Improvements in Paper Cutting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Cutting Machines.
A communication from abroad by THE SEYBOLD MACHINE COMPANY, of
Dayton, in the State of Ohio, in the United States of America.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, 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 :-
This invention has for its object various improvements in machines for cutting
and trimming paper whereby great and powerful pressure may automatically be
brought to bear, with the action of the knife, on the paper to be cut, clamping it
securely against any liability to shift under the strain of the cutting knife. Its
object is further to provide means whereby the amount of clamping power may be
readily and instantly regulated to suit the quality of paper to be cut and the
paper securely packed and held before the cutting knife begins its cutting
operation.
A still further improvement consists in the construction and arrangement of
parts whereby the clamp may be disconnected from the power operating mechanism
at a moments notice and the clamp be adjusted by a wheel or crank operated by
hand. Means are also provided to prevent any accidental starting of the machine
and for automatically stopping the same after each cut of the knife.
To accomplish these results, the cutting knife is driven by powerful gearing
operating directly by cranks upon a slotted cam plate to which the knife is directly
attached. The clamp is further connected with this cam plate by an expansion-
band friction clutch, the amount of friction required to be overcome by the clamp
being capable of adjustment to any desired degree by the mere turning of a screw,
and at the same time the connection between friction clutch and clamp is made
through the medium of screws which can be operated by hand so that the mere
insertion of a pin disconnects the knife cam plate from the clamp and allows the
clamp to be operated by hand. These and various other improvements in
construction and operation will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out and
claimed.
In the drawings-
Figure 1, is a front elevation of the improved machine.
Figure 2, is a rear elevation of same.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of the right side of the machine.
Figure 4, is a central longitudinal section in detail of the friction clutch for
starting and stopping the machine.
Figure 5, is a front view of same.
Figure 6, is a side elevation of the left hand side of the machine with the cap
over the automatic clamping apparatus removed.
Figure 7, is a detail cross section of one end of the clamp and its connections.
Figure 8, is a top plan view of the automatic clamping device, showing one end
of the knife driving cam plate in horizontal section.
A, A, are the side standards or frames of the machine, connected and bolted
together by front cross frame B, rear cross frame C, and a middle cross frame D,
which with table E, forms a solid substantial framework for the massive steel

page_text: operating parts of the machine, which, it will be noticed hereafter, are all located
below the table E, so that the frame needs no top bracing and all above the table
is open and free. F, is the main driving shaft of the machine, journalled in
suitable boxes in the side frames and carrying the usual tight and loose pulleys a, b,
and fly wheel e; these pulleys and fly wheel however being mounted loosely as will
be hereinafter described. G, is a pinion mounted on this driving shaft and
meshing with the large gear wheel H, the axle a' of this gear wheel H, being
journalled in the frames B, C and D. Mounted on the gear axle a' between cross
frames C and D, is a gear wheel I, shown in dotted lines Figure 2. This gear
wheel I meshes with two similar gear wheels K and L, one on each side, the axles
of which are journalled in the cross frames. These two gear wheels L and K
carry crank pins d, e, with rollers mounted thereon, which engage within slots
in the massive cam driving plate M. This can plate is raised and lowered with a
motion from right to left, by the action of the crank pins under the driving
operation of the gearing, and it moves up and down in suitable slots in the end
frame, and is further guided by stud rollers mounted on the cross frame and having
a bearing in the guide slots 9, 9, 9, in the cam plate, the central guide roller being
mounted on the axle a¹. N, is the knife bar which carries the cutting knife, the
knife being adjustable, to compensate for the wear of the knife in grinding, in the
usual way. The cam driving plate M, is connected with the knife bar directly and
positively by the connecting rods h, h, so that the movement of the cam plate pulls
down the knife with equal strength at each end. O, is the clamp for clamping and
holding the paper to be cut. Each end of this clamp is chambered as shown in
Figure 7, and is provided with a screw threaded block or nut k, in which nuts the
screw rods 4, 4, are engaged. The upper ends of these screw rods are connected by
the blocks m, m, with the rods n, n, which pass down through collars on the frame
and are connected at the lower end with connecting rods p, p, connecting in this
way each end of the clamp with the crank arms r, r, mounted on the clamp driving
shaft P, so that the oscillation of the shaft P, will raise and lower the clamp
equally at each end. Keyed to one end, preferably the right hand end, of this
shaft 1, is a hub s, carrying by means of arm t, a band u, which is open at one side
to receive the block v, pivoted on the pin w, held by the band. This block v,
carries the lever y, so that by moving the lever, the block r, will turn on the pivot
pin w, and will open out or expand the band u. 6 is a screw which passes
through the shaft P and has a bearing against the end of this lever y, so that by
adjusting the serew, the band u can be expanded to any extent required. Mounted
loosely around this expansion band w, is a ring band R, which ring band carries
a bub e' loose on shaft P and socket di. Sliding in this socket is a rod el carrying
a tee piece the collar of which is mounted loosely on the rod or shaft g', held in
the slotted end of the cam plate M.
It will be evident from this construction that with the movement of the cam
plate M, the ring band R will be oscillated and that there will be a friction clutch
between this ring band and the expansion band, the amount of friction being
controlled by the adjustment of the screw 61 and that this friction clutch will
operate the shaft P to draw down the clamp O; when however the clamp has
come down upon the paper and tightly packed the pile, the resistance of the paper
will cause the ring band to slip on the expansion band u, allowing the knife to
complete its stroke and holding the clamp tightly on the paper. It will also be
evident that by a simple adjustment of the screw & any amount of clamp pressure
desired can be obtained.
Mounted on one of the screw rods l, is a hand wheel T, and the two screw rods
are connected by sprocket wheels and sprocket chain &. When it is desired
to convert the automatic clamp into a hand clamp, the operator inserts the pins
into openings through the frame into rods n n the expansion band is then
loosened and the clamp can be raised and lowered by operating the wheel T, and
it may not even be necessary to loosen the expansion band, although it is preferable
to do this when the clamp is to be operated by hand for any length of time.

page_text: S, is the back gauge for the cutting table, sliding back and forth in the longitudinal
groove therein. This gauge carries a downwardly extending lug which is secured!
to an endless band V, which runs over pulleys m² m² located underneath at front-
and rear of the table. The back gauge also carries a vertical rod n' which is
secured to the endless band pl which runs on pulleys supported on proper
standards above the table at front and rear. This upper band p is ruled and the
pointers indicates on the band the exact movement of the back gauge. The-
gauge is operated by the usual hand wheel W, secured to the front pulley m' and
the graduated band is placed above the table so that it may be readily seen.
For starting and stopping the machine, the same sort of expansion band friction-
clutch is employed as that used for the clamp. Mounted on and keyed to the
driving shaft F (Figures 4 and 5) is the expansion band t'. u is the block that
spreads the band and v' the lever carrying the screw w¹. A¹ is a collar sliding on.
the shaft F, the external groove in which is embraced by the lever arm B¹ secured
to the shifting rod C' which is journalled in straps all all on the side of the frame.
The collar A carries a pin " which engages with the pin ¹ to operate the lever of
and expand the band to grasp the inner ring cll of the fly wheel c, which is
mounted loosely on the expansion band. It will be evident from this, that the
shifting of the collar A¹ will expand the band t' and the motion given the fly wheel
and pulley by the power belt will be communicated to the driving shaft F. D'is.
the band lever for operating the clutch lever B₁ for starting and stopping the
machine, but in order that there may be no accidental stopping or starting of the
machine and to stop the machine with each operation of the cutting knife, there is
provided as follows-Mounted on the shifting rod C¹ and sliding thereon, is the
collar E' which normally is held by the coiled spring d" opposite the slotted opening
in the frame, in which the cam plate M operates and when the knife and cam plate-
are in their upper position, the lug on the collar E' rests against the edge. of the
cam plate so that the hand lever D' cannot be shifted towards the machine to throw
the operating parts into gear. The lower portion of this collar E' is connected by
the connecting rod el with an arm f" on the lower end of the hand lever, so in:
order to start the machine it is necessary to twist the hand lever horizontally which
brings the collar E' away from the cam plate and then the hand lever can be shifted
to start the machine. As soon as the hand lever is released, the coiled spring d
throws back the collar E' into its normal position and when the knife and cam plate
have ascended to their raised position, the edge of the cam plate strikes the lug on
the collar E' thus shifting the clutch lever B and stopping the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :---
1. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife and
operating mechanism, of a clamp bar and means for operating same, with friction
clutch intermediate said means and mechanism, whereby the movement of the knife
will actuate said clamp to pack and hold the sheets of paper but will allow the
knife to complete its stroke, substantially as described.
2. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife, cam plate
connected therewith and gearing for operating same, of a clamp and mechanism for
actuating same, with friction clutch intermediate the cam plate and clamp actuating
mechanism, whereby the movement of the cam plate will actuate said clamp to
pack and hold the sheets of paper but will allow the knife to complete its stroke,
substantially as described.
3. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife, cam plate
connected therewith and gearing for operating same, of a clamp, driving shaft.
and connecting rods therelor, with friction clutch intermediate said cam plate-
and clamp driving shaft whereby the movement of the cam plate will actuate
said clamp to pack and hold the sheets of paper but will allow the knife to complete
its stroke, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife and
actuating mechanism therefor, of a clamp, driving shaft and connecting rods,
with friction clutch intermediate said clamp driving shaft and knife actuating
mechanism, whereby the movement of the knife will actuate said clamp to pack
and hold the sheets of paper, but will allow the knife to complete its stroke,
substantially as described.
5. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with knife and clamp of a
friction clutch intermediate the two, consisting of an expansion band connected with
one and a ring band connected with the other, with lever and adjusting screw to
expand said expansion band to grasp and hold the ring band, substantially as shown
and described.
6. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife and
actuating mechanism therefor, of a clamp and driving shaft with friction clutch
intermediate said driving shaft and knife, screw rods with hand crank for
operating same, and connecting rods between said screw rods and the driving
shaft, whereby said clamp may be operated either automatically or by hand,
substantially as shown and described.
7. In a paper cutting machine, the combination, with a cutting knife and
actuating mechanism therefor, of a clamp and driving shaft with friction clutch
intermediate said driving shaft and knife, screw rods, with sprocket wheels and
chain connecting same and hand wheel for operating said screws with connecting
rods between said screw rods and driving shaft, whereby said clamp may be
operated either automatically or by hand, substantially as shown and described.
Dated the 12th day of May 1896.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE.