US1197795A - Cloth-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

F. J. CLARK.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aumo, 1915. 7

Patnted Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I". I. CLARK.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

1,197,795 APPLICATION FILED AUG. I0, l9I5' patentedseptl 12 2 SHEETSQSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. CLARK, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 EASTMAN MACHINE COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of cloth cutting machines in which a power-driven circular knife is mounted on a frame or carriage adapted to be moved about by hand on a cutting table for causing the knife to follow a desired pattern and cut through a lay of cloth on the table. In order to cut satisfactorily the knife must be frequently sharpened, and the machine, as usual, is provided with knife sharpening means and is also preferably provided with a guard in front of the knife to protect the hands of the operative. The sharpening of the knife coupled with the wear thereof incident to its cutting action, causes the knife to gradually decrease in diameter.

The objects of the present invention are to so mount the sharpening means and the knife guard that they can be adjusted to maintain them in proper relation to the knife as the diameter thereof decreases, whereby they will be equally effective after the knife decreases in size, and in such a manner that all the adjustments can be readily and conveniently made; also to provide an efiicient and desirable knife sharpening device which is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction and can be easily operated; and also to improve cloth cutting machines in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cloth cutting machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the machine, showing the position of the knife sharpener and guard after the knife has been worn away somewhat. Fig. 3 is a side ele vation of the lower portion of-the machine, showing the side opposite to that appearing in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of thelower partof'the machine on line 4-4:, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the support carrying the knife guard and the sharpening device, on line 55, Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the fixed and adjustable portions of the support for the knife sharpening device and guard. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views similar respectively to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, showing a modified construction. Fig. 11 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 12 is a section thereof on line 1212, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

The carriage or frame of the machine comprises a base plate 1 of usual construction, a standard 2 rising from the base, and a casing 3 mounted on said standard. The knife driving motor is housed within the casing and is connected by suitable inclosed gearing to the knife 4: which is suitably j ournaled on the standard 2. The lowerportion of the knife extends into a slot formed in the base plate. These parts may be of any usual or suitable construction and are the same in both of the constructions illustrated.

13 represents two knife sharpening wheels or grinders located at opposite sides of the knife at the upper forward'portion thereof and adapted to be moved laterally into contact with the edge thereof for sharpening it, and 14 indicates an upright guard or bar supported in front of the knifeto-prevent injury to the operativeshands.

The knife grinders and the guard are adjustably mounted at the front ofthe machine in such manner that the grinders can be adjusted downwardly and rearwardly toward the knife from time to time as may be necessary, to enable them to be maintained in substantially the same relation to the edge of the knife notwithstanding the decreasing diameter of the knife, and so that the guard can be adjusted rearwardly to'keep it always in the desired proximity to the knife. The guard can thus be kept close enough to the edge of the knife to preclude the possibility of the operative getting a finger in between the guard and the knife and cutting it. Without such adjustment'of the guard the space between the guardand the-knife would widen ,as thediameter of the knife decreased. These adjustments are in addition to the movement of the grinders into and out of grinding contact with the lmife, and of the usual vertical adjustment of the guard to suit lays of cloth of different thickness.

In the construction shown,'the grinders and guard are supported by a slide or plate 15 which is adjustable up and down on a bracket or support 16 which projects for.-

' end.

wardly from the casing 3, to which it can be secured in any suitable way or with which it could be formed integrally. The slide plate 15 is arranged at one side of the bracket 16 and has a rib or tongue 17 entering a guide groove 18 in the side of the bracket. A clamping screw 19 passes through a slot 20 in the slide and a hole 21 in the bracket 16 and has a nut 22 screwed on its threaded By tightening this nut the slide 15 can be clamped between the head of the screw and the bracket to thereby stationarily secure it on the bracket.

23 is an adjusting screw which is journaled and held from endwise movement in a bearing slot 21 in the upper end of the slide 15 and has a screw-threaded engagement in a hole passing through the clamping-screw 19. The adjusting screw is provided at its upper end with a knurled knob or part for turning it. The slide 15 can be adjusted up or down to the required extent by appropriately turning the screw 23 after first loosening the clamping screw 19, and after the adjustment is effected the slide can be rigidly secured in position by again tightening the clamping screw 19. The guide groove 18 for the slide 15 preferably inclines rearwardly more or less nearly in a direction toward the axis of the knife, so that as the slide is adjusted downwardly it also moves rearwardly sufficiently to insure the proper relation of the grinders to the knife as the diameter of the latter decreases. The adjustable slide or support 15 could be differently constructed and adjustably mounted on the machine and any other suitable adjusting and securing means therefor could be employed.

The sharpening wheels or grinders 13 are suitably journaled by axles 25 on two supporting arms 26 which are suitably pivoted at their upper ends to and depend from the slide 15. Preferably, these arms are pivoted one in front of the other on a pivot screw 27 projecting forwardly from a laterally extending part 28 of the slide 15 and consist of metal plates having their lower portions, in which the axles 25 are secured, bent to extend forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. The grinders are normally held apart out of contact with the knife by a suitable spring 29, such, for example, as a V-shaped spring wire having a loop seated in a circumferential groove in the head of the pivot screw 27 and the ends of its legs seated in holes in the grinder arms 26. The arms 26 are independently movable and the grinders can be pressed against the edge of the knife either singly or together to sharpen it on either or both sides thereof, as may be desired, by pressing the grinder arms to- Ward the knife. For thus operating the grinders the supporting arms 26, in the construction shown in Figs. 1-7, are provided with forwardly projecting portions having holes 30 forming finger pieces or pinch handles which can be readily grasped between the thumb and one finger for operating the grinders. In the construction shown in Figs. 813 the grinders are operated by pinch handles 31 which project to one side from the upper ends of the grinder arms. Either of the constructions described can be used, as preferred, or other suitable means for op erating the grinder arms could be used. The sharpening device constructed in either of the ways described is very simple, but is convenient and can be readily operated and is very eflicient in action.

The knife guard or bar 14: is secured in a suitable holder 32 having a guide 33 in which the bar is adapted to slide endwise and to be secured at different elevations, as may be necessary by reason of the thickness of the pile of cloth being cut, by a binding screw 31. In the construction shown in Figs. 1-7, the guard holder 32 is pivoted at its upper end at 35 to the slide 15 and is pivoted below the pivot 35 to the front end of a link 36 which is pivoted at its rear end at 37 to the stationary bracket 16. Thus when the slide 15 is adjusted downwardly by the adjusting screw 23, the link 36 swings downwardly and rearwardly and swings the lower portion of the guard rearwardly toward the knife. This adjustment is in addition to the usual adjustment of the guard to different elevations in the holder or guide 32. In this way the lower end of the guard is moved rearwardly to a greater extent than it would be by the inclination alone of the guide groove 18 for the slide 15, and the guard can therefore be adjusted to keep it always close to the front edge of the knife notwithstanding the decreasing diameter of the knife.

In the construction shown in Figs. 813, the guard 14 is slidably mounted and adapted to be secured at different elevations in a holder 38 just as above described, but this holder, which is pivoted at 39 to the slide 15, is adjusted by a screw 40 for swinging the guard rearwardly toward the knife. The adjusting screw, see Fig. 12, is swiveled at its inner end in a bearing or part 41 on the slide 15 and turns in a screwthreaded hole in a swivel post 12 on the guard holder 38. By means of this screw the guard can be adjusted toward and from the knife as may be necessary by reason of the change in diameter of the knife to keep the guard in the desired proximity to the edge of the knife.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the machine frame and a rotary knife, of sharpening devices arranged above the knife and adapted to be adjusted downwardly toward the same, and a knife guard which is movably mounted and is moved toward the knife by the downward adjustment of the sharpening devices.

2. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and the rotary knife, of rotary grinders for the knife mounted to move into and out of grinding contact with the knife and adjustable substantially parallel with the knife, a knife guard, and a single means for adjusting the rotary grinders and the guard toward the center of rotation of the knife to maintain them in substantially constant relation to the knife as its diameter decreases.

3. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of a bracket supported by said frame, a movable member supported by said bracket and adapted to be adjusted downwardly with respect thereto, grinding means and a knife guard supported by said movable member, and means for moving said movable member relatively to the bracket.

4:. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and the rotary knife, of a movable support mounted on the frame to move relativ thereto toward and from the knife, rotary grinders and a knife guard holder mounted on said movable support, said grinders being movable into and out of grinding contact with the knife, a knife guard adjustable in said holder, means for adjusting said support relatively to the knife, and means for adjusting the guard holder to move the guard toward the edge of the knife.

5. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and the rotaryknife,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for of a movable support mounted on the frame to move relative thereto toward and from the knife, rotary grinders and a knife guard holder mounted on said movable support, said grinders being movable into and out of grinding contact with the knife, a knife guard adjustable in said holder, means for adjusting said support relatively to the knife, and means for causing the guard to move toward the edge of the knife when said support is adjusted.

6. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and the rotary knife, of rotary grinders arranged at opposite sides of the knife and movable laterally into sharpening contact with the knife, a knife guard, a support for the grinders and the guard mounted on the front of the frame and adjustable downwardly toward the knife, means for moving the support relatively to said frame, and means for normally holding the sharpeners out of engagement with the knife. 7. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of I a guard in front of said knife, a holder in which said guard is adjustable endwise up and down, and means for adjusting said holder to move the guard toward the knife in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the knife.

8. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of a guard in front of said knife which is adjustable endwise up and down, means for securing the guard in adjusted positions, and an adjusting screw and connections by which the guard is adjusted rearwardly to different positions toward the knife by turning said screw.

9.. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of a guard in front of said knife, a slide to which said guard is pivotally connected, means for adjusting said slide up and down, and means for causing said guard to move relative to said slide and to the knife when said slide is adjusted.

10. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of knife grinders, arms on which said grinders are journaled and which are pivoted above the knife and normally depend from their pivotal connection and support the grinders at opposite sides of the knife and are adapted to swing laterally to place the grinders in grinding contact with the knife, and a spring which normally holds the grinders out of contact with the knife.

11. In a cloth cutting machine, the combi-' FREDERICK J. CLARK.

Witnesses:

C. W. PARKER, ADELINE L. MCGEE.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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