Patent GB-768498-A (GB)
Title: Mechanism for cutting, notching and feeding diamond shaped envelope blanks
IPC: B31B23/00
Filed: 1955-04-07
Abstract: 768,498. Cutting envelope blanks. SMITHE MACHINE CO., Inc., F. L. April 7,1955 [Nov. 17, 1954], No. 10275/55. Class 31 (1). [Also in Group XVI] A machine for producing rhombic envelope blanks of a variety of sizes and shapes from a paper web 13 (Fig. 1) wherein the web is fed along a predetermined line AB to a flying cutter 14 which severs a blank from the web and the scored blanks are then fed along a line DC, bearing a fixed angular relation to the line of web feed, through a notching device 46 to an envelope-making machine, is characterized in that an adjustable turning device 22 is provided to turn each blank so that after turning is completed the fore-and-aft diagonal of each blank is caused to extend to the direction of blank feeding through the notching device. The web feeding mechanism includes a roller 12 which feeds the web to the cutter 14, which is supported for adjustment as a unit about a pivot 16, over a table 729 (Fig. 4), hold-down bars 730 being provided. The feed roller 12 co-operates with a roller 75 and draws the web from a reel 62 (Fig. 5) over guide-rollers 68, 70, 72 and 74. The rotary cutter 14 comprises a U-shaped frame 140 (Fig. 17) supported on a stationary plate 142 for rotative adjustment about the pivot 16, the shaft 150 of the cutter being driven through a gear chain 153, 155, 158, 162, 164, 166, 170, 172. The gear 153 is fast on a shaft 100 through which the drive for the roller 12 is taken. The shaft 150 carries a drum 152 on which is mounted a cutting blade 154 which co-operates with a stationary blade 18. Locking means for clamping the cutter in position after adjustment are provided. The cut blanks are then advanced to the turning device 22 between an upper composite segment 26 (Fig. 1) and a lower roller 25 (Fig. 5), the segment 26 being driven in timed relation to the roller 12 and cutter 14, and having an adjustable effective length depending on the size of the blanks being cut. The turning device 22 comprises a pair of cones driven in timed relation to the web feed and cutter devices through a gear chain culminating in the gear 294 (Fig. 27) on the shaft 296 of the lower cone 298, the cone being mounted in bearings 308, 310. The upper cone shaft 304 is mounted in bearings 314, 316 slidably supported in brackets 318 and acted upon by springs 322. The cones are composed of segments, the segments on the upper cone being adjustable relative to the shaft of the cone so that the cones may be adjusted to co-operate with one another for time sufficient to effect the required degree of turning of the blanks. The cones are formed with grooves to accommodate a blank-supporting table 342 and holddown bars 358. The blanks are then advanced by a device 28 (Fig. 4) which includes a roller having a segment 30 which makes two revolutions per cycle to advance the blank rapidly clear of the bite of the turning cones. The blanks are further advanced by segments 34, 36, of the same diameter, twice that of the segments 30, driven at a constant speed of one revolution per cycle. The blank is next seized by a segment 38, of the same diameter as the segments 34, 36, but driven at a variable speed so as to slow down the blank to rest for cutting by the notching device 46, and then speed up the blank before turning it over to a segment 40 similar to the segments 34, 36. From the segment 40 the blanks are advanced by rollers 42, 44 which feed the blanks past end flap corner trimmers 47 and deliver then on to slow-running tapes 48. The notching cutters 46 are adjustable longitudinally of the path of blank feed and transversely thereof. Longitudinal adjustment is effected by turning a shaft 526 (Fig. 16) having bevel gears 530 thereon co-operating with bevel gears 532 on shaft 534. The shafts 534 include right-hand threaded sections 540 and left-hand threaded sections 542 so that extensions 541 and 543 of slide blocks 544, 546 are moved longitudinally away from each other. The two blocks 544 are connected to a bar 548 (Fig. 14) on which one pair of cutters 46 is mounted and the blocks 546 are connected to a bar 550 on which is mounted the other pair of cutters 46. For transverse adjustment a similar arrangement including a shaft 552, bevel gears 554, 556, a shaft 558, bevel gears 562, 564, 566, 568, and shafts 570, 572 with right- and left-hand screwthreads 580, 584 and 594, 598 is provided. The drive for the cutters is derived from a gear 634 which, through gear 644 and 646, drive shaft 648 having spiral gears 650 fast thereon which drive gears 618 fast on the shafts of the rotary notching cutters 627 carried by the blocks 576 and 578. The gear 634 also drives, through gears 636, 638, a shaft 640 having spiral gears 642 for driving the cutters 627 carried by the blocks 590 and 592. The rotating cutters 627 co-operate with stationary blades secured to the blocks 576, 578, 590 and 592. The corner trimming devices 47 each comprise a rotary cutter 720 (Fig. 58) fast on a shaft 714 and a co-operating cutter 724 slidably keyed on a shaft 707 so that it may be moved away from the cutter 720 against the action of a spring 726. The cutters are mounted on a bracket 656 in turn slidably mounted on a cross-bar 658. The cutters are driven from a gear 678 fast on a cross-shaft 676 which has slidably keyed on it a gear 680 which has a hub 681. having a groove 682 therein with which a plate 684, slidably mounted in a guideway 685 of the bracket 656, co-operates. A pin 686 is secured to the plate 684 and is adapted to co-operate with a detent ball 692 secured in an extension 668 of the bracket 656. The gear 680 normally engages the cutter gear 704 but may be manually disengaged therefrom by moving it along the shaft 676 until the detent ball 692, instead of engaging the notch 694 of the pin 686, engages the notch 696. The blank is supported between the notching cutters and end trimmers by table sections 746, 748, 750 and hold-down devices 758, 760 (Fig. 4).