IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND ARRANGING PLAYING AND OTHER CARDS
Year: 1873

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING AND ARRANGING PLAYING AND OTHER CARDS."-A communi-
,cation from abroad by Victor Eugene Mauger, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
caled the 6th March 1874, and dated the 23rd October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
i.i
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd October 1873.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING AND ARRANGING PLAYING AND OTHER CARDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to produce a machine on which
sheets of cardboard, can be divided into single cards or pieces of any
suitable size, and on which the cards or pieces thus cut from a larger
32
sheet will be collected and superposed. to form a pile of pack..
332

page_text: The Invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of
playing cards. Such cards as usually made are printed on large sheets,
each sheet containing the cards necessary for a pack or for parts of one
or more packs. In cutting such sheets heretofore two machines always
had to be employed, one for cutting the sheet into strips and the other
for cutting each strip into single cards. The cards thus cut were
usually dropped into boxes or receptacles, and had then to be taken
out and assorted by hand; thus involving a great amount of labor.
As to the cutting of cards from sheets the Invention chiefly consists
in combining a longitudinal cutter with a series of transverse circular
cutters on one machine, so that the sheet will be cut into transverse
strips, and each strip into cards by one continuous process. In
connection with these improvements the Invention consists in the
arrangement of proper feeding and clamping devices, whereby the sheet
is moved towards the cutters at the requisite intervals. A reciprocating
table is used to carry the sheet forward and pass it underneath the action
of the cutters. This table is advanced by means of a reciprocating
finger acted upon by a cam, and it is retracted by means of a coiled
spring, which yields to its advancing motion. The sheet is held down
to the table by the spring pressure of a transverse gripper carried by
a rock shaft, the rocking of which by the action of a cam releases the
pressure of the gripper. The longitudinal cutter is carried by a bar,
to which an up-and-down motion is given. This bar works in yokes,
in one limb of which a feed roll is mounted, while the other limb is
jointed to a stationary rock frame, the transverse bar of which serves
to retain the sheet under operation during the back traverse of the feed
table. The under feed roll is mounted in the main framing. The
yokes are lifted by the rise of the cutter bar, and when lifted they raise
the upper feed roll and also the presser bar, thus leaving the sheet
free to be advanced another step. When this motion is effected the
yokes will be drawn down by tension springs to put the feed roll and
presser bar in action. A pawle on the cutter bar after each cut is
made engages with a ratchet on the upper feed roll, and thereby gives
the feed motion to that roll. Situated in advance of the feed rolls are
the rotating cutters for cutting up the strips as they are severed and
converting them into cards. The rollers carrying these cutters are
fitted with washers of india-rubber or other elastic material, which
serve the purpose of feed rolls, and discharge the cards on to the
"

page_text: collecting table. This table is fitted with a rack or series of inclines,
which are severally placed opposite the space between the rotary
cutters. These inclines, and also the table, are slotted to receive the
end of a rocking arm, which as the cards fall upon the inclines gathers
them up
and deliver them on to the end of the table, superposing them,
and forming them into a pile. The rocking motion of this arm is
derived from a crank pin carried by a rotary shaft, which serves to
impart the vertical reciprocating motions to the cutter bar; and also
through a cam and rocking arm, which serves to release the shoet from
the action of the gripper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd April 1874.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said. Alfred Vincent Newton; my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Nowton,
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
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND ARRANGING PLAYING AND OTHER
CARDS," a communication to me from abroad by Victor Eugene Mauger,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing,
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
'

page_text: 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object to produce a machine by means of
which sheets of cardboard can be divided into single cards or pieces
of any suitable size in an expeditious and efficient manner, and the
cards or cut pieces can be arranged or superposed in the requisito
order.
The Invention is particularly applicable to the cutting and arranging
of playing cards, which are usually printed on large sheets, each sheet.
containing the cards necessary for a pack or for parts of one or more
packs. The cards when cut are usually dropped into boxes or
receptacles, and have then to be taken out and assorted by hand, thus
involving a great amount of labor.
The cutting of the cards from sheets is effected by the combined use
of a reciprocating cutter and a pair of rotating cutting rollers, the action
of which is to cut the sheet transversely into strips, and then to sever
the strips into cards and deliver them on to an assorting platform. In
connection with these reciprocating and rotating cutters is an arrange-
ment of feeding and clamping devices, whereby the sheet is moved
towards the cutters and held stationary at the requisite intervals.
The arranging or superposing of the cards is effected by using in
connection with a graduated platform a movable bar or lever, by which
the card from one step is shifted on to that lying upon the next step,
and the two thus superposed are moved on to the card lying upon the
third step, and so on until all the cards lying on the graduated platform
have been superposed in the requisite order.

page_text: Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof; on the line c, c,
Figure 4; Figure 4 is a plan or top view, partly in section; of thö
same; Figure 5, a detail vertical longitudinal section on the line c, c;
Figure 4, showing the parts in a position different from that shown in
Figure 3; Figure 6 is a detail sectional side view of the adjustable yoke,
in which the upper feed roller is hung. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts of all the Figures.
A represents the frame of the improved cutting and assorting
machine: It is made of metal or other suitable material of the proper
strength and size. In the front part of this frame is hung transversely
a horizontal roller B, to which rotary motion is imparted by suitable
mechanism. This roller carries a series of circular cutters a, a, the
spaces between which are equal to the lengths at which it is desired
to cut the strips into cards. Above or, if desired, beneath the roller B
is hung in the frame A another roller C, which carries an equal series
of cutters or circular knives b, b, that are directly in line with the
knives a, a, in the manner shown in Figure 2, and produce in com-
bination with said knives a the shear cut necessary for dividing the
strips into single cards. The roller C carries à pinion d at one end
which gears into another pinion e mounted upon the roller B, so that
whenever motion is imparted to the latter the roller C will be moved
with equal speed but in the opposite direction. Between the knives a, a,
on the roller B and the knives b, b, on the roller Ċ fitted
are
upon the
said rollers rubber washers f, f, which by bearing against each other
with their peripheries, in the manner clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3,
serve as feeding devices for carrying the cards between the two
rollers B, C, as they are cut from a strip.
Instead of rubber leather or other elastic material may be used on:
these rollers for the purposes of feeding.
The pinion e of the roller B is also in gear with a toothed wheel g;
that is mounted upon the end of another transverse horizontal- shaft D.
hung in the frame A. somewhat beneath and behind the roller B; at
its other end the shaft D carries a cam or eccentric h, which is more.
fully shown in Figure 1, crank pins i, i, on the cam h, and toothed
wheel g (which two crank pins are in line with each other) connect by
rods j, j, with a cross bar E. This cross bar is guided against-
projections of the frame A, and thereby confined to a straiĝlit up-and-..
down motion whenever the shaft D is rotated. _

page_text: Between the blade F
rollers G and H. The
and on a level with
behind C in a pair of
Suitable bolts may be affixed to the projecting part of the frame A,
above mentioned, and caused to project through slots of the cross bar E
for the purpose of more completely guiding it and preventing longi
tudinal as well as lateral displacement. To the lower edge of the cross
bar E is rigidly fastened a cutting blade F, which is more fully shown
in Figure 3, and which during the up-and-down motion of the cross
bar will move up and down with the same behind the rollers B and C,
above mentioned. The lower edge of the blade F is sharpened to cut
paper, pasteboard, or other fabric, with facility.
and the rollers B, C, are introduced two more
roller H is hung in the frame A parallel to
the roller B, while the upper roller G is bung
yokes I, I, that extend over the cross bar E. Back of the cross bar
the lower ends of the yokes are pivoted by pins m to side bars n, n;
that are at o, pivoted to lugs projecting from the frame A. Springs p,
made fast to the lower part of the framing connect with the yokes
I and side bars n, n, and tend to draw them down. When however
the cross bar E is raised by means of the crank pins i, i, into the
position shown in Figure 3, and caused to bear against the under
side of the bend of the yokes I, I, the latter will be raised sufficiently
to swing the side bars n upward, though slightly only, on their pivots o.
The free ends of the side bars n, n, are connected together by a
cross bar L, which serves as a clamp, as herein-after more fully described,
and which is directly above another cross bar J that is rigidly fastened
to the frame A. It is evident that whenever the yokes I, I, are raised
by the action of the ascending cross bar E the roller G will also be
raised from off the roller H, but as soon as the cross bar E has started
on its descent the springs p will immediately lower the yokes, and
thereby bring the roller G down again into the lowermost portion,
which is shown in Figure 5. The cross bar E thereupon still further
descending causes a projecting pawl r with which it is provided to
strike a ratchet wheel S formed on the roller G, and thereby to impart
intermittent rotary motion to the said roller G for purposes herein-after
more fully set forth..

page_text: sides of the frame A inwardly is fitted a table or platform M, which is
in a horizontal position on a level with the rollers H and B. This
table M is capable of horizontal forward and back motion, that is to
say, towards and away from the rollers B and C. It receives this
3 motion partly by a cam u, mounted upon a transverse rock shaft N,
and partly by springs v, v, that extend from the rock shaft N abovo
the table M to the front part of said table. A crank w of the rock
shaft N connects with a pair of jointed levers x, x, that connect at y
with the frame A. A cam a³ on the shaft D bears against the jointed or
any other part of these levers x, x, and tends to swing the crank w into
the position shown in Figure 3, and thereby to cause the cam u of
the rock shaft N to strike a downwardly extending projection 6ª of
the table M, and move said table forward toward the cross bar J and
into the position in Figure 3. As soon as the crank a² recedes from
the levers x, x, the springs v, which have been extended by the afore-
mentioned movement of the table, contract and move the table rapidly
backward and away from the cross bar J into the position shown in
Figure 5. In upwardly projecting lugs D³ of the table M is hung
a transverso bar O, to which is fastened a clamp or gripper P that
bears with its front and lower edge down upon the table M, or upon
the sheet of cardboard lying upon such table.
A spring e, shown in Figure 4, connects one of the uprights d' with the
shaft O or gripper P, so as to cause said gripper to bear firmly down
upon the table. To the shaft O is or may also be fastened a backwardly
projecting finger f³, shown in Figures 3 and 4; this finger may also.
slightly bear upon the table; at the extreme end of the shaft O is
fastened to the same another forwardly projecting finger g³ that is
by the action of the spring e² caused to bear upon a bar h³ that is
pivoted to the side of the frame A and rests upon the periphery of the
cam h of the shaft D. During the rotations of this cam h the lever h³
is alternately but slightly swung up and down, and when it is swung
up it causes the shaft O to vibrate and lift the gripper P from off the
table. While by the action of the cam h the lever h³ is swung upward
the power of the spring e³ upon the gripper P is enhanced, or at least
brought into action, and so soon as the lever is released the gripper
will take full hold of the matter lying upon the table M. This table
is fitted with suitable gauges i³, shown in Figure 4.
The sheet to be out is placed unon the tabl

page_text: front portion underneath the gripper P and centred by the action of
the finger f, its longitudinal position being determined by means of
the gauges 2, which are fitted to the table; said gauges being necessary
or at least desirable for properly placing the sheet before commencing
operations. After the sheet has been fastened in this manner upon
the table M rotary motion is imparted to the roller B, and by the
action of the same on the shaft D, and the further action of said shaft D
on the rock shaft N, the table is caused to move forward into the
position shown in Figure 3. At the same time, or rather when the
table has completed its forward motion, the cross bar E commences
to descend owing to the continued rotation of the shaft D and the
downward motion of the crank pins i, and in descending carries the
cutter F down and causes said cutter to reach the projecting portion
of the paper or pasteboard and cut the same from off what remains
on said table. The back edge of the cross bar J acts as a stationary
shear in connection with the movable blade F. The first strip usually
detached from the cardboard is narrow and ragged, and not to be used
for cutting into cards; and its width is generally so small that it does
not reach to the rollers G and H, and is therefore not generally held
and moved by the same, and drops down in front of the cutter F
immediately after having been detached. While the table M was
moved forward as stated, and just before the knife F began to cut, tho
cross bar L was by its springs p, p, drawn down upon the cross bar J
to clamp the cardboard that projected from the front part of the
table. After the ragged edge has been cut from the paper the table M,
is moved back again by its springs v, but while being moved back the
gripper P is raised from off the cardboard, and the cross bar L being held
firmly down upon the cardboard directly above the cross bar J retains
the cardboard firmly in position while the table moves back from under
it; thus the cardboard or paper is never carried back by the table.
When however the table has reached its backward position the cross
bar E has also reached its most upward position, and by bearing under
the yokes I, I, raises the cross bar L from off the cardboard and allows
the table during its subsequent forward motion to move the cardboard
forward with it, the gripper P taking fresh hold immediately after the
backward position of the table has been reached. The table then moves
the sheet forward, the projecting part of which enters under the raised
cutter F and beneath the roller G almost up to the rollers B, C. The
next descent of the cross bars Land E causes the detachment from

page_text: the sheet of paper or pasteboard of a width of paper of the size desired,
the strip thus detached during the descent of the knife F is already
taken hold off by the roller G, which then receives the intermittent
rotary motion, as above described. The detached strip is thereby
passed to and between the rollers B, C, by the knives of which it is
cut into separate cards or small pieces, all of which are deposited after.
they leave the rollers B, C, upon an inclined platform S that is fastened
to the frame A forward of the rollers B, C, as shown. After the first
strip of the material for cards has been detached the table is again
moved back leaving the uncut part of the cardboard clamped by the
cross bar L, and tho operation is in every other respect repeated in the
manner already described.
Figures 3 and 5 illustrate the several positions of [the parts
during the extremes of motion, Figure 5 showing the knife F when
drawn downward after the cross bar E has already imparted motion to
the roller G, the yoke I also bearing down to allow the roller G to
operate and to cause the cross bar L to bear on the cardboard, the
table M having already been carried back by its springs r; Figure 3
shows the position of the parts after the table is moved forward but
before the knife F has commenced to cut and the cross bar L
commenced to take hold of the forward portion of the sheet, the sheet
being shown in position in both Figures, Figure 5 also showing the
detached portion of the sheet during its passage forward between the
rollers B, C. The table S upon which the detached cards are dropped
is graduated as shown, the steps being formed in line with the
knives a, a, respectively, as is indicated in Figure 4, so that each
separate card falls upon a separate step. The table S in its middle or
near the lower or the upper part is slotted lengthwise parallel to the
rollers B, C, and through this slot extends the upper end of a lever T.
The lower end of this lever connects by an arm or elbow m² with'a
rod whose upper end is fastened to one of the crank pins i, as is more
fully shown in Figure 2. During the rotations of the crank pin i the
lever T will be vibrated on its pivot 1, and thereby carried from the
position shown in Figure 4, where its upper end is in one end of the
slot in S, to the position shown in Figure 2, where its upper end is
at the other end of said slot and back. While the cards drop from
between the knives a, b, upon the table S the lever T is in the position
shown in Figure 4, but after the cards have fallen upon said table the

page_text: lever T moves gradually and slowly into the position showm in Figure 2,
and thereby pushes the card from the first step upon that lying upon
the second, and the two then upon that lying on the third, and the
three then upon that lying on the fourth step, and thus superposes the
cards in the exact order in which they were cut from the strip,
assorting them at the end of the table in the desired manner. The
lower edge of the table S is flanged, as is also that end toward which
the cards are pushed by the lever T, and it is also made of such size
as to length that it will only receive the cards which it is desired to
preserve but not any narrow and useless end pieces that may be cut
from an excessive width of the original sheet.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improved
machinery for cutting and arranging playing and other cards, as com-
municated to me, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the card cutting and arranging machinery,
constructed and operating as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.