US3768799A

US3768799A - Catcher mechanism for cloth spreading machine

Info

Publication number: US3768799A
Application number: US00061939A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Martin
Original assignee: Cutters Machine Co Inc
Current assignee: Saber Industries Inc
Priority date: 1970-08-07
Filing date: 1970-08-07
Publication date: 1973-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-30
Also published as: GB1299833A; CA935085A; DE2138696A1

Abstract

A catcher mechanism having a catcher bar disposed transversely for cooperation with a cloth spreading machine, including a frame having guide means and link means cooperating with the guide means and connected to the catcher bar, first to elevate the catcher bar in a vertical plane from a lower to an upper position, and second to swing the catcher bar upward from the upper position to a locking position.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Martin, Sr. et al.

[ 1 Oct. 30, 1973 CATCHER MECHANISM FOR CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Thomas W. Martin, Sr.; Thomas W. Martin, Jr., both of Nashville, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: Cutters Machine Company, Inc.,

Nashville, Tenn.

[22] Filed: Aug. 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 61,939

52 u.s.c1. ..270/30 51 Int. Cl ..B65h 29/46 58 Field of Search ..270/30-31;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,497,204 2/1970 Grimm et al 270/30 3,067,996 l2/l962 Theodosiou 270/3l 2,795,416 6/1957 Bax 270/3l 2,539,722 l/l95l Booth 270/30 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerA. Heinz Attorney-Harrington A. Lackey [57] ABSTRACT A catcher mechanism having a catcher bar disposed transversely for cooperation with a cloth spreading machine, including a frame having guide means and link means cooperating with the guide means and connected to the catcher bar, first to elevate the catcher bar in a vertical plane from a lower to an upper position, and second to swing the catcher bar upward from the upper position to a locking position.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented Oct. 30, 1973 2 Sheets-Shoot l UZZ rll/ WWW 55 5 mm Tm B ATTOQ N EY CATCI-IER MECHANISM FOR CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cloth spreading machines, and more particularly to a catcher mechanism for a cloth spreading machine.

One desirable feature of a catcher mechanism is to mount the catcher bar so that it will travel in a true vertical plane, or in a plane perpendicular to the cutting table, so that it will always rest upon the folded cloth ends in the same relative position, as the catcher bar is elevated by the increasing thickness of the stack of cloth layers. Several catcher mechanisms have been designed to carry out this function, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pats. Nos. 2,924,450; 3,067,996; 3,400,927; and 3,464,689.

Another desirable feature of a catcher mechanism is to mount the catcher bar in such a manner that it may be moved away from the folded ends of the cloth layers after the spreading operation has been completed, to permit the cutting operation.

In many prior art catcher mechanism, the entire catcher assembly, including its supporting frame, have to be dis-engaged from the table and bodily moved away from the cloth layers.

The catcher mechanism disclosed in US. pats. Nos. 2,924,450 and 3,464,689 mount the catcher bar upon its supporting frame in such a manner that the catcher bar may be swung upward and away from the folded cloth ends.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a catcher mechanism for a cloth spreading machine which carries out the dual functions of maintaining the catcher bar in a vertical position as it is raised and lowered for engaging the folded ends of cloth layers, and also of swinging the catcher bar away from the folded ends after the spreading and folding operations have been completed, in a different and more simplified manner than in previously known catcher mechanisms.

This invention comprises a catcher mechanism incorporating a catcher bar, a frame having guideways, a guide member cooperating with the guideways and connected to the catcher bar, and pivotal link means connecting the catcher bar to the frame. The arrangement of the guideways, guide member and pivotal link means is such that as the catcher bar is elevated from a lower position to an upper position, the guide member travels in a vertical guideway to maintain the catcher bar in a true vertical plane. Continued elevation of the catcher bar causes the guide member to travel in a second guideway causing the link means to swing the catcher bar up above its upper position to a locking position. The guide member engages a recess in the second guideway to hold the catcher bar in afi e1- evated locked position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a right-side elevation of the catcher mechanism made in accordance with this invention, mounted upon a cutting table, with the catcher bar in its lowermost position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation looking toward the left side of the catcher mechanism disclosed in FIG. 1, with the catcher bar inan intermediate raised position;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the catcher mechanism comprises a frame including a right frame element or plate 11 and a left frame element or plate 12 held in parallel spaced apart relationship by the

tubular frame members

13 and 14.

The left frame plate 12 is secured to the top of the cutting table 15 by a support plate 17 pivotally connected by hinge pins 18 to the outside bottom portion 1 of the left frame plate 12. The support plate 17 is held upon the top of the cutting table 15 by means of a conventional C-clamp 19 (FIG. 3).

In a similar manner, support plate 20 is pivotally con- 1 nected by hinge pins 21 to the outside bottom portion of the right frame plate 11. An alignment member or plate 22 is mounted upon the support plate 20 for lateral adjustment by means of bolt attachments 23 extending through lateral slots 24 in the alignment plate 22. The alignment plate 22 is provided with a straight, longitudinal, downwardly opening slot or groove 25 adapted to fit over a rail 26 fixed to the right side of a conventional cutting table 15 for carrying the grooved wheels supporting one side of the conventional spreading machine 30. The grooved alignment member 22 may be firmly held upon the rail 26 by means of set screws 27.

The advantage of the alignment member 22 is that after it is laterally set with respect to the right support plate 20, by means of the bolt attachments 23, the catcher mechanism 10 may be easily transferred to any other cutting table, and automatically aligned with the cloth spreading machine upon that table when the groove 25 is aligned with and seated upon the rail 26.

Fixed upon the outsides of each of the

frame plates

11 and 12 are stop

members

31 and 32, respectively, each of which functions as a stop and switch actuator when engaged by push-botton type switches upon the spreading machine 30, neither of which are shown, and form no part of this invention.

Extending transversely of the cutting table 15 and in front of the

frame plates

11 and 12 is a conventional catcher bar 35 depending from a catcher support bar 36. The extremities of the catcher support bar 36 are fixed to the forward ends of elongatedright and left straight vertical guideways 41 extending from closed bottom ends to upper ends intersected by forwardly extending upper guideways 42. The bottom edge of each upper guideway 42 at the forward extremity is cut away to form a locking recess 43, as best disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 4. Each locking recess 43 is preferably a circular section adapted to receive each corresponding carn roller 40, as disclosed in FIG. 4.

In the intermediate portion of each

arm member

37 and 38 is an axially extending

elongated slot

45 and 46, respectively, adapted to receive for pivotal and axial movement the

pivot pins

47 and 48 fixed to the front ends of

pivot bars

49 and 50, respectively. The rear endsof the

pivot bars

49 and 50 are journaled to the respective

side frame plates

11 and 12, for pivotal movement only, by journal pins 51 above the upper guide ways 42 and spaced rearward of locking recesses 43. The rear ends of the

pivot bars

49 and 50 are also supported in spaced apart relationship by means of the tubular spacer or supporting member 52.

Also journaled to the opposite ends of the tubular spacer member 39 are the rear ends of a pair of

link bars

55 and 56. The front ends of the

link bars

55 and 56 are in turn journaled by pivot pins 57 to opposed intermediate portions of the

pivot bars

49 and 50.

In the operation of the invention, the

frame plates

11 and 12 are mounted upon a cutting table at one end of the longitudinal traverse of the spreading machine 30. The

frames

11 and 12 are transversely moved until the groove of the alignment member 22 is adjusted to fit over the side rail 26. When the transverse position of the catcher mechanism 10 is properly adjusted, the set screws 26 are tightened. The C-clamp 19 is then tightened upon the left support plate 17 to secure the left frame plate 12 to the cutting table 15.

FIG. 1 discloses the catcher mechanism 10 in its initial position with the catcher bar 35 resting upon the top of the cutting table 15. As the spreading machine approaches the catcher mechanism 10, the angular cam bars 60 engage their corresponding cam rollers 61 journaled on the outer surfaces of the

respective arm members

37 and 38. Continued movement of the spreading machine 30 toward the catcher mechanism 10 causes the cam arms 60 to lift the cam rollers 61 and thereby the

arm members

37 and 38 and the catcher bar 35, as disclosed in FIG. 2. As the catcher bar is elevated by the continued lifting movement of the cam bars 60, the guide rollers travel upward in the respective vertical guideways 41 at the same rate as the catcher bar 35. Because of the linkage between the

pivot bars

49 and 50, the

link bars

55 and 56 and the

arm members

37 and 38, the guide rollers 40 will rise the same distances in their respective guideways 41 as the catcher bar 35 rises above the table top 15. Since the guide rollers 40 are constrained to movement in the vertical guideways 41, and move at the same rate as the catcher bar 35, the catcher bar 35 is always maintained in the same vertical attitude until the guide rollers 40 arrive at the top ends of the vertical guideways 41. The height of each vertical guideway 41 is designed to equal or exceed the depth of the stack of cloth layers to be spread upon the cutting table 15.

After the cloth has been spread, the catcher bar 35 may be manually lifted until the guide rollers 40 reach the top ends of their respective guideways 41. Continued lifting of the catcher bar 35 will cause the catcher bar 35 and its

arm members

37 and 38 to swing upward about the guide rollers 40 as their respective pivot points or fulcrums. Simultaneously, the

link bars

55 and 56 cause the guide rollers 40 to travel forward in the upper guideways 42. When the catcher bar 35 has been lifted to its locking position disclosed in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, guide rollers 40 automatically drop into the locking recesses 43 to lock and hold the

arm members

37 and 38 and the catcher bar 35 in the locking position.

In its locking position, the catcher bar 35 is elevated out of the way so that the spread layers of cloth may be freely out upon the cutting table 15 without obstruction or interference by the catcher mechanism 10.

After the cutting operation, when it is desired to resume the spreading operation, the catcher bar 35 or the

arm members

37 and 38 may be slightly elevated to raise the cam rollers 40 from their respective locking recesses 43, or the rear ends of the

arm members

37 and 38 may be forced rearwardly to roll the guide rollers 40 out oftheir recesses 43, causing the guide rollers 40 to reverse their travel along the upper guideways 42 and down the vertical guideways 41, to restore the catcher bar 35 to its original position, as disclosed in FIG. 1, preparatory for a new spreading operation.

This catcher mechanism 10 permits a continuous movement of the catcher bar 35, with a simplified and unified link and guide mechanism, an initial vertical planar movement for the spreading operation, and continued elevation above its upper spreading position to rapidly move the catcher bar 35 completely away from the cloth, for a subsequent cutting operation.

We claim:

1. A catcher mechanism for a cloth spreading machine comprising:

a. a frame having a front and a rear and adapted to be mounted on a cutting table,

b. a catcher bar,

c. an elongated arm memberhaving one end connected to said catcher bar in front of said frame,

d. a vertical guideway in said frame having an upper end,

e. an upper guideway in said frame having a rear end opening into the upper end of said vertical guideway, said upper guideway projecting forward from said vertical guideway,

f. a single cam member mounted on the opposite end of said arm member from said one end to travel in said vertical guideway and said upper guideway,

g. link means h. means connecting said link means to said arm member and said frame to dispose said catcher bar transversely of a cutting table upon which said frame is mounted and to constrain said catcher bar to move in a vertical plane while said cam member travels in said vertical guideway and to move upward in a substantial arc about said cam member while said cam member travels forward in said upper guideway.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said link means comprises a pivot bar having a front end and a rear end, said connecting means pivotally connecting said front end to said arm member and pivotally connecting said rear end to said frame above said upper guideway.

. 3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said link means further comprises a link bar pivotally connected to said pivot bar and to said arm member.

prising a locking recess in the front end portion of said upper guideway adapted to receive said cam member in a locking position with said catcher bar at the upper extremity of its arc.

Claims

1. A catcher mechanism for a cloth spreading machine comprising: a. a frame having a front and a rear and adapted to be mounted on a cutting table, b. a catcher bar, c. an elongated arm member having one end connected to said catcher bar in front of said frame, d. a vertical guideway in said frame having an upper end, e. an upper guideway in said frame having a rear end opening into the upper end of said vertical guideway, said upper guideway projecting forward from said vertical guideway, f. a single cam member mounted on the opposite end of said arm member from said one end to travel in said vertical guideway and said upper guideway, g. link means h. means connecting said link means to said arm member and said frame to dispose said catcher bar transversely of a cutting table upon which said frame is mounted and to constrain said catcher bar to move in a vertical plane while said cam member travels in said vertical guideway and to move upward in a substantial arc about said cam member while said cam member travels forward in said upper guideway.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said link means further comprises a link bar pivotally connected to said pivot bar and to said arm member.

4. The invention according to claim 2 in which the rear end of said pivot bar is limited to pivotal motion, means mounting the front end of said pivotal bar on said arm member for movement longitudinally of said arm member.

5. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a locking recess in the front end portion of said upper guideway adapted to receive said cam member in a locking position with said catcher bar at the upper extremity of its arc.