A MACHINE FOR CUTTING PAPER, MILL BOARD, LEATHER, VELLUM, SHEET METALS, AND OTHER SUITABLE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Walter O'Byrne and John Dowling,
both of No. 17, Burr Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Machinists, for the Invention of "A MACHINE FOR CUTTING PAPER,
MILL BOARD, LEATHER, VELLUM, SHEET METALS, AND OTHER SUITABLE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Walter
O'Byrne and John Dowling at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th October 1852.
We, MARTIN WALTER O'BYRNE and Joux DOWLING, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A MACHINE FOR CUTTING
PAPER, MILL-BOARD, LEATHER, VELLUM, SHEET METALS, AND OTHER SUIT-
ABLE MATERIALS, FOR USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
By the combination of the fly wheel, crank, and slide, which gives
motion to the knife; also by a screw and slide, by means of which the
table for holding the materials to be cut moves to the knife.

page_text: The said screw may be driven by a bevil wheel and pinion or other
suitable contrivance acting on a lever extending to the centre of the
table, and terminating at a point perpendicular to the shaft of the fly
wheel or otherwise.
The machine may be driven by a bevil wheel and pinion with a
shaft placed at an angle of about 60 degrees or otherwise. A worm at
one end of the said shaft working into a screw wheel running on a
short shaft. The worm wheel is to give motion to an universal joint,
with a small pinnion having a suitable number of teeth which works
into an endless rack having also a suitable number of teeth, so that the
table reverses its motion when the knife has completed its cut through
the lower sheet of paper or other material operated upon. This reversed
motion secures the knife from injury, while the motive force is progres-
sive in the same direction.
The regulation of the paper or other material to the cutting knife
may be effected by a pair of spur wheels and coupling or clutch
enabling the operator to relax or obtain instant contact of the knife
with the material to be cut.
The machine may be worked by a pair of pulleys on the fly wheel
shaft or on the short shaft which gives motion to the universal joint,
and worked by a belt from the fly wheel, these different motions having
a similar effect; by which application the machine can be driven by
steam or water power.
We claim the Invention of the application of steam or water power
to the said cutting machine as new, no other machine for the same
purpose being applicable from its construction to be so driven.
We also claim driving the screw from the shaft of the fly wheel, &c.
While we claim and intend to use our Invention chiefly for cutting
paper and similar matters, we also claim its application to every suit-
able material for cutting the same into any useful or ornamental form
for which it may be practically applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Martin Walter O'Byrne and John Dowling
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
MARTIN WALTER O'BYRNE and JOHN DOWLING, both of No. 17, Burr
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Machinists, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Martin Walter O'Byrne and Johu
Dowling, Her special licence that we, the said Martin Walter O'Byrne
and John Dowling, our exccutors, administrators, and, assigns, or such
others as we, the said Martin Walter O'Byrne and John Dowling,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, excicisc, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A MACHINE FOR CUTTING PAPER, MILL-BOARD, LEATHER, VELLUM, SHEET
METAL, AND OTHER SUITABLE MATERIALS, FOR USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL
PURPOSES," upon the condition (aniongst others) that we, the said
Martin Walter O'Byrne and John Dowling, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Martin Walter O'Byrne and
John Dowling, do hereby declare the nature, of the said Invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
(that is to say):
-Our Invention consists in certain new mechanical arrangements and
combinations of parts constituting a machine having for its object,―

page_text: Firstly, greater simplicity of construction than the machines hitherto
constructed and employed for similar purposes; and,
Secondly, a more rapid movement of the knife and parts in con-
nection therewith, by which the machine is capable of performing a
greater amount of work in a given time, and greater smoothness of
finish of the work, than the machines as hitherto constructed. And in
order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible we will
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying
our said Invention into practical effect, reference being had to the
illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures
and letters of reference marked thercon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Slicet 1, Figure 1, exhibits a front elevation of a machine con-
structed according to our said Invention for cutting paper and other
suitable materials. Figure 2. is a back clevation of the framing and
certain parts connected thereto. Figure 3, is a top plan view of the
principal parts of the machine. Figures 4, 5, 6. are detached portions
hereafter referred to.
At Sheet 2, Figure 1, exhibits a front elevation of a more simple
form of construction of machine for cutting paper and other suitable
materials. Figure 2, is an elevation of the driving end of said ma-
chine; and Figure 3, is an elevation of the opposite end thereof.
Figures 4, and 5, are detached portions hereafter referred to.
At each of the Figures of these Sheets of Drawings we employ the
same letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as
such parts appear or can be seen at cach of the Figures respectively.
At Sheet 1, A, A, marks the front framing of the machine; B, the
back framing; C, the main driving shaft. working in suitable bearings
attached to said framings; D, is a fly wheel; E, E', fast and loose
pullies; and F, a mitre wheel, keyed and placed upon the shaft C;
G, marks a sliding frame working in shaped guides fixed to and formed
upon the front framing A. The upper cross bar of the frame G, has a
screwed hole formed therein, through which passes a square threaded
screw H, to the upper part whereof a lever I, is affixed, and to the
lower part of said lever a pressing piece K, is securely connected, and

page_text: the lower end of the screw H, has free liberty of circular movement
therein, the piece K, being forked at its extremetics, which clip or
embrace the sides of the sliding frame G, upon which it slides. The
lower end of the frame G, has a pin or stud a, affixed thereto, carrying
an anti-friction roller which is embraced by one end of a bent lever L,
the fulcrum whereof is a pin at b, passed through the front framing A,
as shown; and the opposite end of the lever L, is furnished with an
adjustable weight M, sufficient to counterbalance the weight of the
sliding frame G, and to cause said frame and parts connected thereto to
rise by the gravitating power of sand weight, when required. N, marks
a table, which is securely fixed to the framing G, by bolts; the surface
of this table is made true in a planing machine, and is intended to
receive the books, papers, or metallic plates to be cut. The construction
of this table is as follows:-There is a slot c, formed therein, through
which passes a bolt d, for connecting and adjusting thereto the gauge
plate o, by which the work to be cut is kept in its proper position, the
same being brought under the knife P', by the following means :-Q, is
a rod, upon one end whereof a mitre wheel R, is securely fixed; this
rod has a thread or screw formed thereon, which passes through a
screwed nut S, securely fixed to the under side of the table N; and the
other end of the rod Q, passes through a hole formed in the back
framing B; the front end of the rod Q, is attached to a snug or pro-
jection e, cast or fixed upon the table N, as shewn at Figure 4, through
which it slides. T, is a spindle, connected to the under side of the
table N, by snugs cast thereon, in which said spindle revolves; and upon
one end thereof a mitre wheel U, is fixed, and gears into the wheel R,
the other end of the spiulle T, having a wheel V, fixed thercon, to
which is attached a handle for imparting motion to the mitro wheels R,
and U, and screws and nuts Q, and S, by which the table N, may be
traversed to.and fro, and the work to be cut thereby readily adjusted to
the knife, which is connected to the machine in the following manner :-
It will be seen, upon referring to Figure 1, that the upper part of the
framing A, has a projecting piece f, fixed thereto, in which a slot or
opening 9, is formed, and the edges of said piece have V shaped pro-
jections thercon, which are made parallel and true in a plaining

page_text: machine, and there is a casting h, fitted true, and sliding upon the piece
f; and to the casting h, the knife P, is securely connected by a screw i,
as shewn at Figure 5. k, is a rod for connecting the casting or knife
holder h, with the fly wheel D, in one of the arms of which a slot l, is
formed for adjusting the rod k, therein, in accordance with the required
range of action of the knife P; and as the knife in this machine only
works horizontally, it is nocessary that the table N, which carries the
work to be cut should have liberty of vertical movement. and this we
effect in the following manner, and by the following means:-W, is a
rod, the ends whereof work in suitable bearings attached to the back
framing B; the upper end of said rod has a mitre wheel m, fixed
thereto, which gears into the wheel F; and near the lower end of said
rod, a worn n, is securely fixed, and takes into a worm wheel O, as
shown at Figure 2; the wheel O, is fixed upon one end of a stud or
pin P,
which passes through a long hole formed in the bracket g, and to
the other end of the pin p, a universal joint 7, is securely connected, to
which is attached the forked end of a rods; the other end of said rod
is formed cylindrical, and passes through a brass collar t, which works in
a.slot formed in the casting a, as shewn at Figure 6, said casting being
attached to the sliding framing G, by bolts or screws, and there is
another casting X, securely fixed to the framing G, of tlic construction
exhibited at Figure 7, where 1, 1, are pins or studs fixed to or formed
thereon, and between which the teeth of a pinion 2, formed on the
collar t, take for the purpose of forcing the table N, and work thercon,
up to the knife P, at each reciprocation thereof. And an important
feature in this part of our said Invention consists in the table being
prevented from injuring the knife, which would be the case if raised
too high; as by this Invention immediately the table comes into contact
with the knife the table is caused to descend in the following manner:
Upon motion being imparted to the main shaft C, the rod S, will
receive rotatory motion through the agency of the mitre wheels F, m,
worm wheel o, and worm n, the effect of which will be to raise tho
sliding frame G, by reason of the pinion 2, acting upon the studs or pins
1, 1; and this rising motion will continue until the teeth on the pinion
come under the last and lowest pin or stud, when the pinion continuing

page_text: its rotatory motion will be forced by the lowest pin or stud along the
slot 3, as shewn at Figure 6, to the opposite side of said pins or studs;,
and the pinion 2, continuing to move in the same direction, will force the.
said pins or studs downwards, together with the sliding frame and table,
connected thereto, and thereby effect the lowering and retiring of the
table from the knife P. The action of the other parts of this machine,
is as follows:-The operator places the paper or other substance-or
material to be cut upon the table N; and adjusts it to the proper
distance by the handle V, and having done this he turns round the
lever I, and screw H, and tightens the casting K, thereon, by which
the paper or other substance will be firmly held; he then throws the
pinion-2, into gear with the pins or studs 1, 1, by means of the handle.
Y, and imparts motion to the machine, by which the knife holder and
knife will receive reciprocating movement; and simultaneously with this
movement the table N, will be forced upwards, as before described, and,
the knife will pass backwards and forwards through it.until the whole.
substance is cut, when the table will descend by the means before.
described; the handle Y, is then thrown out of .gear, the machine is!
stopped, and the work removed, and again placed upon the table with,
the side or edge last cut in contact with the plate O; the machine is,
again put into motion, as before stated, and this side is cut, and will be
found as near as may be parallel to the other side, and in like manner.
the ends may be cut; but in order that the edge of the knife may cut
through tho last leaf we place and drive a piece of moderately soft
and even-grained wood in a slot w, formed in the table N, as shown at.
Figure 8, by which the edge of the knife will be protected.
!
We will now proceed. to. describe the .construction of the machine..
exhibited at Sheet 2; where A, marks the front framing of the machine:
B, is the end framing thereof, supporting the following parts:.C; the..
main driving shaft, carrying the fly wheel D, bevilled wheel E, and fast.
and loose pullies F, and G. H, is a spindle, the lower end..whereof.
works in a suitable step in the framing, and the upper. end. passes
through:a-hole-in said framing; and there is a bevilled wheel I, securely
fixed on to the upper end of the. spindle-H, which takes or-gears into..
the bevilled wheel E;. and there. is a worm K, placed upon said shaft,
401

page_text: which worm slides upon a feather therein to ensure the turning round
of the worm with the shaft, and also to allow it to move in a vertical
direction thereon; this worm takes or gears into a rack L, which is
connected to the framing B, by the projecting parts 1, 1, of said rack,
passing through holes in the framing, as shown at Figure 4, where it
will also be seen that there is a spring 2, for the purpose of keeping
said rack in gear with the worm K, and there is a forked lever M,
attached to said rack for throwing the same into and out of gear with
the worm K, when necessary The worm K, is also embraced by the
forked end of another lever N, whose fulcrum is a pin at 3; and the
other end of said lever supports a pin +, affixed to the sliding frame O,
the upper part of which carries a knife holder P, and knife 5, which
are connected to the fly wheel D, by the rod Q. The framing O, is
connected to the framing A, by V shaped guides, as shown at Figure 5.
R, is a fixed table, connected to the framing A, by bolts or screws. S, is
a pressing picce; and T, U, a screw and lever for holding the paper or
other substance firmly upon the table R. By this arrangement it will
be seen that upon motion being imparted to the shaft C, the worm
wheel K, will be turned round so as to rise or descend thereon, by
which motion will be imparted to the lever N; and assuming the shaft
to the moving in the proper direction, the framing O, will be lowered on
to the paper or other substance, which will be cut by the reciprocating
movement of said knife, the knife continuing to descend until the thread
of the worm K, has escaped the last tooth of the rack L, when the worm
will cease to rise further; and by these means the knife is prevented
from coming into further contact with the table than is actually
necessary to effectually cut through or divide the entire substance of
the material to be operated upon. We would remark, that when these
machines are intended to be used for cutting sheet metal it will be
found desirable to substitute a knife of similar shape to those used in
planing machines for cutting metal in lieu of the one employed for
cutting paper, mill-board, leather, or vellum.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be and may be performed, we desire it to be
distinctly understood that we do not claim the exclusive use of any of

page_text: the separate parts above mentioned and referred to, except in so far as
the same may be employed in combination and for the purposes of our
said Invention, which we hereby declare to consist in and we claim
as our Invention of a "Machine for Cutting Paper, Mill-board,
Leather, Vellum, Sheet Metal. and other suitable Materials, for Useful
and Ornamental Purposes."
Firstly, the mechanical combinations and arrangements of parts for
effecting the raising and lowering of the table, and for actuating the
knife employed for such purpose, by causing such knife to pass through
and across the material simultaneously with the rising of such said
table; and, further, we claim the means employed for effecting the self-
acting reversing movement of the table after the operation of cutting
has been performed, as herein-before particularly described. set forth,
and represented at the several Figures at Sheet 1, of the illustrative
Drawings hereunto annexed:
Secondly, we claim the mechanical combinations and arrangements
of parts for effecting the raising and lowering of the knife simultaneously
with the reciprocating movement thereof: And,
Lastly, we claim the means employed for effecting the self-acting
stopping of the downward movement of the knife after the operation of
cutting has been performed, as herein-before particularly described, set
forth, and represented at the several Figures of Sheet 2, of the illustrative
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Martin Walter O'Byrne and
John Dowling, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
cight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
MARTIN WALTER O'BYRNE. (L.S.)
JOHN DOWLING.
(L.S.)
ALEX PRINCE,
4. Trafalgar Square.