US2683600A - Strip feeding machine - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1954 v. J. SIGODA 2,683,600

STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 10 Sheets-Sheet l &

2% g N N ENTOR.

V/cra/e S/GODA w 1 4 YZ A TTOR/VE'YS July 13, 1954 v. J. SIGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 10, 1948 3 \w an a INVENTOR. V/c TOR (15/ 600 ATTORNEYS.

y 1954 v. J. SIGODA 2,683,600

STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10. 1948 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. V/c role (1 5160011 July 13, 1954 v. J. SIGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 10, 1948 ugu n INVENTOR. VIC 70/? d 5/600/3 A TTOR/VEYS July 13, 1954 v. J. SIGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 10 Shee ts-Sheet 5 134 0 159 .9 s g 140 30 i 136 438 .21 l 155 11.6 49 L 4 Z59 26 144 1 146 INVENTOR- V/cTOR d 5/6004 5 ATTORNEYS.

July 13, 1954 V. J. SIGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 10, 1948 INVENTOR. l//c rm (15/6004 BY Q A T TOE/V575.

July 13, 1954 v, J $1G0DA 2,683,600

STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN V EN TOR. Vlcro/Q d 5/600A A TTORMEKS.

y 1954 v. J. SIGODA 2,683,600

STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 IN V EN TOR. V/c TOR d 5/0001;

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y 3, 1954 v. J. SIGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1948 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTO R. V/c TOR 115/600 July 13, 1954 v. J. SKGODA STRIP FEEDING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Sept. 10, 1948 161 INVEN r012.

V1070? 1/. Swap/r MQ M Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE STRIP FEEDING MACHINE Application September 10, 1948, Serial No. 48,565

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cutting machines, more particularly to machines which feed measured lengths of strip material to a shear which is actuated in timed relation to the feeding means to cut off that part of the strip Which has been fed through the shear members.

In the garment manufacturing industry there is a great variety of material which is manufactured in strip form which is utilized in garments in the form of short strips of varying lengths, and it is not unusual in the mass manufacturing of garments to use thousands or even tens of thousands of pieces all of the same length. Examples of such strip material are elastic, lace, woven or printed fabric labels, hook strips, eye strips, eyelet strips, ribbon, binding, braid and the like.

At the present time it is the usual practice to cut off the desired lengths of such material by hand after measuring them visually. This is a tedious and costly operation, especially where large quantities of short strips are used.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a machine, adapted for either hand or motor-driven operation which Will continuously feed and cut ofi measured uniform pieces of strip material.

More particular objects are:

(a) To provide strip feeding mechanism which is readily adjustable to close tolerances by adjusting means wholly incorporated in the machine;

(b) To provide simple and effective locking means for the adjusting mechanism;

To provide means for raising and lowering the feeding means which engages the strip, which will be actuated upon reversal of the direction of travel of the feeding means regardless of the point in its maximum possible travel at which reversal occurs;

.(d) To provide a shear which is adjustable to cut oif the strip at various angles;

(6) To provide extensible strip-guiding means cperatively connected to an adjustable angular shear member in such manner as to guide the strip, at all adjusted positions of such member, into close proximity to the shear;

(f) To provide a plurality of shear members acting in succession to make successive cuts at different angles;

(g) To provide improved feeding means for engaging and moving various types of strip material; and

(h) To provide for feeding strips of fabric bearing fasteners or the like in such a manner that the fasteners will be uniformly spaced from the cut off ends even though they are not uniformly spaced on the strips.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part appear and in part will be obvious from the following description of the present preferred embodiment of the invention, and of various modifications thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on the line l-I of Fig. 2 showing a strip cutter having a rotary shear blade for making angular cuts;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same machine taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the shear blades of Fig. 1 in the position they would assume prior to making a cut, part of the guard bein broken away;

Fig. 5 is a detailed elevation showing the means for adjusting the stroke of the strip feeder;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5 as seen from the left of that figure;

Fig. 7 is a central sectional view taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view of one means for adjusting the tension of the shear blades;

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of a machine similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification of the mechanism for controlling the motion of the strip feeder;

Fig. 10 shows a modified form of the invention wherein the rotary shear blades are adjustable with respect to the angle of cut, this rotary shear comprising multiple movable blades capable of cuttin in sequence at different angles;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the shear means of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a further modification having a reciprocating instead of a rotary shear, modified means for controlling the movement of the feeder finger and also for adjustin the tension on the shear blade;

Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of the machine of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation taken on the line l4-l4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is an end elevation showing the shear means of Figs. 12-14;

Figs. 16, 17, 18 and 19 are perspective views of the top part of one form of the strip cutter showing various forms of strip feeding fingers for use with different types of goods;

Fig. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of another form of strip guide and feeding finger Fig. 21 is a section taken on the line 2i-2I of Fig.

Fig. 22 shows a further modification of the reciprocating shear which may be used with the strip cutter to provide for angular adjustment of the shear relative to the strip;

Fig. 22a is a sectional detail on the line 22a- 22a of Fig. 22 showing the connection of the strip guide extension to the ledger blade of the shear;

Fig. 23 is a plan view of the shear shown in Fig. 22 and Fig. 23a is a sectional detail on the line 23a 23a of Fig. 23 showing the relationship of parts of the strip guide.

The general organization of a strip cutter of the invention, so far as its external parts are concerned, may be seen in Fig. 16. The apparatus has a housing with a lower box-shaped part 25, the upper frontsurface of which forms a horizontal platform 28, behind which is an upper housing part 29. On the platform 28 is a guide 30 for the strip material 32 which is to be cut. In the front face of the upper part 29 is an arcuate slot 32 through which extends the forward end of a feeder arm 33 which carries a feeder shaft 34 rotatable in the arm. The face of housing part 29 bears marks 35 which, in conjunction with a pointer 36, may be used to measure the extent of the feeding stroke. The housing may also contain an automatic counter 38 to show the number of pieces cut from strip 3!. On the end of shaft 3% is a feed finger 39 carried in a support 49 clamped to shaft 34, the finger being adjustable in the clamp 46 by means of a screw 5! operating in the slot :2. (See also Fig. 20.) Preferably a spring-actuated back check 45, which continuously bears against the strip 3i, is mounted on a fixed support 45. Adjacent the end of guide 39 is a cutter consisting or a ledger blade 4% and a movable blade 48 which is mounted on the cutter shaft 49 which protrudes from the housing.

In the various embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings some have reciprocating cutter blades, such as that shown in Fig. 16, and in other forms the movable blade of the cutter rotates continuously. An embodiment of the invention utilizing a rotating blade will now be described in conjunction with Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the feeder arm 33, which is preferably a casting, is pivotally supported at 50 on a fixed shaft in the lower part 26 of the housing. The entire housing is open at the back until after assembly of the parts when it may be closed by a plate (not shown) attached by screws inserted in the lugs 5i. Rotatably mounted centrally in the lower casing part 26 is a drive shaft 52 to the front end of which is attached a hand wheel 55. Fixed on shaft 52 forwardly of the feeder arm 33 is a rotatable member 55. Referring to Fig. '7, this member is secured to shaft. 52 by means of a set screw 56. Extending part way across the rear face of member 55 is an undercut slot 5? (Figs. 5 and 6) in which slides a shouldered or T-head stud 58 which is tapped to receive a rotatable screw as by which the position of stud 58 in slot 51 can be adjusted. The head of screw 59 is rotatably mounted in a bore in the unslotted portion Bil of member 55 and has a circumferential recess 6! into which extends a pin 62 which holds the screw in place. The outer end of the head of the screw is provided with tool-receivin socket 63.

Referrin to Figs. 5-7, the adjustable stud 58 carries a flanged sleeve 84 on which rotates a bearing block 55 which fits the elongated slot 4. 66 in feeder arm 33. A washer 68 bears against the end of sleeve 64 and is held in place by a nut 69. It will be seen that as member 55 rotates, stud 58, being eccentric, feeder arm 33 will be oscillated about its pivot 50, the extent of the oscillation being determined by the degree of eccentricity of the stud 58 with relation to the center of member 55; This will cause the upper end of feeder arm 33 and shaft 34 carried thereby to move in an arcuate path longitudinally of the strip of material 3! which is to be cut.

The position of stud 5c is adjusted by means of a rotating tool permanently mounted in a boss it in the wall of casing part 25. Through this boss extends a shaft H on the outer end of which is a crank l2 and on the inner end of which is a wrench portion 14 shaped to fit the opening 63 in the head of screw 59. Within the boss iii a spring (not shown) is adapted to hold the shaft ii in the position shown, out of engagement with screw 59. To effect an adjustment or stud 58 member 55 is rotated until the head of screw 59 is in alinement with wrench part it. It will be noted that at this time feeder arm 33 is at one end of its stroke. By means of crank 12 the rotating tool is then inserted in the tool-receiving end of screw 5t. Then the screw is rotated to move the stud 58 to the desired position. The extent of the stroke to which the feeding arm 33 is thus adjusted may be judged by observing the position of pointer 35 relative to the markings 35 on the face of the housing part 29 (see Fig. 16). It will be understood that once the desired adjustment has been effected, the wrench part i l will be withdrawn from socket 63 in screw 55, leaving member 55 free to rotate to oscillate feeder arm 33.

Means are provided for locking the stud 58 against accidental movement after it has been adjusted. Referring to Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7, this means includes a plate which is positioned in a groove in member 55 so as to lie between the inner enlarged flat end of stud 58 and the end of shaft 52. The latter shaft is hollow and contains a slidable thrust rod '16 which bears against the end of plate '25. This plate is prevented from slipping out of its slot by a pin 18 which is received in a hole in member 55. The forward end of shaft 52 is threaded to receive a screw '59 having a knob 80. By turning in the screw it will force rod 16 against plate 15 and place sufficient pressure on stud 58 to prevent undesired rotation of its adjusting screw 59.

To effect feeding of the strip material 3| mechanism is provided which depresses feed finger 36 against the strip as it moves toward the cutter and lifts it away from the strip as it moves in the opposite direction on its return stroke. This movement is effected by limited rotation of the shaft 3 1 which carries the feed finger. To effect this rotation in the embodiment shown in Figs. i-B, the rear end of shaft 34 carries a pinion 8i which is freely rotatable on the shaft but is clamped between the feeder arm 33 and a collar 82 hearing a friction disc 84. The collar is attached to shaft 34 with enough pressure on pinion 8! so that rotation of the latter tends to rotate the shaft, permitting the pinion to slip on the shaft when the latter is subjected to a restraining influence. A spring washer may be used, if desired, together with or in place of the friction disc 84. Pivotally mounted to the casing at 85 is a straight rack 86 the free end of which is free to move up and down between guides 87. The rack is held in engagement with the pinion by a lever arm 88 pivoted to the feeder arm 33 at so and having at one end a roller 90 which bears against the under side of the rack. A spring {ii acting on the other end of the arm 38 and attached to feeder arm 33 at 52 urges the roller 9% the rack 55 upwardly, maintaining its engagement with the pinion 8i. As arm 33 oscillates, the pinion 85 will be caused to rotate first in one direction and then in the other. When the movement of arm 33 is toward the cutter, the direction of rotation of shaft 3 2, frictionally driven from pinion 8!, will be such as to depress the feed finger 39 into engagement with the strip material. Conversely, on the return stroke the direction of rotation will lift the feed finger from the strip material since pinion 8i reverses its rotation. To limit the distance by which the feed finger is lifted from the strip material collar 82 is provided with an arm 24 carrying a roller 55 which rides on a fixed cam plate so shaped as to maintain the feed ringer only slightly above the strip 3! on its return stroke. Plate at may be fastened to any fixed parts of the machine by screws 91.

The cutter shaf til extends transversely of the housing about on a level with the platform 28. It is supported in bosses 98 and 99- and extends through the walls of the housing at both sides. In the embodiment under consideration it has at one end the rotary, angular cutter blade 1% which cooperates with the angular ledger blade eta (Fig. 1) to form a shear. Shaft #39 may be rotated by hand wheel 56 through a train of gears best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and consis of gear ma, gear I02 fixed on shaft Hid driving bevel gear 505 which drives bevel gear lite mounted on shaft I38 which also carries the first of a series of three intermeshing gears 588, MB and Hi, the last mentioned gear being attached to shaft 49. It is contemplated, however, that the cutter may also be motor driven, space being provided within the lower casing part 25 to accommodate a motor which drives gear H2 which is connected through an idler gear lie with a gear H5 on rotary member 55. Member 55, being fast on shaft 52, drives gear lili. The speed of rotation of blade Hill and its timing relative to the feeding of strip 3i may be selected as desired by use of the proper gear ratios the machine may be so designed as to perform any number of feeding operations between cuts, depending upon the desired length of the cut-off strips.

Referring to Fig. 8, the end of shaft 49 opposite the cutter is threaded and equipped with a hollow tension adjusting nut HS containing a spring H8 which bears against a thrust bearing 5%. A lock nut i2! is provided to prevent rotation of the adjusting nut l 58 after it has been set.

Revolving cutter blade It!) is surrounded by a conical guard I22 having a suitable opening 124 through which the strip material may pass as it emerges from the guide 30a. In Figs. 1, 3 and l, guide is shown as a fiat tube having apertures E25 through which the pins 125 of feed finger tea may engage the strip material.

Referring to Fig. 9, the machine shown is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 except that the rack 28, on which pinion 8! rolls, is arcuate in form and fixed in position instead of being straight and pivoted as in the machine of Fig. 2. Rack i28 is supported on the top of a plate i29 which is supported in the casing part 26 as by the screws ltd and the screws 9? which also hold cam plate 96. The are of rack l28 has as its center the 6 pivot point 50 of feeder arm 33 and plate :29 is provided with a hole l3l through which accesss may be had to the nut 69 and contiguous parts. Except for the construction of the rack, the operation of the machine is the same as that above described.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, a modified form of rotary knife machine is shown in which two rotary blades i3 3 and are adjustably mounted on a hub 36 by means of pivots I38 and locking screws I39, the latter passing through slots I31. These blades may be adjusted as to their angle with relation to the strip 35 and the two blades may be set at dilierent angles. Cooperating with the rotary blades is a ledger blade Mil mounted in the edge of a movable sector lei which has a hinge support I42 attached to the casing part 26. Incorporated in the hinge is a spring Mt which normally urges sector it! outwardly against a ste 5455 supported on a bracket MB. In order to guide sector l il into proper shearing relation with the rotary blades Kid and ltd, the sector is provided with a shoulder E48 which is first engaged by the movable blade as it descends toward ledger blade Hill. The movable ledger blade sector l4! slides beneath the strip guide 3% and the surface of the platform 28 may be relieved to provide space for it. Slot id? in sector Ml ermits passage of one of the screws Etc of guide 39, the screw setting up against a washer in slot I41, as described later in conjunction with Fig. 23a, so as not to bind sector l li.

Figs. 12-15 show a machine generally similar to that shown and described in conjunction with Figs. 1-3 but containing various modifications, principally with respect to (a) the operation of the cutter, which is oscillating instead of rotating, (b) the means for rotating the feeder shaft and (c) the tension adjustment for the cutter shaft. Parts bearing the same numbers as those previously described correspond thereto in structure and operation.

The cutter blades are shown at =36 and it and the latter is mounted on the shaft isa. This shaft is oscillated by a cam its having a groove 15! which controls an arm lei fixed on shaft 49a. Cam l50 is simply a modified form of the rotary member 55 of Fig. 3 and carries the same mechanism (shown in detail in Figs. 5-7) for oscillating the feeder arm 33. The cutter blades are surrounded by an appropriate form of guard I5 3 having an opening l55 for the passage of the strip material.

As best seen in Fig. 12, shaft lda also carries a pair of rearwardly extending arms 56, to the ends of which is amxed a transversely extending rock bar i58. To the end of feeder shaft 8:3 there is attached a lever arm 159 (Fig. 13) which is connected to the upper end of a link Still. The link extends downwardly around a pin is! concentric with the pivot 513 of the feeder arm, and is provided with a slot 62 so that it is free to slide on the pin ifil. Rotatably mounted on link M30 is a roller I655 which rides along the top of rock bar 558. Link N50 is normally urged downwardly by a spring m5 attached to the nu at its and to the pin it! by means of fasteners I68.

When the movable cutter is is in open position, rock bar 58 will be in the position shown in the drawings and spring 165, acting through link I66, lever arm I59 and shaft 34, will rotate shaft 34 to hold the feed finger 390 in feeding position.

When cam I 56 acts through arm l52 to move cutter 48 into cutting position, shaft 49:: is roa and t a fraia s An sa bwuen roller I64 against the tension of. spring I65, thi s rotates shaft from the strip. Cam groove I5I is so shaped relative to the position of the stud 58 which is carried on the cam and moves the feeder arm 33 that the lifting of thefeedfingertakes place simultaneously with the beginning of the return stroke of the feeder arm. Before: the. beginning of the feeding stroke, the cutter 4,8; is raisedand the rock bar I58 is lowered, bringing the feed finger again into contact with thestripi'to befed.

The tension adjustment shown in Figs. 12 and 13 is constructed and operates as follows: Shaft 49a is hollow through a portion of its length, as indicated at 68, and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot I10. Into the hollow portion of shaft 49a extends a tension shaft I'I.I which carries a pin I12 passing through slot I and against which rests a washer I14. Between the washer and the adjacent arm I56 is a compression spring I15. Outside. of the casing 2.9, shaft I'II is threaded and provided with an adjusting nut H6, thrust washer or bearing I11 and a lock nut I18. The arm I56 against which the spring H5 bears, being fixedon shaft 49a, com,- pression of the spring I15 will increase the tension between cutter blade and ledger blade 46.

Referring to Figs. 22 and 23,- they show a modified form of reciprocating cutterwhich is capable of angular adjustment relative to the strip to be cut. This cutter is operated by the same cam-actuated cutter shaft 49a; as that'contained in the machine of Figs. 12-15. In this modification, the ledger blade I80 and the movable blade I85 are pivotally connected by means of a bolt I82 and adjusting and lock nuts I85 and IE5 and this shear assembly is attached to the casing 26 by means of a bracket I86to which it is secured by a bolt 88 and a. thumb nut I89. The angle of the cutter may be adjusted by ref-. erence to a scale I89 and index I9I. To operate the cutter, the movable blade I81 has an integral depending arm I92 which carries a ball and socket joint I94 at its lower end. Attached to shaft 49a is an arm 95 having a similar ball and socket joint 526, the two joints being connected by a drag link I98. Thus, as the shaft 49a oscillates, the movable cutter I8,I will be. actuated whatever its angular setting maybe. It will be appreciated, of course, that'the cam I59 of Figs. 12-14 will be suitably modified. toprovide for the actuation of movable blade. IBI inproper timed relationship to the feeding of the strip to be out. It will be noted from Fig. 22 that the shaft 19a closes the shear upon. clockwise rotation, as seen in that figure, whereas, this shaft closes the shear in the machine of Figs. 12-15 upon counter-clockwise rotation, thus requiring suitable modification of the cam groove I5l.

In machines of the type shown in Figs. 22 and 23 and also in F gs. 10 and 11 wherein the shears are adjustable to different angles, with respect to the strip to be cut, so that the shears are sometimes spaced a substantial distance away from the end of the strip guides 30., a, itis desirable that means be providedfor adjustably extending the strip guides so that the end of the strip is kept under control upto a point very close to the line on which it is severed.

The invention therefore provides extensible strip guides which. are positioned automatically upon changing the angle. of the adjustable shears.

Re r ing t .3.. her ttached tQ- be 34 to lift the feedfi rigen 3,9c away angularly adjustable ledger blade I an extension plate. 2I5 of thin sheet material such as spring steel. This plate extends underneath the strip guides 30 and 30a and. is provided with arcuate slots 2I6' and 2I8 to accommodate the thumbscrews Slis. To provide for fastening the guides 30 and 30a in position Without interfering with the movement of plate 2I5, the screws 35s are surrounded by elongated washers 2E9, positioned within the slots 2I6-2I8, which are slightly thicker than the plate ZIE. (See Fig. 23a.) The guides 36, 360. thus rest upon the washers 2E5 rather than upon the plate 2I5 at the points where they are attached to the casing platform 28. Plate 2I5 is fastened to blade I80 by meansof screws 229 so that its upper surface is flush with the cutting edge 22I of a hardened insert 222 attached to the blade body I89 to provide the actual cutting edge. (See Fig. 22a.) Parallel with and close to the cutting edge 22I, both plate 2I5 and blade body I39 are slotted as shown at 22 and 225 for a purpose which will presently appear.

Each of the guiding edges of the guides 3i and 30a is surrounded by a telescopic extension 226, preferably of sheet metal, slidable longitudinally upon the guiding edges and have a configuration best seen in Fig. 23a. Each of said extensions is provided at its end with a downwardly extending pin 223, these pins being received in the slots 224 and 225. Thus as blade Ifiil is moved to various angular positions it carries with it the plate 2I5 which supports the strip from beneath and likewise the extension members 226 which guide the strip at its edges so that regardless of the position of the shears the strip is supported and guided up to the point where it is cut off. The adjusted position of the shears is primarily fixed by tightening the nut I89. It may, if desired, be more securely fixed, or held in place independently of the nut I89, by means oi an additional thumb screw 229 which serves to clamp the guide 39 against the plate 2H3. To accommodate nut 229, said plate is provided with an arcuate slot 230-.

Referring to Figs. 16-21, various types of feed fingers adaptable for use with different types of strip material will now be described.

Frorn the foregoing explanations of the operation of shaft 34 on which the feed finger is mounted it will be understood that as this shaft moves toward the cutter 48 or the other forms of cutters described above, it rotates in a clockwise direction (as seen from the front of the machine) to move the feed finger into contact with the strip 3i, exerting sufficient pressure thereon to feed the strip, Upon completion of the feeding stroke shaft 35 preferably rotates in a counterclockwise direction toa limited extent suflicient to lift the feed finger away from the strip, eliminating any drag on the strip during the return stroke.

In Fig. 16 the feed finger 39, which is also shown inFig. 10, has a toothed edge till adapted to grip any plain surfaced material such as elastic, ribbon or the like. With this type of material the adjustment of the feed finger longitudinally of the strip 35 is unimportant, except that it should not interfere with the cutter.

In Fig. 17. the strip 3 lb carries at spaced intervalsmetal eyes SilZarrangedin pairs. With material of this type it is preferred to more the strip by engagement of a pair of feed fingers with the eyes rather than with the fabric of the strip because this assures uniform spacing of the eyes from the cut-off ends of the strip even though the eyes are not uniformly spaced on the strip. For this reason the double feed fingers 3% are used which have smooth bottoms which will slide along the fabric of the strip and push it along only by engagement with the eyes 362. By means of the holding screw s: the fingers 3% can be adjusted, for any given feeder stroke, so as to stop the strip Where it will be cut ofi between the eyes. With this arrangement there is no danger of the strip being positioned for cutting with the eyes under the cutter blade at, notwithstanding slight irregularity in the spacing of the strip. It will be appreciated that even slight irregularity of spacing is important because in the cutting of large numbers of pieces the errors resulting therefrom are cumulative.

A feed finger operating on similar principles is shown in Fig. 18 for use with a strip 35c carrying hooks S04. Feed finger 390 is so formed as actually to be held out of engagement with the fabric of strip Sic. This is accomplished by means of a side extension 305 on the feed finger which slides along the top surface of the strip guide 38a. The feeding end 306 of the feed finger extends downwardly just sufiiciently to engage the hooks 3%. An end view of this feed finger is also shown in Fig. 14.

In Fig. 19 the strip 3 id is provided with eyelets 3%. This strip is fed by a feed finger 8.9a, the end 369 of which is adapted to enter the eyelets and move the strip along by engagement with the sides thereof. With the adjustments of which the machine is capable with respect to its feeding stroke and feed finger position, it is possible to cause the feed finger to enter each second, third or fourth eyelet, for example, as may be desired in accordance with the number of eyelets which the cut-off piece is to contain.

In Figs. 29 and 21 the same feed finger 39a is shown in conjunction with a modified form of strip guide 39a having a depression 3H3 extending longitudinally in its bottom portion. The strip material tie is of a type having eyes 3! 8 extending transversely and held between the folded-over edges of the fabric of the strip. By reason of the depression am, the end 303 of feed finger 39a, in its descent is able to depress the fabric of strip 35c so that the feed finger extends to a greater distance below the hooks 3i 5, thus eliminating the possibility that it might slip over the top of the hooks and feed a shorter piece of material than is intended.

The operation of the various embodiments of the strip cutter cf the invention should be clear from the foregoing description but will be suminarized briefly. Once it has been decided what type of material is to be out, and to what length and at what angle or angles, it is necessary only to use the appropriate type of strip guide and feed finger and to adjust the various elements of the machine to perform the desired cuts. Where the strip is one carrying spaced fastening ele ments the machine will be provided with a feed finger which propels the strip by engagement therewith, rather than with the fabric, thus assuring that the cut ends of the fabric are properly spaced from the fastening elements. This is an important factor in the commercial practicability of the machine. The various adjustments provided by the machine make it possible to have the feed finger, in such case, descend for its feeding stroke so as always to be behind a fastening element. It then slides along the fabric into engagement with it and thereafter feeds the fabric. The machine having been set up and adjusted, the end of the strip material, which is commercially supplied in rolls, is then fed into the strip guide and the drive shaft 52 rotated through the medium of hand wheel 5% or by the motor with which the machine may be powered, until the desired number of pieces have been out from the strip.

The invention therefore provides a versatile machine capable of working on a wide variety of materials and of cutting pieces of uniform length with great rapidity and accuracy. The various forms of cutters described have all been of the straight edged type but it is to be understood that any of these could be replaced by pinking shears if a pinked edge is desired.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that the in-- vention is not limited to details of construction but is to be construed broadly within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for feeding and severing measured lengths from yieldable fabric strip material, having a guide to support and direct the strip; a pivoted arm, means for reciprocating said arm in an arcuate path, a rotatable shaft carried by said arm and extending over said guide, a finger carried by said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to move said finger into contact with said strip during the feeding stroke and out of contact therewith during the return stroke of said arm, said means comprising a pinion having frictional engagement with and rotatable on said shaft, a rack along which said pinion is adapted to roll as said arm reciprocates, and means for limiting the rotation of said shaft.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the rotation of said shaft comprises a fixed cam plate and a cam follower attached to and fixed in position relative to said shaft.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rack is straight, is pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends, and means are provided for maintaining said rack and pinion in driving engagement.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means for maintaining the pivoted rack and the pinion in driving engagement comprises a lever pivoted on said arm, a member on the lever hearing against the rack and a spring urging said member against the rack.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rack is curved on an are having the pivot point of said arm as its center.

6. In a strip cutter for continuous, yieldable strip material comprising a fabric base having longitudinally spaced, upstanding fastening elcments secured thereto, means for advancing the strip comprising guiding means adapted to support and slidably engage the sides of said strip, a finger, means for reciprocating said finger longitudinally of the strip and for moving it toward the strip during the advancing stroke, said finger having an end portion adapted to engage said fastening elements and a portion adapted to engage said guiding means, the latter portion being so positioned as to maintain said end portion out of engagement with said fabric base.

7. In a strip cutter having adjustable strip feeding mechanism including a rotary member, an arm, a stud slidable in said member and having a driving connection with said arm, and

means for positioning said stud radially of said member, said member being mounted on a hollow shaft having an end accessible to the operator; means for locking said stud in its adjusted position comprising a plate movably supported in said member between said stud and the end of said shaft, a push rod extending through said shaft into contact with said plate, and releasable means at the accessible .end of said shaft for pressing the push rod against said plate to lock said stud.

8. Locking means as described in claim 7 wherein the means for pressing the push rod against the plate-comprises a screw threaded into the end of said shaft and means for manipulating the screw.

9. In apparatus for feeding and severing measured lengths from yieldable fabric strip material, having a guide to support and direct said strip; a pivoted feeder arm, means for reciprocating said arm, a rotatable shaft carried by said arm and extending over said guide, a feed finger car ried by said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to move said finger into contact with said strip during the feeding stroke and out of contact therewith during the return stroke of said arm, said means comprising a'lever fixed on said shaft, means acting on said lever urging it in a direction to turn said shaft in a direction to move said finger toward said strip, said last named means comprising a link attached to the lever and having a sliding connection with the pivot .of said feeder arm and a tension spring 12 connecting said link and said pivot, a rock bar, means for moving said rock bar, and means connecting said bar Withsaid lever to raise said finger on the return stroke of said arm comprising a bearing .member carried by said link and resting on said bar.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 524,501 Kendall Aug. 14, 1894 1,017,279 Benjaminowitsch Feb. 13, 1912 1,305,342 Smith June 3, 1919 1,341,184 Leumann May 25, 1920 1,436,105 Kimball et a1. Nov. 21, 1922 1,632,593 Gaismanet a1. .June 14, 1927 1,709,354 Kohnle Apr. 16, 1929 1,735,643 Henry Nov. 12, 1929 1,810,976 Matteson .June 23, 1931 1,837,450 Laencher Dec. 22, 1931 1,870,424 Rosenthal Aug. 9, 1932 2,140,416 Collar Dec. 13, 1933 2,180,488 Van Hamersueld Nov. 21, 1939 2,278,921 Fischer Apr. 7, 1942 2,389,929 Paulsen Nov. .27, 1945 2,465,304 Wyrick Mar. 22, 1949 2,495,885 Blume Jan. 31, 1950 2,511,602 Sperber June 13, 1950 2,547,533 Mills Apr. 3, 1 951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 346,599 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1931

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