US3695136A

US3695136A - Cutting stick spacer

Info

Publication number: US3695136A
Application number: US81390A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard J Horne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-16
Filing date: 1970-10-16
Publication date: 1972-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-03

Abstract

Spacer means for the cutting stick of a paper cutting machine to permit periodic lateral adjustment of the stick relative to the plane of the cutting blade so as to locate different face portions of the stick in position for contact by the blade and thereby extend the useful life of the stick. The spacer means includes two or three spacer bars which are positionable between the cutting stick and the walls of the cutting stick channel in the bed of the cutting machine and are so dimensioned that reversing the position of the side spacer bar or bars shifts the stick laterally in the channel. The bottom spacer bar may be integrally joined to one side spacer bar to form a unitary Lshaped spacer member.

Description

United States Patent [151 3,695,136 Home [451 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] CUTTING STICK SPACER 72 Inventor: Richard J. Home, 13908 Barrydale Examifleronald Kelly St., La Puente, Calif. 91746 Attorney-80mm Brown 221 Filed: 0ct.16,1970 ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 81,390

Spacer means for the cutting stick of a paper cutting machine to permit periodic lateral adjustment of the stick relative to the plane of the cutting blade so as to locate different face portions of the stick in position for contact by the blade and thereby extend the useful life of the stick. The spacer means includes two or three spacer bars which are positionable between the cutting stick and the walls of the cutting stick channel in the bed of the cutting machine and are so dimensioned that reversing the position of the side spacer bar or bars shifts the stick laterally in the channel. The bottom spacer bar may be integrally joined to one side spacer bar to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.

10 Claims, 12 Drawing figures CUTTING STICK SPACER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to paper cutting machines and more particularly to spacer means for the cutting stick of such machines which permits lateral adjustment of the stick to locate different portions of its faces for contact by the cutting blade.

Discussion of the Prior Art Paper cutting machines of the kind with which the present invention is concerned have a cutting blade which moves toward and away from a frame bed for supporting the paper stack to be cut. The paper stack is positioned relative to the cutting blade by a reciprocating positioning mechanism. Within the bed, in the plane of the cutting blade, is an upwardly opening channel of square cross-section containing a plastic bar of square cross-section against which the cutting edge of the blade engages at the end of its cutting stroke. This bar is referred to in the trade as a cutting stick.

Repeated contact of the cutting blade with the cutting stick produces a groove in the stick. This grooving action necessitates periodic shifting of the cutting stick to expose a new ungrooved face portion of the stick to the cutting blade. For example, the stick may be rotated on its longitudinal axis to expose different faces of the stick to the blade. Also, the longitudinal center line of the cutting stick channel in the bed of the cutting machine is laterally offset from the plane of the cutting blade to permit two different portions of each stick face to be exposed to the blade by reversing the stick end for end. Shifting the cutting stick in this way is desirable, of course, because it extends the useful life of the stick.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a spacer means fora cutting stick of the character described which permits exposure of additional face portions of the stick to the cutting blade and thereby further extendsthe service life of the stick.

Generally stated, the present spacer means comprises at least two spacer bars which seat against two adjacent faces of a cutting stick having a square crosssection smaller than that of the cutting stick channel in the bed of the paper cutting machine. These spacer bars have a thickness approximating the difference in the cross-sectional dimensions of the cutting stick and channel, such that the cutting stick and spacer assembly has an overall square cross-section matching that of the channel. The assembly is positioned within the channel with the spacer bars located between the stick and the bottom and one side wall of the channel. The spacer bars may be separable or integrally joined to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.

Another disclosed embodiment has two parallel spacer bars and a third intervening spacer bar. In this case the two parallel bars have different thickness dimensions and a combined thickness dimension approximating the difference in the cross-sectional dimensions of the cutting stick and its receiving channel. The third spacer bar has a thickness dimension equal to this combined thickness dimension, such that cutting stick and spacer assembly have a square crosssection matching the channel and thus may be positioned in the channel. The bars may be separable or two bars may be joined to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.

In each form of the invention, the cutting stick is repositioned or shifted laterally to expose a new face portion tothe cutting blade by reversing the position of the side spacer bars; This adjustment combined with the other stick adjustments mentioned earlier, i.e., rotation to expose anew face of the cutting stick and inverting the stick end for end, permits use of four different portions of each stick face and thereby doubles the service life of the cutting stick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of aconventional paper cutting machine; I

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the machine illustrating the cutting stick, cutting stick channel, and a present stick spacer;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4-8 are enlarged sections through the cutting stick and spacer illustrating the possible stick adjustments;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sections through a modified cutting stick and spacer means according to the invention;

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate further modified cutting stick spacer means according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The paper cutting machine 10 illustrated in FIGS. l-3 is conventional, except for the present cutting stick and spacer assembly 12, and includes a horizontal platform or bed 14 on which is placed the stack of paper 16 to be cut. Mounted over the bed for movement toward and away from the bed in a plane normal to the bed, i.e., a vertical plane, is a cutting blade 18. Movable horizontally across the bed toward and away from the cutting blade plane is a stack positioning mechanism 20.

In operation of the machine, a paper stack 16 is placed on the bed 14 and is positioned relative to the cutting blade 18 by the stack positioning mechanism 20. The blade then descends through its cutting stroke to cut the stack, as shown in FIG. 3, and retracts upwardly to receive a new paper stack.

Contained within the machine bed 14 is an upwardly opening channel 22 of square cross-section. The plane of the cutting blade 18 passes through the channel in parallel laterally spaced relation to its longitudinal center line. Channel 22 contains the present cutting stick and spacer assembly 12.

This assembly comprises a cutting stick 24 proper and a stick spacer 26. Cutting stick 24 is a plastic bar of square cross-section and may be solid as shown or hollow. The cross-sectional dimensions of the cutting stick are less than those of the channel 22. The particular cutting stick spacer 26 shown in FIGS. l-8 has a pair of spacer bars 28 integrally joined to one another to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member. The width dimensions of the spacer bars 28 measured at the inner side of the angle equal the cross-sectional dimensions of the cutting stick 24. The spacer 26 is assembled on the cutting stick 24 with the spacer bars 28 seating against two adjacent faces of the stick, as shown.

The two spacer bars 28 have equal thickness dimensions. This thickness dimension approximates the difference in the cross-sectional dimensions of the channel 22 and cutting stick 24. Accordingly, the cutting stick and spacer assembly 12 has a square cross-section matching that of the channel and is positionable in the channel in the manner shown. When the assembly is thus positioned in the channel, the spacer bars 28 are located between the cutting stick and the side and bottom walls of the channel. One face of the cutting stick is exposed at the top of the channel for contact by the cutting blade 18 at the end of its cutting stroke in the manner shown in FIGS. 3-8. This exposed face and the upper exposed edge of the side spacer bar 28 are flush with the upper surface of the machine bed 14.

As noted earlier and illustrated in the drawings, repeated contact of the cutting blade 18 with the same face portion of the cutting stick 24 produces a groove 30 in the face. Accordingly, it is necessary to periodically adjust the stick to expose a new face portion to the cutting blade. Two of these adjustments were mentioned earlier. These two adjustments involve rotating the cutting stick on its longitudinal axis to expose a new face of the stick to the blade and inverting the stick end for end. The present spacer 26 provides an additional adjustment which involves reversing the spacer to move the side spacer bar 28 from one side of the cutting stick 24 to the other in the manner illustrated in F IGS. 4-8. It is evident from FIGS. 4-8 that this latter cutting stick adjustment when combined with the first mentioned stick adjustment permits four different portions of each stick face to be exposed to the cutting blade 18, thereby effectively doubling the service life of the cutting stick.

The modified cutting stick spacer means 26a, 26b of FIGS. 9 and 10 is similar to that of FIGS. l-8. In FIGS. 9 and 10, however, the spacer bars 28a, 28b are separable rather than joined. These spacer bars may be dimensioned to mate in either the configuration of FIG. 9 or that of FIG. 10. This modified spacer means is used in much the same manner as that of FIGS. 1-8 except that only the side spacer bar is moved, as indicated in broken lines, when adjusting the cutting stick.

The modified cutting stick spacer means 100, 102 of FIGS. 11 and 12 comprise L-shaped spacer members 26c, 26d similar to the spacer 26 and third spacer bars 104, 106. The side spacer bars 28c, 104 and bars 28d, 106 have different thickness dimensions, and the combined thickness dimension of bars 28c, 104 and bars 28d, 106 equals the difference in the cross-sectional dimensions of the cutting stick 24 and channel 22. The thickness dimension of the bottom spacer bar also equals this latter dimensioned difference. The L- shaped space members 26c, 26d and spacer bars 104, 106 may be assembled in the configuration of either FIG. 11 or 12. It is evident that each cutting stick and spacer assembly has an overall square cross-section matching that of the channel 22.

The spacer means of FIGS. 11 and 12 are used in much the same way as the earlier described spacer means except that when adjusting the cutting stick, the L-shaped spacer members 26c, 26d and side spacer bars are both moved to reverse the positions of the side spacer bars. It will be immediately recognized that the spacers of FIGS. 11 and 12 may be used in conjunction with the earlier spacers to expose additional cutting stick face portions to the cutting blade 18 and thereby further extend the service life of the cutting stick.

What is claimed asnew in support of Letters Patent 1. For use in a paper cutting machine having a bed containing an upwardly opening channel of square cross-section, and a cutting blade movable toward and away from said bed in a plane normal to the bed and passing through said channel parallel to its longitudinal axis, the combination comprising:

a cutting stick of square cross-section having side faces of given width,

spacer means including first and second flat bars seating against two adjacent faces of said stick, and

said first bar having a width not greater than said given width of each stick face, and said spacer means and stick having an overall square crosssection and being positionable within said channel with said first spacer bar located between the bottom face of the stick and the bottom wall of said channel and said second spacer bar located between a side face of the stick and adjacent edge of said first bar and the adjacent side wall of said channel.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

said first bar has a width equal to said given width and said second bar has a width equal to said given width plus the thickness of said first bar.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein:

said bars are of equal thickness dimensions and are separable flat strips.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

said second spacer bar is a relatively thin fiat strip having a smaller thickness than said first bar,

said spacer means includes a third spacer bar parallel to said second bar and engaging the stick face which parallels the stick face engaged by said second bar, and

said second and third bars have different thickness dimensions and a combined thickness dimension equal to the thickness of said first bar.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein:

said first and third bars are integrally joined to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.

6. In combination:

a paper cutting machine having a bed with an upwardly opening channel of square cross-section and a cutting stick of square cross-section within and smaller than the channel and having side faces of given width,

spacer means positioned between said stick and walls of said channel and providing with said stick a square cross-section complementing said channel, and

said spacer means including a first bar positioned between the bottom face of said stick and having a width not greater than said given width of each stick face, and a second bar positioned between one side of said stick and adjacent edge of said first bar and the adjacent side wall of said channel.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein:

to said second bar and engaging the stick face which parallels the stick face engaged by said second bar, and

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein:

Claims

1. For use in a paper cutting machine having a bed containing an upwardly opening channel of square cross-section, and a cutting blade movable toward and away from said bed in a plane normal to the bed and passing through said channel parallel to its longitudinal axis, the combination comprising: a cutting stick of square cross-section having side faces of given width, spacer means including first and second flat bars seating against two adjacent faces of said stick, and said first bar having a width not greater than said given width of each stick face, and said spacer means and stick having an overall square cross-section and being positionable within said channel with said first spacer bar located between the bottom face of the stick and the bottom wall of said channel and said second spacer bar located between a side face of the stick and adjacent edge of said first bar and the adjacent side wall of said channel.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein: said first bar has a width equal to said given width and said second bar has a width equal to said given width plus the thickness of said first bar.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein: said bars are of equal thickness dimensions and are separable flat strips.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein: said second spacer bar is a relatively thin flat strip having a smaller thickness than said first bar, said spacer means includes a third spacer bar parallel to said second bar and engaging the stick face which parallels the stick face engaged by said second bar, and said second and third bars have different thickness dimensions and a combined thickness dimension equal to the thickness of said first bar.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein: said first and third bars are integrally joined to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.

6. In combination: a paper cutting machine having a bed with an upwardly opening channel of square cross-section and a cutting stick of square cross-section within and smaller than the channel and having side faces of given width, spacer means positioned between said stick and walls of said channel and providing with said stick a square cross-section complementing said channel, and said spacer means including a first bar positioned between the bottom face of said stick and having a width not greater than said given width of each stick face, and a second bar positioned between one side of said stick and adjacent edge of said first bar and the adjacent side wall of said channel.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein: said first bar has a width equal to said given width and said second bar has a width equal to said given width plus the thickness of said first bar.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein: said bars are of equal thickness dimensions and are separable flat strips.

9. The combination according to claim 6 wherein: said second spacer bar is a relatively thin flat strip having a smaller thickness than said first bar, said spacer means includes a third spacer bar parallel to said second bar and engaging the stick face which parallels the stick face engaged by said second bar, and said second and third bars have different thickness dimensions and a combined thickness dimension equal to the thickness of said first bar.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein: said first and third bars are integrally joined to form a unitary L-shaped spacer member.