Improvements in or relating to Machines for Cutting or Stamping Cards or Plates from Blanks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
Improvements in or relating to Machines for Cutting or Stamping
Cards or Plates from Blanks.
A communication from Louis OTTO, of Chicago, State of Illinois, United States of
America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, Holborn Circus, in the County
of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to an improvement in machines for cutting or stamping
cards from blanks, and more particularly to means for automatically feeding the
blank to the die where the card is stamped out, and for discharging the remnant
of the card-blank from the machine to admit a new blank to the die in time to
prevent loss of a stroke at the moment of the introduction of a new blank.
The object is to simplify greatly the feeding mechanism for card-making
machines, and to overcome the objectionable feature of missing a stamp at the
moment of introducing a new blank to the die, which latter is a matter of the
greatest importance when it is considered that in cutting large sized cards this
loss may amount to fully twenty-five per cent. of the capacity of the machine.
In accomplishing the above results, use is made of a gravity feed, which allows
the necessary moving mechanism to be simplified greatly. The device may be
used on the ordinary form of stamping machine, in which case the frame of the
machine is blocked upon the feed side to secure the necessary slant, but, preferably,
the frame is so constructed as to give the necessary inclination to the feed-chute
and die.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved discharge-chute
for the cards.
The full description given below will be understood more readily by keeping
in mind that the card-blank (strip of card material) slides down an inclined
chute by force of gravity, is guided over the die opening by a supporting-plate,
is arrested at the right position for stamping by a movable stop, and that it is
necessary to provide mechanism for withdrawing said supporting-plate before the
stamping-tool reaches the die and to raise said movable stop to permit the portion
of the card blank below the perforation last made to pass the stop preparatory to
bringing a new section of the blank above the die.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a card-making machine embodying the
invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged broken section taken on line 2 of Fig. 1, the
lower and left-hand portions of the machine being broken away; Fig. 3, a
broken, partially sectional side elevation taken on line 3 of Fig. 2 and viewed in
the direction of the arrow, and showing the movable stop in its raised position;
Fig. 4, a similar view showing the stop in its released position; Fig. 5, a broken
central longitudinal section taken on line 5 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction

page_text: of the arrow; Fig. 6, a broken sectional detail of the die-plate, movable stop,
stripper, and a portion of a blank remnant being discharged from the machine;
Fig. 7, side and plan views (seen in side and end views of the machine) of a
detail; Fig. 8, a broken plan section taken on line 8 of Fig. 2, and viewed in the
direction of the arrow; Fig. 9, a broken section on line 9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a
broken sectional detail of the withdrawable supporting-plate showing the manner
of its insertion above the die-plate and beneath the stripper; Fig. 11, an enlarged
sectional detail of the feed-chute and its adjusting mechanism, the section being
taken on line 11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 12, a still further enlarged broken section of
the same taken on line 12 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13, a broken sectional detail of the
guide for the rod carrying the withdrawable supporting-plate, the section being
taken on line 13 of Fig. 2; Fig. 14, a broken plan view of the perforated card-
blank or remnant discharged from the machine; Fig. 15, a broken vertical section
of the punching-die or stamping-tool; and Fig. 16, a sectional detail of the
adjustable clamp for the actuating rod of the supporting-plate, the section being
taken on line 16 of Fig. 13.
A is the supporting frame preferably constructed to give a suitable slant to its
top A¹ to which are secured the housings A2 which carry the stamping-tool and
actuating mechanism therefor, all of which may be of any ordinary construction.
To the top of the frame A are secured one on each side of the machine, flat
supporting strips B, as by means of bolts z. Adjustably supported upon said
strips is a relatively long feed-chute C adapted to receive strips of card-blank and
affording a channel down which the card-blanks slide, being regulated in their
descent by mechanism to be hereinafter described. Figs. 11 and 12 show the means
by which the chute is made adjustable to give a varying inclination and to receive
blanks of varying sizes. Upon the supporting bars B and secured thereto by
bolts ย is a cross-bar ) which carries rigid angle-bars which may be integral
with the bar D. Extending crosswise of the chute-support and supported by
adjusting bolts w is a channel-bar E provided in its web portion with a slot v
which extends throughout the length of the channel-bar with the exception of
small connecting sections affording bearings for a double threaded bolt F.
The angles of the channel-bar extends upward and afford surfaces upon which
slide movable strips G provided with angles or side-bars G¹ which form the feed-
chute proper. To the strips G are secured, as by screws s, lugs s adapted to move
in the slotted channel-bar and internally provided with opposite threads to
receive the double threaded screw F. The screw F is provided at one end with a
rigidly attached thumb-piece F1, and at its opposite end is rotatably joined to an
upwardly extending lug which is adjustably connected by an adjusting bolt ri
to a piece rigid with the channel-bar. The bolt F is provided with rigid
collars which embrace the lug r, and one or the other of these collars receives
the end thrust of the bolt according to the direction in which it is turned in
separating or bringing together the sides of the chute. The position of the chute
as a whole can evidently be changed (moved in either cross-direction) by regulat-
ing the position of the lug through the medium of the adjusting-bolt r¹. A nice
adjustment of the inclination as well as a leveling in a cross-direction is secured
by the bolts w. Towards its lower end the chute is provided with precisely similar
adjusting mechanism which in Fig. 1 is hidden by the housing of the machine,
and which it is deemed conducive to clearness to omit from the details as it would
involve a repetition merely.
The housings A2 are provided with a guide A³ within which moves a cross-
head A (see Fig. 2) in an ordinary manner. The cross-head carries a stamping-
tool or male die H which conforms to the shape of the card, or metal, as the case
may be, to be stamped. Fig. 15 shows a broken section of the preferred form of
stamping-tool. Secured to the top of the machine-frame by bolts I¹ is a dic I
through which the cards are punched, and from whence they fall into a trough J
shown in perspective in Fig. 1 secured to the frame by a suitable brace K. The
trough J slants downwardly and to the right and to permit the passage of different

page_text: sized cards is preferably supplied with a side-piece on its lower side only.
Beneath the lower end of the trough J is a collecting-box L placed at the same
angle as the former and provided with an end-piece against which the cards
impinge. This box is secured to the frame by a suitable brace L' and is supplied
with a false bottom or shelf L2 which has a small section removed for ease in
grasping and removing the cards when a sufficient number have collected.
For the purpose of supporting the movable tongue or supporting-plate above
referred to and certain other of the movable parts, an attachment M is rigidly
secured to one side of the guide A³ (see Fig. 2) by means of bolts A5. This attach-
ment is provided at its upper part with an arm M' on which is pivoted a bell-
crank lever N, having an inward projecting arm N¹. Toward its lower end the
attachment projects laterally as shown and is provided at the curve with a forward
and downward projecting branch-arm M³, and at the end of the lateral projection
with a downward extension M³. Rigidly secured to the lower end of the exten-
sion M, as by a vertically adjustable bolt q, is a guide P (see Fig. 13), within
which moves an actuating-rod P¹ for a movable tongue or supporting-plate Pa
curved downward at its forward side to project beneath the plane of the strips G
of the feed-chute, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The tongue P2 is itself adjustable
on the actuating-rod P¹ as shown in Fig. 8. Pivotally connected with the lower
end of the bell-crank N by a link Q (Figs. 2 and 16) is a clamp Q¹ provided with
a perforation to receive the actuating rod P₁ of the movable tongue which is
tiltably and longitudinally adjustable therein by means of a clamping-screw p.
The lower arm of the bell-crank lever N is held normally against a stop R,
adjustably connected to a branch-arm M of the downward extension M³ as by
means of a screw n, by a spring N2 attached to the outer arm of the bell-crank
and to the branch-arm M³, and thus holds the movable tongue normally above
the die opening to support the card-blank in its movement across the same.
The downward sliding of the card-blank is arrested at the proper moment by
a movable stop. To the lower end of the branch arm M2 of the attachment M is
pivoted at m (see Figs. 3 and 8) a lever m¹ which carries at its rear end an
inwardly projecting rod m² secured by a set-screw n³, which, in turn, carries an
adjustable stop m³. Attached to the same end of the lever m¹ is one end of a spring
whose opposite end is fastened to the branch-arm M², by means of rivets as shown,
and which thus tends normally to hold the stop m³ down upon the die plate.
Figs. 2 and 5 show, immediately below and in front of the punch H, a bar S
secured to the side-pieces G¹ of the chute by bolts k, which carries a stripper T
provided with a slotted upward extension T₁ for vertical adjustment by means of
a bolt kl.
There remains to be described the means by which the stop m³ is actuated to
allow the passage of the narrow strip of material below the perforation, when made,
to bring a new section of the card-material beneath the punch and when the last
card has been punched from a blank to allow of the passage of both the strip just
mentioned and the small strip above the last perforation to admit a new blank to
the die and also the means for withdrawing the supporting-plate P2 before the
punch reaches it in the downward descent.
The lever m is provided back of the pivotal point m with an upward extension
affording a bifurcated guide m (Fig. 9), within which moves a slide m³, provided
with a slot me to receive a pin m', and provided at its front end with a forward
projecting guide-pin m8 (Fig. 8) which plunges in a perforation in a laterally
projecting end-piece m³ of the guide and which is surrounded by a coiled spring mio
confined between the end-piece and the slide. The rear end of the slide slants
downwardly and rearwardly and forms an angle with the bottom of the slide
which is preferably slightly rounded off, as shown in Fig. 5. At its front end the
lever m¹ is provided with a laterally projecting pin m. The branch-arm M2 is
provided with a forward projection M5 (see Fig. 4) to which is attached by means
of a pivotal screw h, a small bell-crank lever h¹, to whose downward extending arm

page_text: is attached, by means of a pivotal screw h², a bent lever U, and whose forward
projecting arm is provided with an adjusting screw which bears upon the front
end of the lever U. The small bell-crank is provided on its downward extend-
ing arm with an adjustable bolt or set-screw + which in one position of the
lever m¹ rests upon the pin m and holds the stop m³ off the die-plate. It is
drawn to this position by a small spring 5 attached to the lower end of the bell-
crank hand to the arm M³, its movement in this direction being limited by a
stud 6 on the part M³.
To the cross-head A4 (Fig. 2) is secured an attachment V which fits over the
front of the cross-head and embraces the edges thereof and is tightened thereon by
a set-screw g. Secured to the upper part of the attachment V by a bolt g', and capable
of receiving any desired inclination, is a link W provided with a slot W¹ in which
is adjustably secured a trip-bolt f which projects above the branch-arm N¹ of the
bell-crank N. Secured to the lower part of the attachment V by a bolt c is a
small angle-shaped piece e¹, over the downward extending portion of which fits an
adjustable slide d (Fig. 7) secured by a set-screw d. The slide is provided at
the outer side with a downward depending lug ², and has pivotally connected to
it, by means of a pivotal screw 3 a trip-rod c, provided with a lateral projection c¹,
and capable of being adjusted to any desired forward inclination by means of a
set-screw which bears against the lug ².
The operation is as follows:
A card-blank b, the appearance of which after perforation is shown in Fig. 14,
is introduced into the feed-chute C, and slides down till it rests against the stop m³,
being supported in its passage across the die-opening by the movable tongue P
(see Fig. 5). In the descent of the stamping-tool the horizontal portion c¹ of
the trip-rod c presses upon the inclined rear edge of the slide m forcing the latter
forward against its spring by the resilience of which the slide is forced back with
its angle projecting across the path of the trip-rod after the latter has passed
the slide. In the further downward movement the trip-rod presses upon the rear
end of the lever U and thereby frees the pin m" from engagement with the set-
screw when the stop immediately falls upon the die-plate. Almost simul-
taneous with the fall of the stop the branch-arm N₁ of the bell-crank N is engaged
by the trip-bolt, forcing it down and withdrawing the supporting-plate P² from
beneath the card-blank, thus allowing the latter to drop upon the die-plate, where
it is struck by the stamping-tool or punch, and the card is cut from the card-
blank and forced through the die, dropping into the discharge-chute J. As the
cards fall into the discharge-chute they are swung by gravity to a position
longitudinally of the chute and against the lower side thereof, along which they
slide till discharged, in an orderly pile, into the collecting-box L, from which
they may be removed readily by grasping them between the thumb and fingers,
this being facilitated by the recessed false bottom L³. In the up movement of the
stamping-tool the card-blank is raised by said tool till engaged by the stripper,
the bell-crank N relieved of the downward pressure of its trip-bolt flies back and
carries the supporting-plate beneath the card-blank, and the slide m³ on the stop-
carrying lever m² is raised by the trip-rod c till it assumes such an angle as to
cause it to be forced forward slightly against its spring when the trip-rod slips
by and permits the stop to fall to the position shown in Fig. 5. At about the
instant that the stop m³ on the lever m¹ is at its highest position (as shown in
dotted lines, Fig. 5). the card-blank, released by the stripper T, drops upon the
tongue P² and resumes its sliding movement so that the small strip
just below
the perforation has time to pass the path of the stop before the latter can drop
to the position shown in Fig. 5. Before the new card section, however, can
traverse the distance across the die-opening the stop has reached the position shown
in full lines in the figure last mentioned, and is in the path of the blank to arrest
its downward movement at the proper moment, and this brings us to a repetition
of the movement. When the last card is punched from the blank, the strip below

page_text: the perforation passes the stop precisely in the manner just described. The strip
above the perforation, however, does not reach the path of the stop till after the
latter has dropped to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, and here it is that
the space between the lower edge of the supporting-plate P2 and the path of the
stop m³ performs the important function of allowing the blank-remnant to escape
from the machine, and this would happen so long as the strip above the last per-
foration was narrow enough to drop through the gap or space mentioned. It
therefore appears that the cross-adjustment of the tongue P upon its actuating-
rod permits its accommodation to blanks of varying length and which may there-
fore have strips of varying width above the last perforation.
It will be understood that it would be possible, with flexible material to depend
upon the increased limberness of the perforated part of the blank to permit the
strip below the perforation by drooping down to pass the stop even while it is
in the position shown in Fig. 5, but this would be an unreliable mode of operation
and for this reason the stop is given the larger traverse described above.
It will be understood that this machine is not limited in its application to
punching cards from cardboard, but may be used in punching plates from any
suitable material, as tin or other light sheet-metal.
The function of the various adjustments of the machine will occur to the
mechanic and it is deemed unnecessary to describe them further, otherwise than
to say that the action of the various parts may be timed by them readily and the
machine adapted to varying work.
Various changes in the details of construction may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention, and hence no limitation to the precise construction
shown is intended from the particular description given above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is;-
1-A machine for stamping out cards from a card-blank strip, comprising, in
combination, frame, die, stamping-tool, an inclined card-blank feed-chute leading
to the die of sufficient inclination to cause the blank to be fed by the action of
gravity alone, and an intermittently actuated stop for checking the downward
movement of the blank preparatory to the stamping out of a card, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2-A machine for stamping out cards from a card-blank strip, comprising, in
combination, frame, die, stamping-tool, an inclined card-blank feed-chute leading
to the die of sufficient inclination to cause the blank to be fed by the action of
gravity alone, and an automatically operated stop for checking the downward
movement of the blank preparatory to the stamping out of a card, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
3 In a machine for stamping out plates from a blank, the combination with
the frame, die and stamping-tool, of a gravity operating chute for feeding the
blank to the dies, a stop for checking the movement of the blank during the stamp-
ing operation, and means for causing the final portion of the remnant automatically
to clear the stop, whereby the introduction of a new blank is permitted in time to
prevent loss of a stroke, substantially as described.
4-In a machine for stamping out plates from a blank, the combination with
the frame, die, and stamping-tool, of a gravity operating chute for feeding the
blank to the dies, a stop in the discharge path for checking the movement of
the blank during the stamping operation, mechanism for effecting the intermittent
displacement of the stop to cause it to clear the adjacent portion of the remnant
and re-engage the blank, and means for causing the final portion of the remnant
automatically to clear the stop, whereby the introduction of a new blank is
permitted in time to prevent loss of a stroke, substantially as described.
5 In a machine for stamping out plates from a blank, the combination with
the frame, die, and stamping-tool, of a gravity-delivery chute leading to the

page_text: die, an intermittently actuated stop below the die-opening having its traverse
extending into the path of the card-blank, and an offset or depression adjacent
to the stop in the surface over which the blank passes on its way to the discharge,
said depression operating to permit the blank remnant to escape from
the machine while said stop obstructs the passage of a
new blank,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
6 In a machine for stamping out plates from a blank, the combination with
the frame, die, and stamping-tool, of an inclined feed-chute for the blanks leading
to the die, an automatically operated stop whose traverse intersects the path of
the blank, and a depression in the surface over which the blank passes on its
way to the discharge, operating to permit the escape of the remnant while the stop
is in a position to check the passage of a new blank, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
7-In a card-making machine, or the like, the combination with the frame, die-
plate, and stamping-tool, of an inclined feed-chute leading to the die, a movable
tongue for supporting the card-blank in its movement across the die, a movable
stop for checking the downward movement of the card-blank preparatory to stamp-
ing a section therefrom, and means for actuating said movable tongue, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
8-In a card-making machine, or the like, the combination with the frame, die-
plate, and stamping-tool, of an inclined feed-chute leading to the die down which
the card-blank gravitates to feed new sections successively beneath the stamping-
tool, a stripper over the die-plate, an automatically operated supporting-
plate movable beneath said stripper for supporting the blank in its
movement across the die-opening, and an automatically operated stop
for checking the downward movement of the blank preparatory to
stamping a card therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9-In a card-making machine, or the like, the combination of a frame, inclined
die-plate, stamping-tool, inclined feed-chute leading to the die, stripper over
the die, automatically operated tongue movable above the die-opening and beneath
the stripper, and an automatically operated stop for arresting the downward move-
ment of the card-blank preparatory to stamping a card therefrom, comprising a
lever provided at one end with a stop and pivoted toward the other end to the
frame, a lateral projection at the fore-end of said lever, a bell-crank lever pivoted
to the frame, one arm of which is adapted to engage said lateral projection, and
a trip-rod carried by the stamping-tool cross-head for engaging said bell-crank
lever on the down stroke to release the stop-carrying lever, and for engaging a
projection on said last mentioned lever on the up stroke to raise the stop,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10 In a card-making machine, or the like, the combination of a frame, die-
plate, stamping-tool, inclined feed-chute leading to the die, and a movable stop
for checking the downward movement of the card-blank, comprising a lever pivoted
toward one end to the frame and provided at the opposite end with a stop and
having toward the center of its length a guide, a spring-controlled slide in said
guide, and a trip-rod carried by the cross-head of the stamping-tool and engaging
said slide to raise the stop, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
11 In a card-cutting machine, or the like, the combination of a frame, die-plate.
stamping-tool, inclined feed-chute leading to the die, stripper, automatically
operated stop, and an automatically operated supporting-plate movable beneath
said stripper operating to guide the card-blank over the die-opening but terminat-
ing some distance above the path of the stop, whereby the strip above the last
perforation of the card-blank is allowed to drop through and pass beneath the stop
to admit a new blank to the machine, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
12- In a card-cutting machine, or the like, the combination of a frame, inclined
die-plate and stamping-tool, inclined feed-chute leading to the die, stripper above
the die, automatically operated stop, and an automatically operated supporting

page_text: plate comprising a tongue carried by an actuating-rod slidable in the frame, a
spring-controlled bell-crank lever pivoted to the frame one arm of which engages
said supporting rod, and a trip carried by the stamping-tool cross-head to engage
the other arm of said bell-crank to move it against the resistance of the spring,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
13 In a card-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, inclined die-plate
and stamping-tool, inclined feed-chute leading to the die, stripper above the die
automatically operated supporting-plate beneath the stripper, and an automatically
operated stop, comprising a lever provided at one end with a stop and at the other
with a lateral projection and between its ends with an upwardly extending
bifurcated guide and pivotally connected near its front end with the frame, a
spring-held slide in said guide projecting to the rear of the guide and provided
with a sloping rear end, a spring-controlled bell-crank lever pivoted to the frame
having its forward projection arm provided with a set-screw, a tripping lever pivoted
to the downward projecting arm of said bell-crank and adjustable by means of
said set-screw, a set-screw in the lower arm of said bell-crank to engage said lateral
projecting pin on said first-mentioned lever, and a trip-rod carried by the cross-head
of the stamping-tool for operating the stop through the medium of said slide and
trip-lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
14 In a card-cutting machine, the combination of a frame having an inclined
top, a die supported thereon, detachable housings resting upon said top and extend-
ing at right-angles thereto, a stamping-tool operatively mounted in the housings,
feed-check supporting strips resting upon and attached to said top to incline there-
with, and a feed chute upon said supports and substantially parallel with, said top,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
15 In a card-cutting machine, the combination with the frame, die, and stamp-
ing-tool, of a discharge-chute for the cards inclined downwardly and toward one
side of the machine, and a collecting-box into which the cards discharge having a
shelf provided with a recess to facilitate the removal of the cards, substantially as
described.
Dated this 16th day of August 1898.