US636998A - Cloth-cutter. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. l4, I899. C. A. JACKSON. I

CLOTH CUTTER.

{Application filed May 18, 1899.)

2 Sh sets-Shem l,

No. 636,998. Patented Nov. l4, I899.

C. A. JACKSON.

CLOTH CUTTER.

(Application fllgd May 18, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2',

m|| 1 l l-lllllllii 5 I m w fi i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. JACKSON, OF LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO HENRY B. JACKSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 636,998, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed May 18, 1899. Serial No- '7l'7,322. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lebanon, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for cutting cloth and like material wherein an overhead-traveling power-carriage and flexible shafting are used for transmitting power to the cutting-knife.

r 5 In this class of machines but one flexible shaft has been used to transmit the power to the revolving knife, and it is evident in such a construction that since the cutting-machine itself is not fastened (more than by its own weight) in any way to the tablevthe rotary motion of the flexible shaft has a tendency to and does often turnthe entire cutting-machine, base and all, on the table, causing great damage to the material cut or about to be cut,

2 5 and this turningof the entire machine will always take place whenever the energy required to drive the mechanism for operating the cutter exceeds the energy required to turn the entire machine upon its base. It is found 0 by experience that it is impossible to keep small pieces of cloth, threads, dirt, &c., from crowding behind the cutter-knife and flying into the gears. and wasted, and as a cloth-cutter is made and intended to-slide and turn upon its base as easily as possible it takes but a few pounds pressure to cause the entire cutting-machine to turn upon its base and cause the damage above mentioned.

To overcome the above-named objections, I employ two flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions and transmitting equal power, so that so far as revolving the machine is concerned the energy developed by the rotary motion of one shaft is neutralized by the energy developed by the rotary motion of the other shaft; or, in other words, the entire machine when the knife is revolving and in operation will have no more tendency to turn upon its base than when the knife is not re- Volv in g, thereby red u cin g the liability to dam- Much power is thus consumedage and ruin the material tobe cut to a minimum.

Afurther object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient traveling powercarriage for transmitting power to the flexible shafts; and a still further object of my invention is to provide a powerful and compact cloth-cutting machine and one which may be easily manipulated and by the use of which the danger of spoiling or injuring the material to be operated upon may be practically eliminated.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, partly broken away and partly in section, that part which is in section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the belting of the power-carriage reduced in size. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the under side of the power-carriage, partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the cloth-cutter, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the same. 5

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A denote pulleys suitably attached to the building, over which pulleys theendless belt a, made preferably of twisted leather, travels.

B is the power-carriage, made preferably of cast-iron and depending from the track 0, the said carriage being provided with lugs 12 I), having an annular groove lined with fiber graphite c. (1 cl denote caps having an annular groove likewise lined with fiber graphite 0 c and secured to the lugs b 11, forming with the latter collar-bearings through which the track 0 passes, whereby the said carriage is free to slide back and forth at the will of the operator to any point on the track, which is 5 suitably attached to the building and which may be tightened or loosened by means of the turnbuckle e.

L L, and M M denote pulleys made preferably of cast-iron and suitably mounted and I00 inclosed in said carriage, the former set of pulleys L L being idlers. K and K denote the shafts, made preferably of steel, of the pulleys M and M, respectively. All the shafts of the pulleys L L and M M are journaled in hubs, preferably made integral with the carriage, as shown in Fig. 4. The hubsff andf f shown in said last-named figure are those for the shafts K and K, respectively. The hubs for the shafts of the idler-pulleys are similar to those last mentioned, but are not shown in the drawings. The belt travels in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and, more specifically stated, it passes through the opening 9 in the carriage, around the pulley M, thence around the pulley L and out through the opening g, around the pulley A, thence through an opening (not shown) in the carriage, around the pulley M, thence around the pulley L, out through an opening (not shown) in the carriage, and around the pulley A to the point of beginning.

h h denote the flexible shafts, which may be attached to either end of the shafts K and K, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4, according to which side of the carriage it is desired to have the power transmitted.

2' '11 denote sleeves around the shafts K and K and screw-threaded at their lower ends. The ends of the shafts K and K are provided with slots 7c 7;. The upper ends of the flexible shafts are provided with a circular top or cap j, having an annular groove or recessZ and ttlarmlinating in a key l, adapted to fit into the s ot a.

m is a nut screw-threaded at its upper part and adapted to screw upon the sleeve 7 and provided with an opening in its lower part and adapted to fit around the annular groove or recess in the top of the flexible shaft. By this means the flexible shafts h h are detachably connected, respectively, with the shafts K and K and free to revolve within the sleeve iand nut m, the last two parts being stationary.

n n are steel shafts rigidly attached to the flexible shafts 7th, respectively, and passing through the upper frame D of the cuttingmachine.

m m are collars keyed to the shafts n n and resting upon the frame I) for the purpose of supporting the said shafts. These shafts n n are provided at their lower ends with bevel-gears 0 0, adapted to mesh with the gears 19 19, respectively. The gears 19 p are secured together with the spur-gear g on the shaft E, which passes through a portion of the lower frame F and is journaled in the cap G, which is fastened to the upper frame by means of the bolts r 1', thereby forming a cover for the gears 0 0, p p, and q. The frames D and F are made, preferably, of bronze, and they are fastened together by means of the bolts 8 s. The cap G on the reverse side is similar to that shown in the drawings. The spur-gear q meshes with a gearwheel M, which is journaled on a screw-stud o in the lower part of the frame F. The gearwheel it carries the cutting-knife H, said knife being fastened thereto by screws upon the outer face of the gear-wheel u.

I denotes the base of the machine, J the knife-guard, and O the handle, of usual construction.

P denotes the table located under the track C, and Q layers of cloth or other like material to be cut.

R, S, and T denote ribs for imparting strength and solidity to the machine.

The mode of operation of the machine, so far as it has not been already disclosed, is as follows: When power is transmitted to the belt a in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the pulleys L L M M are caused to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows, thereby causing'the flexible shaft ing h h to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows and the knife to be rotated, as indicated by the arrow, by means of the gearwheels intermediate the gear-wheel u and the bevel-gears 0 o. By this construction equal power is transmitted through the shafts h and h, and the energy of the rotation of the one neutralizes or balances that of the other, so far as revolving the machine is concerned, and thereby prevents the machine from turning upon its base.

The cutting-machine is moved by means of the handle in the usual manner to any desired point on the table, the cloth to be cut riding up the base, as in other cloth-cutting machines, the sliding carriage B permitting this mobility, as above indicated.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cloth or other like cutting machine,

. the combination of a cloth-cutter, a plurality of flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions and operative connections between said shafts and said cutter.

2. In a cloth or other like cutting machine, the combination of a cloth-cutter, two flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions and operative connections between said shafts and said cutter.

3. In a cloth or other like cutting machine, the combination of a cloth-cutter, two flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions, and

connections between said shafts and cutter, said connections consisting substantially of bevel-gears and gear-wheels.

4. A cloth-cutting device consisting of an upper frame D, a lower frame F secured to said upper frame, a rotary knife in said lower frame, rotary shafts in said upper frame turning in opposite directions, mechanical connections between said shafts and said knife, and means for transmitting power to said shafts, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereto affixed my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of May, 1899.

CHARLES A. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. JAoKsoN, FREDERICK G. CARTER.

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