Improvements in Machines for Cutting Combs.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Combs.
We, DAVID BROWN DOUGLAS STEWART and WILLIAM DYCE STEWART, both of
Banchory House, Banchory, Devenich, in the County of Kincardine, North
Britain, Comb Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(which has been communicated to us from abroad by Joseph Noyes, of Bingham-
ton, County of Broome, State of New York, United States of America, Engineer)
to be as follows:
Our invention which relates more particularly to "turn-cutting "combs has
for its object to provide a machine which may be adjusted for automatically
cutting, with rapidity and economy combs with either all fine teeth or all coarse
teeth or with partly fine teeth and partly course teeth and for automatically
forming the end or guard teeth of the said combs and automatically cropping
off the superfluous length of material, if any, and at the same time separating
the two combs when twin-cut" and for automatically bringing the material
from which the combs are to be cut from the last position of cutting the pre-
ceding piece into the position for starting the cutting.
A machine constructed according to our invention is provided with more than
two but preferably eight, cutters each carried in an independently moveable
plunger or, if desired, the two end or outside plungers and cutters for forming
a guard tooth may be combined so as to constitute or be operated as one cutter
or the second plunger from each end may be fitted with a combination cutter to
act as a single cutter, the end or outside plungers being either removed or
rendered inoperative. The plungers are all mounted and capable of sliding
in a crosshead to which movement is imparted by a suitable cam to bring the
cutters in the required cutting positions, a clamping device being provided
for retaining the crosshead in position during the cutting operations.
The material of which the combs are to be formed is heated and softened
between adjustable heating boxes or chambers, the softened material being
afterwards placed on a suitably operated bed on which the cutting of the combs
is effected.
The whole of the operating parts of the machine are carried on a table or
platform supported on legs. Formed in one with or attached to the table or
platform is a steam chest or heating chamber for heating by radiation, a slide by
which the material to be cut is moved forward during the cutting process.
The before-mentioned boxes may be heated by steam and may be supported
on a bracket fixed to a main heating chamber, a clamping screw being provided
to secure the said boxes in position, these boxes being moved apart, when the
screw is released, by means of blade springs interposed between them.
Projecting upwards from the table or platform is a frame carrying the
principal operating parts. Mounted in bearings in the upper part of this frame
is the main driving or cam shaft, cams on which operate the feeding mechanism
and the cutters as hereinafter particularly described, the said shaft being rotated

page_text: by any suitable means. On the cam shaft is a pinion gearing with a toothed
wheel, herein termed the "pin wheel," mounted loosely on one end of a bushing
which is secured in the frame and forms a bearing for a shaft, herein termed the
"crank shaft" extending parallel to the shaft cam, the toothed or "pin" wheel
being driven from the crank shaft through an arm as hereinafter described. On
the crank shaft is a pinion in gear with a toothed wheel fast on a hollow shaft
which, through suitable gearing, rotates a drum or barrel cam, herein termed
the "cutter controlling cam," by which the various cutters are brought into
and out of action. A second drum or barrel cam, herein termed the
"
<
cross head
cain is mounted on another hollow shaft parallel to and geared with the cutter
controlling cam.
On a shaft mounted concentrically within the first named hollow shaft is a
notched or recessed disc which is driven by means of a crank pin projecting
laterally therefrom and engaging with a pinion on the said hollow shaft. With
the notches in the periphery of the recessed disc and under the action of a
spring engages an arm secured on a shaft herein termed the "switch shaft"
on the inner end of which is a switch which throws the before mentioned crank
arm in and out of action, and so starts and stops the operative gearing according
as the said crank arm is engaged or not with one or other of a series of pins or
projections extending laterally from the face of the pin wheel. The crank arm
is moveable along its shaft so that it may be moved out of the path of the last
named pins or projections, the said arm being forced into the path of the said
pins, to start the machine, by a spring. The feed cam which is fast on the main
shaft, acts through a shoe, in combination with a spring to impart a forward
and backward movement to a rod connected to a slotted arm fixed on the upper
end of a vertical shaft on the lower end of which is fixed another arm, to which
is adjustably attached, one end of a link, the other end of which is adjustably
connected to a pawl lever pivotted to the table.
At one side, the pawl lever is provided with a series of semi-circular recesses
for receiving, in adjustable positions, the pivots of two spring controlled pawls
engaging with toothed racks to give the forward motion to the before mentioned
slide and the material carried thereby in the process of cutting as hereinafter
more fully described.
On the shaft carrying the notched disc is a two stepped ratchet wheel with
which engage two pawls attached respectively to the before mentioned shoe
and a crank arm secured on the upper end of a vertical spring-controlled rock
shaft on the lower end of which is secured a lever arm with which engages the
free end of a dog-lever pivotted to the table or platform in such position as to
extend into the path of two dogs adjustably secured to the slide. The said
dogs are adjusted on the slide in such positions that, at the proper times during
the movement of the slide they act successively on the dog lever and thereby
through the vertical rock shaft and the before mentioned pawl attached as
aforesaid to the crank arm at the upper end of rock shaft, rotate the two stepped
ratchet wheel just sufficiently to bring it into position to be acted on by the
other of the above named pawls and the combined action of the two pawls is
sufficient to rotate the notched disc to the extent necessary to move the switch
out of the path of the crank arm. The two pawls act successively, one to pull
and the other to push the two stepped ratchet wheel to cause it to be partially
rotated by each such pawl in the same direction. By removing the switch
from the path of the crank arm as previously described, the said crank arm,
under the action of its spring will be forced into the path of the pins or pro-
jections on the continuously rotated pin wheel and carried round by these pins
and through the crank shaft and gearing connected therewith, transmit motion
to the operative parts of the machine, this operation continuing until by an
arm on the switch shaft entering a recess in the notched disc the switch is again
brought into the path of the crank arm to move the latter out of the path of the
pins.

page_text: The cross head cam has two cam grooves one of which actuates the cross head to
automatically bring the cutters into position for cutting and the other through a
slide bar automatically causes the return of the slide to its starting position.
"
The slide bar is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod the other
end of which is pivotally connected by a stud to a swinging arm in a curved
slot in which, the said stud is adjustable to any desired position. The swinging
arm is pivotted at one end on a fixed stud while in the other end is mounted an
eccentric pin which through an anti-friction roller, bears against a shoe, herein
termed the "slide shoe" and is adjustable for varying the position at which the
slide is to operate. This slide shoe is fitted to slide along a square or non-
circular bar, or lever, formed in one with or fixed on to a cross rock-shaft,
pivotted at its ends to brackets on the machine frame. To the underside of
the slide shoe is adjustably secured a device herein termed a "claw clamp"
which engages with fingers of two clamping rods of the slide and a lug pro-
jecting downwards from the slide shoe engages with a projection on the slide
so that the shoe serves the double purpose of connecting the non-circular lever
to the slide and of opening and closing the clamping plates on the slide, for
placing and keeping in position the pieces of material to be cut as hereinafter
described. When the cross head cam is rotated, motion is imparted thereby to
the slide bar, slide shoe and slide, thus bringing the slide into the various
positions required for the cutting operation, cross head and cutter-controlling
cams and at the same time the rotation of the cross head cam, through the cross-
head, brings the necessary plunger and cutter in proper position for cutting also,
at the same time, the cutter-controlling cam is caused to rotate to allow one or
more of certain devices, hereinafter termed hammer knockers to be moved
forward under cutter depressing cams to be operated thereby. By moving the
hammer knockers out of line with the plungers by means of a suitable crank
handle, the cutter-depressing cams cannot force down the cutters, but upon
releasing the handle the hammer knockers will be returned by springs into
position for the said cam or cams to act thereon to force down the cutters.
cutters are fixed in their plungers which are made of hard steel preferably of
rectangular section, and are with their respective hammers and the hammer
knocker or knockers forced down so as to drive the cutters by means of the cutter
depressing cams, into the material, the cutters being withdrawn from the material
after each cut, by means of springs, one for each plunger, the said springs being
carried by a bracket secured to the cross head. The springs act on the plungers
through balls interposed between the free ends of the said springs and adjust-
ing screws carried by the plungers the tension of the springs being adjustable
by screws. The balls engage with vertical grooves in the plungers to prevent
their displacement. In order to keep the cutter cams in good preservation the
cams do not operate directly on the hammer knockers anti-friction rollers
mounted in sliding "shoes" being provided between the said cams and hammer
knockers. When the hammer knockers are in position over the hammers they
bear against the underside of the shoes and cause the antifriction rollers to press
against the cutter depressing cams and to rotate in contact therewith and move
vertically up and down the distance of the throw of the cams. When the hammer
knockers are withdrawn from over the hammers the rollers and their shoes
descend & allow the cams to rotate without depressing the cutters during the
time that the other parts of the machine are moving into position for cutting,
or are at rest, for example while a cut piece of material being withdrawn and
a fresh piece put in the machine. The plungers have each at its upper end a
set screw for adjusting the height or position at which the cutters shall be
operated, to compensate for wear of the cutters and the variable height of the bed
of the slide.
The
Except when the hammer knockers are withdrawn as before described by means
of the crank handle to save the cutters from being destroyed they are worked
forward and backward horizontally by the combined action of their springs and

page_text: the cutter controlling cam which latter is provided with recesses in its convex
surface into which drops a tapered projection on a pivotted arm connected to
each of the two hammer knockers to allow the hammer knockers to move forward
below the shoes. Plugs are provided for insertion into and the stopping of
certain of the recesses of the cutter controlling cam according to the particular
cutting required to prevent the engagement therewith of the above named
tapered projections.
The slide which is situated on the top of a main steam chest and receives
heat therefrom by radiation is guided in the direction of its travel by a
"feather" and groove" and is held down by spring controlled claws, the
pressure exerted by which is adjustable by any convenient means.
The slide which may be released from the slide shoe by disengaging the claw
clamp from the said slide shoe is provided with a handle for conveniently moving
it longitudinally by hand for removal or otherwise; it is moved from left to
right during the operation of the machine by the before-mentioned pawls
engaging with coarse and fine racks adjustably secured on the side of the slide,
its movement in this direction being opposed to the influence of a weight con-
nected by a band or strap to the slide shoe. The slide is moved from right to
left, that is, brought back into position for commencing the cutting of each
successive piece of material by the cross head cam operating the slotted swinging
arm, the roller of which bears against the slide shoe. The amount of the said
throw or intake of the slide," as it is called, depends upon the position of
the stud in the slot of the swinging arm which stud is adjusted according to
the length of comb to be cut. The body of the slide is trough-shaped for
receiving two superimposed wedges the upper or both upper and lower of which
being composed wholly or partly of soft metal (preferably copper or aluminium)
50 arranged as to provide flat and parallel horizontal top and bottom surfaces.
The upper wedge constitutes the bed on which the material is cut and the soft-
ness of the metal prevents the edge of the cutters from being damaged. The
thicker end of either of the wedges, preferably the under one, is provided with
a nut in which engages a screw the outer end of which is journailed in one of
two bearings on the slide. This set screw serves for adjusting the under wedge
longitudinally for the purpose of raising the surface on which the material
is cut, to compensate for the wear of the soft metal bed, or to suit the length of
the cutters.
The clamping rods to which are secured the before mentioned clamping plates
are acted on by springs and extend along the outer edges or back and front sides
of the soft metal bed, and are journalled in bearings near the extreme ends of
the slide, the rods are flattened on top at the parts adjacent to the soft metal
bed and are so centred that the flattened parts, when the springs are not acting
on them, are level with the top surface of the soft metal bed. To these flattened
parts are screwed the before mentioned clamping plates which may be of any
suitable length according to the length of the combs to be. cut and they are
broad enough to overlap the soft metal bed, the parts overlapping being rabetted
to suit different breadths and thicknesses of material to be cut, the said plates
gripping the material at the edges and on top between them and the soft metal
bed and thereby serving to straighten the said material should it have become
warped or distorted in the process of heating.
The fingers on the clamping rods are at right angles thereto, and are turned
inwards towards each other almost horizontally when the non-circular lever is
horizontal, their free ends being engaged by the claw clamp of the slide shoe as
already described.
→
The free ends of the clamping-rod springs act on the said rods so as to tend
always to press the clamping plates towards the soft metal bed, the pressure of the
said springs being adjustable by screws.
When a piece of material is to be placed in position on the cutting bed the
clamping plates have to be first opened to admit the said material and then

page_text: Closed upon the material, this opening and closing of the clamping plates being
effected through the before-mentioned fingers when the non-circular lever is
raised and lowered.
"
The non-circular lever is raised and lowered by means of a three-armed lever
5 pivotted on a horizontal stud fixed to the machine frame. The free end of the
substantially horizontal arm of the said lever is rounded or partly spherical
and engages with a concave recess in the adjacent side of the non-circular lever.
With a slot in the three-armed lever engages an eccentric or crank pin on
the end of a shaft passing axially through the before mentioned hollow shaft
carrying the cross head cam. By turning the shaft which carries the eccentric
pin, the three-armed lever, and with it the non-circular lever and the "fingers
of the clamping rods, can be raised and lowered so as to open and close the
clamping plates. The end of the substantially vertical arm of the three-armed
lever is curved to fit the circumference of a three-step cone or disc fixed on the
shaft which carries the cutter-controlling cam.
has a recess in the periphery of its second step which recess, when the disc is in
This three step cone or disc
certain positions, is free to receive the end of the substantially vertical arm of
the three-armed lever so that then the said lever may be raised and the clamping
plates opened. This can only take place when the machine is at rest for receiv-
ing a piece of material to be cut, at other times the said arm presses lightly
against the periphery of the second step of the cone or disc and therefore the
three-armed lever cannot rise. The first step of the cone or disc is provided in
one of its side faces with a recess at or near the periphery of the said step
into which an arm enters so as to allow one of the spring-controlled pawls herein-
before referred to, to engage with the fine rack on the slide, and two recesses
just beyond the periphery of the second step of the cone or disc into which
recesses another arm enters to allow the other spring controlled pawl to engage
with the coarse rack on the slide. The two arms are secured on vertical shafts
or rods each provided with another arm. The arms which engage with the
recesses of the three step disc are connected through suitable connecting devices
to the pawls which as previously described engage with the racks on the slide.
When the cutter controlling cam is rotated, the arms are forced out of the
recesses on to the side face of the first step of the cone or disc thereby with-
drawing the pawls out of engagement from the racks.
The recesses are so situated that both of the arms cannot at the same time be
engaged, therewith, consequently only one rack can be operated at a time, for
instance, when the coarse teeth are being cut only the pawl appropriated to the
coarse rack is in engagement with its rack and when the fine teeth are being cut
only the pawl appropriated to the fine rack is in engagement with its rack.
When it is desired to form a comb with only coarse teeth the recess appropriated
to the fine rack is plugged and when it is desired to form a comb with only fine
teeth the recesses appropriated to the coarse rack are plugged.
As the crosshead with the plungers and cutters would be liable to shift slightly
to the right or left in consequence of wear a spring clamping device is provided
having a jaw fitted to one arm of a bell crank lever, the said jaw being toothed
or roughened to engage with the upper surface of an arm or guide bar of the.
crosshead which arm is correspondingly toothed or roughened, and when the
cutters are in action this clamping device is caused to engage with the toothed
or roughened bar of the crosshead by means of a powerful spring fixed at its
rear end to the frame its front end pressing against one end of a link the other
end of which latter presses against a bolt passing through the front end of bell
crank lever each end of the link acting as a ball and socket joint. When the
cross head is moved the clamping device is disengaged from the said cross head
y the rear end of a bell crank lever bearing against the periphery of the third
tep of the three step cone or disc which step is provided with recesses so
rranged that the said rear end is forced into them by the spring which causes
he jaw to engage with the arm of the crosshead when the cutter-controlling and

page_text: crosshead cams and the crosshead are stationary and in position for cutting or
at rest. As soon as the last named cams and the crosshead begin to move the
rear end of the bell crank lever is forced out of the recesses in the three step disc
and is caused to bear on the periphery of the third step of the said disc against
the influence of the spring and thus the jaw is disengaged from the crosshead
arm or guide bar and retained out of engagement until the cutters next come.
into position for cutting, or until the machine has gone through its cycle of
operations and come to rest.
1
When the parts are properly adjusted and the cropping cutters are 'to be
operated, the slide should be in such a position that the clamping plates thereof
are not immediately beneath the said cutters. Should however this adjustment
not have been properly effected the cropping cutters would be damaged as they
would overlap the clamping plates; to prevent this, two vertical feeler bars are
provided which extend downwards from the hammer knockers behind the
cutters to prevent the said cropping cutters from operating; these "feelers"
being hooked to the hammer-knockers so as to prevent this.
A bent arm adapted to be operated by hand is arranged so as, by bearing
against or engaging with a pin projecting outwards from the outer surface of the
notched disc, to turn the said disc, and thereby, through the switch shaft effect
the starting of the machine, the said arm preferably bearing at one end against
the disc which carries the crank handle for rotating the eccentric pin before
referred to.
The details of the before described apparatus may be modified without depart-
ing from the nature of the invention, for example, instead of the said apparatus
being arranged to cut only one pair of combs, it may be provided with an
additional set or additional sets of cutters and a wider cutting bed having
additional clamping plates, so as to enable two, or more, pairs of combs to be
produced at each complete operation of the machine, and instead of steam being
employed as the heating medium, gas, oil or other suitable heating agent may
be employed.
· JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Combs.
We, DAVID BROWN DOUGLAS STEWART and WILLIAM DYCE STEWART, both of
Banchory House, Banchory, Devinick, in the County of Kincardine, North
Britain, Comb Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(which has been communicated to us by Joseph Noyes, of Binghampton, County
of Broome, State of New York, United States of America, Engineer) and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object to provide a machine for cutting combs with
rapidity and economy.
"Twin-cutting" the teeth of combs is a process by which two combs are
simultaneously cut out of a single piece of material by means of cutters so
made that the material cut by them to form the recesses or spaces between
the teeth of the one comb form the teeth of the other comb.
Horn combs when "twin cut" have usually been cut on what are known as

page_text: "
rotary twin cutting machines" either with single or double "slides and jaws
and with one pair of cutters for each slide and jaw, and capable of cutting
either one piece of material, or two pieces of material at the same time, and
therefore capable of making either two combs or four combs at a time.
These machines have hitherto been constructed so that they and the cutters
operating on the centre of the piece of material (where the coarse teeth and
the fine teeth adjoin) have necessitated adjustment by hand. The end teeth
have to be cut and shaped on a separate machine whereby also an extra cut
has to be made to separate superfluous material if there be any, to allow the
two combs of a piece to separate. After cutting the piece or the pieces of
material, the said " rotary machine has to be adjusted by hand to return
the slide or slides into position to receive a fresh piece or fresh pieces of material
and the cutters have also to be adjusted by hand and the machine has to be
started and stopped by hand, and the operator has to be very careful to count
or judge the right number of teeth, otherwise he might destroy the combs.
One pair of cutters only is provided for each slide, the cutters that cut the
fine teeth being employed also to cut the coarse teeth, and, as the pitch is
different and therefore the taper of the tooth different, both cutters should be
made adjustable, but only one has heretofore been made adjustable so that
badly shaped coarse teeth are produced.
Having only one set of cutters for each slide and the cutters which cut the
coarse teeth having also to cut the fine teeth, the angled edges commonly called
the "prickers of the cutters cannot be made bigger than one half the space
or
33
of a fine tooth, otherwise the roots of the teeth of the combs cut become shattered
"burst."
As they therefore always have to be small they either will not
close sufficiently to form the points of the coarse teeth, or are so tapered as to
form ugly teeth.
66
"
Combs made of horn, have sometimes, and combs made of vulcanite, celluloid,
xylonite, and other artificial substances have nearly always been twin cut
on machines constructed on what is known as the American or split mandrel
principle. The said machines are provided with four cutters in pairs for each
slide (almost always with one slide) one pair of cutters for the coarse teeth of a
comb and the other pair for the fine teeth.
These machines require to be adjusted by hand to the centre of the piece of
material where the coarse and fine teeth adjoin and the cutters have to be
adjusted by hand to cut and shape the end teeth of the combs.
If the piece of material to be cut is longer than that of the combs to be made,
a separate machine is necessary to crop off the superfluous length so as to allow
the combs to come apart or else the machine has to cut the piece out to the end
leaving the superfluous material attached to each comb, which must be after-
wards cut or ground off. These machines have always been started by land
and, so far as we are aware, always stopped by hand which involves the same
disadvantages as with the rotary cutting machines.
The machine requires to be adjusted by hand after cutting one piece of material
to return the slide of the machine into position to receive a fresh piece of
material.
These hand adjustments have involved in both the types of machine before
referred to, great loss of time and labour and often inaccurate work.
In a machine constructed, according to this invention these objections and
inconveniences are mainly obviated as will be understood from the following
description with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1
represents in front elevation, Figure 2 in right end elevation, Figure 3 in left
end elevation with portions removed and Figure 4 in plan a machine con-
structed according to this invention for twin-cutting the teeth of combs.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a trans-
verse section of part of the machine on the lines 6-6 of Figures 4 and 7.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section on the crooked lines 7-7 of Figures 3 and 6.

page_text: Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14ª and 15 are views of detached portions of the
machine and Figure 16 is a plan of a piece of material after it has been operated
on in our improved machine.
The whole of the operating parts of the machine are carried on a table or
platform A supported on legs B. Formed in one with or attached to the table
or platform A is a steam chest or heating chamber C for heating by radiation
a slide 1 by which the material to be cut is moved forward during the cutting
process.
E are boxes heated by steam for heating and softening the material of
which the combs are made, the said boxes being supported on a bracket I fixed
to the main heating chamber C. Gis a clamping screw screwing into the
bracket F and pressing against the outermost of the boxes E to press together
the boxes and the material to be softened when placed between them, these boxes
being moved apart when the screw is released by means of blade springs e inter-
posed between them and by the lateral spring of the pipes e¹ by which steam is
admitted to the boxes E from a pipe or chamber H which is in connection with
the source of steam supply. d is a pipe for conducting steam from the chamber H
to the heating chamber C.
On
Projecting upwards from the table or platform A is a frame I carrying the
principal operating parts. Mounted in bearings in the upper part of the frame I
is the main driving or cam shaft K, cams K and K on which, operate the
feeding mechanism and the cutters as hereinafter particularly described. Rotal
tion is given to the shaft K by a band from any suitable motor, passing round
the wheel K fast on the said shaft or in any other convenient manner.
the shaft is a pinion L gearing with a toothed wheel M mounted loosely on
one end of a bushing N which is secured in the frame I and forms a bearing
for a shaft N¹ extending parallel to the shaft K, as shewn in Figure 7, the
shaft N being driven through a crank arm 0 as hereinafter described. On the
shaft N is a pinion P Figures 5 and 7 in gear with a toothed wheel Q fast on
a hollow shaft R which carries a pinion Q gearing (as shewn in Figure 2) with
a wheel S on a shaft T on which is mounted a drum or barrel cam U Figures 5, 6,
7 and 8, by which the various cutters are brought into and out of action. The
wheel S on the shaft T gears with a corresponding wheel V on.a hollow shaft W
on which is mounted a drum or barrel cam X Figures 5, 6 and 9, by means of
which a crosshead Y is operated to bring the cutters into position for cutting. On
a shaft R mounted concentrically within the hollow shaft R is a notched disc Z
which is driven from the pinion Q¹ by means of a pin a projecting through the
said disc one end of which pin enters a slot a formed partly in the pinion Q
and partly in the shaft R as shewn in Figure 7. With the notches in the
periphery of the disc Z and under the action of a spring c¹. Figures 2 and 4
engages an arm b secured on a shaft e the inner end of which is formed with a
wedge-shaped tail piece (shewn clearly in Figures 2 and 2b) which acts (as;
what is hereinafter referred to) as a switch." This switch throws the before
mentioned crank arm O in and out of action and so sets the whole gearing in or
out of action according as the said crank arm is engaged or not with one or
other of the pins or projections f extending laterally from the face of the
toothed wheel M. The crank arm being pivotted at 2* to N is moveable on
the said pivot as shewn in full and dotted lines in Figure 7 so that it may be
moved out of the path of the pins or projections f, the said arm being forced into
the path of the said pins f, to start the machine by a spring 01.
When either of the notches in the periphery of the disc Z is presented to the
arm the said arm under the influence of the spring c is caused to enter the
notch and the switch is consequently moved forward as shewn in Figure 2
into the path of the then rotating arm 0 which latter in its rotation travels
along the inclined surface of the switch whereby the said arm is deflected
out of the path of the pins f the said arm remaining upon the switch until the
latter is next moved back by the operation of the arm was hereinafter explained.

page_text: The feed cam K² which is fast on the main shaft K acts through a shoe
Figures 3 and 7 and in combination with a spring Figure 4 to impart a
forward and backward movement to a rod h, Figures 3 and 4, connected to a
slotted arm fixed on the upper end of a vertical shaft On the lower end of
this shaft is fixed another arm Figures 4 and 10 to which is adjustably
attached one end of a link m the other end of which is adjustably connected to
a pawl lever n pivotted at n' (Figure 10) to the table A.
At one side, the pawl lever n is provided with a series of semi-circular
recesses n² (one of which is shewn vacant in Figure 10) for receiving in adjust-
able positions the pivots of two pawls o' p¹ which respectively are acted on by
springs op and engage with toothed racks q q¹ to give the forward motion to
the before mentioned slide D and the material carried thereby, in the process of
cutting as hereinafter more fully described.
The shaft R extends horizontally through the frame I and on its left end has
secured a two-stepped ratchet wheel r with which engage two pawls s s' attached
respectively to the shoe k² and to a crank arm t¹ secured on the upper end of a
vertical spring-controlled rock shaft or spindle t. On the lower end of the
shaft is secured a lever arm 2 with which engages the free end of a lever d
pivotted, as shewn in Figure 4, to the table or platform A in such position as to
extend into the path of two dogs d2 d³ adjustably secured to the slide D. The
dogs are adjusted on the slide D, in such relation to the pawl s¹ that, at
the proper times during the movement of the slide D, the dogs ³ d² act
successively on the lever and thereby, through the lever arm t2, shaft t, crank
arm and pawls rotates the ratchet wheel r just sufficiently to bring it into
position to be acted on by the pawl s to rotate the notched disc Z to the extent
necessary to move, by means of the arm b, the switch d' out of the path of the
crank arm 0. The two pawls s, s¹, act successively, the former (s) to pull, and
the latter (s) to push the two stepped ratchet wheel r to cause it to be partially
rotated by each pawl in the same direction. By removing the switch from
the path of the crank arm O as previously described, the said crank arm, under
the action of the spring O1, Figure 7, will be forced into the path of the pins or
projections on the continuously-rotated toothed wheel M and carried round by
these pins and through the shaft N and gearing connected therewith, transmit
motion to the operative parts of the machine, this operation continuing until,
by the arm entering a recess in the disc Z the switch is again brought into
the path of the crank arm 0 to move the latter out of the path of the pins f.
But this combined action of the arms 0 and 6 can only happen when O, while
engaged by one of the pins f, is immediately above the switch d¹ and b is in
one of the notches of the disc Z; at other times although the arm
may be in
one of the notches in the disc the arm O may not be in position to be tripped
by the switch and will continue to rotate until it is acted on by the said
switch.
As shewn in Figure 9 the cam X has two cam grooves, one of which, by
means of a pin or anti-friction roller attached to the crosshead Y, brings the
cutters into position for cutting, and the other, by means of a pin or anti-
friction roller attached to a bar u, reciprocates the said bar horizontally.
The bar u passes through both sides of the frame I and at its left end, as
seen in Figures 1 4 and 9, it is provided with a pin or stud u by which it is
pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod u¹, the other end of which is
pivotally connected by a stud u² to a swinging arm ³ in a curved
lot in which the said stud 2 is adjustable to any desired position.
The swinging arm ³ pivotted at one end on a fixed stud u, while in
the other end is mounted an eccentric pin us which, through an anti-friction
roller u, bears against a shoe v, and is, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12. adjust-
able for varying the position at which the slide D is to operate. The shoe v is
itted to slide along a square or non-circular bar or lever ¹ formed in one with, or
ixed on to a shaft, pivotted at its ends to brackets I'. To the underside of

page_text: the shoe is secured a device herein termed a "claw clamp" which engages
with fingers * of two clamping rods d d of the slide D, and a lug (Figure 1)
projecting downwards from the shoe engages with a projection 20 on the slide 1)
so that the shoe serves the double purpose of connecting the lever to the
slide 1 for returning it to its starting position and of opening and closing the
clamping plates on the slide, for placing and keeping in position the pieces of
material to be cut as hereinafter described. The claw clamp is secured in a
forked projection of the shoe by means of a screw and nut and it is provided
with a set screw *Fig. 13 by means of which, when the nut * is loosened, the
said claw clamp may be adjusted to any desired position in relation to the shoe v.
When the cam X is rotated, motion is imparted thereby to the bar u, shoe v
and slide D thus bringing the slide into the various positions required for the
cutting operation and at the same time this rotation of X through the cross-
head brings the necessary plunger and cutter or plungers and cutters into
proper position for cutting. Also at the same time the cam U being geared to X
.rotates, so as to allow one or more of the devices y, hereinafter termed hammer
knockers," to be moved forward under the cutter-operating cam or cams K³ to
be operated thereby. By moving the hammer knockers y towards the back of
the machine out of line with the plungers, by means of the crank handle y on
the shaft y and the connections therewith, the cutter-operating cams K³ can-
not force down the plungers and cutters but upon releasing the crank handle the
hammer knockers will be returned by springs y3 y into position for the cam
or cams K³ to act on the plungers to force them down with their cutters. This
is advantageous because the cutters can be prevented from being damaged
should anything go wrong when the machine is in motion; for instance if the
machine was started without having been properly adjusted, or if the cutters
were to strike the herein before mentioned clamping plates 16 or if too hard a
piece of material were put into the clamps to be cut.
The cutters 1 to 8 are fixed in plungers 1 to 28 and are with their respective
hammers and the hammer knocker or knockers y forced down so as to drive
the cutters by means of the two cams K³ into and through the material, the
cutters being withdrawn from the material after each cut, by means of horizontal
springs 2* one for each plunger to 28. The springs * are carried by a
bracket fixed to the cross-head Y and travel with their respective plungers
horizontally with every horizontal movement of the said crosshead.
"
The springs act on the plungers to 28 through balls 15 engaging between
the ends of the said springs and adjusting screws which latter are carried
by the plungers, and each spring is brought to proper tension by its respective
screw the balls engage with vertical grooves in the plungers 1 to 28
which prevent the said balls from being displaced. In order to keep the cutter
cams K³ in good preservation these cams do not operate directly on the hammer
knockers y anti-friction rollers mounted in sliding shoes being provided
between the said cams and hammers as shewn in Figure 6.
When the hammer knockers y are in position over the hammers they under
the influence of the springs carrying them bear against the underside of
the shoes and cause the anti-friction rollers to press against the cams K³
and to rotate in contact therewith and to move vertically up and down the
distance of the throw of the cams. When the hammer knockers y are with-
drawn from over the hammers the rollers and their shoes can be depressed
by the cams K³ without depressing the cutters during the time that the other
parts of the machine are moving into position for cutting, or at rest, for example
while a cut piece of material is being withdrawn and a fresh piece put in the
machine. The plungers 1 to 28 have each at its upper end a set screw 2 for
adjusting the height or position at which the cutters shall be operated, to com-
pensate for wear of the cutters and the variable height of the bed a a² of the
slide D.
Except when the hammer knockers are withdrawn as before described by

page_text: means of the crank handle y¹ to save the cutters from being destroyed, when
the machine is in action, they are automatically worked forward and backward
horizontally as required by the combined action of the cam U and springs y³ y'.
The cam U as shewn in Figure 6 is provided with recesses in its convex surface
5 into which drop two tapered projections on pivotted arms y5 connected one to
each of the two hammer knockers y to allow the hammer knockers to move
forward below the shoes 13. Plugs are provided for insertion into and the
stopping of certain of the recesses of the cam U according to the particular
cutting required, to prevent the engagement therewith of the tapered projections
on the arms y³.
0
The slide D is situated on the top of the main steam chest C and receives
heat therefrom by radiation and is guided in the direction of its travel by a
"feather" and "groove" d and is held down by spring controlled claws de do
which are connected to each other by rods 10 11 cross bar d2 and spring 15 as
clearly shewn in Figure 6, the pressure exerted by the claws de d being adjust-
able by nuts screwed on to the rods do d¹¹
The slide D may be disengaged from the shoe by loosening the nut v* and
then by turning the crank handle was hereinafter described raising the said
shoe until its projection is above the level of the slide projection 20, and it
is provided with a handle 3 for conveniently moving it longitudinally by hand
for removal or otherwise. It is moved from left to right during the operation of
the machine by the pawls o p engaging with the racks q q¹ Figures 4, 10, 14
and 14 its movement in this direction being opposed to the influence of a
weight Figures 1 and 4 connected by a band or strap to the shoe v.
The slide is moved from right to left, that is, brought back into position for
commencing the cutting of each successive piece of material by the cam X
operating the swinging arm u³ the roller of which bears against the shoe v.
The amount of the said throw, or "intake of the slide" as it is called, depends
upon the position of the stud 12 in the swinging arm which stud is adjusted
according to the length of comb to be cut. The body of the slide D is trough
shaped for receiving as shewn in Figures 13 and 14 two super imposed wedges a¹ a²
the upper or both upper and lower of which being composed wholly or partly
of soft metal (preferably copper or aluminium) so arranged as to provide flat
and parallel horizontal top and bottom surfaces. The upper wedge a² cón-
stitutes the bed on which the material is cut and the softness of its upper surface
prevents the edge of the cutters from being damaged. The thicker end of
either of the wedges, preferably the under one a¹. as shewn in Figure 13, is
provided with a nut in which engages, a screw a³ the outer end of which is
journalled in one of two bearings 2 on the slide D. The set screw a³ serves for
adjusting the wedge a¹ longitudinally for the purpose of raising the surface
on which the material is cut, to compensate for the wear of the cutters and
soft metal bed, but usually for the latter only: the thicker end of the wedge a
bears against shoulders formed on the sides of the trough of the slide D.
The slide D is of sufficient length to provide a satisfactory bearing surface and
to accommodate the racks g¹ which are attached to the back of the said slide,
the coarse rack when used, being fixed to the right of the fine rack q¹ as shewn
in Figures 14 and 14. Either or both of the racks q q¹ may be secured to the
slide D by slot and screw connections so as to permit of being adjusted longi-
tudinally. The dogs are fitted in a dovetail groove in the front of the
slide D and may be adjusted independently of each other along the said groove
and secured in adjusted position by screws or other suitable means. The
logs must be carefully adjusted so as to trip the movable dog or lever d
and operate the feed mechanism at the times required so that the desired number
of coarse teeth and fine teeth are not exceeded these dogs indirectly causing the
awls op to be disengaged from their respective racks as hereinafter described.
The clamping rods extend along the outer edges or back and front sides of
he soft metal bed a¹ a² and are journalled in bearings ² near the extreme ends

page_text: of the slide, the rods are thickened and flattened on top at the parts adjacent
to the soft metal bed and are so centred that the flattened part, when the springs,
hereinafter mentioned are not acting on them, is level with the top surface of
the soft metal bed. To these flattened parts are screwed the before mentioned
clamping plates which are broad enough to overlap the soft metal bed, the
parts overlapping being rabetted, to suit different breadths and thicknesses of
material to be cut, the said plates gripping the material at the edges and on
top between them and the soft metal bed and thereby serving to straighten the
said material should it have become warped or distorted in the process of
heating.
The before mentioned fingers d* are at right angles to the rods do and are
turned inwards towards each other almost horizontally when the bar herein-
before described is horizontal, their free ends being engaged by the claw clamp 3
of the shoe vas already described.
Attached at 7 Figures 13 and 14 to the slide D, are springs d18, the free
ends of which are caused to act on the rods de so as to tend always to press
the clamping plates (16 towards the soft metal bed a¹ a², the pressure of the
said springs being adjustable by screws 19.
When a piece of material is to be placed in position on the cutting bed a¹ aª
the clamping plates 6 have to be first opened to admit the said material and
then closed upon the material this opening and closing of the clamping plates 016
being effected through the before mentioned fingers d*, when the bar v¹, shoe ⟫
and claw clamp are raised and lowered.
.
The bar is turned upon the axis of the shaft 2 by means of a three-armed
lever Figure 3 pivotted on a horizontal stud w² fixed to the machine frame I.
The free end of the substantially horizontal arm of the lever wis rounded
or partly spherical and engages with a concave recess in the adjacent side of the
bar is a slot in the three-armed lever w with which engages an eccentric
or crank pin on the end of a shaft W passing axially through the before
mentioned hollow shaft W carrying the cam X. A line passing through the
centres of the shaft W and eccentric or crank pin w is horizontal when the
clamping plates 16 are down, consequently any rotary upward movement of the
crank handle won the shaft W raises the three-armed lever w and with it
the bar, and the " fingers" of the clamping rods d d whereby the clamps are
opened. By reversing the motion of the handle w the clamps are closed. The
end of the substantially vertical arm of the lever is curved to fit the circum-
ference of a three-step cone or disc W2 fixed on the left end of the shaft T of the
cam U. This three-step cone or disc W2 has a recess 7 in the periphery of its
second step which recess, when the disc W2 and cam U are in certain positions
is free to receive the before mentioned end w³ so that then the three-armed
lever may be raised and the clamping plates 16 opened. This can only take
place when the machine is at rest for receiving a piece of material to be cut,
at other times the end w³ presses lightly against the periphery of the second
step of the cone or disc W2 and therefore the lever cannot rise. The first
step of the cone or disc W2 as shewn in Figure 3 is provided in one of its side
faces with one recess w8 at or near the periphery of the said step into which
recess the arm 2010 enters so as to allow the pawl p¹ to engage with the fine
rack during the operation by the cams K³ of the two fine tooth cutters and
the fine diagonal and fine cropping cutters which, so long as the said arm wo
remains in the recess 8, continue to be thus operated by the cams K³. The
three step cone or disc W2 is also provided with two recesses w just beyond the
periphery of its second step, into which recesses the arm 20¹¹ enters so as to allow
the pawl O to engage with the coarse rack q during the operation, by the
cams K³. of the coarse tooth cutters and the coarse diagonal and coarse cropping
cutters which, so long as the said arm woll remains in either of the recesses w
continue to be thus operated by the cams K³. The arms 2010 wll are secured
respectively on vertical shafts or rods w1a and 13 see Fig. 10, each shaft or rod

page_text: being provided with another arm 2014 and 2015 respectively. The arms w10 2011
are respectively connected through the vertical shafts w13 13, the arms wit w,
screws w16 17 and connecting links w18 19 to the pawls o¹ and p¹ adapted, as
previously described, to engage with the racks q and q¹ respectively. When
the cam U is rotated, the arms w10 wll are forced out of their respective recesses
on to the side face of the said first step of the cone or disc W2, thereby with-
drawing the pawls o¹ p¹ out of engagement from the racks q q' respectively. The
recesses w8w are so situated that both of the arins w10 and wll cannot, at the
same time, be engaged therewith, consequently only one rack can be operated at
a time, for instance, when the coarse teeth are being cut, only the pawl o¹ is in
engagement with its rack q and when the fine teeth are being cut only the pawl p
is in engagement with its rack q¹. When it is desired to form a comb with
only coarse teeth the recesse w8 may be plugged so as to prevent the entrance
thereinto of the arm w10 and thereby prevent the pawl pl from engaging with
the rack and when it is desired to form a comb with only fine teeth the
recesses may be plugged so as correspondingly to prevent the engagement of
the pawl o with the rack q.
As it is essential to good cutting that the slide D, cross head Y,. plungers zl
to 28 and cutters 1 to 8 should work very steadily the slide D and crosshead Y
are provided with extensive bearing surfaces and the plungers are made of hard
steel preferably of rectangular section, and, as the crosshead Y with the plungers
and cutters would be liable to shift slightly to the right or left in consequence
of wear of the pin or anti-friction roller and cam X with which the said pin
engages, a spring-clamping device is provided on the frame I. The opera-
tive jaw of this clamping device, which is fitted into oue end of a hell-crank
lever, is toothed or roughened as shewn in Fig. 3 and the upper surface of
the adjacent arm or guide bar of the crosshead Y at y* is correspondingly toothed
or roughened, and when the cutters are in action this clamping device is caused
to engage with the toothed or roughened bar of the crosshead by means of a
powerful spring a fixed at its rear end to the frame I, its front end pressing
against one end of a link or thrust rod the other end of which latter presses
against a bolt passing through the front end of each end of the link or
thrust rod acting as a ball and socket joint. See Figures 3 and 3.
When the crosshead Y is being moved by the cam X the clamping device
i disengaged from the said crosshead by the rear end of the bell-crank lever 4
bearing (as shewn in Fig. 3) against the periphery of the third step of the cone or
disc W2 which step is provided with recesses * so arranged that the said rear
end of is forced into them by the spring which causes the jaw to engage
at y* with the arm of the crosshead Y when the cams U, X and the crosshead Y
are stationary and in position for cutting or at rest. As soon as the cams U
and X begin to move, the rear-end of the bell-crank lever is forced out of the
recess with which it was engaged and is caused again to bear on the periphery
of the third step of W2 against the influence of the spring and thus the jaw.
is disengaged from the cross-head arm or guide bar and retained out of engage-
ment until the cutters next come into position for cutting, or until the machine
has gone through its cycle of operations and come to .rest.
When the parts are properly adjusted and the cropping cutters are to be
operated the slide D should be in such a position that the clamping plates №16
thereof are not immediately beneath the said cutters. Should however this
adjustment not have been properly effected, the cropping cutters would be
damaged as they overlap the clamping plates d16, to prevent this, two vertical
feeler bars are provided which, as shewn in Figure 6, extend downwards from
the hammer knockers y behind the cutters 1 to 8 and prevent the said cropping
cutters from operating. The feeler bars 212 are free to slide vertically in slots
in the cross-head y and their vertical movements are restricted by pins or pro-
jections 12 coming into contact with a plate Y* bolted to the lower end of the
said cross head through which plate the feeler bars pass. Between the upper

page_text: end of each feeler bar 212 and the hammer knocker spring 6 is a pivotted hook
arranged to engage in a hole in the before mentioned spring y" for preventing
the hammer knocker moving forward to above its hammer. This engagement of
the hooks with the springs takes place when the lower ends of the feeler bars
are acted on by the clamping plate on the slide 1), to raise the said feeler
bars the lower ends of which are inclined or cam shaped to admit of the said
clamping plates passing beneath and raising the said bars. When the plates 16
have in the travel of the slide D moved from beneath the feeler bars the said
bars descend and allow the hooks to become disengaged from the springs_y",
and permit of the hammer knockers y being moved forward under the action
of their springs y y into their operative position, until the clamping plates (16
by the movement of the slide 1) again enter beneath the feeler bars to raise
them above the top surface of the said clamping plates.
20 is a bent arm one end of which rests in a recess in the disc 21 carrying the
before mentioned crank-handle the said bent arm being pivotted on a
shaft and having an arm extending beyond the pivot which arm is
arranged so as, by bearing against, or engaging with, the pin a* which projects
outwards from the outer surface of-the notched disc Z, to turn the said disc" and
thereby, through the arm b operate the switch and consequently in a manner
similar to that automatically effected through the medium of the two stepped
ratchet wheel and pawls effect the starting of the machine.
The operation of the before described apparatus is as follows:-The various
parts having been properly adjusted, the fly wheel K usually driven by power
with its shaft K is set in motion and the operator places the pieces of material
to be cut, between the heating boxes E, takes out one piece of material as soon
as soft, raises the crank handle w to open the clamping plates 16, places the
piece of softened material in position on the cutting bed a¹ a² and closes the
clamping plates by turning the handle down again, pulls the bent arm 20
forward thereby actuating the switch and starting the machine whereupon
first the cropping and guard tooth cutters appropriated to the coarse ends of
the combs operate to effect the cropping cut and to form the guard teeth at those
ends and then the cutters for forming the coarse teeth are operated. The
latter operation continues until the dog by coming in contact with the lever d¹
causes the machine to be automatically adjusted for cutting the fine teeth which
latter operation continues until the machine is automatically adjusted for
cutting the guard teeth at the fine ends of the combs, after which the cropping
cutter appropriated to the fine toothed ends of the combs operates to separate the
said combs, at which moment, through the action of the dog on the lever
arm and the consequent operation of the pawls s and s two-step ratchet
wheel r, recessed disc Z, arm b, switch and disengagement of the crank armı O
from the pins f, the machine is brought to rest in position for the next opera-
tion. As soon as w2 is pulled forward, as before described, the operator puts a
fresh piece of material in E in the place of the piece last removed, to soften.
The operator then raises the clamping plates 16 by means of the crank handle 6
withdraws the cut piece of material and places a fresh piece of material already
softened on the cutting bed after which the foregoing operations are repeated.
Among the many advantages derived from the use of the before described
machine, as compared with existing machines, over and above the increased out-
put of such machine, may be mentioned the manufacture of combs either without
guard teeth or with guard teeth, of any desired shape and the following adjust-
ments for producing combs of various lengths, and pitch of teeth (which latter
may be either all coarse or all fine or partly coarse and partly fine) from horn,
vulcanite, celluloid, xylonite or the like;
The adjustment to suit the cutting of combs of different length is effected by
varying the position of the stud in the curved slot of the swinging arm
and the position of the dog on the slide D.
The adjustment for varying the pitch of the comb teeth is effected by varying
the points of connection of the link m with the lever arm and pawl lever n,

page_text: and the particular recesses 2 with which the pawls o¹ pl are engaged and at
the same time adjusting the screws of " and " for various "throws" of the
pawls o and p required to engage with the racks g'.
By referring to Figure 16 it will be seen from the cuts 213 which are made by
the cropping cutters and the cuts made by the diagonal or guard tooth cutters
that the latter cutters at one end meet the former cutters and at the other end
meet the first of the fine or coarse tooth cutters according as one looks at the fine
or coarse toothed end of the comb, and therefore adjacent cropping and diagonal
cutters may be carried in a single plunger of a width equal to that or two
adjacent plungers, or in two separate plungers connected together so as to work
as a single piunger; in the latter case the cutters for these plungers may be
made either as one cutter or formed as separate cutters either of the recesses in
the cam U appertaining to the cropping or diagonal cutters thus conjointly
operated being in this arrangement, piugged so as to be rendered inoperative;
or the second plunger from each end may be fitted with a combination cutter
to act as a single cutter, the end or outside plungers being in this case either
removed or rendered inoperative.
Instead of the boxes E and chamber C being heated by steam, as previously
described, gas oil or other heating agent may be employed for the purpose, and
of these said boxes there may be more or less than the number shewn in the
drawings and in other respects various modifications may be made without departing
from the essential features of the invention, for example instead of the before
described apparatus being arranged to cut only one pair of combs the plungers
may be increased in width (i.e. say from back to front) and provided with au
additional set, or additional sets, or cutters and a wider cutting bed be provided
having additional clamping plates, so as to enable two or more pairs of combs to
be produced at each complete operation of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
by
1. A machine for cutting combs provided with means whereby it may
adjusted for cutting automatically either all coarse teeth or all fine teeth and for
automatically effecting the cutting of combs with partly coarse teeth and partly
fine teeth substantially as herein before described.
2. A machine for cutting combs provided with means whereby the said
machine can automatically effect the cutting of combs with partly coarse teeth
and partly fine teeth, substantially as herein before described.
may be
3. A machine for cutting combs, provided with means whereby it
adjusted for cutting automatically either all coarse teeth or all fine teeth sub-
stantially as herein before described.
4. A machine for cutting combs, provided with means whereby the said
machine can automatically adjust itself for cutting the intermediate teeth and
the end or guard teeth, substantially as herein before described.
5. A machine for twin cutting combs provided with means whereby the said
machine can automatically adjust itself for cutting the intermediate teeth, the
end or guard teeth and for cropping or severing or parting the two combs auto-
natically substantially as herein before described.
6. In a machine for cutting combs the employment of five or more cutters
each mounted in an independently movable plunger substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described.
7. In a machine for cutting combs the employment of two or more sets of
four, or more cutters, each set mounted in a plunger moveable independently
of the other plunger or plungers substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with cutters for cutting
the intermediate teeth, of guard or end teeth, and cropping cutters; the inter-
mediate teeth cutters being carried in independently movable plungers and

page_text: adjacent guard or end teeth and cropping cutters being each carried in a single
plunger or in two plungers operated as a single plunger, in the latter case the
adjacent guard or end tooth cutters and cropping cutters being formed each as
a separate cutter or both as a single cutter substantially as herein before described.
9. In a machine for cutting combs the combination of a sliding crosshead with
a cutter-carrying plunger movable therein or with two or more such cutter-
carrying plungers each movable independently of the other plunger or plungers
in the said cross head, substantially as herein before described.
10. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with the teeth forming
cutter or cutters of a crosshead such as Y by which the cutter or cutters is or
are automatically moved into successive cutting positions substantially as
herein before described.
11. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with the subject matter
of the last preceding claim of a cam such as X for operating the crosshead, a bar
such as u also operated by the said cam, link u', slotted arm such as u³ and
adjustable eccentric such as 5 automatically substantially as and for the pur-
pose described.
12. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with a cutter carrying
crosshead such as Y of a clamping device for retaining the said crosshead in
position during the cutting operation substantially as herein before described.
13. In a comb cutting machine the combination with a pawl for effecting the
traverse of the cutting bed, of a disc having a recess such as w8 or 9 arms such
as w10 and 14 or wll and w15 shaft or rod w12 or 13 and a link such as 2018 or 19
all substantially as and operating in the manner hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. In a comb cutting machine the combination with a cam such as K2 for
imparting a step by step movement to the slide carrying the material to be
cut, of dogs such as d d adjustable on the slide, a lever such as d shaft t having
arms ², pawls s s¹, two stepped ratchet wheel such as r shaft R¹, recessed disc
such as Z arm b, shaft c and switch such as all substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. In a comb cutting machine the combination with revolving pins such as f
of a crank arm such as O and a switch such as d for automatically disengaging
the crank arm from the pins, as required for the various kinds of cutting, sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. In a comb cutting machine the combination with mechanism such as
claimed in the last preceding claiming clause of a recessed disc such as Z, arm b.
crank pin a*, arm w22, and crank handle y', substantially as hereinbefore de-
scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. In a machine for twin cutting combs, the combination with cutters for
cutting the teeth, of other cutters for cropping or parting the combs, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
18. In a machine for twin cutting combs, the combination with cutters for
cutting the teeth, of "diagonal" cutters for cutting the guard teeth substantially
as herein before described.
19. In a machine for cutting combs, a bed for supporting the material to be
cut, consisting of two superimposed wedges longitudinally adjustable in relation
to each other substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
20. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with a cutting bed of
pivoted clamping plates having rebatted edges for engaging the edges of the
material to be cut, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
21. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with the cutting bed,
of mechanism, such as the plates (16,, rods dd, and fingers d*, for clamping
the material to the cutting bed substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
22. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with the cutting bed,
having clamping plates such as d¹6, and fingers d*, of a claw clamp such as 3,

page_text: hoe v, bar vl, three armed lever w, shaft W₁, disc w21, and crank handle wº,
ccentric pin w, engaging with the three armed. lever and a disc having a
ecess such as w7, substantially as and for the purpose described.
of
23. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with a slide such as D,
shoe such as v, having a lug such as +, and claw clamps such as 3 engaging
ith the slide D, substantially as and for the purpose described, with reference
o the accompanying drawings.
24. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with clamping plates,
uch as d¹6, of springs such as 18 therefor, and screws for adjusting the effective
ressure of the springs substantially as herein before described..
25. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with the cutting bed,
f mechanism such as the pawls o' p¹, pawl lever n n³, link m, lever arms i and 1,
haft k, rod h, spring k¹ and cam K2 for automatically moving the bed, and
he material carried thereby, into position to be operated on by the cutters, sub-
tantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ngs.
26. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with the cutting bed,
of mechanism for automatically, moving the bed and the material carried there-
by into position to be operated on by the various cutters, for the removal of the
cut combs and insertion of a fresh, uncut, piece of material, and afterwards
moving the bed, together with the said uncut piece of material to the position
from which it moves during the cutting operation substantially as hereinbefore
described.
27. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with cutter-carrying
plungers, and a cam or cams for operating them, of mechanism such as the
hammer-knockers y, pivoted arms y³, cam U, and springs y³ y for controlling
automatically the operation of the plungers, substantially as hereinbefore de-
scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.
28. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with mechanism such as
claimed in the last preceding claiming clause of means for manually rendering
the said mechanism inoperative or non-effective substantially as herein before
described.
29. In a machine for cutting combs, the combination with cutter-carrying
plungers, and a cam, or cams, for operating them, of a recessed adjustable cam,
such as U for controlling the operation of the plungers, substantially as herein-
before described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
30. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with the slide carrying
the material to be cut and having clamping plates such as d¹ and cropping
cutters of feeler bars such as 212 to prevent the descent of the cropping cutters
on to the clamping plates substantially as herein before described.
31. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with a cutter carrying
plunger and a cam for moving it in one direction of a spring for moving the
plunger in the opposite direction a screw (Z) for adjusting the position at
which the plunger shall operate and with or without a ball interposed between
the spring and the adjusting screw and a screw (210) for adjusting the effective
pressure of the spring substantially as herein before described.
32. In a machine for cutting combs the combination with the cutter carrying
plungers and a cam for forcing the cutters through the material to be cut, of a
cam such as X for moving the cutters between the cutting operations sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings.
33. In a machine for cutting.combs the combination with the crosshead Y
of cutter carrying plungers fitted to slide therein of springs such as * carried
by and movable with the crosshead and acting on the plungers to raise them
and means for adjusting the effective power of the springs substantially as
hereinbefore described.
34. The combination with a machine for cutting combs of relatively adjustable

page_text: boxes such as E for heating and softening the material to be cut substantially
as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
35. The combination and, arrangement of parts constituting the improved
machine for twin cutting combs substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of February 1900.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.