Patent Abstract:
A vertical blind cut down apparatus has a head rail holding plate with a head rail opening for receiving the head rail. The vertical blind cut down apparatus also has a cutting die to receive the head rail. The cutting die is movable relative to the holding plate for cutting one end of the head rail. The vertical blind cut down apparatus further has a blind holder with a blind material opening. The blind holder receives the blind materials. A blind cutting device is movable relative to the blind holder and cuts the blind material extending through the blind holder. The vertical blind cut down apparatus also has a first movement transmission for moving the head rail cutting die and a second movement transmission for moving the blind cutting device whereby both the blind materials and the head rail are cut.

Full Description:
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 09/340,574 Filed Jun. 28, 1999 now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a machine for trimming the ends of components of vertical blinds having a horizontal head rail and vertical strips or louvers. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In the past various apparatus has been designed for cutting down widths of specific designs, usually horizontal Venetian blinds. However, in general terms, these machines have not been totally suitable for cutting down both horizontal and vertical blinds, especially those being made from a variety of different materials. In addition, they have been somewhat more complex and costly than is required. In vertical blinds, the trolleys and the blind slats may be drawn along the head rail to one side or other of the window opening, or in some cases to both sides, and may be rotated between open and closed position, by a mechanism located in the head rail. These slats may be of aluminium, or may be formed of other materials such as thermo plastic, or of fabric. 
   Such blinds must be fitted to the width and to the height, of the window or other opening for which they are intended. In the past such vertical blinds have been made in a factory, on a custom basis to a particular width and height specified by the purchaser. A salesperson would usually have had to call on the customer to take measurements and take an order. However, it is more convenient to manufacture blinds in certain standard widths and heights and stock these standard blinds in a retail store. A customer may then simply come into the store and buy a blind slightly wider and higher than the desired width and height, and have it trimmed. The head rail is cut to the desired width and in the case of vertical blinds the vertical slats are cut at their lower ends to the desired height. This is both more economical, and thus more readily saleable, and at the same time provides the customer with an opportunity to purchase blinds in a retail establishment and walk out of the store with them in his possession, rather than meeting a salesperson at home, and waiting a few weeks for them to be fabricated in a factory. 
   As mentioned above, in the past various apparatus has been designed for cutting down widths of horizontal Venetian blinds. However, in general terms, these machines have not been totally suitable for cutting down vertical blinds, especially those made of a variety of different materials. In addition they have been somewhat more complex and costly than is required. In vertical blinds, the trolleys and the blind slats may be drawn along the head rail to one side or the other of the window opening, or in some cases to both sides, and may be rotated between open and closed positions, by a mechanism located in the head rail. 
   Advantageously, these vertical blinds too would be provided in standard widths and heights, in a retail store and it would be desirable to provide an apparatus in the store for cutting down the width of the head rail and the height of the slats. 
   Preferably, in order to economize in-store installations of cut-down equipment and also to simplify instruction of staff, a single cut-down machine will be provided which enables both the head rails and the blind slats of vertical blinds to be cut down to the desired width and height. 
   One of the considerations in designing such a cut-down machine is the manual effort that is required to operate the machine to cut through the various different materials. 
   Clearly, metal such as steel used in the horizontal head rails, is relatively hard to cut. On the other hand, since the sections used in this type of product are relatively thin, the die for cutting the steel components of the blind may only be required to move a short distance. 
   Consequently, so long as adequate leverage is provided to move the metal cutting die a relatively short distance, this problem can be addressed. 
   On the other hand, the cutting of the vertical blind slats themselves presents entirely different problems. The slats are usually made of relatively soft material that is easy to cut, and requires less manual effort. On the other hand, the thickness of all of the blind slats when bundled together for cutting is considerable. Consequently, the means for cutting the blind slats must move a considerable distance. 
   While it is relatively easy to provide for the manual operation of such a cutting means moving a considerable distance for cutting bundles of blind slats, the problem becomes more complex when it is understood that it is desirable to cut all of the components in a single machine. 
   It is not desirable to provide two machines one that cuts only the head rail, usually made of steel, and a second machine for an entirely separate cut for cutting the blind slats. The cost of two machines may not be justified. Personnel must be trained on two machines. 
   The moving of the blind from one machine would be cumbersome and undesirable and the end result would not be satisfactory. 
   For these reasons therefore the design of a vertical blind cut down machine meeting all of these objectives, i.e. being capable of cutting through both the thicker bundle of blind slats, and the thinner harder head rail in a single manual cutting machine presents a complex problem. 
   When trimming the blind it is necessary to provide for cutting the complete bundle of blind slat or along their lower ends, by cutting all the slat ends along a common plane. 
   It is also desirable to provide end stops for controlling the length of cut both from the blind slats and from the head rail, respectively. The lengths will usually be different from one another, in the case of a vertical blind, so that the end stops should be settable to two different lengths, while enabling the machine to cut both the blind slats and the head rail in a single manual operation. 
   It is also desirable to provide a form of ends stop which is both adjustable to adjust the length of trim cut being cut off the blind components, and which is also moveable during the cutting stroke. This last requirement moves the end stops away from contact with the components, so that as they are cut the trim portions are free to fall away without obstruction from the end stops. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   With a view to providing a vertical blind cut down apparatus which addresses the various foregoing conflicting problems, the invention comprises a vertical blind cut-down apparatus for cutting a shade or a blind with the blind being of the type having at least a head rail component, and vertical window coverings suspended from the head rail. The apparatus has a blind component holding plate having at least a head rail opening and a blind slat opening formed therein for receiving respective components of a blind therethrough. The apparatus holds them in position for cutting and has a blind slat cutting bar. The blind slat cutting bar is moveable relative to the holding plate. The apparatus further has a carrying blind slat cutting device for cutting blind slat material that extends through the holding plate, and a head rail cutting die support. The head rail cutting die support is adjacent to the cutting bar. The cutting die support carries at least one cutting die for receiving the head rail extending therethrough. The cutting bar is moveable relative to the holding plate for cutting the blind slat components. The apparatus further has movement means for moving the blind cutting bar and the cutting die support, whereby both said blind slat material and the head rail may be cut in a common plane along the surface of the holding plate. 
   The invention further provides such an apparatus in which the head rail opening defines a transverse axis and in which the head rail opening in the holding plate is tilted at an angle. The cutting die defines a cutting opening, which is similarly diagonal with the cutting die and is slidably movable relative to the holding plate so that the headrail is cut along a linear diagonal direction. 
   The invention further provides such a cut down apparatus in which the blind cutter bar for the blind cutting means is slidable along a linear path relative to the holder plate, and in the same plane as said cutting die support, said cutter bar being spaced from said cutting die support by a distance at least equal to the cutting path of said cutting means. 
   The invention further provides such an apparatus in which the movement means comprises a rotary shaft mounted in said holder plate, and a cam mounted on said rotary shaft for moving said cutting die support a sufficient distance to sever the head rail, and including movement transmission means connecting between said rotary shaft and said cutter bar, for moving said cutter bar simultaneously with said cutting die support. 
   The invention further provides end stop apparatus for defining the length of the blind slats to be cut off, and also for defining the length of the head rail to be cut off, and having adjustment devices for setting two lengths different from one another. 
   The invention further provides end stops positioned to register with the various blind components being trimmed, and which end stops are adjustable to fix the trim length of each component separately, and which end stops are also moveable, during the cutting stroke, so that they move away from the trim portions of the components, as they are being cut so that they are free to fall away and do not remain held in position. 
   The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective of a vertical blind cut down apparatus illustrating the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the apparatus from the fixed holder plate side; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the apparatus from the moveable die and cutter side; 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevation view showing, in phantom, the length of travel of the head rail cutting die and the blind slat cutter respectively and showing in phantom two positions of the manual transmission. 
       FIG. 5  is a section along the line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a section along the line  6 — 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a section along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 1 , showing a first position; 
       FIG. 8  is a section along line  8 — 8  of  FIG. 1 , showing a second position; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective illustration of a further embodiment of the vertical blind cut down apparatus; and 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective from another angle of the apparatus of  FIG. 9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the present invention is illustrated as an embodiment of an in-line cut down apparatus for trimming vertical blinds, indicated generally as  10 . The apparatus  10  has a base plate  12  and a fixed component holder plate  14 . The component holder plate  14  is secured to a lower channel  16 , which is mounted on plate  12 , and an upper channel  18  that is secured to the top edge of plate  14 . 
   The holder plate  14  is provided with a head rail holder opening  20 , and a blind covering component holder opening  22 , (in this case blind slats). 
   The head rail opening  20  will clearly have to necessarily conform to the shape of the head rail of the particular blind being cut down. However, since the apparatus will normally be provided to the retail outlet by the manufacturer of the blinds, this presents no problem. 
   In some cases, it is conceivable that interchangeable dies could be provided, but it is believed to be an unnecessary and expensive refinement. 
   A moveable head rail cutting die support plate  24  is slidably mounted between the lower channel  16  and the upper channel  18 . The moveable head rail cutting plate  24  has a head rail cutting die defining an opening  26 , which has a shape corresponding to the head rail holder opening  20  in fixed plate  14 . Movement of the plate  24  will therefore cause movement of the die opening  26  and thereby sever the head rail. 
   A blind cutting bar  30  is slidably mounted between lower channel  16  and upper channel  18 . It is provided with a blind cutting opening  32 , which is preferably provided with some form of blind material cutter such as knives  34  which are located so as to sweep past the opening  22  in holder plate  14  and thereby cut blind material extending therethrough. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 3 , there is a space between head rail die support  24  and blind cutter bar  30 , for reasons to be described below, so as to permit the two members to travel simultaneously, and co-axially but along movement paths which are of different lengths from one another. 
   In order to move both members simultaneously, there is provided a drive shaft  38 , which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in fixed holder plate  14  ( FIG. 6 ). Coupled to the drive shaft  38  is a manually operable lever  40 . 
   Drive shaft  38  terminates within the thickness of moveable plate  24 , in an off-set drive cam  42 . Drive cam  42  is moveable around an orbit. A drive opening  44  is provided in plate  24  to receive cam  42 . 
   It will thus be seen that by the operation of lever  40 , the drive shaft  38  can be rotated. Rotation of the drive shaft  38  will procure orbital movement of the cam  42  within recess  44 . The cam  42  is offset from the central axis of the drive shaft  38 , by a relatively small radial distance, and therefore drive cam  42  will cause sliding movement of plate  24  along a relatively short distance (compare  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). 
   A boss  46  is mounted on the end of orbital drive cam  42 . Drive cam  42 , will cause boss  46  to orbit around the axis of shaft  38 . The boss  46  is connected to a crank arm  48 , which is in turn pinned by pin  50  to cutter bar  30 . 
   Thus as the drive cam  42  orbits around a relatively small arc relative to the central axis of drive shaft  38 , the outer periphery of boss  46  will orbit around a much greater distance. This greater distance will be coupled through crank arm  48 , to cutter bar  30 , which will thus move simultaneously with movement of die support  24  but over a distance which is substantially greater (compare  FIGS. 3 and 4  and  5  and  6 ). 
   Reference may be made to the arrow A 1 , A 2  ( FIG. 4 ) for a comparison of the two different distances moved by the two separate members. 
   It will thus be seen that the invention provides a relatively simple straightforward blind cut down apparatus, which is adapted to cut down the head rail and the blind material of a vertical blind in a single machine. The blind head rail cutting action is achieved over a relatively small distance using considerable leverage. The head rail typically will be of relatively thin metal, or in some cases of only slightly thicker extruded plastic material. Thus, a relatively short movement of the cutting die will sever the head rail. The blind material cutting means moves a substantially greater distance, simultaneously with movement of the head rail cutting support. This movement along the blind slat cutting path will continue after the head rail has been cut, in most cases, depending upon the number, and thickness, of the blind slats being cut. Thus, the manual effort required for cutting the head rail will be completed relatively early in the cutting stroke of the lever, whereas the manual effort of cutting the blind slats will be extended over a greater length of movement of the lever. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a modified form of vertical blind cut down apparatus is shown having end stops for presetting the lengths of the components to be trimmed. It will be appreciated that since this machine is a multi-purpose machine, designed for trimming carious types of vertical blinds, such end stops will be required to register with the various specific components, and may have to be adjusted to different lengths of trim for different components. Accordingly, the modified machine is indicated generally as  60  and has a base plate  62 , which can be secured to a bench, and component holder plate  64  fixed to base  62  at right angles. Component plate  64  is secured in a lower channel  66 , which is mounted on base  62 , and an upper channel  68  is secured along the upper edge of plate  64 . Holder plate  64  has first head rail opening  70  tilted at an angle, and a second head rail opening  72 , which is oriented to lie on a vertical axis. A third head rail opening  74  is spaced from second opening  72 . The three head rail openings receive head rails of various different types of vertical blinds or window coverings. These vertical blinds or window coverings customarily have various different types of head rails, each having various different dimensions. Holder plate  64  also has a blind slat or covering component recess  76 . The recess  76  is of generally rectangular shape and functions to receive the blind slats or covering materials of the blind or window covering. The coverings may be relatively wide strips of thicker materials in some vertical blinds. In this case, the strips may be formed from a metal, plastic, or fabric. Window coverings are also known in which the covering is a continuous sheet of fabric, pleated and folded in concertina fashion at the pleats, so that the entire piece of fabric, if being trimmed, must be trimmed along each edge, over its entire length. Vertical blinds require, for example, that the head rail is trimmed to the required width dimension of the window or doorway, and that the vertical strips are trimmed, by a different amount as required by the height or the window or doorway. 
   The actual trim cuts are achieved by the cutting die support plate  78  which is slidably supported between lower channel  66  and upper channel  68 . Plate  78  has three headrail cutting die openings  80  and  82  and  84  which register with respective head rail openings  70 ,  72  and  74  in holder plate  64 . This enables various different profiles of head rail to be trimmed in the same machine. 
   A blind slat or covering component cutting plate  86 , separate from plate  78 , is also slidably mounted in channels  66  and  68 . Plate  86  has a cutting opening  88  for cutting the covering components described above. A suitable cutting blade  90  is secured to plate  86  adjacent the opening  88 . Both plates  78  and plate  86  are moveable to perform respective cutting strokes. 
   The two plates  78  and  86  are moveable by handle  92  and an internal drive cam (not shown) similar to the drive cam  42  of the embodiment of FIGS.  3 , 4 , 5  and  6 , which drives the plate  78 . The plate  86  is driven by boss  94 , similar to the boss  46  of the embodiments of  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 . Boss  94  is connected by connection arm  96  as in the previous embodiment to cutting plate  86 . 
   By this means two plates  78  and  86  are moveable simultaneously in response to the single semi rotary movement of the handle  92 , but will move along cutting paths which are of different lengths. The cutting path of plate of  78  being relatively short and the cutting path of plate  86  being significantly longer in the same way as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
   In order to provide for a stop means or end stop for the head rails and blind materials or blind components being cut down, and end stop plate  100  is provided. Plate  100  is mounted on a vertical post  102 . Post  102  is mounted on a transverse slide bar  104 . Slide bar  104  is provided a lengthwise slot  106 . 
   Slide bar  104  is moveably secured to a slide block  108  being adjustable relative to block  108  by means of locking screw  110  received in slot  106  as shown. Slide block  108  is mounted on parallel guide rods  112 , and is slidable therealong in a manner to be described below. Mounted on end stop plate  100  is a blind component stop bar  114  having an elongated slot  116  form therein. A clamping rod  118  is received in slot  116  and may be operated by handle  120 , so as to clamp stop bar  114  to plate  100 . For certain types of blind components, a hinge portion  122  of plate  100  may be hinged on hinge  124  between an upstanding position (not shown) and the horizontal position as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The entire end stop assembly is moveable, in response to cutting movement of handle  92  by means of link  126 , ( FIG. 10 ), connected to an end block  128  on component cutting plate  86 . This will, through the link  126 , move the slide block  108  along guide rods  112 , thereby moving the end stops away from the components at the time they are cut. 
   The purpose of providing the two means of adjustment, namely the slide bar  104  and locking screw  110 , and the stop bar  114  and rod  118 , is to permit the end stops to be set at different positions, while performing the single cutting operation. This is required because in the case of certain types of window coverings, typically verticals for example, the head rail will be cut down at one end only to fit the width of a door whereas the vertical blind elements or materials will be cut down at their lower ends, to fit the height. The two trim cut will be of different lengths. Similar considerations may arise with all the types of window covering. 
   The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as described, but comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims. 
   PARTS LIST 
   
       
         10  in line cut down apparatus 
         12  base plate 
         14  fixed blind holder plate 
         16  lower channel 
         18  upper channel 
         20  head rail holder opening 
         22  blind slat holder opening 
         24  moveable head rail cutting plate 
         26  head rail cutting opening 
         30  blind cutting plate 
         32  blind slat cutting opening 
         34  cutting knives 
         38  drive shaft 
         40  manually operable lever 
         42  drive pin 
         44  drive opening 
         46  boss 
         48  crank arm 
         50  Pin 
         60  Machine 
         62  Base 
         64  Plate 
         66  Lower Channel 
         68  Upper Channel 
         70  First int HR 
         72  Second HR 
         74  Third HR 
         76  Component Receiver 
         78  Cutting die plate 
         80  HR die 
         82  HR die 
         84  HR die 
         86  Component cutting plate 
         88  Cutting opening 
         90  Blade 
         92  Handle 
         94  Boss 
         96  Arm 
         102  Post 
         104  Slide Bar 
         106  Slot 
         108  Slide Block 
         110  Locking screw 
         112  Guide Rods 
         114  Stop Bar 
         116  Slot 
         118  Rod 
         120  Handle 
         122  Hinge portion 
         124  Hinge 
         126  Link 
         128  End Block

Technology Classification (CPC): 8