Device for holding photographic prints while being cut.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1900.) (No Model.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO . PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON.,D. C.

United States Patent Office.

GEORGE B. WARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HERBERT B. SEMMELMEYER, OF SAME PLAGE.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS WHILE BEING CUT.

SPECIFICATION formi-ng· part of Letters Patent No. 684,143, dated October 8, 1901.

Application filed November 14,1900. Serial No. 36,461. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, George B. Ward, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 5 Improvements in Devices for Holding Photographic Prints While Being Cut; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel device designed for photographers’ use to hold photographic prints while they are being cut or 15 trimmed to the desired conformation preparatory to mounting the same.

A device embodying my invention embraces generally a base upon which the prints are supported while being cut and means for jo securing to said base a pattern-plate used in connection with a cutting-tool to give a desired form, such as a round or oval, to the print being cut.

The invention consists in the matters here25 inafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sec30 tion thereof with the pattern - plate swung upwardly.

As shown in said drawings, A designates a generally rectangular base-block, which may bemadeofwoodorlikematerial; B,apattern3 5 plate, and C a hinged clamp by means of which the pattern-plate may be united by a hinged or pivotal connection to the base in a manner to swing vertically toward and away from the cutting-surface of the base and whereby the 40 print may be held by being clamped between the pattern-plate and the base. Said plate is provided with a pattern-opening B' of the shape which it is desired to give to the finished print. As herein shown said pattern45 opening is oval in form, but may be varied to produce different-shaped prints. The inner edge of said plate, surrounding said opening, constitutes a guide to direct the cuttingtool, which may be a knife or revolving cutter. 50 D D designate clasps which are adapted to engage the free edge of the pattern-plate to hold the same in its clamping position. Said clasps desirably engage the pattern-plate with a yielding pressure and for this purpose are made of spring metal and pivoted to the block 55 to swing in a horizontal plane toward and from the pattern-Dlate. Obviously the same yielding effect would be produced by placing the clasps under the influence of springs. Two clasps are herein shown, one engaging the pat- 60 tern-plate to hold it in.its clamping position and the other swung outwardly away from said plate. In practice a number of patternplates of different sizes, such as are commonly supplied for the purpose stated, will be.used 65 in connection with the base and its hing.ed clamp, and either of said plates may be inserted in the said clamp, as desired. One of the clasps C is ample to hold the smaller pattern-plate in its clamping position; but for 70 the larger plates two clasps will desirably be used, one engaging the. plate near each corner thereof. The margins of said clasps, at the ends thereof, are curved upwardly to permit the same to slide readily over the plate. 75

The hinged clamp C illustrated is like a butt-hinge, one leaf c of which is permanently attached to the edge of the block A and the other leaf c' of which engages the adjacent ed°-e of the pattern-plate and constitutes one 80 of a pair of clamping members, between which the edge of the pattern-plate is clamped. The other clamping member in the device shown consists of a loose plate c², which is connected with the leaf c' of the hinge by means of 85 clamping-studs c³, attached rigidly to the loose plate c², which extend through apertures in the adjacent leaf of the hinge, and are provided outside of said leaf with screwthreaded thumb-nuts, by which said leaf and 90 plate are clamped together. In order to insure the proper clamping engagement of the outer edges of the clamping members with the pattern - plate, the rear edge of the loose clamping-plate is provided with a flange.c, 95 which is directed toward and engages the inner surface of the leaf c of the hinge. This construction acts to bring the said plate.substantially parallel with the leaf of the hinge, so as to increase the bearing-surface between 100 the clamping-plate and pattern-plate..

The cutting-surface of the base A is made

684,143 shiftable in order to prevent said surface from becoming quickly injured by repeated contacts of the cutting-tool with the same parts thereof. In this instance said eutting5 surface consists of removable and shiftable plate E, upon which the print to be cut or formed is laid. Said plate is desirably made ot soft metal, such as zinc or the like, and is supported directly upon a yielding layer or io pad F of rubber or like material. Said yielding pad F is of a size slightly greater than the largest size of pattern-opening B' of the plate B to be used therewith.

In order to provide means for holding the 15 cutting-plateE in place, said plate isprovided on one edge thereof with adownturned flange e, which is adapted to engage either one of two grooves a² in the top surface of the base at eil her side of the cutting-bed. Preferably 20 and as herein shown said grooves are formed between the side margins of theyielding layer or pad F and strips a a applied to the base at either side of said pad. Two of said grooves are provided in order that said cutting-sur25 face plate may be turned end to end to present different surfaces thereof to the action of the cutting-tool. Preferably, also, transverse strips a' a’ are attached to the base at the ends of the cutting-bed, said strips being 30 flush with the layer or pad F and serving to support the ends of the shiftable plate which extend beyond said pad. The axis of the hinge C is by preference located slightly below the level of the cutting-surface of the 35 plate E when the parts are assembled, so as to insure clamping action between all parts ot the pattern-plate and the cutting-surface when the free edge of the pattern-plate is pressed down against the cutting-bed either 40 by the hand or by the clasps D.

Heretofore it has been the practice in cutting or trimming photographic prints to give proper form thereto preparatory to mounting to clamp the print between a form or pattern 45 P ate such as herein shown and a cutting block or base by hand-pressure. This method of cutting the print requires considerable skill on the part of the operator in order to prevent the print or pattern-plate from slip50 ping during the cutting or trimming operation. Moreover, in case of large print it is often necessary for the person doing the cutting or trimming to employ the services of another person or helper to aid in holding 55 the print in place while being cut or trimmed.

With my construction, on the other hand, the print is mechanically clamped or held in place during the cutting operation either by pressure of one hand on the free edge of the 60 pattern-plate or by the clasps D, and in the latter case both hands of the operator will be left free to manipulate the cutting-tool. 1 When the pattern-plate is held at its free edge by the hand and the clasps are not used, 1 65 the device will operate equally well to forci- 1 bly hold the print, it being obvious that, inasmuch as the pattern-plate is held positively i from lateral or sidewise motion through its I attachment to the hinged clamp, no displace3 ment of the print is liable to occur in the cut- 70 - ting operation when the pattern-plate is so 3 held. Moreover, by the use of the device ’ herein shown special skill is not required in > order to accurately cut or trim the print, and > such work may be done with economy of labor. 75 • _ A further advantage of the device described is that the work may be done much more > rapidly than by the method heretofore prac» ticed and with greater ease to the person doing the work, it being obvious that the pat- 80 tern-plate when held in the hinged clamp, as described, may be easily and quickly lifted ' or thrown back from the base in removing and inserting the prints and that the prints may be quickly adjusted to the proper posi- 85 tion beneath the plate, because the weight of the plate alone or a slight pressure thereon will loosely confine the print while being adjusted to its proper place and stronger pressure of the hand or the use of the clasps will 9c thereafter immovably clamp and hold the print while being cut.

It will be understood that the soft-metal plate E is made thin enough to possess some flexibility, so that the pressure of the cutting- 95 tool thereon causes the plate, to be slightly depressed into the cushioning pad or layer at the point of contact of the tool. The result of this construction is that the cutting edge of the tool is depressed slightly below 100 the general level of the plate E, so that a sharp clean cut is assured.

A further advantage of the yielding cutting-bed is that it permits the print to be more effectively clamped in place than would 105 be true if such bed be rigid.

The purpose of the soft-metal plate constituting the cutting-surface of the bed is to prevent the dulling of the cutting-tool byhaving the same brought into cutting con- no tact with a hard surface. The shifting of the plate in the manner described enables all parts of the same to be brought under tlie cutting-tool and all parts to receive equal wear, thereby effectively avoiding a possible 115 objection to a soft-metal cutting-bed.