Improvements in Machines for Cutting Cloth and like Fabrics.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Cloth and like Fabrics.
I JAMES SMITH of 166 Elm Street New York City United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 cloth cutting machines. In machines of this class
embodying my invention the motive power is supplied by electricity. Nevertheless
parts of my invention are adapted for use in cutting machines, employing other
motive power. The main objects of this invention are to produce a machine in
which the electric motor and cutter shall be combined in one movable frame, and in
which all parts moving through the pile of goods while the cutter is in use are
reduced in thickness to allow the cloth to pass smoothly along these parts of the
machine.
Another object is to produce a machine which will not obstruct the view of the
cutting edge of the knife, thus enabling the operator to conveniently and accurately
guide the machine along the lines marked on the top layer of goods. According
transmitted
to my improvements the driving mechanism by which the power
to the cutter is so arranged as to impart a uniform and steady motion to the
same. The machine is constructed in such a way that it permits the cutting of
a pile of goods reaching above the center of the cutting knife, thus largely
increasing the cutting capacity of the knife and allowing the use of a comparatively
small cutting knife. My cloth cutter is provided with an automatic grinding or
sharpening attachment which has been found very useful when cutting tough or
hard qualities of cloth. By my improvements I am enabled to cut any kind of
hard goods, such as muslin, linen, buckskin etc. as well as soft goods. I employ
for the knife a very narrow bearing so that the cutter and bearing will pass
freely and smoothly through the cloth. This bearing is of special construction
so as to avoid a cutting-in or heating of the same at a very high rate of speed.
In the accompanying drawings formning part of this Specification,
Figure represents a side elevation of a cloth cutter embodying my
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on line X-Y of Figure 1;
Figure 3 represents an enlarged section on the lines M-N of Figure 2 showing
the arrangement of gears on the supporting standard;
invention;
Figures 4 and 5 represent the attachment used for cutting hard goods, and
Figures 6 and 7 are views of the self-sharpener or grinding attachment.
Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal section taken through the center of the
cutting disk;
Figure 9 is a detail plan view of the cores of the field magnet;
Figure 10 is a vertical section through the base or foot showing the preferred
construction thereof; and
Figure 11 shows a construction of bracket for the conducting wires adapted to
be used with my electric cutter.
Referring by letters to the drawings A indicates the base of the cutter of a
Hat circular shape. The supporting standard B is fastened to or made integral
with the base, and at its upper end are two lateral extensions c c which carry
the field magnet E.
The electro-motor shown is of special construction whereby great power is
obtained with little weight, and there is practically no obstruction between the
eye of the operator and the cutting edge, so that the operator can carefully
observe the movement of the cutting edge. There are two armatures and the
field magnet has three poles, one common to both armatures, as clearly shown..

page_text: in Figure 9. The field magnet cores of the front armature are located at the
side of that armature furthest from the cutting edge, so that no part of the field
magnet obstructs the view of the cutting edge. To the top of the field magnet E
is fastened a bracket I containing the bearings for the upper ends of the armature
shafts D D. The base, standard and field magnet may of course be made in a
greater or less number of pieces than is shown, as desired.
The bearings for the lower ends of the armature shafts D D are located in two
brackets C C₁ mounted upon the standard B, said brackets C C also being
provided with bearings for the horizontal shaft F. Two bevel gears J Jare
fastened to the said shaft and mesh with two bevel pinions K and K' fastened to
the lower ends of the armature shafts D D'. Between the two bevel gears J Jis
located a gear wheel S also fastened upon the shaft or bevel gears. In the
standard B is a horizontal bearing in which rotates the shaft of the second gear
wheel Q, and this gear wheel Q meshes with the gear wheel S and also meshes
with the third gear wheel L to which latter gear wheel the knife is fastened.
The hub of the gear wheel L forms the bearing for the disk-shaped knife P, and
this bearing is of special construction. It comprises a stud t' which is riveted or
screwed into à nut O, and the nut O is fastened to the standard B, and has a
central recess which receives the hub of the gear wheel L. A bushing is inserted
into the bore of this hub and fits over the stud t¹. The object of this bushing t
is to offer a double bearing surface to the knife P and gear wheel L. The
rotation of the gear wheel L on the outside of the bushing t will cause the bushing
also to revolve more or less upon the stud t'. This arrangement doubles the
bearing surface and reduces the relative speed of the rotating parts at the bearing
surfaces, thus permitting the cutting disk to be rotated at a very high rate of
speed. The gear wheels Q and L are located in the recess R of the standard 1,
thus being covered on the one side by the standard and the bevel gear J. and
on the other side by the knife 1', and the large bevel gear J. The standard B
is also provided with a handle H.for guiding the machine and has on its front part
a projection or split lug T to which the sharpener or grinder U is attached. This
grinding attachment is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and comprises a rod a provided on.
its upper end with a collar which latter can be set in any position by means of a
small set screw or otherwise. A bracket d is fastened to or formed upon the lower
end of the rod a and is provided with a stud e, and this stud e carries a tubular
bushing to which one or two grinding wheels g g' are fastened, or the grinding
wheels may be mounted directly on the stud. A spring surrounds the rod a and
is fastened to the collar and to the lug T on the standard B or otherwise
arranged so that it will tend to press the grinder forward or away from the cutting
knife. When the rod a is in place in the lug T, the grinding wheels embrace the
knife edge and a slight twist of the rod a will cause the two grinding disks to touch
the periphery of the knife on both sides, and thus to sharpen the edge of the knife.
If a constant grinding is required the collar can be set in such a way that the
spring will tend to twist the rod a, and pull it toward the cutting edge thus
bringing the two grinding, disks in constant contact with the edge of the knife.
If no sharpening is required, the grinding disks will stand parallel to the surface
of the knife and will not be in contact therewith. It is, of course, evident that
a single grinding wheel might in some cases be used.
A plate i, (Figures 4 and 5) is fastened to the base A and acts when in use to
lift the goods up and thus increase the angle under which the knife l'enters the
gocds. Experience has shown that the increase of this angle will tend to prevent a
pulling-in of the goods by the fast rotation of the knife. This pulling-in or self
feeding of the knife causes a constant retardation or heating of the same, and is
therefore highly objectionable. I also provide this plate with upwardly extending
fingers following the circumference of the knife on both its sides a short
distance from its periphery.. The object of these fingers is to prevent the sticking
of the sides of the knife against the cut goods, thus decreasing the friction of the
goods on the knife.

page_text: The preferred construction of the opening in the base-plate for the cutting
knife is shown in Figure 10, where as will be seen the edges of this opening
are inclined so that they tend to push out of the groove any small cuttings that
may be carried into such grooves by the cutting knife so that as the cutter is
moved through the cloth it tends to free itself from such cuttings and cannot
become clogged. A hardened metallic plate a covers this opening.
I have illustrated in Figure 11 a bracket to be fastened overhead, as to the
ceiling, for holding the conducting wires that run to the cutter from the source
of electric energy.
These conducting wires pass over the pulleys, mounted
in the swinging arms s, and up through the standard of said arm, and are held
taut by a counterweighted pulley bearing upon the wires between the two above
described guides and supports. This bracket forms no part of the present invention
and is not claimed herein.
It is evident that various forms of cutters may be used and the construction of
parts may be modified without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electric cutter the combination of an electro-motor having two armatures
and field magnets substantially as shown, with bevel gears on said armature shafts
and bevel gears meshing therewith and mounted on a transverse shaft, a cutter, and
means for connecting said cutter and transverse shaft, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, of a standard and a base portion or foot, a rotary cutting
disk located at the lower part of the standard and a gear or sprocket wheel
attached to said cutting disk and serving as the bearing for the same, substantially
as set forth.
3. The combination of a standard having a flattened foot or base portion, a
rotary cutting disk located at the lower part of the standard and a hub for the
same, and a bushing inserted in the bore of said hub and fitting over a stud
fastened to the standard, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of a standard provided with a flattened foot or base portion,
a rotary cutting disk located at the lower part of the standard, a gear wheel
fastened to said disk and having a hub, a stud secured in a nut fastened to the
standard and a bushing between the stud and the gear wheel, said mut having a
recess for the hub of the gear wheel, substantially as set forth.
5. In an electric cutter and in combination a suitable standard, a rotary cutting
disk journalled in said standard and suitable means for driving said cutting disk, al
movable rod mounted in the standard having an adjustable collar and spring
thereon, and two grinding disks mounted on said rod and adapted to embrace the
rotary knife, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a rotary cutting disk, a standard and base supporting
same and a plate fastened to the base and bevelled in front and having two upwardly
extending fingers following the periphery of the cutting disk and enclosing the
same on both sides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In an electric cutter and in combination, a movable frame or support, and a
double electro-motor mounted upon the same having three poles, one of which
poles serves for both armatures of the motor, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dad L
ر
1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.