BOOK-BIN DING MACH INES. The art of book-binding has witnessed few changes so far as theory is concerned during the past decade, and consequently the efforts of inventors in this trade have been mainly directed to ward perfecting and improving the ma chinery and appliances used in the work, the changes being notably in cut tens, edge trimmers, folders, presses, wire and thread sewing machines, rounders and backers, and inking attachments for embossing , presses.
so-called " Star " ma chine is represented in Fig. I. It is so constructed that the operator can stop the knife instantaneously at any point, when it will run back automatically to the start ing-point, The cut is made and the knife returned at four turns of the fly-wheel, and the gearing is such that only a slight effort is necessary to work it by hand. By the use of the long-toothed end-lever, working in a curved rack, the power is largely increased, and this suits the cutter for exceptionally heavy work, such as the continuous cutting of all kinds of mill and pulp board, glazed or enameled cardboard and !raper, and other tough materials. In another type of paper-cutter, known as the "Criterion," the knife is operated by a center crank-movement located below the cutting-table. so that the strain of cutting is applied where the frame is the strongest. The clamping device combines a hand-screw clamp with an auto matic power-clamp, so that in operating the same the pressure can he applied to the hand wheel to any degree, after which the power-clamp will duplicate the given pressure exactly.
In the " Inland" critter a power screw - clamp, with a power knife mechanism, make a combination of an automatic self - clamping device and an independent power-clamp in one machine. The clamp is set in motion, and its up-and-down move ment to any required pressure is con trolled by a treadle. The knife is started by a hand-lever, which ena bles the operator to stop or reverse instantly at any point. Only one screw is required to he adjusted in regulating the depth of the knife.
main feat ures of a novel form of trimmer are the clamp operated up and down by means of an oscillating treadle, allow ing the operator to use both bands to handle the bunches. After the clamp is applied, the maehine is started by means of a hand-lever, and then oper ates to make four consecutive cuts and turns of the table, after which it stops automatically, and a reverse movement of the treadle raises the clamp and allows the trimmed bunches to be removed and fresh ones inserted. The vertically movable knife-bed
and knife are mounted in a traveling carriage, and means are provided to Noise them to ant 0 matieally approach the form-plate of the clamp, to make each cut, and then recede while other automatic means cause the table to rotate a partial revolution. The device for thus auto matically moving, the knife-carriage back and forth on the be41-plate at these determinate in tervals of a disk having a toothed segment, and keyed upon a horizontal auxiliary shaft, said segment meshing with a pinion upon the end of a short vertical shaft ; and by means of a loose pinion no the upper end of this vertical shaft working in a rack running in the hed-plate, the knife-frame is operated at the proper time. The shearing action of the knife is produced throllg'il a lever having a roller at its upper end. and bearing upon the edge of the knife-bed ; a roller on the lower end of this lever bears against a earn upon tire shaft, and. the lever being pivoted centrally in the framing, oscillates at intervals and effects the movement of the knife.
The "Star manufactured by George IT. Sanborn & Sons, of New York, is shown in Fig. 2. The rotation of the table is effected by hand, and the clamp is operated by the large hand-wheel shown. The hand-wheel in front regulates the movable bed for large and small books. After the knife has come down, the turn-table unlocks itself, and again automatically locks before the next cut is made, thus doing away with the old-fashioned lock which required the operator to push in a key in front before making a cut. This improvement saves time and hard work, and in connection with the rapidly moving knife makes this type of machine one of the fastest trimmers in the market. Reverse motion of the gearing is stopped by an improved friction-brake. The knife-ba• slides diagonally in heavy frames, and is true and smooth cut is insured at each descent of the knife. The small hand-wheels under the front of the bed arc for the purpose of instantly adjusting the work whenever there is any tendency of heavy work crowding the knife: this keeps the latter from cut ting " in " or "out from a true plane, and is a valuable feature of the machine. The rise of the knife is adjustable for the thinnest or thickest piles.