Roller diecutting machine or the like

Claim 2

A machine for applying force to a surface of a workpiece comprising: a. means for supporting a workpiece with the surface disposed in a predetermined plane; b. a plurality of roller means disposed substantially parallel to one another for incrementally increasing the force to be applied by each successive roller means to the surface of the workpiece when said plurality of roller means are rolled with respect to the surface of the workpiece, each of said plurality of roller means having a larger diameter than the roller disposed in advance thereof; c. means extending substantially parallel to said predetermined plane and in rolling contact with the portion of each of said plurality of roller means opposite said supporting means for applying force to the roller means in a direction corresponding to the force applied to the workpiece and for directing the axis of rotation of each of said plurality of roller means to travel in a substantially common plane parallel to the predetermined plane of the surface of said workpiece, whereby the engagement of each of said plurality of roller means with respect to the workpiece when disposed on said supporting means can be incrementally increased; and d. means for rolling said plurality of roller means with respect to a workpiece disposed upon said supporting means.

Claim 3

A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said plurality of roller means includes bearing means connected to each of said plurality of rollers and said means in engagement with said roller means is in engagement with said bearing means.

Claim 4

A machine in accordance with claim 2 in which: a. said bearing means connected to each of said plurality of rollers are disposed at each of the opposite ends of each of said rollers and each have a circular outer surface disposed concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the roller related thereto; and b. said means in engagement with said bearing means of said plurality of rollers for directing the axis of rotation of said plurality of rollers to travel in a substantially common path comprise tracks spaced apart substantially parallel with respect to one another and extending substantially parallel to said supporting means and in engagement with the portion of the circular outer surface of said bearing means disposed opposite said supporting means, whereby said bearing means when rolling on said tracks is forced with said rollers by said tracks toward said supporting means and the workpiece thereon.

Claim 5

A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said plurality of roller means are grouped in sets and in which said machine includes a plurality of said sets of roller means.

Claim 6

A machine in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means for adjustably positioning the path of rolling of said plurality of roller means with respect to the workpiece positioned upon said supporting means.

Claim 7

A machine in accordance with claim 5 in which said means for adjustably positioning the path of rolling of said roller means with respect to a workpiece positioned upon said supporting means comprises a plurality of screw means for mounting said roller means with respect to said means for supporting a workpiece.

Claim 8

A machine in accordance with claim 6 in which each of said plurality of screw means comprises a jackscrew.

Claim 9

A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for rolling said plurality of roller means with respect to a workpiece positioned upon said supporting means comprises an endless conveyor.

Claim 10

A machine in accordance with claim 8 in which said endless conveyor comprises a pair of drive chains extending along paths disposed in spaced-apart and substantially parallel planes, said roller means extending between said pair of drive chains and being coupled thereto, one reach of each of said pair of drive chains being disposed adjacent to said supporting means.

Claim 11

A machine in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising a wear plate adapted to be disposed between said roller means and a workpiece when positioned upon said supporting means, said wear plate being adapted to be engaged with said rollers to transmit the force of said rollers to the workpiece.

Claim 12

A machine in accordance with claim 10 and further comprising means for resiliently supporting said wear plate with respect to the frame of the machine to enable the wear plate to be moved into contact with a workpiece positioned upon said supporting means when said wear plate is engaged by said roller means.

Claim 13

A machine in accordance with claim 11 in which said means for resiliently supporting said wear plate with respect to the frame of the machine comprises a plurality of tension springs connected between said wear plate and the frame of the machine.

Claim 14

A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for supporting a workpiece comprises: a. a base surface; b. a sheet of resilient material overlying said base surface; and c. a table member disposed upon said sheet of resilient material, said table member facing said plurality of roller means.

Claim 15

A machine in accordance with claim 13 in which said sheet of resilient material is formed of elastomeric material.

Claim 16

A machine in accordance with claim 13 in which said table member comprises a plate of flexible material.

Claim 17

A machine in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising at least one cutting die adapted to be disposed upon said means for supporting a workpiece in a facing relationship with said plurality of roller means, said plurality of roller means being adapted to urge a workpiece against said cutting during the rolling of said plurality of roller means with respect to the work piece.

Claim 18

A machine in accordance with claim 16 and further comprising a wear plate disposed between said plurality of roller means and said cutting die, when a workpiece is Positioned upon said cutting die, said wear plate being adapted to transmit the force of said roller means to the workpiece to urge the workpiece against said cutting die.

Claim 19

A machine in accordance with claim 17 in which said wear plate is formed from soft material at least on the side thereof facing said cutting die, the soft material preventing wear to said cutting die when in contact therewith.

Claim 20

A roller diecutting machine comprising: a. a cutting die having exposed knife edges disposed substantially in a common cutting plane; b. a plurality of rollers, said rollers having progressively increasing outside diameters; c. means for advancing said plurality of rollers; and d. means extending substantially parallel to said common cutting plane and in rolling contact with the portion of each of said plurality of rollers opposite said cutting die for applying force to the rollers in a direction corresponding to the force applied to a workpiece and for controlling the advancement of said rollers to maintain the rotational axes thereof being advanced sequentially along a plane parallel to the common cutting plane, said plurality of rollers being advanced with said roller of smaller diameter being in the leading position; whereby the outside diameters of said rollers incrementally decrease the distance between said rollers and the cutting plane and thereby incrementally increase the force applied to a workpiece when positioned upon said cutting die.

Claim 21

A roller diecutting machine comprising: a. a cutting die having exposed knife edges disposed substantially in a common cutting plane; b. a plurality of rollers, said rollers having progressively increasing outside diameters; c. means for advancing said plurality of rollers; and d. means extending substantially parallel to said common cutting plane and in rolling contact with the portion of each of said plurality of rollers opposite said cutting die for applying force to the rollers in a direction corresponding to the force applied to a workpiece and for controlling the advancement of said rollers to maintain the rotational axes thereof being advanced sequentially along a plane parallel to the common cutting plane, said plurality of rollers being advanced with said roller of smaller diameter being in the leading position; whereby the outside diameters of said rollers incrementally decrease the distance between said rollers and the cutting plane and thereby incrementally increase the force applied to a workpiece when positioned upon said cutting die.

Claim 22

A roller diecutting machine according to claim 19 wherein said means for advancing said plurality of rollers includes a pair of spaced-apart continuous chains to which the respective ends of each roller in said plurality of rollers are fastened.

Claim 23

A roller die-cutting machine in accordance with claim 19 and further comprising a wear plate positioned between said die and said rollers; the advancing of said rollers by said means for advancing said rollers along a plane parallel to the cutting plane forcing said wear plate against the work piece.

Claim 24

A roller diecutting machine in accordance with claim 19 and further comprising means for adjusting the separation between the plane of said cutting die and the plane through which the rotational axis of said plurality of rollers are advanced, whereby the degree of separation between said plurality of roller means and said cutting die can be selected.

Claim 25

A roller diecutting machine adapted for use with a cutting die having exposed knife edges comprising: a. a machine superstructure; b. means for supporting the cutting die relative to said superstructure; c. a wear plate; d. spring means for suspending said wear plate from the superstructure; e. means movably mounted on the superstructure for applying incrementally increasing cutting forces through said wear plate to a workpiece when positioned on the knife edges, said force applying means including; i. a pressure bar, ii. first, second and the third rollers adapted to advance sequentially along said wear plate, the outside diameter of said rollers increasing from said first to said third roller, iii. bearing means rotatably mounted at the end of each roller for movement on said pressure bar when said rollers urge said wear plate against a workpiece when positioned on the cutting die as said rollers move across said wear plate, said pressure bar, said rollers and said bearing means during each sequential advance of said rollers across the wear plate causing the cutting force developed by said third roller to be incrementally larger than the cutting force developed by said second roller and the cutting force developed by the latter to be incrementally larger than the cutting force developed by said first roller.

Claim 26

A roller diecutting machine adapted for use with a cutting die having exposed knife edges comprising: a. a machine superstructure; b. means for supporting the cutting die relative to said superstructure; c. a wear plate; d. spring means for suspending said wear plate from the superstructure; e. means movably mounted on the superstructure for applying incrementally increasing cutting forces through said wear plate to a workpiece when positioned on the knife edges, said force applying means including; i. a pressure bar, ii. first, second and the third rollers adapted to advance sequentially along said wear plate, the outside diameter of said rollers increasing from said first to said third roller, iii. bearing means rotatably mounted at the end of each roller for movement on said pressure bar when said rollers urge said wear plate against a workpiece when positioned on the cutting die as said rollers move across said wear plate, said pressure bar, said rollers and said bearing means during each sequential advance of said rollers across the wear plate causing the cutting force developed by said third roller to be incrementally larger than the cutting force developed by said second roller and the cutting force developed by the latter to be incrementally larger than the cutting force developed by said first roller.

Claim 29

A method of applying force to a workpiece in accordance with claim 24 in which the step of moving a plurality of rollers in a rolling motion with respect to the workpiece comprises the placing of a wear plate between the plurality of rollers and the workpiece and rolling the plurality of rollers along the surface of the wear plate to apply incrementally increasing force to the workpiece.

Claim 32

A method of applying cutting force to a workpiece in accordance with claim 26 in which the step of moving a plurality of rollers in a rolling motion with respect to the cutting die comprises the placing of a wear plate between the plurality of rollers and the workpiece and the rolling of the plurality of rollers along the surface of the wear plate to apply incrementally increasing cutting force through the cutting die to the workpiece.