Method and apparatus for cutting elongated articles to length or into multiples

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR LOCATING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED ARTICLE RELATIVE TO AT LEAST FIRST AND SECOND STATIONS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER COMPRISING A RUN-OUT TABLE, MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS FOR CONVEYING SAID ARTICLE THEREALONG, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART MOVABLE STOP MEMBERS DISPOSED ALONG SAID TABLE, MOTOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID STOP MEMBERS FOR MOVING SELECTED ONES INTO AND OUT OF AN INTERCEPT POSITION IN A PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLE ALONG SAID TABLE FOR ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR MEANS FOR REGULATING MOVEMENT OF SELECTED STOP MEMBERS INTO AND OUT OF SAID INTERCEPT POSITION, SELECTOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR DETERMINING WHICH OF SAID STOP MEMBERS IS MOVED INTO SAID INTERCEPT POSITION TO LOCATE SAID ARTICLE RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST STATION, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST INITIATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID MOTOR MEANS TO MOVE A FIRST SELECTED STOP MEMBER OUT OF INTERCEPT POSITION UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ARTICLE THERETO AND TO ADVANCE A SECOND STOP MEMBER CLOSER TO AN EXIT END OF SAID TABLE INTO INTERCEPT POSITION, A SECOND INITIATING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO COMPLETION OF AN OPERATION UPON SAID ARTICLE AT SAID FIRST STATION FOR OPERATING SAID MOTOR DRIVEN MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID ARTICLE TO SAID SECOND STOP MEMBER IN INTERCEPT POSITION TO LOCATE SAID ARTICLE RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND STATION AND FOR OPERATING SAID MOTOR MEANS TO MOVE SAID SECOND STOP MEMBER OUT OF INTERCEPT POSITION UPON MOVEMENT THERETO OF SAID ARTICLE.