IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 6 Bream's
Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING
MACHINES," 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 having punches set very close together in
one or more rows for perforating cheques, stubs, labels and other papers.
In machines of this class the punches are in a row of, say ten, twenty or thirty
inches in length for making long lines of perforations and they are secured on.a
vertical movable cross head and work through a stripper or stripper-plate arranged
just above the die and between which and the die the papers are placed to be
perforated.
The work has often to be done on lines so short that only a comparatively small
number of punches are required, and one object of this invention is to afford
provision for readily rendering a greater or lesser number of the punches
inoperative, so that when the cross head descends only such punches as are needed
will be forced through the paper while the others will be allowed to rise in the
crosshead when they strike the paper, the means whereby the punches are held
down for operation being of such nature that they can be removed and replaced
at will.
In perforating machines it is of great advantage to have the punches of slightly
different lengths, alternate punches being slightly longer than the intermediate
punches, so that only half of the punches shall strike the paper simultaneously,
they requiring only half the power to operate which would be necessary if the
punches were all of a length.
A further object of my invention is, therefore to provide means for holding the
punches of different lengths in the cross head, and at the same time to enable the
points of all the punches to be brought into line when they are to be sharpened by
filing off their ends, and to enable the stripper to be adjusted so that the punches
will project but a trifle beyond its face, and so that it will serve as a gauge for
filing off the punches. These latter objects I accomplish by removing the punch
holder stripper beam and stripper together from the machine and inverting them
upon a cross head or brace which permanently and rigidly connects the upper ends
of the cross head guides, and after the punch holder has been bolted securely in its

page_text: inverted position I adjust the stripper vertically at its two ends so that all the
punches project evenly and but a very trifle above the surface of the stripper.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of this improved machine.
Fig 2 is a front elevation showing the cross head guides, the upper cross bar or 5
brace, and the punch holder, stripper beam and stripper-secured in an inverted
position upon said cross bar or brace for filing off the punches.
Fig 3 is a plan of the parts shewn in Fig: 2.
Fig: 4 is a vertical section on the dotted line xx Fig: 1, the parts being in
position for operation.
Fig: 5 is a transverse vertical section of the die, the punch holder, a portion
of the cross head and the stripper beam and stripper upon a large scale or full size.
Fig 6 is a longitudinal section on the dotted line y y Fig: 5, the parts being
in position for operation; and
ام
Fig 7 is a transverse vertical section on the same scale as Figs: 5 and 6 of the
cross bar or brace connecting the upper ends of the cross head guides, and a similar
section of the punch holder, the stripper beam and stripper secured thereon and
adjusted into position for filing off the ends of the punches to sharpen them.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A designates the bed of the machine which is formed upon a suitably rigid frame
and on opposite sides of which extends a table B, the two portions of which 'are
supported by arms or brackets A¹ on the frame.
In the bed A is a channel or seat a in which is placed the die C, and below the
die the bed is slotted at b so that the scrap or waste may fall into a receptacle.
which is provided in the frame but not here shown.
The die C is best shown in transverse section in Fig: 5 but also in Fig:4. It
preferably consists of a plate or bar of iron. c channelled at c¹ in its upper surface,
and in the channel c¹ is fitted and permanently secured a thin plate or strip of
steel the two plates or pieces c d being correspondingly perforated for the
punches. The steel plate d is snugly fitted in the channel c and is then
permanently secured therein by numerous rivets or screws before the operation of
bardening is performed.
Upon the bed A are erected upright posts or columns D which are secured
therein by nuts é or otherwise, and which form guides for the cross heads E said
guides being shown as round.
The cross head E consists of a casting having considerable depth to give it the
necessary strength and rigidity, and provided at the ends with deep or long eyes
or slides E which receive through them, and are accurately fitted to the guides or
posts D so as to enable the cross head to work up and down smoothly and without
binding or cramping. At the ends of the crosshead E are wrists or pins f with
which are connected rods F whereby the crosshead is reciprocated; and these rods
are provided at their upper ends with eyes f¹ with which the rods proper have a
screw connection and in which the rods may be secured against movement by lock
nuts fafter adjustment.
The rods F are connected at their lower ends with a treadle or other device for
operating the crosshead but not here shown as it forms no part of this invention.
The rods F being adjustable in length I am enabled to maintain accurately the
horizontal position of the crosshead E. The upper ends of the guides or posts D
are connected by a cross bar or brace D¹ secured thereon by nuts f³.
To the under side of the cross head E is secured the punch holder G by bolts or
screws g which are inserted downwards through the lower part of the crosshead
and screwed into the holder G as shown best in Fig: 5. In the cross head are
openings g¹ which provide for the ready insertion and removal of the bolts or
screws g. The front side of the punch holder G is rebated at *, and to the under
side thereof a punch plate G' is secured by screws g' as shown in Fig: 5. This
'punch plate constitutes a part of the punch holder and is perforated near its front
..edge for the reception of the punches H which are of steel wire of proper gauge,

page_text: and in the top of the plate G¹ are slight countersinks to receive the heads of the
punches H. These punches might all be of the same length if desired but
preferably the alternate punches are slightly longer than the intermediate punches
and when their heads are all held down their points will present an irregular line
as shown in Fig: 6. The rebate in the punch-holder G is of such depth
relatively to the length of the punches that the punches may be all removed from
the punch-plate C1, and reinserted therein without detaching the latter from the
punch holder G, and in order to hold the punches down for operation I employ a
continuous strip or bar h fitted in the upper part of the rebate and one or more
packing strips or pieces i, below said strip or bar h, two strips or pieces i i being
preferably employed, one above another. The pieces h, i, i completely fill the
rebate, and when in place, as shewn in Figs: 5 and 6, the punches H are all
held down and caused to operate. The packing pieces ii and piece are all
held in place by a guard or covering plate ; secured to the front of the punch
holder G. The packing pieces ii are not continuous throughout their length like
the piece, but are made in sections of different lengths as shown in Fig: 1, in
which Figure the guard or covering plate j is partly removed.
It is often desired to perforate on short lines, or to leave certain portions of "a
paper unperforated, and this.I accomplish by removing the desired section or sections
of the packing pieces ii so that a number of punches corresponding to the length
of the pieces i will be allowed to rise when, they strike the paper but as the strip
or piece is continuous, the punches cannot rise or jump up sufficiently to escape
from the punch plate G¹. Suppose for example that the sections of packing pieces
marked in Fig: 1, or one of them, be removed; all the punches covered by
said section or sections will not be held down and will rise and be inoperative,
while all the remaining punches will be operative. By making the packing
pieces ii in various lengths I provide by shifting them for rendering inoperative
any desired number of punches at any point in the length of the punch
holder G.
In lieu of two sectional packing strips or pieces, one piece of twice the
thickness might be used, but where two pieces are inserted the lower one may
be used to strike down the heads of the punches H, after which the second
piece may be inserted above it. A single piece would be more difficult to insert
2
above the punches than the two pieces i, i, here shown.
I designates a stripper or stripper-plate which is accurately drilled for the passage
of the punches H through it, and is rigidly secured to the underside of a stripper
beam J, by means of screws, k, or otherwise. The stripper beam J is provided near
opposite ends with eyes or holes through which bolts may be inserted for
securing it in an operative position to the bed A of the machine, and the stripper
and stripper-beam occupy, when operative, the position shown in Fig: 5. Beyond
the eyes or holes and at the ends of the stripper-beam Jare handles or hand
pieces whereby it may be raised from the bed of the machine.
I will now describe how the punches of different lengths may be adjusted while
still in the holder G so that their ends will all be in line and even, and how the
stripper I is made to serve as a gauge for filing them off to sharpen them.
The punch holder G may be removed from the crosshead E by taking out the
screws, g; and the stripper-beam J may likewise be removed from the bed A by
removing the bolts from the eyes or holes /¹.
When the punches H are of two different lengthis, as described the underside
of the piece or strip h is not even, but, opposite alternate punches which are longer,
has formed in it recesses or depressions which receive the heads of said longer
punches when the holder is inverted, and the depth of which recesses is equal to
the difference in length between the longer and shorter punches. Consequently
when the punch-holder G is inverted and the strips or packing pieces i, i, are
removed and placed below or on the opposite side of the piece has shown in Figs: 2
and 7, the punches are held by their heads bearing on the lower edge of the strip

page_text: or piece h, and the heads of the longer punches enter the recesses or depressions h².
The ends of all the punches will then be even and in line.
The cross bar D' above referred to has a flat upper surface and constitutes a
support on which the punch holder G may be placed when inverted, and to which
the punch holder may be secured by bolts shown in Fig: 2.
.
At the ends of the cross bar D' are laterally or rearwardly projecting lugs or
ears m, on which are erected screw threaded pins or studs n to which are fitted
nuts o which are preferably circular and knurled or provided with projections so
that they may be readily turned by hand.
The stripper beam J is detached and inverted with the punch-holder G, and the
holes or eyes in the said beam fit upon or receive the pins or studs n as shewn
in Figs 3 and 7; and the nuts o form vertically adjustable supports on which the
stripper beam rests and by which it may be raised until the surface of the stripper
is only a trifle below the ends of the punches, as shewn in Fig: 7. The stripper
then constitutes a gauge to which the punches may be filed, and steadies and
supports their ends while filing. The cross bar or brace therefore, not only serves
to connect the guides D and maintain them in proper relation, but it also serves to
support the punch holder in an inverted position while filing the punches. In lieu
of inverting the punch holder upou the cross-bar D'I might provide a support.
independent of the machine and combine with it adjustable supports for the
stripper-beam, and this combination of a rigid support for the punch holder and
vertically adjustable supports for the stripper bean is very desirable whether the
punches be of different lengths or not, as by its use the stripper may be made to
serve as a gauge for filing off the ends of the punches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
1st In a punch holder, the combination with a bar or body having a rebate in its
side, of a plate secured to the underside of the bar or body and receiving headed
punches through it, and packing pieces fitted to said rebate and serving to prevent
upward movement of the punchies substantially as herein described.
2nd The combination with the headed punches H, of the punch holder consisting
of the plate G¹ and the bar or body G, to the under side of which the said plate is
secured and in, the front of which is a rebate * of such depth that the punches
may be withdrawn entirely from the plate G₁ by an upward movement, and
packing pieces fitted to said rebate and serving to prevent the rising of the
punches, substantially as herein described.
3rd The combination with the punch holder composed of the bar or body G
having a rebate in the front, and the plate G¹ secured to the bottom of said bar
or body, of the punches H, a continuous packing strip fitted to the rebate, and a
packing strip or strips fitted between said continuous strip and said plate and
composed of separately removable sections substantially as herein described.
4th The combination with a punch holder composed of the bar or body G rebated
at, the front, and the plate G₁ secured thereto, of the punches H, a continuous
packing piece fitted in said rebate, and a packing piece or pieces i fitted between
said continuous piece and the said plate and composed of separately removable
sections of different lengths, substantially as herein described.
5th The combination with the punch-holder composed of the bar or body G and
the plate G', of the punches H of different lengths, a packing piece / provided in
its edge with recesses or depressions h¹ opposite the longer punches and a packing
piece or pieces removably fitted between said piece h and the punches, substantially
as herein described.
6th The combination with a punch holder and stripper capable of being removed
together from the perforating machine and inverted, of a support upon which said
punch holder may be secured when inverted and supports for the inverted stripper 5
capable of adjustment to bring the stripper to a position in which it will serve as a
gauge for sharpening the punches, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 7th The combination with the cross-head and vertical guides of a perforating
machine, of a cross bar connecting said guides at their upper ends, a punch holder
and stripper capable of being together removed from the machine and inverted, the
punch holder being supported on said cross bar, and the latter having supports for
the stripper capable of vertical adjustment to bring the stripper into position to
serve as a gauge for sharpening the punches, substantially as herein described.
8th The combination with the cross head E, guides D and cross bar D' provided
with studs or pins and nuts o, of an invertible punch holder and invertible
stripper and stripper-beam provided with eyes ¹ removable together from the
perforating machine, substantially as herein described.
9th The combination with a punch-holder provided with punches of different
lengths, a packing piece provided in its underside with recesses or depressions
opposite the longer punches, and a stripper fitted to the punches, said punch holder
and stripper being together removable from the perforating machine and capable
of being inverted, of a support for the punch holder when inverted and supports
for said stripper capable of adjustment to raise and lower the stripper relatively to
the ends of the punches, substantially as herein described.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.