IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER-CUTTING MACHINERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER-CUTTING MACHINERY." A communication from
abroad by Erhard Schlenker, of Buffalo, New York, United States of Americ...
Sealed the 16th Sepember 1876, and dated the 4th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th July 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER-CUTTING MACHINERY."
A communication.
This Invention relates principally to the novel construction, location, and arrange-
ment of the parts of a paper-cutting machine, and comprises a self-acting clamp to
hold the paper to be cut firmly in its place, the same being operated by friction
which is adjustable, the power being transmitted through or between plates or
other devices so arranged as to secure yielding friction, and said plates being located
to the catch at some convenient point intermediate between the said clamp and
where the power to operate the same is obtained. The power to cause friction is
obtained from the same power that operates the. knife.
The amount of power
used and the force applied in holding the paper are always the same without regard
to the thickness of the paper to be clamped and held.
In order to raise the clamp I use but little friction, and thus save the con-
sumption of power.
The said Invention also comprises the combination of a knife, a connecting link,
and bell crank, a pitman, and slotted lever, also the combination of the shaft with
bevil gear wheels, and a pinion, and with an eccentric pin for operating the
said lever, and in combination with the said shaft there is a clutch and compound
lever.
In connection with said clamp I have arranged an indicator, by means of which
the paper can be accurately adjusted, and the operator can ascertain where the
knife will cut the paper before the power is applied.
A connecting rod is attached to the lever that transmits the movement to the
knife, and the other end is attached to a plate or disc, upon the inside of which
are three pawls or dogs. Adjoining this plate is another of the same size, and upon
Price 6d1

page_text: its face next to the first plate are ratchets. The opposite face of the disc or plate
is countersunk to receive a plate which is fixed or made fast to the shaft, and
between this plate and the above-mentioned plate, and also upon the other side
leather or some yielding material is placed to produce a yielding friction.
There is also another plate or disc which is countersunk to receive the said fixed
plate, and all of said plates are loose upon the shaft, except this fixed plate.
The said shaft is connected to and operates a clamp by means of sectional gearing
at each end; a rack is fastened to the clamp, a quarter or sectional pinion is fastened
to the shaft, and the said clamp is moved up and down in ways or guides in said
frame close to and in front of the knife, and moves or is moved or carried down
ahead of the cutting knife, in order to hold the paper to be cut. There is a stop
to prevent its being carried up as far as the knife, so that the downward movement
may be ahead of the knife.
To compensate for any wear there may be on said plates there is a set screw, or
two or more set screws, by which said plates may be tightened.
On the inside of the clamp next to the knife I arrange a small flat piece of metal
with a spring to return it to its place, and which can be pushed down by hand below
the clamp upon the paper to be cut to indicate where it is to be cut and where it
will be cut, so that the operator can observe the same before the power is applied.
SPECIFICATION, in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Williain Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER-CUTTING MACHINERY."
A communication from abroad by Erhard Schlenker, of Buffalo, New York, United
States of America.
This Invention relates principally to the novel construction and arrangement of
the parts of a paper-cutting machine as herein-after described and as illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2
a side elevation; Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, show details of the said Invention.
The frame consists of two upright pieces A, one on each side, with suitable
extensions or branches to form legs and give stability to the machine. At the top
these side pieces are connected by a cross piece B. A. table D of suitable size and
height is firmly secured, to said side pieces, upon which the paper or other material
to be cut is placed. The knife E for cutting is firmly secured to a cross bar, the
ends of which pass through vertical slots in said upright side pieces, and said cross
bar and knife attached thereto áre suspended by a link g at one end, and a bell
crank g* at the other end. The said link and bell crank are attached to jaws y¹, y²,
secured in the slot in said side pieces above the knife bar, by means of which
arrangement a draw cut is given to the knife. The said jaws are adjustable by
means of screws upon the top of the cross bar, so that they may be moved down
and kept from moving up beyond a certain point so as to compensate for the wear
of the knife. H represents the pitman whose upper end is pivoted and attached to
the bell crank, and whose other end is pivoted and attached to the end of a lever K,
which is slotted longitudinally. A wrist pin t enclosed within a small roller
is attached to the side of the gear wheel m at a proper distance from the centre of
the wheel, and as the wheel revolves this pin traverses the said slot in the lever K
backward and forward. Said gear wheel is hung upon a girt and a pair of bevil
wheels operate a pinion n, which gears with and operates the gear wheel m, by
which the lever K and its connections are operated; w represents the main shaft
to which the bevil pinions are attached, one having a clutch on the hub, and the
other having a clutch which, slides upon a feather with which a fork is connected,
and with the compound lever, P fór. throwing the machinery in and out of gear.

page_text: This machinery is automatically thrown out of gear by that part of the compound
lever designated by. p, which is operated by a crank designated x that revolves on
the shaft of the gear wheel, which in its revolution strikes that part of said com-
pound lever represented by p¹ and throws the clutch out of gear and stops the
motion of the knife when it is raised to the proper height. The same remains
stationary until thrown into gear by means of the hand lever. The counterpoise
upon the lever K causes a quick return of the knife after cutting. The gear wheels
and a large part of the machinery are located within the frame, and by the
connection of the pitman direct action and more power are obtained.
The said Invention comprises a self-acting clamp to hold the paper to be cut
firmly in its place while being cut; it is operated by friction which is adjustable,
the power being transmitted through or between plates or other devices arranged
to secure yielding friction, and the said plates are located at some convenient point
intermediate between the said clamp and the point where the power to operate the
same is obtained. The power to cause friction is obtained from the same source
that supplies the power to operate the knife. The amount of power used and its
force applied in holding the paper is always the same without regard to the
thickness of the paper to be clamped and held. In order to raise the clamp I use
but little friction, and thus save the consumption of power. In connection with
the said clamp I have arranged an indicator, by means of which the paper can be
accurately adjusted, and the operator can ascertain where the knife will cut the
paper before the power is applied. A connecting rod V is attached to the lever
that transmits the movement to the knife, and the other end is attached to a plate
or disc, upon the inside of which are three pawls or dogs. Adjoining this plate is
another plate a of the same size, and upon its face next to the first plate are
ratchets, as shown in Figure 6. The opposite face of the disc or plate a is counter-
sunk to receive the plates, which is made fast to the shaft, and between this plate
and the plate a and also upon the other side leather or other yielding material is
placed to produce a yielding friction. There is also another plate or disc a² which
is countersunk to receive the said plate 5, and all of said plates are loose upon the
shaft except the internal plate z. The said shaft is connected to and operates a
clamp F by means of sectional gearing at each end, a rack being fastened to the
clamp and a quarter or sectional pinion being fastened to the shaft; the said clamp
is moved up and down in ways or guides in the said frame close to and in front of
the knife, and moves or is moved or carried down ahead of the cutting knife in
order to hold the paper to be cut. There is a stop to prevent its being carried
up as far as the knife, so that the downward movement may be ahead of the knife.
When the clamp comes in contact with the paper to be cut the shafts and racks
and pinions on the same, and the internal disc. or plate which is fastened to the
shaft remain stationary, holding the clamp in position with great power by means
of the yielding friction between said internal plate and the plates on each side, but
allowing the knife to continue its movement until the paper is cut. In order to
compensate for any wear there may be on said plates, there is a set screw, or two
or more set screws o¹, Figure 3, by which the said plates may be tightened. As
soon as the paper is cut the cutting knife and clamp are carried upward, and the
clamp is moved by power through friction between the hub. On the outer face
of the plate i and the washer, which is held in place by two nuts, the power thus
obtained is sufficient to carry the clamp back into position, and thus save power,
and in this upward movement the pawls or dogs or ratchet slip, and the friction
used to hold the clamp firmly upon the paper to be cut, is not used at all in raising
the clamp. On the inside of the clamp next to the knife I arrange a small flat
piece of metal with a spring to return it to its place, which can be pushed down by
hand below the clamp upon the paper to be cut to indicate where it is to be cut,
and where it will be cut, so that the operator can observe the same before the
power is applied. This indicator is shown at s¹, in Figures 4 and 5.
In operating the aforesaid clamp the connecting rod V moves the plate i to
which it is attached, and which plate is loose upon the shaft at the same time that

page_text: power and motion are imparted to the knife. This plate moves in a quarter of a
circle, and the pawls engage with the ratchet or plate a, which is bolted to the
plate a², and hence move the internal plate z, which is made fast to the shaft, and
the said shaft revolves the quarter pinion and rack n¹, Figure 7. The said pinion
and rack move the clamp until it strikes the paper, and hold it firmly by the
yielding friction between the internal plate and the adjoining plates until the
paper is cut, when the clamp is raised through the friction between the hub of the
said plate and washer, and the pawls or dogs slip and allow the said clamp to be
raised to its place.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim-
First. The combination of the knife, the connecting link and bell crank, the
pitman and the slotted lever, operating in the manner described and for the purpose
specified.
Second. The combination of the shaft, the bevil gear wheel pinion, and excentric
pin for operating the lever in the manner above described.
Third. The combination of the shaft clutch and compound lever as above
described.
Fourth. A self-acting clamp for a paper cutting machine, operated by friction
which is adjustable, the power to produce the same being transmitted and friction
attained between plates or other devices so arranged as to produce a yielding
friction, and located between the said clamp and the point where the power to
operate the same is obtained from the power operating the knife, as above described
and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The arrangement of the aforesaid friction plates or devices for raising the
said clamp, as above described.
Sixth. The indicator, as above described and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh. The arrangement of the compensating power by means of the screws
or bolts locking the plates together and producing the peculiar result obtained by
friction, which always holds the paper with the same pressure without regard
to the thickness, as above described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JIZM DADT TAIZ
WM ROBT LA
KE
TIזם
(L.S.)