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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement, and more particularly to apparatus which automatically connects one shutter slat with another having a notch and slots for preventing its disengagement, and which also prevents the connected shutter slats from being disengaged from each other without using conventional stop plate. 
     As is well known, shutter slats are connected by engaging the lower curved connecting edge of one shutter slat with the upper curved connecting edge of another shutter slat, but in this condition without any means to stop them, they are apt to get out of position or be disengaged. 
     Formerly, the only way to prevent this was to attach stop plates at the end of the connected shutter slats, but recently a new method of preventing disengagement of slats without using any stop plate has been developed. 
     According to this method, a notch is made in one part of the upper curved connecting edge of each shutter slat, and in a position of the lower curved connecting edge corresponding to that of said notch are provided a pair of slots, forming a tongue-shaped piece, which is bent after connecting the upper curved connecting edge of said each shutter slat with that of the lower curved connecting edge of each shutter slat adjacent thereto, so that the both sides of the tongue-shaped piece cross and contact the inside surface of the portion of the upper curved connecting edge having said notch. 
     The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for automatically connecting efficiently shutter slats and preventing them from being disengaged in the above mentioned way. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, appparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement according to this invention comprises a feed means that moves the shutter slat to the connecting position, while guiding it exactly; a forward feed means that moves the shutter slat, which has been moved to this connecting position, to the holding position one pitch ahead and holds it there; and a press means provided ahead of said holding position in order to prevent it from being disengaged. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said feed means, said forward feed means and said press means are so designed that they are interlocked with each other. However, as such a design can be made easily by prior art, I omit a detailed description of the electric circuit and oil pressure circuit of said means. 
     Next, the shutter slat which is moved to the connecting position by said feed means may be conveyed either on the roller conveyor as shown in the preferred embodiment mentioned below, or it may be moved simply on the smooth floor. 
     And said forward feed means may be either fixed on to the bed or so designed that it may move slidingly and freely on the bed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The nature and objects of the invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement embodying the present invention, 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement taken on line II--II of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement taken on line III--III of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement taken on line IV--IV of FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the shutter slat showing its important part in condition in which it is connected and how it is prevented from being disengaged. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, a shutter slat 1 used for the apparatus according to the present invention has a notch 3 in its upper curved connecting edge 2, and a tongue-shaped piece formed by a pair of slots in its lower curved connecting edge 4. 
     Said shutter slat 1 is moved exactly to the feed means by means of a belt conveyor 6 and a guide roll 7. 
     As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the feed means comprises a driving roll 8 driven by a prime mover and a feed roll 9 having a surface exactly fitting the upper surface of said shutter slat 1. 
     Between said driving roll 8 and feed roll 9 the shutter slat 1 is guided along exactly on the roller conveyor 10 to the connecting position on the right. 
     Forward feed means comprises, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a pair of piston rod operating means 11, 11 positioned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said shutter slat 1 which is moved to the connecting position, and a pair of piston rod operating means 12, 12 that make 11, 11 horizontal or incline them. 
     Said piston rod operating means 11, 11 are so designed that the portion of the piston rod 13 which is outside the cylinder is lengthened or shortened by oil pressure or the like, and on the end of the piston rod 13 is attached a fitting piece 14 that fits the upper surface of slat 1. 
     Said piston rod operating means 12, 12 are so designed that the portion of the piston rod 15 which is outside the cylinder is lengthened or shortened by oil pressure or the like. 
     Ahead of said forward feed means are provided L-shaped guide plates 16, 17, and the shutter slat 1 in said connecting position is moved forward, guided by its vertical and horizontal portions. 
     To the vertical portion of the L-shaped plate 17 is mounted a limit switch 18, which operates when the end of the shutter slat 1 touches it, and on the bed 19 right under the piston rod operating means 11 is mounted a limit switch 20 that operates when the piston rod operating means 11 lowers to horizontal position. 
     The press means comprises a pair of punches 21, 22 that rise and lower, and as shown in FIG. 5, pressing and bending the tongue-shaped piece 5 provided in the lower curved connecting edge 4 of the shutter slat 1, it prevents it from being disengaged. 
     23, 23 are the rails provided on the bed 19, on which said right forward feed means and the L-shaped guide plate 17 move sliding. 
     The apparatus being thus constructed, when the shutter slat 1 is moved to the connecting position by the feed means, the limit switch 18 provided on the vertical portion of the L-shaped guide plate 17 operates, thereby causing said piston rod operating means 12, 12 to operate, shortening the part of the piston rod 15 which is outside the cylinder, and the piston rod operating means 11, 11 connected to said piston rods 15 lower to the horizontal position, turning down with the fulcrum 24 as the center, and the fitting piece 14 fits in said shutter slat 1. Then the limit switch 20 operates, lengthening that portion of the piston rod 13 which is outside the cylinder, thereby moving the shutter slat 1 to the holding position one pitch ahead, and holding it in this position for a while. 
     While the shutter slat 1 is held in said holding position, the next shutter slat 1 is moved to the connecting position by the feed means. Thus, with the upper curved connecting edge 2 of the shutter slat 1 which is held in this position, is engaged the lower curved connecting edge 4 of the next shutter slat 1 that is moved to the upper curved connecting edge 2, thereby connecting one shutter slat with another. 
     During the interval from the time the shutter slat 1 begins to be connected till it is finished, the piston rod operating means 11, 11 and 12, 12 operate, putting the fitting piece 14 in said holding position. Then the press means operates, and bending upward the tongue-shaped piece 5 which is provided on the lower curved connecting edge 4, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby preventing the shutter slat from being disengaged. 
     When connecting of the shutter slat 1 is finished, said limit switch 18 operates again, making the fitting piece 14 fit in the shutter slat 1 in the connecting position, and moving it one pitch ahead, holds it. Thus, the procedure from the shutter slat beginning to be conected and the fitting piece 14 being put back to the original position to the press means operating, is repeated, and thus the shutter slat 1 is connected with the next one, preventing it from being disengaged and moving it forward. 
     Although the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is contemplated that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Summary:
Apparatus for automatically connecting shutter slat and preventing its disengagement, which automatically connects one shutter slat with another having a notch and slots for preventing its disengagement and cut in the specified dimension, and also prevents the connected shutter slats from being disengaged from each other.