IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FABRICS OR WEBS INTO LENGTHS to be as follows, that is to say :-.
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOHN PETRIE ROBERTSON, of Wallace Foundry Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Engineer, and DAVID RUSSELL DAWSON, of 57 Meadowside,
Dundee, aforesaid Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING FABRICS OR WEBS INTO LENGTHS
to be as follows, that is to say :-.
"
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
machinery for cutting fabrics or webs into lengths.
In carrying out our Invention what may be termed a skeleton drum is employed
presenting four or other convenient number of bars parallel to the shaft and on
which bars the fabric or web is carried round. One of the drum bars has fixed
on it a cutting blade to act on the inner side of the fabric or web, and there is
externally a stationary cutting blade to act on the outer side of the fabric or web,
this stationary blade being inclined or curved so as to be in shape like a helix of
long pitch. The other drum bars have pins on them to take hold of the fabric;
and as the skeleton drum rotates the fabric is carried round and gradually cut
across between the internal and external cutting blades as though by a pair of
scissors.
The drum bars are held by two pairs of disks one pair being at each end of the
drum; and the parts are peculiarly constructed so as to admit of the drum bars
being adjusted at greater or less distances from the shaft for the purpose of cutting
different lengths. One of each pair of disks is fixed on the shaft the other being
adjustable round upon it; and one disk is formed with straight radial slots for the
ends of the bars the other disk of each pair being formed with spiral or curved slots
which move the bars outwards or inwards when the disks are turned relatively to
each other. The curved slots are provided for all the bars excepting the one
carrying the internal cutting blade and for this bar there is formed in the disk a
radial slot, communicating with two concentric slots at different distances from the
centre. The bar carrying the internal cutter is not changed in position for every
position of the other bars, as to allow of that, a different external cutter would be

page_text: required for every different position; but two external cutters are provided to
correspond to the two concentric slots hereinbefore mentioned. The external
cutter is pressed outwards by a spring and is moved inwards into the cutting
position by a lever which is acted on by a cam or tappet pulley on a wheel suitably
geared to the shaft of the skeleton drum. The tappet wheel may be geared to
turn once for every four turns of the skeleton drum, or it may be made of any
other desired proportion. If it turns once for every four turns of the skeleton
drum and if it has four tappet pulleys on it it will cause the fabric or web to be
cut once for every turn of the skeleton drum; but if there are only two tappet
pulleys the cutting action will take place only at every second turn of the skeleton
drum so as to give lengths of double the size, whilst one tappet only will give
lengths of four times the size.
.
I
The machine is provided with counting mechanism arranged to be acted on by
the lever which moves the external cutter into the acting position.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent,
Per pro David Ferguson.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Fabrics or Webs into
Lengths.
We, JOHN PETRIE ROBERTSON, of Wallace Foundry, Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Engineer, and DAVID RUSSELL DAWSON, of 57 Meadowside,
Dundee, aforesaid, Merchant, 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, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
machinery for cutting fabrics or webs into lengths.
In carrying out our Invention what may be termed a skeleton drum is employed
presenting four or other convenient number of bars parallel to the shaft and on
which bars the fabric or web is carried round. One of the drum bars has fixed
on it a cutting blade to act on the inner side of the fabric or web, and there is
externally a stationary cutting blade to act on the outer side of the fabric or web,
this stationary blade being inclined or curved so as to be in shape like a helix of
long pitch. The other drum bars have pins on them to take hold of the fabric;
and as the skeleton drum rotates the fabric is carried round and gradually cut
across between the internal and external cutting blades as though by a pair of
scissors.
Our Invention consists in combining or constructing various parts of the machine
in an improved manner; and a machine as made with our improvements is shown
on two sheets of explanatory drawings which are hereunto attached, figure, 1, on
sheet, 1, being a side elevation as with the middle part of the machine and lower
part of the framing removed, whilst figure, 2, on sheet, 2,, is an end elevation. The
Bame reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts in both figures.
The framing of the machine consists mainly of two end standards, 3, 4, connected
by a longitudinal frame piece, 5, along the middle and by a frame bar, 6, extending
along one side. The end standards, 3, 4, have bearings, 7, 8, at the top for the
end journals or shaft, 9, of the skeleton drum; and at one end the shaft, 9, has on
it a pulley, 10, for a driving belt, and a frictional clutch, 11, by means of which
the shaft is put into or out of gear as required, the clutch being acted on by a
hand lever, 12, centered on a bracket, 13.
In the example delineated the skeleton drum is made with four bars one, 14,
being armed with a steel cutting blade and the other three bars, 15, being armed
with pins or steel points for taking hold of the fabric and carrying it round.
The drum bars, 14, 15, are held by two pairs of disks, 16, 17, one pair being at
each end of the drum; and the parts are peculiarly constructed so as to admit of
the drum bars being adjusted at greater or less distances from the shaft, 9, for the
purpose of cutting different lengths. The outer one, 16, of each pair of disks is
fixed on the shaft the other, 17, being adjustable round upon it; and one disk, 17,

page_text: of each pair is formed with straight radial slots for the ends of the bars, 14, 15,
the other disk, 16, of each pair being formed with spiral or curved slots, 18,
(figure, 2) which move the bars, 15, outwards or inwards when the disks are turned
relatively to each other. The curved slots, 18, are provided for all the bars, 15,
excepting the one, 14, carrying the internal cutting blade and for this bar there
is formed in the disk a radial slot, 19, communicating with two concentric slots, 20,
21, at different distances from the centre. The bar, 14, carrying the internal cutter
is not changed in position for every position of the other bars, 15, as, to allow of that,
a different external cutter would be required for every different position; but two
external cutters are provided to correspond to the two concentric slots, 20, 21,
herein before mentioned. In figures, 1, and 2, a cutter bar, 22, corresponding in
form and position to the outer concentric slot, 20, is shown in full lines, whilst a
cutter bar corresponding to the inner concentric slot, 21, is indicated by dotted
lines, 23, in figure, 2. The cutter bar, 22, which is of channel-section, has a steel
cutting blade fixed along its inner face; and it is carried at its ends by arms, 24, 25,
which have their lower ends centered on studs, 26, fixed in the end frames, 3, 4.
The external cutter bar, 22, is pressed outwards by springs, 27, bearing on the
arms, 24, 25, and is moved inwards into the cutting position by a lever, 28, which
is acted on by a cam or tappet pulley, 29, on a wheel, 30, suitably geared to the
shaft, 9, of the skeleton drum. The tappet wheel, 30, may be geared to turn once
for every four turns of the skeleton drum as shown or it may be made of any other
desired proportion. If it turns once for every four turns of the skeleton drum and
if it has four tappet pulleys, 29, on it it will cause the fabric or web to be cut once
for every turn of the skeleton drum; but if there are only two tappet pulleys the
cutting action will take place only at every second turn of the skeleton drum so as
to give lengths of double the size, whilst one tappet only will give lengths of four
times the size. The lever, 28, is fixed on a longitudinal shaft, 31, at the side of the
machine, and this shaft has also fast on it two short levers, 32, which bear against
the outer sides of the cutter-bar arms, 24, 25, and press them inwards whenever
the lever, 28, is depressed by a tappet pulley, 29. The shaft, 31, is carried in
blocks, 33, fitted slide in horizontal guides in brackets, 34, formed on the end
frames, 3, 4; and the shaft blocks, 33, can be adjusted by means of screws, 35,
tapped through the ends of the frame bar, 6, so as to determine with accuracy the
position of the external cutter bar when in its operating position. A hand-
wheel, 36, is fixed on one end of the drum shaft, 9, and is fitted with a hand pin,
37, which can be projected inwards into a hole in the framing, so that the drum
can be conveniently turned by hand into the proper position for commencing
operations and then secured in that position until about to set the machine in
motion.
The two inner disks, 17, of the skeleton drum are connected to each other by a
concentric tube, 38, to insure their moving together when being adjusted relatively
to the outer disks, 16. The drum bars, 15, are formed with ends fitting the radial
slots of the inner disks in such a way as to keep them with their pins or points
projecting outwards,
The fabric to be cut into lengths is passed in a serpentine manner round three
rollers, 39, (figure 2) and thence up to the skeleton drum on the side opposite to
the external cutter bar, 22; and it is carried over by the rotation of the drum and
is cut on the descending side, the cut lengths falling away down an inclined
board, 40. Each of the pinned drum bars, 15, is made with a deep groove close to
the row of pins and in this groove there is fitted loosely a metal bar, 41, which as
the drum bars, 15, descend falls out a limited distance by gravitation and makes
sure of the freeing of the fabric from the pins.
The machine is provided with a counter, 42, arranged to be acted on by the
lever, 28, which moves the external cutter bar, 22, into the acting position. The
first spindle of the counter, 42, has on it a ratchet wheel, 43, which is acted upon
by a slotted strap, 44, connected by a rod, 45, to the lever, 28.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1-The arranging or combining together of the parts of a machine for cutting
fabrics or webs into lengths substantially in the improved manner herein before
described.
2-The improved construction of the skeleton drum, namely with disks having
radial and curved slots for adjusting the positions of the bars and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3-The arrangement of the external cutter bar combined with the improved
means for adjusting and working the same substantially as hereinbefore described.
4-The providing of the pinned bars of the skeleton drum with loose metal
bars arranged to fall outwards for freeing the fabric from the pins substantially as .
herein before described.
5-The providing of counting mechanism in connection with the lever which
actuates the external cutter bar substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this eighth dex of June 1986
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.