IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS • FOR "CUTTING, "REDUCING, OR DIVIDING VEGETABLE, ANIMAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wedderspoon Keiller, of Dundee and Perth, North
Britain, Confectioner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
•
FOR "CUTTING, "REDUCING, OR DIVIDING VEGETABLE, ANIMAL, AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES."
.:
Jnd the 20th Sontomber, 1858 and dated the 27th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wedderspoon Keiller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Pétition, on the
27th April 1858.
I, WEDDERSPOON KEILLER, of Dundee and Perth, North Britain, Con-
fectioner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, REDUCING, OR DIVIDING VEGETABLE, ANIMAL
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows, that is to say:-.
"to
11..
This invention relates to certain mechanical arrangements whereby the
operations of cutting, sliceing, or reducing substances into pieces or strips of
uniform length and breadth is effected very expeditiously and in a much
better manner than can be accomplished by hand. Under one arrangement
which is suitable for cutting vegetable materials inco narrow pieces of uniform
length;the apparatus consists of a pair of steel rollers made with deep grooves
or indentations. These rollers are arranged one above the other, the annular
projections of one roller being opposite to the grooves or indentations of the
1
Pris &dal

page_text: other. In this manner the sharp angular edges of the annular projections
divide the material as it is passed between them in a manner similar to the
cutting action of a pair of scissors. The rollers have fast to each of their
spindles a toothed wheel, one of which is put in motion by means of a handle
secured to the end of the spindle. The material to be cut is prevented from
lodging in the interstices of the cutting wheels by serrated pieces of metal,
the teeth of which are directed towards the grooves of the wheels. It is
preferred to have two of these comb-like clearers, one for the upper roller
and one for the lower one, and they are fixed across the apparatus just above
and below the line where the cutting action takes place. Thesevered material
is carried away from the cutting rollers by a pair of plain rollers which are
arranged parallel to the first pair. These rollers are driven by an inter-
mediate wheel which is in gear with one of the toothed wheels on the cutting
rollers; the plain surfaces of these rollers press upon and grip the severed
material, carrying away from the cutting rollers and out of the machine as
fast as it is divided. If the material or substance is required to be cut trans-
versely, a cutter is fixed longitudinally in one of the drawing rollers. As the
roller rotates, this cutter divides the substance into pieces of corresponding
length. This cutting and reducing apparatus is enclosed in a suitable casing
adapted to the particular purpose to which it is to be applied. The apparatus
is well suited for confectioners' use in dividing cinnamon and other substances,
also for dividing paper, parchment, leather, and other substances either
longitudinally or transversely, and for cutting railway tickets, also sliceing and
reducing drugs, and for other analogans operations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Wedderspoon Keiller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WEDDAR-
SPOON KEILLER, of Dundee and Perth, North Britain, Confectioner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord Onethousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Wedderspoon Keiller, Her special license that I, the said Wedder-
spoon Keiller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I,the said Wedderspoon Keiller, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING, REDUCING, OR DIVIDING VEGETABLE,
ANIMAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES." upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Wedderspoon Keiller, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Wedderspoon Keiller, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Mysaid Invention'relates to certain mechanical arrangements whereby the
operations of cutting, sliceing, or reducing substances into pieces or strips of
uniform length and breadth are effected very expeditiously and in a much
better manner than can be accomplished by hand. Under one arrangement
which is suitable for cutting vegetable materials into narrow pieces of uniform
length, the apparatus consists of a pair of steel rollers made with deep grooves
or indentations. These rollers are arranged one above the other, the annular
projections of one roller being opposite to the grooves or indentations of the
other. In this manner the sharp angular edges of the annular projections
divide the material as it is passed between them in a manner similar to the
cutting action of a pair of scissors. The rollers have fast to each of their
spindles a toothed wheel, one of which is put in motion by means of a handle
secured to the end of the spindle. The material to be cut is prevented from
lodging in the interstices of the cutting wheels by serrated pieces of metal,
the teeth of which are directed towards the grooves of the wheels. It is
preferred to have two of these comb-like clearers, one for the upper roller
and one for the lower one, and they are fixed across the apparatus just above
and below the line where the cutting action takes place. The severed mate-
rial is carried away from the cutting rollers by a pair of plain rollers, which
are arranged parallel to the first pair. These rollers are driven by an inter-
mediate wheel,which is in gear with one of the toothed wheels on the cutting
rollers; the plain surfaces of these rollers press upon and grip the severed

page_text: material,carrying it away from the cutting rollers and out of the machine as
fast as it is divided. If the material or substance is required to be cut trans-
versely, a cutter is fixed longitudinally in one of the drawing rollers. As the
roller rotates, this cutter divides the substance into pieces of corresponding
length. This cutting and reducing apparatus is enclosed in a suitable casing
adapted to the particular purpose to which it is to be applied. The apparatus
is well suited for confectioners' use in dividing cinnamon and other substances,
also for dividing paper, parchment, leather, and other substances,either longi-
tudinally or transversely, and for cutting railway tickets, also sliceing and
reducing drugs, and for other analogous operations.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain
modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried outin
practice.
Figure 1 on my Drawing is a perspective view of one modification of my
improved cutting machine as adapted for dividing vegetable substances into
narrow strips or pieces of a uniform leugth; Figure 2 is a front view of the
machine; Figures 3 and 4 are detail views showing the arrangement for
preventing the material under operation from adhering to or being carried
round with the cutting rollers; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the
machine taken at right angles to Figure 2 of my Drawing. The framing of
the machine consists of a rectangular base and two parallel end standards;
these parts are marked A in the several Figures. Both the base and the
standards are by preference made of cast iron, but other materials may be
used for the purpose. The substance to be cut is divided longitudinally by
means of a pair of serrated rollers B, which are formed under one modi.
fication by keying or otherwise securing a number of steel rings or washers
to the plain cylindrical portion of the rollers. These rings are arranged
parallel to each other, and at a short distance asunder, the combination of the
rings and the rollers forming a series of indentations, as shown in Figure 2 on
my Drawing. The two rollers B are arranged horizontally one above the
other, the projecting rings of the upper roller being made to fit or slightly
enter the spaces between the rings of the lower roller,and vice versa. Parallel
with the two rollers B are fitted two other rollers C, these latter being
arranged for the purpose of dividing the material under operation into pieces
of equal length. The transverse cutting rollers C are made of brass or other
suitable metal or material, and the upper one has three or other number of
longitudinal grooves made therein, in each of which is fixed a wedge-shaped

page_text: cutting blade that projects a short distance beyond the periphery of the
roller in which it is secured. The upper roller C is so arranged above the
lower one that the edges of the cutters just touch its periphery, so that while
the substance is completely severed the edges of the cutters are not injured
by coming in contact with the lower or delivering roller. To prevent the
substance that is under operation from adhering to and being carried round
with the rollers B, two serrated plates D are arranged between the rollers B
and C. One of these serrated or comb-like plates is shown detached from
the machine in Figure 4 of my Drawing. The projecting teeth of each of
the serrated plates 1) enter the indentations of the cutting rollers B, so as to
be in contact, or very nearly so, with the cylindrical portion or body of each
of the rollers B, as shown in Figure 5 on my Drawing. The backward
portion of the lower comb D is prolonged, so as to extend to or slightly over
the periphery of the lower roller C, this backward portion of the comb serving
to carry the substance fairly on to the roller C and under the cutters of the
upper roller. The several rollers B and C are primarily driven by means of
the crank handle E, which is fast to the spindle of the lower roller B, and is
put in motion by hand. Instead of this arrangement, a fast and loose pulley
may be fitted to the spindle, and the machine be driven by means of an
endless belt that is actuated from a steam engine or other prime mover.
Upon the other extremity of the spindle of the roller B is keyed a spur
pinion F, which is in gear with a similar pinion on the spindle of the upper
roller B. The back pair of rollers C are driven from an intermediate pinion
F¹, which is driven by the pinion F on the spindle of the lower roller B.
The intermediate pinion F'gives motion to a pinion which is arranged parallel
to the lower pinion F; this pinion is fast to the spindle of the lower roller C.
The pinion on the spindle of the lower roller C is in gear with a pinion on
the spindle of the upper roller C, to which it imparts motion. These five
pinions are of corresponding size, so that both pairs of rollers B and C are
driven at the same velocity. When the rollers B are put in motion, the
substance to be divided is put in contact with the serrations of the rollers
and by them is rapidly drawn through, the sharp angular edges of the rings
serving to divide the material into longitudinal strips equal to the width of
the rings and the intervening spaces. As the substance is divided it is pre-
veuted from deviating from the horizontal course by the toothed plates D,
which serve to clear the cutting rollers B of the substance, and to guide it
onwards to the rollers C. The lower roller C carries the substance outwards
and away from the machine, which action is facilitated by the temporary
pressure of the cutters in the upper roller C. As these "cntters are brought

page_text: into a vertical position by the rotatory motion of the roller, the substance is
severed into pieces or lengths corresponding to the distance the cutters are
arranged asunder. Both of the upper rollers B and C are provided with
adjustable screws, by which the distance between the upper and lower rollers
may be regulated according to the nature of the material to be divided. In
like manner the size of the machine and its details may be varied to adapt it
to the substance to be cut, and the particular manner or mode in which it is
desired to be cut or divided.
.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or, main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-.
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for cutting and dividing vegetable and animal substances, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of cutting or dividing vegetable or animal
substances in which the cutting or dividing operation is effected by means of
rollers arranged and constructed in manner similar to the rollers marked B in
the accompanying Drawing, andherein-beforedescribed, oranymere equiva-
lent therefor.
Third, the application and use of toothed plates or combs to machinery or
apparatus for cutting or dividing the said plates or combs, being for the
purpose of clearing the cutting rollers, and preventing the substance under
operation being carried round in the teeth of the rollers, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wedderspoon Keiller, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WEDDERSPOON KEILLER. (L.S.)