A Self Feeding Machine for Cutting Samples or Patterns of Woollen, Cotton, or other Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 3rd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan. 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Self Feeding Machine for Cutting Samples or Patterns of
Woollen, Cotton, or other Fabrics.
THOMAS STEADMAN SYKES 2 Church Street Liverpool England Draper and Silk
Mercer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Machine, or cutting Press consists of a Screw working downwards through a
frame. The lower end of the Screw is attached to a block, on the underside of which
block steel blades or knives are fixed, the position of the blades in the block may be
altered at pleasure so as to regulate the length of the Patterns to be cut.
It also has a sliding tray upon which the material to be cut into patterns, being
placed, may be brought by the sliding of the tray into the right position to receive
the downward pressure of the blades or knives. This sliding tray is moved forward
by a Spring, but its movement can be regulated by Bolts, shooting into Holes or
grooves in the sides of the Tray, the distance between the Holes governing the width
of the patterns.
Each upward journey or movement of the Screw draws the Bolts out of the Holes
and when the Screw reaches a certain height its influence over the bolts ceases and
they (the Bolts) are forced by the action of a Spring into the next Holes or Grooves
in the sides of the Tray, which is thus held in the right position to receive the next
descent of the Knives or Blades.
Dated this 14th day of March 1887
THOMAS STEADMAN SYKES,
2, Church Street, Liverpool, England,
Draper and Silk Mercer.

page_text: Figure 4 plan.
Figure 5 sectional longitudinal elevation.
a
In
In these A is a screw worked by handles a ; B frame carrying said screw in a nut
bearing C, D a bracket fixed on end of screw A, in such manner that the two will rise
and fall together, but A can rotate freely in a smooth bearing in D. E. knife
preferably formed with a series of cutters with their dove-tail tops slid into dove-tail
grooves in D, and the whole is secured in place by screws e. This is a very good and
firm way of fastening the knife to the headstock, but I do not absolutely confine
myself to this plan, as there are numerous other well known means of fastening
tool into a handle or headstock, almost any of which can be adopted. F. is a table of
wood or other material, lined preferably on top with linoleum, rubber, or other soft
material, having longitudinal and transverse grooves to suit the knives and feed.
G, stationary frame on which table F rests and travels with a sliding motion.
large machines, runners or rollers can take off the friction. H, a volute band or
scroll spring attached to the stationary frame and the end fixed to the table and so
formed or adjusted as to require a strain to pull it out or draw it in, as the case may
be, so that if the table be pulled out to its utmost tether, and left free, the spring will
pull it back to the other end of its tether, unless stopped by extraneous means.
I, a
rack attached to the side of the table, with teeth the same length as the width of the
pieces to be cut, and spaced so that the knife will register with the cuts in the linoleum
cover in the table. This rack can be reversible or interchangeable and made with two
or more rows of different sized teeth, any one of which can be used, according to the
size of sample pieces to be cut. J, a pawl piece fitting into the teeth of the rack and
propelled against it by spring K. L, a tappet pivoted on centre M, attached to the
cross-head D, and sliding up and down with it through slot N in the frame, and held
in place by guide P. The vertical movement of the tappet L offects the horizontal
movement of the pawl J through the agency of the bell crank lever U, pivotted to
the frame work B. The crosshead D and with it the tappet L, being raised at a

page_text: comparatively quick speed, said tappet soon passes the end of lever U, and allows
spring K to push pawl J into its original position before more than one tooth on rack I
has passed. A cover plate not shown in the drawing is in practice placed over these
parts, and secured by bolts or screws R figure 1. The machine is fixed to a suitable
table by bolts through holes or by clamps or other similar ineans. T is a clamp frame
attached to the table by set screws t.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The knife and the cuts in the linoleum cover are so adjusted that they rogister at
each stroke of the screw as hereafter set forth. A piece of cloth is placed on the
table, and clamped in place by frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1st. A sample cutting machino in which the table is propelled forward by a spring
or its equivalent and is provided with a rack or its equivalent, having its teeth or
holes the width of the desired samples apart centre to centre, and a pawl device or
equivalent feed that shall allow the table to travel forward a sample width at each
rise of the knife, and shall stop it at the next tooth or hole, and hold it there till
the knife has made its cut and again risen above the cloth.
2nd. The hand screw having a crosshead with knife attached thereto, in combi-
nation with a feed motion actuated by the rise and fall of the hand screw substantially
as described.
3rd. In machines of the character described, the combination of a table with a
scroll spring, substantially as described.
4th. The feed mechanism substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1887.
THOMAS S. SYKES.
Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.