IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR CUTTING PAPER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hopkinson, of 14, New North Street,
Finsbury, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR
CUTTING PAPER."
Sealed the 20th April 1860, and dated the 16th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hopkinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1860.
I, JOHN HOPKINSON, of 14, New North Street, Finsbury, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
PAPER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for cutting
paper. In constructing such machinery I combine with a bed or table for
supporting the paper to be cut, a knife capable of being worked up and down
in guides in the frame, as in other machines now commonly employed for
cutting paper, but in place of actuating the knife by any of the means
heretofore resorted to, two shafts are mounted in suitable bearings, one on
each side of the machine and at right angles to the knife; these shafts are
caused to revolve at the same speed, and excentrics are mounted on them.
The excentrics turn in holes formed in arms fixed to the bar to which the
knife is bolted, so that by these means as the axes revolve the knife is caused
to move up and down, and at the same time to move to and fro laterally. In

page_text: place of excentrics cranks may be employed to give such combined up-and-
down and lateral motions to the knife, the cranks being formed on two axes,
one at each side of the machine, and at right angles to the knife. To drive
the two axes, I usually mount a screw wheel on each of them, and cause
such wheels to gear with screws mounted on a transverse shaft turned by a
crank handle or otherwise, but the two axes may be driven by bevil gear or
otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hopkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOPKINSON, of 14, New North Street, Finsbury, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Hopkinson, Her special licence that I, the said John Hopkinson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Hopkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exércise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING PAPER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Hopkinson, 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 John Hopkinson, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for cutting
paper. In constructing such machinery I combine with a bed or table for

page_text: supporting the paper to be cut, a knife capable of being worked up and down
in guides in the frame, as in other machines now commonly employed for
cutting paper, but in place of actuating the knife by any of the means
heretofore resorted to, two shafts are mounted in suitable bearings, one on
each side of the machine and at right angles to the knife; these shafts are
caused to revolve at the same speed, and excentrics are mounted on them.
The excentrics turn in holes formed in arms fixed to the bar to which the
knife is bolted, so that by these means as the axes revolve the knife is caused
to move up and down, and at the same time to move to and fro laterally. In
place of excentrics cranks may be employed to give such combined up-and-
down and lateral motions to the knife, the cranks being formed on two axes,
one at each side of the machine and at right angles to the knife. To drive
the two axes, I usually mount a screw wheel on each of them, and cause
such wheels to gear with screws mounted on a transverso shaft turned by a
crank handle or otherwise, but the two axes may be driven by bevil gear or
otherwisc.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an end elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a front
view, of a machine constructed according to my Invention. In each of these
Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
On
A is the driving shaft, which may be actuated by hand by means of the
crank bandle as shown, or it may be actuated by steam or other power.
this shaft A there are two worms or screws B, B, which take into and drive
the two worm or screw wheels C, C, which turn on the two fixed shafts D, D,
which are carried by the brackets on the side framings of the machine. On
each of the two worm or screw wheels C, C, is fixed an excentric E, which
moves in a circular hole or opening in the bar H, H¹, to which the knife G
is fixed. The knife G is of the ordinary kind used in such machines, and is
fixed to the bar H in the ordinary manner, and the bar H has two ends H',
fixed to it by screws I, J; the screws I pass through slots in the ends II', into
the end of the bar H, and the screws J pass through the upper parts of the
ends H' of the bar, by which means the working of the knife may be more
correctly and readily adjusted, but this may be varied, and the bar H with its
ends made in one piece. It will be evident that in place of the two
excentrics two cranks might be used to give simultaneous motion to the two
ends of the knife bar, and in place of giving motion to the two excentrics

page_text: by screws or worms as shewn, other gearing may be employed to give
simultaneous motion to the two ends of the knife bar, whether two excentrics
or two cranks be used.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the parts separately, but what I claim is, the application of two
excentrics or cranks to give simultaneous motion to the two ends of the
knife bar.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hopkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord 1
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN HOPKINSON. (L.S.)
JOHN HOPKINSON. (L.s.)