Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Envelope and Box Blanks, Notepaper, Labels, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Envelope and Box Blanks,
Notepaper, Labels, and the like.
I, THOMAS BOULTON KENDELL, of Norfolk Iron Works, Norfolk Place, Shore-
ditch, in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for cutting out the corners
of blanks for envelopes of the kind known in the trade as hand made envelopes,
the said invention also being applicable to cutting out notepaper, labels and the
like of various shapes and also the corners of square cardboard box blanks.
In the manufacture of so called hand made envelopes it has hitherto been the
practice to cut the paper blank to a diamond shape in a guillotine machine and
then to cut the four angular nicks or corners at the points where the paper is to
be folded by means of a platen machine having a knife of the shape to cut out
the said notches or corners. To enable the size of envelope made to be varied
an adjustable knife has been employed, but this possesses disadvantages in prac-
tice which it is the object of this invention to obviate.
According to the invention I provide a machine having two knives and a
table arranged to be rotatable and movable in a horizontal plane and upon
which the paper blank can be centrally secured by a clamp. The knives are
rotatably mounted upon pins eccentrically placed upon the bottom ends of slides
which can be reciprocated in guides mounted upon suitable supports in such a
manner that they can be approached towards, or moved away from, one another,
for example through the medium of a screw. The said slides are advantageously
reciprocated by means of rods which connect their upper ends to the straps of
eccentrics mounted upon a shaft in such a manner that they can be slid upon
the shaft simultaneously with the movement of the guides. The shaft can be
rotated by any suitable means, for example bv geåring operated by a pedal.
With this arrangement, to cut out the corners or notches from a diamond
shaped blank from the guillotine machine, the said blank is clamped centrally on
the table, the table and knives adjusted in position and the knives then caused to
descend so as to cut out two corners. The table is then revolved and the knives
again operated so as to cut out the other two corners.
It will be obvious that I can make envelopes of any desired size, within the
limits of the machine, by merely adjusting the distance apart of the two cutters
through the medium of the adjusting screw and by altering the position of the
centre line of the table with respect to the plane of the knives.
It will also be obvious that, as above mentioned, my improved machine can be
utilized for cutting out the corners from square box blanks, and that it can
replace the usual machines for cutting note-paper, labels and the like, by the

page_text: employment of suitable knives. Such labels and the like can be cut to various
shapes by the machine, such for example as hexagonal, octagonal, star-shaped, etc.
Dated the 17th day of February 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Envelope and Box Blanks,
Notepaper, Labels, and the like.
I, THOMAS BOULTON KENDELL, of Norfolk Iron Works, Norfolk Place, Shore-
ditch, in the County of London, Engineer, 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 improvements in machinery for cutting out the corners
of blanks for envelopes of the kind known in the trade as hand made envelopes,
the said invention aiso being applicable to cutting out notepaper, labels and the
like of various shapes and also the corners of square cardboard box blanks.
In the manufacture of so called hand made envelopes it has hitherto been the
practice to cut the paper blank to a diamond shape in a guillotine machine and
then to cut the four angular nicks or corners at the points where the paper is to
be folded by means of a platen machine having a kite of the shape to cut out
the said notches or corners. To enable the size of envelope made to be varied
an adjustable knife has been employed, but this possesses disadvantages in prac-
tice which it is the object of this invention to obviate.
According to the invention i provide a machine having two knives and a
table arranged to be rotatable and movable in a horizontal plane and upon
which the paper blank can be centrally secured by a clamp. The knives are
rotatably mounted upon pins eccentrically placed upon the bottom ends of slides
which can be reciprocated in guides mounted upon suitable supports in such a
manner that they can be approached towards, or moved away from, one another,
for example through the medium of a screw. The said slides are advantageously
reciprocated by means of rods which connect their upper ends to the straps of
eccentrics mounted upon a shaft in such a manner that the said strips can be
slid upon the shaft simultaneously with the movement of the guide. The shaft
can be rotated by any suitable means, for example by gearing operated by a
pedal or by power.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine constructed according to the invention:
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan the section being taken on the line 3-3 Figure 1..
a, a are two standards the upper ends of which are secured by means of a cross-
piece b; upon the crosspiece is bolted the inverted U-shaped frame c.
c¹, c are
bearings formed at the upper part of the frame e in which is mounted the driving
shaft & carrying the fast and loose pulleys, respectively which receive a driv-.
ing belt from any suitable source of power and the pinione which gears with the
spur wheel e keyed upon the eccentric shaft f mounted in bearings f¹, f¹ in the
frame c. ff are the eccentrics formed or keyed upon the shaft f the said
eccentrics being made of considerable breadth, as shewn, for the purpose here-
inafter described. ³ ³ are eccentric straps which are fitted upon the eccen-
trics in the usual manner and g, g are the slides which are connected to the

page_text: said straps by the rods g¹, g¹ and carry at their lower ends the eccentric pins 9°
upon which the knives (not shewn in the drawing) are adapted to be mounted
in any suitable manner. h, h are the guides within which the slides 9, 9 can
be reciprocated by the eccentrics, the said guides being mounted upon parallel
bars or rods h', h² secured to the frame c and being adapted to be adjusted in
position relatively with one another, that is to say, to be approached towards,
or moved away from, one another by means of the rod i which is formed with
right and left hand screw-threads, respectively which engage right and left
hand female screw-threads formed upon the slides h, h; this rod is operated by
the handle 23 so that when the said handle is turned, the two slides are moved
towards or away from one another, the breadth of the eccentrics allowing of this
adjustment as the eccentric straps can slide thereon.
jis the table upon which the envelope or other blanks are to be cut the said
table resting upon the crosspiece b, and being provided with a downwardly
extending central pivot j' which fits into a socket k formed upon the lower
jaw of the device for clamping the paper, from which the envelope blanks are
to be cut, upon the table. This lower jaw is held in place by means of a
flange formed in one with, or rigidly secured to, it and from which extend
rods, passing through bearings formed in the crosspiece of the frame.
These rods are connected at the rear part by a bar or rod 12 so as to form a
handle by means of which the said rods can be slid in the frame thus adjusting
the position of the table and the clamp underneath the knives or cutters. The
upper arm of the clamping device is hinged to the outer end of the lower
arm and extends radially to the centre of the table being provided at its
inner end with a clamping plate m which is secured by a ball and socket joint m¹
to its underside. To operate the said arm k in order to clamp paper upon the
table or to release it therefrom there is provided a rod n extending from the lower
arm up through a hole in the upper arm the projecting portion being screw-
threaded and provided with a nut in the form of a hand-wheel n¹ by the rotation
of which the upper arm can be forced down on to the table so that the clamp-
ing plate m clamps the paper on the table. A spring n² coiled around the rodn
between the two arms k¹, returns the upper arm when the hand wheel is screwed
in the reverse direction upon the rod.
With this arrangement to cut out the corners or notches from a diamond shaped
blank from the guillotine machine, the said blank is clamped centrally on the
table by means of the hand-wheel n', the table j and knives adjusted in position
and the knives then caused to descend by the eccentrics f and shaft f so as to
cut out two corners. The table is then revolved and the knives again operated
so as to cut out the other two corners.
It will be obvious that I can make envelopes of any desired size, within the
limits of the machine, by merely adjusting the distance apart of the two cutters
through the medium of the adjusting screw and by altering the position of the
centre line of the table with respect to the plane of the knives.
It will also be obvious that, as above mentioned, my improved machine can be
utilized for cutting out the corners from square box blanks, and that it can
replace the usual machines for cutting notepaper, labels and the like, by the
employment of suitable knives. Such labels and the like can be cut to various
shapes by the machine, such for example as hexagonal, octagonal, star-shaped, etc.
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-
1. In a machine for cutting envelope and box blanks and other articles, the
combination with a frame or support, of a table arranged to be turned and moved
in a horizontal plane, a clamp, and adjustable reciprocating knives, substantially
as herein before described.
2. In a machine of the kind described in Claim 1 the employment of a clamp

page_text: comprising a lower jaw movably mounted in the support or frame of the machine
and to which the table is centrally pivoted, an upper jaw hinged to the lower
jaw and means for operating the hinged upper jaw, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated.
3. In a machine of the kind described in Claim 1 mounting the knives eccen-
trically upon slides adapted to be reciprocated in upright guides which can be
adjusted in position relatively with one another, substantially as herein before
described.
4. In a machine of the kind described in Claim 3, the employment for recipro-
cating the slides of eccentrics upon which the straps for actuating the said slides
can move axially, to permit of the adjustment of the guides, substantially as, and
for the purpose, herein before described.
5. A machine for cutting envelope and box blanks, notepaper, labels and the
like consisting of the parts constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Doted the 17th day of Nacomben 1800
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant,