IMPROVEMENTS IN ENDLESS BAND KNIVES " " FOR CUTTING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clark of Basinghall Street in the City of
London for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ENDLESS BAND KNIVES
"
"
FOR CUTTING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS Communicated to him from
abroad by Joshua Alexander Kay and David Beath both of Melbourne in
the Colony of Victoria, Australia
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th August 1882.
THOMAS CLARK of Basinghall Street in the City of London "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ENDLESS BAND
KNIVES FOR CUTTING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS.
""
[Communicated to him from abroad by Joshua Alexander Kay and David Beath
both of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, Australia]
This invention relates to the band knives used in factories for cutting cloth,
leather, rubber, and other materials, and consists of novel improvements in the
cutting edge of such knives whereby greater cutting power is obtained. To this
end the cutting edge of the band knife is so cut or formed that it is wave edged or
consists of a succession of suitably curved surfaces which are found to be far more
efficient in cutting through tough gritty material than the ordinary knives in
common use. By constructing a continuous band knife on this principle a much
greater number of thicknesses of strong mole cloth or equivalent material can be
cut through with considerably less frictional resistance than has been possible
hitherto; no difficulty whatever is experienced in keeping with great exactness to
the line mark, and a thinner blade than heretofore can be used with less risk of
breaking; the resistance being so considerably lessened. The curved or wave edges
tend to gather the fluff and other refuse and throw it off as the knife passes through
the material, while a current of air is continually being conveyed along with the
knife through the material operated upon, whereby friction is reduced and the edge
of the knife kept cool
The wave edge of the endless band knife may be either flat, or sharp-curved, or
of such other form as to render it interstitial. The size and form of the wave may
vary so long as the principal of the invention is maintained. The broad part of
the knife may in some cases have holes punched or bored through it with the view
of enabling it to pass through its work more freely,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th February
1883.
"IMPROVEMENTS
"
FABRICS Being
THOMAS CLARK of Basinghall Street in the City of London
IN ENDLESS BAND KNIVES FOR CUTTING TEXTILE AND OTHER
a communication to me from abroad by Joshua Alexander Kay and David Beath,
both of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, Australia
This Invention relates to the manufacture of endless band knives to be used in
machines for cutting cloth, leather, rubber, and other materials, the objects in view
being to obtain greater cutting power, and to reduce friction.
To this end the cutting edge of the endless band knife is so cut or formed that
it is wave edged, or consists of a succession of suitably curved surfaces, which are
far more efficient in cutting through tough gritty material than the ordinary straight
edged knives in common use.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown, as examples, portions of three
endless band knives constructed according to my Invention.
In these Figures A is the blade, and a. a are the convexly curved cutting
surfaces with notches or curves a¹. a¹. of concave, or approximately similar shape,
between them.
1 :
In manufacturing, an endless band knife according to my Invention, I také a
narrow strip or band of steel, and stamp out of it, at intervals, along the entire
length of one or both of its edges, a series of curves or notches as shown at a¹
Figures 1 and 2. The effect of this is to leave the blade with a succession of
alternately convex and concave surfaces, forming a wave edge. This wave edge is
then filed down or sharpened like a chisel, as shown in cross section Fig: 3, or it
may take the form shown in cross section at Fig: 4. The ends of the band or strip
are then brazed together to form an endless flexible knife.
The waved cutting edges of the endless knife may be formed along the cutting
edge of the blade at intervals, with plain straight cutting edges between them, as
shewn at Fig: 5, or the quick sharp convex curves shewn in Fig: 1 may be
combined with the shallow concave curves of Fig: 2, but in any case the entire
edge of the knife is to be sharpened.
In each of the blades A, I form holes or perforations a³ in order to reduce the
friction and keep the blade cool. These holes may be punched or stamped out at
the same time that the wave or notched cutting edge is formed, and either before
or after welding or brazing together the ends of the strip or band, to form the
endless band knife.
The endless knife as it moves downward in the direction of the arrow Fig: 1
cuts the cloth or other substance which is fed against it with a rapid succession of
When these
shearing cuts, owing to the form of the projecting curved surfaces.
surfaces are worn, the blade may be reversed to bring the other halves or portions
of the curved surfaces into action.
By constructing a continuous band knife on this principle, a much greater number
of thicknesses of strong mole cloth or equivalent material can be cut through with
considerably less frictional resistance than has been possible hitherto, no difficulty
whatever is experienced in keeping with great exactness to the line mark, and a
thinner blade than heretofore can be used with less risk of breaking the résistance
being so considerably lessened. The curved or wave edges tend to gather the fluff
and other refuse, and throw it off as the knife passes through the material, while a
current of air is continually being conveyed along with the wave edge of the knife

page_text: through the material operated upon, whereby friction is reduced and the edge of
the knife kept cool.
The wave edge of the endless band or other knife may be either flat or sharp
curved, or of such other form as to render it interstitial.
The size and form of the wave may vary so long as the principle of the
Invention is maintained.
The holes or perforations through the flat part of the knife may be dispensed
with when the endless band knife is very narrow, but for broader blades I prefer to
use perforations.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention of "Improvements in endless
band knives for cutting textile and other fabrics" as communicated to me from
abroad and having explained in what manner it may be carried into practical effect
I wish it to be understood that I claim.
First: An endless band knife such as A having on its cutting edge or edges a
series of convexly curved cutting surfaces a, formed by cutting or stamping out
pieces of the blade at regular intervals along its cutting edge as shewn at a¹ a¹,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Secondly An endless band knife having a waved cutting edge or edges
substantially as set forth, and perforations a² for the purpose of reducing friction
as above described.
Thirdly A reversible endless band knife having a notched or waved cutting
edge or edges, whether the blade be perforated or not, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly The manufacture of reversible endless band knives in the manner and
for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Clark have hereunto set my hand
and seal the sixth day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
THOMAS CLARK (L.S.)