Patent GB-1212555-A (GB)
Title: Fabric laying machine
IPC: B26D1/20
Filed: 1968-06-19
Abstract: 1,212,555. Laying fabrics. CUTTERS MACHINE CO. Inc. 19 June, 1968 [24 July, 1967], No. 29201/68. Heading D1S. A fabric laying machine comprises a frame 20 adapted to reciprocate in a longitudinal path along a table 24 for laying a fabric 30 thereno, a laying blade 50 mounted on the frame 20 and having a top surface and a free transverse edge 60 directed towards one end of the path, a catcher mechanism 62 mounted adjacent said one end of the path to cooperate with the top surface of the blade 50 while the frame 20 is proximate to the mechanism 62 for removing and holding the end portion of the fabric 30 carried by the blade 50, and a carriage 90 carrying a cutter blade 94 and mounted on the frame 20 to reciprocate above the blade 50, the blade 94 being disposed adjacent the edge 60 for cutting the web along this edge. The fabric 30 is supplied from a driven roll 27 mounted on a carriage 28 in the frame 20 and passes over guide rods 31, 32 and a top roller 33 which may or may not be driven. A vertically reciprocable laying frame 35 is provided with rollers 36, Fig. 4, to roll in tracks 37 on the frame 20. The frame 35 may be moved relative to the frame 20 by manual rotation of a knob 41, Fig. 1, to rotate a shaft 38, Fig. 4, so that pinions 39 on the ends thereof, move along racks 40. Pawls (43), (44), Fig. 3 (not shown), alternately engage a ratchet (45) on the frame 20 to maintain the frame 35 in any desired elevated position. A curved fabric guide wall 47 extends from the frame 35 and has the blade 50 hinged thereto. At least one leaf spring 51 adjustable by a screw 52 maintains the blade 50 in the operative position of Fig. 4. A stop ledge 53 fixed to the wall 47 limits the downward pivotal movement of the blade 50. A knurled-rubber surface feed roller 54 is supported by arms 55 pivoted at 56 to the frame 35 and is urged downwardly towards engagement with the blade 50 by spring 57. The roller is freely rotatable in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 4, but is not rotatable in the opposite direction to prevent reverse feed of the fabric 30. Only one catcher mechanism 62, Figs. 1 and 13, is provided and comprises a catcher bar 70 which spans the table 24 and the ends of which are provided with brackets 71 having roller bearings 72 :riding in vertical tracks 65 in a pair of standards 64. Each bracket 71 carries a cam 74 engageable with a roller 80 on an arm 81 pivoted at 82 to the frame 35. A stop screw 84 limits the upward movement of each arm 81 and ledges 85 determine the lower limit of movement of each roller 80. Racks 88 on the standards 64 are engaged by pinions 87 on a rod 86 rotatably supported by the brackets 71. The toe 89 of the bar 70 is covered with a highly frictional material, e.g. rubber. The cutter carriage 90 is slidable along rods 91, 92, Fig. 4, fixed within the frame 35. The cutter 94 is in the form of a forwardly-inclined disc mounted on a shaft 95, Fig. 6, drivable through gears 96 by a chain 100 threaded around sprockets 99, 101, 102, Fig. 6, (103), (105), Fig. 5 (not shown). The sprocket (105) is drivable by a motor 108, Figs. 1 and 4. A switch 130, Fig. 1, is provided for selective automatic or manual operation of the cutter and a push-button switch 131 is provided for manually starting the motor 108. A guard plate 115, Figs. 1 and 4, terminating in a C-shaped member 116, see also Fig. 6, is mounted in front of the blade 94 and sloping arms 117, 118 thereof sweep any fabric depending from the edge 60 into the path of the blade 94. The forward movement of the frame 20 is limited by a stop 125, Fig. 1, on the mechanism 62 engageable by a stop 126 on the frame 20. If the frame 20 is self-propelled, the stop 126 may also comprise a switch to reverse the direction of the frame 20 and change the speed thereof from low to high after the blade 50 has disengaged the mechanism 62. Another reversing switch 128, Fig. 1, may be provided on the frame 20 to be actuated by an arm 129 on the table 24 at the rear limit of travel. In operation, assuming a starting position in which the bar 70 is holding the cut end of the web 30, Fig. 11, the frame 20 starts to move rearwardly, i.e. to the left of Fig. 1. At the rear limit of travel of the frame 20, Fig. 4. the switch 128 is actuated to stop the frame 20 and start the motor 108 so that the blade 94 cuts the fabric and the fabric layer drops onto a stack 63. A switch arm 110, Fig. 4, is mounted on the carriage 90 and actuates simultaneously switches 111, 112, 113 on opposite sides of the machine to stop the motor 108, to drive the frame 20 forward over the stack 63 towards the mechanism 62 without laying the fabric, and to reverse the drive of the motor 108 for the next traverse of the carriage 90 in the opposite direction, respectively. As the frame 20 leaves the arm 129, the speed thereof is increased from low to high. As the frame 20 approaches the mechanism 62, Fig. 1, the roller 80 engages the cam 74 and, due to the ledge 85, continued movement of the frame 20 causes the roller 80 to elevate the cam 74 and the bar 70. When the roller 80 has passed beneath the lower surface 76 and completely disengaged the cam 74, Fig. 11, the bar 70 drops onto the blade 50 which pivots downwardly until it engages the ledge 53 to position the cut end of the fabric slightly above the top layer on the stack 63. Movement of the frame 20 is reversed by the engagement of the stops 125, 126, Fig. 1. As the frame 20 moves away the cut end of the fabric is held by the bar 70 and the fabric is wiped from the blade 50 onto the top of the stack 63. After the blade has moved away from the bar 60 it is returned to its normal position by the spring 51. As the frame 20 moves rearwardly across the stack 63 the fabric is laid thereon. The bar 70 and the cam 74 gradually rise with the increasing height of the stack 63 and when the increase is sufficient the arm 81 engages the screw 84 as the roller 80 rides across the top 75 of the cam 74 to force the frame 35 upwards an increment.