Patent GB-394727-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to paper cutting and labelling machines
IPC: G03C3/02
Filed: 1932-01-08
Abstract: 394,727. Printing, embossing, or creasing machines. SYMONS, A. B., 12, Northumberland Park, London, and DAVIDSON, L. F., The Limes, Stock, Ingatestone, Essex. Jan. 8, 1932, No. 620. [Class 100 (ii).] A machine particularly adapted to manipulate long strips of paper used as backing strips for photographic roll films, or like sheet material and for effecting cutting, labelling, creasing, printing, stamping or other operations thereon, employs an endless conveyer, which may be a wheel 20, Fig. 3, with a number of equally spaced holders 21 .. 24 movable past a number of corresponding fixed equidistant stations one of which constitutes a feed and the others cutting, labelling, and discharge stations. The paper is held extended flat with its length at right-angles to the direction of movement of the conveyer. Opposite ends of the backing strips are cut to pointed or other shape and sealing labels are attached at or near each end. In the embodiment shown, the endless conveyer is in the form of a wheel 20, Fig. 3, with four flat bearing surfaces 21 .. 24 extending parallel with the axis of rotation of the wheel. A cam 27, Fig. 4, on a driving shaft 26 drives the wheel 20 by a rod 34 and a spring-pressed lever 28 fulcrumed at 29 carries a stud 31 to engage one of four notches 32 in a disc 33 secured to the shaft 25. The disc 33 is integral with a ratchet wheel 35 engageable by a spring pawl 36 to prevent backlash when the stud 31 is disengaged. At a fixed station 37 long strips are fed from a pack 42, Fig. 5. The strips rest on their lower edges and are pressed forwards by a weight-loaded pressure plate 43 operated by a chain 46 &c. Retaining pins 49 on a hinged cover 51 locate the front of the pack together with a ledge 50 on the bottom of the magazine which is reciprocated to and fro about a pivot 58 by suitable cam action. The fixed station 38 above the wheel is a cutting station at which opposite ends of each strip are trimmed simultaneously and the next station is a labelling station at which labels are applied at opposite ends of each strip. At the station below the wheel, trimmed and labelled strips are discharged into a receptacle 54. The carrier wheel is rotated step by step so that the bearing surfaces 21 .. 24 are brought opposite the fixed stations successively. Strips are fed from the magazine 41 on to the bearing surface 21 by suction along the length of the bearing surface through a suction pipe 55 which is associated with each bearing surface and is maintained during the passage of the strip. The ends of the bearing surfaces 21 &c. are pointed to conform with the shape to which the ends of the strips are to be trimmed. The ends of the bearing surfaces form shear plates with which reciprocating V-shaped cutters 61, Fig. 11, co-operate at the cutting station 38. The cutters are carried by a spring-controlled frame 62 reciprocated by a cam 63 on the shaft 26. To facilitate winding on spools the strips are creased across the rounded ends by blades 64, Fig. 14, movable with the cutters 51. An intermediate crease may be formed by an oscillatable arm on a shaft 67 operating the labelling mechanism. Magazines 70, Fig. 7, set at each end of the strip contain labels 71 and are reciprocated by an arm 72 cam-andrack operated. Labels are transferred from the magazine by a suction plate 77 carried by an oscillatable arm on a shaft 67 operating through an arc of about 90‹ on to the carrier at 23. The shaft 67 is hollow and forms part of the suction system. The interior of the shaft communicates through a channel 84 on the arm 78 with several apertures in the plate 77. The magazine is moved towards the carrier wheel 20 while the transferring plate 77 is in its lower position under the magazine. The plate 77 is then moved upwards and suction applied to withdraw a label. The magazine is now moved away and the plate 77 is moved upwardly to the strip on the bearing surface 23. Each label is moistened by a damping roller 85 carried on a pivoted arm articulated to the label magazine, so as to reciprocate with it. The roller co-operates with a rubber disc 87 slowly rotated in a trough of water 88 by a belt 89. The disc 87 is so located that in the advance position of the magazine the roller 85 will be brought into contact with the upper surface of the disc. The backward movement of the damping roller 87 will moisten the label. Suction is broken at the plate 77 after affixing of the label and is not applied till next label is to be withdrawn. The suction is controlled by a cam on the shaft 26. This cam operates the rod of a piston valve in a cylinder 93. The valve is arranged to open and close a port in the cylinder leading to a pipe 94 communicating through a casing 95 with the interior of the hollow shaft 67. As each wheel surface arrives at the discharge station 40 suction on that surface is broken and the strip trimmed, creased, and labelled is allowed to fall into the receptacle 54. The shaft 25 has shoulders 96 .. 100 each provided with bearing surfaces 21 .. 24 for the paper strip. The suction pipes connect passages formed on the shoulders to apertures in the surfaces 21 .. 24. Between the shoulder 96 and end bearing a collar 102 is loosely mounted. The collar has a lug 103 spring urged towards the lower end of a stud 104 projecting from the cutter frame 62. A spring-controlled pawl 106 is arranged to engage any one of four ratchet teeth 107 spaced round the shoulder 96. The pawl &c. maintains the collar 102 in the position to which it is moved by engagement of the stud 104 with the lug 103 when the cutter frame descends. Subsequently the cutter rises and the stud 104 clears the lug 103, the shaft 25 moves 90‹ and the spring 105 returns the collar 102 to normal. In the collar 102 an arcuate recess is formed extending through 260‹. The suction pipes 55 connect therewith in such a way that the particular pipe 55 which happens to be at the feeding station is closed when the pipe then at the discharge station is open and vice versa. The end bearing 101 has four longitudinally arranged passages 109 in alignment with the pipes 55 and communicating with an air chamber in the end bearing which connects through a pipe 110 with the main suction system. The driving shaft 114 may be belt driven. It carries a worm 116 which meshes with a worm wheel 117 loose on the cam shaft 26. The worm wheel 117 carries one member of a suctionoperated clutch 118 the other member being splined to the cam shaft 26 and operated by a clutch fork 119. The fork is fulcrumed at 120 to the machine and is articulated to piston-rod 121 of a piston mounted in a cylinder 122 connected by a pipe 123 with the main suction. When suction is excited the clutch will be closed. The clutch fork is integral with a lever 124 with a depending weight 125 which will operate to open the clutch in the absence of suction and stop the machine. In the event of suction being broken at one of the bearing surfaces in the absence of the paper strip or label the machine will be similarly stopped.