CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, PASTEBOARD, LEATHER, CLOTH. AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Roberts, of the City of Manchester, En-
gineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING PAPER, PASTEBOARD, LEATHER, CLOTH. AND OTHER MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
January 1854.
I, RICHARD ROBERTS, of the City. of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, PASTEBOARD, LEATHER, CLOTH, AND
MATERIALS" to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in constructing paper cutting and the. like
machines with rack and pinion movement, for working the presser which
holds the material whilst it is being cut, and dispensing with the screw here-
tofore used for that purpose, by which improvements the labour of working
the machine is reduced, and the handle brought low enough to admit of being
worked by boys.

page_text: ס
יד
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ROBERTS, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Roberts,. Her special license that I, the said Richard. Roberts,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such òthers as I, the said Richard
Roberts, my 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR CUTTING PAPER, PASTEBOARD, LEATHER, CLOTH, AND OTHER MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Roberts, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Richard Roberts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say:-
:
The nature of my Invention consists in working the presser of machines
for cutting paper and other materials by racks and pinions, thereby dispensing
with the screw heretofore used for that purpose; and in order that my Inven-
tion may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to
describe the means pursued by me, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for cutting paper and other
materials to which my improvements are applied; and Figure 2 is a sectional

page_text: connects the two standards c. The knife d is raised and lowered by the
racks e, pinionsf, shaft g, wheel h, pinion i, shaft j, and winch handle k, in the
usual manner. The presser is raised and lowered by the racks m fixed to the
presser and pinions n fixed on the shaft o, to which is also fixed the wheel P.
driven by the pinion q keyed on the shaft r; this shaft is also furnished with a
winch handle s, and is, at a convenient distance from the floor, to be worked
by a boy, whereas in cutting machines of the usual construction the handle of
the screw for working the presser is at such a distance from the floor as to
require a man to work it. this a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft r; and u is a
pall jointed to one of the standards; this pall and ratchet wheel are to retain
the presser during the operation of cutting. The object of my improvements
is to ensure a uniform descent in both ends of the presser, notwithstanding any
irregularities in the position of the paper or other material to be cut, also to
diminish the labour of working the machine, and to arrange the parts so as to
render them capable of being worked by boys. The other parts of the
machine, which are not described or referred to, are similar to those in other
machines for the same purpose.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my Invention, I wish it
to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details; 'but what I claim.
is, the use of racks and pinions for working the pressers of machines for cutting
paper and other materials, as herein before shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
Signed, sealed, & delivered by the within-
named Richard Roberts, in the
presence of
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester,
Agent for Patentee.
RICH ROBERTS. (L.S.)