Leads and Rules for Printers.
Year: 1886

page_text: Leads and Rules for Printers.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to printers' lead and metal-rule dressing machines
of the class described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to Alfred
Nielson March 26, 1874 No. 148,896 and comprises the improvements hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine showing the chain in.
dotted lines.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line a, a Figure 1 and showing the knives
as open.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line b, b, Figure showing the wheels over
which the chain passes and also part of the mechanism for regulating the knives.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of gripping device, partly in section.
In the said drawing like parts are designated by the same letters of reference.
A is a frame work for supporting the operative parts of the machine, the upper
portion B being made open to allow the nipper carriage to pass through the same.
Upon the inside of this upper portion B are placed the toothed wheels C, C³
two directly in advance of the shaving or dressing knives and two near the rear.
end of the machine and in line with each other. Over these wheels C and C² and
engaging with the same is passed an endless chains D.
The forward wheels C are supported upon the shafts E having their bearings in
boxes in the upper portion B of the frame, and upon the outer ends of these
shafts E are secured the cog wheels F, engaging with the pinions G held upon a
driving shaft H having its bearing in boxes directly below the shafts E.
01%....מ

page_text: The rear wheels C² are held upon shafts I having their bearings in the boxes J
formed by continuing the metal in the manufacture of the side plates L.
The side plates are provided with oblong slots M through which are passed the
bolts N and also with the end screw bolts O. By employing the slotted plates L
and adjusting the same, the position of the wheels C to the chain D is varied as
may be necessary to govern the tension of the chain D. The rear screws O have
their bearings upon the rear end of the upper portion B and assist in holding the
side plates L in position. P shows the nipper carriage of the machine which
nipper carriage is free to move to and fro through the machine.
This carriage
consists of a plate of metal planed true upon its side and provided with lips
extending at right angles to the sides of the same, which lips bear upon the upper
face of the raised portion B of the frame A and the lower projecting front portion
constituting the lower stationary jaw Q. Back of this forward portion of the
plate, the metal is continued to form ears g within which is swivelled or hung the
upper nipper or jaw R.
The upper nipper or jaw R forms a continuation of a rod S passed through
the plate P over which is passed a collar T provided with the trunnions t on each
side, which trunnions t are attached to the chains D.
Between the movable jaw R and the stationary one Q is a movable tongue U
attached to the forward end of a rod V, passing through the rear end of the plate P
and over which is placed a spiral spring v.
This rod is headed as at W, and when the carriage P has reached the extent of
its movement from the front to the rear of the machine, this head W meets and is
brought into contact with a round headed rod X free to move in the barrel Y sup-
ported upon an upright Z secured upon the rear of the upper portion B of frame A
and so positioned that the headed rod X is in line with the headed rod V. The
rod X has passed over it a spring x.
Extended in advance of the lower jaw Q is an inclined strip of metal 1 to
support the box or receptacle 2. 3 is an elongated curved lever free to move upon
a bolt 4 passed through it about centrally, which bolt enters the upper portion B
of the frame A.
This curved lever 3 is provided at its rear end with a raised projection 5 and its
forward end is connected to a short swinging plate 6 moving on a bolt passed
through its rear end and entering the portion B of the frame A.
To the lever 3 on its under side and near its point of connection with the plate 6
is attached a rack 7 engaging with a partially toothed wheel 8, secured upon the
rear end of a rod 9 free to turn in the circular boxes 10 attached to the upper
portion B upon one side of it. At the forward end of the plate 6 is a standard 11
supporting one end of a curved plate 12, the opposite end of which through a crank
arm 13 is connected to the toggles 14, constituting the toggle joint by which the
upper dressing or finishing cutter is operated.
The forward end of the rod 9 is connected by a crank arm 142 and rod to the
plate 15, intended to carry one of the side knives or cutters for shaving or dressing
the sides of the lead or rule.
This plate 15 extends across the face or front of the head 21 in which are
received the upper and lower dressing or finishing knives or cutters 17 and 18
respectively.
The opposite end of the plate 15 is connected to the movable plate 19, the
forward end of which is extended and forms the opposite shaving or dressing
knife, by means of a link 26.
The knife 30 used with the plate. 15 is inclined and its position relatively to the
side of the lead or rule to be operated upon is regulated by a screw 20 passed
through an eye on the upper end of the knife and having its bearing against a
shoulder on the upper end of the plate 15.
The head 21 for supporting the upper and lower dressing cutters 17 and 18 is
bolted to the portion B of the frame A, in advance of the wheels C. It is provided

page_text: with an opening to admit of the introduction of the ends of the leads or rules to
be dressed.
Fitted snugly, but free to move in it, is the upper dressing or shaving cutter 17
the position of which relative to the lower cutter is regulated by the screw 22
engaging with the upper portion of the cutter 17 and to the rear of this cutter are
attached the ends of the toggles 14. Directly at the base of the head 21 in an
extension forming a front lip 23, is positioned the lower cutter, 18 held, when its
position has been regulated, by set screws 24 to the lower portion of the head 21.
A V-shaped block 25 is used in connection with the nipper carriage P, which block
on the rear movement of this carriage impinges upon the raised projection 5 upon
the curved lever 3, imparting movement to the opposite end of the lever, and
through the rack 7, partially toothed wheel 8, and plate 6, connected to the
toggles 14, as described, moving the upper cutter 17 upward, and, by connection,
as described, with the plate 15 in which is held one of the side knives, causing the
same to be thrown out and the opposite knife or cutter, attached to it as shown,
thrown in.
It will be observed that the upward movement of the cutter 17 is caused by the
shortening of the toggles 14 as the same are drawn back through the operation
described.
Such being the construction the operation will be readily understood. The
upper cutter 17 is adjusted by means of the screw 22 to the lower cutter 18 and
both to the thickness of the lead or brass rule to be operated upon. . The side
knives or cutters are adjusted to the width of the lead or rule to be operated upon
by the screw 20 and the opposite knife or cutter is brought into the proper position
by moving forward or backward the block or plate 19, and is then connected to
the plate 15 by means of the link 26. The lead or rule to be dressed is introduced
into the machine through the opening in the head 21, its forward end projecting a
short distance beyond or in advance of the cutter. Motion is now communicated
to the driving shaft through power applied to the same and this in turn, through
the pinions and cogwheels, gives motion to the wheels C and chains D.
As the same starts, the upper nipper, which has been open, is closed upon the lead
or rule and the lower nipper, by or through the movement of the collar attached
to the trunnions t to the chains D, as the said collar passes over the wheels C and C²,
and moves upward upon the rod S of the upper nipper and the lead or rule is
drawn through the upper and lower cutters and between the side knives as the
motion is continued, and thus has its upper and lower surfaces and sides simul-
taneously shaved or dressed by contact of the shaving or dressing tools with the
same. The motion of the machine continuing, the chain is drawn along, carrying
with it the shaved lead or rule, until the collar T attached to the chains D reaches
the wheels C. As the collar T passes over and underneath the same it moves
down upon the rod S of the upper nipper, and as the same is moved through the
collar T from the vertical into an inclined position the upper nipper is raised and
releases its bite upon the lead or rule. A short time before the opening of the
upper nipper, as just described, the rear end of the rod V carrying the tongue is
brought into contact with the forward end of the rod X free to move in the barrel Y
and the spring upon the same is compressed.
With the opening of the upper nipper R the tongue U through the expansion of
the spring v and the forward movements of the rods V and X has a forward move-
ment imparted to it, and ejects the shaved or dressed lead or rule from its position
between the nippers into the receptacle 2.
The expansion of the springs v and x restores the rods V and X to their normal
position.
During the operations of opening the upper nipper and ejecting the shaved lead
or rule the V-shaped block 25 has impinged upon the raised projection 5 of the
lever 3, and imparted movement to the same; and through this movement this
lever, connected as already shown to the upper cutter as well as the side knives,
has caused the upper to be moved up in the head 21 and one of the side knives

page_text: outward and the opposite side knife inward. The motion of the machine con-
tinuing, the upper carriage P is returned to its original position the cutters being
restored to their original position through the impingement of the V-shaped
block 25 upon the V-shaped block 27 in connection with the plate 6, rack 7,
partially toothed pinion 8 and rod 9 already described, and the upper nipper is
closed upon the end of a lead or rule introduced as already described and the
operation repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is;-
First. The combination of the endless chains D, the nipper carriage P, the
movable upper nipper R and the cutters 17 and 18, constructed and operating
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. The combination of the endless chains D, the nipper carriage P, the
movable upper nipper R, and the cutters 17, 18, 19 and 30, constructed and
operating substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Third. In combination with the stationary and movable nippers, the tongue U
upon the rod V, the spiral spring and the rod X free to move in the barrel Y and
provided with a spiral spring a, constructed and operating substantially as, and for
the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the chains D and nipper carriage P provided
with the movable nipper R, of the receptacle 2 in which the shaved or dressed
leads or rules are received after ejection from the nipper carriage P, substantially
as, and for the purpose, specified.