Patent EA-001962-B1 (EA)
Title: Rotary cutting and/or sealing mechanisms
Inventor: BLUNDELL BRIAN FRANCIS
IPC: B26D7/26
Filed: 1999-07-26
Abstract: 1. A rotary mechanism comprising: at least one pair of rotors mounted on spaced, parallel axes of rotation and rotatable on said axes in opposite directions to each other; each rotor having a plurality of radially projecting arms, radially outer faces on said arms of each rotor directed away from the axis of rotation of said rotor, the radially outer faces of said pair of rotors being brought together in juxtaposition by said rotation of the rotors; at least one of sealing means and cutting means at said radially outer faces for engaging web material between the juxtaposed outer faces to seal and/or cut said web material, bearer means on opposite end regions of said water faces for contact with each other when said outer faces come together, the cutting and/or sealing means being disposed between the bearer means on each face whereby said contact of the bearer means sets a spacing between the cutting and/or sealing means on the respective faces, at one end region of the juxtaposed outer faces the bearer means comprising locating elements positioning the faces in the direction of the axes of rotation of the pair of rotors, and  at the opposite end region of said faces the bearer means comprising bearing elements permitting relative movement in said axial direction. 2. A rotary mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the bearing and locating elements extend forwardly of the cutting and /or sealing means on the respective outer faces in the direction of rotation. 3. A rotary mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the bearing and locating elements extend both forwardly and rearwardly beyond the cutting and/or sealing means on the respective outer faces in said direction of rotation. 4. A rotary mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the locating elements of the or each said pair of juxtaposed outer faces of the rotor arms comprises, on each element, a pair of locating faces extending in substantially radial planes to said axes of rotation, the pair of locating faces on one of said pair of outer faces being engaged between the pair of locating faces on the other outer face of said pair. 5. A rotary mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said pairs of locating faces are formed on opposite sides of respective male and female portions of the bearer means at said one end region, and respective outer and inner faces between said pairs of faces are maintained out of contact with each other. 6. A rotary mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the bearer means at said one end region have contacting faces for setting said spacing of the sealing and/or cutting means of the rotor arms, said contacting faces occupying a major part of the axial extent of the bearer means at said end region. 7. A rotary mechanism according to claim 1 having, on said outer faces of the respective rotors, at least one elongate cutter element and a radially outer cutting edge on said element, and at least one elongate anvil element for cooperation therewith,, the cutter and anvil elements providing said cutting means and each of said cutter and anvil elements extending between the bearer means end regions of their respective rotor arms, a mechanism being provided for radial adjustment of at least one of the or each cooperating pair of cuter and anvil elements with respect to the other. 8. A rotary mechanism according to claim 1 having circumferentially grooved surfaces on said outer faces for providing said sealing means and for applying heat sealing crimps to the web material between the juxtaposed outer faces. 9. A rotary mechanism according to claim 8 wherein an opening is provided in each said grooved surface to receive an element of the web material cutting means. 10. A rotary cutting mechanism comprising: at least one pair of rotors, mounting means for said rotors supporting the rotors on axes of rotation that are parallel and spaced apart, the rotors being rotatable on said axes in opposite directions to each other, each rotor comprising radially projecting arms having axially outer ends provided with cutting means, said cutting means on the respective rotors comprising at least one elongate cutter element having a radially outer cutting edge extending axially of the rotor and at least one elongate anvil element for cooperation with the cutter element, means for radial adjustment of at least one of said cutter and anvil elements of the or each pair of cooperating cutter and anvil elements, said radial adjustment means comprising an axially elongate wedge member engaged by one of said pair of elements, a generally radially directed face of said wedge member being inclined with respect to the direction of rotation, a radially inner face of said radially adjustable cutter or anvil element being engaged by a radially outer face of said wedge element and a radially inner face of the wedge member being supported against radially inward displacement, means for adjusting the wedge member in said direction of rotation and for securing it in its position of adjustment, thereby to control the radial setting of the associated cutter or anvil element. 11. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein the or each said wedge member has said inclined face directed radially outwardly and the associated cutter or anvil element has a radially inner face generally complementary to said outer face of the wedge member for engagement therewith. 12. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein said adjustment and securing means for the or each wedge member comprise opposed adjustable clamping elements between which said wedge member is secured in said direction of rotation. 13. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein each rotor arm has at least one axially extending face directed transversely to the direction of rotation, and the adjustment and securing means for the or each wedge member are accessible from said at least one face. 14. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein the cutter and anvil elements are provided with securing means discrete from the securing means of the or each wedge member for fixing said elements in place on their respective rotor arms. 15. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 14 wherein said outer ends of the rotor arms comprise slots having opposed faces between which the cutter and anvil elements are received, and the securing means for said elements comprise members that bridge said slots and clamp said elements between the opposed faces of the slots. 16. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein the adjustment and securing means also provide for angular adjustment of the or each wedge member relative to the rotary axis. 17. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein one of the or each pair of cutter and anvil elements is adjustable in position by means of said wedge member and the rotor arm for the other of said cutter and anvil elements carries a radially adjustable stop for the other of said pair of elements. 18. A rotary cutting mechanism according to claim 10 wherein respective mountings support the rotors of the or each pair of rotors and resilient loading means act on at least one of said mountings to urge one rotor of the pair towards the other, the rotor arms having locating faces urged into contact by said loading means during the counter-rotation of the rotors, whereby the positions of the cutter and anvil elements can be set by reference to said locating faces. 19. A rotary mechanism comprising a pair of rotors and respective carriers on which said rotors are mounted for counter-rotation about parallel axes lying in a plane, each rotor having a plurality of radially outer faces equally angularly spaced about the axis of rotation of said rotor, at least one of cutting and sealing means on said outer faces of the rotors to cut and/or seal web material engaged between said outer faces of the pair of rotors, supporting means for displaceably supporting one of the carriers and biasing means acting to displace said one carrier for urging said outer faces into engagement, means being provided to limit the displacement of said one carrier by said biasing means, said biasing means bearing on said one carrier at a location substantially coincident with said plane of the axes of the two rotors, and the displacement limiting means comprising at least one stop element also substantially coincident with said plane of the rotor axes. 20. A rotary mechanism according to claim 19 wherein a pair of said stop elements provide said displacement limiting means and are located on opposite sides of said bearing location of the biasing means on the carrier. 21. A rotary mechanism according to claim 19 wherein said carrier has an axis of pivoting displaceability lying in or adjacent to a plane through the rotor axis in said one carrier and extending normal to said plane of the axes of said pair of rotors.