IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF BOOKS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF NOTE PAPER, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, both of Little
Britain, in the County of Middlesex, Bookbinders, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE
EDGES OF BOOKS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING THE
EDGES OF NOTE PAPER, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES."
Sealed the 9th March 1869, and dated the 16th September 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Orrin and
Thomas Geer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,, with
their Petition, on the 16th September 1868.
We, JOSEPH ORRIN. and THOMAS GEER, both of Little Britain, in the
County of Middlesex, Bookbinders, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD. OF AND APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING THE EDGES OF BOOKS, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
CUTTING THE EDGES OF NOTE PAPER,. AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES," to be as
follows:-
The apparatus is intended chiefly to be used for cutting the edges of
such books wherein the edge of the binding or cover is flush with the

page_text: edge of the leaves, whether such edges are intended to be protected by a
metal rim or otherwise, and by its use we are enabled to cut the three
edges (top, bottom, and front) at one stroke of the knife, and to ensure
their perfect squareness and truth, at the same time that we can cut
quicker (without skilled labor) than an ordinary skilled workman can
according to the usual method. The framing of the machine supports
in vertical slides the cutter frame in which the knife is adjustable by
means to two screws. actuated by a hand wheel and suitable gearing.
The knife (which may be changed at any time to suit the size and form
of book to be cut) is made of a rectangular shape forming three sides of
a parallelogram sharpened at its lower edge and of a sufficient depth to
cut through the required thickness. This knife is fixed below the cutter
frame, and in the interior thereof is a movable "platen
" which is
pressed downwards by two adjustable springs. The table on which the
book to be cut is laid is faced with lead or other suitable substance, and
is provided with two adjustable guides to ensure the proper position of
the book beneath the knife. The cutter frame carrying the rectangular
knife is caused to rise and fall by means of two eccentrics or cams
mounted on a shaft below the table and actuated by a spur pinion on the
driving shaft gearing into an internal spur wheel mounted on one end of
the cam shaft. The driving shaft is provided with a fast and a loose
pulley, and the fork for moving the driving strap from one to the other
is attached to a sliding bar connected to a weighted lever. The work-
man first places the book (or books) on the table against the guides,
then by the lever moves the strap on to the fast pulley, which causes the
knife to descend and cut all three edges at once, the spring "platen "
holding the book firmly whilst being cut. The knife then rises, the
spring platen," at the same time forcing the cut book out of the recess
in the rectangular knife into which it had been forced by the cutting
operation. An inclined piece on the rim of the internal wheel imme-
diately comes against the weighted lever and throws the strap on to the
loose pulley at the same time that a pin on the lower end of the lever
falls into a notch or slot in the face of the wheel and stops the machine.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
ORRIN and THOMAS GEER, both of Little Britain, in the County of
Middlesex, Bookbinders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer,
Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer,
our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF BOOKS, WHICH APPARAtus
IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF NOTE PAPER AND FOR OTHER
SIMILAR USES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Letter Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The apparatus is intended chiefly to be used for cutting the edges of
such books wherein the edge of the binding or cover is flush with the
edge of the leaves, whether such edges are intended to be protected by

page_text: a metal rim or otherwise, and by its use we are enabled to cut the three
edges (top, bottom, and front) at one stroke of the knife and to insure
their perfect squareness and truth at the same time that we can cut
quicker (without skilled labor) than an ordinary skilled workman can
according to the usual method. The framing of the machine supports
in vertical slides the cutter frame in which the knife is adjustable by
means of two screws actuated by a hand wheel and suitable gearing.
The knife (which may be changed at any time to suit the size and form
of book to be cut) is made of a rectangular shape forming three sides of
a parallelogram sharpened at its lower edge and of a sufficient depth to
cut through the required thickness. This knife is fixed below the
cutter frame, and in the interior thereof is a movable "platen" which is
pressed downwards by a lever and weight. The table on which the
book to be cut is laid is faced with wood or other suitable substance,
and is provided with two adjustable guides to ensure the proper position
of the book beneath the knife. The cutter frame carrying the
rectangular knife is caused to rise and fall by means of two excentrics
or cams forged on a shaft below the table and actuated by a spur pinion
on the driving shaft gearing into an internal spur wheel mounted on
one end of the cam shaft. The driving shaft is provided with a fast and
a loose pulley for steam power, and with a fly wheel and handle for
hand power, and the fork for moving the driving strap from one to the
other is attached to a sliding bar connected to a weighted lever. The
workman first places the book (or books) upon the table against the
guides, then by the lever moves the strap on to the fast pulley which
causes the knife to descend and cut all three edges at once, the spring
"platen" holding the book firmly whilst being cut. The knife then
rises, the spring "platen" at the same time forcing the cut book out
of the recess in the rectangular knife into which it had been forced by
the cutting operation. An inclined piece on the rim of the internal
wheel immediately comes against the weighted lever and throws the
strap on to the loose pulley at the same time that a sliding rod with a
wheel at top is forced up by a spring against an inclined wedge on the
sliding bar and stops the machine.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for " Improve-
ments in the Method of and Apparatus for Cutting the Edges of
Books, which Apparatus is also applicable for Cutting the Edges of
Note Paper and for other similar Uses," we will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be

page_text: performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :—
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation
of our improved apparatus for cutting the edges of books, note paper,
and other articles; Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a section
through A, B, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of part of the
apparatus as shown partly in red lines Figure 1, and Figures 5 show
front and side elevations of the excentrics.
a is the framing of the machine which supports in vertical slides b
the cutter frame c in which the knife d is adjustable. Two screws e.
actuated by a hand wheel f and bevil wheels g adjust the knife (which.
may be changed at any time to suit the size and form of book to be-
cut.) The knife d which is fixed below the cutter frame c is made of
a rectangular shape forming three sides of a parallelogram, and is.
sharpened at its lower edge and of a sufficient depth to cut. through the
required thickness. The two edges (forming the ends of the sides) of
the knife have a piece of metal y (Figure 3) placed between them to
which they are screwed so that the ends cannot expand whilst the book
or paper is being cut. In the interior of the knife is a movable "platen"
h (Figures 1 and 3) which is acted upon by two springs inside the.
cutter frame or by (what is preferred) a weighted lever i (Figures 2.
and 3) which is adjusted by means of the set screw . The table **.
on which the book or paper to be cut is laid is faced with wood or
other suitable substance. It is provided with adjustable guides j,j, so:
as to ensure the proper position of the book whilst being cut.. The
cutter frame carrying the knife is made to rise. and fall by means. of:
two excentrics or cams k (Figures 1 and 5) mounted on a shaft / below:
the table which are actuated by an internal spur wheel n (Figures 1, 2,
and 4) (mounted on one end of the cam shaft) which is in
pinion m, (Figures 1 and 2) on the driving shaft o. This shaft is provided
with two pulleys, one of which p is fast and the other q loose. The
fork for moving the driving strap from one pulley to the other is.
attached to a sliding bars (Figures 1, 2, and 4) in connection with a
weighted hand lever t.
gear
with a.
:

page_text: ..
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The workman first
adjusts the book (under the knife) by means of the adjustable guides
jand, and then moves the strap from the loose to the fast pulley by
moving the hand levert to the position shown in red lines, Figure 1.
This causes the knife d to descend and cut all three edges of the book
or paper at once. The "platen". holds the book or paper (by means
of the springs or weighted lever) whilst being cut; the knife then rises
the book, at the same time being forced out of the recess in the knife by
means of the "platen." An inclined piece u (Figure 4) on the rim of the
internal spur wheel immediately comes in contact with an inclined
piece on the weighted levert and pushes it away; by this movement
it draws the sliding bar and handle lever, and thus throws the strap
from the fast to the loose pulley by means of the fork ŕ connected to
the sliding bar s, and brings the surface of the break x¹ against the
tight pulley p. When the two inclined pieces and u¹ are in the
position shown in Figure 4 or as just coming in contact, the knife is
two-thirds up. The balance weight on the large spur wheel n carries
the knife up the last third, at the same time that a pin on the lower
end of the lever falls into a notch or slot in the face of the wheel and
stops the machine. Or instead of this a spring rod v (Figures 1 and 2)
with a running wheel w is used which acts on an inclined piece x
(Figure 1) fixed to the under side of the sliding bars so that the bar
cannot rebound (and throw the strap on to the fast pulley). q¹ are
movable lugs for holding the wood or other substance (on which the
book is cut) in its proper position by means of screws. Figure 3 shews
the manner in which the books are held by the "platen." The weighted
lever i is connected centrally between the two sides of the cutter frame
to a rod n¹ (passing down through a tube fixed in the cutter frame)
which is screwed in or otherwise fixed to the platen. The knife is
secured to the cutter frame by a bevilled piece & passing lengthwise
through it which is screwed to the other side of the frame.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Cutting the Edges
of Books, which Apparatus is also applicable for Cutting the Edges of
Note Paper and for other similar Uses," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention
the improved method of cutting, and the general construction, arrange-

page_text: ment, and application of the apparatus for cutting the edges of books
and note paper substantially as herein-before described and as shown
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the said apparatus being
also applicable for other similar or analogous uses.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas
Geer, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
and sixty-nine.
Witness,
H*. GEER,
Clerk to Mr. Bristow Hunt,
Patent Agent & Solicitor,
1, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn,
London.
JOSEPH ORRIN. (L.S.)
THOMAS GEER. (L.S.)