IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and Com-
pany, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Edward Wakefield Blackhall, of Toronto, in.
the Dominion of Canada. Manufacturer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February 1879.
"
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Edward
Wakefield Blackhall, of Toronto, in the Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer.
The Invention has relation to improvements in that class of perforating machines
in which the cutters rotate, and it consists,-First. In the combination with one of
the cutter shafts of a universal joint for the purpose of enabling the cutter attached
thereto to be lifted out of and returned into operative connection, and to be driven
by gear wheels continuously in one direction without alteration of their relative
positions. Secondly. In the general construction and arrangement of various
parts of the machine embracing the feeding in, cutting, and conveying appliances,
together with devices operating as stops, and an intermittent lifting mechanism
common to certain of the parts, whereby the machine is adapted for the production
of "stop" and many varieties of work. Thirdly. In a construction of the con-
veyor rolls by which the roughness of the perforations is flattened down and the
neatness of the work produced thus materially enhanced. An upper and lower
cutter shaft are employed, the rotary motion being communicated to the lower
shaft by gear wheels which always remain in working connection. Motion is
transmitted to the upper cutter shaft by gear wheels from the lower shaft, which
wheels being of exactly the same size and pitch necessarily produce a uniformity
of motion in each shaft. The upper cutters are provided with a series of equally
spaced cylindrical punches around their periphery, which punches are arranged
to correspond with and slightly enter round perforations cut in the shell face of the
lower cutters. The contact of the punches when the paper is passed between the

page_text: cutters, it will be readily understood, produces a series of perforations corresponding
in size and pitch to the punches and holes of the cutters. In order that com-
mercial stop work may be produced by the cutters, the upper shaft is provided with
a universal joint at a suitable point beyond the cutters and between the cutters and the
driving gear, which point,.as.is.well.understood in mechanics, will-permit the shaft to
work out of a straight line and still preserve a uniform motion throughout its length.
In connection with the upper cutter shaft and feeding in rolls, suitable intermittent
lifting mechanism.is employed-to-separate-the cutters when required and regulate
-the-feed-in-of-the-paper. In connection-with the feeding in rolls suitable stop
-bars-are-employed-to-retain the paper in position and to regulate the feed forward.
The conveyor rolls which extract and carry forward the paper after the per-
foration is accomplished, are provided with upwardly projecting collars which press
down any roughness of paper along the line or lines of perforation. All the
operating parts of machine are made adjustable and variable, in order that every
description of perforated work known to the trade may be turned out rapidly and
with perfectness.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
July 1879.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Edward
Wakefield Blackhall, of Toronto, in the Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer.
This Invention has relation to improvements in that class of perforating machines
in which the cutters rotate, and it consists,-First. In the combination with one
of the cutter shafts of a universal joint for the purpose of enabling the cutters
attached thereto to be lifted out of and returned into operative connection, and to
be driven by gear wheels continuously in one direction without alteration of their
relative positions. Secondly. In the general construction and arrangement of
various parts of the machine embracing the feeding in, cutting, and conveying
appliances, together with devices operating as stops, and an intermittent lifting
mechanism common to certain of the parts, whereby the machine is adapted for
the production of many varieties of work as hereinafter more particularly described.
And Thirdly. In a construction of the conveyor rolls by which the roughness of
the perforations is flattened down and the neatness of the work produced thus
materially enhanced.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a side view
of a machine embodying my improvements, the latter view being on an enlarged
scale; Figures 3 and 4 are sectional details; Figure 5 is a view of a portion of the
conveyor rolls.
The
A is the frame of machine; B, the lower cutter shaft; and B', the upper cutter
shaft. To the lower shaft B are attached pulleys B2 for driving by power; or
instead of the pulleys a suitable crank-wheel may be applied for foot power.
rotary motion communicated to the lower shaft is transmitted directly to the upper
shaft by the toothed wheels c, c, which always remain in gear and being of exactly
the same size and the teeth cut and fitted carefully, necessarily rotate the shafts
with a precise and equal motion. The several bearings of the upper shaft are
placed in connection with springs and adjustment screws b, b, b, in order that the
shaft and attached cutters may be held down to the work of cutting with the
necessary firinness, but not with rigidity.
D are the upper cutters and D¹ the lower cutters. The upper cutters are pro-
vided with a series of cylindrical punches D2 placed equidistant around the whole
periphery of the block. The lower cutters are provided with a shell-face, divided
and cut by round holes D³ to correspond with the upper cutter. The contact of
the two cutters when the paper is passed between them will, it can be readily
understood, produce a series of perforations in the paper corresponding in size and
pitch to the punches and holes of the cutters. So far it is seen the cutters will
produce a continuous series of perforations; but the machine would be very im-
perfect if its usefulness ended here, as the requirements of trade demand a variety
of work, notably stop work, as for blank cheque, voucher, and other books. To
this end the upper shaft B¹ is provided with a universal joint E at a suitable point
beyond the cutters and between the cutters and the driving gear, which joint, as
is well understood in mechanics, will permit the shaft to work out of a straight
liue and still preserve a uniform motion throughout its length. In connection with
the upper shaft with universal joint, revolving wheels F, having detachable wipers
F', are used, one on each end of the shaft for the purpose of lifting said shaft and
detachments at stated intervals, in order that the cutters may stop cutting, but not
stop continuously revolving. The lift to the upper shaft is communicated from the
wiper-wheels by a pivoting lifting-bar G, which bars are also arranged to engage
with the projecting ends of the upper feeding-in roller H, lifting it simultaneously

page_text: with the cutters, and thus stopping the forward feed of the paper. Immediately in
front of the feeding-in roller is placed a bar or bars I, the ends of which are suitably
connected by intermediate mechanism to the lifting bar G, and has communicated
to it an equivalent lift upward. By this bar are operated a series of finger bars I¹,
which bars are bent upwardly at the end to form stops, which, when the cutters
are operating, are depressed below the level of the running paper by springs, but
which, when the-cutters-and feeding-in roll are lifted, are elevated by the bar I to
form-a-stop-against-which-the_edge_of_the_paper is placed prior to the lowering of
the-feed-roll,&c.,-for-the-purpose of executing the perforated work to gauge. The
lifting connection-between-the bar-I-and-the-finger-bars permits the latter to be
moved to or from the cutters, for the purpose of varying the position of the perfora-
tions in the paper.
In operation, each time the feeding-in roller is lifted, the operator pushes the
sheets of paper through and between the rolls against the upwardly-bent ends of
the finger-bars. So soon as the upper roll is lowered, the paper is caught and fed
forward between the cutters which perforate, until the upper cutters are again
lifted. Should this be done, as in stop-work, the paper is carried through and out
of the machine by the set of conveyor rolls K, K, which do not lift, and may be
further carried by means of conveyors ke, and the roller K', and deposited in
hoppers.
It will be observed, as a point of great advantage in my machine, that the feeding
for gauge work can be done with the greatest accuracy, and that it is not necessary
for the operator to see his sheets or the stop, but simply to feed in until he feels the
edge of his paper square against the stops. By means of the finger-bars, the position
of the perforations in stop-work is fixed, but the length of the perforated work is
varied by the length of the wipers on the wheels F.
Paper, after perforation, is slightly roughened on the under side along the line of
perforation, causing the sheets when laid one over the other in piles to be uneven.
To obviate this difficulty, cutters K² are placed on the rolls K opposite the cutters,
having convex faces, the crests of which are adjusted to flatten down the roughness
caused by perforation. This construction is shewn in Figure 5.
L is an adjustable laterally sliding board placed on the feeding table for the
purpose of gauging the position of the lines of perforations. M. are cutter-guards
supported on a rod or bar M' in such manner that they, with the cutters, may be
adjusted as desired for different widths of perforation. The ends of these guards
curve downwardly, and are slitted to engage with the punches D² for the purpose of
preventing the paper after perforation adhering to the cutters, and also for the
purpose of guiding the paper to the next set of rolls.
The operation of the cutters employed in that class of machine to which this
Invention belongs is to cut out the holes with a clear shearing cut, as contradistin-
guished from the action of other machines in use, wherein punches are used to make
the perforations. In the latter operation, the connecting bars of paper between the
-holes-are-not-left.as.perfect as in the use of my machine, the strength of the sheet
being in consequence impaired.
In the setting up of my machine, the cutters are made adjustable on the driving-
shafts, and as many may be used as desired, and their position changed as often as
required. The punches do not pass into the punch-holes of the lower cutter, but
simply into the mouth sufficiently to ensure that the cutting edges come together
with a shearing action, cutting the paper clean, and puncturing a perfectly round
hole without damaging the intervening bars between the perforations. From the
fact of the cutters shearing out a clean hole, the sheets do not stick together after
perforation as is usually the case in perforated work. The punches may be
sharpened by slightly tapping them on the face with a hammer.
I do not limit myself to the mechanism shewn for lifting the feeding-in roll,
cutters, &c., as I am aware of modifications which can be used instead of the
devices shewn,

page_text: I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-
1. In a paper perforating machine a universal joint introduced into one of the
cutter shafts and combined therewith, for the purpose of enabling the cutters
attached thereto to be lifted out of and to be returned into working connection,
and to be driven by gear-wheels continuously in one direction without altering
their relative position, substantially as shewn and described.
2. The feeding-in rolls H, rotary cutters D, D¹, and finger bars I', the latter, the
upper roll and the upper cutter, being provided with a common intermittent
adjustable lifting mechanism arranged and operating substantially as described.
3. The combination with the feeding-in rolls, the cutters and the finger bars of
the cutter guards M and conveying-rolls K, arranged and operating substantially as
described.
4. The wiper-wheels F with detachable wipers F' and lifting bar G, or their
equivalents, in combination with the feeding-in roller H and driving shaft B¹, pro-
vided with an universal joint, substantially as shewn and described.
5. The conveyor-rolls K provided with collars K¹³ having a convex face and
arranged for the purpose of flattening down the roughness of the perforations,
substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, A.D. 1879.