IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Partington, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING PAPER."
Sealed the 18th October 1878, and dated the 20th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Partington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1878.
EDWARD PARTINGTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER."
"IMPROVE-
This Invention relates to apparatus employed for cutting continuous rolls of
paper into sheets, the object of the Invention being to afford facility for cutting
sheets of different lengths and widths in the machine at one and the same time,
whereby both time and material are economized.
The Invention consists principally in the arrangement of several slitting knives
capable of adjustment for cutting the paper longitudinally to the various widths
required in combination with two revolving cross cut knives for cutting the paper
transversely. These two revolving cross cut knives are each driven separately by
incans of expanding pulleys, so that their speed may be varied according to the
length required, and the two may be driven at different speeds at one time.
It will be seen that by means of this arrangement some of the sheets may be cut
transversely and others longitudinally at the same time, so as to get the greatest
number of sheets cut out of a certain width of paper with the minimum of waste.
Suppose, for example, that the paper-making machine is eighty inches wide, and
it is required to cut sheets thirty inches by fifteen inches, with the ordinary arrange-
ment the "deckles" of the paper-making machine would have to be set to about
D

page_text: sixty inches or rather more, the slitting knives to fifteen inches, and the cross cut
knife to thirty inches, whereas with my improved arrangement of machine, with
two cross cut knives the paper-making machine could be worked up to nearly its
full width, say, seventy-five inches, or rather more, two of the slitting knives could
be set to cut thirty inches, and one to cut fifteen. One of the revolving cross cut
knives being then speeded to cut thirty inches, and the other to cut fifteen, all that
remains to be done is to convey the narrow (fifteen inch) strip to the former, and
the wide (thirty inch) strips to the latter, which is done by means of carrying
rollers placed between the slitting knives and the cross cut knives, and thus by
cutting two-thirds of the sheets crosswise of the paper, and the other third length- 1
wise, a considerable economy of time and material is effected, and the waste
reduced to a minimum.
It will be evident that by adjusting the width apart of the sliding knives, and
the relative speeds of the two revolving cross cut knives accordingly, any
other combination required may be obtained so as to cut the paper to the
greatest advantage; for instance, if it be required to cut paper sixty-eight
inches wide into sheets eleven inches by eight in the ordinary machine, it would
have to be cut into six strips of eleven inches, wasting two inches along the whole
length, but by my improved arrangement it would be divided into seven strips
(three of eight inches and four of eleven inches), and by setting one cross cut knife 2
to eleven inches and the other to eight inches no waste whatever would be made.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Partington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
November 1878.
EDWARD PARTINGTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER."
This Invention relates to apparatus employed for cutting continuous rolls of
paper into sheets, the object of the Invention being to afford facility for cutting
sheets of different lengths and widths in the machine at one and the same time,
whereby both time and material are economized.
The Invention consists principally in the arrangement of several slitting knives
capable of adjustment for cutting the paper longitudinally to the various widths
required in combination with two revolving cross cut knives for cutting the paper
transversely. These two revolving cross cut knives are each driven separately by
means of expanding pulleys, so that their speed may be varied according to the
length required, and the two may be driven at different speeds at one time.
It will be seen that by means of this arrangement some of the sheets may be cut
transversely and others longitudinally at the same time, so as to get the greatest
number of sheets out of a certain width of paper with the minimum of waste.
Suppose, for example, that the paper-making machine is eighty inches wide, and
it is required to cut sheets of thirty inches by fifteen inches, with the ordinary
arrangement the "deckles" of the paper-making machine would have to be set to
about sixty inches, or rather more, the slitting knives to fifteen inches, and the cross
cut knife to thirty inches, whereas with my improved arrangement of machine,
with two cross cut knives, the paper-making machine could be worked up to nearly
its full width, say, seventy-five inches, or rather more, two of the slitting knives would
be set to cut thirty inches, and one to cut fifteen. One of the revolving cross cut
knives being then speeded to cut thirty inches, and the other to cut fifteen, all that
romains to be done is to convey the narrow (fifteen inch) strip to the former, and
the wide (thirty inch) strips to the latter, which is done by means of carrying
rollers placed between the slitting knives and the cross cut knives, and thus by
cutting two-thirds of the sheets crosswise of the paper, and the other third length-
wise, a considerable economy of time and material is effected, and the waste reduced
to a minimum.
It will be evident that by adjusting the width apart of the slitting knives, and
the relative speeds of the two revolving cross cut knives accordingly, any other
combination required may be obtained so as to cut the paper to the greatest advan-
tage; for instance, if it be required to cut paper sixty-eight inches wide into sheets
eleven inches by eight, in the ordinary machine, it would have to be cut into six strips
of eleven inches, wasting two inches along the whole length, but by my improved
arrangement it could be divided into seven strips (three of eight inches and four of
eleven inches), and by setting one cross cut knife to eleven inches, and the other
to eight inches, no waste whatever would be made.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof :-
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a partial
plan view of a paper-cutting machine made and arranged according to my Inven-
tion, a, a, being the framework; b, b, the main driving shaft; c, c, the fast and
loose driving pulleys; and d, d, the rolls of paper to be cut; e, e, are the drawing-
in rollers for feeding the paper to the slitting knives ƒ, f.

page_text: It will, of course, be understood that although only one of these knives is shown
at Fig. 3 in the Drawing, there are in the actual machine a certain number of them
fixed at suitable distances on the shafts g, g, according to the required widths of the
strips to be cut; h, h, are the two revolving cross cut knives acting against fixed
blades, these two cross cut knives being of the same diameter are driven at
different speeds so as to cut different lengths of paper by means of expanding pulleys
1, 2, which can be set to the width required.
;
**
The whole of the strips of paper as cut by the slitting knives f.f, pass between a
pair of small rollers k, ; those strips x, x, which are to be cut by the cross cut
knife are carried downwards directly thereto (see Fig. 1), whilst those strips
which are to be cut by the cross cut knife, aro carried over two guide rollers
m, m, and thence between a pair of small rollers k", k", to the knife h¹.
The sheets are taken away as cut by means of the endless travelling cloth n, n.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,-
First. The general construction and arrangement of the machine as herein-before
described, and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
And, Secondly. The combination in one machine of a series of adjustable longi-
tudinal slitting knives with two or more cross cut knives capable of being driven
at varying speeds, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
more particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Partington, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.