Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to a rotatable cutter
mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving
sheet, strip or web and more particularly to a rotatable cutter
mechanism with angularly adjustable radially extending blades.
Rotating blade type cutters for cutting notches in
a moving web are known. German OLS 1,7~9,658 in the name of
Bruno Pahlitzsch, entitled "Cutting Arrangement For Envelope
And Bag Machines", discloses apparatus for cutting notches in
the side of an endless web to form the side edges for the
bottom flaps and seal flaps of adjacent envelope blanks
formed from the endless web. The radially extending
cutter blades are unitary in construction and are arranged
to cut notches of a fixed length. To change the length of the
bottom flap portion of the envelope blank it is necessary with
the known apparatus to remove both the fixed cutter blade and
the radially extending cutter blades by substituting blades
of different length. This requires dismantling the apparatus
and maintaining an inventory of blades having different lengths.
U. S. Patent 1,586,055~discloses apparatus for
cutting envelope blank`s from moving sheets and one embodiment
illustrates first severing sheets of a given length and width
and thereafter conveying the sheet to a cutting station where
a pair of sheets have their adjacent edges cut out by a composite
blanking die to form the side edges of the respective envelope
blanks. The width of the blanks may be varied by cutting sheets
of di~ferent widths from the wek. The shape and dimension of
the cut out side edges of the blank cannot be changed without
changing the composite blanking die. There is a need for a
rotatable cutter mechanism that may be easily and quickly
adjusted to cut notches in the sides of the web, strip or sheet
of different lengths so that envelope blanks having different
length bottom flaps may be formed without changing the cutting
blades.
In accordance with the present invention, the
rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting notches of different
lengths in a moving segment such as a sheet, strip or web
includes a fixed cutter having at least one blade portion
extending longitudinally along the side thereof. The fixed
cutter is arranged to support the moving segment with a side
portion of the segment extending over the fixéd cutter blade
portion. A shaft is rotatably mounted on the side of the
fixed cutter in spaced relation to the fixed cutter blade
portion. A rotatable cutter is mounted on the shaft for
rotation therewith and the rotatable cutter has a pair of
rotatable cutter blades extending radially therefrom~ One of
the rotatable cutter blades is angularly adjustable relative
to the other rotatable cutter blade so that the relative
radial angle between the blades controls the length of the
notch cut in the side portion of the segment supported by the
fixed cutter blade.
The fixed cutter blade has a notch of a predetermined
cQnfiguration and the radial cutter blades have a similar con-
figuration and pass through the fixed cutter blade notch portion.
The radial cutter blades are arranged longitudinally along the
shaft and æe adjacent to each other. One of the rotatable
cutter blades has a radial edge configuration that forms the
side edge of an envelope blank seal flap and a portion of the
side edge of the adjacent envelope blank bottom flap. The
other blade has a radial edge confi~uration that forms the
remainder of the adjacent envelope blank bottom flap portion.
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By rotating one of the rotatable cutter blades relative to the
other on the rotatable shaft the timing sequence of the cut-
ting operation by the rotatable blades is controlled to permit
a greater or lesser portion of the moving segment to pass beneath
the second blade to increase or decrease the length of the
bottom flap. Both cutter blades have overlapped portions that
compensate for the angular position of the blades to each other
and provide a continuous linear cut for the bottom flap side
edge.
Accordingly, the principal object of this invention
is to provide a rotatable cutter mechanism that is arranged
to cut notches of different lengths in a moving segment without
changing the rotatable cutting blade.
Another object of this invention is to provide a
rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting the side edges of
adjacent envelope blank seal flap and bottom flap portions
without changing of the rotatable cutter blade angle on the
rotatable shaft.
A further object of this invention is to provide a
rotatable cutter mechanism to cut notches of different length
in a moving segment without changing the cutter blades that
support the moving segment.
These and other objects of this invention will be
more completely disclosed and described in the following
specification, the accompany drawings and the appended claims.
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rotating cutter
mechanism arranged to cut the side edges for the bottom flap
and seal flap of adjacent envelope blanks thereafter cut from
the continuous web.
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Figure 2 is a view in section taken along the Line
II-II of Figure 1, illustrating the angular displacement of
the cutter blades mounted on the rotatable shaft.
Figure 3 is a perspective view, illustrating the
radially extending blades cutting the seal flap and bottom
flap notch in an endless web.
Figures 4 and 5 are schematic views in elevation
similar to ~igure 2, illustrating different angular displace-
ments between the rotatable cutter blades mounted on the
rotatable shaft.
Figures 4a and 5b are a schematic exaggerated
illustration of a continuous web having different lengths of
bottom flap side edges cut therein. Figures 4a and 5b are
intended to designate the difference in length of the bottom
flap side edge by changing the angular relation between the
rotatable cutter blades as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.
Throughout the specification the rotatable cutter
mechanism is described as cutting notches in the side edge
portions of a continuous web that is therea~ter cut transversely
to form separate envelope blanks. It should be understood the
- rotatable cutter mechanism is also operable to cut notches in
the side edges of strips or sheets and the use of the term
"segment" is intended to include either an endless web, an
elongated strip or a sheet with a predetermined length. ~onven-
tional means such as pinch rolls, driven pressure rolls and the
like may be employed to convey the elongated strip or sheet
along the platform at a preselected speed so that the notches
of different lengths can be cut in one or both of the side edges.
The description also includes a pair of rotatable cutter
mechanisms to simultaneously cut not~hes in both edges of the
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segment. It should be further understood the invention may
be practiced with a single rotatable cutter mechanism to cut a
notch in one side edge of the segment.
Referring to the drawings and particularly Figure 1
there is disclosed a rotatable cutter mechanism generally
designated by the numeral 10 that has a suitable table portion
12 with an upstanding channel shaped support means 14 for the
fixed cutter generally designated by the numeral 16.
The fixed cutter 16 has a pair of fixed cutter blades
18 and 20 suitably secured to the support means 14 of table 12
by means of screws or bolts 22. The cutter blades 18 and 20
may be removed from the table support 14 for sharpening or to
substitute blades of a different configuration.
The cutter blades 18 and 20 have substantially the
same edge configuration with a first inwardly offset straight
edge portion 24 that is connected to a second outwardly offset
straight edge portion 26 by an arcuate or curved edge portion
28. The straight portion 24 terminates in an inwardly extending
notch 30. Another inwardly offset straight edge portion 32
is aligned with straight edge portion 24 and is connected to
the slotted portion 30 at one end and an arcuate curved edge
portion 34 at the other end. The curved portion 34 connects
the straight portion 32 with another outwardly offset straight -
edge portion 36 that is aligned with straight edge portion 26.
An segment of paper illustrated as an endless web 3B
is arranged to be conveyed over the table 12 and fixed support
14 in the direction of the arrow at a preselected speed and
has a width slightly smaller than the distance between the
straight edge outer portions 26 of the spaced knife blades 18
and 20. The configuration of blades 18 and 20 are arranged to
support the web so that rotatable blades having a similar
configuration as the edges of the blades 18 and 20 cut notches
40 and 42 in the side edges 44 and 46 of web 38. The notches
40 and 42 form the seal flap portion 48 and the bottom flap
portion 50 of adjacent envelope blanks formed in the web 38.
After the notches 40 and 42 are formed in the web, the web is
cut along the dotted line 52 to form envelope blanks.
The notches 40 and 42 are formed in the web 38
by the co-action of pairs of rotatable cutters generally
designated by the numerals 54 and 56 with the fixed cutter 16.
The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are similar in construction
and similar numerals will be used to indicate similar parts.
The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are non-rotatably mounted on a
pair of rotatable shafts 58 and 60 that are in turn rotatably
mounted in pillow blocks 62, 64, 66 and 68 on the table 12. The
rotatable shafts 58 and 60 have end portions 70 and 72 connected
through suitable couplings 74 and 76 to gear boxes 78 and 80.
Within the gear box 78 there is suitable gearing connecting an
input shaft 81 to a pair of output shafts 82 and 84. The output
shaft 82 is connected through coupling 74 to rotatable shaft
58. The output shaft 84 is connected to the input shaft 86
of gear box 80 and gear box 80 contains suitable gears
connecting the output shaft 88 throllgh coupling 76 to rotatable
shaft 60. With this arrangement there is provided a common
drive for both of the rotatable shafts 58 and 60 and the
shafts 58 and 60 are mechanically connected to each other
through the above described connections. With this arrange-
ment the shafts 58 and 60 rotate in fixed timed relation to
each other and are maintained in fixed timed relation by the
mechanical connections.
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The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are illustrated
in detail in Figures 2 and 3 and include a lead or seal flap
blade holder 90 and a trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92.
The lead or seal flap blade holder 9o has separate semi-
cylindrical top portions 94 and bottom portion 100 that are
clampingly engaged to the respective shafts 58 and 60. The
top portion 94 has a radially extending blade connecting portion
96 and an opposite radially extending bolt flange 98. The
semi-cylindrical bottom portion 100 also has a radially
extending blade connecting portion 102 and an oppositely
radially extending bolt flange 104. Suitable bolt apertures
130 are provided in the blade holder top and bottom portions
94 and 100 for bolts 132 to secure the blade holders 90 to the
respective shafts 58 and 60 and secure a radially extending
leading blade 106 between the blade portions 96 and 102. The
respective shafts 58 and 60 have a recessed key portion 108 and
the blade holder bottom portion 100 has a mating recess 110 in
which a key is positioned to nonrotatably secure the leading or
seal flap blade portion 90 to the respective shafts 58 and 60.
The trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is
sLmilarly engaged to the shaft with the exception of being keyed
to the shaft. The blade holder 92 has an upper semi-cylindrical
portion 112 with a radially extending blade connecting portion
114 and a radially oppositely extending bolt flange 116. The
lower semi-cylindrical portion 118 has a radially extending
blade connecting portion 120 and oppositely extending bolt
flange 122. A trailing or bottom flap blade 124 is secured
between the blade connecting portions 114 and 120. The
traiIing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is positioned on and
fr~ictionally secured to the respective shafts 58 and 60 by
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bolts, and annular spacers 126 and 128 are provided to maintain
the trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 in proper axial
spaced relation with the leading or seal flap blade holder 90.
The trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is rotatably
adjustable and may be rotated about the respective shafts
58 and 60 to a preselected angle relative to the leading or
seal flap blade holder 90 so that the blades 106 and 124 are
radially spaced from each other at a preselected angle and
the blade 124 will follow blade 106 and cut its portion of
the notch 40 or 42 after the blade 106. The blade holder 92
is secured in this angular position by tightening of the bolts
thereon.
Although a specific configuration of the blade holder
has been described, it should be understood that other suitable
blade holders may be employed to secure the blades to the shaft
and permit adjustment of one of the blades relative to the
other blade. Although the cutter mechanism knife blade holders
are described as separate holders, it should be understood
that they could be fabricated as an integral unit providing
radial angular adjustment for the cutter blades.
The lead or seal flap blade 106 has an arcuate
curved edge portion 136 that is connected to a straight
outwardly extending edge portion 138. The straight edge
portion terminates in an outwardly extending protuberance
140 that has the same configuration as the notch 30 in the
fixed blades 18 and 20. The lead blade 106 has a rearwardly
extending flange 14Z with a straight edge portion 144 that
is aligned with the straight edge portion 138. The con- : ~
figuration of the arcuate edge portion 136, straight edge -
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portion 138 and protuberance 140 is the same as the con-
figuration of edges 24 and 28 and notch 30 of fixed blades
18 and 20. The straight edge portion 144 of lead blade 106
has substantially the same configuration as the straight edge
portion 32 of fixed blades 18 and 20, but does not have the
same length as the edge 32 of fixed blades 18 and 20.
The trailing blade 124 has an arcuate edge portion
148 and a straight edge portion 150. The arcuate edge portion
148 has the same configuration as the arcuate portion 34 of
fixed blades 18 and 20 and the straight edge portion 150 has
the same configuration as the straight edge portion 32 of
fixed blades 18 and 20. The trailing blade 124 has a portion -~
or flange 148a that e~tends forwardly and overlaps the rearwardly
extending flange 142 on lead blade 106.
The trailing blade 124 may be angularly adjusted
relative to the lead blade 106 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5,
where in Figure 5 the angle between the blades 106 and 124
is greater than the angle between the respective blades as
~; illustrated in Figure 4. The length of the bottom flap
portion 50 of the envelope blank is determined by the angle
between the respective blades 106 and 124. For example/ in
Figure 4a the bottom flap 50 formed in the web is substantially
shorter than the bottom flap 50 illustrated in Figure 5b. The
length of the notches 40 and 42 is also longer in Figure 5b
when compared with Figure 4a.
The rotary cutters 54 and 56 with the respective
separate blades 106 and 124 cut the notches in the web 38 in
the following manner. The web is conveyed longitudinally
along the table 1~ at a preselected speed and the shafts 58
and 60 are rotated in opposite directions at a second
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preselected speed. The speed of the web and the shafts 58 and
60 control the length of the envelope blanks. For example,
where an envelope blank having a bottom flap dime.~ on A, as
illustrated in Figure 4a, is desired, the ~railing blade 124 is
arranged at an angle to the lead blade 106 as illustrated in
Figure 4. Upon rotation of the shafts 58 and 60 the lead blade
106 first cuts a portion of a notch 40 or 42 in the side edge of
the web. Subsequent to cutting a front portion of the notch in
the web, the web, because of its continued forward movement,
advances so that the lead edge of the notch illustrated in
dotted lines in Figure 1 designated by the letter L has
advanced to the location illustrated by the dotted line
and the trailing edge of the portion of the notch cut by
the blade 106 has also advanced and is designated by the
letter T. Continued rotation of the shafts 58 and 60
brings the trailing blade 124 in contact with the web side
edge, as is illustrated in Figure 1, to cut the remainder of
the notch 40 or 42. The flange portion 148a on blade 12~
overlies the trailing edge T cut by blade 106 to remove the
uncut portion of the web between the rear radial edge 152
of the blade 106 and the trailing edge of the portion of the
notch cut by the blade 106
To increase the length of the envelope blank bottom
flap 50 the angle between the blades 106 and 124 is increased,
~s is illustrated in Figure 5, so that the trailing blade
on rotation of the shaft 60 forms a remainder of the notch
at a later time than with the angular arrangement illustrated
in Figure 4, thus giving the web more time to advance the
trailing edge of the notch T before the blade 124 rotates
into cutting relation with the web side edge. It will be
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apparent that it is now possible without changing the fixed
blades 18 and 20 or removing the rotary cutters 54 and 56
to cut notches of varying length in the side edges of a web.
The greater the delay in the respective blades 106 and 124
rotating into cutting relation with the side edge of the web,
the longer the bottom flap portion of the envelope blank.
The delay is increased or decreased by the relative angle
between the respective blades on the rotating shaft. It will
also be apparent that it is now possible without changing the
fixed blades 18 and 20 or removing the rotary cutters 54 and
56 to cut notches of varying length in the side edges of a
moving elongated strip or sheet. Also, the rotary cutters 54
and 56 may have different blade configurations to cut notches
having a configuration that differs from the notch configura-
tion illustrated.
~ccording to the provisions of the patent statutes,
I have explained the principle, preferred construction and
mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and
described what I now consider to represent its best embodi-
ments.
