Improvements in Machines for Cutting Paper and other Materials.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Paper and other Materials.
I, FREDERICK ADEE BESSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 760, Greene
Avenue, in the City of Brooklyn, County of Kings, and State of New York, and by
occupation a Financial Manager, 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 paper cutting machines, and its object is to construct a
machine in which the resistance which the knife meets in cutting the paper shall be
transferred over to and increase the power and pressure of the clamp which holds and
compresses the paper during the cutting operation. A further object is to embody
this feature in a machine which shall accomplish the clamping, cutting and releasing
of the paper without reversal of the driving power and also by one revolution of the
clamp operating shaft; and a still further object of the invention is to construct a
machine of this character in which the knife shall have a slow descent and a quick
ascent and quick release of the clamp, to provide for a clean and effective cutting of
These features I propose to
the paper and its quick release after being cut.
embody in a simple, economical and efficient construction, as will be hereinafter
described and pointed out.
In the form of my invention illustrated in the machine show in the accompanying
drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in elevation, showing the knife and clamp in raised
position;
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same, and :
Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in elevation, showing the knife and clamp in lowered
position.
Referring to the drawing by letter, A represents the bed of the machine, upon
which the pile of paper B to be cut rests, and a a the frame supporting
the bed A. C represents the clamp, and D the knife, all of these features being
of ordinary or convenient construction. The driving shaft, to which any desirable
power is applied, is represented by b, and is suitably journaled in frame a a,
the journals being fixed with respect to the frame. A pinion c is mounted upon
shaft band meshes with a gear wheel d fixed upon shaft e which shaft is
journaled in links ff, the latter hanging from and journaled upon shaft b. The
length of shafte being less than the inner width of the frame, the former
is therefore free to oscillate around shaft b, inside of the frame.
A similar arrange-
ment is followed with respect to clamp shaft i, which carries a wheel gear h,
meshing with a pinion g upon shaft e, the clamp shaft i being journaled in links
kk, hanging from shaft e. Shaft i, however, as will be observed, is longer than the
width of the frame and its ends extends through openings i' in the frame, the open-
ings being such that such movements of the shaft as may be necessary will not be'
interfered with. Shaft i is also journaled in links ll, which hang upon shaft m, the
latter being fixed, or fixedly journaled, in the frame. The arrangement above
described, it will be noted, allows shaft i to move upward, or around shaft m and
provides for the proper adjustment of shaft e and the pinions and gear wheels while
such movement is taking place. By means of the pinions and gear wheels the speed

page_text: of rotation of the shaft i, upon which, it is obvious, the full power of the machine is
centered, is reduced to the speed at which it is.desired to operate the knife.
Upon the ends of shaft i outside of the frame, and upon the ends of shaft m,
which also extend beyond the frame, are respectively fixed gear wheels n n and o o,
meshing with each other. For a purpose to be hereinafter explained I prefer to use
elliptical gear wheels, as shown in the drawing, but it is to be understood that any
convenient gear wheels, or other devices, may be used, and I do not herein limit
myself to elliptical gear; on the contrary I consider within the scope and terms of
my invention any means for accomplishing the same, or substantially the same,
results, as the gear wheels illustrated herein. Likewise, it may be noted here, that
in practice it may be found expedient to dispense with one or more of the shafts,
gear wheels, pinions or links heretofore described, or modify those shown according
to circumstances, inasmuch as mechanism is designed largely according to the
desired speed and special capabilities of the machine. Consequently I do not limit
myself to the precise construction here shown. I consider any mechanism used for
the same purpose, or for the purpose of operating the clamp shaft i or causing said
shaft or its gear to mount upon or be rotated about, gear wheel o, or its equivalent,
as hereinafter described, to be within the scope of my invention. A clamp rod p
and a knife rod q respectively connect gear wheel n with the clamp and gear wheel o
with the knife.
In the operation of the machine above described, power is applied to shaft b to
rotate it in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Through the intermediate
mechanism of pinion c, gear wheel d, pinion g, and gear wheel h, shaft i is rotated
at the desired speed in the direction of the arrow. Gear wheel n, carried by shaft i,
rotates in the same direction, and by its rotation draws the clamp c down upon the
pile of paper. When the clamp strikes the paper and its downward movement is
interrupted, the movement of gear wheel n about shaft i is also interrupted and the
power of the machine still impelling it forward it begins to revolve about point n¹, the
point of connection of clamp rod p to wheel n. The result is that the entire weight
of shaft i and its attachments, together with a portion of the power which drives the
machine, is thrown directly upon clamp rod p, which draws the clamp down upon
the paper; all the rest of the power is directly against the gear wheel o which draws
down the cutting knife D. Point n' is free to move to or from shaft m by reason of
swinging or pivotal movement of clamp rod p, and therefore from the time the clamp
is interrupted by the pile of paper until the knife has reached the end of its stroke,
the meshing and consequent co-rotation of gear wheels n and o will cause clamp rod p
and point to swing away from shaft m, and shaft i will be swung upward between
the two, this movement being permitted by the adjustment of the shafts journaled
in links ff and k ke heretofore described.
The resistance of the paper against the knife tends to draw back knife rod q and
reverse wheel o, but a reversal of wheel o would only tend to force shaft i more
heavily downward, and thereby increase the clamping pressure, inasmuch as the
tendency would be merely to shift the center of the weight slightly in respect to
point n upon which gear wheel n is then turning. Continued revolution of gear
wheel n draws the knife D, through the medium of gear wheel o and knife rod q,
entirely through its path of movement, which of course is at all times constant, and
then raises both knife and clamp to. their elevated positions. It will thus be seen
that I have accomplished the transferance of the resistance to the knife to reinforce
the power of the clamp during the cutting operation, and have constructed a machine
in which the clamping, cutting and releasing operations are performed by one revolu-
tion of the clamp shaft i and without reversal of driving power, the same being
accomplished evenly and without loss of power.
A further result I desire to attain is to accomplish the above results, or either of
them, in a machine in which the clamp shall descend slowly after the paper is
clamped, in order to insure an even and regular cutting of the paper, and in which
after the paper has been cut, the knife and clamp shall both be quickly elevated to
permit the removal of the paper without difficulty: "These results I am able to

page_text: The centres and
accomplish by the utilization of elliptical gear wheels n and o.
points of connection, with clamp rod p and knife rod q may be varied to suit the
demands of practical construction and to produce any desired speed or length of
stroke of the knife and clamp, but I have shown in the drawing the form of machine
constructed in accordance with my invention which I deem to be the best practical
form thereof, and in this form I have so mounted the gear wheels n and o that they
will be eccentric as well as elliptical, and so connected clamp rod p and knife rod q
thereto that q shall be connected with the short end of its elliptical gear and p to
the long end of its elliptical gear. It will then be seen that in operation, after the
clamp has been interrupted, gear n must revolve about half a revolution before the
knife will complete its stroke, whereas only about one quarter of a revolution further,
on the part of gear n will be required to rotate gear o sufficiently to entirely raise
the knife. A further advantage resulting from the employment of the elliptical gear
is the increased leverage gained by the power upon the knife during the downward
stroke.
The dimensions of the gear wheels and the number and pitch of the teeth thereon
is a matter of calculation and adjustment to suit individual machines. It may be
stated generally however, that wheels of small width proportionate to their length
will not give satisfactory results if mounted upon shafts so that the wheels will mesh
as shown in the drawing, without adjustment of the teeth of the wheels. I have
found that wheels of relatively the same proportions as shown in the drawing will
give the smoothest and best operation of the machine. The disposition of the shafts
is also a matter of judgment, but the arrangement shown in the drawing is one which
will utilize every part of the apparatus and throw great weight upon the clamp.
It will be observed that the desirable feature of securing a slow cut and a quick
return is accomplished in the above described apparatus irrespective of the change in
centres as hereinbefore described. It may also be seen that the same result might
be attained by the use of changing centres irrespective of the elliptical gear. Either
of these means I consider to be within the scope and claims of my invention.
Furthermore, the invention, although herein described with particular reference
to the cutting of paper, is applicable to the cutting of any other substance.
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. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with a clamp and knife, of two
rotating devices, one of which is actuated by the other, a clamp rod pivotally
connected at one end to one of said devices and at the other end to the clamp, and a
knife rod pivotally connected at one end to the other of said actuating devices and at
the other end to the knife, for the purpose set forth.
2. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
rotatable knife shaft fixedly journaled in the frame, a rotatable clamp shaft movably
journaled in the frame, one of said shafts being actuated by the other, a clamp rod
pivoted to and reciprocated by a device upon the clamp shaft and connected with the
clamp, and a knife rod pivoted to and reciprocated by a device upon the knife shaft
and connected with the knife, whereby a single revolution of each of said shafts will
accomplish the lowering and raising of said clamp and knife, substantially as
described.
3. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
rotatable clamp actuating device, a rotatable knife actuating device, and two rods
respectively connected with the clamp and knife and pivoted to the respective
actuating devices, the said actuating devices being adapted to operate without
reversal of direction of movement, substantially as described.
4. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp shaft, clamp and
knife, of a clamp rod pivoted to a device upon the clamp shaft at one end and to the
clamp at the other end, a rotatable knife actuating device, and a knife rod pivoted
at one end to the said actuating device and at the other end to the knife, said

page_text: devices being adapted to continue the clamping, cutting and releasing of the paper
without reversal of direction of movement of said clamp shaft, or knife actuating
device, and to accomplish all of said operations by one revolution of said clamp
shaft, substantially as described.
5. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
rotating clamp operating device, a rotating knife operating device, and two rods
respectively pivoted at one end to the clamp and knife and at the other end to the
respective operating devices, the rotation of said devices being contemporaneous,
substantially as described.
6. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
rotating clamp operating device, a rotating knife operating device, and 'two rods
respectively pivoted at one end to the clamp and knife and at the other end to the
respective operating devices, the rotation of either of said operating devices being
controlled by the other, substantially as described.
7. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife,
of two gear wheels meshing with each other and respectively connected
directly with the clamp and knife by a clamp rod and a knife rod, and means for
rotating one of said wheels, substantially as described.
8. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
gear wheel mounted on a shaft fixedly journaled in the frame, a second gear wheel
meshing with said first named wheel and adapted to oscillate about the same, a
clamp rod connecting one of said gear wheels directly with the clamp, a knife rod
connecting the other wheel directly with the knife, and means for rotating one of
said wheels, substantially as described.
9. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of two
rotating elliptical gear wheels meshing with each other, and connections respec-
tively between one of said gear wheels and the clamp and between the other gear
wheel and the knife, substantially as described.
10. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of
two rotating eccentrically mounted gear wheels meshing with each other, and
connections respectively between one of the gear wheels and the clamp and between
the other gear wheel and the knife, substantially as described.
11. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of a
rotating knife operating shaft and a rotating clamp operating shaft, one of said
shafts being actuated by the other, devices inounted upon the respective shafts,
connections respectively between the clamp and the device mounted upon the clamp
shaft and between the knife and the device mounted upon the knife shaft, and
means whereby one of said shafts is permitted to move about the other as an
axis, the rotation of said shafts being continuous throughout the operation of
the machine, substantially as described.
12. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with a clamp and knife, of gear
wheels meshing with each other and mounted upon shafts journaled to each other
by links, one of said shafts being mounted in bearings fixed in the frame and the
other being mounted in movable bearings, connections between said clamp and knife
and the respective gear wheels, a power driven shaft mounted in bearings fixed in the
frame, a shaft journaled to said power driven shaft and to said movable shaft by
links, and devices for transferring power from said power driven shaft to said movable
shaft, substantially.as described.
13. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of two
shafts respectively actuating said clamp and knife and rotating each other, said shafts
being journaled to each other by links, one of them being mounted in bearings fixed
in the frame and the other being movable, a power driven shaft mounted in bearings
fixed in the frame, a shaft journaled to said power driven shaft and to said movable
shaft by links and devices for transferring power from said power driven shaft to said
movable shaft, substantially as described.
14. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of
eccentrically mounted elliptical gear wheels meshing with each other and mounted

page_text: upon shafts journaled to each other by links, one of said shafts being fixed in the
frame and the other being movable, connections between said clamp and knife and
the long and short ends respectively of said gear wheels, a power driven shaft fixed in
the frame, a shaft journaled to said power driven shaft and to said movable shaft by
links, and gear wheel connections between said power driven shaft and said movable
shaft, substantially as described.
15. In a paper cutting machine, the combination with the clamp and knife, of
eccentrically mounted elliptical gear wheels meshing with each other and mounted
upon shafts journaled to each other by links, one of said shafts being fixed in the
frame and the other being movable, connections between said clamp and knife and
said gear wheels respectively, a power driven shaft fixed in the frame, a shaft journaled
to said power driven shaft and to said movable shaft by links, and means whereby
the rotation of said power driven shaft will operate said movable shaft, substantially.
as described.
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