Patent ID: 7175578

Claim:
A vertical support and rectilinear translation arrangement for selectively repositioning one of a pair of die cylinders between an operative position and a stand-by position in a rotary die cutter having a rotary anvil cylinder and a pair of rotary die cylinders alternately operable with said anvil cylinder to define an operating nip for sheet materials being fed in a machine direction perpendicular to the rotational axes of the cylinders and along a board line within the nip, said arrangement comprising: a supporting base maintained within the lateral extent of the nip; said anvil cylinder or one of said pair of die cylinders supported at axial opposite cylinder ends for horizontal linear movement in the machine direction on said supporting base relative respectively to said pair of die cylinders or said anvil cylinder and the other of said die cylinders to achieve said selective repositioning; and, said respective pair of die cylinders or said anvil cylinder and the other of said die cylinders supported at axial opposite cylinder ends for vertical movement between an operative position and a stand-by position, wherein, in said operative position, said anvil cylinder and at least one die cylinder are vertically aligned and supported on said supporting base and wherein all movement of said die cylinders for said selective repositioning is confined to said lateral extent of the nip.