Improvements in Rag-cutting Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: ate of Application, 6th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rag-cutting Machines.
I, EDWARD SEYMOUR HIDDEN, of Milburn, Essex County, New Jersey,
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:-
The said improvements relate to machinery for preparing rags and other
material for the operations common to paper manufacture and in particular to that
system in which the stock is operated on with two sets of cutters, one set slitting it
into strips, and the other cross cutting the strips and reducing the stock or material
to a size suitable for subsequent operations in the manufacture of paper.
Referring to the accompanying drawings making a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Figure 2 is a top view showing the
conveying and feeding mechanism. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the
machine longitudinally. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of the machine.
In said drawings, A indicates a suitable frame sustaining all parts of the machine.
Mounted on a shaft or arbor B, and properly secured thereto is a gang of circular
cutters, C, whose office is to slit the mass of rags or other stock into strips as the
same is advanced and fed thereto by a competent feeding mechanism. The
cutters, C, are composed of radial blades, a, arranged around the central shaft or
arbor to follow each other in the same plane, when the shaft is revolved. In
practice, the blades are made fast to, or formed on, the periphery of a body, a', con-
sisting or a thin disc of steel made fast on the arbor, the whole constituting a circular
cutter, having a succession of projections arranged tangentially around the central
body. At the outer end, each blade has a point or projection, a¹¹, formed on the
side, and this is brought to a sharp edge, so that, as revolved, its first action is to
pierce the material or stock, and then operate with a cutting action, slitting the stock
into clean cut strips, and this distinguishes my invention from all others heretofore
designed for a similar purpose wherein saws are used to tear up the stock.
means for removably attaching the blades to the central disc, they are provided as
shown with a tail piece, which is riveted to the central disc, a¹, but the blades may
be made removable by any means common to circular saws having removable
teeth. Said cutters are shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 3, and indicated by a
dotted line in Figure 2.
As a
For such cutting and slitting action, the blades are preferably formed with the
line of their cutting edge set at a tangent with the periphery of the cutter, and
there brought to a sharp knife edge. In consequence, when the cutter thus formed
is revolved, the points of the blades come down on the stock, slitting it open with a
drawing cut. As shown, the cutting edge is formed on the inside line of the blade,
and so cuts toward the axis of the cutter; but the operation will be analogous if
the order be reversed, and the cutter edge made on the outside line. The
cutters, C, are secured to the arbor B through means of flanged hubs, b, which are
keyed to the arbor, the body of the cutters being bolted to the flanges 6. The
mates of adjoining pairs of these hubs meet, and thus the cutters are always
maintained a fixed distance apart. This plan of holding the cutters C admits of an
adjustment thereof as an entirety on the arbor lengthwise thereof.
The mechanism
The stock may be fed to the cutters C by any suitable means.
shown is novel and consists in part of endless belts, b, which, collectively, will be
considered as a single device or apron, since all the belts or longitudinal sections of
the apron move together as one. The object in making the apron in sections is to
carry the stock past the cutters, and thus maintain a hold on the same after it has
been cut into strips, and serve as a means of aiding the machine to clear itself.

page_text: The principal means of feeding the stock to the said cutters are under and upper
pressure rolls, D and E. The apron, b, works in co-operation with these feed rolls;
the sections of the conveying apron pass around a small cylinder, c, which is grooved
to receive and hold them in position; this cylinder is journaled in slots in the
frame A (Figure 3), to admit of taking up the slack of the apron, and keeping the
same taut. The apron carries the stock to the feed rolls and aids in taking it away.
The under feed roll, E, is fixed on a shaft, d, and reaches across the machine
from side to side. It has deep narrow grooves to allow the slitting cutters, C, to
pass, and the sections of the conveying apron are let into the periphery thereof and
lie flush with, or slightly below, the surface of the rolls. The upper feed rolls, D,
are arranged to rise and fall to accommodate the local irregularities of the stock
passing under them on the different sections of the conveying apron, for which
purpose they are represented as arranged in pairs at the end of the arms, F,
pivoted to standards, G, fastened to the frame A. One mate of each pair is placed
on either side of the arm, F, which has a pin or stud affixed at the free end,
entering both mates of the pair, the rollers thus turning independently on the said
stud. There is one pair of the upper rolls to every section of the conveying apron,
and they are held down to their work and upon the apron and the under roll, E, by
yielding pressure of weights or springs according to convenience. In this case,
weights are used; the arm, F, has a branch f, shaped to receive a number of
weights, g, (omitted in Figure 2) as may be required. Each pair of these rolls, D,
are placed between the slitting cutters, C, forward of the cutter shaft, B. The
stock is carried up to the feed rolls by the conveying apron, b, passing between the
feed rolls, D, and the upper surfaces of the said apron, whereby the feed is caused
to take hold of the stock both from the upper and under sides thereof; at
the same time the rotation of the lower feed roll, E, with the pressure of the
upper rolls, D, holding the apron down thereon, imparts the travelling motion to
the said apron.
The cutter shaft, B, may be set above or below the line of the
apron. In this case it is placed above which is the preferable arrangement.
Means are required to hold up the stock against the downward thrust and cutting
action of the slitting blades. In the present machine it is held up to the front or
edge of the cutter C by fingers, H, being thin, wide blades made fast to a cross
beam, A², of the frame and reaching up as nearly as possible to the edge of the
cutters. To ensure a clean cut, the stock thus supported in front is also sustained
on both sides, being held in the grasp of the upper and under feed rolls on both
sides of the cutters as in a vice at the cutting line, that is at the point where struck
and acted on by the piercing and slitting blades. For so holding the stock, the
under feed rolls are arranged with the cutting line of said cutters or the line of
their peripheries, intersecting the cutting line of the cutters at the point where the
feed rolls grasp and hold the stock, being immediately adjacent to the point of
support afforded by the ends of the fingers, H.
As before stated the conveying apron is not only used for carrying the stock to
the feed rolls, but also a means of conveying the stock past and to the rear of
the said cutters C. In that operation the cut strips are liable to impede the action
of the machine, from the fact that the stock is cut, and not sawn, so that there is
no kerf, and hence the width of the said strips of stock exceeds the width of the
space between these cutters, by as much as the thickness of the cutters. Unless
prevented, this excess would cause the cut strips, as they move along past the cutters,
to hug the sides of the cutters and clog the machine. I therefore provide for
contracting the edges of said strips of stock directly upon the stock taking the
form of strips. Such provision is here represented by a device, I, termed a shoe
shown in Figures 1 and 2, a belt, b, being broken away to expose it; shown also in
perspective, Figure 4, and cross section in Figure 5. These shoes occupy the
space between the cutters C and on both sides thereof. They are supported on
brackets made fast to a cross beam, f¹, located directly below the cutter
shaft, B, that is carried across from one side of frame A. to the other. The shoes
have a wide longitudinal elevation, g, on their middle surface, and grooves, h, at

page_text: the sides thereof. Such elevated portion is projected forward and chamfered down
at the end; and the sections of the apron, b, (or endless belts) ride over the shoes
with the strips of stock lying, thereon, as indicated by a dotted line in Figures 1
and 3. The grooved portion being shortened forms an offset, i; the strips of stock
are wider than the belts b, and their edges overhang the belts on both sides, whereby
they are contracted in width sufficiently to withdraw their edges completely from
the slitting cutters and their flanges, ¹, ensuring freedom of motion of the stock
when it passes the cutters. As the strips are carried along, the overhanging edges
come in contact with the offset portion, i, which receives and controls such edges in
the side grooves, h, whereby the stock is prevented from getting under the belts.
The rear half of the cutters, C, and the blades thereon have an upward motion
as they rotate, and the stock while carried along by the apron, b, is liable to be
caught by such blades and thrown up and forward, or wound around by the cutter
shaft. To avoid this, shields are erected on both sides of said cutters, close to, but
not in contact therewith. These shields are upright plates, K, secured to the sides
of the shoes, and reaching up three or four inches high. The conveying apron on
leaving the slitting cutters, passes around and operates a cylinder, L, and returns
to the small cylinder, c, passing under the tightening roll, n. The sections of
said apron, after passing the cutters C, still need guides to hold them in position
relatively with each other as they retire below and return.
Such guides may
be variously made; as shown the apron cylinder has wide shallow grooves in
its periphery, which serve the purpose, such grooves receiving the sections of the
apron flush therewith, or nearly so, as in the case of the under feed roll, E. On
top of the apron cylinder, L, and revolved thereby, is a roll, M, which is useful
in holding the sections of the apron in the grooves therefor in said cylinder; it also
aids the conveying apron in maintaining the advance of the stock through the
machine, and in delivering the stock with the operation completed, of slitting of
the same into strips.
The shaft of the roll, M, is mounted in bearings at the end of arms, T, jointed to
the frame A at A', whereby the roll is permitted to rise and fall by its own gravity
and accommodate itself to the surface of the strips of stock under it.
As the apron
passes downward following the curve of its cylinder, L, the stock is discharged
therefrom on a table, O. The clearance of the stock from the apron is ensured
by clearing plates, P, that are made fast to the table O, reaching up over the
apron and lying as closely as possible thereto without touching; these clearing
plates receive the stock, preventing the apron from carrying it down; the strips of
stock riding over said plates and falling on the table, O. This table, I have
ascertained, should be set at a lower level than the apron, so that the stock will be
aided by gravitation in its discharge thereon from the retiring apron.
Thus far, I have described that part of my machine relating to one of the
operations performed on the stock, and this part of the machine is complete and
operative for slitting stock into strips.
I will now describe another set of cutters, whose purpose it is to cross-cut, or
chop up the stock, as it comes in strips from the slitting cutters, and reduce it to
the proper condition for the usual pulping operations in making paper. For
this purpose I do not restrict myself to a special kind of knives, so long as
such knives, as combined with the aforesaid slitting cutters act to cross-cut the
strips with a chopping action.
The cross-cutting apparatus consists of a cylinder of cutters adapted to cut
against a stationary blade, or blades, at the end of a table, O, and a claw roll feed.
In order to secure the advantages of the shear cut, of a long spiral blade, without
its objections, I use a series of short knives, Q; the cylinder is made in a number
of sections, and the knives are secured thereto with their cutting edges set in
an angle to the axis of the cylinder. In the machine shown the sections are com-
posed of wings R, forming part of cylinder, Y, made fast to a shaft, s. The knives
are secured to these wings, and operate in connection with a single straight edge
blade, U, that is secured to the end of the table, O, and extends across from side

page_text: to side of the machine. The revolving knives, Q, are set at an angle to the axis
of the shaft, S, and ranged spirally around said shaft, whereby the advantage of a
shear cut is secured with a simple form of blade easily sharpened and adjusted by
persons of ordinary skill, and while well known objections to a long spiral knife
are avoided, all the advantages of the spiral knife are obtained. The said knives
are made fast to the wings, R, by a single bolt which passes through a slot at
mid-length of the knife. To adjust them with nicety to the stationary blade,
screws, k, are inserted in the wing to bear against the back of the knife, one at
cach end. I find it best to construct the wings with a flat inner surface to receive
the knives on the inner side, as shown in cross section in Figure 6. In practice 1
have but one wing and one knife to each section of the knife cylinder, and on the
opposite side of the shaft I provide a counter-balance, 0', whereby a slight
momentum is gained between each cut with the effect of easing the movement of
the machine. The cylinder sections correspond in number with the strips into
which the stock has been cut; and in order to ensure the presentation of these
strips to the chopping cutters at right angles thereto as nearly as may be, guide
ribs, v, are erected on the table, O, extending from the shields, K, of the slitting
cutters to the chopping cylinder; these guide the strips and maintain them in
their direct line of motion toward the chopping knives. In front of these revolving
knives and in close proximity to the clearing plates P, I provide a special roll, W,
whose purpose is to seize the stock (draw it from the apron) and feed it to the
cross-cutting or chopping knives. It is deeply serrated scored both lengthwise and
circumferentially, so as to leave A-shaped points; these act like claws penetrating
the surface of the stock and taking a firm hold thereof, but by reason of their
form the points also release their hold readily, as the roll revolves. The roll
may be operated in any convenient manner; in the machine shown it is driven by
a belt, N, from a pulley on the shaft of roll M. In order to avoid severing the
separator ribs, v, the claw roll, W, is made in sections; these are all secured
firmly to one and the same shaft w¹, which has its bearings at the ends of arms, R',
one at each side of the machine. These arms are hung at their opposite ends
on the shaft of the delivering roll so as to admit an up and down motion of the
claw roll, W, to accommodate itself to the surface of the strips of stock; and
the several sections of the roll rest on and carry forward the stock, forcing it
toward the chopping cutters. Motion is given to the machine by a belt, B², from
some motor to a pulley, A", from the shaft, s, of the cross cutting cylinder,
which is the main shaft of the machine; said shaft carries a drive wheel, C²,
from which a belt rotates the slitting cutters, C, by a pulley, R2, on the cutter
shaft, B. The lower feed roll, E, is driven from the main shaft; the upper
rolls are simply passive and follow the motion of the lower roll by resting thereon
and the endless apron is moved by frictional contact with the lower roll as held
thereon by the pressure of the upper feed rolls.
Means are provided for throwing the feed rolls out of gear with the slitting
cutters, whereby the feed can be unshipped and disconnected from the cutter
shafts ; this enables the attendant to stop the feed instantly, for any purpose,
while the cutters continue in motion, as, for instance, to take out any foreign
material he may discover in the stock as conveyed along by the apron, and so
prevent the same from reaching and damaging the cutters, and to do this without
the trouble of throwing off the main belt and stopping the whole machine. The
construction and arrangement shown in the illustrative machine of the drawings,
consist of a spur wheel, Q', running loosely on the shaft, d, of the lower feed
roll, E, said loose wheel receiving motion from a pinion, P, on one end of shaft, p,
the opposite end having fixed thereon a large band wheel, m, driven by a belt
from a wheel or pulley, g, on the main shaft, S. I' is an ordinary clutch, keyed
fast to revolve with shaft d, of the feed roll, E, (and slide freely thereon) and
is constructed to engage with the loose wheel, Q, and thus couple the said loose
wheel to the shaft, d, whereby that wheel when so coupled revolves the lower
feed roll; but when the clutch is disengaged (the condition in which it is

page_text: represented in Figure 2) the wheel revolves loosely on the shaft, leaving the feed
rolls motionless. The clutch is operated by a lever arranged in any usual manner
to suit the convenience of the attendant.
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. The combination in a rag-cutting machine of revolving slitting cutters com-
posed of knife-edged blades ranged around a central disc, means of supporting the
stock in front of such cutting blades, feed-rolls above and beneath the stock which
hold it, distended against the cutting action of the blades at the cutting line thereof,
and a sectional apron constructed and acting both to convey the stock to the feed-
rolls and carry it away from the cutters substantially as specified.
2. The combination with the revolving cutters of under and upper feeding-rolls,
and a conveying apron made in longitudinal sections or belts, the upper rolls
arranged in pairs, one to each apron section, and adapted to yield independently to
the local irregularities of the stock.
3. In combination, the revolving bladed slitting cutters, the conveying apron, a
stationary support for the stock in front of said cutters, and the feed-rolls disposed
on both sides of the cutters at the cutting line and holding the stock distended
against the action of the cutters thereon.
4. In combination, revolving slitting cutters for cutting the stock into strips, a
feeding device, a conveying apron which carries the strips past the cutters, and
means of contracting the strips and giving freedom thereto as they pass between
the cutters as set forth.
5. In combination with revolving cutters for slitting the stock into strips, means
of support for the stock on both sides of the cutters, and a sectional conveying
apron, the shoes, i, constructed as described and operating to govern the stock when
cut into strips and prevent clogging, as set forth.
6. In combination, the rotary slitting cutters, a support for the stock on both
sides of the cutters, the feeding rolls, means of conveying the stock to the feed-
rolls arranged and serving to carry it past the cutters, and shield-plates at the rear
of the cutter shaft, which prevent the cutter blades from catching the stock as they
rise in their rotary motion.
7. In combination, the revolving slitting cutters, the support for the stock against
their cutting action, the feed rolls, the sectional conveying apron carrying the stock
past the cutters, and a horizontal table set below the axis of the cutters, on
which the slitted stock falls in strips.
8. The combination of the slitting cutters, the conveying apron, the receiving
table, and clearing plates, P, for clearing the cut stock from the surface of the apron
and preventing the same from being carried down with the apron, as it returns
below the table O.
9. The combination of the slitting cutters, the feeding rolls, a sectional con-
veying apron which both conveys the stock to the feed rolls and carries it away
from the cutters, a table on which the slitted stock falls, and serrated claw rolls, W,
which seize the stock and draw it away from the conveying apron.
10. The combination with the slitting cutters, the feed rolls therefor, and
mechanism for actuating the same, of a clutch arranged for disconnecting the
operation of the feed without stopping the machine, as set forth.
11. The combination of revolving chopping knives, means of feeding the stock
thereto in strips, and guiding ribs which maintain the strips in right lines, and
guide the strips to the chopping knives.
12. The combination of revolving slitting cutters, mechanism for feeding the
stock thereto, conveying it away, and discharging it in strips on a receiving table,
cross cutting knives acting against a stationary blade at the end of the table,
and serrated rolls which seize the slitted stock and transfer it to the said chopping
knives.

page_text: 13. In combination, the table supporting the stock, a chopping device consisting
of a series of knives arranged spirally around a cylinder with their cutting edges
set at an angle to the axis thereof, and adapted to cut against a stationary blade
at the end of the table, serrated claw rolls to feed the stock thereto in strips, and
guiding ribs to guide the stock and present the strips at right angles to the chopping
cutters.
Dated this 6th day of December 1892.
ALLISON BROS.,
52, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.