US2639771A - Combination envelope opener and paper sheet cutter - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1953 v. KOBLER ETAL COMBINATION ENVELOPE'OPENERv AND PAPER SHEET CUTTER Flled May 31, 1950 Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COMBINATION ENVELOPE OPENER AND PAPER SHEET CUTTER VictorKobler and Werner Kobler, Zurich, Switzerland Application May 31, 1950, Serial No. 165,166 In Switzerland May 31, 1949 Envelope openers are known in the art, representing a kind of paper cutter adapted to cut only a very narrow strip off the envelope so as not to cut the envelope contents. For such purpose a stop is xed to one of the two knife blades of the opener, which prevents the envelope from slipping too far under the cutting edge. Such stop, however, prevents the use of the envelope opener for other paper-sheet cutting operations.

Our present invention eliminates such latter disadvantage in that the said stop is removably, preferably hingedly disposed, and means are provided for swinging the stop into the position for envelope-opening purposes and out of such .position for other paper-sheet cutting operations.

In order to provide an unimpeded passage of the paper sheets between the knife blades, the drive for the vertically reciprocable knife conveniently is disposed in the movable portion of the apparatus.

One embodiment of our present invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. `1 shows the apparatus in front elevation,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-II of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line lII--III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, in which the envelope stop is in its operative position,

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, wherein the envelope stop is in the inoperative position, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the bed on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

The apparatus has an elongated stationary bed or base I to each end of which a .post 2 is xed by means of a circular foot plate 2a, screws 2b and a central screw 3. The vertically movable head of the apparatus is constituted by a beam 5 which is guided by means of end housings 5a and 5a on said posts 2. The said housings are of annular cross-section, accommodating in their bores 4 the posts 2, and are slotted at S for a purpose to be described later.

To the forward, raised pedestal portion Iw of bed I a horizontal knife blade 6 is secured, which co-operates with a vertical knife blade 8 which is attached to beam 5 by means of screws I8. The two blades 6 and 8 are substantially at right angles to each other, but the angle included between the two blades preferably is made slightly larger than 90, as will be appreciated from Figs. 4 and 5 in which the blade 8 is slightly inclined with respect to the front face of beam 5 due to 2 Claims. (Cl. 164-59) formation of the groove in the face of the beam to which it is attached..

The horizontal blade by means of screws 9 is movably secured at both ends to pedestal Ia. Such hold-down means are shown in Fig. 6 for one blade end. A pin I0 depending into a hollow space I I, is secured to the underside of blade 6 by means of screw 9. A disc I2, having a central aperture of larger diameter than pin I0, divides the space yII into an upper anda lower chamber. A helical compression spring I4 surrounds the pin I9 in said lower chamber, intermediary of disc I2 and a cotter I3 passing through the end of the pin. The spring I4 draws the blade 6 down against the pedestal Ia. A screw I5 projects into the upper chamber of space II, and a helical compression spring I6 surrounds the screw I5 and acts radially onto the pin I0 in order to push the blade 6 resiliently against the blade 8.

The movable head or beam 5 is hollow and closed at the rearside by a wallplate I'I secured thereto by means of screws I8.

The drive means for moving the beam 5 up and down, is disposed inside beam 5, with the exception of the operating lever 21. The said means comprise two levers 2| and 22 which are toothed at the ends and pivoted on a pin I9 and 20 respectively, to beam 5. The said levers are interengaged by their inner arms, while their outer arms engage the posts 2 by means of the rack portions 23 thereof. A follower flat 24 is rigidly secured to pin I9 and at both ends is yengaged by studs 25 which are xed to lever 2|. Outside the beam 5 and its rear wallplate Il, which latter is traversed `by the pin I9, a handlever 21 is secured to pin I9 by means of a pin 26. On depressing the lever 2l, the beam 5 is depressed also, by virtue of the levers 2| and 22 being rocked, thus giving rise to a cutting action of the blades 6 and 8.

The posts 2 are of annular cross-section, and a helical compression spring 28 is disposed in the said posts and in the housings 5a and 5a'. The springs 28 abut at one end against the upper end of the fastening screws 3 and at the other end against the closed top of the said housings. The two springs 28 tend to push the beam 5 back into its initial position on releasing the handlever 21. The topmost and bottommost positions of beam 5 are dened by the lower and upper ends respectively of said slots S in the wall of the said housings, against which ends the levers 2|, 22 abut in their terminal positions.

A projection 30, flush with the cutting edge oi In close proximity, and rearwardly.- of knife;

blade 8 a stop is disposed, which comprises two strips 3| and 32. Y against the said stop can only be cut for the slight Width by which the stop `is. separatedfrom.

the cutting edge. The said width may bedenned as desired by the thickness of the selectedfrontiy strip 3l. The two strips 3|, 32 are interconnected by means of screws 33. The holes in strip 32 through which screws 33 projectmayl beY made; slightly larger than the diameter of-"screw 33 or may be made in form of slits, which arrange.;- ment on assembly permits adjusting the stop Sinn 3l in. dilersnt positions sinn 32. and. thereby accurately to the cutting edgeofbiade 8,. The. Strip 3.2. shneedly connected' at SMO tngbam; The Stop 3132 thnsmaybeswung counterclovckwiseA from its operative position shown in Fig. 4 intothenn-operative,position shown in Fig). 5, in which latter case theopener may be used as cutter for apaper-sheet'P.

The` stop 3|, znniayv be swung in to` and out of 'its operative position by manipulating a knob 35jwhich isprovidedwith a shank or stern 35, In Figs. land 4, the said'st-op is shown in the operative, and-inFig. 51in the inoperative position. The stem Sgis recessedat 36a for en: gagement Withthe ceiling of beam 5. An irlclinedjhelical'tension, springuli' at one end is atv4 tached to a screw 38-which is secured to beam 5,;,and at theroth'ervend to a clip lit-which is secured toY stein 36;; The lower end ofstem 36is pivotably engaged-in an eyelet- Lij fiXed'to the rearside. of strip 32. The stem projects through an aperture' 5b in the ceiling` of beam In Figs. l-andejthestem (i6-'is engagedto the said ceiling by means of recess 38a. By pushingknob Sgin Fig, 11 tothe-left, thestem `itis disengaged from the vsaid-ceiling and raised relatively to the latter Aby- I the action ofspring; whereby the stop\3- 32 is swungintotheinoperative positionshowmin Fig. 5:

A rearwardlyprojecting bed` extension IH of which the Vunderside is i'lush-,with-thatof -bed I,

isprovidedon thesi devofhandl;ever 2', which prevents arearward tipping of-theapparatus on actuating thehand-lever2,1. A- ridge 42'is provided-on the rearwardfportion-of Vbed Lier-the purpose i of preventing'- the cut oir' waste paper from dropping Afrom-the apparatus.

An envelope E (Fig. 4) put up;

lila

the other end thereof to said'shank', said knob Within the scope of our present invention, con-A structions diierent from that shown are feasible. The stop 3|, 32 could be made detachable instead of swingable. Further, the said stop could be attached to the lower portion of the apparatus, resiliently abutting against the knife blade 3 of the,upper portonrof theapparatus;soasy to follow, themcvement thereof. Inisuch latter case, means would be provided for'ret-aining the stop ingthat position in which the paper sheets could pass unhindered when the apparatus is not used for-opening envelopes.

What-we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent` is:

1; Stop means for a paper sheet cutter having a stationary portion with a horizontal knife blade aliiaied; thereto and a vertically movable beam with a substantially vertical knife blade affixed thereto; for cooperating with said horizontal knife blade, comprising a' hingedly mounted stop 011th@ movable ,bearnpf Ksaid cutter, saidstop being'vdisposed inclose.prfirnity toand rearward:

lyoftheA vertical jknife blade. andi comprising twoVA strips nterconnectedsde by Sida@ knbor manually.,pivotingsaid'stopinto andout of 0p,- erative position projecting from saidv beam, a

shank integral'with said knob and engaging said stop in pivoted-'relatiom,saidshank havingva re. cessedr portion adapted'to engage said beam, a springattachedjat one endto saidbearn andlat when depressed swinging said'stop in to operative positionand the recessed shank portion engag-` ing saidbearn` and `the spring being; tensioned `in a direction'to lock the stopin said position', said' stop whenin operative position lyinggin'a plane parallel to said vertical `knife blade;

2: Stop rneansfor'a paper sheetv cutter as claimed in-claim1; said movable beam of said' cutter-comprising a i hollow casing of rectangular cross section, said stop being hingeclly'connectedv to-the underside of Isaidcasing:l

VICTOR 'KOBLERL WERNER KOBLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEB STATES' PATENTS

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