IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar Dredge of Pitfield Street, Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex for an Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edgar Dredge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th August 1882.
EDGAR DREDGE of Pitfield Street, Hoxton in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CLOTH, LEATHER, RUBBER AND OTHER
MATERIALS
"
These improvements relate to machines for cutting cloth, leather and other
materials in which an endless band knife or saw runs over pullies and passes
through a table on which the material to be cut is manipulated, the object of the
present invention being to increase the efficiency, simplify the construction, and
greatly reduce the cost of such machines.
To this end I employ two standards or their equivalent, instead of a single
curved arm or standard formed in one with or secured to a bed plate of con-
siderable weight as at present in use, and I mount my pullies upon rods or cross
bars preferably horizontal and of any suitable length extending between and
supported by the said standards or their equivalent.
I am thus enabled to obtain a practically unlimited breadth of space in which
to manipulate the cloth or other substance to be cut, and in addition the cross bars
which are preferably made of ash or an equivalent strong and springy material,
afford sufficient elasticity to greatly obviate the chance of the endless knife or saw
breaking when meeting any unusual or sudden obstruction.
The pullies, of which I employ preferably four, are carried by bracket pieces
adjustable upon the said cross or horizontal bars between the standards, by which
means the tension on the endless knife or saw may be adjusted, and a longer or
shorter cutting band to suit the work in hand be rapidly placed in position. The
four pullies have convex peripheries by which construction the endless band is
securely retained in place against the thrust of the work, and the necessity for

page_text: antifriction bowles or grooved bearing pullies as ordinarily used for this purpose
at the back edge edge of the cutting blade, is obviated: thus doing away with a vast
amount of friction and noise, and increasing the efficiency of the machine. There
is also no necessity for using guiding flanges on the pullies when their peripheries
are convex in cross section. The cutting blade or saw. is steadied laterally and
prevented from twisting just as it is about to enter the work by means of guide
blocks adjustable vertically upon a bracket piece pendent from the upper cross bar
of the machine, and if necessary means may be provided for steadying the blade
beneath the table and preventing it from twisting after it has done its work.
As an alternative arrangement the horizontal or other cross bars to which are
fixed the pullies carrying the endless cutting band saw or knife, may be carried
by brackets pendent from the roof, or springing from the walls of the room or
workshop; or it may be one end of such cross bar may be supported in a standard
secured to the floor in any convenient manner and the other end may be carried
by a bracket from the wall or ceiling as may be desirable.
Motion may be imparted to the endless band by driving the pullies by hand
or power from any suitable point by means of gearing or a driving belt. The
table on which the cloth or other material is to be manipulated is preferably formed
in two parts; the forward part being removable to allow of ready access to the
working parts, and a slot or slots being provided in the abutting edges to allow
of the band saw or knife passing through.
I do not limit myself to two standards nor to their precise position so long as
the cross bars carrying the pullies are supported at each end so as to allow of any
desired breadth of space for working.
When hand power is used, a short frame or trestle is fixed a little to one end
of the longer frame above described, and on this trestle is mounted the spindle
of a fly wheel grooved on its periphery to receive a gut driving band whereby
motion is transmitted to a small grooved pulley cast on one side of the band
pulley.
By the above described arrangement of machine the necessity for a massive
iron bed plate is obviated. By using four pullies for the endless band saw or
knife, instead of 2 or 3 as ordinarily used, the saw or knife can be extended any
distance apart without fear of breaking.
In some cases the four pullies may be carried by horizontal rods or bars
projecting from a standard or standards at one end thereof the said rods being
steadied by stays or rods connecting them to the said standard or standards, but
the first described form of frame is preferred.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edgar Dredge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th February
1883.
EDGAR DREDGE of Pitfield Street Hoxton in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CLOTH, LEATHER, RUBBER AND OTHER
MATERIALS
33
These improvements relate to machines for cutting cloth, leather and other
materials in which an endless band knife or saw runs over pulleys and passes
through a table on which the material to be cut is manipulated, the object of the
present Invention being to increase the efficiency, simplify the construction and
greatly reduce the cost of such machines.
To this end I employ two standards or their equivalent, instead of a single curved
arm or standard formed in one with or secured to a bed plate of considerable
weight as at present in use, and I mount my pulleys upon light rods or cross bars
preferably horizontal, and of any suitable length extending between and supported
by the said two end standards or their equivalent.
I am thus enabled to obtain a practically unlimited breadth of space in which to
manipulate the cloth or other substance to be cut, and in addition the cross bars
which are preferably made of ash or an equivalent strong and springy material,
afford sufficient elasticity to greatly obviate the chance of the endless knife or saw
breaking when meeting any unusual or sudden obstruction.
:
In the accompanying drawing Fig 1 is a front elevation of a machine for cutting
cloth and other substances, constructed according to my Invention.-Fig: 2 is a plan
view of the same,-Figures 3 and 4 represent on a larger scale in side elevation and
plan view respectively, the upper guide for steadying the endless band knife or saw
above the work, and figures 5 and 6 show also on a larger scale in longitudinal
section and plan view respectively, the means for steadying the knife below the
work, while preventing any fluff or dirt from impeding the passage of the blade.
In these figures the same letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts.
A A are the standards supporting the longitudinal flexible bars B at opposite ends
thereof. CC are the band pulleys mounted in bracket bearings b. b. ajustable
lengthways on the bars B so as to give the requisite tension to the endless band D
around the pulleys CC, and enable a longer or shorter cutting band to be rapidly
adapted to the machine, the brackets bb being fixed in position when adjusted by
thumb screws or their equivalent. Depending from the upper bar B and exactly
opposite the endless band knife or saw D as it passes downwards to cut the cloth
or other material is an adjustable bracket E which carries the guide shown in
detail in Figures 3 and 4, and to be hereafter more fully explained.-F is the table
on which the material to be cut is placed.-This table is preferably made in two or
more sections, see the plan view Fig: 2 wherein the table is represented as divided
into six separate parts fitting closely together, to allow of ready access to the
working parts: the central front part N° 5 containing the lower guide for the
blade shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 and to be presently described. A portion
of the central section (N° 5) of the table F is preferably cut away as shewn at F', to
allow the operator to manipulate the cloth or other substance to be cut with greater
facility.
G is a hand wheel mounted in a long bearing h on a standard or trestle H and a
band rope or its equivalent g connects this wheel G with one of the band pulleys C
through a grooved pulley c cast in one with the pulley C or keyed on its axle.-The
endless band knife or saw around the pulleys CC may thus have a rapid motion

page_text: imparted to it by hand, or the pulleys C C may be driven by a motive power
engine in any convenient manner.
It will be seen that by this construction of machine the endless band or saw D
can be easily and conveniently arranged to run over four pulleys as shown in the
drawing, and such an arrangement secures the great advantage of never bending
the endless band or saw at less than a right angle during its rapid passage
around the pulleys C C, a fact which tends greatly to preserve it in a serviceable
condition.
It will however be obvious that by my construction of machine more than four
pulleys could be so mounted and arranged as to bend the endless band or saw at an
obtuse angle.
The band might also under certain circumstances be led around three pulleys
only, but in this case any increased setting apart of the pulleys would make the
angle at which the blade was bent more acute, and hence more liable to break with
repeated use.
By using four pulleys for the endless band saw or knife instead of two or three as
ordinarily used, the saw or knife can be extended any distance apart without fear
of breaking as the angle at which it is bent remains unaltered.
The bars B are preferably made of ash, or other strong springy material, which
will yield to a certain extent should the endless band-knife or saw D meet with
aný sudden obstruction.
The pulleys C. C may be made with a flange at their back edge to prevent the
endless band knife or saw D from slipping off while in use, but I preferably use
pulleys with convex peripheries in cross section which I find serve to keep the
endless band or saw D in place on the pulleys and render flanged pulleys, grooved
pulleys, and antifriction bowles unnecessary; thus doing away with a vast amount
of friction and noise and increasing the efficiency of the machine.
Referring now to the detail views Figures 3 and 4, E is the bracket depending
from the upper bar D to which is secured the block e.-This block of wood or it
might be a hollow box of metal, has a central aperture el in front for the passage of
the band knife or saw, and two horizontal side cuts e² e for the reception of the
flat springs es es, which are held in position when adjusted by the screws e c*.-The
inner edges of these adjustable flat springs form an elastic guide for the band knife
or saw D in its rapid descent, and just before it enters its work; thus preventing
the manipulation of the substance or material to be cut from twisting the blade.-A
guard plate 1 (see Fig 1) is attached to the front of the block e by means of the
catches ees and protects the operator from accidental injury while at work.
A somewhat similar arrangement of yielding spring guide for the blade D is
arranged immediately below the band knife or saw as it cuts through the cloth or
other material, and as this lower guide would be liable to be choked by fluff or
other matter carried down by the blade, I make the said lower guide in the
following way :-
ff (Figs 5 and 6) are the yielding springs forming the lower guide or that which
is adapted to the central section No 5 of the table F.-These springs are sunk
below the level of the top of the table, are slotted to permit of their endway
adjustment and are secured when adjusted by means of the screws f¹ f¹ and
clamping blocks f*f*. The table F below the springs is cut away as shewn in
Fig 5 to allow of their yielding and bending freely downwards when necessary.
A plate with a central slot f³ covers over the springs and lies flush with the
table F, being secured to the table in any convenient manner or merely resting ou
a part of the table F as shewn.
Should any fluff or other substance be carried down by the endless band knife
or saw D through the slotted plate f³, the springs ff on either side of the blade
will yield and prevent a breakage from clogging, while tending to strip the waste
stuff off the blade before its next round.
As an alternative arrangement the horizontal or other cross bars B which support
the adjustable pulleys carrying the endless cutting band saw or knife may be carried

page_text: by brackets pendent from the roof, or springing from the walls of the room or
workshop, or it may be one end of such cross bar may be supported in a standard
secured to the floor in any convenient manner, and the other end may be carried by
a bracket from the wall or ceiling as may be desirable.
I do not limit myself to two standards or to their precise position, so long as the
cross bars B carrying the pulleys are supported at each end so as to allow of any
desired breadth of space for working the material to be cut around the blade D.
In some cases the four pulleys may be carried by horizontal rods or bars pro-
jecting from a standard or standards at one end thereof, the said rods being steadied
at their other ends by stays or rods connecting them to the said standard or
standards, but the first described form of frame is preferred.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements in
apparatus for cutting cloth, leather, rubber and other materials" and explained the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect I wish it to be understood that I
claim-
First In an endless band knife or saw cutting machine the arrangement of
pulleys C C carried by brackets bb adjustable on horizontal semi-elastic rods or
bars B, the said bars being supported at opposite ends by standards or their
equivalent A A, whereby a cheap and efficient machine is provided, and any desired
breadth of space for manipulating the material to be cut around the blade D passing
through the table F, may be obtained without risk of breaking the band knife or
saw D, substantially as set forth.
Secondly In an endless band knife or saw cutting machine, the standards A A
supporting the horizontal springy rods or bars B B, pulleys CC carried in bracket
bearings bb adjustable on the rods or bars B B for the purpose set forth, upper, and
lower spring guides and table F formed in two or more sections substantially as
shown and described.
Thirdly In combination with an endless band knife or saw D working over
convex or other pulleys CC which are carried in bracket bearings b, b, adjustable
on the horizontal bars B B of any desired length and suitably supported at each
end, the upper adjustable spring guide carried by a bracket E pendent from the
upper bar B and lower adjustable spring guide adapted to the table F substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourthly The spring guide for steadying the endless band knife or saw D above
the material to be cut against lateral or twisting pressure, constructed as described
with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
Fifthly. The spring guide for steadying the endless band knife or saw D below
the material to be cut, and so constructed as to yield should any waste stuff or
fluff be carried down by the band knife or saw as described with reference to
Figures 5 and 6.
In witness whereof I the said Edgar Dredge have hereunto set my hand and
seal the sixth day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
EDGAR DREDGE (Ls.)