angle by moving the collar E round below the bracket e. The latter is then
clamped on the collar by the binding screws f. The rollers, the peripheries of which
are serrated, as usual, are rotated by the toothed wheels W. As the strips of leather
are fed between the rollers A and B the tubular bearing c is tilted upwards on the
pivot a¹ to an extent depending on the thickness of the leather introduced. The
knife I having been adjusted to cut at a given angle a piece of leather of the minimum
thickness which the machine is adapted to take, changes position with other thicknesses
according to the rise and fall of the bearing c connected, as described, to the bracket e.
Hence all the strips produced are cut from one side to the other in the same relation
notwithstanding the variation in the thickness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for cutting "split-lifts," "runners" and the like, connecting the
bearing of the spindle of the upper feed roller to a bracket such as e superposed on an
adjustable collar such as E capable of motion about a fixed arm such as K, the
splitting knife being supported at one side in the said arm and at the other in the
movable collar, substantially as described.
2. The tubular bearing c, for the spindle of the upper feed roller, pivotted as at a¹
and capable of being tilted on its pivot in accordance with the thickness of the leather
being fed between the rollers, substantially as described.
3. The tubular bearing, for the spindle of the lower feed roller, pivotted as at b¹ and
capable of adjustment through the set screw N, as described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The combination of parts constituting the improved machine for cutting "split-
lifts,"
""runners" and the like, constructed, arranged and operating, substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.