IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF INDIA-RUBBER
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Moseley, of the City of Manchester,
India-rubber Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF
INDIA-RUBBER."
Sealed the 3rd November 1866, and dated the 8th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Moseley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1866.
I, CHARLES MOSELEY, of the City of Manchester, India-rubber Manu-
.facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF
INDIA-RUBBER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the machines now in use for cutting sheets from
a round block of india-rubber, and it consists of a drawing or taking-up
motion for keeping the sheet of india-rubber at one even tension, and so
producing a greater uniformity of thickness and smoothness of surface.
The improvement consists of two levers fixed upon the centres of two
rollers; one of these rollers revolves in a fixed bearing, and the other, roller

page_text: rests upon the block of india-rubber to be cut into sheets; this roller rises or
falls according to the diameter of the block. As the block revolves it comes
in contact with the cutting knife, as usual, which by an oscillating motion
cuts from it a sheet which passes over guide rollers. As the block revolves
it gives a motion to the roller bearing on it, which by means of straps and
pulleys gives a rotatory motion to the drawing roller, over which passes the
sheet of india-rubber, and as the roller bearing on the block of india-rubber
has a surface speed corresponding to that of the block, which decreases as the
block decreases in diameter, the sheet of india-rubber is kept at one exact
tension. The same effect may also be produced by self-acting cone pulleys to
give a positive motion to the drawing rollers corresponding to the decreasing
surface speed of the block. It is necessary in cutting india-rubber to have a
stream of water running upon the face of the knife to reduce friction; but to
produce a smooth surface upon both sides of the sheet I apply a stream of
water to the back of the knife in addition to that at the front.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Moseley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
MOBELEY, of the City of Manchester, India-rubber Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight bundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Moseley, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Moseley,
niy executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Moseley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should .at. any
time agree with, and no others; fróm time to time and at all times there--
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF INDIA-:
RUBBER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles:
Moseley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their; or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Charles Moseley, 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 (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to the machines now in use for cutting sheets from a
round block of india-rubber, and it consists of a drawing or taking-up motion
for keeping the sheet of india-rubber at one even tension, and so producing a
greater uniformity of thickness and smoothness of surface.
The improvement consists of two levers fixed upon the centres of two
rollers. One of these rollers revolves in a fixed bearing, and the other roller
rests upon the block of india-rubber to be cut into sheets; this roller rises or
falls according to the diameter of the block. As the block revolves it comes
in contact with the cutting knife, as usual, which by an oscillating motion
cuts from it a sheet which passes over guide rollers. As the block revolves it
gives a motion to the roller bearing on it, which by means of straps and
pulleys gives a rotatory motion to the roller, over which passes the sheet of
india-rubber, and as the roller bearing on the block of india-rubber has a
surface speed corresponding to that of the block, which decreases as the block
decreases in diameter, the sheet of india-rubber is kept at one exact tension.
The same effect may also be produced by self-acting cone pulleys to give a
positive motion to the drawing roller corresponding to the decreasing surface
speed of the block. It is necessary in cutting india-rubber to have a stream
of water running upon the face of the knife to reduce friction; but to produce
a sinooth surface upon both sides of the sheet I apply a stream of water to the
back of the knife in addition to that at the front.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation 1 will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents a portion of an end view of a machine for cutting
india-rubber into sheets with my improvements applied, and Figure 2 part of
a plan view of the same.
the slide which carries the cutting
a is the framing of the machine;
knife c; and d is the block of india-rubber held in the usual movable
bearings to be operated upon; these and other parts of the machine which
are not shewn in the Drawing are of the usual construction. Immediately

page_text: over the india-rubber block d, and in contact with it, is the roller 6 fast on the
shaft f, which moves in bearings in the two levers g, one of which is at each
end of the roller e. The fulcrum of the levers g, and on which they are free
to move, is the shaft h, which is the axis of the drawing or taking-up roller i;
this roller i is covered with india-rubber, the object of which will be explained
hereafter, and revolves in fixed bearings in the upright standards p. On the
shaft h, and also on the shaft f, which is the axis of the roller e, are keyed
the two pullies and l, the crossed strap m being passed around them.
Similar pullies k and Z and crossed strap m are made use of 'on the opposite
ends of the shafts h and f, and three guide rollers n, o, and rare mounted in
bearings fixed to the frame sides a, as shewn in the Drawing. The apparatus
for supplying water to the back of the cutting knife consists of a tin or light
metal trough g, V-shaped or otherwise, which extends across the machine the
length of the cutting knife. The trough 9 is closed all round, except on the
inside edge or lip which is next the cutting knife, where suitable openings j,
see Fig. 2, are left for the egress of the water, which is supplied to the
trough 9 by means of a flexible pipe p of india-rubber connected by a branch
to the pipe for supplying water to the front of the cutting knife, or from other
suitable source at the back of the machine. The trough 9 is fixed under the
slide 6 which carries the cutting knife c by a thin metal flange fast to and
projecting from the trough q, and bolted in between the face of the slide b
and the cutting knife c, and it is thus carried backwards and forwards with
them, the flexible pipe p being made sufficiently long for that purpose; this
motion assists in the distribution of the water along the block of india-rubber d
from which the sheets are cut.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The attendant having put the
machine in motion and turned on the supply of water the sheet of india-
rubber as it is produced by the action of the cutting knife in the usual
manner is, as indicated by the arrows in the Drawing, passed over the guide
roller r, and under the guide rollers o and n, and over the drawing or
taking-up roller i, which revolving and being covered with india-rubber has
sufficient bite or hold on the sheet to draw it forward with the required
tension. The speed of the roller i is required to decrease with the size of the
block of india-rubber d under operation, for as the sheet is cut from it less
length is produced during each revolution of the block d, and as it decreases
in circumference, its rotatory speed being the same, the roller in contact
with it will be driven slower, and will communicate its decreasing velocity by
means of the crossed straps m to the taking-up roller i, so that the sheet of
india-rubber will be taken up as it is produced and deposited in folds in front

page_text: of the machine, as shewn in the Drawing. I would here observe that a
similar effect may be obtained by self-acting cone pullies, whereby a positive
decreasing motion may be given to the drawing roller i corresponding to the
decreasing circumference of the block d, but I prefer to use the taking-up
motion here shewn, as it is more simple. During the operation of cutting a
stream of water is supplyed to the back of the cutting knife c through the
openings in the trough 9, as described, as well as to the face of the cutting
knife c, as now practised, so that a sheet of india-rubber is produced equally
smooth on both sides, and possessing a greater uniformity of thickness than
has been produced beretofore.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim as of my Invention,-
Firstly, the taking-up motion shewn and described in reference to Fig. 1,
whereby the sheet of india-rubber is taken up at a speed corresponding with
its production.
And, lastly, applying a stream of water to the back of the cutting knife of
machines for cutting india-rubber into sheets, as shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 1 and 2, whereby a sheet of india-rubber is produced
equally smooth on both its sides, and possessing great uniformity of
thickness.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Moseley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES MOSELEY. (L.B.)