Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'LX~ 6~ ~
BACK~ROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for
cutting a web of oam materia~ into sheets of predetermined
length and then dispensing such sheets in a manner permitting
them to be used immediately in a packaging arrangement in which
they are desiredO
Foam material is widely used in packaging because of
its large volume, light weight and the ability to absorb shocks
experienced when packages are in transit. For many packaging
applications it is desirable to employ the foam material in sheet
form for lining containers or for separating layers of items in
the containers and for resilient padding in the top of containers .
The foam sheet material because of its bulk, light
weight and lack of structural strength is difficult to form into
cut sheets and d~fficult to handle the cut sheets, particularly
in an automatic environment. Because of the dificll1ties in
c~utting and handl:ing sheet foam material, various packacJin~ and
~hipping environments have in the past involved considerable
amounts of hancl labor. The foam material often has been deliv-
ered to the packager or shipper as pre sut sheet stock delivered
in packages. Premium payments must be made for the cnnvenience
of pre-cut and packaged sheet foam stock. Then, hand labor must
be employed to take such pre-cut sheet from its package and to
place the sheet into the container~ In many applica-tions where
sheets of foam are applied to the top layer of a container, an
operator must remove the pre-cut sheets from a box holding a
plurality of such sheets which have been cut to a predetermined
size and then to place the pre-cut foam sheets into the tops of
the containers as padding for completely filling the containers
before the containers are closed ready for shipment.
.
iO8
SUMMARY 0~ THE INVENTION
Acc~rdingly, it is an ~bject of this inv~ntion to
provide a new and improved method and apparatus for automatically
cutting a web of foam material into sheets of predetermined lengt~;
and then for automatically dispensing the cut sheets directly
into a desired position of u~ility, for example direstly into
shipping containers in a manner which is inexpensive, efficient
and reliable.
A further object of this invention is to provide a.neh
and improved method and apparatus for automatically cutting and
dispensing sheets of foam material from a web which enables ar.
operator to directly utilize the cut sheets as they are produced
and dispensed.
. Still another object of this invention is to provide a
new and improved apparatus for ~utomatically cutting and dispens-
ing sheets of foam material which capably and rel.iably handles
the ~oam mater1al not only accurately to cut such mat~rial but
al~o gently to handle the material while the transporting and
cutting processes are taking place.
In carryinc3 out this invention in one illustrative em-
bodiment thereof, a method and appratus are provicled for auto-
matically cutting a web of foam material into sheets of prede-
termined length and for dispensing those sheets by feeding a web
of foam material from a supply roll to a cutting station via a
low-friction surface on a table by sliding the web along that
~urface using upper and lower draw rollers which normally contac
the web as it is being fed to a cutting station. After the
proper length of ~heet which is desired to be cut has passed by
1 % ~ 3
the cutting ~tation, the lower draw roller i6 moved down away
rom the web thereby removing any drive action and immediately
after the drive action is thus removed the web is clamped to the
table while the web is being cut. Then, the lower draw roller
is returned to its initial web-contacting position for feeding
the next portion of the web, while the cut sheet is conveyed to
and conveniently dispensed from the output of the apparatus. The
cut sheet is passed through a static eliminator and then is
passed between staggered corrugating xolls at the output of the
apparatus for momentarily giving longitudinal stiffness to the
temporarily corrugated sheet for enabling this sheet to be pro-
jected longitudinally through the air for dispensing to a de-
sired position of utility, for example such as landing in the
open top of a container packed with resilient items for padding
them duxiny subse~uent shipment.
BRI~F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention, together with further objects, features,
aspects and advantages thereof will be better understoo~ from th~
following descrip-tion considered in connection with the accompany
ing drawings, in which the corresponding reference numerals are
utilized to identify the same elements and components throughout
the various views.
....__ ~
FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a machine for automati-
cally cut-ting a web of foam material into sheets and for auto
matically dispensing the cut sheets, in accordance with the
present invention.
5-
FIGURE 2 iB ~n elevatiorlal, longitudinal 6ectional
view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. l, extending generally
al~ng the length of thi~ machine.
FIGURE 3 is a cross-sec~ional view taken alon~ line
3-3 of FIG. 2.
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional ~iew taken along line
4-4 of ~IG~ 3.
FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view
taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.
. ~IGURE 6 is a perspective view of the lower draw
roller feeding a web of foam material along the low-friction
table surface to a cutting station, with the upper feed roller
and remaining structure removed.
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of
selected portions of the cutting station partially in cross-
section, illustrating the web of foam material being fed by the
draw rvllers to the cutting station.
FIGURFJ 8 is a view simil~r to FIG. 7 illustrating the
cutting of the web into a sheet, with the draw rollers momen-
taxily displaced away from the web and the web momentarily being
clamp~d to the table surface during the rutting action.
FIGURE 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the struc
ture utilized to move the lower draw roller down away from con-
~act with the web as it is being cut .in FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
.~
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a machine for auto-
matically cutting a web of foam material into sheets of prede-
termined length and for dispensing those sheets is referred to
generally by the reference numeral 10. A~ will best be Been in
~IG. 2, a supply roll of foam material 12 is mounted on a st~nd
14 attached to the machine frame 17, and this ~upply r~ is
adapted to be unrolled in the form of a long web lS. ~ weight
16 is suspended ~rom a canvas strap 18 which i6 draped over the
periphery of the roll 12. This weight and strap 16, lB serve as
a friction drag acting on the periphery of the supply roll 12
for keeping slack out Gf the web 15 as the web i5 drawn from the
roll and also for immediately stopping the roll 12, whenever the
drawing action is s~opped. The web 15 is passed over idler
roller 19 leading onto a tabl~ or plate 20, preferrably of alum-
inum or steel, having a low-friction coating 22 as is best il-
lustrated in FIG. 5 on which the web 15 is adapted to slide.
The web 15 is pulled from the roll 12 over the idler
roller 19 and is drawn across the low-friction coating 22 of the
table 20 by an upper draw roller 24 and by an opposed lower
yrooved draw roller 26. A motor drive 25 mounted on ~ motor
drive ~upport 28 turns a drive sprocket 30 wh.ich carries a chain
or timing belt 32 coupled to a driven sprocket 34 which is con-
nected to the shaft of the upper draw roll 24, thereby continu-
ously rotating this upper roll.
A measuring wheel 36 is rotatably mounted on an arm 38
having a pivot mount 40 50 that the rim of this wheel rests on
the foam web 15 over the table 20. The measuring wheel has an
associated counter 42 which counts the number of revolutions of
the measu~ing wheel. For example, this counter 42 responds to
the passage of one or more small permanent magnets affixed to
the wheel 36 so that these magnets pass by the counter 42 as the
~Z~,fi~
wheel is turned by travel 37 o~ the web 15. This counter is
connected t~ a control circuit ~not shownl which can be set up
so that the length of the material 15 to be cut can be prede-
termined in accordance with the setting. When the proper web
ength has been drawn a switch in the control circuit (not shown)
actuates a cutter station 50, to be described later.
A~ will best be seen in FIG. 6, the low-friction coatec
table 20 has a plurality of bridge-like fingers or strips 44
which extend downstream from this low-friction coated table or
plate 200 For example, the low-friction coating 22 is Teflon
ptfe slip~y plastic. These bridge fingers 44 extend through
clearance grooves 46 in the movable grooved lower draw roll 26,
and the downstream ends of these bridge fingers are received and
~eated in notches 48 in the top surface of a fixed anvil 52
located in the cutter station 50. This stationary anvil 52 con-
tains a knife clearance groove 54 for receiving a cut-off knife
blade 60 when the blade is moved down in the manner to be de-
~cribed later.
Por clarity of illustration, the perspecti.ve view in
FIG. 6 only illustrates four of the bridge fingers 44 and four
of the grooves 46. On the other hand, the sectional view in
FIG. 3 illustrates seven of these bridge fingers 44 and seven of
the grooves 46. The point of these various illustrations is tha
the number of such bridge fingers or strips (and corresponding
number of grooves 46) is not critical 50 long as there are a
sufficient number of the fingers 44 for adequate support of the
foam web 15 to prevent undue sagging of the foam web during
~ho~e moments when the lower draw roll 26 is moved down away
from contact with the lower surface of the web 15 during cutting,
as is shown in FIG. 8, and as will be explain~d in detail later.
' _~_
As shown in EIG. 6, the lower eed roller 26 has an
axle 5Ç which is mounted in a pair of pivst arms ~8 and 59. Each
of these pivvt arms 58 and 59 has a forward projection 62 haYing
a resilient rubber pad 64 on the top surface thereof on the down-
stream encl of the pivot arm projection 6~. The pivot arms 58 and
59 axe each mounted on a fixed pivot 61 secured to the machine
frame 17. ~y virtue of this pivot arm mounting 58, ~9, the lower
draw roll 26 can be swung down away from its normal contact with
the lower surface of the web 15 as will be explained more fully
later in connection with FIG. 8. This down-swing of the lower
draw roll 26 momentarily interrupts the web drawing action 37
even though the two draw rolls 24, 26 are continuously rotatin~,
as will be explained further later.
The cutter station 50, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes
an actuating pneumatic cylinder 66 having a piston rod 68. This
~ylinder 66 is actuated by an electrically operated solenoid
valv~ (not ~hown) connectecl .in the control circuit of the counter
42 in a conventional manner for cutting the web 15 in response to
signals from the measuring wheel counter 42 when the proper
length of the web 15 has been measured.
The pneumatic cylinder 66 i5 mounted on transverse
frame members 67 which span above the foam web 15. The piston
rod ~8 carries a movable knife bar 70 which has the serrated
knif~ blade 60 mounted therein and projecting down below the
knife bar 70. As best shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, a pair ~f presser
foot bars 72 are mounted on opposite ends of the knife bar 70.
Each presser foot bar 72 carries a socket block 74, with a mov~
able presser foot vertical rod 76 extending therethrough an~
terminating in a presser foot 80. A presser foot spring 78 is
_g_
positioned encircling the presser foot vertical rod 76 between
the socket block 74 and the presser foot 80. The vertical rod
76 is movable with respect to the bar and socket block 72, 74,
and the spring 78 urges this rod downwardly. The upper end of
this spring 78 is seated in a socket 79 in the block 74.
In order to clamp the web 15 during cutting, there is a
clamp bar 84 (FIGS. ], 2, 7 and 8). For operating this clamp
bar 84 the knife bar 70 also has mounted thereon a pair of clamp
carriers 82 having the clamp bar 84 movably mounted thereto by
a pair of clamp rods 86 each of which carries an encircling
clamp spring 88 positioned between the clamp carrier 82 and the
clamp bar 84. (See FIGS. 2, 7 and 8). By comparing FIG. 8
with FIG. 7, it will be understood that each clamp b~r rod 86
is vertically slidable relative to the clamp carrier 82. Thus,
when the carrier 82 is moved dow~ as is indicated by the arrow
83, into the clamping position, the carrier 82 can move down
relative to the clamp bar 84 for compressing the spring 88 to
exert the desired clamping force ayainst the foam web 15
restincJ on the table 20, 22.
Returning to FIG. 6 there is a stop 90, having a socket
92 therein ~or holding an arm-lift spring 94, positioned under
each pivot arm projection 62 in alignment with the respective
presser feet 80.
The operation of the machine 10 which has been partially
2S described along with the structure to this point will now be
~urther explained. It is to be noted in FIG. 6 that the very
top of the grooved roll 16 normally extends slightly above the
level of the bridge fingers 44. Accordinglyl as the web 15 is
passed over this roll 26 the web is lifted slightly (as shown in
FIG. 7) away from the top surface of the bridge fingers 44, thus
--10--
,, ~.
being lifted into contact with the continuously rotating upper
draw roll 24, which is continuously rotated by the drive supplied
from the motor 25. It is also noted that the lower grooved draw
roll 26 is continuously being rotated by being geared to the shaft
of the upper draw roll 24, as is shown by the dashed line 27 in
FIGS. 7 and 8. The gears which provide the continuous drive 27
have sufficiently long teeth for remaining in engagement when the
lower roll 26 is moved down (as shown in FIG. 8). Consequently,
the continuously rotating draw rolls 24, 26 can produce drawing
motion 37 for the web 15 only when the web is lifted up against
the upper roll 24 by this continuously rotating lower grooved
roll 26, as shown in FIG. 7.
During the feeding 37, the web is lifted into gripping
contact between the continuously rotating draw rolls 24, 26, and
accordingly the web 15 is pulled from the supply roll 12 over the
idler roller 19 and is slid along the low-friction surface 22 of
the table 20 until a predetermined length has been measured by the
measuring wheel 36, at which time the pneumatic cylinder 66 is
actuated in the cutter station 50. Actuation of this a.ir cylinc~er
66 causes the knife bar 70 to descend, as shown by the arrow 71 in
~ FIG, 8, carrying with it the presser foot bars 72 as well as the
two clamp carriers 82. The clamp bar 84 extends (as shown in FIG.
1) across the width of the foam web 15, and it initially is spaced
above this weh 15, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 7.
FIG. 7 illustrates the raised position of the clamp bar 84
and the raised position of one of the presser feet 80 as the web
is being pulled (arrow 37) through the cutting station 50. This
pulling feeding of the web 15 occurs during the time periods when
the cylinder 66 at that cutting station is in its inactivated
state. Once the cylinder 66 has been actuated as a result of the
g~
action of the measuring counter, each of the pxesser feet 80
(which are positioned beyond the opposite edges of the web 15)
comes down upon the respective rubber pad 64 mounted on the pivot
arm extension 62. The presser ~oot springs 78 are more forceful
than the arm-lift spring 94 mounted in the stops 90. These arm
lift springs normally lift the pivot arms 58, 59 upwardly. Th~s,
the two presser feet 80 cause the two pivoted arms 58, 59 to swing
down (arrow 63 in FIGS. 8 and 9) until their pro~ections 62 rest
upon the respective two fixed stops 90, (as illustrated in FIGS. 8
and 9.) As the pivoted arms 58, 59 swing down 63, the lower
grooved feed roller 26 is caused to move down away from the foam
material web 15. The bridge like fingers 44 remain stationary for
supporting the web 15 when the lower feed roller 26 is depressed
(FIG. 8). Thus, the lower grooved feed roller 26 is moved down
away from the web 15, and the web now becomes momentarily sup-
ported by the bridge-like fingers. The web 15 is now momentarily
down slightly away Erom being gripped between the rotating rolls
24, 26, and so the draw feed action is momentarily stopped.
The opposed feed rolls 24, 26 continue to be rotated by the
drive 25, 27, but the draw action of the two rolls 24, 26 momen-
tarily becomes ineffective, while the lower feed roll 26 is
depressed down away from the lower surface of the web of foam
material. There is no longer any gripping action between these
two rotating feed rolls. As will be seen in FIG. 8, a clearance
exists between the upper feed roll 24 and the web 15 when this
lower feed roll swing-down action 63 takes place, with the foam
material now being momentarily supported by the bridge fingers 44.
After each pivoted arm 58 or 59 hits its respective stop 90, the
presser foot 80 is stopped by the now immovable pivot arm 58 or 59.
Then, the strong presser foot spring 78 becomes compressed as the
knife bar 70 and the presser foot bars 72 continue to move down.
12-
f~
As shown in FIG. 9, the presser foot vertical rod 76 can
slide relative to the presser foot bar 72, thereby allowing the
knife bar 70 to continue moving down for now causing the clamp
bar 84 (as shown in FIG. 8) to arrest the motion of the web. The
two clamp bar springs 78 and the two vertical clamp slide rods
allow the clamp bar 84 to stop moving when it clamps the web 15
while the knife bar 70 continues to move down. As is seen in
~IG. 8, the knife blade 70 thereafter moves farther down to cut
the foam web 15 as the blade 60 enters partially into the anvil
clearance groove 54.
In summary, three advantageous functions are achieved in
sequence durina and by the single downward motion 71 of the knife
bar 70:
1. The draw roll feed action 37 is briefly interrupted by
swing-down travel 63 (FIGS. 8 and 9) of the lower draw roll, 26.
a) The stronger presser foot springs 78 overcome the
weaker liEt-arm springs 94 to cause the swiny-down
travel 63.
b) The presser foot springs 78 and slide rods 76 now
allow the knife bar 70 to continue moving down 71,
even though the swing-down travel has been stopped
by bottoTning of the arm projections 62 against the
stops 90.
c) The lower draw roll rotating drive 77 remains in
effect for keeping the lower draw roll 26 continu-
ously rotating during swing-down 63.
2. This continuing downward motion 71 of the knife bar 70
now causes the downwardly carried 83 clamp bar 8~ to clamp the
foam web 15 firmly against the table 20, 22 (E'IG, 8) Eor holding
the web stationary during cut off and sheet take-aw~y, such take-
away to be explained further below.
-13-
a) The clamp bar 6pring6 8B and slide rods ~6
now allow the knife bar 70 to continue moving
down 71 ~and allow the clamp bar carriers 82
to continue moving down 83) even though the
clamp bar 84 has been st~pped by clamping en-
gagement against the foam web 15 upon the
table 20, 22.
3. This continuing downward motion 71 of the knife
bar 70 now causes the serrated or saw-tooth configured ~oam cut-
ting blade 60 to enter the groove 54 i~ the anvil 52 for cutting
a ~heet 100 of predetermined length from the end of the foam web
15 as the web is held stationary by the clamp bar 84.
4. The cut sheet 100 is taken away 101 by a down
~tr~am conveyor to be described and explained.
a) The down6tre~m take-away conveyor 96 is con-
tinuously travelling at a much faster rate of
~peed than the feed rate 37 of the drawrollers 24, 26 so that the cut sheet 100 is
conveyed away 101 at a fast rate for reasons
to be explained below.
Downstream of the cutting station is a "floating-
action" conveyor 96 driven by a chain or timing belt drive 98
coupled by a drive sprocket 97 (FIGS. 1 and 3) to the continuous
ly rotating shaft of the upper draw roll 24. This drive chain
or timing belt 98 passes around a driven sprocket 99 tFIGS. 1 an
2) oDnnected bo the shaft of an upstream upper oonvey~r roller 102 (FIG.2).
Upstxeam oonveyor rolls 102, 10~ ~FIG. 2) and dbwnstream upper and lower
rDlleX5 106, 107 intercoupl0~ b~belts 108 form the conveyor system 96D Stat-
ic el~nators 110, 111 are provided for removiny static electric~
charges from the cut sheet 100 as the cut sheet 100 moves to a
~_~7 ~
longitudinal corrugating ~tation 112 best illustrated in ~IG. ~
in which the cut sheet 100 is passed through staggere~ corrugat-
ing upper and lower rollers 114 and 116, respective1y/ for
reasons to be explained further bclow~
Inviting attention again to the "floating-aetion" con-
veyor 96, FIG. 1 shows that the multiple conveyor belts 108 are
narrow, for example each of these belts 108 has a circular cross
section. These belts lQB run in yrooves 109 (PIG. 2) in the
respective pairs of upstream and downstream rollers 102-106 and
104-107. Moreover, these belts 108 are relatively widely spaeed,
and they are staggered in upper and lower positions. For ex-
ample, there may be four or five lower conveyor belts lOB and
three or four upper conveyor belts 108, with the upper belts in-
tervening (alternating) in lateral position with respect to the
lower belts. Thus, the cut sheet 100 rests lightly in generally
"floa~ing" relationship between these l.ower and upper conveyor
belts lOB, and the cut sheet 100 is not being positively gripped
between the~.
It is to be noted that the drive spxocket 97 (FIGS. 1
and 3~ for the conveyor drive chain 98 is considerably larger
in diameter than the driven sprocket 99, for example, the ratio
of their diameters is three-to-one. The lower upstream conveyor
roller 104 is geared directly to the upper upstream conveyor
roller 10~ as indicated by the dashed line 103 indicating a
direct mechanical drive so that all o the conveyor belts 108
are travelling at the same rate of speed.
By virtue of this 3-to-1 diameter ratio of the conveyor
drive ~prockets 97/99, the conveyor belts lOB are continuously
travelling at a much faster speed than the surfaces of the draw
feed rolls 24, 26, in this example travelling three times as
¦¦ ~2~ rl ~
fast. Ilowever, 60 lon~ as the~ draw feed r~ 24, 2~ are in
gripping relationship with the foam web 15 (PIG. 7~ the gripping
action of these rolls 24, 26 is the dominant factor, because the
downstream end of the foam web lS is merely "floating" gently
supported between the multiple lower and upper fast-travelling
conveyor belts 108. In other words, these fast-travelling con
veyor belts 108 are sliding past the slower movlng downstream
end of the foam web 15 without exerting hardly any force on the
foam web.
. When the clamp bar 84 clamps the foam web 15 as shown
in FIG. 8, the fast-travelliny conveyor belts 108 continue to
slide past the downstream end of the foam web.
Then, as soon as the knife blade 60 has cut off the
sheet 100, this sheet becomes free to be propelled downstream
101 at fast speed as conveyed by the fast-travelling belts 108.
~ s seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 the shafts 115, 117 of the
upper and lower corrugating rolls llq, 116 are journaled in
frame member 118 projecting downstream ~rom the end of the main
frame 17 ~o th~t a cut sheet 100 which is propelled rapidly down-
~tream by the conveyor 96 will pass between the rounded rims of
the multiple wheels 120 mounted on these respective shafts 115,
117 in staggered (alternating) positions. Consequently, the
fast-travelling 101 foam sheet 100 now becomes temporarily lon-
gitudinally corrugated (bent up and down in a transverse direc-
tion as seen in FIG. 4). This longitudinal corrugation imparts
a modest amount of longitudinal rigidity and longitudinal sta-
bility to the fast-travelling 101 foam sheet as this sheet is
propelled from between the rounded perimeters of the corrugating
wheels 120. Thus, the ejected sheet 100 is capable of flying as
a projectile through the air for a few feet to land in a
predetermined place of utility, for example to l~nd in ~he vpen
top Df a box packed wlth fragile article5 ~uch as fruit, being
conve~ed past the downstream end of the discharye conveyor 96.
In order to rotate the shafts 115, 117 of the corru-
gating rolls 114, 116, there are upper and lower drive belts 122,
124~ respectively, running in grooves in the upper and lower
downstream conveyor rolls 106, 107 and running around pulleys 126
mounted on the respective shafts 115, 117. In order to launch
(eject) the corrugated sheet 100 at relatively high velocity 101,
the corrugating wheels 120 have somewhat larger diameter than the
respective downstream conveyor rolls 105, 107, and the driven
pulleys 126 are somewhat smaller in diameter than their drive
rolls 106, la7. Thus, the rounded rims of the wheels 120 are
travelling faster than the conveyor belts 108, for example the
rim speed of the wheels 120 is in the range from 6~ to 40~ faster
tha~ the conveyor b~lts 108.
The static el.iminators 110, 111 include numerou~ shaxp
polnted pins 12B a;imed at the passiny sheet 100 and aligned in a
xow on a h.iyh voltage rod 129 extending across the width of the
machine. To protect from inadvertent contact, there is a shroud
tube 130 encircling each xod 129 with ports 132 aligned with the
respective pins 128.
Immediately after the sheet 100 has been cut off from
the web 15 at the cutting station 50, and while this sheet is
being taken away 101, the piston rod 68 (FIG. 1) is retracted for
quickly raising the knife bar 70. As this knife bar 70 is being
raised, the previously described rapid sequence of actions is
reversed, namely, the clamp bar 84 is raised for unclamping the
web 15, and ~hen the lower dxaw roll 26 is rais~d back into its
initial elevated position (FIG. 7) for again gripping the web be-
twee~ the continuously rotating drive rolls 24, 26 for feeding
the next metered length ~f web thrvugh the cutting station for
repeating the cycle.
It will be understood that the corruyating station 112
is useful in certain types of packaging operations such as the
packaging of fruit and other fragile and/or perishable items
which are desired to be separated and spaced in the packaging ar-
rangement. As the cut corrugated sheets are dispensed being
launched downstream from the corrugating station 112 the ejected
cut sheets 100 may be directed so as to land into the boxes be-
ing packed.
The method and appara~us herein described provide a
quick, efficient method of metering and then cutting the cut
sheets into their desired length in a rapid, efficient manner for
a foam material which is ofterl considered difficult to handle.
There is provided a non-complex and relatively inexpensive method
and apparatus for quickly sequentially conveniently (1) inter-
rupting the pulling feeding force on the web, (2) cl~npiny the
wçb, ~3) cutting the sh~et from the web, (4) rapidly taking away
the cut sheet, and (5) launching (ejecting) the cut sheet end-
wise through the air into a placement position of utility. This
method and apparatus eliminates the problem and the cost of un-
packing pre-cut sheets for use in a packaging operation.
Since other changes and modi~ications varied to fit
particular operating requirements and environments will be ap-
parent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not consid-
ered limited to the examples chosen for purposes of illustration,
and includes all changes and modifications which do not consti-
tute a departure from the true spirit and scope of this invention
as claimed in the following claims and reasonable equivalents of
the claimed elements.
What is claimed is:
