Patent GB-1453939-A (GB)
Title: Packaging and cutting apparatus
IPC: C11C3/10
Filed: 1973-10-29
Abstract: 1453939 Cutting apparatus GMT SA 29 Oct 1973 50128/73 Heading B4B A packaging and cutting apparatus comprises a packaging machine 1 for packaging a plurality of articles 3 between a supporting sheet 4 and a covering film 2 bonded to the sheet and a cutting machine for cutting longitudinal and transverse cuts in a composite package, the cutting machine comprising a table 13 for supporting the composite package, a set of blades 18 for effecting the longitudinal cuts and a first carriage 33 movably mounted on guides 30 and supporting a second carriage 70 movable on guides 75 angularly extending relative to the guides 30 such that during a step-by-step feed cycle of the carriage 33, a blade 62 on the second carriage effects the transverse cuts. The blades for effecting the longitudinal cuts are in the form of discs 18 freely rotatable on a shaft 19 mounted in a bracket 20 which is pivotably mounted in a support 24, 25; the discs co-operate with a backup roller 15 which is rotated by a motor 17 via a belt 16 and free wheel 15a. The first carriage 33 is slidable on the guides 30 and driven therealong by the motor 17 via a belt 96 and a chain- and-sprocket drive 94, 95. The carriage 33 supports dies 39 which are held by a clamp 42, Fig. 5; the body of each die is square such that the die may be located with a die opening (41), Fig. 7 (not shown), in four different positions, Fig. 2 (not shown). A cross beam 55 is mounted on columns 54 secured to the carriage and supports punches 43 which co-operate with the respective dies; the punches are mounted on a bar 44 fixed to brackets 52 which slide on the columns 54, the bar being reciprocated by a ram 56, Fig. 1. Spring-loaded clamping members 50, 50a are mounted on the punches and serve to remove the workpiece from the punch. A clamping bar 60 is slidably mounted on the carriage and serves to hold the workpiece during transverse cutting by the blade 62; the bar 60 is actuated by a ram 56. The second carriage is slidable on guides 75 fixed to the first carriage and is reciprocated by means of a piston-and-cylinder device 80 and a cable-and-pulley mechanism (77, 78), Fig. 6 (not shown). The blade 62 is provided with four cutting corners 63 such that when one corner is worn a fresh corner may be moved into the cutting position. The blade is mounted on spring-loaded support 68, Fig. 5. In operation, the card together with the article is fed from a packaging machine 1 by the co-operating discs 18 and back-up roller 15 until the leading end is just below the clamp bar 60. The bar is now lowered to grip the end to the carriage 33 which, upon actuation of the motor 17, moves in the direction of arrow f1, Fig. 1, for a distance equal to the length of the card; a band 91, Figs. 1 and 5, connected to the carriage is pulled over a roller 92 so as to support the card, the band being tensioned by means of a weight 92. A clamp member 28, 29 is then lowered by a ram 26 to grip the trailing end of the card. The motor 17 is now operated in the reverse direction thereby moving the carriage 33 back until the motor is stopped by the engagement of a switch 82 with a cam 86. The carriage 70 is now actuated causing the blade 62 to sever the first row of articles on the card. The punches 43 are then actuated to cut out apertures (10a), Fig. 2 (not shown), in the severed row of articles. The motor 17 is again actuated to move carriage 33 a distance equal to the spacing between the rows and the carriage 70 then moved back in the opposite direction to sever the second row. Upon actuation of a tilting table 35 the articles in the first row are tipped into a container.