IL41449A - Slide covers and method and apparatus for manufacturing them - Google Patents

Claims (19)

1. In a method of manufacturing slide covers of predetermined length and width, the steps of feeding an elongated cover blank having said predetermined width and a length several times said predetermined length longitudinally beyond a cutting location until a leading end of the blank is situated by a distance equal to said predetermined length beyond the cutting location , terminating the feeding of the blank when said predetermined length from the leading end thereof extends beyond the cutting location and cutting across the blank at said cutting location to separate from the blank a slide cover having said predetermined length and width, maintaining beneath the part of the blank extending beyond the cutting location a free space into which the separated slide cover can freely fall, and providing in the latter free space an inclined stationary slide surface for receiving the separated slide cover and fo.r directing it toward a collection station, collecting the thus-cut slide cover at said collecting station while resuming the longitudinal feeding of the blank until the leading end thereof again extends by a distance equal to said predetermined length beyond the cutting location, and successively repeating the above steps while collecting the successively cut slide covers at said collecting station.

2. In a method as recited in Claim 1, the steps of terminating the feeding and cutting steps when a predetermined number of said covers are collected at said collection station, removing the thus-collected predetermined number of slide 41449/2 covers from the collecting station, and then resuming the feeding and cutting steps until said predetermined number of slide covers has again accumulated at said collecting station.

3. In a method as recited in Claim 1, brushing and polishing the surfaces of the blank prior to cutting thereof so that each slide cover has a polished surface.

4. In a method as recited in Claim 2, the step of weighing the accumulated slide covers at said collecting station to determine when said predetermined number of covers have been collected.

5. In a method as recited in Claim 1 and wherein the cutting step includes the subsidiary steps of first scoring the blank at said cutting location and then tapping the part of the blank which extends beyond the cutting location and the score line in order to break a slide cover from the remainder of the blank..

6. A slide cover manufactured according to the method of Claim 3 composed of a transparent body of rectangular sheet material, said body having smooth clean, polished surfaces.

7. The combination of Claim 6 and wherein said body is made of glass.

8. In an apparatus for manufacturing slide covers, feeding means for successively feeding elongated blanks longitudinally through and beyond a predetermined cutting location, cutting means located at said cutting location for cutting a slide cover from a blank which extends through and beyond said cutting location, control means for responding automatically to movement of each blank through and beyond said cutting location and operatively connected to said feeding means and cutting means for automatically terminating the operation of said .feeding means when a predetermined length of each blank extends beyond the cutting location and for then 41449/2 operating the cutting means to cut a slide cover of said predetermined length from each blank, and said control means then again starting the operation of said feeding means at the end of the operation of said cutting means so that said control means automatically carries out successive cycles during which each blank is first fed and then cut for automatically deriving slide covers of predetermined length from blanks successively fed by said feeding means, a stationary guide member situated at the region of said cutting location beneath the part of the blank extending beyond the cutting location and ha-ving an inclined guide surface onto which the cut slide cover falls and down which the slide cover is free to slide, and collecting means situated adjacent said guide member for receiving each slide cover as it slides beyond said guide member.

9. The combination of Claim 8 and wherein said control means is operatively connected with said collecting means for terminating the operation of said feeding means and cutting means when a predetermined number of slide covers have been collected by said collecting means and for again resuming the operation of said feeding means and cutting means when the predetermined number of slide covers have been removed from the location of said collecting means, so that said predetermined number of slide covers will again be collected by said collecting means.

10. The combination of Claim 8 and wherein said feeding means feeds the blanks successively along' a predetermined path, and polishing means located along said path for polishing the slide covers while they are fed by said feeding means to said cutting location. 41449/2

11. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said cutting means includes a scoring means for scoring a cutting line across a blank at said cutting location and a h mmer means for tapping the blank beyond the cutting line scored therein by said scoring means to break a slide cover from the blank along said cutting line.

12. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said collecting means weighs the blanks collected thereby, said control means responding to a predetermined weight of collected blanks for terminating the operation of said feeding and cutting means.

13. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said control means includes a switch having a switch-actuating member situated in a path of woven ent of a leading end of each blank to be engaged and actuated by the leading end of each blank when the leading end is moved by said feeding means by a distance equal to said predetermined length beyond the cutting location, the actuation of said switch by the leading end of each blank terminating the operation of the feeding means and -starring the operation of said cutting moans, the separation of the : slide cover cut from the blank placing said switch in a condition for again starting the operation of said feeding means.

14. The combination of claim 0 and wherein a pair of drives are respectively connected operatively to said feeding means and cutting means . for driving the latter, said control moans including. a clutch means and 41449/2 means displacing said clutch means between one position where said clutch means disengages the transmission of a drive to the drive operatively connected to said cutting means and transmits the drive to the drive operatively connected to said feeding means and a second position where said clutch means terminates the transmission of a drive to the drive operatively connected to said feeding means and transmits the drive to the drive operatively connected to the cutting means.

15. The combination of Claim 14 and wherein a pneumatic means is operatively connected to said clutch means for shifting the latter between position respectively transmitting the drive to said cutting means and feeding means , said control means including a switch actuated by a leading end of each blank when the leading end moves through a predetermined distance beyond said cutting location, and a solenoid valve actuated by said switch and operatively connected to said pneumatic means for actuating the latter to shift the clutch means between its positions.

16. The combination of Claim 15 and wherein said collecting means includes a receptacle and a balance arm carrying said receptacle to be tilted to a given angular position depending upon the number of covers deposited in said receptacle of said collecting means, said control means including a switch actuated by said balance arm and operatively connected to said primary drive means for terminating the transmission of a drive 41449/2 therefrom to said clutch means when the balance arm readies a given angular position corresponding to a predetermined numbe of covers in said receptacle, the removal of said receptacle from said balance arm returning the latter to a position actuating the latter switch for again resuming the transmission of a drive from said primary drive means to said clutch means.

17. The combination of claim 16 and wherein said primary drive means includes a driving motor, a friction drive wheel driven thereby, and a driven wheel operatively connected with said clutch means to be driven by said friction drive wheel,', support means supporting said motor for tilting movement between positions -whore said friction drive wheel is engaged with and is spaced from said driven wheel, and pneumatic means operatively connected with said motor for tilting the latter betwee said positions, said pneumatic means being actuated by the switch which responds to movement of said balance arm for tilting said motor to a position displacing said drivinc friction wheel from said driven wheel when said predetermined number of covers have been collected at said receptacle iind for returning said friction drive wheel to engagement with said driven wheel when the receptacle with the covers therein have been removed from said balance arm.

18. The combination Of claim 8 and wherein said cutting means includes a scoring tool for scoring a cutting line across a blank after said cutting location, a carriage carrying said tool for guiding the. latter across the blank, 41449/2 said tool· bsing pivotnl'ly mounted on said carriage, a crank drive operatively ccniiccted to said carriage for reciprocating the latter, and a tilting means for tilting said tool av/ay from a blank during a return stroke of said carriage and for freeing said scoring tool for movement into engagemen with a blank during a forward stroke of said carriage.

19. The combination of claim 18 and wherein said cutting means includes a hammer means for tapping a cover from a blank along a cutting line scored therein by said tool, said hammer means being actuated by the drive of said carriage during the return stroke of said tool.