Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Tessarae in the Manufacture of Mosaic or Inlaid Floor Cloth.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Tessarae in the
Manufacture of Mosaic or Inlaid Floor Cloth.
I, EDWARD BATTEN of No. 20, Ruthin Road Westcombe Park in the County
of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in machinery
or apparatus for cutting tessarae in the manufacture of mosaic or inlaid floor cloth
the object of my said improvements being to provide for the cutting of tessarae
of considerably smaller sizes than can be cut by such machinery or apparatus as
heretofore constructed.
In the manufacture of mosaic or inlaid floor cloth it is a well recognised de-
sideratum that the tessarae of which the mosaic is composed be of the smallest
size admissible consistently with the required arrangement of the parts of the
cutting machinery which size in the case of square tessarae has heretofore been
but little if any less than half an inch from side to side and in the case of tessarae
of the form of a right angled triangle the smallest size producible has been such
that two placed with their longer sides in contact form a square of the aforesaid
size. The reason for this limitation of size of the tessarae has been that it has
been found impracticable to place the cutting blades closer consistently with
allowance of the minimum space necessary for the other parts of the mechanism.
Thus in Walton's cylinder machines (which are those principally used) a space of
about half an inch square is the minimum necessary for the bedding of the blades
in the type metal in which they are secured and for accommodation of the stem
and spring of each of the tessara ejectors and the tubular screw surrounding the
latter and binding the type metal to the cutter cylinder. The aforesaid distance
of half an inch or a little less has therefore been the minimum distance at which
all the blades have been arranged the whole of the squares cut by the machinery
or apparatus from the sheets of material thereby operated on being consequently
cut by the said blades into pieces measuring half an inch or but little less from
side to side. As it is not usual or necessary to bind or secure the type metal to
the cylinder by screws at all the parts thereof where the tessarae ejectors are
mounted but only at intervals of several inches hollow plugs or bushes for the
ejector stems to work in are substituted for the screws at those parts where the
latter are not required which bushes occupy as much space as would be required
by the said screws.
According to one of my said improvements I reduce the diameter of the afore
said hollow plugs or bushes and of the stems of the ejectors and thus obtain such
increase of space available for the cutting blades as to admit of the said blades
being arranged at such distances apart as to cut tessarac of considerably less
size than has been possible with the arrangement heretofore usual. Thus by
means of my said improvements the blades may be arranged at such distances
apart that all the tessarae cut by them are a quarter of an inch square except
those which are eat at the parts where it is necessary for the type metal to he

page_text: bound or secured to the cylinder by screws at which parts in consequence of the
space required for the said screws the blades are necessarily arranged at the
distance which has been heretofore the minimum and consequently the tessarae
cut at those parts are of larger size, say half an inch square. Inasmuch however
as in the working of a machine embodying my said improvement the number of
the smaller tessarae cut by it is in the proportion of more than sixty to one of
the larger tessarae, this is of little or no moment.
According to another of my said improvements I simplify the machine by dis-
pensing with the ejector springs the office of which is to cause the plates forming
the heads of the ejectors to retire into the spaces between the blades after the
cut tessarae within the said spaces have been forced out of them. The said
springs I have found to be unnecessary as during action of the machine the
pressure of the material which is being cut to form the tessarae causes retirement
of the ejectors as required.
According to another of my said improvements I dispense with type metal for
securing the cutting blades and I secure the said blades in place on the cylinder
as required by means of tubular plugs engaged in holes in the cylinder parts of
which plugs project above the surface of the cylinder and confine the said blades
between them in the positions required for proper action on the sheet of material
to be cut into tessarae. I provide for ejection of the cut tessarae from the
hollows between the knives by means of ejectors consisting of headed plungers
the heads of which occupy the hollows formed by the projecting portions of the
blades and the stems of which plungers occupy the hollows of the tubular plugs
their ends projecting within the cylinder in the path of motion of the mechanism
by which the ordinary ejectors are actuated to eject the cut tessarae.
Although in describing my invention I have referred to the arrangement of
the blades and other parts in connection with a cylinder I would observe that my
aforesaid improvements are applicable to apparatus for cutting tessarae in which
the support of the blades and other parts consists of a plate or block having a
plane surface.
Dated this Seventh day of March 1899.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Tessarae in the
Manufacture of Mosaic or Inlaid Floor Cloth.
I, EDWARD BATTEN of No. 20, Ruthin Road Westcombe Park in the County
of Kent, 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 ;-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in machinery
or apparatus for cutting tessarae in the manufacture of mosaic or inlaid floor
cloth the object of my said improvements being to provide for the cutting of
tessarac of considerably smaller sizes than can be cut by such machinery or
apparatus as heretofore constructed.
In the manufacture of mosaic or inlaid floor cloth it is a well recognised de-
sideratum that the tessarae of which the mosaic is composed be of the smallest
size admissible consistently with the required arrangement of the parts of the
cutting machinery which size in the case of square tessarae has heretofore been but
little if any less than half an inch from side to side and in the case of tessarae

page_text: of the form of a right angled triangle the smallest size producible has been such
that two placed with their longer sides in contact form a square of the aforesaid
size. The reason for this limitation of size of the tessarae has been that it has
been found impracticable to place the cutting blades closer consistently with
allowance of the minimum space necessary for the other parts of the mechanism.
Thus in Walton's cylinder machines (which are those principally used) a space
of about half an inch square is the minimum necessary for the bedding of the
blades in the type metal in which they are secured and for accommodation of
the stem and spring of each of the tessarae ejectors and the tubular screw sur-
rounding the latter and binding the type metal to the backing or body of the
cutter cylinder which is usually of cast iron. The aforesaid distance of half an
inch or a little less has therefore been the minimum distance at which all the
blades have been arranged the whole of the squares cut by the machinery or
apparatus from the sheets of material thereby operated on being consequently
cut by the said blades into pieces measuring half an inch or but little less from
side to side. As it is not usual or necessary to bind or secure the type metal to
the backing cylinder by screws at all the parts thereof where the tessarae ejectors
are mounted but only at intervals of several inches hollow plugs or bushes for the
ejector stems to work in are substituted for the screws at those parts where the
latter are not required which bushes occupy as much space as would be required
by the said screws.
According to one of my said improvements I reduce the diameter of the afore-
said hollow plugs or bushes and of the stems of the ejectors and thus obtain such
increase of space available for the cutting blades as to admit of the said blades
being arranged at such distances apart as to cut tessarae of considerably less size
than has been possible with the arrangement heretofore usual. Thus by means
of my said improvements the blades may be arranged at such distances apart that
all the tessarae cut by them are a quarter of an inch square except those which
are cut at the parts where it is necessary for the type metal to be bound or
secured to the backing cylinder by screws at which parts in consequence of the
space required for the said screws the blades are necessarily arranged at the dis-
tance which has been heretofore the minimum and consequently the tessarae cut
at those parts are of larger size say half an inch square. Inasmuch however
as in the working of a machine embodying my said improvement the number of
the smaller tessarae cut by it is in the proportion of more than two hundred and
fifty to one of the larger tessarae this is of little or no moment.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a face view of a portion of a tessarae
cutting cylinder in which the cutting blades are arranged as hereinbefore de-
scribed and Figure 2 is a section of the same drawn to a larger scale and taken
on the line A A Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow B. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in both the said figures.
Referring to the said Figures 1 and 2 a is a portion of the backing or cast
iron body of the cylinder and b is a portion of the type metal facing thereof. c is
one of the screws by which the said type metal facing is secured to the backing
or cast iron portion of the cylinder of which screws there are ordinarily twenty
to to cach segment of eighteen inches square. dd are the cutting blades which
are embedded in the type metal b. eff are the ejectors. ggare the bushes in
which the ejectors f f work. hii are the springs by which the ejectors are
maintained in the positions illustrated when not projected from between the cut-
ting blades by the action of the ordinary ejector mechanism which is not illustrated
in the aforesaid figures. As shown in Figure 2 the springs ii of the smaller
ejectors ff bears against the ends of the bushes gg of the said ciectors instead of
bearing against the ends of recesses formed in them as heretofore and as illustrated
in connection with the ejector e.
Having regard to the acknowledged importance of production by means of
machinery of the kind hereinbefore referred to of tessarae of the minimum size
practicable consistently with proper construction of the said machinery and to the

page_text: fact that prior to my present invention it was deemed that the cutting blades
must all be set at the same distance apart as those bounding the spaces required
for the screws securing the type metal facing to the iron backing or body of the
cylinder it will be obvious on examination of Figure 1 that a great desideratum
is obtained by my aforesaid improvement as the said Figure 1 clearly shows
that except at the parts occupied by the said screws the cutting blades are accord-
ing to my said improvement so arranged as to cut tessarae of one fourth the size
of those which can be cut where the knives are arranged as heretofore.
The said
According to another of my said improvements I simplify the machine by dis-
pensing with the ejector springs the office of which is to cause the plates forming
the heads of the ejectors to retire into the spaces between the blades after the
cut tessarae within the said spaces have been forced out of them.
springs I have illustrated in the aforesaid Figure 2 in order to show that where
deemed desirable they may be retained even where the space for the ejectors is
as restricted as shown in that figure and Figure but I have found the said
springs to be unnecessary as during action of the machine the pressure of the
material which is being cut to form the tessarae causes retirement of the ejectors
as required.
1714
According to another of my said improvements I dispense with the type metal
facing for securing the cutting blades and I secure the said blades in place on
the cylinder as required by means of tubular plugs engaged in holes in the
cylinder parts of which plugs project above the surface of the cylinder and con-
fine the said blades between them in the positions required for proper action on
the sheet of material to be cut into tessarae. I provide for ejection of the cut
tessarae from the hollows between the cutting blades by means of ejectors con-
sisting of headed plungers the heads of which occupy the hollows formed by the
projecting portions of the blades and the stems of which plungers occupy the
hollows of the tubular plugs their ends projecting within the cylinder in the
path of motion of the mechanism by which the ordinary ejectors are actuated to
eject the cut tessarae. This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of
the accompanying drawings Figure 3 being a face view of a portion of the cutting
cylinder of a tessarae cutting machine showing some of the cutting blades secured
in place. Figures 4 and 5 are sections of the same taken respectively on the
line CC and the line D D Figure 3. The section shown in Figure 5 (which is
drawn to a larger scale than Figures 3 and 4) is viewed in the direction of the
arrow E Figure 3. Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate details hereinafter
referred to. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the
Figures 3 to 11 inclusive.
Referring to the said figures. j is the cylinder, kare holes therein which
are formed radially in the said cylinder and the distance apart of which from centre
to centre in the direction of the line D D is one quarter of an inch. 11 are the
cutting blades the lower ends of which abut against the face of the cylinder m m
are the tubular plugs engaged in the holes kk by driving them into the said holes
which they fit tightly the said plugs having heads n n of such size that the
blades are securely held between the opposed sides of the heads of adjacent
plugs. One of the said plugs is shown separately in side view and plan respectively
in Figures 6 and 7. The ejectors of which three are shown in Figure 3 and in
Figure 4 and one only in Figure 5 and the parts of one of which are shown
separately in Figures 8, 9 and 10 consist each of a stem o having an enlarged
end portion p and a head q the several parts being of such dimensions that when
in place as shown in Figure 5 they will properly fit and and work in the parts with
which they are engaged. When thus arranged they are actuated for ejecting the
tessarae by mechanism of the kind used for that purpose in ordinary tessarae
cutting machines. The position of the ejectors when projected by the said
mechanism for ejecting from between the blades the tessarae cut by them is
indicated in broken lines in Figure 5. prefer to make the several cutting
blades each of a length equal to double the length of one side of the head n of

page_text: one of the plugs m plus the thickness of one cutting blade. They are therefore
interchangeable. Any of the cutting blades can be separately removed by pulling it
outward from between the heads of the plugs and another one readily and ex-
peditiously inserted in place of the one removed. In order that the said blades
may be securely held in place between the heads of the plugs the angles which the
side faces of the said heads make with the outer face or top part are such that
when the plugs are in place in the cylinder the opposed sides of adjacent plugs
are parallel to each other. Figure 11 is an edge view of a few of the blades Il
in the relative positions which they occupy when in place on the cylinder.
Although in describing my invention have referred to the arrangement of
the blades and other parts in connection with a cylinder I would observe that my
aforesaid improvements are applicable to apparatus for cutting tessarae in which
the support of the blades and other parts consists of a plate or block having a
plane surface. I would further observe that my aforesaid improvements are also
applicable to apparatus in which the cutting blades are required to be arranged
in such relative positions as to produce triangular tessarae and hexaganal tessarae.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim:-
-
First In tessarae cutting machinery or apparatus in which the cutting blades
are embedded in type metal secured to a backing by screws the improvement
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings
which improvement consists essentially in the arrangement of the said blades
nearer to each other at parts not occupied by the said screws than at the parts so
occupied.
Secondly In tessarac cutting machinery or apparatus of the kind herein-
before referred to dispensing with the springs heretofore used for causing return
of the tessarae ejectors to their normal position and for retaining them in that
position when not actuated by the ejector mechanism.
Thirdly: In tessarae cutting machinery or apparatus the arrangement or
mounting of the cutting blades and ejector mechanism substantially as hereinbe-
fore described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawing
that is to say the confinement of the said blades in place on the face of the cutting
cylinder or block between the heads of hollow plugs having their stems engaged
in holes in the said cylinder or block and in the hollows of which plugs are en-
gaged the stems of the tessarae ejectors the ejecting heads of which normally lie
in the hollows between the said blades.
Dated this Savonth day of December 1800