IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE CLIPPING OF LACE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Marshall, of Old Basford, in the County
of Nottingham, Clipper of Lace and other Fabrics, for the Invention
of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE CLIPPING
OF LACE AND OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 3rd November 1868, and dated the 4th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Marshall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th May 1868.
I, WILLIAM MARSHALL, of Old Basford, in the County of
Nottingham, Clipper of Lace and other Fabrics, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE CLIPPING OF LACE AND OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore machinery used in clipping lace and other fabrics consisted
of two or at most three cutting blades lying flatwise on each side of
a two edged central blade, such central and side blades being adjustable
towards or from each other.

page_text: Now in my Invention I employ two, three, or more blades, each
blade being capable of adjustment separately, and I employ several
sets of these blades. Each set of blades will perform cutting operations
at one and the same time. For instance, if I wish to employ a series
of sets of blades extending to six sets of blades or more, each set
consisting of three blades, I construct the centre blade in each set
with a stem having two holes through the vertical portion, through
which pass two screw rods, a nut being placed on the screw on each
side of the vertical part of the stem and locked thereon to hold the
*centre blade of each set upon any part of the length of the screw rod.
"The screw rods are held in a frame having a handle. The lower part
of this frame has slots in it in which a horizontal rod is free to rise
"and fall vertically; such rod is passed through a hole in the vertical
part of the stem of each of the other two blades, which blades work
upon an axle and guide pin on each side of the centre blade. The
Chorizontal rod is pressed down by a spring at each end. These springs
care secured to the framing near the handle of the instrument; the
horizontal rod has also a link at either end. The upper ends of the
links are adjustable in the end of two levers secured to a rocking
axle having a stop piece secured to it and also a thumb piece to
depress the two outer blades on each set of blades. The width of this
frame depends on the number of sets of blades required to operate at
the same time. The horizontal rod passed through the single hole in
the two outer blade stems in each set may be screwed and provided
with nuts, by which the stems are set to cause the blades to press upon
the blade immediately adjoining.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Marshall in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3
MARSHALL, of Old Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Clipper of
Lace and other Fabrics, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty- a

page_text: first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Marshall, Her special licence
that I, the said William Marshall, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Marshall, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE CLIPPING OF LACE AND OTHER
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Marshall, 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 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 William Marshall, 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 thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Heretofore the machinery or apparatus used in the clipping, of lace
and other fabrics consisted of two or at most three cutting blades-
lying flatwise on each side of a two-edged central blade, such central
and side blades being made capable of adjustment either. towards or
from each other according to the requirements of the fabrics to be cut.
Now in my Invention I employ two, three, or more blades, each
blade being capable of adjustment separately, and moreover I employ
several sets of these blades, each set of blades performing cutting
operations at one and the same time. For instance, if I wish to employs
a series of sets of blades extending to six sets of blades or more, each:
set consisting of three blades, I construct the centre blade in each set:
of such form that the stem has two holes or slots through the
vertical portion thereof; through these holes are passed two screwed
rods, a nut being placed on the screw on each side of the vertical part

page_text: of the stem, and being locked tight thereon will hold the centre blade
of each set upon any part of the length of the screwed rod. These
screwed rods are firmly held by and supported in a frame to which a
handle is fixed by which the operator is enabled to hold the instrument.
The lower part of this frame has slots in it in which a horizontal rod is
free to rise and fall vertically. This rod is passed through a hole in
the vertical part of the stem of each of the other two blades, which
blades work upon an axle and guide pin on each side of the centre
blade. The horizontal rod is pressed down by a spring at each end.
These springs are secured to the framing near the handle of the
instrument. The horizontal rod has a link at either end. The upper
ends of these links are capable of adjustment in the ends of two levers
secured to a rocking axle which is supported by the framing. This
axle has a stop piece secured to it and also a thumb piece whereby
the operator depresses the two outer blades in each set of blades
carried by the frame. The width of this frame will depend on the
number of sets of blades required to operate at one and the same
time. The horizontal rod which is passed through the single hole in
the two outer blade stems in each set may be also screw threaded and
provided with nuts, by which the stems may be set for the purpose of
causing the blades to press upon the blade immediately adjoining.
Having thus set forth the nature of my said Invention, I now
proceed more particularly to describe the manner of performing it
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a plan of a clipping apparatus
constructed according to my Invention, and Figures 3 to 8 inclusively
represent alternately a side view and plan of the cutting blades I
employ therein.
In the plan, Figure 2, only two sets of cutting blades are shewn, but
the frame is wide enough to receive three sets of blades if the sets
are not to be placed far apart, and the frames may be constructed of
sufficient width to receive six or more sets of blades which may be
placed as near to or as far from each other as may be required, cach
set of blades performing the clipping or cutting operations at one and
the same time. Each set of blades may consist of a central blade
having a cutting edge on each side and an outer blade on each side

page_text: thereof, each blade having one cutting edge; or each set of blades may
consist of four blades two central ones, and two outer ones. In Figures 1
and 2, A is the frame, B and C the two central blades, and D, D, the
two outer blades. Each of these blades has only one cutting edge.
The central blade B is shewn separately in side view at Figure 5, and in
plan at Figure 6. The central blade C is shewn in side view, Figure 7,
and plan at Figure 8. These central blades have two holes or slots
in the upper part of the vertical portion of the stem; through these
holes or slots are passed two screwed rods E, E. A nut is placed on the
screws on each side of the stem of each blade, and being locked tight
thereon will hold the central blades of each set upon any part of the
length of the screwed rods. The screwed rods are firmly held by and
supported in the frame A, to which a handle F is fixed by which the
operator is enabled to hold the instrument. The lower part of the
frame has slots in it in which a horizontal rod G is free to rise and
fall vertically. This rod is passed through a hole or slit in the stem
of each of the two outer blades D, D. These outer blades work upon
axle pins held by the central blades. The horizontal rod is pressed
down by a spring H at each end; these springs are secured to the
framing. The horizontal rod G is passed through a link I near each
end within the framing, the framing being slotted to allow of the free
movement of the links which are screwed at their upper part so as
to be capable of adjustment in the ends of two levers K. secured to a
rocking axle L supported by the framing. This axle has a stop piece M
secured to it. The lower end of the stop piece upon the rocking of
the axle is regulated in its movements by two portions of the frame
between which it is placed; the axle is also furnished with a thumb
piece N whereby the operator is enabled to depress the two outer blades
of each set in the frame. The horizontal rod G (which passes through
the hole or slit in the outer blade stems of each set may be also screw
threaded and provided with nuts by which the stems may be set for
the purpose of causing the blades to press upon the blade immediately
adjoining. Upon reference to the plan, Figure 2, it may be seen, that by
the central blades being arranged as shewn and above described, I am
enabled to place the cutting edges of the blades at any width required
apart without taking them out of the frame as I should be necessitated
to do if the central blades were only one blade with two edges, for I
should then have to change the central blade each time the width
varied.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the employ-
ment or application of blades arranged and constructed substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Marshall, have hereunto 5
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
cight.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM MARSHALL. (L.8.) "