Improvements in Machines for Cutting or Slitting Sheets of Paper, Cardboard, and similar Material into Strips.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
Improvements in Machines for Cutting or Slitting Sheets of Paper,
Cardboard, and similar Material into Strips.
I, ARTHUR BENJAMIN COWLES, of No. 12, Chamberlain Street, in the City of
Rochester, County of Monroe, and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 improvements in machines for slitting sheets of paper,
cardboard, and similar materials into strips of uniform width, and has for its
object the production of a simple, practical and highly effective means for accom-
plishing the desired result; and to this end, it consists essentially in the combina-
tion, construction and arrangement of the parts of a machine for slitting sheets of
paper, cardboard, and similar materials, all as hereinafter described and pointed
out in the claims. In describing this invention, reference is had to the accom-
panying drawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the
views.
Figures 1 and 2, are, respectively, side and front elevations of this improved
machine, the support for the sheets to be cut being shown as partly broken away
in Figure 1, and being removed in Figure 2.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views, taken, respectively, on lines 3-3
and 44, Figure 2; and
Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the frame and the adjacent
part of a movable rod or bar secured to said portion of the frame.
This improved slitting machine preferably consists of a supporting frame A,
rotary cutters B B', and means for supporting the portions of the sheets engaged
by the rotary cutters, for alining the sheets with the cutters and for feeding the
sheets to said cutters. The frame A is of any suitable form, size and construction,
and is provided at one side with a support a for the sheets to be cut and at its
opposite side with a support a' for the strips into which the sheets are divided.
The support a is usually arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, and the sup-
port a is generally inclined downwardly towards its free extremity. These
supports a al may be readily removable from the remaining portion of the frame A
which preferably consists of upright standards a² and connecting bars a³ interposed
between the upper and lower portions of said standards.
The cutters B are arranged one in advance of the other upon a shaft b, and the
cutters B are arranged opposite to the cutters B upon a second shaft b. These
cutters B B generally consist of circular knives detachably secured to, drums b³
adjustable lengthwise of the shafts 6 b'. In the preferable construction of this
invention, the shaft is journaled in fixed bearings and the shaft b' is arranged
above the shaft b and is journaled in movable bearings which are adjusted towards
and away from the shaft b by suitable adjusters movable in the upper connecting
bar a³ of the frame A.

page_text: The cutters B B are normally out of action, remain in this position until a sheet
to be slit has been properly alined therewith and are brought into action by a suit-
able actuating part C. The shaft 6 is connected to the shaft by any desirable
means, as gears 6, and is connected to a suitable driving member D by a clutch-
member which is movable into and out of its operative position by the actuating
part C. The driving member I preferably consists of a pulley loosely mounted
on the shaft but may be otherwise supported if desired. The clutch-member
is suitably locked to the shaft and is movable lengthwise of said shaft into and
out of engagement with the driving member.
"
The actuating part C usually consists of a foot-lever having its upper end fixed
to a rock-shaft e journaled in the frame A in front of the shaft . Said actuating
part is normally forced forwardly by a suitable spring cl which is mounted on a rod
or bar having one end hinged to the lower portion of said actuating part and its
opposite end passed through one of the lower connecting bars of the frame A.
One end of the spring engages a shoulder on the rod or bar and the opposite
end of said spring engages the connecting bar through which the rod or har
is passed. The upper end of the actuating part or lever C engages one end of a
lever pivoted to the frame A and having its opposite end engaged with a recip
rocating rod or bar arranged substantially parallel with the shaft b. A suitable
an is fixed to the rod or bar and engages a slide mounted on the shaft b
and movable towards and away from the clutch-member. The slide is prefer-
ably provided with an inclined peripheral face engaged with the free ends of a pair
of levers which are pivoted to the clutch-member and are provided with
inwardly extending ends engaged with a shoulder fixed to the shaft b. As the
slide is moved towards the clutch-member 6, the free ends of the levers are
forced outwardly, thus moving the clutch-member into engagement with the
driving member and effecting the desired rotation of the cutters B B. The
reverse movement of the slide permits the levers 7 and the clutch-member
to assume their normal position, and as is obvious, this result may be facilitated
by suitable springs, not illustrated.
The
The means for supporting the portions of the sheets engaged by the cutters B B
generally consists of a plurality of pairs of oppositely arranged spring arms d¸d
having their adjacent ends arranged in front of the cutters B B and provided with
lateral extensions interposed between the adjacent sides of the pairs of
cutters B B and arranged at opposite sides of the path of the sheets to be cut.
opposite ends of the armis d'are provided with eyes which are movable length-
wise of rods supported by the frame A and are clamped in their adjusted posi-
tion by suitable clamping means d. The arms may be readily adjusted to
the desired position and the lateral extensions thereof yieldingly support the
portions of the sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials engaged by the
cutters B B and prevent kinking thereof.
The means for alining the sheets with the cutters B B preferably consists of
rock-arms e arranged in substantially upright planes in front of the axes of the
cutters BB and projecting into the path of the sheet to be cut for normally
preventing the passage of said sheet to the cutters B B. The alining arms e are
generally secured to a rock-shaft el which is supported by the frame A in advance
of the cutters B B and is provided with a crank-arm 2 connected by a link e³
to a similar crank-arm provided upon the rock-shaft c. The actuating part 0
is secured to the rock-shaft c, as previously described, and as said actuating part
is rocked backwardly for bringing the cutters B B into action, the crank-arme,
link e, and crank-arm e rock the lower ends of the alining arms e out of the path
of the sheet to be cut and permit the onward movement of said sheet.
The means for feeding the sheets to be slit to the cutters B B preferably consists
of lower and upper feeds f fl. The lower feed f usually consists of a roller
arranged in front of the alining arms e beneath the path of the sheet to be cut.
This roller is connected to the shaft b, previously described, by suitable means, as
one of the gears and additional gears f. The upper feed fl generally consists
of a roller movable vertically towards and away from the lower feed. The roller f

page_text: is normally moved out of its operative position by a suitable support which prefer-
ably consists of inclined levers having their upper ends engaged with the lower
faces of trunnions projecting from the ends of said roller f. The lower ends of
the levers are pivoted to crank-arms projecting forwardly from the shaft c.
The adjacent sides of the intermediate portions of the levers f³ are provided with
lateral projections f having their lower faces inclined and movable along inclined
guides a projecting from the outer faces of forwardly extending arms upon the
standards 3 of the frame A. The supporting levers are drawn downwardly as
the actuating part C is rocked backwardly, and gravity brings the feed fl into
engagement with the underlying sheet at the same time that the lower feed fis
brought into action with the cutters B B. The strips into which the sheets are
divided are fed from the cutters B B upon the support al by oppositely arranged
feed-rollers f³, one of which is suitably connected to the shaft b.
The construction and operation of this improved machine for slitting sheets of
paper, cardboard and similar materials will now be readily understood upon refer-
ence to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A machine for slitting sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials into
strips, the same comprising rotary cutters normally out of action, a feed for feeding
the sheets to the cutters, a support for normally holding the feed out of its opera-
tive position, and means for bringing the cutters into action and forcing the
support out of its operative position at substantially the same time, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A machine for slitting sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials into
strips, the same comprising rotary cutters normally out of action, and means for
alining the sheets with the cutters, said means being movable out of operative
position at substantially the same time that the cutters are brought into action,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A machine for slitting sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials into
strips, the same comprising a plurality of pairs of oppositely arranged rotary
cutters normally out of action, a plurality of pairs of oppositely arranged spring
arms arranged in front of the rotary cutters and having their adjacent ends pro-
vided with lateral extensions interposed between the pairs of cutters and disposed
at opposite sides of the path of said sheets, a feed for feeding the sheets to the
cutters, and means for alining the sheets with the cutters, said means being
movable out of operative position at substantially the same time that the cutters
are brought into action, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A machine for slitting sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials into
strips, the same comprising rotary cutters normally out of action, a driving
member, mechanism for connecting the rotary cutters to the driving member, said
mechanism being provided with a movable clutch-member, a feed for engaging
said sheets, a movable support for moving the feed out of its operative position, and
an actuating part connected to the clutch-member and to said support for forcing
the clutch-member into its operative position and forcing the support out of its
operative position at substantially the same time, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
5. A machine for slitting sheets of paper, cardboard and similar materials into
strips, the same comprising rotary cutters normally out of action, a driving member,
mechanism for connecting the rotary cutters to the driving member, said
mechanism being provided with a movable clutch-member, rock-arms supported in
advance of the cutters and projecting into the path of said sheets for alining the
same with the cutters, a feed for feeding the sheets towards the rock-arms, a second
feed movable towards and away from the first feed for engaging said sheets, and
an actuating part connected to the clutch-member, the rock-arms and the second

page_text: feed for forcing the clutch-member into its operative position, controlling the
movement of the second feed and forcing the rock-arms out of their operative
position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Datadh 10.
100
ARTHUR BENJAMIN COWLES.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.