Graphic Arts Cutting Instrument

Abstract

Graphic arts cutting instrument comprising a board, a monorail on the board mounted in spaced relation above the same, a double cutter mounted on a slider on the monorail for cutting a column on the board, and a holddown device for the work being cut, said holddown device including magnetic clamping means therefor.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The cutting of accurate columns for modern day presses presents many problems. This column cutting is done by hand which makes it important that an experienced operator perform the cutting operation. There is no guarantee of accuracy when these columns of type are cut by hand. It is the general purpose of the present invention to provide a relatively simple cutting instrument capable of cutting both sides of a photoset column of type within one point of accuracy, with little skill being necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A base is provided for the unit and this base can be a board which may be e.g., approximately 12 inches wide by 28 inches long to provide for cutting a full column of photoset type for a newspaper for instance. This base is preferably made of a light rigid material which is not too hard to dull the cutting blades. One suitable material for the board is Plexiglas, but wood can also be used.

The base has a raised straight edge on one side which may be gauged in inches and picas. The ends of the board are provided with a T-shaped metal rail upon which the monorail is mounted at each end thereof being slidable thereon for lateral adjustment of the monorail. The faces or upper edges of these T-shaped irons are also numbered in inches and picas.

The monorail contains a rubber-faced holding bar which moves with the monorail the same being held down by means of a magnet whether electromagnet or permanent, to clamp the copy for cutting.

A cutting instrument is mounted on the monorail to slide thereon and this is made of three pieces connected together, the two outside pieces each mounting a circular blade which does the cutting, and mounted so that it cannot wobble or vary during the cutting process. The third section of the cutting apparatus is the center section which is made in various sizes according to the column width desired to be cut. This section has a slot accommodating the monorail, and the entire cutting instrument can be slid thereon, as manually for instance, in order to have the circular blades cut the column as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A baseboard of any description such as wood, Plexiglas, etc., is illustrated by the reference character 10. This board may comprise a wood base with a plastic top, as shown. The board is of any desired size but one convenient size for cutting a column is 12 inches .times. 28 inches.

Along one long side there is a raised straight edge 12 marked in inches and picas for instance, and at the ends of the board there are provided upright T-shaped members 14 and 16 providing bearing surfaces 18 and 20 for the sliding reception of heads 22 and 24 at the ends of a monorail generally indicated at 26. This monorail has a channel in its lower surface and a smooth upper edge for a purpose to be described. The heads 22 and 24 slidingly mount the entire monorail and any desired means such as thumbscrews may be held to clamp the heads in any adjusted position desired, as shown.

The monorail 26 houses therein an elongated holding bar 28 which may be constructed of any material. It extends generally the length of the monorail 26 and is preferably magnetic to be acted upon by magnets 34 and 36 extending across the board 10 adjacent the ends thereof. Means such as springs or elastometric members 38 tend to hold the holding bar raised.

The cutter assembly generally indicated by the reference character 40 comprises three main members, left and right-hand side blocks 42, 44 spaced by a center section 46. Each side block 42 and 44 provides a mounting for one circular cutter 48, 50, these being rotatable on any kind of axle 54 which may be desired but are held in such a way in the blocks that they cannot wobble when cutting the column of type.

The central section 46 of the cutter assembly is cut out as shown in 56 at its lower surface to receive the monorail 26, which slidingly guides it.

The three parts of the cutter 42, 44 and 46 are held together in any desired way as for instance by bolts, but in any event the three sections are easily taken apart to replace the center section with either a narrower or a wider section to vary the spacing of the cutting knives 48 and 50.

The operation of the device is very simple. The material desired to be cut is placed in the correct position under the monorail and holding bar. When arranged as desired, the magnet is energized, or any other clamping means used, to hold the holding bar down on the material and clamp it onto the base. Then the cutter assembly is merely slid by hand, cutting through the material and just touching the top surface of base 10.

Claims

I claim:

1. A composition cutter comprising a base, a monorail mounted in spaced relation but parallel to said base, a holding bar at the underside of said monorail magnetic means on the base supporting the monorail at the ends thereof so that the monorail is substantially free of the base from end to end thereof, magnetic material in the holding bar,

a sliding cutter member on said monorail, said sliding cutter member comprising a pair of cutters mounted in parallel relationship thereon, one cutter extending to one side of the holding bar and the other cutter at the other side thereof, said cutter being slidable along said monorail, with said cutters extending to the top surface of the base to cut an elongated column of material held by the holding bar.