Improvements in the Method of and Tools for Cutting Holes in Ornamented Fabrics and other Sheets.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Tools for Cutting Holes in
Ornamented Fabrics and other Sheets.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM COHN, of No. 118 East 117th Street, New York City, in the
County and State of New York, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to cutting holes in ornamental fabrics or other sheets, and
to cutting tools therefor, and provides a new method for cutting the holes. It is
specially applicable for use in manufacturing ornamented fabrics with holes cut
out of the ornamented portions.
In manufacturing ornamental doilies, table covers, and other fabrics, it has been
the practice to sew or form a fanciful design in braid, thread or cord, on a sheet
of muslin or other material, and then to cut out portions of the foundation sheet,
which are enclosed within certain of the loops or scroll work of the ornamental
figures of the design, to produce an open work or lacelike effect. The portions to
be cut out have heretofore been removed by means of scissors, it being necessary
to first start the cut by inserting the points of the shears through the sheet, after
which the operator cuts an irregular hole in the fabric, following as closely as
possible the lines of the pattern, and trimming along the edges of the braid with
great care. Much time and skill have been required to so cut such articles, so
that they have been tedious and expensive of manufacture, and the holes cut have
been necessarily so irregular and imperfect in the tracings of the outline of the
pattern that the imperfections of cutting were readily noticeable.
My invention provides a new method, and an improved cutting tool for cutting
the holes in such ornamented sheets or in other sheets.
According to my new method, I place the sheet on a flat surface or table and
cut out the portions to be removed with a reciprocating blade carried by a handle
which is pressed on and moved over the top surface of the fabric as the cutting
proceeds, thus enabling the operator to hold the fabric and properly trace the
pattern at one operation, while making a smooth clean cut close to the line of braid
or ornamentation.
My improved cutting tool, comprises a handle to be grasped and manipulated by
the hand of the operator, having a smooth bearing surface on its lower end for
resting against and sliding over the surface of the fabric, a blade having a flat-
sided cutting edge crossing its end and reciprocating alternately within the end of
and partly out from the bearing end of the handle, and means for rapidly reci-
procating this blade. These means are preferably carried by the handle, which is
also preferably provided with means by which the operator can know the direction
of the cutting edge relatively to the handle.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing the preferred form of my improved tool
and the improved method of cutting a doily.

page_text: Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section cut on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 3 is an end view of the tool shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary axial section cut on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the lower end of the tool;
Fig. 6 is a cross-section cut on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the end of the handle showing a modified
construction of handle and blade.
In Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, A is the tool as a whole, B the driving
mechanism, C the handle, 1) the cutting blade, E the hand of the user, F the fabric
being cut, and X the table on which the fabric is laid.
In carrying out my improved method, the doily or other article having fanciful
patterns outlined in braid or otherwise on its surface, from within which portions
of the foundation sheet are to be cut out, is laid on the flat surface of the table X,
where it may be held with one hand if desired, while the operator with the other
hand grasps the handle of the tool A and presses its cutting end on the surface
of the article, sliding this end over the surface along the outline of the part of
the pattern from which the material is to be cut, the handle of the tool holding the
fabric against the table, and the reciprocating blade severing the fabric with a
clean cut as the tool moves in and out along the line of the pattern. Any suitable
tool which can bear on and slide over the fabric with a reciprocating blade for
severing it can be employed for carrying out my improved method.
According to the main features of improvement in the cutting tool, its handle C,
is a tubular handle having a smooth-bearing end o for resting on and sliding over
the face of the fabric F, which handle carries within it the reciprocating blade D,
having a flat-sided cutting edge crossing its end, and reciprocating into and out of
the bearing end of the handle. The motor or other means 13 for driving this blade is
carried at the other end of the handle, a suitable connection being provided between
the blade and such means.
In its preferred details of construction, the handle C has a large socket p in
its upper end, a smaller cylindrical socket 7, a beveled shoulder r between these
sockets, and a sockets of rectangular and preferably oblong cross-section leading
from the socket 9 and opening through its lower end. A tapering shoulder w
intervenes between the sockets q and f. At its narrow sides, the socket s may
have outwardly flaring walls u from the point t to the end of the handle. Extern-
ally the bearing end of the handle consists of a wide smooth and preferably rounded
portion o for bearing on and sliding over the fabric, above which the handle is
shown as cylindrical, having a smooth upper end m.
The blade D is shown of oblong rectangular cross-section, having a thin flat
sided cutting edge d, a shank g and a screw-threaded end h. The shank fits the
sockets of the handle, and the cutting edge passes entirely within and then pro-
jects partly from the end of the handle as the blade moves. The cutting edge
preferably consists of a curved edge e crossing the end of the blade diametrically
in the direction of its longer axis, and of sharp upright edges f at its narrow side.
The reciprocating mechanism shown consists of an electro magnet B, having
magnets a in connection with conductor H, which magnets act on a fly-wheel arma-
ture carried by a rotative shaft supported by a bracket or frame G and having
a crank or eccentric I. The frame G has a smooth socket fitting over the end m
of the handle, adjustable thereon, and clamped thereto in any manner, as by the
clamping screw L.
Any suitable driving connection between the mechanism and blade. will
suffice. I prefer the connecting rod J, which has a cylindrical lower end j, fitting
the socket and guided thereby, which end has a screw-threaded socket adjust-
ably engaging the end h of the blade. At its upper end the rod J has a screw-
threaded socket k adjustably receiving the screw-threaded end of a coupling 7,
engaging the crank I. As the crank revolves, the lower end of the rod is held
against oscillation by the socket q while the upper end is free to oscillate, with the
throw of the crank, in the socket p. The lower end and the blade are thus guided,
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page_text: the elasticity of the rod permitting sufficient flexure to provide for the throw of
the crank.
Any means enabling the operator to know the direction of the long edge of the
blade will suffice. I prefer to cut away one or both sides of the end of the handle in
the manner shown, so that this end will be a rounded oblong end. the longer diameter
of which corresponds with the direction of the blade. This facilitates observance
of the progress of the cutting and the outline of the pattern.
In operation and in carrying out of my improved process with the form of tool
described, the rounded bearing end of the tool will press the fabric down close to
the blade, the operator will tell by feeling the flattened end of the handle, or by
observing it, the direction of the cutting edge, and will move the tool round with
the hand, varying the pressure and the speed of movement according to the
nature of the work. The tool can be run into and out of sharp corners, and along
sharp, gradual and irregular curves, it being merely necessary to turn the handle
between the thumb and fingers as the tool is moved forward and backward to main-
tain the direction of the cutting edge parallel with the desired line of cut. The
bearing end of the tool will prevent any distortion or slipping of the fabric, and
will slide smoothly thereover. The sharp edges at the sides of the blade will
insure cutting when the tool is progressed with great rapidity, and the cutting edge
crossing its end will ensure that all fabric beneath the blade is severed at every
thrust.
It will be seen that by my improved method, and with my improved cutting tool,
embroidered or open-work fabrics and other articles can have enclosed portions
cut out with great ease and rapidity and with a smooth and correct outline, and
that the work can be done by any ordinary person at slight expense, and it will
be understood I do not confine myself to the exact construction of the tool, or its
parts, set forth as constituting the preferred form of my invention, since any suit-
able or well known equivalents of the features shown may be substituted therefor,
as circumstances or choice dictate, without departing from the spirit of my,
improvements.
Figure 7 shows a handle C', having a blade socket s¹, having parallel walls, and
a blade D in the socket having a shank g, a curved flat sided cutting edge el
crossing its end, and toothed cutting edges f¹' at its sides.
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 improved method of cutting holes in ornamented fabrics or other sheets
which consists in laying the fabric on a flat surface, and cutting out the portions
to be removed with a rapidly reciprocating blade carried by a handle held in the
hand and pressed against the fabric while being moved over the portions to be
cut, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics or other sheets consisting of
a handle to be held in the hand, having a smooth lower end for bearing on and
moving over the fabric, a rapidly reciprocating cutting blade in the handle having
a cutting edge crossing its end and alternately moving entirely within and project-
ing partly beyond such end, and mechanism carried by the handle and reciprocating.
the blade.
3. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics and other sheets, consisting
of a handle to be held in the hand, having a smooth lower end for bearing on and
sliding over the sheet, and a reciprocating blade carried by the handle, having a
cutting edge crossing its end, means for reciprocating the blade, and means carried
by the handle showing the direction of the cutting edge of the blade.
4. The improved cutting tool for cutting holes in fabrics or sheets, consisting of
a tubular handle, having a smooth end for pressing on and sliding over the sheet
to be cut, and having a tapering wall leading to said end, a blade having a long
cutting edge crossing its end, carried in said handle with its flat side towards the

page_text: Hattened end of the handle, and means for rapidly reciprocating the blade, so that
a person can with the hand move the tool over the sheet with its end against the
sheet, and can tell by the shape of the handle the direction of the cutting edge.
5 The improved-tool-for-cutting-holes in fabrics or sheets, consisting of a flat
sided blade, and a tubular handle carrying the blade and having an oblong rounded
end for pressing on and sliding over the fabric.
6. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics or sheets, consisting of a flat
sided blade, having a cutting edge crossing its end and on its narrow edges, and
a handle having a socket receiving and fitting the blade, and a smooth end for
resting on and sliding over the fabric, and means for rapidly reciprocating the
blade so that its edge projects from and then moves entirely within the handle.
7. The improved tool for cutting holes in fabrics, consisting of the handle C,
blade D, connecting-rod J and motor B.
DOLL
L
11007
J. C. NEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.