IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CONTINUOUS PAPER INTO SHEETS, AND IN PILING OR DISPOSING OF THE SAME WHEN CUT
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Martyn Nicholls at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd January 1874.
I, HENRY MARTYN NICHOLLS, Civil Engineer, of 143, Great Portland
Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CONTINUOUS
PAPER INTO SHEETS, AND IN PILING OR DISPOSING OF THE SAME WHEN CUT," to be
as follows:-
My Invention has reference to the two processes of cutting sheets
from the web of paper and piling the sheets by means of blasts of air,
whether as distinct or as combined processes.
With reference to the process of cutting sheets from the continuous
web of paper, my Invention relates in the first place to mechanism for
cutting when it is combined directly with that for securing the tail of
the sheet, and consists in improvements on the mechanism for this
purpose described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me,
No. 3510,
1863

page_text: In my present improvements the gripper and cutting knife are
arranged and combined so that when the knife rises to cut the gripper
is caused to press the paper against a projecting surface in front of the
fixed blade, while the knife continuing to pass up behind the blade
severs the sheet from the web.
The cutting knife is arranged to pass as closely as practicable to the
back of the fixed blade, but with a clearance on the opposite side of the
knife blade.
The gripper is fitted to the frame which carries the knife in such a
manner as to be slightly above the knife as it rises to cut the paper;
it consequently reaches the under surface of the paper first and presses
it against the before-named fixed surface while the knife is driven
through the paper.
The gripper is fitted to an independent frame capable of sliding on
the frame which carries the knife, and connected thereto by springs
which allow it to yield to the pressure of the said fixed fixed surface
while the knife is allowed to rise above the gripper. Where the point is
reached in its descent when the gripper should deliver the tail of the
sheet it is caused suddenly to resume its former position above the
knife, which facilitates the delivery of the sheet and its piling by the
aid of the air blasts. The rollers next the knife are caused to break
contact before the paper is reached by the small blades which are
brougth down on it to hold it while being cut.
In order to deal more effectually with the paper that accumulates
during the act of cutting, the web is passed through a combination
of rollers acting in unison, and having a suitable supporting surface
for the paper below them. Two of these rollers, when the paper is
stopped in front of them at the place of cutting, cause the paper which
accumulates to rise in a small mound until the cutting being completed
the paper again advances.
My Invention, with reference to the process of cutting relates in
the second place to mechanism which I employ when I disconnect
the cutting and piling processes and carry them on independently.
In this case the cutting knife is fixed to a light reciprocating frame
worked by a crank or other suitable movement, and the paper is pressed
upon and held as required by slips of wood or other suitable material
carried by the said frame, and forced to project beyond the teeth of the

page_text: knife by springs which allow them to yield to pressure, so that the
knife can pass beyond them and through the paper. The knife passes
close to a straight edge in cutting, while clearance is left on the opposite
side of the knife blade, thereby insuring an improved quality of cutting.
The rollers which are thrown out of contact while the paper is cut,
and those employed to deal with the accumulation of paper during the
act of cutting are substantially the same as those described in the
previous arrangement.
My Invention, with reference to the process of cutting relates in the
third place to improvements on mechanism described in my former
Patent, No. 2808 (1866), in which the knife and gripping mechanism
are mounted on a cylinder and caused to revolve with it, and in which
the knife is caused to turn on a centre in passing the pile to deliver
up the tail of the sheet.
My present improvement consists in bringing the said centre on
which the knife turns nearer to the centre of the said cylinder, by
means of which its strength can be increased, and a freer passage is
allowed for the air currents to pass forward while the knife is passing
through them.
With reference to the process of piling the sheets that have been
cut from the web of paper, the main object of my improvements is to
pile the sheets horizontally so as to form a vertical pile with the sheets
laid evenly one over another. For this purpose three combinations are
employed, as herein-after described.
In the first combination the cutting and the securing and lowering
of the tail of the sheet may be carried on in combination or not, as
desired, and the three air blasts, as described in the Specification of
my Patent, No. 3510 (1869) are employed. I pile a limited number
of sheets, say a quire, underneath the glass cover on a table, a portion
of the surface of which is capable of being raised and lowered within
small limits. Between the piling of the last sheet of the quire and
that next succeeding a surface is interposed between the tail of the
quire (which overhangs the back end of the table) and the lowest
of the air blasts. The tail of the next succeeding sheet is blown
against this surface and is held against it by the said blast. Imme-
diately on this the moveable portion of the table is caused to fall
slightly and leave the quire of sheets on a series of endless bands

page_text: which surround the table at intervals, and which are constantly in
motion, moving (on the upper surface of the table) from back to
front; these bands pass the quire forward and it is delivered between
rollers on to an inclined table where the successively delivered quires
accumulate as required, the surface of the table being caused to sink.
either by positive gearing or other suitable means as the quires are
received on it. The lowered surface of the first-named table rises to
its original level as the quire passes off it, and so the process proceeds.
If thought desirable the quires may be made distinguishable from
one another on the second table; as for instance, by giving the surface ]
of the table a slight motion on a centre between the receipt of one
quire and that of the next, first in one direction and then in the
opposite.
In the second combination the cutting of the paper and the securing
of the tail of the sheet are carried on separately, and a heavy pile of 1
sheets can be formed directly underneath the glass cover on a hori-
zontal table, which is caused to sink at the rate at which the paper
accumulates, being wound down by positive gearing, or caused to sink
by other suitable means. Two are blasts only are employed, viz., those
which carry forward the sheet over the pile and afterwards pile it.
I convey the sheet from the point where it is cut from the web
to the pile by corresponding running tapes above and below it; these
tapes travel at a somewhat higher speed than the speed with which
the web of paper is supplied to the apparatus in order that an interval
may be produced between the front of the web and the tail of the sheet.
The machine is so timed as to allow the mechanism employed to lower
the tail of the sheet to descend and ascend without the outcoming sheet
fouling it.
When the cutting and tail-securing mechanism are adapted to act
simultaneously the length of the carrying tapes must somewhat exceed
that of the cut sheet. The tail of the sheet just before it escapes from
the tape rollers is caught by the lower edge of a light frame which
extends across the machine, and is supported in supported vertical guides
at the sides of the machine in which I cause it to reciprocate by a crank
or other suitable movement. The said frame descending on the tail of
the sheet bends it against narrow vertical fixed surfaces which project
slightly at intervals from the mouth of the lower air passage and so
2

page_text: lower it down till it is below the level of the said passage, when the air
blasts instantly flatten it on the pile.
I remove the pile in one mass in order to avoid delay when the
required quantity of sheets is piled, and restore the table to its original
level.
The table may if preferred be carried on wheels, and two tables
employed alternately, the empty one being made to displace the loaded
one. Or I pile the sheets on rollers supported by springs or counter-
poised by weights which allow of their sinking as the sheets accumulate.
When I wish to remove the mass of sheets I receive some of the
uppermost sheets by gripping mechanism, and then draw the pile off
the rollers, which risc successively and support the uppermost sheets
which were prevented from moving away with the mass.
The third combination I employ resembles the second, but two such
tables are used, one above the other, and two corresponding lines of
running tapes of equal length are employed, extending one to the upper
and one to the lower table from the point where the cutting is carried
on to convey the sheets to the tables. At the said points to which the
two lines of tapes converge a moveable mouth or guide piece is suitably
attached through which the paper issues on its way to the pile.
When the required amount of paper has been piled on one of the
tables the attendant, by moving a handle, brings a cam movement
into operation, which acting on the said guide or mouth-piece, sends
the stream of sheets to the other table while the pile is removed from
the first, and the table is restored to its original level ready to receive
a fresh pile of sheets.
It will be obvious that in the foregoing three combinations of the
apparatus, so so long as the tail of the sheet is brought to the required
point in correct time for the gripping mechanism to secure and carry
it down on the pile, either the above described or any other suitable
mechanism may be employed to cut the web into sheets.
Sometimes in place of the arrangement already described for carrying
down the tail of the sheet below the air currents (when the cutting
process is carried on independently) I arrange the gripping mechanism
in two parts, one below the paper and one above it. These consist of
light frames both guided in suitable vertical guides at the sides of the

page_text: apparatus. The lower frame is caused to move up and down by a
crank movement, the upper edge of the frame reaches the under
surface of the tail of the sheet just before it is let go by the tape
rollers and forces it against the lower edge of the upper frame; at the
same time, by means of suitable mechanism, the upper frame is secured
at its two outer extremities and drawn down with the lower frame,
the tail of the sheet being secured between the two frames. On
descending to the required level the lower frame is compelled to let
go the upper frame, which is then raised by the action of springs,
and the tail of the sheet set free as required. In this case the tail of
the pile must bend over the back of the table in order to leave room
for the reciprocating frames to pass.
-
In case of this apparatus being employed to deal with a web of
paper of double width which requires to be divided longitudinally,
the cutting mechanism for effecting this object may be placed just
behind that for the transverse cutting, so that the web is divided in
the middle as it enters the apparatus. The tapes and rollers which
carry forward the paper towards the pile are arranged to suit the double
width of web.
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