US2970921A - Method and apparatus for cutting paper sheets - Google Patents

Description

M. E. 'roBY 2,970,921

METHOD AND APPARATUS PoR CUTTING PAPER SHEETS Feb. 7, 1961 s sheets-sheet 1 Filed July 7, 1958 WNY ili.

Feb. 7, 1961 2,970,921 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER SHEETS Filed July 7, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wf/vra? /WAX f. 705x /MVVqL Feb. 7, 1961 Filed July 7, 1958 /26 f4 F1a-E- 47 M. E. TOBY METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TURA/EY;

United States Patent O METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PAPER SHEETS Max E. Toby, San Francisco, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Toby Enterprises, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 7, 195s, ser. No. 746,994

11 claims. (ci. 99-111) This invention generally relates to the art of cutting paper sheets from a paper supply roll, and is more particularly directed towards an improvement in a paper cutting and sheet feeding mechanism over that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,813,798, dated November 19, 1957, and entitled Method for Placing Paper Sheets Between Slices in a Stack.

In the above identilied patent, an apparatus and method was disclosed for placing a cut sheet of paper between the slicesof a stack as the stack was being formed so that the finished stack would have a paper insert between each slice thereof. While such apparatus possessed numerous features of advantage over prior art devices in that it could be utilized with high speed meat or cheese slicing equipment, it likewise possessed certain operational diticulties. These difficulties were primarily encountered due to the fact that small sheets of waxed paper or the like are extremely difficult to handle, particularly when attempting to cut off and then eject sheets of such paper from a continuous feed or supply roll. The paper sheets, even if properly cut which in itself presents several problems, are very difficult to manage, `since the sheets are not form retaining and any free movement thereof results in the sheet assuming uncertain air foil characteristics and making their control or movement most difficult. In addition to the foregoing, apparatus of this character heretofore available in the art ran into difficulty in connection with the cutting of the sheets during high speed movement, even though the paper roll or supply sheet was halted during the cutting operation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for lcutting sheets from a continuous paper supply roll in which the cut sheet may be simply and readily deposited such as on a slice in a stack imniediately following the cutting operation and without requiring further handling of the cut sheet by the apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the character described in which the paper is positively clamped during the` cutting action so as to insure a clean and sharp shearing of the paper to separate the sheet from the continuous roll thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described in which the sheet may be cut substantially immediately at the end of the machine whereby `the trailing edge of the sheet may be substantially aligned with an edge of a slice deposited thereon, so that upon completion of the stacking and interleaving operation, little, if any, paper will extend nbeyond the edges of the slices.

` A further object of the invention is to provide ap- "paratus as hereinabove described in which a fixed shear blade is used in combination with a movable shear blade for eecting severanceof the cut sheet, and in which at least one of said blades is of geenrally convex conldesired manner. from the roll thereof extends generally downwardly in figuration and serrated along the length thereof whereby the paper is initially engaged at only a. portion of its eventual line of severance.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide paper handling equipment and apparatus as hereinabove characterized in which means are provided for producing a pleat or fold in the paper so that it may be extended from the apparatus prior to cutting thereof in a generally planer rigid condition whereby upon being cut it may then gravitally be deposited on lthe slices in a stack or elsewhere.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the type referred to in which the paper, including the sheet, is at all times positively controlled, and in which the sheet is cut from the paper supply strip substantially immediately prior to, or just as a slice engages the same` The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the speeltication. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 4 4 of Figure 1, but shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but illustrating the shear elements in operative engagement.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional View taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 6--6 of Figure 1 and illustrating the paper advance clutch mechanism.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 7-7 of Figure l1 and illustrating the master clutch mechanism for the apparatus.

As hereinabove set forth, the apparatus of the instant invention constitutes an improvement over my prior patent No. 2,813,798. However, in order to better explain the novel features of the instant invention, a large portion of the mechanism disclosed in said prior patent is likewise disclosed herein so as to provide a proper environment for the novel sheet handling and cutting means which will be hereinafter described in detail.

Referring first to the general over-all mode of operation, the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings will be seen to include a paper supply roll, means for advancing the paper, and means for creating a tension on the paper during its intermittent movement to- Awards the sheet cutting mechanism. All of these general features are disclosed in my prior patent with slight structural modifications, and the important novel features of the instant invention are best disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, although certain of the other views likewise disclose portions of such features.

As to the more conventional portions of the apparatus, reference may be made to my prior patent as well as to the instant drawings which disclose a roll of paper 12 of the desired width operatively mounted on a shaft or mandrel 13, such shaft being suitably journaled in brackets 14 mounted on a supporting frame 15 in any The end o-f the paper as it is unwound the form of a strip 20r to pass around, a paper tensioning roller 16. Roller 16 is carried adjacent the end of an arm 17 whose other end is fixed to a' freely journaled shaft 18, the latter being likewise rigidly secured to an arm 19 which is normally 'urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings by Ia tension spring 21 secured to a frame portion 22. rl`his arrangement insures the strip 20 having a relatively constant pull thereon during all phases of the advancing and cutting cycle. Also, to prevent over-running of the spool or roll of paper, one end of the shaft 13 is provided with a radially enlarged hub 24 around which a tension strap 26 is operatively positioned, the ends of such strap being anchored in any suitable manner to the frame.4 The paper strip after engaging the tensioning roll 16 passes upwardly subjacent a guide roll Z8 and then over a preferably rubber coated guide roll 29 from which it then passes between a pair of closely adjacent feed rollers 31 and 32 respectively, the latter being disposed generally above and forwardly of the guide rolls. Then, as will be hereinafter explained in more detail, the paper strip is caused to pass between two vertically aligned adjacent creasing rollers 33 and 34 before being ejected from the apparatus, the exact construction of these creasing rollers being likewise more fully explained hereinafter. in any event, after passing through the rollers 33 and 34, cutting mechanism, generally indicated at 36 is utilized to sever the individual pieces of paper from the strip thereof, and such cutting is arranged so that upon the shearing of the piece, the latter may immediately gravitally fall onto the individual slices in a stack or be assisted in its downward movement by having a new slice deposited thereon.

The paper is adapted to be intermittently advanced so that the cutter mechanism 36 will be actuated only during stoppage of the paper strip movement. Consequently, the paper drive rolls 31 and 32 are likewise adapted for intermittent rotation, and as seen in Figure 4 of the drawings the roll 32 is intermittently rotated in a counter-clockwise direction whereas the roll 31 will be similarly rotated, but in a clockwise direction, so as to effect forward movement of the paper strip through the rolls and towards the cutting mechanism. To accomplish the foregoing, the rolls 31 and 32 are carried on shafts 41 and 42 respectively and if desired, suitable means may be provided for selectively varying the clamping pressure exerted by the rolls on the paper passing therebetween. Shaft 41 adjacent one of the ends thereof is provided withy a pinion gear 43 which is driven by a gear 44, and thelatter in turn is driven by a drive gear 46. By intermittently rotating drive gear 46 in a single direction, it will be appreciated thatgear 43 will likewise be intermittently driven and s o as to insurel synchronism between the rolls 31 and 32 shaftv 42A is provided wlth a gear 47 which is in mesh with gear 43 and ywhich is driven by the latter.

Means are also provided for driving the crimping orV creasing rolls 33 and 34 in synchronism with the drive rolls 31 and 32. This may b e simply effected by taking rotary motion from the paper drive roll gear 43 such as by means :orf an idler gear 40 in mesh with gear 43, the idler gear in turn driving a gear 45 secured to the shaft carrying the lower creasing roller, the gear of the upper pleating roller being in turn driven by the gear 45.

Means are provided for imparting unidirectional intermittent rotation to drive gear 46 and as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, such means will be seen to include a segment gear 48, in engagement with gear 46 and journaled for oscillating movement on a shaft 49.

Driving power is supplied to segment gear 48 through a link 51, the upper end of which is pivotally secured to a portion of the segment gear adjacent an end thereof,

the, other end of the link being plvotally attached to one end of a rocker arm 52. The other end of thev rocker arm, isuivoted, to an. adjustable beu crankv 53 and an intermediate portion of the rocker arm is slotted to slidably receive a block 54 to which is pivoted a crank S6 which is driven by the slicer or other apparatus with which the interleaver is used. Thus, in the present environment, the crank is adapted to be synchronized with the slicer, and is timed to make one complete revolutionfor each slice of meat that is deposited on the platform. ln accordance with the foregoing, the segment gear 48 will rotate about its shaft 49 in a counterclockwise direction for somewhat over half the rotation of crank 56, and then in a clockwise direction for the remainder of the rotation. However, the arc of travel of the segment gear will be equal in lboth directions of rotation and only the rate of rotation will be varied.

Since it is only desired to advance the paper strip to the right as viewed in Figures 3, 4 and 5, this, of course, requires unidirectional notation of `the drive rolls 31 and 32, and the desired direction of rotation, as will be evident from a study of the gear train, will take place only upon counterclockwise rotation of segment gear 48. Consequently, in order to disengage the effect, of clockwise rotation of gear 48 from imparting similar contrarotation to the drive rolls, 1a friction clutch 57 may be incorporated with the gear 46. Briey, gear 46 is mounted on a common shaft 58 with the friction clutch 57 and the latter will be seen to include a disc 59 on the inner surface of which is plvotally mounted a plurality of blocks 63. A clutch housing 61 is keyed to shaft 58 in any suitable manner and one or more rollers 62 are disposed within the clutch housing, and as the gear 46 is rotated in a clockwise direction the rollers will bewedged between adjacent blocks and portions of the housing 61 causing the clutch elements and accordingly the shaft 58 to revolve together. The rollers 62 are normally urged outwardly by springs' 64 and during clockwise rotation of the segment gear `48-.the roller is freed from its binding engagement between the blocks 63 and housing 61 so ias to permit the clutch element 59 to move independent of the shaft." In order to provide movement to the crank 56 and its associated shaft 71, the latter is provided with a iioat# mg pinion gear 72 operatively engaged with a gear 73 carried on a shaft 74 which is driven by the slicer or other apparatus, preferably through a Vplanetary gear arrangement generally indicated at 76, and adapted to permit micrornatic timing adjustmenty of the apparatus so as to synchronize the cutting of the sheets with the slicer operation while the apparatus is in motion. To provide for such 4adjustment shaft 71 maybe rotated by a manually operable sprocket 77 which is connected to a chain 78'whichin turn is engageable with a Wormv79 engageable with a worm gear S1 carried on the shaft 7.4'. Since the shafts 74 and 71 will becontinuously rotating, means are provided for'halting oscillation of the segment gear 48 after a predetermined number ofsheets have been severed from the strip, corresponding to the format1on of a stack. Such means include a clutch mechanism best illustrated in Figures 1 and 7 of the drawings. As

viewed in Figure 1, the clutch mechanism may be said to include a left hand clutch portion 86 which may be secured to gear 72 and likewise freely journaled on shaft 71. A right hand clutch portion `87 is keyed to shaft 71 and upon operative engagement of the clutch portions 86 and 87 shaft 71 will be caused to rotate. The portions are provided with clutch teeth which are normally urged together by spring means (not shown) and means are provided for selectively placing' the clutch elements into and out of engagement upon receiving proper impulses from a slicer orother mechanism. This may be accomplished by utilizing a solenoid 88 which, upon slicer operation is energized, causing the solenoid arm 89 to move upwardly as viewed in Figure l of thev drawings. A pair o f links 9'1 are pivotally attached to the, lower end of; the solenoid arm and the other ends are pivotedV to a corner www q' en of a pair `of bell cranks in the form of triangular plate members 92. A fixed pivot 93 at another corner of the bell cranks is suitably journaled to a portion of the frame and a third pivot at another corner of the bell cranks and substantially below the fixed pivot thereof is attached to a pair of links 94, the ends of which are pivotally secured to a block 96. A fixed pivot 95 passes through the left hand end portion of the block and is likewise journaled in the frame. `The right hand end portion of the block carries a lug 97 that engages a pin 93 mounted on the right hand clutch portion 87. Consequently when the solenoid is energized and the arm retracted, the foregoing arrangement will rotate the lug about the fixed pivot away from pin 98 permitting the right hand clutch portion to be forced into engagement with the left hand clutch portion through the action of its springs. Upon de-energization of the solenoid, such as when an impulse is received that the slicer has ceasedoperation, the solenoid arm 89 will be extended and the linkage arrangement results in the lug bearing against the clutch pin forcing the clutch portions apart andhalting further rotation to shaft 71 and likewise halting paper sheet advance until the solenoid is again energized.

The foregoing description represents portions of the apparatus which are generally disclosed in my previously discussed patent. Now, reference will be had to the mechanism for controlling the end portion `of the strip and for effecting the cutting thereof. As was previously explained, the paper strip after passing through the feed rolls 31 and 32 and the creasing rolls 33 and 34 is adapted to be severed to a predetermined length.' Normally, it would be assumed that the simpest way to effect a transverse shear to the strip would be to support opposed portions of the strip on opposite sides of the line of severance. However, such an arrangement presents problems due to the difficulty of thereafter attempting to advance the cut portion of the strip which were encountered with the apparatus disclosed in my prior patent. Therefore, in accordance with the teachings of the present invention the strip is cut only after the desired length of the cut sheet has already been extended from the machine. As here illustrated, immediately forwardly of or to the right of the rollers 33 and 34 l provide a horizontal support member or plate 101 which is adapted to underlie thelpaper'after emerging from the rolls 33 and 34. The strip of paper, prior to its being cut, will extend beyond 'the apparatus for the length of the desired cut sheet, the cuttingthen occurring at the distal end of the member 101 so as to permit the extended sheet portion 102 to gravitally fall downwardly such as immediately under a slice of material `just having been cut from a slicer blade 103. Since waxed paper or other commonly used paper products do not possess suliicientrigidity or stability `to permit them to be cantilevered outwardly and retain a generally planar configuration, umeans are provided to permitthe paper to `be horizontally extended as shown in Figure 3 without undue deformation so as to permit the subsequent cutting thereof by the cutter mechanism 36. The foregoing is accomplished by means of the vertically superimposed rollers 33 and 34 which, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, each include a plurality of roller members carried on a common shaft. A central roller 106 is of cylindrical configuration and merely serves as a support for the center portion of the paper strip. A pair of outer rollers 107 mounted on each of the shafts are disposed adjacent the longitudinally extending edges of the strip and each of the rollers 107 on one of the sets have a portion thereof inwardly grooved to receive a projection on the other sets. When the two complementary rollers 33 and 34 are urged together such as under the influence of spring 112, the paper will'be creased or grooved adjacent each of its edges and will therefore resist deformation when extended beyond thc end of the support plate 101 and maintain the same in condition for severance.

After the paper strip has been advanced to where the pleated or grooved strip 102 will extend beyond the base portion, and during the clockwise or inoperative cycle of rotation of segment gear 48, the paper is transversely cut immediately adjacent the outer end of plate 101. The cutting is preferably accomplished in the following manner. lt will be noted that the plate 101 is preferably formed of rubber or like material and is suitably supported on a rigid plate 113, the latter being carried at the upper end of a pair of spaced vertical shafts 114 which extends through apertures in a fixed frame portion 116. The lower end of each shaft is provided with an enlarged nut 117 or the like so as to prevent its upward removal through the frame aperture and define the uppermost position of plate 101. A compression spring 118 is provided between the upper surface of frame portion 116 and the lower surface of a fixed plate member 119 through which the shaft 114 likewise extends. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the paper support 101 may upon downward pressure being applied thereagainst move downwardly against the resistance of spring 118, the latter serving as a yieldable support for the plate. The xed plate 119 adjacent the outer end thereof is provided with a fixed shear blade 121 which extends upwardly to substantially the normal upper surface of the support 101. By referring ,to Figure 1 of the drawing the fixed shear blade has the upper edge portion thereof serrated as indicated at 122, and as an important feature of the invention the blade has a generally convex arcuate longitudinal extent with the maximum blade height being adjacent the central portion thereof and a minimum height adjacent the ends thereof. The purpose of this arcuate configuration will be hereinafter discussed in greater detail. It is also important to note that the rubber plate or cushion 101, in its normally raised position, extends above the serrations of blade 121 and serves to guide the forward movement of the paper past such blade without interference. In addition to the fixed blade 121, a movable combination clamp and shear 123 is utilized to cooperate with the plate 101 and the fixed blade 121 in effecting the transverse severance of the extended strip portion 102 from the remainder of the paper strip. This movable shear blade 123, as in, the case of the fixed blade 121, extends transversely of the paper strip for the width of the apparatus and has its inner edge mounted generally tangentially on stub shafts 124 on opposite sides of the apparatus. Upon oscillation of the stub shafts, the blade 123 will be caused to move selectively from and towards the paper support 101 and upon the downward movement thereof will cooperate with the fixed blade 101 in effecting a complete severance of the paper. during the clockwise rotation of the stub shaft 124 as viewed in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, that is, movement of the shear blade towards its lower position illustrated in Figure 5, will result in the paper strip being uniformly clamped against the yieldable support 101 for the entire transverse extent of the strip, and after such clamping has occurred and plate 101 moved downwardly to expose the serrations of blade 121, continued movement of shear blade 123 will result in the severance or shearing of the strip initially at the central portion of the strip and thence outwardly towards the edges thereof.

In order to effect the necessary oscillatory motion to the stub shafts 124, it will be noted in Figure 1 that one of the stub shafts is secured to an end of a crank 126, which is operatively connected to a link 125 which 'is driven by shaft 71 through a crank 127 so that during normal actuation of the apparatus the link 125 will be oscillated imparting like oscillation to the stub shaft and the shearing element 123 carried thereby.

It should also be pointed out that notwithstanding the resilient pressure imparted on substantially all portions of the strip just prior to the cutting operation, the por- In this connection it is important to note that tion of the strip immediately rearwardly of the clamping and shearing mechanism will have already passed through the crimping rolls 33 and 34 so that upon the next advance of the paper, a sufficient amount of crimp will be retained in the strip adjacent the fixed shear blade 121 so as to insure the generally horizontal disposition of the extended paper portion M2. prior to the next actuation of the cutter mechanism, and at most, only the distal end of the strip will have the crimp removed by the pressure created between the shear 123 and plate 101.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of delivering paper sheets to a common discharge area which includes intermittently advancing a paper strip towards said discharge area, physically supporting a portion of said strip in a generally horizontal plane, producing a longitudinal crease in said strip, cantilevering the creased strip portion beyond the supported portion of the strip, resiliently clamping said strip along a transverse path between said extended and supported strip portions, and then transversely cutting said strip along said path while the strip is being clamped.

2. The method as set forth in claim l further characterized by said cutting first occurring adjacent the center portion of the strip and thence outwardly towards the strip edges.

3. A method of interleaving paper sheets between adjacent slices of a food product during formation of a vertical stack of such siices which comprises feeding a paper strip towards the slices from a paper supply roll, intermittently pulling on an unrolled portion of said strip so as to advance the latter towards said slices in timed relation to the reception thereof, supporting said strip adjacent said slices, extending and cantilevering the end portion of said strip over the last deposited slice and in a generally horizontal position, and then resiliently transversely clamping and cuttingT such end portion from the strip upon stoppage of the intermittent pulling to provide a cut paper sheet.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 in which said end portion of the strip is creased longitudinally prior to its extension over the last deposited slice whereby such portion may maintain its horizontal disposition prior to the clamping and cutting thereof.

5. In apparatus for cutting sheets from a continuous paper strip, a pair of strip drive rolls, means intermittently rotating said rolls for effecting intermittent advance of said strip, a resilient paper support member positioned forwardly of said drive rolls and adapted to support a portion of said strip, a fixed shear element positioned forwardly of and subjacent said member, a movable shear element overlying lsaid member and said iixed shear element, and means moving said movable shear element downwardly into paper clamping engagement with said member and urging the latter downwardly to expose and move into shearing engagement with said fixed shear element uponv stoppage of rotation of said drive rolls where-v by the strip portion extending forwardly of said support member will be cut from the stripto provide a papel` sheet.

6. Apparatus as setforth in claim 5 in which oner of said shear elementsl is provided with a plurality of serrations extending along the length thereof.

7. Apparatus of the character described including a paper supply roll, a pair of paper strip advancing rolls, means intermittently rotating said last named rolls, a. generally horizontally disposed resilient paper support member, a fixed shear blade positioned adjacent the end of said member, a superimposed movable shear blade overlying said member and said fixed blade, means moving said movable blade into clamping engagement with said member and into shearing engagement with said fixed blade upon halting of rotation of s aid advancing rolls, and paper strip creasing means positioned intermediate said strip advancing rolls and said member for producing a longitudinally extending crease in said strip prior to the cutting thereof.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said creasing means includes a pair of bevelled rollers positioned adjacent each edge of said strip and between which said strip is engaged for creasing thereby.

9. Apparatus for cutting sheets from a continuous paper strip, including a pair of strip drive rolls, means intermittently rotating said rolls for advancing said strip, a horizontally disposed paper support member positioned adjacent the discharge end of said apparatus, spring means resiliently maintaining said member in an upper position, a fixed shear element positioned adjacent the end of said member and having an upper edge portion below the upper surface of said member when the latter is, in said upper position, a movable shear element overlying said member and said fixed shear element, means reciprocating said movable element between a first position spaced from said member and said fixed element whereby the paper strip may be advanced therealong toA extend beyond said fixed shear element and a second position wherein said movable element has first moved against said member to clamp the strip therebetween and then further moved to cooperate with said`fixed element to transversely shear the strip.

l0. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 including a pair of strip creasing rollers disposed intermediate said drive rolls and said member, and means rotating said creasing rollers in synchronismwith said drive rolls.

ll. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 in which said member is formed of resilient material.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Toby Nov. 19, 1957

Claims (1)

1. 3. A METHOD OF INTERLEAVING PAPER SHEETS BETWEEN ADJACENT SLICES OF A FOOD PRODUCT DURING FORMATION OF A VERTICAL STACK OF SUCH SLICES WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING A PAPER STRIP TOWARDS THE SLICES FROM A PAPER SUPPLY ROLL, INTERMITTENTLY PULLING ON AN UNROLLED PORTION OF SAID STRIP SO AS TO ADVANCE THE LATTER TOWARDS SAID SLICES IN TINNED RELATION TO THE RECEPTION THEREOF, SUPPORTING SAID STRIP ADJACENT SAID SLICES, EXTENDING AND CANTILEVERING THE END PORTION OF SAID STRIP OVE THE LAST DEPOSITED SLICE AND IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, AND THEN RESILLIENTLY TRANSVERSELY CLAMPING AND CUTTING SUCH END PORTION FROM THE STRIP UPON STOPPAGE OF THE INTERMITTENT PULLING TO PROVIDE A CUT PAPER SHEET.

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