BUTTON HOLE CUTTING SCISSORS
Year: 1888

page_text: I, LUTHER CARPENTER MCNEAL, a citizen of the United States residing at
Rochester, in the County of Monroe, and State of New York, gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for BUTTON HOLE CUTTING SCISSORS and in
what manner the same is to be made to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in button hole scissors in which an
adjustable gage regulates the distance the two arms move toward each other and
enables the length of the slit cut to be accurately determined, the object being to
produce an adjusting device simple in structure, casily moved from one position
to another and capable of being locked firmly in adjusted position after being so
moved. To these ends, the invention consists in certain novel features of
construction and combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter
described and pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a view of a pair of scissors embodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is a section on the line - figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view of the notched segmental plate.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views, respectively, of the cam, lever and spring.
Figure 7 is a view of the scissors with the plate covering the adjusting devices
removed.
Figure 8 is a sectional view on line y-y figure 7.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a modification.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
A A represent the arms of a pair of scissors one of which A is recessed at B
for the reception of the various parts of the gage, the recess being covered by a
plate C, which is preferably dovetailed into the arm and may be secured by screws
or pins c as shown in fig. 2. The said gage itself, consists essentially of a
cam pivoted on one of the arms and adapted to be swung on its pivot to
engage the other arm and limit the movement of the two arms toward each
other a suitable lock being provided for holding the cam securely in adjusted
position.

page_text: In the hottom of recess B in arm A is located a plate D, the circular edge of which
is provided with notches K, said plate being held in position by being inserted in
under-cuts or recesses in the walls of the recess B as shown in figure 2, or, if desired,
the under cuts may be done away with and the shoulders y on the screw G relied on
to accomplish this end, as shown clearly in figure 8.
Upon the plate D is placed the cam E which carries, and is moved by, the
lever F, the screw or pin G passing through the plate Cand into the bottom of the
recess, serving as a pivot therefor. The lever F is provided with a tooth or projection H
on its underside which extends down through a slot or aperture L in the cam and
engages the notches in the edge of the segmental plate D, while on the upper side
the lever is provided with a lug or lugs N which hold the spring I the latter
taking its bearing on the plate C and holding the lever and cam down and the tooth
or projection H in engagement with said notches K.
The arms of the scissors are pivoted together at J as usual, and the blades are
provided with the notch or cut away portion at the rear of the cutting surfaces as in
all button hole cutters of this class.
In figure 7, 8 and 9 are represented two obvious modifications of the invention as
follows: In the first mentioned figures the cam and lever are formed in one piece,
to accomplish which, it is only necessary to form a projection or knob F on the
edge of the cam and a tooth or projection H' on its under side, corresponding to the
projection H on the lever, and adapted to engage the notched plate as shown clearly
in figure 8. The plate D is, in this instance, held in place by the shoulder y on
screw G and the cam pressed down by a spring similar to that heretofore described, a
washer or a shoulder on the screw being preferably located above one end of the
same as will be readily understood.
In the last mentioned, figure (9) the relative position of the parts is reversed
the cam being notched along its edge and the tooth or projection H located on the
arm of the scissors.
From the above description, the operation of the device will be readily understood.
Thus, when it is desired to change the length of the button hole cut by the scissors
or in other words, to regulate the distance the arms shall move towards each other, tho
lever is raised against the pressure of the spring I sufficiently to disengage the
tooth H from the notches K the lever being then moved around until the cam is
projected or retracted to the desired point and the tooth again. allowed to drop
into one of the said notches when the cam will be found to be firmly and securely
locked in position.
The covering plate C is preferably graduated as shown in figure 1 to correspond
with the notches in the plate D below it, and if desired, a pointer may be secured to
the lever F although this is hardly necessary.
It is obvious that the lever F or cam E may be made in the form of a spring
thereby dispensing with the spring I and that the shape of the cam may be greatly
varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.
The lever, can and segmental plate may be struck up from sheet metal to
reduce the initial cost and, if desired, the recess for containing the various parts
may be milled or otherwise produced leaving the sides of the arm integral, notches
being formed in one side to dispense with the necessity of employing a separate
notched plate.
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:
1st. In combination with the arms of a pair of scissors and a cam pivoted to one
arm and adapted to be swung on its pivot to engage the other arm and limit the
movement of said arms, of a lock for positively holding said cam in adjusted position ;
substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with a pair of scissors and a cam pivotally connected to one
arm and adapted to be swung on its pivot to engage the other arm and limit the

page_text: movement of the two arms toward each other, of a projection or tooth and a notched
surface with which said projection or tooth engages for holding the cam in adjusted
position; substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with a pair of scissors and a cam pivotally connected to one
arm and adapted to be swung on its pivot to engage the other arm and limit the
movement of the two arms toward each other, of a projection or tooth and a notched
surface with which said projection or tooth engages for holding the cam in adjusted
position and a spring for holding said projection or tooth and notched surface in
engagement; substantially as described.
4th. The combination with the pivoted arms of a pair of button hole cutting
scissors, a cam pivoted to one arm and adapted to limit the movement of the
blades towards each other, the series of adjusting notches beneath said cam and the
adjusting lever above the same, of a tooth or projection on the lever and a
notch or slot in the cam through which the tooth or projection passes to engage
the adjusting notches whereby the cam is held in adjusted position; substantially as
described.
5th. The combination with the pivoted arms of a pair of button hole cutting
scissors, a cam pivoted on one arm and adapted to limit the movement of the
blades toward each other, the series of adjusting notches beneath said cam and the
adjusting lever above the same with its projection passing through a notch or slot
in the cam for engaging the notches, of a spring secured to said lever and bearing
against the enclosing walls for holding the projection in engagement with the notches,
as set forth.
6th. In a pair of button hole cutting scissors, the combination with the cam having
a notch or slot therein pivoted in a depression in one arm of the scissors and adapted
to be swung on its pivot to engage the other arm and limit the movement of the two
arms toward each other, of the notched segmental plate held by the arm beneath the
cam, the lever above the cam having the tooth or projection passing through said
notch or slot in the cam and engaging the notches in the segmental plate, a spring
carried by said lever for holding said tooth in engagement with the notches, the plate
for covering the depression in which said parts are located and the pivot for holding
the parts in position; substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of May 1888.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.