IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS KNOWN AS PAPER CUTTING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mackinlay Greig, of the City of Edinburgh, in
the County of Mid Lothian, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS KNOWN AS PAPER CUTTING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mackinlay Greig at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1881.
ROBERT MACKINlay Greig, of the City of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS KNOWN AS PAPER CUTTING
MACHINES."
This Invention, which has for its object improvements in paper cutting machines,
refers to that class of such machines wherein the paper or other material is
compressed automatically, and the Invention relates, first, to clamping the paper or
other material previous to setting the machine in motion. This is effected by
moving a side hand lever connected by a link to another lever whereon a toothed
segment is formed and geared with corresponding ratchet teeth on the back of a
vertically reciprocating clamp. At the back of the machine another lever is centred
and provided with a weight at one end and with a serrated tongue situated in a
recess and centred on a pin at the other end. The serrated tongue is connected by
a rod or link to a trigger, also situated in the recess in the lever, and in combination
with which a spring is provided to cause the serrations or teeth on the tongue
to gear with corresponding serrations or teeth on an upright thrust bar
connected to the clamp, the side hand lever, hereinbefore referred to, being also
connected to the said bar.
When the machine is set in motion the serrated tongue in the weighted lever
gears with the upright thrust bar communicating with the clamp and thereby
compresses the paper previous to the cutting blade or knife coming in contact
with it.
After the cutting operation has been performed the weighted lever is lifted by a
revolving crank and crank pin situated underneath the lever, and which pin, by

page_text: pressing on the trigger, disengages the serrated tongue and thrust bar when the
knife is nearly at its greatest height.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improved apparatus for operating the knife
bar of such machines, and which consists in the combination of a slotted lever
centred at one side of the machine framing and formed with a curved continuation
or arm at its lower end whereat the lever is connected by links to a bell crank
lever centred at the other side of the machine framing, the upper arm of the bell
crank being linked to one end of the knife bar, whilst the slotted lever is by a link
connected to the other end. The slotted lever is operated by a crank pin on a
revolving disc working in the slot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Mackinlay Greig in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd November 1881.
ROBERT MACKINLAY GREIG, of the City of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS KNOWN AS PAPER CUTTING
MACHINES."
My said Invention relates to machines wherein the paper or other material is
compressed automatically, and it comprises,
First. The clamping of the paper or other material previous to setting the
machine in motion which is effected by a slight movement of a side hand lever or
treadle. When the machine is set in motion a lever at the back, which has a weight at
one end and at the other end a serrated tongue, then gears into a serrated upright
thrust bar communicating with the clamp, the paper being thereby compressed
previous to the cutting blade or knife coming in contact with it.
The said side
hand lever or foot treadle also communicates with the clamp through the said
thrust bar. The said weighted lever is lifted after the cutting operation has been
performed by a crank and crank pin at the back of the machine and underneath the
lever, which pin disengages the serrated tongue when the knife is nearly at its greatest
height by pressing back a trigger and spring, the trigger being in a recess in the
said weighted lever in which the serrated tongue is also placed as well as the
connecting rod uniting both tongue and trigger.
Second. The combination of a slotted lever having a curved continuation at the
bottom end, and a connecting rod attached to the said slotted lever, and also to the
knife bar at the left hand side of the machine.
Third. Two plates or forked connecting rod extending from the said con-
tinuation to a bell crank at the right hand side of the machine and a connecting
rod at the top of said bell crank attached to knife bar also at the right hand side.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the

page_text: same is or may be used, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is to say,-
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2, a side elevation, Figure 3, a back
elevation of a paper cutting machine constructed in accordance with my said
Invention Figures 4 and 5 being details of another method whereby the thrust
bar may be engaged and disengaged.
In Figure 1 the upright frames of the machine are marked A, one on each side,
the left hand one being shown partly in section; the slotted lever B has a curved
continuation at the bottom end, and is attached to the connecting rod C and also
to the knife bar D at the left hand side of the machine. Two plates or a forked
connecting rod marked E extend from the said curved continuation to the bell
crank F, which has also a connecting rod G at its top end uniting it to the knife
bar D at the right hand side of the machine. The combination of parts B, C, D,
E, F, and G, are operated upon by the crank pin H, which, moving in the direction
indicated by the arrow, Figure 1, brings down the knife bar D at about half the
speed at which it ascends. This crank pin H is inserted into a spur wheel which
is geared in the way well understood in such machines, and so as to be driven
either by hand or steam power. In Figure 2 the hand lever I, foot treadle J, and
wyper й are united to the thrust bar L which operates the clamp O through a
wyper M and sectors N (the frame A. is cut away in Drawing to show the clamp
in section). In Figure 3 P is a weighted lever having a weight Q at one end and
a serrated tongue R at the other end, which tongue gears into the serrated thrust
bar L at the moment of starting the machine, thereby operating as a compressor on
the clamp O as before mentioned through the wypers M and sectors N.
serrated tongue R is connected with the trigger S by the connecting rod T, these
three parts being in a recess in the said weighted lever P. The spring U sends the
tongue R into gear the moment the machine is starting in the direction of the
arrow or crank V, previous to that the clamp O is free to be worked by the hand
lever I or foot treadle J.
The
Figure 4 shows a modified arrangement wherein the weighted lever P works the
thrust bar L by serrated eccentrics on elbow joints Z which are lifted by horns W,
at the moment of starting the crank V in the direction of the arrow; the trigger S
lowers the fingers X which bring the eccentrics on elbow joints into contact with
the serratures on each side of the thrust bar L, and they operate in essentially the
same manner, as in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the foot treadle J,
wyper K, and thrust bar L, wyper M, and sectors N, all as shown in Figure 2, but
in connection with serrated eccentrics Y on elbow joints, as in Figure 4.
Those
serrated eccentrics on elbow joints are only shown partly in section in Figure 4,
but they are more plainly indicated at Figure 5. The points or serratures of theso
eccentrics may either be sharp or round, or the eccentrics may be made without
serratures of any kind. The weighted lever P may also be so arranged as to have
the thrust bar L placed at the other side of the machine.
The mode of operating the parts is as follows:-After having inserted the paper
or other material to be cut the clamp O is brought down by the side hand lever or
foot treadle to show where the knife will fall; should however further adjustment
of the paper be needed the weight of thrust bar L is sufficient to raise the clamp to
allow of that being done, and when the paper is finally adjusted the clamp is then
brought down on to the paper, and at the moment the inachinę starts the serrated
tongue R gears with thrust bar L which is thrust upwards by the weight Q on end
of weighted lever P, so that the paper is immediately compressed before the knife
descends. After the paper has been cut the knife bar D ascends at double the
speed at which it descended, the crank V at the back of the machine then lifts the
weighted lever P and presses the trigger S which withdraws the tongue R, leaving
the clamp at liberty to release the paper and assume its original position, and the
paper may then be removed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may

page_text: be used or carried out in practice, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the bereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of parts consisting of the slotted lever B, connecting
rod C, knife bar D, forked connecting rod E, bell crank F, and connecting rod G,
as and for the purposes herein before set forth and indicated on the appended
Drawings.
Second. In a paper cutting machine the employment of a weighted lever P,
serrated tongue R, and serrated thrust bar L, constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as hereinbefore set forth and indicated on the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. The combination of the foot trendle J, wyper K, and thrust bar L,
wyper M, sectors N, and movable clamp O, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth and shown on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mackinlay Greig, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
GEO. M. CRUIKSHANK,
Patent Agent,
135, Buchanan St.,
Glasgow,
Witness.
ROBERT MACKINLAY GREIG. (L.S.)