Rag cutter from the National Papermarking Museum collection. Used at Hayle Mill, Maidstone - the last mill to make paper by hand Wooden feeder leads from the top of the machine, cast iron side plates, at top sets of wheels with serrated edges to shred the rags which then fell down to a "moving machine" rotary cutter to chop them up and pass them to second converyor in wood trough which lifted them to top of the sack. Belt driven from electric motor. This machine replaced the women who used to sort and cut up the rags which were to be used for paper-making. The rags were still sorted and cut into lengths by hand but the chopping into small pieces was done on this machine. Rag Cutter
