A New or Improved Machine for Cutting Photographic and other Glass Plates.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st July, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine for Cutting Photographic and other
Glass Plates.
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH EDWARDS of The Grove Hackney London in the county of
Middlesex Photographer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER GLASS PLATES to be as
follows:-
I provide a table or platform of suitable size upon which the sheets of glass to be
cut are placed one at a time and I make the surface of the table of two slightly
different levels on either side of the line of cut to facilitate the snapping of the glass
as described hereafter-At one side of the table I hinge a flap (one side of which
forms a guide for cutting) and along the opposite side of the table I form a raised
stop upon which the flap rests when in use, just clear of the sheets of glass to be
operated upon. At the end of the flap I form a second smaller flap which may be
hinged or made of some suitable flexible material and on the undersides of these flaps
I form suitable projections which can be pressed upon the glass on either side of the
line of cut and thus by the aid of the inequality of the surface of the table snap the
glass in order to effect complete separation.
When the sheets of glass are to be bisected I fit a right and left handed screw in
fixed bearings below the table and upon it I arrange nuts equidistant from the centre
which travel horizontally to and fro along the screw (when turned by a suitable wheel
or handle) thus pushing the sheet of glass into position and gripping it ready for
cutting in the exact centre.
When the sheets of glass are to be cut to certain dimensions (not bisected) I make
use of a similar platform or table and on one side I fit a suitable sliding guide which
may be adjusted for various sizes by means of a scale or by a spring bolt fitting into
notches or other convinient device. This sliding guide or fence is set at right
angles to the stop or rest against which the sheet of glass is placed and the flaps being
also at right angles to the stop the sheet is cut square immediately on being placed in
the machine without special adjustment.

page_text: By means of any ordinary hand diamond tool drawn along the edge of the flap
above described the sheet of glass may be bisected or cut square to any required
dimensions with great accuracy and rapidity.
a
As hand cutting is liable to failure from inexperience, carelessness or other causes I
provide a frame or baseplate which may be used in combination with the above
described tables which are made interchangeable. To this frame or baseplate I fit
grooves or guides along which the tables which are furnished with corresponding
guides or projections are made to travel. At the far side of this frame I fix a standard
or bracket and in its upper end I form adjustable bearings to receive a rocking arm
or lever (in one end of which I fix the diamond tool) and which may be regulated to
give any desired pressure upon the diamond by means of sliding or adjustable weights
or by a spring or by both combined. As a guide for the diamond tool I provide
wheel which I pivot in the end of the rocking arm and then adjust the diamond so
that the point shall project slightly beyond the rim of the wheel. When the wheel
arrives at the edge of the glass the diamond is lifted by it into position for
commencing the cut and at the end of the cut it runs up a slight incline formed on
the flap and is then drawn over by means of a small spiral spring or other suitable
device on to the surface of the flap upon which it runs during the return stroke
keeping the diamond entirely off the glass, at the hinge end of the flap a suitable
guide conducts it again into position for cutting.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine for Cutting Photographic and other
Glass Plates.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH EDWARDS of The Grove Hackney London in the county of
Middlesex, Photographer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER GLASS PLATES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,
in which figure 1 represents a general view of a machine with table arranged for
bisecting the plates, figure 2 a table arranged for cutting plates to sizes as hereinafter
explained figure 3 a detail of the table shown in figure 2 and figures 4 and 5 details
of the diamond carrying arrangement.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout.
The tables upon which the sheets of glass to be cut are placed one at a time are
marked A A' and I make the surfaces of these tables of two slightly different levels
on either side of the line of cut to facilitate the snapping of the glass as described
hereafter. At one side of the tables I hinge à flap B one side b of which forms a

page_text: guide for cutting and along the opposite side of the tables I form a raised stop C
upon which the flap B rests when in use just clear of the sheets of glass to be operated
upon. At the end of the flap I form a second smaller flap D which may be hinged or
made of some suitable flexible material and on the undersides of these flaps I form
suitable projections e e which can be pressed upon the glass on either side of the line
of cut and thus by the aid of the inequality of the surface of the table snap the glass
in order to effect complete separation.
When the sheets of glass are to be bisected 1 fit a right and left handed screw E in
fixed bearings below the table A as shown in figure 1 and upon it I arrange nuts F
equidistant from the centre which travel horizontally to and fro along the screw when
turned by the wheel or handle G thus pushing the sheet of glass into position and
gripping it ready for cutting in the exact centre.
When the sheets of glass are to be cut to certain dimensions (not bisected) I make
use of a similar platform or table A' as shown in figure 2 and on one side I fit a
suitable sliding guide H which may be adjusted for various sizes by means of a scale
or by a spring bolt I fitting into notches J as shown in figure 3 or other convinient
devise. This sliding guide or fence H is set at right angles to the stop or rest C
against which the sheet of glass is placed and the flaps B and D being also at right
angles to the stop C the sheet is cut square immediately on being placed in the
machine without special adjustment.
By means of an ordinary hand diamond tool drawn along the edge of the flap B
above described the sheet of glass may be bisected or cut square to any required
dimensions with great accuracy and rapidity.
As hand cutting is liable to failure from inexpirience carelessness and other causes
I provide a frame or baseplate K which may be used in combination with the above
described tables A and A which are made interchangeable to this frame or baseplate K
I fit parellel grooves or guides L along which the tables A A¹ which are furnished
with corresponding guides or projections are made to travel.
At the far side of the frame K I fix an adjustable standard or bracket M and in its
upper end I form adjustable bearings N to receive a rocking arm or lever upon
which the weights P P¹ may be adjusted to give any desired pressure on the diamond
tool which is secured as hereafter described in one end of a second lever R hinged
to the bracket M as shown-I employ by preference two levers O and R of different
lengths and also a spring S as shown working upon a leather pad on the top of the
lower lever R in order to prevent the ricochet which is liable to occur when the
diamond first comes in contact with the glass, but I do not confine myself to
the exact design shown as springs may be employed in place of or in combination
with the weights P P and further the tool may be secured in the the lever O bent to
suitable form for the purpose and one of the weights or springs carried on the lever R
arranged to press on a roller on the lever O or by other convenient device-As a
guide and carrier for the diamond tool Q more clearly shown in figures 4 and 5 1
provide wheel T which revolves on the pivot U attached to R upon which it may slide
also a spring V for the purpose of keeping it pressed up to the end of U unless it is
forced and kept in the position for cutting as shown in the drawing by the edges bb1
of the flap B which are provided for the purpose-I also employ a wedge W and cap X
which holds the tool Q and the wedge in position and by the nut Y I adjust the tool Q
as desired.
The action of my machine is two fold that is it may be used for hand cutting or for
cutting by means of the fixed tool as shown-For hand cutting I dispense with the
frame K bracket M and its attachments and use only the tables A A-When I wish
to bisect plates I employ the table A shown in figure 1 I first lift the flap B and lay
the sheet of glass upon the table between the nuts F and against the stop (I then
turn the handle G which by means of the screw E runs the nuts along until they
grip the glass in the exact centre as described above: I then lay the flap B down
and draw the tool along its edge b then by pressing the projections ee upon B and D
upon the glass it is snapped owing to the inequality of the surface of A and the
operation is completed-The only difference in the operation when I wish to cut

page_text: plates to certain sizes instead of bisecting them is that I employ table A¹ shown in
figure 2 and lay the sheet of glass on A against the stop C and guide or fence H
adjusted to any desired position as above described instead of regulating it with the
nuts F When I cut by means of the machine tool I adjust the sheets of glass
on A or A¹ as shown in figures 1 or 2 and having adjusted the diamond tool I push
the table along the guides L and the glass is cut as the table is pushed.
In this case the operation is as follows as soon as A or A¹ is started the glass comes
in contact with the wheel T which lifts Q into position for cutting and travels along
the guide during the cut when the cut is completed T runs up the incline d¹ shown
on the smaller flap D and the spring V shoots it over so that as A is pulled back
T runs along on the top of B carrying Q clear of the glass altogether as it nears the
end of its backward stroke it comes in contact with the inclined guide 6' which presses
it back and allows it to fall on to the surface of the table and so leaves it in position
for the next cut.
By means of the tables A or A¹ I am able to cut to size or bisect plates by hand
with much greater economy and exactitude than by the usual method and when the
complete machine is used I can dispense with skilled labour the work being carried on
safely and effectively in the dull light required when the machine is used for cutting
photographic plates which are sensitive to light.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The tables A A' in combination with the flaps B D substantially as shown and
described.
2. The tables A A¹ in combination with the flaps B D and the nuts F on the screws E
substantially as shown and described.
3. The tables A A¹ in combination with the flaps B D and the adjustable fence H
substantially as shown and described.
4. The complete tables A A¹ in combination with the frame K standard M and
rocking levers O and R substantially as shown and described.
5. In a glass plate cutting machine the use of the adjustable diamond tool holder
substantially as shown and set forth.
Dated this 28th day of May 1887.