Improvements in Machines for Cutting Oloth or Wearing Apparel.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Oloth or Wearing Apparel.
I, MORRIS GROSSMANN, of No. 215, Odd Fellows Building, St. Louis, Missouri,
United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings making a part of this Specification :-
My invention relates to improvements in "Machines for cutting cloth or wearing
apparel," and consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be
more fully hereinafter described and designated in the claims.
In the drawings :-
--
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my complete invention.
Fig. 2, is a bottom plan view of the frame which carries the knives, showing the
manner in which the said knives are arranged.
Fig. 3, is a vertical cross section taken through one of the knives, frame to
which the same is attached, and a movable plate to which the said frame is
attached.
Fig. 4, is a bottom plan view of the frame, with parts broken away, showing
several knives attached to the same, and
Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view with parts broken away taken through the
gearing which operates the movable plate.
Heretofore it has been the practice after the cloth has been laid off or marked
according to the patterns, to cut the same with a knife or a pair of shears.
By the use of my invention, which I shall hereinafter describe in detail, the
knives or shears usually employed to cut the cloth according to the patterns 1
dispense with by constructing knives of different shapes, namely, the shape of the
patterns used for various parts of the garment.
My invention is especially applicable for the cutting of men's garments, but can
be used to cut dress forms, of all kinds, corsets, neck-ties, cloaks, undergarments, and
the application to any other form that may be deemed desirable.
The invention that I am about to describe may be partially constructed of wood,
or entirely of metal, this of course being immaterial.
Referring to the drawings:-
1, represents a stand, which is composed of a bed 2, and said bed supported upon
the floor by the employment of six legs 3, and said legs supported by suitable
braces 4, the legs and supports above mentioned receiving the weight and strain
applied to the machine.
Three of the legs 3 or those in the rear of the table extend somewhat above the
bed of the table and terminate in horizontal portions 5 upon which portions the
operating mechanism for the machine is mounted.
6, represents a movable plate, which is adapted to move to and from the bed 2,
or in other words, in a vertical direction, and is guided in its movement by the
upper ends of the rear legs 3, and other contrivances as shown in Fig. 1 of the
drawings.
7, represents a horizontal shaft which is suitably mounted in bearings 8, which
bearings are attached to the extension 5 and are supported by the same.
Said
shaft when rotated operating other mechanism as hereinafter described.
To one end of the shaft 7 is secured a crank 9, or any other suitable device for
imparting a rotating motion to the said shaft by hand, or said shaft may be
provided with a pulley 10 in the region of its length by means of which the said
shaft may be revolved by steam or other power.
Upon the shaft 7 or mounted and keyed thereto are three worm pinions 11,
Drine 17

page_text: ..
which pinions mesh with worm wheels 12 located in a horizontal line with the said
pinions 11.
13, represents three screw threaded upright posts, the lower ends of which are
securely fastened by bolts or otherwise to the upper surface of the movable plate 6,
and the upper ends of said posts passed through suitable holes formed in the
median portion of the extension 5, allowing the said posts to freely move in the
same.
The worm wheels 12 which are three in number are each provided with central
bores 14, and the said bores provided with threads, which threads correspond to the
threads formed on the upright posts 13, by which means when the worm wheels 12
are rotated, the said posts will be elevated or lowered and consequently impart a
corresponding movement to plates 6.
15, represents brackets which are secured to and supported by the extensions 5,
the bearings 16 of which encircle the upper ends of the upright posts 13, thus
holding the worm wheels 12 in their proper position and location to the said
extensions 5.
By the construction of the mechanism before described, when motion is imparted
to the shaft 7, the worm wheels 12 will be rotated, causing the plate 6 to either be
lowered or raised as may be desired, this depending however upon the motion given
to said shaft.
In Fig. 2 I have shown plainly the location of the knives which I employ, and
the manner in which the same are arranged upon the franie which carries the same
whereby there will be no loss of any consequence of material after the designs have
been cut from the cloth located in the machine, the width of the said frame corre-
sponding to the width of the cloth to be cut.
17, represents the detachable frame, which is provided with suitable ribs 18, by
means of which the said frame is made lighter and yet strong, and 19 an annular
rim or edge formed on the said frame, the upper edge of which is adapted to
come in contact with the lower surface of the movable plate 6, as best shown in
Fig. 3.
In practice I intend to attach the knives to the detachable frame 17, and
employ a series of such plates and knives which are of various sizes and shapes,
premising however that said knives are always secured to said frame unless one of
the knives becomes broken or disfigured, when a new knife is placed in its
stead.
In other words I use a complete set of frames, such as 17 and attach them to the
movable plate 6 of the machine, one after the other, until the desired amount of
goods is cut without in any way detaching any of the knives from the said frames
only under such conditions as above stated.
The said frames 17 are removably secured to the said movable plates 6 by means
of bolts 20, as best shown in Fig. 3.
21, represents the knives or cutters, which as previously stated conform to the
shape of the pattern desired to be cut, and are preferably constructed of steel, cast
in the shape desired, and the cutting edges of the same suitably tempered.
22, represents ribs which are formed to said knives, and which provide means
through which the fastening devices or bolts 23 are adapted to be passed, securing
the said knives to the rib portion of the frame 17.
24, represents yielding plates which are of such dimensions that they will pass
freely within the said knives, whereby the cloth after being cut will be pressed out
of said knives, and in a position to be removed from the machine.
To the flexible plates 24 are secured posts 25, which loosely pass through
suitable openings formed in the frame 17, and through suitable openings formed in
the rib portion of the knives, the said last named openings corresponding with the
first named openings, in order to allow the said post to freely move within the
same.
Upon the upper ends of the posts 25 are secured nuts 26, and interposed between
said nuts and the bottom of the frame 17, and encircling the upper ends of the

page_text: said posts are coil springs 27, one end of which is attached to the frame 17, and
the other end of said springs attached to the upper end of the posts 25, the
tendency of which springs is to press the plate out of said knives as shown in
Fig. 3.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the knives are brought
in contact with the cloth, and the said knives pressed into the same, the yielding
plates will be pressed within the knives, but when the movable plate is elevated the
cloth contained in said knives will be pressed out of the same by the said plates 2+
by the assistance of the said spring.
It will be seen by referring to Fig. 2, that there will be spaces left between
the knives, and should there be no contrivance in said spaces, the material
will be choked in the same, and prevent the true working of the knives when
the said knives are again brought in contact with a fresh supply of cloth.
In order to prevent said choking, I employ yielding plates such as 28, which are
of suitable shape and are attached between the knives to the frame 17 in a similar
manner to the plates 24, premising however that the said plates 28 are in connection
with suitable springs which operate the same.
By the employment of the yielding plates as above described the cloth located
under the said knives will be pressed before the said knives come in contact with
the cloth, and thereby give better results in cutting.
In applying my device to the cloth to be cut the said cloth is laid upon a suitable
board or slab, and said board or slab and cloth placed upon the bed 2 of the machine
in the proper position under the knives, premising however that a suitable table or
stand is located to one side of the machine, upon which the said board and cloth is
laid before it is fed to the machine.
In order to facilitate the work I employ a second ordinary table or stand to the
other side of the machine upon which is placed the board and goods after the said
goods or cloth has been cut, and then the same is handled in any desirable
manner.
When the goods or cloth is placed in its proper position upon the bed or table
and under the knives and power imparted to the shaft 7 by hand or other power
the said knives will be brought in contact with the cloth so placed upon the bed of
the machine, and thereby cut from said cloth the various sizes desired to complete
a garment.
The mechanism for operating the machine is especially designed to be operated
by hand, but where other power is desired to be employed, I dispense with the
gearing previously described, and merely employ the upright posts 13 and apply
any other simple mechanism that will impart pressure upon said posts.
.
In carrying out my invention I may construct the machine in such a manner
that the bed of the machine is adapted to be moved, in which instance the
movable plate will be stationary, and the entire machine operated by hydraulic
power.
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 1
claim is :-
:-
1. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel" having
a knife or knives conforming to the shape of a pattern, and adapted to be brought
in contact with the cloth or apparel to be cut, substantially as set forth.
2. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel" having
a knife or knives adapted to be attached to a removable frame, and carried by the
same, and said frame adapted to be removably attached to the machine, substantially
as described.
3. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel" having
a series of knives conforming to the shape of a pattern, and yielding plates secured
within and between the same, substantially as set forth.
4. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel "

page_text: consisting of a movable plate, a frame adapted to be attached to the same, knives con-
forming to the shape of a pattern attached to the said frame, plates secured within
and between said knives, posts attached to said plates and adapted to pass through
suitable openings formed in said knives and frame, and springs for operating said
plates, substantially as set forth.
5. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel" con-
sisting of a stand or table, a movable plate such as 6 adapted to move to and from
the same, a knife or knives conforming to the shape of a pattern adapted to be
brought in contact with the cloth to be cut, and mechanism for operating said
frame, substantially as described.
6. A "Machine for cutting cloth, cloaks and any other wearing apparel," con-
sisting of a table having a bed, a movable plate adapted to move to and from said
bed, a knife or knives conforming to the shape of a pattern and adapted to be
brought in contact with the cloth placed upon the bed, a shaft such as 7 provided
with worm pinions, worm-wheels such as 12 adapted to mesh with said pinions, and
upright posts 13 provided with screw threads, which screw threads are adapted to
receive the threads formed upon the bores 14 of the said worm-wheels, by means of
which the said plate 6 is moved, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th dow of Wohman. 1909
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.