IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARM-PIT DRESS-SHIELDS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
& Co, Patent Agents Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND THE
LIKE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARM-PIT
DRESS-SHIELDS communicated to him from abroad by Isaac A. Canfield of
Middletown, Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
E
"
FIBROUS MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARM-PIT DRESS-SHIELDS [A communication to him from abroad
by Isaac A. Canfield of Middletown, Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer]
This invention relates particularly to the class of dies used for cutting fibrous
and elastic material, textile fabrics and the like, and it consists essentially in the
employment of a metallic die or cutter having a blunt cutting edge, and an anvil,
the latter relatively harder than the cutter, which is formed preferably of soft steel
or iron, while the anvil is of hardened iron or steel.
In carrying the said invention into practice, I provide a die-press of usual
construction, having a reciprocating die-carrier in which is secured by a dove-
tailed tenon and mortise or other suitable device a die and also a hardened
metallic bed.
The said die is forced upon, and raised from, the bed in the act of cutting, by
means of the mechanism of the press under direction of the attendant workman.
The die herein described is used in cutting seamless arm-pit dress-shields
composed of textile fabric or the like and india rubber in layers, and it is shaped
in outline especially for that work. The face of the die has a recess in which a
vertically reciprocating press-plate is suspended and protruded beyond the plane
of the cutting edge by springs, and bearing the guide-pins fast to the plate and

page_text: working in suitable holes in the body of the die. The said cutting edge of the
die is not brought to a sharp edge as in the old forms of dies but is flattened to
form a blunt edge. This die is made of iron or soft untempered steel, which is
easily formed to the required shape for pinking the edge of the material, and this
cutting edge does not splinter and break, or change shape by tempering as is
common in the hardened cutters.
In the operation of cutting, the die is forced down upon the blank, the press-
plate, which conforms closely to the inner contour of the cutting edge, holding it
in the place fixed on the bed by an adjustable guide, and then the die cuts the
shield to the required shape.
The bed, which is preferably cast, is made of hardened iron or steel that is not
worn or cut by the die, and the slight wear of the latter is easily remedied by
restoring the edge by grinding or filing by reason of the softness of the material of
which it is composed.
It is found by actual use that this improved die, or cutter and anvil effect a
great saving in material and labor and that when made in other forms than herein
described, as with a rotary disc-shaped cutter of iron or soft steel with blunt
edges and a rotary anvil of hardened iron or steel, the same advantage is gained
over the old devices.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Patent Office on the 18th April
1884.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
FIBROUS MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARM-PIT DRESS-SHIELDS A communication to me from abroad
by Isaac A. Canfield, of Middletown, Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer,
"
This invention relates particularly to the class of dies used for cutting fibrous
and elastic material, textile fabrics and the like, and it consists essentially in the
employment of a metallic die or cutter having a blunt cutting edge, and an anvil,
the latter relatively harder than the cutter, which is formed preferably of soft steel
or iron, while the anvil is of hardened iron or steel.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a front view of the improved die, shown in place in an ordinary
cutting press.
Figure 2 is a top view of the bed plate or anvil, showing the adjustable guide
for gauging the position of blanks and a blank in place
Figure 3 is a rear view of the die or cutter drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a view of the die in vertical cross section on the line X-... X
Figure 5, the die being shown in the act of cutting.
Figure 5 is an underside view of the die, drawn to an enlarged scale
a indicates a die press of usual construction, having the reciprocating die
carrier b in which is secured by a dovetailed tenon and mortise or other suitable
means, the die c and also the hardened metallic bed d.
The said die is forced upon, and raised from, the bed in the act of cutting, by
means of the mechanism of the press under direction of the attendant workman.
The die shown and described is used in cutting seamless arm-pit dress-shields
composed of textile fabric, or the like, and india rubber in layers, and is shaped in
outline especially for that work.
The face of the die c has a recess in which a vertically reciprocating press-plate e
is suspended the said plate protruding beyond the plane of the cutting edge c¹
under the action of springs fand carrying the guide pins g secured to the plate
and working in suitable holes h in the body of the die."
The cutting edge c¹ of the die is not brought to a sharp edge as in the old forms
of dies but is flattened to form a blunt edge as seen in Figures 4 and 5. This die
is made of iron or soft untempered steel, which is easily formed to the required
shape (for pinking the edge of the material as illustrated) and this cutting edge
does not splinter and break, or change shape by tempering as is common in the
hardened cutters.
In the operation of cutting, the die is forced down upon the blank j, the press
plate e which conforms closely to the inner contour of the cutting edge holding it
in the place fixed on the bed by the adjustable guide k; the die then cuts the
shield to the required shape.
The bed, which is preferably cast, is made of hardened iron or steel that is not
worn or cut by the die, and the slight wear of the latter is easily remedied by
restoring the edge by grinding or filing, by reason of the softness of the material
of which it is composed.
It is found by actual use that this improved die or cutter, and anvil effect a
great saving in material and labor, and that, when made in other forms than herein

page_text: described, as with a rotary disc-shaped cutter of iron or soft steel with blunt
edge and a rotary anvil of hardened iron or steel, the same gain is made over old
devices
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I Claim :-
First The combination of a die or cutter of soft iron, steel or similar metal and
an anvil of hardened metal, substantially as described
Second. In a cutting device, a die of soft steel or iron having a blunt cutting
edge, in combination with a bed or anvil of hardened steel or its equivalent, all
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my.
hand and seal this Eighteenth day of April in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four