Improvements in and relating to Medical Plasters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Medical Plasters.
I, STEPHEN WALLEY PEDLEY of 17 Railway Approach, London Bridge,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
My invention relates to improvements in and relating to medical plasters, and
the object of my invention is to enable a requisite portion of a sheet of plaster
having a backing of suitable material to be readily detached for use without cutting
said portion off as heretofore. My invention is most applicable to court plasters
of which only small portions are required at a time, and my invention consists in
perforating or slitting said plasters with a suitable backing in the.. manner and by
the means hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention I construct a frame of any desired shape and
material which frame is provided at a convenient position with a suitable table, and
is adapted, by means of a pair of opposite standards, to support two suitable
horizontally arranged shafts, one of which is above and the other below the said
table.
At a suitable part of each of said two shafts I mount a circular cutter or
cutters both of which cutters project through a suitable aperture with which the
table is provided, and are so arranged that their relative inner faces are in contact
with one another, the arrangement being similar to that of ordinary circular shears.
Said cutters are formed with any desired series of recesses of suitable dimensions
so that the cutting edges are intermittent and both the shafts are geared together
so as to obtain relatively regular motion, and one of said shafts projects a suitable
distance beyond the frame so that a crank handle or pulley may be attached for
the purpose of rotating the cutters.
At a convenient part of the table I fix a sliding carriage which is provided with
suitable clamps for the purpose of securing a sheet of plaster thereon, the backing
of said plaster being preferably of such a nature that it readily tears without
fraying, the whole being so arranged that on the plaster being passed between the
revolving cutters a row of slits or perforations will be cut therein. Said sliding
carriage is also adapted to permit a series of such rows of perforations or slits
being cut in the plaster, the distance between each of such rows being regulated
by suitable means.
Instead of the circular cutters above described I may employ a number of
straight cutters which are fixed to a common holder which is adapted to receive
any desired vertical movement between a pair of guides, the whole being so
arranged that on said cutters being brought down on a sheet of the plaster a
series of slits or perforations will be cut therein, and for the purpose of regulating
said slits or perforations in the plaster I employ a similar sliding carriage to that
above described.
As another alternative I employ a steel toothed wheel having any desired
number of teeth which are brought at their outer edges to a cutting edge.
Said toothed wheel is fixed on a suitable shaft which is supported in bearings
which are movably fixed to a pair of opposite standards. Between said standards,
and supported by the frame of the machine, is a sliding table which is formed
at about its centre with a sunk or female rack with which said "steel toothed
wheel gears. To the under side of said sliding table I fix an ordinary rack
with which a pinion gears, said pinion being fixed to the inner end of a suitably
mounted crank handle for the purpose of imparting motion to the machine.

page_text: Said sliding table is also provided with means for holding the plaster and also
for regulating the series of slits or perforations cut therein the whole being so
arranged that on the crank handle being turned the table will receive motion, said
motion being also imparted to the toothed cutting wheel by reason of its gearing
with the sunk rack in said table, and on a sheet of the plaster being passed
between said cutting wheel and the table, a series of perforations or slits will be
cut therein.
It will readily be understood that the dimensions of the perforations or slits
depend upon the length of the series of cutting edges around the circular cutters
or upon the width of the cutters which are fixed to the common holder and the
uncut portions of the plaster will be equal to the width of the recesses which are
formed on the peripheries of the cutters or to the distance between the straight
cutters fixed to the holder, and also, that said cut and uncut portions may respec-
tively be of any desired length and may be made in any desired direction across
the plaster, and I prefer to perforate or slit said plaster into small squares so that
any convenient size may be readily detached.
Instead of perforating or slitting the plaster the backing may be perforated or
slit in the manner described before the adhesive matter is applied.
Dated this 13th day of February 1894.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
WHS
CORTallasters.
1, STEPHEN WALLEY PEDLEY, of 17 Railway Approach, London Bridge,
London, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in and relating to medical plasters, and the
object of my invention is to enable a requisite portion of a sheet of plaster having
a backing of suitable material to be readily detached for use without cutting said
portion off as heretofore.
My invention is most applicable to court plasters of which only small portions
are used at a time, and my invention consists in perforating or slitting said plasters
having a suitable backing, in the manner and by means substantially as hereinafter
described, so that a small portion of a sheet of plaster may be readily torn off.
In order that my invention may be readily understood, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings wherein similar letters indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several figures and in which-
Figure 1, represents a machine in side elevation which I preferably employ in
carrying out my invention.
Figure 2, represents a front elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3, represents a piece of court plaster perforated.
In carrying out my invention I support a table A by means of standards or the
like B, and at each side of said table and opposite to one another, I fix a pair of
top and bottom bearings C, C1, by means of which bearings, two suitable shafts D D'
are supported. Upon each of said shafts DD' I mount a series of circular
cutters EE which cutters are arranged so that the cutting edge of each of the
cutters E dips beyond the cutting edge of each corresponding cutter E' (the table A
being formed for this purpose with a corresponding series of slots to enable the
cutters to pass through it) each relative pair of said cutters E E' being in contact
on their inner or flat faces, the arrangement being similar to ordinary circular shears.
Each of the cutters EE is formed on its periphery with a series of grooves,

page_text: recesses or the like.e so that the cutting edge of each cutter is intermittent as
at G, and the shafts D D' are geared together by gear wheels F F', the arrange-
ment being such that the two series of cutters E E will be revolved together and
also that their intermittent cutting edges G and recesses e will move relatively
together. By this means a sheet of court or other medical plaster on being passed
between the revolving cutters E E' will have a series of slits, or cuts made therein
in the direction of its line of travel, and for the purpose of making the slits as
shown in Figure 3, the plaster, after having been passed between the cutters in one
direction is then turned so that, when it is again passed through, the slits being cut
will be at right angles to the slits first cut.
I prefer to construct the machine of such a width that a roll of plaster, as
manufactured, may be passed through the machine to be cut, said plaster being
guided by means of guides H, and after said roll of plaster has been passed through
as described, I cut it by any suitable means into pieces which will allow of each
such piece being passed in a direction, at right angles to the slits already made
therein.
I wish it to be understood that any desired number of cutters E E¹ may be
employed and they may be of any desired diameter and their distances apart may
be either greater or less than shown in the accompanying drawing. Further, said
cutters may be fixed to their shafts by any suitable means and motion may be
imparted to the whole by means of a pulley J, if power be employed in driving
the machine, or a crank handle or equivalent, may be fixed to either of the shafts
if said machine be driven manually. Also the dimensions of the cutting edges G
and the recesses e may be either greater or less so that the slits may be either
longer or shorter, further apart or closer together than is shown in Figure 3.
Instead of employing a machine having circular cutters as described above, I
may provide a number of straight cutters of suitable dimensions, which cutters are
fixed to a common holder, said holder being adapted to receive any desired vertical
movement between suitable guides, the whole being so arranged that on said cutters
being brought down on a sheet of plaster, a series of slits or perforations will be
cut therein.
I wish it also to be understood that although I prefer to use a machine as firstly
herein described and shown, I do not confine my invention to a machine constructed
exactly in accordance with such description, as many alternatives may be devised
for attaining a similar result. The slits or perforations may also be made in any
desired direction across the plaster, and I prefer to perforate or slit said plaster
into small squares so that any convenient size may be readily detached, but for the
purpose of enabling circular or other shaped portions of a sheet of plaster being
detached or torn off, I may arrange the cutters which are fixed to the common
holder above referred to, in such a manner that the perforations or slits cut or made
thereby, will be in the desired directions.
Instead of perforating or slitting the plaster as described, the backing may be
first perforated or slit and the adhesive matter afterwards applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Medical plasters formed or provided with a series of perforations or slits so
as to enable a portion of a sheet of said plaster being readily detached or torn off
for the purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
2. A medical plaster perforating machine having a series of cutters E E' formed
or provided with intermittent cutting edges, said cutters being constructed,
arranged and operating for the purpose and substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. A medical plaster perforating machine having a series of cutters E E¹ formed
or provided with intermittent cutting edges, guides H, table A formed or provided

page_text: with suitable apertures, bearings C C¹ and shafts D D₁ all constructed, arranged
and operated for the purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
4. A medical plaster perforating machine having a number of straight cutters
fixed to a common holder which is adapted to receive any desired vertical movement
between suitable guides for the purposes and substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of August 1894.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.