US2280373A

US2280373A - Machine for cutting soap

Info

Publication number: US2280373A
Application number: US302932A
Authority: US
Inventors: James D Chaney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-11-04
Filing date: 1939-11-04
Publication date: 1942-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1959-04-21

Description

' April 21, 1942. J. p. CHANEY MACHINE FOR CUTTINGSOAP 4 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1939 Inventor JAMES D. CHANEY) Aiiorneys April 21, 1942. JD. CH ANEY MACHINE FOR CUTTING SOAP 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1939 lnvenfbr A iiomeys April 21,1942. .1. D. CHANEY' 2,280,373

MACHINE FOR comma SOAP Filed Nov; 4. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet a I Inventor JAMES D. CHANEY,

A iiorneys April 21', J. 0. CHANEY v 2,280,373

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SOAP Filed Nov 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor JAMEs D. CHANEY,

A ftorne ys Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE A 1 The present invention relates to apparatus for cutting a continuously moving body of material,

and particularly to a machine; for cutting soap in the course of soap manufacture.

The'primary object of the invention istoreduce the amount Tof h andling and labor cost in the cutting of bars of soap into blanks for forming intocakes, and to greatly eliminate or reduce the waste ordinarily incident thereto.

the following description taken in connection with the drawingawherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown -for illustrative purposes. K a

1 In the drawings:

.5 Figure 1 is a general sideelevational'view of the embodiment showing the same in the act of discharging cut blanks of soap onto a conveyor leading to a cake forming machine or to storage.

Figure 2 isa'. top plan view of Figure 1. l

i Figuref3 is a right handend elevational view of Figure 1. r v s t t Figure! is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the i line 4-4 .ahdlooking toward thegleft in the (Figure 6 is a slightly enlarged top plan view of the dual cuttermechanism.

l 1 Figure! is a transversevertical sectional view rtaken through Figure 6 approximatelyon the line 1-'|;andlooking toward the left in the direction 535 v of thelarrows. 3 r a Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral' 5generally'designatesa base equipped at its corners with casters 6 to supportthebase on sprocket 9 on an adjustable friction clutch unit I0 by a sprocket chain I. The friction clutch "unit 10 is of a conventional adjustable typeand has a sprocket connected by means ofa gs sprocket chain |3";with the sprocket |4 of a conventional type of friction clutch l5 such as a Pullinore clutch drivingahorizontal shaft I6 which is journaled in depending brackets l and I8 attached to the table H! which is supported qu ends provided at opposite sides with verti al y adma ljustable pins 24 which have pointed lower ends received in sockets25 on thetop of the base 5, wherebythe table If! may be accurately leveled on the base 5 despite inequalities in the supporting surface 1. The horizontal shaft I6 is, as shown in Figure 1, preferably located between the middleof the table l9 andthe righthand end thereof and the said shaft has adjacent the opposite ends thereof respective miter gears 26 Other important objects and advantages of my inventiontwill be apparent from a reading of I and 21 which are in mesh with

respective worm gears

28 and 29 whichare mounted on respective vertical shafts 30 and 3| which areisupported in bearings 32 and33 located belowthe tablell9.

Belowthe bearings 32 and 33 the said shafts 15 have sprocket wheels 34 and 35 secured thereto. The shafts 30 and 3| project through the table 5 I9 immediately above which theyare provided ,with' straight toothed pinions 36 and 31, re-- spectively, which are in mesh with ring gears 38' and 39 on the lower ends of the

friction rollers

40 and 4| which have rubber or other friction -material peripheries 42 mounted on annuli 43 supported from a hub 44 through which passes avertical axle 45 in aboss 46 on the table l9 as shown in detail in Figure 5;

Therfriction rollers

40 and 4| are arranged transversely of the table l9 and have their frictionperipheries suff ciently closely spaced to engage the opposite sidesof the soap bar with slightly more friction 0 than" that exerted by the clutch l5, the soap bar being extruded from the plodder at-a speed slightly less than that of the machineso that the

Wheels

40 and 4| exert a pull on the soap such that thefriction clutch I5 will slip before there isnany substantial slippage between the wheels and the soap.- The soap rides-on rollers 41 which arehorizontallymounted in a channel 48.mounted on the table I9 between the friction rollers and terminating adjacent the right hand end a surface thebase carrying an" electric motorwa- 8 whose shaft 'is operatively connected to a of the table l9.

extruded from the plodder. These rollers are revolubly supported on the table as shown, and

the ,shafts thereof are equipped with wide angle miter gears 52 which are in mesh with respective

wide angle worms

53, 54, which are supported on opposite sides of the soap bar in respectivebear-' ings and 5B, the

elements

53 and 54 being mounted on a shaft 51 located on a level below thejtops of the soap bar supporting rollers 41 as indicated in Figure 1. The upper end of the S a 5 app in F g r 2 of the drawi g has mounted thereon a governor which consists in a member 58 fixed to the shaft 51 and a member 59 slidable on the shaft 51, the members 58 and 59 being connected by ball equipped linkages 60 in a conventional arrangement to operate slidable element 59 which is connected by a link 6| to a pivoted arm 62 which is supported as indicated by the numeral 63 on a bracket 64 attached to the table [9 with its free end provided with a cam surface 65 operatively related to the free end of a plunger 66 which is the operative element of a variable rheostat 61 which is conveniently mounted on the table l9 adjacent the governor mechanism andis electrically connected in a suitable manner to the electric motor 8 so that the current supplied to the motor 8 is appropriately affected by the introduction of resistance by the rheostat so that the rate of operation of the machine is automatically slowed down to the required means. Pairs of small guide rollers 68', 69, HI arev distributed along the path of travel of the soap bar 46 and are mounted on the table I9 as shown in Figure 2. Two of these pairs of guide rollers are located close to the soap cutting mechanisms H and I2, respectively, which. are transversely aligned and are located on opposite sides of the path of the soap bar adjacent the right hand end of the table 19, this location of the pairs of rollers 69 and steadying the soap bar for the operation of the cutting mechanisms.

Since each of the cutting mechanisms is in the same mechanical form and arrangement, the description of one will suffice for the description of the other. I

Eachrof the cuttingv mechanisms comprises a laterally outlying support 13 which is fixed to the top of the table I 9 and carries two revoluble wheels 14 and in laterally spaced relation,

which wheels have on their respective tops pins 16 .and 11 which are rotatably connected to longitudinally spaced points on the cutter carrier bar 18, the laterally inward end of the bar 18 having a transverse tubular head 19 in which works a slide block 80; Under the head 19 is a block 8i havinga non-circular cam channel 82 in its top in which works the cylindrical and enlarged lower end of the stub shaft 84 on whose upper end is connected the laterally inwardly projecting cutter knife holder 85 in which isclamped the cutter knife proper B6. The stub shaft 84 projects through an opening in the with the slide 80 cooperating, in such a way that the alignment of the blades 86 of the opposed cutting mechanisms ismaintained constant while thesa'id blades operate toward and away from each other in the operation of the machine .for penetrating the opposite sides of the soap bar and cutting the same into blanks 81 which are ,fed off the end of the rollers 41 onto an incline 88;suppor ted by a bracket 89 attached to the table l9, 'down which the blanks 81 slide to be delivered onto a conveyor 90 whichtakes the V blanks to the cake forming machine or to storage as; the'case may be. I

The lower ends of the

wheels

14 and 15 of the two cutting mechanisms above the table I!) havesecured thereto below the shafts which carry the table I9, respective sprocket wheels over which are trained the

respective sprocket chains

81 and 88 which are respectively trained over the sprocket wheels34 and 35 which are on the friction roller driving pinion shafts 30 and 3| already described.

By properly proportioning the various gears and sprocket wheels, perfect synchronization of the action of the knives 86 is achieved with respect to the travel of the soap bar 46 and the action of the governor mechanism on the rheostat 61 automatically operates the electric motor 8 at the required speed for efiicient operation of the machine as a whole.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitelyunderstood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into blanks of equal length, said apparatus comprising a support including guide means 'to support the .bar forlongitudinal movement along said support, friction rollers on said support for engaging opposite sides of said bar, actuating means operating some of said rollers for imparting longitudinal movementto the bar, opposed cutting units located beyond said friction rollers and on opposite sides of said guide means, said cutting units comprising respective blades which are constantly opp'osed in alignment, operating mechanisms imparting reciprocating motion to the blades, and drive means operatively connected to synchronously operate said actuating means and said operating mechanisms, said drive means comprising an'electric motor, a variable rheostat connected'betwecn the motor and a source of electric current, governor mechanism operatively connected to said rheostat, said governor mechanism including friction operated rollers engaged with and driven by said bar of soap in its longitudinal movement.

2. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into blanks of equal length, said apparatus comprising a supportincluding' guide means to support the bar for longitudinal movement along said support, friction rollers on said support for engaging opposite sides 'of said bar, actuating means operating some of said rollers for imparting longitudinal movement to the bar, opposed cutting units located beyond said friction rollers and on opposite sides of'said guide means, said cutting units comprising respective blades which are constantly opposedin alignment, operating mechanisms imparting reciprocating motion to the blades, and drive means operatively connected to synchronously drive said actuating means and said operating mechanisms, each of said cutting units comprising a vertical rotary crank member operatively connected to said drive means, a carrier connected to the crank member and supported for reciprocation by said crank member toward and away from the side of the bar of soap or the like, a head fixed on the laterally inward end of. the carrier, a slide on said head working parallel with said bar, a cam on said slide, an element having an irregular cam channel in which said cam works, said cam channel being shaped to translate the regular circular motion of said head into regular tangential motion, a knife support pivoted on ar vertical axis on said slide and engageable with spaced portions invention, what is of said head on amid-site sides of said knife support whereby said knife support is maintained normal to the bar of soap during movement toward andaway from the side of the bar, and a knife on said knifefsupport 'and projectingftoward the side of thebar, l

3; In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guide adapted to receive the soap bar from a plodderfat least one relatively large diameter feeding wheel" supported at a side of 3 said guide, said feeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edgeengaged with the side of said soap bar,*cutting means comprising a knife supported for horizontal reciproeating movement transversely with respect to said guide for cutting the soap bar, saidcutting means further comprising at least one vertical axis rotor=having an eccentric operating connection with said knife; proportioned means operatively connecting at least one of said feeding wheels and the ver ical axis rotor whereby the rate of feed of the soap bar is coordinated with the cutting action of the knife, and driving means operatively connected to said proportioned means.

4. In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guide adapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, at least one relatively large diameter feeding wheel supported at a side of said guide, said feeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edge engaged with the side of said soap bar, cutting means comprising a knife supported for horizontal reciprocating movement transversely with respect to said guide for cutting the soap bar, said cutting means further comprising at least one vertical axis rotor having an eccentric operating connection with said knife, proportioned means operativelyconnecting at least one of said feeding wheels and the vertical axis rotor whereby the rate of feed of the soap bar is coordinatedwith the cutting action of the knife, and driving means operatively connected to said proportioned means, said driving means having speed control means, governor means effectively connected to said control means, said governor means comprising at least one vertical axis roller frictionally engaging the side of said soap bar at a point between said plodder and said feeding wheel whereby the operation of said driving means, said feeding wheel and said cutting means are controlled in accordance withthe rate of movement of the soap bar from the plodder onto a said guide.

5. In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guide adapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, at least one relatively large diameter feeding wheel supported at a side of said guide, said feeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edge engaged with the side of sid soap bar, cutting means comprising a knifesupported for horizontal reciprocating movement transversely with respect to said guide for cutting the soap bar, said cutting means further comprising at least one vertical axis rotor having an eccentric operating connection with said knife, proportioned means operatively connecting at least one of said feeding wheels and s the vertical axis rotor whereby the rate of feed of the soap bar is coordinated with the cutting action of the knife, and driving means operaltively connected to said proportioned means. said driving means having speed control means, governor -means effectively connected to said control means, said governor means comprising atleast one vertical axis roller frictionally engaging the side of saidsoap bar at a point between said plodder and said feeding wheel whereby the operation of said driving means, said feeding wheel and said cutting means are controlled in accordance with the rate of movement of the soap bar from the plodder onto said guide, said driving means comprising an electric motor, and said governor means comprising a variable rheostat in circuit with said electric motor.

6; In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guide adapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, a relatively large diameter feeding wheel supported at each side of said guide, said feeding wheels turning on vertical axes and having their edges engaging opposite sides of the soap bar on said guide, cutting means comprising a knife supported at each side of said guide beyond said feeding wheels for horizontal reciprocating movement transversely with respect to said guide, said knives being arranged for similar movement in opposite directions and ,being further arranged to approach each other through opposite sides of the soap bar in longitudinal alignment toward a substantially meeting relation to cut the soap bar, said cutting means further comprising at least one vertical axis rotor for each knife having eccentric operating connection with the corresponding knife, separate proportioned means connecting the feeding wheels and vertical axis rotors on the same sides of said guide, slip connection means operatively connected between said feeding wheels, whereby the cutting action of each knife is coordinated with the operation of the corresponding feeding wheel, and driving means operatively connected to said slip connection means.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a reciprocating knife comprising a relatively stationary support,'a pair of vertical axis rotors mounted on said support, means for rotating said rotors, eccentric pins rising from said rotors, a carrier bar overlying said rotors and having said eccentric pins journalled in longitudinally spaced points thereof, a transverse slide housing at one end of said carrier bar, a slide confined in said slide housing for movement substantially at right angles to said carrier bar, acam depending from said slide, a mutilated circular cam track on said support with which said cam is operatively engaged, and a blade carried by said slide and projecting in longitudinal extension of said carrier bar, whereby the circular path of motion of said carrier bar is translated into a tangential path of motion of said blade, with respect to said vertical axis rotors.

8. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into equal lengths, said apparatus comprising feeding means for continuously feeding and supporting the soap bar, cutting means comprising a pair of knives positioned on opposite sides of the soap bar, said knives being constantly positioned in the same vertical plane substantially at right angles to the soap bar, actuating means for oscillating said knives toward and away from each other to sever the soap bar into lengths, drive means and coordinating means operatively connecting said drive means with said feeding means and with said cutting means, whereby said cutting means is operated at a rate commensurate with the speed at which the soap bar is fed relative to said cutting means, said coordinating means comprising a first driving connection directly connecting said feeding means with said actuating means, a second driving connection connecting. a portion of. said feeding means and said drive means, said second driving connection comprising'some relative rotatable elements with friction clutch means operatively connecting said relatively rotatable elements.

9. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into equal lengths, said apparatus comprising feeding means for continuously feeding and supporting the soap bar, cutting means comprising a pair of knives positioned on opposite sides of the soap bar, said knives being constantly positioned in the same vertical plane substantially at right angles to the soap bar, actuating means for oscillating said knives toward and away from each other to sever the soap bar into lengths, drive means and coordinating means operatively connecting said drive means with said feeding means and with said cutting means, whereby said cutting means is operated at a rate commensurate with thespeed at which the soap bar is fed relative to said cutting means, and speed control -means connected to a-portion of saiddrive means, said speed control means comprising governor means operatively engaged with the soap bar.

10. An apparatus for cutting a bar of plastic materia1 into equal lengths, said apparatus comprising feeding means for continuously feeding and supporting the bar, a pair of knives positioned on opposite sides of the bar and constantly positioned in the same vertical plane substantially at right angles to the bar, and means for moving the knives toward and away from each other to sever the bar into lengths and to cause the knives to move with the bar and at the same speed while the knives are in engagement with the bar.

JAMES D. CHANEY.