IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CUTTING BLANKS FOR ENVELOPES, LABELS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rest Fenner, of St. John Street, Clerkenwell, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CUTTING BLANKS FOR ENVELOPES, LABELS,
AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Rest Fenner at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1880.
REST FENNER, of St. John Stroet, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CUTTING BLANKS
FOR ENVELOPES, LABELS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE."
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus
employed in cutting blanks for envelopes, labels, and other articles.
For this purpose I employ a rising and falling table and a hinged platen, as
heretofore, but in lieu of raising and lowering the table as formerly by hand, I,
according to my present Invention, operate such table by means of cranks,
eccentrics, or cams mounted on a shaft, to which rotary motion is given by any
suitable power.
The hinged platen is lowered by hand as heretofore, but in the act of lowering
the same it, or some part carried thereby, is caused to give motion to apparatus for
throwing the machine into gear with the driving means; then after the pressure
has taken place, and the table has been lowered by the means before described, a
cam on the main shaft is caused to throw the machine out of gear when the
hinged platen is raised, the blanks and, if required, the cutter or cutters are
removed, and fresh material introduced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Rest Fenner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd December
1880.
REST FENNER, of St. John Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN CUTTING BLANKS
FOR ENVELOPES, LABELS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE,"
The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of machine known
as the envelope or label cutting machine which is employed for cutting "blanks
for envelopes or labels and the like out of sheets of paper, leather, or other material,
and which as now constructed is actuated by hand power through the medium of
a lever, which when forced in one direction raises by means of a crank or eccentric
the table supporting the papers so as to force the said cutters through the paper,
the cutter or cutters being interposed between such table and a hinged "platen,"
which is also lowered into and raised out of position by hand. When the table
has been fully raised and the blanks cut the hand lever is forced back, which
places the table in its lowest position; the " platen" being then released assumes a
position which allows the blanks to be removed and the cutter and paper re-adjusted
for another cut.
It will thus be seen that as, according to the method as at present adopted for
cutting "blanks" for envelopes and the like, the table and paper is raised and
lowered by hand, as is also the " platen," against which the pressure is exerted
whilst the table is rising and the "blanks" being cut, whereas according to my
present Invention the simple action of lowering the platen into its fixed position
for resisting the pressure of the cut sets in motion mechanism which automatically
performs the operations of cutting the blanks and placing the mechanism in its
normal position ready for a fresh cut; and
In order that the Invention may be, well understood and explained in detail I
have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of about two inches
to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked upon corresponding parts on
all the Figs. alike.
.
Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of a machine for cutting blanks for envelopes,
labels, and other like articles out of paper, leather, or other material having applied
thereto my present improvements, the machine being shewn in the position it would
assume when at rest and the platen raised, and
Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the machine.
In these Figs. a, a, is the framing of the machine; b, the "platen;" c, the
weights for keeping the "platen" at its highest elevation (as shewn) when not.
otherwise acted upon; d, the table upon which the paper is placed for being cut
into blanks; and e, e, the cranks and rods connected with the table for giving it
the necessary rise and fall for forcing the cutters through the paper, all being old
and well known parts of the machine.
The "platen" b swinging on the centres b¹, 61, is provided with two projecting
catches, which when the "platen " is lowered by the handle g takes into and
are caught by the recesses f₁, f, made in the framing of the machine. In this
lowered position the "platen" forms a surface for resisting the pressure of the cut,
in manner as heretofore. A snug or stud i on one of the said catches f¹ when
the "platen" is lowered comes into contact with and forces back the bolt h, which
is connected at its opposite extremity with the swing lever & and one arm of a
bell-crank lever supported on the fulcrum m. The opposite arm n of this bell-
crank lever when so forced back throws into gear, through the medium of the
rod o' and lever o³, the sliding clutch o (which is fixed to and revolves with the
driving shaft p) with the clutch of the pinion 2 running loose on the shaft p.

page_text: This pinion whilst the clutch is in gear transmits motion to the large wheel r
keyed on the lower shaft a. This shaft is provided with the cranks e, e, and the
cam ; the cranks e, e, with their connecting rods, whilst the clutch o is in gear,
gives a rise and fall to the table d, on the completion of which the cam t through
the medium of the swing lever forces the bolt forward; which releases the
catches f, f, of the "platen" from the framing, and so allows the weights c, c, to
swing the said platen into its highest position. Simultaneously with the release
of the catches and "platen" the forward traverse of the bolt also actuates the
mechanism throwing the clutch o out of gear with the pinion q, and so stops the
machine, at which time the cutter and paper on the table d is re-adjusted for a
fresh cut. It will thus be seen that the simple action of lowering the "platen " b
by means of the handle g the machine is thrown into gear, and the complete
operations of cutting the blanks and throwing the machine out of gear ready for
a fresh start is automatically effected.
Having now described the nature of uiy said Invention, together with the
manner of performing the same, I would wish it to be distinctly understood in
conclusion that what I claim as new and as of my Invention is,—
The general construction and arnangement of the parts, or their mechanical
equivalent, described herein, and marked in the Drawings i, h, t, k, l, m, n, o, o²,
o³, q, and T, when adapted to a machine for cutting "blanks" for envelopes, labels,
or other like articles, whereby such machine will be enabled when put in gear to
perform automatically the operation of cutting the "blanks," and being thrown out
of gear in the manner as herein substantially described and set forth in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Rest Fenner, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this the Twenty eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness to the Signature,
THOMAS WRIGLEY.
REST FENNER. (L.S.)