IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robinson, of the firm of Sharp, Stewart, and
Company, of the City of Manchester, Engineers, and William Wedding,
of the same Place, Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 12th January 1856, and dated the 12th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robinson and
William Wedding at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 12th July 1855.
We, JOHN ROBINSON, of the firm of Sharp, Stewart, and Company, of the
City of Manchester, Engineers, and WILLIAM WEDDING, of the same Place,
Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The first part of our Invention is applicable to those paper-cutting machines
in which a diagonal or curved downward motion is given to the cutting knife,
and consists in an improved arrangement of parts for communicating motion
to the knife. A worm fixed on the fly wheel shaft gears into a worm wheel,
fixed on a crank shaft, the crank of which takes into a slot in one of the
radial arms supporting the cutting knife.

page_text: The second part of our Invention consists in directing the motion of the
cutting knife by a bowl or stud attached to the frame, acting on a curved or
inclined plane on the back of the knife holder, or the reverse.
The third part of our Invention is applicable to paper-cutting machines in
general, and consists in adjusting the cutting edge of the knife by means of 5
excentrics or cams acting on the knife, the said excentrics or cams being
turned partly round, when the blade is slackened by a key or other convenient
instrument.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Robinson and William Wedding in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ROBINSON, of the firm of Sharp, Stewart, and Company, of the City of Man-
chester, Engineers, and WILLIAM WEDDING, of the same Place, Mechanical
Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Robinson and William Wedding, Her special license that we, the
said John Robinson and William Wedding, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Robinson and William Wedding,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Robinson and William Wedding,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of either of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Robinson and William Wedding,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following Specification thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing (that is to say):-
The nature of our Invention consists, first, in giving motion to the cutting
knife of machines used for cutting paper and other materials, by means of a
crank, which takes into a slot in an open link or radial arm connected to the
cutting knife.
Secondly, in directing the motion of the cutting knife by means of a curved
or inclined slot and a stud.
And, lastly, in adjusting the cutting edge of the knife by excentrics or cams
acting on the back of the blade. We have in the said Drawing shown how
the above improvements may be constructed, similar parts in both the views
being marked with corresponding letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front view, of a paper-cutting
machine to which our improvements are applied. a, a, is the framing of the
machine; and 6, the table for supporting the paper. This table is furnished
with side plates, back plate, and regulating screw, as in machines of the
ordinary construction. c'is the fly wheel, loose on the shaft d, but connected to
it when required by a clutch box d. To the other end of the shaft d is fixed
the worm e, gearing into. the worm wheel f, keyed on the crank shaft g; the
crank pin h, projecting from this shaft, fits in the block i, which imparts a
vibrating motion to the open link. k, whose fulcrum is at l. To the upper end
The knife frame is
of the open link k is jointed the frame m of the knife n.
made with an inclined slot m', which fits on a bowl, supported by the stud o,
fixed in the framing. The knife n is screwed to the frame m in the usual
manner by the screws p, but the cutting edge of the knife is lowered when
required by the excentrics q, four of which are shown in the Drawing, but a
greater or less number may be used, according to the width of the machine.
The excentrics 9 are made of the same piece as the studs, which fit in
holes in the knife, frame, and they are turned round so as to act on the
back of the knife by means of a key fitting in a square hole in the stud, or
in any other convenient manner. The Drawing represents the knife down,
but when the fly wheel shaft is turned round, the worm e, gearing in the worm
wheel f, causes the crank pin h to elevate the open link k, thereby raising and
moving sideways one end of the knife frame, the other end of which is raised
by the slot m' sliding on the bowl and stud o, the position of the knife when
up being shewn
the dotted lines in Figure 2. The knife is brought down
and again raised as often as is required by continuing the rotary motion of the
fly wheel shaft.

page_text: We wish to observe that the slot m¹ may be curyed instead of inclined, and
the knife frame may be made with a stud o and bowl fitting into a slot through
the frame, if preferred. In order to render this machine convenient for being
worked by a strap on the rim of the fly wheel c, we make the boss of the fly
wheel with teeth like an ordinary catch box. The fly wheel is loose on the
shaft, but imparts motion to it by the sliding clutch box d', which is made
with a groove and key, as in clutch boxes of the usual construction. By this
arrangement the fast and loose pulleys generally employed are dispensed with.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood, that, except as herein-
after expressly mentioned, we make no claim to any of the parts shown and
described to illustrate our Invention; and that what we do claim is,―
First, giving motion to the cutting knife of machines used for cutting paper
and other materials by means of a crank in combination with an open link, as
shown and described.
Secondly, in directing the motion of the cutting knife by means of a curved
or inclined slot and a stud, as shewn, and as described.
And, lastly, the application of excentrics or cams for adjusting the cutting
edge of knives used in machines for cutting paper and other materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JOHN ROBINSON.