IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS USED FOR CUTTING OR SEPARATING WOOLLEN FABRICS OR MATERIALS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Charles Smith, Engineer, of Peckham, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Charles
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th January 1874.
I, FREDERICK CHARLES SMITH, Engineer, of Peckham, in the County
5 of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS USED FOR CUTTING OR SEPARATING WOOLLEN
FABRICS OR MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My improvements are specially applicable to the cutting out or
separating of the seams of woollen rags, clothing, and other material,
such seams being valueless for the purpose of being re-manufactured
into new material, and consist in placing the pieces of cloth on a table
having a slit in or about the centre, and causing them to pass between a
duplex cutter revolving with its lower edges at or about the level of the

page_text: table, and a small roller immediately underneath the top of table and
revolving in the same direction as the cutter. The seam is thus separated
from the cloth on both sides at once with much greater facility and
economy of material than heretofore. The framework is of cast iron,
and consists of a base plate with a standard at each end and a cross bar
connecting them at the top. A horizontal shaft passes through one of
the standards, on which is keyed the roller. Above this shaft is another
one having a pulley fitted on it for driving the cutter. In the centre of
the cross bar is a vertical projecting piece, in which a slide block is
fitted, the lower part of which carries the cutter and a pulley for driving
by means of the pulley on the shaft. The slide block is raised or lowered
by means of a screw formed on it and passing through the cross bar.
This arrangement is for the purpose of keeping the cutter in contact
with the roller. The cutter and roller are driven by a suitable arrange-
ment of wheels and pulleys either by hand or by power. The cutter is
protected by a guard on the front side so as to prevent injury to the
attendant.
•
These improvements are also applicable to the cutting out or separating
of seams from any other description of textile fabrics and to the cutting
or separating of textile fabrics for any required purpose by means of
either a single or a double cutter, the construction of the machine and
the method of operation being substantially as herein described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Charles Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
CHARLES SMITH, Engineer, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our 3
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Charles Smith, Her special

page_text: licence that I, the said Frederick Charles Smith, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Charles
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, cxercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS USED FOR CUTTING OR SEPARATING WOOLLEN
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Charles Smith, 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

page_text: Figure 5 is a plan view of the cutter showing the fork and guard
herein-after mentioned.
By reference to these Drawings it will be seen that my improvements
consist in placing the pieces of cloth on a table A having a slit B
(Figures 3 and 4) in or about the centre, and causing them to pass
between a duplex cutter 0 (Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5) revolving with its
lower edges at or about the level of the table, and a small roller block
immediately underneath the top of table and revolving in the same
direction as the cutter. The seam is thus separated from the cloth on
both sides at once with much greater facility and economy of material
than heretofore. The framework is of cast iron, and consists of a base
plate with a standard at each end and a cross bar connecting them at
the top. A horizontal shaft D passes through one of the standards, on
which is keyed the roller E. Above this shaft is another one F (Figure
2) having a pulley G fitted on it for driving the cutter C. In the centre
of the cross bar is á vertical projecting piece in which the slide block H
is fitted, the lower part of which carries the cutter C and a pulley for
driving by means of the pulley on the shaft. The slide block is raised
or lowered by means of a screw formed on it and passing through the
cross bar. This arrangement is for the purpose of keeping the cutter in
contact with the roller block. The cutter and roller block may be driven
by any suitable arrangement of wheels or pulleys either by hand or by
power or by a treadle motion, as shown in Figure 6. The cutter is pro-
tected by a guard I on the front side so as to prevent injury to the
attendant. The cutter is also provided with a forked piece J for the.
purpose of clearing the cutter. The guard will be seen in Figures 3
and 5.
These improvements are also applicable to the cutting out or separating
of scams from any other description of textile fabrics and to the cutting
or separating of textile fabrics for any required purpose by means of
either a single or a double cutter, the construction of the machine and
the method of operation being substantially as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the manner in which the same is effected, I wish it
to be distinctly understood that what I claim as secured by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the methods of cutting or
separating fabrics for the purposes set forth, all as described and set

page_text: forth in this Specification and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Charles Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.