US2742087A

US2742087A - Sheet severing equipment

Info

Publication number: US2742087A
Application number: US432072A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph O Smith; Merlin H Becher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-05-25
Filing date: 1954-05-25
Publication date: 1956-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1973-04-17

Description

April 7, 1956 R. 0. SMITH ETAL SHEET SEVERING EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig Filed May 25, 1954 HOW vw OMC W5 ma m H A T7'ORNE 1 April 17, 1956 R. 0. SMITH ETAL 2,742,087

SHEET SEVERING EQUIPMENT Filed May 25, 1954 2 SheetZs-Sheet 2 INVENTORI RUDOLPH O. 5M/77/ BY MERLIN n1 saw/E A TTOR/VEY Fig.5.

2,742,037 sneer sEvEnI GE nirM rs-T.

jl iudolphb. Smith, Pennington; andMerlin H. Becher;

This invent-ion relates to equipment for severing lengths "transit is. particularly adatped'for use in severing sheets I g 72,742,037 'Pate nted Apr. 17, 1956 Ice .' p per f omja roll for use as separators placed between {coil springs to the compressing and baling of such springs for' storage and shipment. As shown the springs 2 are broughtto the paper severing equipment by' a conveyor '4 soias to be positioned in front of the vertical stand 6 on. Whichfthe paper severing equipment is mounted. A web I e paper 8 is drawn from the roll 10 and passes over/the oil 12 to "therubber' coated paper feeding rolls 14. From thcfeeding rol ls" the paper passesbetween the upper and 'fflower elements of'the sheet severing means indicated gencrally*at16'and-thenc e passes downward over the spaced of paper or other sheet material from a roll or supply thereof, and is directed particularly to constructions in which the material is severed primarily by tensioniug or rupturing action as distinguished from the usual shearing action of equipment of the prior art. 1

There aremany situations in which sheets or lengths of paper are required for covering, separating or wrapping articles. In some instances the sizes of the sheets required -vary considerablyin successive uses whereas other applicationscall for sheets of uniforrn size. In any case the sheets mustbe severed from a'roll or supplyof paper either before or during the actual use thereof." Theequipmentheretofore employed for this purpose has included a movable shear or knife edge which cooperates "with another shear or knife which maybe either vice.

sheet supporting forks '18. I The equipment preferably includes 7 control means "whereby'the feed rolls 14 will be stopped and the sheet to be severed 'will be held stationary whenever a predetermined length of paper has been fed through the de- "In the construction shown the control means includes'an electrical circuit (not shown) under the control -of a photoelectric cell 20 and source of light 22 which are mounted on a carriage 24 movable along the track 26 to any desired position corresponding to the length of the sheet -togbe severed. The leading edge of a sheet moving overthe supporting forks 18 will interrupt the beam of {forks ltr thebeam of light from source 22 will again fall movable or stationary. Suchshearinigelementsinust of necessity be made of high grade stee1 ;and require fre- "quent sharpening. Moreover, they frequentlyhave to be adjusted in position to insure proper cutting engagement of the relatively moving parts.

In accordance with .the present invention accurate adjustment of the elementsis made unnecessary and knife edges and similar means can be eliminated altogether.

The sheet material to be severed is instead gripped by-two pairs of relatively movable clamping members which serve to rupture the paper or pull it apart by a tensioning action applied along a predetermined line to sever the desired length of material from the roll or supply. If desired a straight edge or knife can be used in combination with one or more elements of the present invention but such additions are not necessary for most purposes.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel type of equipment for severing sheet material from a roll or supply wherein the use of cutting blades are unnecessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide sheet severing equipment wherein the sheetmaterial is severed ;by.a tensioning action.

'A further object of the invention is to provide ,novel .meansjfor controlling the operation of sheet severing equipment.

invention will appear from the folowing description thereof in which reference is made to the figures of the accomthe paper feeding rolls of Fig. 1.

That form of the invention chosen for purposes of illus- Fig. 5 is a detailed view illustrating the drive means for These and other objects and features of'the p resent "light from source 22 and thereby actuate photo-electric .eell'20 ina manner which serves to stop the motor 28 by which the feed rolls 14 are driven. The position of the carriage '24 on track 26 will therefore determine the length of the sheet 'fed out onto the forks 18. When the sheet is ,thereaf-ter severedfrom the roll and removedifrom onthe photoelectric cell 26 which in turn will be actuated --in ainanner which serves to start motor 28 and cause an--' other sheet to be. fed out; onto the'forks 18. By changing "the position of the carriage on track 26 the length of the sheet-to :be severed can be varied at the will of the operator.

A preferred form of sheet severing means 16 is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 and includes-a lower stationarybase 32 together with an upper movable head 34. The head 34 is mounted for vertical movement toward and away from the base and is guided during such movement'by the guideposts 36. The base 32 is provided with a stationary clamping member 38 adjacent to which is located a movable clamping member 40. The member 4.0 is .urged upward by a spring 42 and is guided in its movement by the rod 44 having stop nuts 46 secured to the lower end thereof and engageable with the stationary blockIdS mounted on the base 32. The upper surface of the movable clamping member 40 isprovided with a friction facing 50 formedof leather, rubber or the like for engaging and gripping the web of paper 8 passing over itssiirface. V 1 I l The movable head 34 of sheet severing device isprovided with similar clamping means arranged in the ref versed positions. so that the stationary member 52 will engage the spring pressed clamping element 40 mounted on the base. In a similar vWay the spring pressed clamp ing member 54 on the head 34 is positioned to engage clutch means designed to be actuated by a trip 72 whereby the severing mechanism 16 will be caused to perform a single operation and thereafter remain stationary until again actuated by operation of the trip. The trip is actuated by an operator standing in front of the conrolls 14.

position of Pig. 4.

element 38 on the base.

downward the springs 42 associate with the movable.

veyor 4 through movement of the pedal '74 and trip actuating cable 76.

With the construction described the desired length of paper is fed through the sheet severing device by feed the web of paper 8 and presses the paper against the spring urged movable gripping element 40 mounted on the base 32. At the same time the spring urged gripping element 54 on the head is placed against the web of paper 8 so as to urge it against the stationary gripping As the head continues to move gripping elements 4%? and 54 and are compressed and the adjacent portions of the sheet of paper are thereby firmly gripped between the clamping elements. When the lower edge of the stationary gripping element 52 moves past the upper edge of stationary gripping element 33 the paper gripped and held by the pairs of clements is placed under tension suflicicnt to cause it to be ruptured. The pair of

gripping elements

38 and 54 are preferably located close to the pair of gripping elements 40 and 52 so that the rupturing occurs along a substantially straight line. If desired, the adjacent corners 76 and 78 of the stationary gripping elements may be ;right angularly formed so as to present abrupt straight edges insuring a clean sharp severcnce of the paper as it is placed under tension by operation of the severing equipment.

However, the use of a knife edge or sharp steel blade in forming the corners 76 and 73 is not necessary in view of the fact that the severence of the web is actually effected by tensioning of theweb rather than. by conventional shearing operations.

After the paper thus fed out has been severed from the roll the paper supporting forks are depressed by operation of the pedal 35 and the cable 82 against the tension of the spring 84. The latter spring normally holds the forks 18 in the raised full line position illustrated in Fig. 1 but when pedal 80 is depressed the forks are lowered to the dotted line position of Fig. l and the severed length of paper shown at 86 is delivered to the operator. On release of the pedal 80 the forks return to the full line position shown whereby another length of paper fed out onto the forks is held in position to cause the light beam to be broken when the desired length has been to the desired width of the sheet to be used whereupon the operations are repeated in an identical manner. However, if a continuous or extended length of paper is re- Thereafter, when the sheet isto be severed answer 1 quired for any reason the pedal 89 may be held depressed so that the sheet being fed will not pass between the photoelectric cell 20 and the light source 22. The feed rolls 14 will, therefore, continue to advance the sheet material as long as desired and until the required length has been drawn off the roll or the roll is emptied.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to equipment for use in severing lengths of paper to be used as separators between coil springs, it will be apparent that the equipment may be used for innumerable other purposes as when wrapping laundry or other articles or when the sheets are to be used for any desired purpose. Furthermore, the equipment may, of course, be used for severing lengths of ,material other than paper such as metal foil, transparent sheet material or fabrics.

it will also be apparent that other types of control means may be used in place of the photoelectric cell assembly and any suitable form of power operated means may be used for actuating the sheet severing device. In view thereof it should be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in the drawings is intended to be typical and illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

1. Sheet severing means comprising sheet feeding rolls,

a motor for actuating said rolls, movable sheet supporta ing means over which a sheet from said rolls is passed,

control means responsive to the position of the leading edge of said sheet when said sheet supporting means is in a sheet supporting position for controlling operation of said motor, sheet severing means located between said feed rolls and control means, and means for actuating said sheet severing means, said sheet supporting means being movable to a sheet discharging position to render said control means inoperative.

2. A web handling device comprising web feeding rolls, a motor for actuating said rolls, movable web supporting means over which the web from said rolls is passed, control means responsive to the position of the leading edge of said web when said web supporting means is in a web supporting position for controlling operation of said motor, an electrical circuit completed by said control means upon movement of the leading edge of said web to a predetermined position, said web supporting means being movable to a web discharging position to render said control means inoperative.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,178 Durfec June 27, 1882 294,966 Chess Mar. 11, 1884 494,819 Mesta Apr. 4, 1893 1,844,766 Keller Feb. 9, 1932 2,360,275 Rau Oct. 10, 1944 2,392,459 Casalino Jan. 8, 1946 2,458,612 Luzzatto et al. Jan. 11, 1949 2,550,307 Sperry Apr. 24, 1951