US1538942A - Apparatus for cutting disks from sheets - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1925.

A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April 10, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheeci nogutoz (/9. j 6

351 1115 Gum May 26, 1925.

1,538,942 A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April 10, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 vweutoz N W 8 n/ May 26, 1925.

1,538,942 A. JOHN-SON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April 10, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet s \flJol noon,

May 26, 1925. A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS Filed April 10, 1922' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gum/"02:

I v.7, Jim-son m1, 215 QHMW Patented May 26 1925.

UNITED STATES ARON JOHN-SON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEETS.

Application filed April 10, 1922. Serial No. 551,202.

To (1Z1 whom it may COQMCWL.

Be it known that I, Anon JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Disks from Sheets. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine or ap paratus for cutting disks from sheets and particularly for cutting disks from a sheetof cork to be utilized as the lining for receptacle closures. and it is the primary obect of the invention to providean improved and simplified apparatus to cut disks from a sheet in a more expeditious and etlicient manner.

A further object of the invention resides in the manner of supporting the disk cut ting mechanism in alinement with perforations in a work or sheet supporting table, to gether with ejecting means to eject the cut disks from the cutters and deliver them through the perforations in the table, whereby said cutting and ejecting mechanism may he swung up away from. the table and toward the table with the cutting and ejecting mechanism in line with the perforations in the table without disconnecting the same from its driving means, and to pro- *ide means for disconnecting the ejecting mechanism from the driving means to permit of sharpening the cutters when the same are swung away from the table.

A further object of the invention relates to improved means for presenting a sheet from which the disks are to he cut to the cutting 'n'iechanisnr. and to provide improved means tofeed a sheet a predetermined distance transverse to the cutting mechanism alternate with the cutting movement of the cutting mechanism and to strip the scrap material or sheet from the cutting mechanism after the disk or disks have been cut trom the sheet.

A further object of the invention relates to means to connect the sheet feeding means to and actuate the same from the cutting and ejecting mechanism, whereby said latter mechanismas it is swung away from the table is automatically disconnected from the sheet feeding means and automatically connected thereto when swung toward the table.

Another object of the invention relates to the providing in apparatus of this character of a plurality of series of cutting mechanism so constructed and arranged whereby a series of disks may be simultaneously cut from a series of strips or sheets of material.

Other objects and advantages will hereinatter appear.

Tn the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for cutting disks from sheets illustrating an embodiment of my invention, showing the parts in full lines inoperative disk cutting position and in dotted lines the disk cutting mechanism as adjusted or swung away from the work or sheet supporting table and in position where the cutters may be readily sharpened without removing the cutters and while operatively connected to the cutter driving means.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 4 to show the arrangement of the cutter driving means, the cutter and ejector reciprocating means, and the means to feed the sheet transversely to the cutting mechanism.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional plan view to show the arrangement of the perforations .in the sheet supporting table and the mounting of the stripper plates thereon, as well. as

the actuating means for the sheet feeding means.

7 Figure 4': is a longitudinal sectional View to show the driving connections between the carriers for the cutters and a main driving shaft, and the relation of the cutters to the sheet feeding means. i

Figure 4t is a detail view to show the mounting of the feed rollers of the sheet feeding means.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the cutting and ejecting mechanism showing the same in position to be actuated to cut a disk from a sheet.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the parts in the position they assume when the disk has been cut from a sheet and the ejecting of the cut disk from the cutter and the delivering thereof through a perforation in the table.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail View in side elevation of feed roller actuating means.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of the frame upon which the disk cutting and ejecting mechanism is mounted.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a slide or carrier casing in which-thecutter carriers are mounted.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a por tion of the carrier for the plungers of the disk ejecting mechanism.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one of the sheet feeding'rollers.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of the component parts disassembled of means for intermittently actuating the sheet feeding rollers.

Figure 13 is a detail view in side elevation of the driving connection between the sheet feeding means and disk cutter and ejector actuating means.

Figure 14 is a. planview of a portion of a sheet from which the disks are cut to show the manner of successively cutting disks therefrom; and

Figure 15 is :1V plan view of a train of gearing for rotating the cutter carriers.

Similar characters of reference designate lik parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings I provide a table consisting of a top or plate 16 supported upon transverse members of legs or standards 17,

the top being arranged with a series or plurality of series of grouped perforations 18, shown in the present instance as two in number, and relative to which thesheet from which the disks are to be out are sup ported upon the table, said perforations being arranged and grouped so that a series of disks may be simultaneously cut from a sheet and the successive series of disks cut from the sheet with a minimum waste of the material. The strips or sheets of material 19 are guided upon the table over the perforations by lateral guide members 20 consisting of angle iron fixed upon a forwardly projecting apron. of the table. and below plates 21. 22 and 23 mounted upon the table in spaced relation thereto, the forward ends of the plates 21 being curled or curved upward to facilitate the feeding of a sheet below the same. The plates 22 are provided with perforations to register with the perforations in the table and also serve as strip plates to strip the scrap material or sheet from the cutters after the disks have been cut therefrom and are removably mounted upon the table.

The sheets are fed over the table by rollers arranged in pairs 24, 25, one pair forward and another pair in the rear of the perforations in the table. The rollers 25 of each pair of feed rollers are longitudinally fluted and journaled in fixed bearings, as shown at 26, to engage in openings in the table with the periphery of the rollers substantially flush or extending slightly above the surface of the table. The rollers 24 of each pair are journaled in blocks 27 slidably engaging inyokes 28 fixed or arranged to project up from the table with the rollers 24 in parallel relation to the rollers 25 whereby said rollers 24 may have movement toward and away from'the rollers 25, and are urged in a direction toward the rollers 25 by springs 29"confined between the roller journal blocks 27 and plates 30 secured to the top of the yoke members 28. By this arrangement the rollers 24 will press upon the stock or sheet with sufficient force to cause the fluted surface of the rollers 25 to firmly grip and positively feed the sheet or strip.

To intermittently feed the sheet or strip, pinions 31 are loosely mounted on the shafts of the rollers 25, said pinions also being arranged as one member of a jaw clutch 32 to co-operate with a clutch member 82 fixed to the roller shaft-s, the pinions being normally urged in a direction toward the clutch members 32 by springs 33 confined between collars -34 pinned-to the roller shafts and the hubs of said pinions (Figure 12). The pinions 31 are rotated to and fro by a toothed sector 35 fixed to one end of a shaft 36 journaled in a block STfixed upon a sup porting standard. ofthe table and having a. member 38 fixed to the opposite end which member is in the nature of a rocker or walking beam for engagement of means to be. hereinafter described to rock the shaft and thereby the sector. The sector is arranged to engage with the pinions i'nounted on both of the shafts of rollers 25. As the sector is moved in one direction the pinions 31 will have arotative movement on. the roller shafts with the clutc-h'portion thereof riding over the clutch members 32, and as the pinions are rotated in reverse direction by the sector the clutch members thereof through the: action of the springs will cause the clutch members to operatively engage and rotate the rollers 25.

A series of disks are simultaneously cut from the sheet by tubular cutters removably mounted in tubular carriers mounted to have rotative and longitudinal reciprocable movement, the cutter carriers being arranged in series or groups of three. two series or groups being illustrated. and the cutters also arranged to correspond with the arrangement of the perforations in the table. The cutters comprise tubes 39 (Figures 5 and 6) arranged with a cutting edge at one end diameter engaging in perforations in a box-' like slide or casing 44 with a shoulder formed by the reduced portion of the carriers engaging with bosses projecting from the carrier 44, as shown at 45, (Figures 5 and G) and held against longitudinal movement and rotated by pinions 46 xed to the carriers at the side of the slide 44 opposite to the cutters.

The cutter carrier supporting slide 44 is arranged at opposite ends with channel members 47 (Figure 9) to extend parallel with the cutter carriers and to slidably engage standards or uprights 48 fixed to parallel side members 49 of a frame connected by transverse members 50 and pivotally supported to swing toward and away from the top of the table, said frame in the present instance being mounted on a drive shaft 51 engaging in perforations at the ends of the frame members 49, said shaft being journaled upon the table standards 17. The standards 48 of the frame are so arranged upon the frame members 49, and the cutter carriers arranged in the supporting slide 44 so that the cutters when the frame is swung toward the table will come in register with the table perforations.

As stated, each of the cutter carriers has a pinion 46 connected thereto, and in order to provide a compact arrangement one of said pinions is of larger diameter than the pinions of the other cutter carriers, as shown in Figure 15. The cutter carriers are rotated by a pinion 52 meshing with the out er carricupinion 46 of larger diameter. The pinions 46, 52 are arranged within the slide 44, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4, and a cover 53 is releasably secured to said slide whereby an enclosed housing is provided for said train of gearing. The gear 52 is mounted on a shaft 53 to rotate therewith and have sliding movement therein, said shaft being rotatably and slidably mounted in the cutter carrier support 44 and the cover 53 thereof for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The cutter carrier driving gear is driven from the main drive shaft 51 by an intermediate shaft 54 journaled in bearings carried by the transverse frame members 50, as shown at in Figure 4, a bevel pinion 56 on said shaft meshing with a bevel gear 57 fixed on the drive shaft 51, and a pinion 58 at the other end ofsaid shaft meshing with a pinion 59 fixed to the shaft 53 of the cutter carrier driving gear 52, the pinion 59 having an annular recess 60 in the hub thereof for the engagement of the bifurcated end of a support 61 secured to a transverse frame member 50 to hold the shaft 53 against longitudinal movement. By this arrangen'ient of the driving coir nection of the cutter carriers with the main drive shaft it will be obvious that as the frame of the cutter carrier support is swung away from the table, to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, and again swung to position above the table that the cutter carriers will be at all times operatively connected to the drive shaft 51. Owing to the nature of the material, cork, from which the disks are cut the cutters become dulled quickly, and by this a1"angement of swing ing the cutter carrier supporting frame up to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 the cutters may be readily sharpened without removing them from the cutter carriers.

The cutter carrier support 44 is normally urged in. a direction to move the cutters away from the work or sheet supporting table by springs 62 engaging in recessed portions 63 of the frame standards 48 with one end of the springs engaging the bot tom of the recesses while the opposite ends are engaged by studs 64 secured in laterally projecting portions of brackets 65 secured *ithin a channel portion of the members 47 of the cutter carrier supports 44, as shown in Figures 2 and 9. These springs urge the cutter carrier support in an upward direction with rollers 66 carried by the brackets 65 into engagement with cams G7 fixed to a shaft 68 journaled in the upper ends of the frame standards 48. The cam shaft 68 is operatively connected to the main drive shaft 51. in a suitable manner, said connection being shown as comprising a sprocket chain 69 passing around a sprocket wheel 70 on shaft 51. and a sprocket wheel 71 ro-- tatable on the shaft 68, the hub of said latter sprocket wheel being arranged as one member 72 of a clutch to cooperate with a clutch member '73 mounted on shaft (38 to rotate therewith and have sliding movement thereon, the clutch member 73 being moved into and out of operative connection with the clutch member 72 by a lever 74 pivotally carried by a bracket fixed to one of the frame standards 48, said lever being arranged with a hand grip at one end and the opposite end bifurcated and engaging an annular recess in the clutch member It will be obvious that by manipulating the lever 74 the clutch member 73 may be thrown into and out of operative connection with the clutch 72 and thereby connecting and disconnecting the cam shaft with the drive shaft 51.

To eject the cut disks from the cutters and deliver the same through the perforations in the table ejectors are provided, comprising plungers 7 5 (Figures 1, 2,4, 5 and 6) having an enlarged portion slidably engaging in the cutters 39 and a reduced portion to slidably engage in the cutter carriers and pro jecting beyond the carriers with the reduced and shouldered ends of the plungers engag ing in perforations in a carrier in the form of a plate 76 (Figure 10): and secured therein by nuts 77 threaded on to the plungers. The plunger carrying plate has a flange extending around the edges thereof to strengthen the same and has a recess 79 in the opposite ends for the slidab'le engagement of the channel members of the cutter carrier sup port s it whereby the plunger carrier is slidably mounted thereon, these recesses having two depths whereby to reduce the contacting surface thereof with the member 47 and re ducing friction. The plungers are adapted to be reciprocated in proper timed sequence with the reciprocation of the cutters to eject the cut disk through a perforation in the table, as shown at 78 in Figure 6.

The plunger carrier 76 is normally urged in an upward direction by springs 80 connected at one end to the plunger carrier and at the opposite ends to cross bars 81 fixed to the top of the frame standards 48, with rollers 83 rotatably mounted in the bifurcation of bearings fixed to the top of the plunger carrier in engagement with cams 83 fixed on the cam shaft 68 and moved by said cams against the tension of the spring in a direction toward the table perforations.

The stock or sheet 19 from which the disks are cut is fed transverse to the cutters 39 during the receding movement of the cutters and plungers through the sector 35 meshing with the feed roller pinions 31, said sector being rocked or actuated from the cam shaft 8 by a crank rod 84 pivotally connected at one end to a stud 85 projecting from and eccentrically fixed in a disk or head 86 fixed to the end of the cam shaft, the opposite end of the rod being pivotally mounted on a stud 87 fixed in and projecting fro-m one end of a rocker 88 corresponding substantially in form to the rocker 3S pivotally supported upon a stud 89 fixed in one of the frame standards 3 .8, pins carried by one of the rockers 25S, 88 engaging in openings in the other rocker and with the walls of said openings, as shown at 90, to impart the rocking movement of the rocker S8 transmitted thereto by the cam shaft through rod 84L through the other rocker 38 and thereby rock the sector 35. this actuating connection of the sector as the frame carrying disk cutting and ejecting means is swung away from the table the sector actuating means will be disconnected, and as said frame is again swung to position above the table with the cutters in cutting position the sector actuating means will be automatically connected to the sector.

In operation with the mechanism shown in full line position in Figure 1 the drive shaft is driven from a suitable source of power, as by a belt passing, around a pulley 91, rotating the cutter carriers and moving the same toward the work or sheet on the table by the cams 67 and cutting disks from the sheets. After the disks are cut from the sheet they engage within thecutters when the plungers are movedin a direction outward from the cutters by the cams S ejecting the cut disks from the cutters and through the perforations in the table, as shown in Figure 6. As the cutters and plungers rece'd-e from the table through the action of the springs 62, 80 the guide plates 22 strip the scrap sheet from the cutters. During the cutting movement of the cutters the sector 35' is rocked in a direction to retate the feed roller pinions 31 in a direction to cause the clutch members 32, 32 to rice over each other without imparting movement to the feed rollers. However, during the receding movement of the cutters and plungers and after the scrap sheet has been stripped from the cutters the sector is rocked to rotate the feed roller pinion-s inadirection to cause the clutch members to cooperate and couple the pinions to the feed rollers thereby rotating the same and feeding the sheet a predetermined distance transverse to the cutters. The initial disks will be cut from a sheet, as shown at a in. full lines in Figure l i. After the disks a have been cut from the sheet the sheet is fed a distance equal to the distance indicz'ited by the dotted lines (Z and during the next cutting operation the disks indicated by dotted lines 6 will be cut, and by the successive operation the disks indicated by 0 will be cut. By this arrangement of the cutters it will be obvious that after the first disks are cut from the sheet practicall the entireniaterial of the sheet will be util-- ized with a minimum amount of waste or scrap, practically the only waste being the material between the disks at the lateral portion of a sheet between the first and second cutting operations.

Should it be desired to swing the frame carrying the cutter and ejecting means up away from the table for the purpose of getting access to the feeding means all that is necessary is to swing the frame upward without first disconnecting any of the operating mechanism, and should it be desired to sharpen the cutters the cam shaft is disconnected from the drive shaftto prevent reciprocation of the cutters and pl-ungers, and this may be done previous to or after the frame has been swung up, and after the cutters have been sharpened all that is necessary is to again swing the frame to po- III sition above the table when the operation of cutting disks may be proceeded with without the necessity of making any adjustment or connections of the actuating means other than the connecting of thecam shaft to the drive shaft.

While I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that variations and changes may be made in the structure without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheet supporting table; tubular cutters; a pivoted frame to rotatably and reciprocably carry the cutters in alinement with the perforations in the table and yieldingly urged in one direction, said frame being adapted to be swung with the cutters toward and away from the table; a shaft journa-led in the frame, carrying cams operative to move the cutter carrying means in the opposite direction; means to feed the sheet transverse to the cutters and during the receding movement thereof comprising rollers arranged in opposed pairs, one pair forward and the other pair rearward of the cutters; atoothed sector; means to rock the sector during the reciprocating movement of the cutters; pinions loose on the shaft of one of the feed rollers of each pair of rollers meshing with said sector; means operative to connect said pinions to the roller shaft when the sector is rocked in one direction and to disconnect the same therefrom when the sector is rocked in reverse direction, and means carried by the frame and operative from thecam shaft to rock the sector during the receding movement of the cutters, said means being adapted to be moved out of and into operative relation with the sector as the frame is moved away from and toward the table.

2. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheet supporting table; means in alinement with the perforations in the table to cut disks from a sheet on the table and eject the cut disks through the perforations; means to actuate said cutting and ejecting means; means to feed the sheet a predetermined distance relative to the cutting means; a drive shaft opera tively connected to the actuating means for the cutting and ejecting means; means to operatively connect the sheet feeding means with the means to actuate the ejecting means; said cutting and ejecting means and the actuating means therefor being pivotally mounted upon the table and adapted to be moved away from and toward the table without disconnecting the same from the drive shaft, and to disconnect the actuating means for the ejecting means from the sheet feeding means when moved away from the table and connect the same therewith when moved toward the table.

In apparatus for cuttingdisks from sheets, a sheet supporting table having a series of perforations; rotatable cutter carriers supported in alinement with the per-i forations in thetable and reciprocable toward and away from the table; reciprocable ejector-s slidably engaging in the cutter supports and cutters; means to rotate the cutter carriers; means to reciprocate the cutter carriers and ejectors; means to feed a sheet a predetermined distance relative to the cutter carriers during the receding movement of the latter; and means to operatively connect the sheet feeding means with the cutter carrier and ejector reciprocating means; said cutter carrying and ejecting means being pivotally mounted upon the table to have movement away from and toward the table, and said operative connection between the cutter carrier and ejector reciprocating means and sheet feed ing means being arranged to be connected and disconnected as the cutter carrier and jector means are moved toward and away from the table.

l. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheet supporting table; a frame supported to be swung toward and away from the top of the table; tubular cutter carriers, rotatably and slidably supported by the frame; slidable plungers to engage in the cutter carriers; a main driving shaft; a driving connection including a train of gearing between the driving shaft and cutter carriers; a cam shaft journaled in the frame driven from the main drive shaft to impart sliding movement to the cutter carriers and plungers; said frame be ing adapted to be swung away from and toward'the table without disconnecting the cutter carriers and cam shaft from the main driving shaft; and means to disconnect the cam shaft from the main driving shaft for the purpose specified.

5. In apparatus for cutting disks from sheets, a perforated, sheet supporting table; a frame supported to be swung toward and away from the top of the table; tubular cutter carriers rotatably and slidably supported by the frame; slidable plungers to engage in the cutter carriers; a main driving shaft, a driving connection including a train of gearing between the driving shaft and cutter carriers; a cam shaft journaled in the frame driven from the main. drive shaft to impart sliding movement to the cutter carriers and plungers; sheet feeding rollers; means to actuate said rollers to feed a sheet a predetermined distance during the receding movement of the cutter carriers: and an operative connection between said feed rollers and cam shaft; said frame being adapted to be swung away from and toward -119 table withbut disconnecting fihe cuttdr tobe disconnected when the frame is swung away frmn the table and to be operutively connected to said feed roller actuatmg means when the frame is swung towzucl the table.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the mmnty 0k 10 Kings, city and State of New York, this 6th day of April, 1922.

ARON JOHNSON.

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