Method and apparatus for manufacturing spirally wound containers without trim loss

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPIRALLY WOUND TUBULAR BODIES FROM STRIP MATERIAL INCLUDING: MEANS FOR WINDING STRIP MATERIAL ON A MANDREL TO FORM A TUBE HAVING PERIODICALLY RECURRING CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGISTRATION LINES THEREON, AND FOR MOVING THE TUBE AXIALLY ALONG THE MANDREL; CUTTING MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT THE BEING FORMED TUBE FOR SEVERING TUBULAR BODIES THEREFROM; AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE CUTTING MEANS CYCLICALLY BACK AND FORTH PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE MANDREL; SAID CUTTING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST CUTTER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH A FIRST OBSERVING MEANS FOR OBSERVING A FIRST REGISTRATION LINE DURING A PORTION OF THE CYCLICAL MOVEMENT OF THE CUTTING MEANS IN WHICH THE TUBE AND CUTTING MEANS ARE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SPEED; SAID CUTTING MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND CUTTER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH A SECOND OBSERVING MEANS FOR OBSERVING A SECOND REGISTRATION LINE DURING THE SAME INTERVAL THAT THE FIRST REGISTRATION LINE IS BEING OBSERVED; FIRST ADJUSTING MEANS INDEPENDENT OF THE MEANS FOR CYCLICALLY MOVING THE CUTTING MEANS, BEING ABLE TO CONTINUOUSLY ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE FIRST OBSERVING MEANS AND FIRST CUTTER WITH RESPECT TO THE BEING WOUND TUBE DURING THE SAID PORTION OF THE CYCLICAL MOVEMENT OF THE CUTTING MEANS; FIRST CONTROL MEANS CONTINUOUSLY RESPONSIVE TO A DEVIATION OF THE FIRST SAID REGISTRATION LINE FROM A DESIRED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE SAID FIRST OBSERVING MEANS SAID FIRST CONTROL MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAID FIRST ADJUSTING MEANS SO AS TO CONTINUOUSLY CAUSE TO BE MINIMIZED ANY SUCH SAID DEVIATION THAT MAY BE PRESENT PRIOR TO THE SEVERING OF THE TUBE BY THE FIRST CUTTER; SECOND ADJUSTING MEANS INDEPENDENT OF THE MEANS FOR CYCLICALLY MOVING THE CUTTING MEANS, BEING ABLE TO CONTINUOUSLY ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE SECOND OBSERVING MEANS AND SECOND CUTTER WITH RESPECT TO THE BEING WOUND TUBE DURING THE SAID PORTION OF THE CYCLICAL MOVEMENT OF THE CUTTING MEANS; SECOND CONTROL MEANS CONTINUOUSLY RESPONSIVE TO A DEVIATION OF THE SECOND REGISTRATION LINE FROM A DESIRED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE SAID SECOND OBSERVING MEANS, SAID SECOND CONTROL MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAID SECOND ADJUSTING MEANS SO AS TO CONTINUOUSLY CAUSE TO BE MINIMIZED ANY SUCH SAID DEVIATION THAT MAY BE PRESENT PRIOR TO THE SEVERING OF THE TUBE BY THE SECOND CUTTER; SAID SECOND OBSERVING MEANS BEING SPACED FROM THE FIRST OBSERVING MEANS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF THE BEING WOUND TUBE; A THIRD CUTTER DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE SAID FIRST AND SECOND CUTTERS, SAID THIRD CUTTER BEING ADJUSTABLY MOVABLE BACK AND FORTH PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO THE BEING WOUND TUBE AND PROPORTIONING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD CUTTERS OPERATIVE TO MAINTAIN THE THIRD CUTTER IN A PRE-SET PROPORTIONAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND CUTTERS AS THEY ARE SHIFTED BY THE FIRST AND SECOND ADJUSTING MEANS.