IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER CUTTING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PÅTENT to William Henry Latham Engineer of Bolton in the
County of Lancaster, and Frederic Cartwright Ward Latham printer of the
same place for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER CUTTING
MACHINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Latham and
Frederic Cartwright Ward Latham at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 7th September 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY LATHAM, Engineer of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster
and FREDERIC CARTWRIGHT WARD LATHAM, printer, of the same place
MENTS IN PAPER CUTTING MACHINES
IMPROVE-
Our invention relates to improvements in automatic self-clamping or means of
holding paper, cloth, millboard, or other material in paper cutting machines,
immediately before and during the time the knife is cutting through such paper or
material, and also an improved method of actuating the clutch and brake, to insure
certainty of action in giving motion to and stopping these machines
. In these improvements the clamp beam or presser is formed of an iron frame
extending down the sides, and under neath the table of the machine, and in the
said clamp-beam are two studs, with bowls, upon which the knife-beam is hung,
in two slots or grooves placed at an angle. The said clamp-beam is brought down
upon the paper by the direct action of a crank in a spur wheel. The said crank
is connected to a bell-crank lever, which bell-crank lever has its fulcrum in the
clamp frame. The other end of the bell crank lever takes into a connecting rod
which brings down the knife, and causes the knife to cut through the paper.
Therefore the fulcrum of the said bell-crank lever being in the said clamp frame,
the whole weight or force required to cut through the paper is brought down upon
the clamp-beam, and firmly holds the paper during the descent of the knife and
until it has passed the top of the paper in its ascending course, when it lifts the
said clamp by a stud in the clamp frame to its original position To insure the
parallel motion of the clamp frame, we place in connection with the bottom of the
said clamp frame a shaft with bearings on each side of the machine, on the said

page_text: shafts are two arms of equal radius connected by two links with the said clamp
frame
A bell-crank lever having one arm longer than the other, the longer arm
carrying a suitable weight or spring, and the shorter arm a stud and link, which
connects with the lever for moving the clutch. On the said lever is a stud a rod
connecting the stud with a lever carrying the brake, one end of the said con-
necting rod being screwed with two nuts to adjust the brake, and the said brake
acting upon a pulley on the second motion shaft. By raising the weighted end of
the bell-crank lever the clutch is brought into gear when a latch lever falls upon a
stud, and prevents the clutch from coming out of gear, until the said latch lever is
raised by a lever acted upon by a bowl on the cap of the crank connecting link,
when it disengages the clutch applies the brake and stops the machine, leaving
the driving shaft in motion, or the latch lever can be raised by the operator, and
machine stopped in any part of its motion. On placing paper or material in the
machine for cutting the knife and clamp beam are raised to their highest point.
The knife and clamp beam move together in their descent, the clamp a little before
the knife, until the clamp beam reaches the paper, it is then arrested by and
presses upon the paper, and this brings the knife into action, as the crank continues
its motion upon the bell crank lever forcing the knife through the paper with a
diagonal motion and this force being derived from the fulcrum which is in the
said clamp frame, all the weight and force required to make the cut, together with
the weight of the clamp frame and its connections are brought upon the paper or
material being cut through they holding the paper with a pressure greater than
that required to force the knife through the paper. The clamp bar can be brought
down by a treadle to indicate where the knife will cut.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Latham and Frederic Cartwright Ward Latham in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th March 1883.
WILLIAM HENRY LATHAM, Engineer, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster
and FREDERIC CARTWRIGHT WARD LATHAM, printer, of the same place IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PAPER CUTTING MACHINES
Improvements in automatic self clamping or means of firmly holding paper,
cloth, millboard or other material in Paper Cutting Machines, immediately before
and during the time the knife is cutting through such paper or material, and also
an improved method of actuating the clutch and break to insure certainty of action
in giving motion to and stopping these machines. In these improvements the clamp
beam or presser is formed of an iron frame extending down the sides and under-
neath the table of the machine, and in the said clamp beam are two studs with
bowls, upon which the knife beam is hung in two slots or grooves placed at an
angle. The said clamp beam is brought down upon the paper by the action of a
crank in a spur wheel the said crank is connected to a bell-crank lever, which
said-bell-crank lever has its fulcrum in the clamp frame. The other end of the
bell-crank lever takes into a connecting rod, which brings down the knife and
causes the knife to cut through the paper. Therefore the fulcrum of the said bell-
crank lever, being in the said clamp frame the whole weight or force required to cut
through the paper is brought down upon the clamp beam and firmly holds the
paper during the descent and until it has passed the top of the paper in its
ascending course, when it lifts the said clamp by a stud in the clamp frame to
its original position. To insure the parrallel motion of the clamp frame, we place
in connection with the bottom of the said clamp-frame a shaft with bearings on
each side of the machine framing. In the said shaft are two arms of equal radius
connected by two links with the said clamp frame. A bell-crank lever having one
arm longer than the other, the longer arm carrying a suitable weight or spring, and
the shorter arm a stud and link which connects with the lever for moving the
clutch. On the said lever is a stud and rod connecting with a lever carrying the
break, one end of the said connecting rod being screwed with two nuts to adjust
the brake, and the said brake acting upon a pulley upon the second motion shaft,
by raising the weighted end of the bell-crank lever, the clutch is brought into gear
when a latch lever falls upon a stud and prevents the clutch from coming out of gear,
until the said latch lever is raised by a lever acted acted upon by a bowl in the cap
of the crank connecting link, when it disengages the clutch applies the brake, and
stops the machine, leaving the shaft in motion, or the latch lever can be raised by
the operator and the machine stopped in any part of its motion. That our invention
may be fully understood and carried into operation we will describe the accom-
panying sheet of Drawings made to a scale of about one inch to a foot and marked
with letters of reference. Fig. 1. is a front elevation. Fig. 2. is a side elevation.
Fig. 3. a front elevation of the clamp frame detached. Fig. 4 a side elevation of
the clamp frame with end of parrallel shaft, arm, and links. Fig. 5 a plan of clamp
frame, parrallel shaft, arms, and links Fig. 6. Plan of lever and latch for actuating
clutch box. Similar letters indicate the same parts, throughout the drawings.
Only the parts are shewn in the drawings that have reference to our improvements.
Fig. 1. The sides of the machine marked A, which are coupled with a suitable cross-
rail, carrying the crank shaft f. B is the machine table and Cthe clamp beam, with the
two side connections e e, and bottom cross beam F, knife beam R, bell-crank-lever J,
connecting rod K coupling between bell-crank-lever J, and knife beam R; lever

page_text: for actuating clutch S; lever of clutch box N; latch lever T; releasing lever O
bowl P; break-lever W; break-lever rod U; fulcra L for bell-crank lever J. Fig. 2
shewing long slot in frame side A, in which the clamp beam C and the side arm e, and
knife beam R are fitted V is the stud upon which the clutch lever N is mounted;
and d parrallel shaft bearing. Fig. 3. 2 z are bowls and studs upon which the
knife beam is hung, and D a moveable part of the clamp beam which may be
brought down by a treadle or otherwise M is a stud for for raising or lowering
clamp frame. Fig. 4. arm of parrallel shaft G shewing connection with clamp
frame. Fig. 5. shewing connection of parrallel shaft G, links h h, and clamp frame
Bides e e.
The working of the machine and the several parts described is as
follows: On placing the paper or material in the machine for cutting, the knife beam
R, and the clamp beam C are raised to their highest point. A moveable part of the
clamp beam D can be brought down to indicate where the knife will cut. By raising
the handle S, the clutch lever is put into gear, the the stud x on latch lever T falls
behind the projection Z on link H which is connected to lever S, and clutch lever N,
and locks the clutch The machine thus started, the crank on shaft f by the con-
necting rod K, connected to bell crank lever J, upon which the stud M rests, allows the
clamp beam and knife beam to descend together in one direction the clamp about
hlaf an inch lower than the knife, until the clamp beam is arrested by the paper or
material to be cut. The continued rotation of the crank acting upon the bell-crank
lever J, which bell-crank lever has its fulcra L in the clamp-frame, causes the clamp-
beam to press upon the paper with more than double the force to that required to
force the knife through the paper, thus securely clamping or holding the paper,
until the knife has completed its cutting action, and past the paper in its ascending
course, when the clamp beam, and knife beam are raised by the bell crank lever J
coming in contact with the adjustable stud M to their original position, and the
paper liberated. When the crank has nearly completed its upward course, the
bowl P raises the lever O, and releases the latch lever T which allows the lever S
to fall and draws the clutch out of gear puts on the break and stops the
machine.
Having now stated the nature of our Invention and the manner in which the
same may be carried into effect, we claim as our invention:-First, the combination
of clamping & cutting paper by the action of a single crank, which causes the clamp
and knife to descend together in one direction until the clamp is arrested by the
material to be cut as herein described and shewn. Second. A clamp frame formed
of the top cross beam C, the sides e e, and under cross beam F, in which is a bell-
crank lever J and its connections, having its fulcra in the said clamp frame, as
herein described and shewn. Third. Placing the fulcra for actuating the knife in
the under cross beam of the clamp frame which gives the requisite clamping or
holding power on the paper as herein described and shewn. Fourth. The two
bowls and two studs in the clamp beam C upon which the knife beam moves, and
the clutch lever and brake combination as shewn and described herein.
In Witness whereof, we, the said William Henry Latham and Frederic
Cartwright Ward Latham, have here unto set our hands and seals this second
day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
Eighty-three
WILLIAM HENRY LATHAM
(LS.)
FREDERIC CARTWRIGHT WARD LATHAM (L.S.)