IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AR Å DRAPARES FOR CUTTING SPLINTS FOR MAKING MATCHES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Allen, of Hill Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Splint Cutter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AR Å DRAPARES FOR CUTTING SPLINTS FOR MAKING MATCHES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Allen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1866.
J, THOMAS ALLEN, of Hill Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Splint Cutter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SPLINTS FOR MAKING
MATCHES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in cutting splints consist in mounting on a shaft in a
suitable frame a circular plate in which a series of apertures are formed for
The plate has a number
these knives are kept in
the splints to pass through after they have been cut.
of knives or cutters corresponding to the apertures;
place by screws or other fastenings and end plates. At intervals on the same.
plate I place a series of lances or cutters to act vertically on the wood, which
are connected to a box or frame, and so attached to the plate that they are
free to adjust themselves to the motion of the plate. Above the plate just
mentioned 1 place another plate; this plate is fixed to the frame and is fur-
nished with holes, through which the wood is passed to supply the cutters.

page_text: Ribs are attached to the upper plate which serve as guides to the lance boxes.
The wood is kept up to the cutters by a lever and weights, or by other suitable
means; the plates may be connected to the frame either in a vertical or
horizontal position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ALLEN, of Hill Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Splint Cutter,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our.
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Allen, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas.
Allen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Allen, 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, exercise, 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 OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SPLINTS FOR MAKING MATCHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Allen, my exe-
cutors 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 Thomas Allen, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is
to say -
My Invention consists in constructing machinery or apparatus for cutting
splints, as hereafter described. I mount on a shaft in a suitable frame a

page_text: circular plate in which a series of apertures are formed for the splints to pass
through after they have been cut. The plate has a number of knives or
cutters corresponding to the apertures; these knives are kept in place by
screws or otherwise. At intervals on the same plate I place a series of lances
or cutters to act vertically on the wood, which are connected to a box or
frame, and so attached to the plate that they are free to adjust themselves to
the motion given by ribs on the plate about to be described. Above the plate
just mentioned I place another plate; this plate is fixed to the frame and is
furnished with boles, through which the wood is passed to supply the cutters.
Ribs are attached to the upper plate, which serve as guides to the lance boxes.
The wood is kept up to the cutters by weights or by other suitable means.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of the lower plate which
carries the knives and the lances or cutters; Figure 2 is a view of the under
side of the same plate, showing the apertures through which the splints fall
after they have been cut.
A is the plate mounted on the shaft B in a suitable frame; C, C, C, are the
apertures in the plate, which is inclined on its under surface, as shewn, behind
cach aperture to facilitate the passage of the splints; D, D, D, are three
knives or cutters placed respectively over the three apertures C, C, C; these
knives are kept in place by screws E; G, G, G, are three sets of lances or
cutters which act vertically upon the wood; each set is connected to a box or
frame H, which is furnished with friction rollers M. and so attached to the
plate A as to be free to adjust itself to the motion given by ribs hereafter
described on the under side of the upper plate. Figure 3 is a plan of the
under side, and Figure 4 a plan of the upper side of the upper plate I; this
plate is fixed to uprights on a bed plate forming a portion of the frame;
holes K, K, are formed in this plate, through which the wood to be operated
on is supplied. The wood is guided to the holes by boxes F. Above the boxes
slotted bars are fixed, which allow the weights J to descend as the wood is
reduced by the action of the knives. L, L, are ribs to serve as guides to the
lance boxes H; these ribs are carved or circular, except where they pass the
holes K, K, at which parts they are straight, so as to cause the lances to act
the wood in a straight direction.
upon
The action is as follows:-A piece or pieces of wood being fed into each of
the four holes K in the upper plate I and the weights J applied, the lower
plate A is caused to rotate. As each set of lances G comes against a piece
of wood, each lance passes through the wood cutting it vertically for about
say th of an inch, or a distance equal to the thickness of a splint, the lances
being themselves about the same distance of 12th of an inch apart; then the

page_text: knife D next behind this set of lances cuts horizontally through the wood just
acted on by the lances, thereby separating, a portion in the form of splints,
which pass through the aperture C and fall into a receptacle placed to
receive them. This operation takes place as each set of lances and each
succeeding knife acts upon each piece of wood, and as the splints are cut off
the wood is pressed down by the weights into position for being acted upon by
the next following set of lances. Although I have described the plates A
and I as placed horizontally, yet they may if preferred be placed vertically or
inclined. Any convenient number of knives and lances and apertures for
feeding the wood may be employed.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my " Improve-
ments in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting Splints for Making Matches,"
First, constructing such machinery or apparatus with knives and sets of
lances so arranged that the wood is first acted upon by a set of lances, and
then by a knife at right angles to the lances, so as to sever splints from the
wood; the machinery or apparatus having a circular motion to bring the
knives and lances in contact with the wood, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second, fitting or connecting the lances to an adjustable box or frame,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the combination of parts of machinery or apparatus arranged and
acting substantially as herein-before described with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Allen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of. February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THU. ALLEN.
(L.S.)