Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Rags, Ropes, and other materials.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr.. 1893-Accented. 2nd June. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Rags, Ropes, and other
materials.
I JAMES NUTTALL of Park View Walmersley Road Bury in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for cutting rags ropes and other materials,
wherein the materials are first cut into strips in one direction and afterwards are
cross-cut or cut in the other direction, so as to divide the materials into small pieces
suitable for use in making paper stock for example.
I use a guillotine knife, driven from either above or below, to cut the materials
into strips, the materials being fed to this knife by an apron, or by other suitable
feeding device. The strips thus cut are dropped onto a feed apron, running at
right angles to the first apron or are dropped directly onto or otherwise fed to a
revolving and preferably spiral-bladed, knife or to circular slitters or cutters with
either smooth, or serrated edges, the axis on which these slitters or cutters are
carried being preferably parallel to the guillotine knife. The dead knife in con-
junction with which the revolving knife operates, may be placed over or in other
position relatively to the revolving knife the materials being fed over, or under,
the knives, as may be found most convenient. When employ circular slitters, or
cutters, I prefer to construct them as follows:-The body of the cutter is made of
any suitable material, such as cast iron, for example, and to the side, or to each
side, I secure a ring of steel, or other metal which will present the requisite
cutting edge. The rings may be made each in one piece, or in several pieces, or
In place of securing the ring or rings to the side or sides of the body
part 1 may make them like hoops and secure it, or them, to the periphery of the
body part.
segments.
When the cutting edge of the rings or hoops, becomes worn the rings or hoops
can be removed and reversed so that the edge that was inwards is placed outwards
and presents a new cutting edge.
Dated this 28th day of June 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Rags, Ropes, and other
materials.
JAMES NUTTALL of Park View Walmersley Road, Bury in the County of
Lancaster Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for cutting rags, ropes and other materials,
wherein the materials are first cut into strips in one direction and afterwards are
cross-cut or cut in the other direction, so as to divide the materials into small
pieces suitable for use in making paper-stock for example.
I use a guillotine knife, driven from either above or below to cut the materials
into strips, the materials being fed to this knife by an apron, or by other suitable
feeding device. The strips thus cut are dropped onto a feed apron, running
at right angles to the first apron or are dropped directly onto or otherwise fed

page_text: to a revolving and preferably spiral bladed knife or to circular slitters or cutters
with either smooth or serrated edges, the axis on which these slitters or cutters
are carried being preferably parallel to the guillotine knife. The dead knife in
conjunction with which the revolving knife operates may be placed over or in
other position relatively to the said revolving knife the materials being fed over,
or under, the knives as may be found most convenient. When employ circular
slitters or cutters 1 prefer to construct them as follows. The body of each slitter
or cutter is made of any suitable material such as cast iron for example, and to
the side or to each side I secure a ring of steel or other metal which will present
the requisite cutting edge. The rings may be made each in one piece or in several
pieces, or segments. In place of securing the ring or rings to the side or sides of
the body part I may make them like hoops and secure it, or them, to the periphery
of the body part.
When the cutting edge of the rings or hoops becomes worn the rings or hoops
can be removed and reversed so that the edge that was inwards is placed outwards
and presents a new cutting edge.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures,
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other of a machine con-
structed according to my invention for cutting rags and other materials by means
of a guillotine knife and a revolving spiral bladed cutter and Figures 3 and 4 are
similar views of a machine in which the rags or other materials are cut by means
of a combination of a guillotine knife and circular or disc cutters or slitters.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 shew various constructions of circular or disc cutters or
slitters employed.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A is a feed apron upon which the material to be
cut is placed. This apron is carried on rollers and moves in a trough B in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, beneath a feed roller C which receives
an intermittent partial rotary motion. This intermittent motion may be obtained
by any convenient means for instance by means of ratchet wheels fast on the shaft
of the feed roller or on the roller itself and pawls carried on arms or levers a
mounted loosely on the said shaft, and connected to a crosshead which receives
up and down motions from the crank shaft D by a crank disc E and connecting
rod connected to a stud or pin d on a block e. The block e is adjustable (in a
slot on the disc) nearer to or further from the axis of the said disc so as to vary
as required the extent of the intermittent partial rotations of the feed roller C and
consequently the feed of the material at each partial rotation of the said roller.
The material passes from beneath the roller Conto and over a fixed bar or cutting
blade against which a vertically reciprocating blade or guillotine cutter H
operates to sever the overhanging portions of the material. The guillotine cutter H
is carried on a bar 1 fitted to slide in guides g in the frame of the machine and
connected by a rod K to a crank L on the shaft D the said crank and the disc E
being set with reference to each other so that the cutter 1 is caused to descend
after each partial rotation of the feed roller and sever into strips the material fed
thereby. The shaft D is driven by means of a crossed strap from the first motion
shaft which receives motion from any suitable motor by a strap passing round
the pulleys. On the shaft of the feed roller Care loosely mounted two depending
arms the lower ends of which are connerted to arms/fast on a rocking shaft N
carried in arings on the frame of the machine. On this shaft N is a treadle ()
by depressing which trendle the shaft N may be rocked so as to raise the feed
roller in guides out of contact with the material and thereby stop the feeding of
the material towards the guillotine cutter II.
"'
The strips of material cut by the guillotine cutter fall onto an endless band or
apron carried on rollers pp driven from the shaft M by a belt p passing round
the pulleys. The strips of material are conducted by the apron P beneath a

page_text: feeding roller to a rotating spiral cutter R or cutter provided with slanting
blades and fast on the shaft M which cutter operates in combination with a fixed
blade or bar R2 to cross cut the strips into smaller pieces, which, as they are cut,
fall onto a travelling apron S by which they are conducted from the machine.
The feeding roller Q may be in the form of a number of His arranged side by
shi as shewn in Figure 2 or it may be a solid roller with grooves therein, springs.
being provided in the grooves or between the discs to guide the material to the
cutter and prevent it from winding onto the feed roller. The roller Q is carried in
armis o so as to be capable of rising and falling to accommodate itself to variations
in the thickness of material passing beneath it and it receives rotary motion by
means of a driving strap and pulleys from the spindle of one of the rollers p
which carry the feed apron P.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 the material placed on the
feeding apron A passes beneath a feed roller C to which an intermittent partial
rotation may be imparted in the manner herein before described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 the material being fed intermittently by the said roller to the
nction of the guillotine cutter H which is operated from the crank shaft D in the
nanner hereinbefore described so as to sever strips from the material as it is fed by
the roller C over the fixed bar or blade G. The crank disc E which gives notion
to the feed roller B instead of being on the crank shaft D as shown in Figures I
and 2 is mounted on a separate shaft or spindle D' and receives motion from the
crank shaft by means of a chain and chain wheels w. The strips of material
severed by the cutter H fall directly onto, or between, two series of circular, or
dise, cutters R R which as they rotate shear or cross-cut the strips into smaller
pieces which pass thence between clearing discs T T onto an endless travelling
apron S by which the pieces are conducted from the machine. The feed roller Ű
may be carried on arms connected to a treadle as in the arrangement Figures 1
and 2 so as to be capable of being raised out of contact with the material when
the feed thereof is required to be discontinued. If desired the arrangement of the
cutters may be reversed, that is to say the disc or circular cutters or slitters may
be arranged to cut from the material fed into the machine and the guillotine cutter
be arranged to cross-cut the pieces cut by the said circular cutters. The disc or
circular cutters according to my invention are each composed of two or more rings
or discs connected together and to a centre or boss so as to enable the outer discs to
be removed when one side or cutting edge thereof becomes worn and replaced in
reverse position so as to bring a fresh cutting edge into position to cut.
The cutting edge of the guillotine knife may be notched or angled in different
directions and made in one piece or in several pieces the angular form of the cutting
edge giving a better shearing action than is the case with a straight cutting edge
and it may be made to work in conjunction with a similarly constructed knife or
with a knife having a straight edge.
"
Fig. 5 represents in side and edge view a cutter or slitter composed of three
steel rings or discs secured to a cast iron hollow boss or centres the said
rings or discs being connected together by screws 1. The centre ring or disc ris
provided with teeth or projections which serve to seize the material and draw it
between the two sets of revolving cutters or slitters or these projections may be
formed on the central boss s instead of on a separate piece. The two outer rings
or discs are plain on their peripheries. The edges of the discs of the
one series of cutters rotate in contact with the corresponding edges of the other
series of cutters so that they between them shear or separate the material into
small pieces as it passes between them. Figure 6 represents in side and edge view
another cutter also composed of three steel rings or discs ³ ³ connected together
by screws and mounted on a cast iron hollow boss s as in Figure 5 but instead of
the peripheries of the outer rings or discs being smooth and the centre one being
provided with teeth as shewn in Figure 5 the three rings or discs are serrated or
toothed on their peripheries and serve to draw the material between the two
series of cutters. The central disc may be formed in one with the hollow boss it

page_text: desired. The outside rings or discs may be reversed when worn so as to bring the
inner faces in position to act. Figure 7 shews a modification in which only two
steel rings or dises are provided, each having a serrated periphery and con-
nected to a cast iron boss or body s by means of screws t passed through the
serrated peripheries of the hoops into the body to hold the hoops in position but
enable them to be removed when required for renewal or to reverse their cutting
edges. The rings or discs may be each made either in one piece or in separate
segments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In an apparatus for cutting rags ropes and other materials the combination
of a guillotine cutting device for severing pieces from the material as it is being
fed into the apparatus and a revolving spiral bladed cutter for cross cutting into
smaller pieces the pieces of material severed by the guillotine cutter and means for
feeding the material and presenting it to the action of the said cutting devices
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a machine for
cutting rags ropes and other materials substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a machine for
cutting rags ropes and other materials and its modification substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4th. In or for apparatus for cutting rags, ropes, and other materials slitters or
cutters consisting of two or more rings or discs having plain or serrated edges or
both and connected together and to a boss or support so as to be capable of being
detached when required and replaced by fresh discs when worn or reversed in
position so as to bring fresh cutting edges into operating position substantially as
herein before described more particularly with reference to Figures 5 6 and 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
D: 001
L