Improvements in Cloth Cutting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1899
QUALLEIN DITUITIVATION
Improvements in Cloth Cutting Machines.
I, WILHELM THARANDT, of No. 7, Petersburgerstr., Berlin, in the German"
Empire, Locksmith, 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 :-
-
The cloth cutting machines hitherto used in making garments in large numbers
for cutting out the cloth provided with the desired pattern, are characterized by
the fact that the cutting mechanism proper consists of a circular knife which is
attached to a horizontal arm rotatable about a vertical post. In order to enable
somewhat thick pieces or layers of material to be cut, comparatively large circular
or band shaped cutters have had heretofore invariably to be employed; and
where it was necessary to cut sharp corners with a circular cutter the operation
generally occasioned not a little inconvenience because the cutting disc which
was comparatively large could not be turned as readily, quickly and neatly as
was desirable, nay in some cases the rotary cutter proved incapable of touching
the lowermost piece or fold of material at all.
Now the object and drift of this invention is to remedy those drawbacks;
and this is accomplished by the employment of a number of separate knives
connected together in the manner of a chain adapted alike to be moved in all
directions and to turn on its own axis in place of the usual rotary circular knives.
This arrangement of a number of individual knives linked together in the form
of a chain enables sharp angles or points to be cut accurately out of the thickest
layers of material, a result, which was not attainable with circular tools the
cuts of which must needs be curved or arc shaped.
In the accompanying drawings representing this invention similar letters refer
to like parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a section on line a-, Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section at right angles to Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 represents a complete cloth cutting machine in position for working.
As will readily be seen by referring to Fig. 1 the several knives or cutters a
joined together form a uniformly linked pitch chain, they being connected by
intermediate links attached to them by means of hinge pins or rivets and
being guided by slots c.
The cutter chain is conducted over a cutter disc or pulley d mounted upon the
shaft e. On the pulley & there are provided cogs or sprockets 9 adapted to take
up their position between the links band so to take them round. From the cutter
pulley the chain runs over two guide rollers f and then moves on, vertically, in
the guiding slots c of the guide piece A over a roller h arranged in a foot or
pedestal pin which the said guiding slots also are formed. The said guide
piece A serves also as a handle for moving the cutters to any desired point of
the work table or bench.
The object of the guide rollers f is to enable the two sides of the endless

page_text: cutter chain to move close together and thereby to save as much space as possible;
and it is further designed to solve what in such a machine as this is a most
important problem, viz., to enable the cutters to be turned abruptly in cutting
sharp corners in the layers of material.
The cutting device Š consisting of the separate knives and the mechanism
belonging thereto, is, as can be seen from Fig. 4, arranged so as to be revolvable
about its vertical axis in a bracket G₁ on the extremity of a jointed horizontal
arm G pivotted to the post Z.
The easy movability of the jointed arm G about the middle post Z permits the
cutting all round the post, so that the cutting can be carried out on several tables
without interruption.
Motion is imparted to the cutter disc d driving the chain from a strap pulley i
driven in any suitable manner, provided with a toothed rim h¹ which on one
side gears with a toothed wheel k. This toothed wheel is mounted upon a
shaft which transmits its rotary motion through the medium of bevel wheels mn,
to the shaft e of the cutter disc, and by such means both the cutter disc and
cutter chain are driven.
The cutter chain thus operated moves in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1,
and cuts the pieces or layers of material which are placed upon the table and
gradually moved over the incline r of the foot or stand p.
The whole cutting device being revolvable about its vertical axis, small as
well as large curves can readily be cut.
To accommodate unavoidable unevennesses in the surface of the table whereon
the stand p of the cutting attachment is set, it is necessary that the said attach-
ment should be freely movable in the vertical direction within about 4 centi-
metres without throwing the driving wheels hk out of gear. To this end the
width of teeth of the wheel k is made wider than the teeth of the rim h¹ whereby
the teeth and are permitted constantly to remain in gear. It would be
preferable to make the teeth of k wider than shewn in the drawings and also to
allow the wheel k to have a greater amount of play within the pulley. i than
represented.
In the stand or pedestal resting upon the table a slot is provided through
which the cutters must pass prior to passing over the roller h.
And inasmuch as the cutter chain owing to its several connecting rivets gradually
extends and tends to slacken, while on the other hand, it is essential for the
proper operation of the mechanism that the chain should always remain stretched
to a predetermined degree, the cutter disc d, together with the parts supporting
it is made adjustable.
To tighten the chain the axis e and the upper pulley must be raised. The
rods and z are both secured to the bearing of the axis e. By turning the nut
which screws on the upper end of rod z the latter and are raised, the rod 1
being suitably guided. By thus raising these rods z and the axis e is raised
and consequently the pulley d also. For the purpose of maintaining the desired
tension of the knife chain which is adjusted by the movement of the pulley d
the adjusting nut above referred to is provided with a small set screw and can
only be turned upon releasing the latter. The wheel k is connected with the
rod by means of the known feather and groove so that the rod is rotated by
the pulley although displaced in a vertical direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:-
1. A cloth cutting machine enabling the material to be cut in small, as well
as in large, curves, for which purpose the cutting device proper consists of a
series of knives or cutters such as (a) linked together so as to form an endless
chain which is adapted constantly to circle round in the same direction.
2. In the cloth cutting machine referred to in the first claim placing the cutter

page_text: chain (a) over the cutter disc or pulley (d), taken round by means of cogs or
sprockets (9) within slots (c) arranged in close juxtaposition for the purpose of
causing the two sides of the endless chain to move close together and thereby
enabling the cutters in the material to turn or veer round with ease substantially
as specified.
3 One form of the machine referred to in the first and second claims wherein
the cutters are supported on or in a combined guide piece and handle whereby
they may be moved towards any desired point of the work table or bench, sub-
stantially as specified.
4. A cloth cutting machine such as referred to in the first, second and third
claims the main feature of which is that the cutter disc or pulley ((A) with its
bearing is made adjustable by means of a screw rod or pin (2) integral with the
said bearing for the purpose of stretching the cutter chain when it becomes
lengthened cut in consequence of the wear of its junction rivets, substantially as
specified.
5. A cloth cutting machine such as referred to in the first, second and third
claims the main feature of which is that the disc or pulley (d) which takes round
the cutter chain is driven from a strap pulley (1) fitted with an inwardly toothed
rim (h) which gears with a toothed wheel (k) mounted upon a shaft (7) whence
rotary motion is transmitted to the shaft (c) of the cutter disc (d) through the
medium of bevel gearing (m n) substantially as specified.
6. A modified form of the driving mechanism the main feature of which is
that the toothed wheel (k) may move along its axial line without ever coming out
of gear with the gear wheel h₁, so that it of its own accord accommodates anv
unevennesses occurring in the surface of the work table, substantially as specified.
DateⱭ this nⱭ
01 February 1895.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Filing Agents.