Feeding apparatus using rack and pinion mechanism having dwell periods

Claim 2

In feeding apparatus for intermittently feeding strip material in predetermined measured lengths, in combination, a pair of feeding rolls journaled for rotation for feeding the strip material passing between the rolls, a reciprocating rack for rotating the feed rolls, means for effecting reciprocating strokes or the rack including a camshaft adapted to be constantly rotated during operation of the apparatus, a pair of cams on the camshaft, a cam follower shaft having mounted thereon a pair of cam follower plates and which are respectively engaged by said cams during rotation of the camshaft to cause intermittent rotation of the cam follower shaft, a faceplate fixed to the cam follower shaft so as to rotate therewith, a trunnion member carried by the faceplate, and means provided by the trunnion member for journaling the crank end of the rack, said trunnion member having a position on the faceplate spaced from the axial center of the cam follower shaft, where by the trunnion member provides crank arm structure to cause up and down reciprocating strokes of the rack.

Claim 3

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein a dwell period follows each reciprocating stroke of the rack.

Claim 4

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the cams are conjugate cams each having approximately the same shape with at least two lobes which enter concavities in the cam follower plates during rotation of the cams to thereby effect said intermittent rotation of the plates and the cam follower shaft.

Claim 5

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the cams rotate approximately 240* on each revolution to cause the cam follower shaft to rotate approximately 180* and then while the cams continue to rotate for the remaining 120* the cam follower shaft remains at rest.

Claim 6

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein for each revolution of the camshaft the cams cause the cam follower plates to rotate approximately 180* and then to dwell while the cams continue to rotate for approximately 120* , and wherein means are provided for adjusting the position of the trunnion member on the faceplate even while the cam follower shaft and faceplate are rotating.

Claim 7

In feeding apparatus for intermittently feeding strip material in predetermined measured lengths, the combination with a pair of feeding rolls journaled for rotation for feeding the strip material passing between the rolls, of a reciprocating rack for rotating the Feed rolls, means for effecting reciprocating strokes of the rack including a camshaft adapted to be constantly rotated during operation of the apparatus, a pair of cams on the camshaft, a cam follower shaft having mounted thereon a pair of cam follower plates and which are respectively engaged by said cams during rotation of the camshaft to cause intermittent rotation of the cam follower shaft, a faceplate fixed to the cam follower shaft so as to rotate therewith, a screw-threaded shaft extending diametrically within the faceplate and being journaled thereby for rotation, a trunnion member mounted on the faceplate for sliding movement and having threaded relation with the threaded shaft, and means provided by the trunnion member for journaling the crank end of the rack, said trunnion member being spaced from the axial center of the cam follower shaft, whereby the trunnion member provides crank arm structure to cause up and down reciprocating strokes of the rack.

Claim 8

In feeding apparatus for intermittently feeding strip material in predetermined measured lengths, the combination with a pair of feeding rolls journaled for rotation for feeding the strip material passing between the rolls, of a reciprocating rack for rotating the Feed rolls, means for effecting reciprocating strokes of the rack including a camshaft adapted to be constantly rotated during operation of the apparatus, a pair of cams on the camshaft, a cam follower shaft having mounted thereon a pair of cam follower plates and which are respectively engaged by said cams during rotation of the camshaft to cause intermittent rotation of the cam follower shaft, a faceplate fixed to the cam follower shaft so as to rotate therewith, a screw-threaded shaft extending diametrically within the faceplate and being journaled thereby for rotation, a trunnion member mounted on the faceplate for sliding movement and having threaded relation with the threaded shaft, and means provided by the trunnion member for journaling the crank end of the rack, said trunnion member being spaced from the axial center of the cam follower shaft, whereby the trunnion member provides crank arm structure to cause up and down reciprocating strokes of the rack.

Claim 9

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 6, additionally including means extending axially through the cam follower shaft operatively connecting with the threaded shaft for rotating the shaft to adjust the position of the trunnion member on the faceplate.

Claim 10

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 6, additionally including an electric motor supported by and bodily rotating with the cam follower shaft, the drive shaft of the motor having axial alignment with the cam follower shaft, and means extending through the cam follower shaft and operatively connecting the electric motor with the threaded shaft, whereby operation of the motor will rotate the threaded shaft to vary the position of the trunnion member on he faceplate and increase or decrease the magnitude of the reciprocating strokes of the rack.

Claim 11

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 6, additionally including a motor-driven shaft extending axially through the cam follower shaft, a train of gears housed and journaled by the faceplate and operatively connecting the motor-driven shaft with the screw-threaded shaft, whereby rotation of the motor-driven shaft will rotate the threaded shaft to vary the position of the trunnion member on the faceplate and increase or decrease the magnitude of the reciprocating strokes of the rack.

Claim 12

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 9, wherein the motor-driven shaft can be rotated even while the cam follower shaft and the faceplate are rotating.

Claim 13

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 9, wherein the train of gears is so constructed and arranged as to effect a considerable reduction in the turn ratio between the motor-driven shaft and the screw-threaded shaft.

Claim 14

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 6, additionally including a locking plate for locking the trunnion member in a desired adjusted position on the faceplate so that the stresses produced by the reciprocating strokes of the rack are transmitted to the faceplate.

Claim 15

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 12, additionally including resilient means for yieldingly maintaining the locking plate in contact with tapered surfaces of the trunnion member and faceplate whereby to lock the parts to each other, and piston means adapted to be actuated by a pressure medium for withdrawing the plate from said locking contact with said parts.

Claim 16

In feeding apparatus for intermittently feeding strip material in predetermined lengths, in combination, a pair of coacting feed rolls including an upper feed roll and a lower feed roll both journaled for rotation for feeding the strip material passing between the rolls, a driving member including a camshaft adapted to be constantly rotated during operation of the apparatus a pair of cams on the camshaft, a cam follower shaft having mounted thereon a pair of cam follower plates and which are respectively engaged by said cams during rotation of the cam shaft to cause intermittent rotation of the cam follower shaft, a faceplate fixed to the cam follower shaft so as to rotate therewith, a trunnion member carried by the faceplatE, a reciprocating rack for rotating the feed rolls, means provided by the trunnion member for journaling the crank end of the rack, said trunnion member having a position on the faceplate spaced from the axial center of the cam follower shaft, whereby the trunnion member provides crank arm structure to cause up and down reciprocating strokes of the rack, clutch structure for the upper feed roll including a clutch-driving shaft, similar clutch structure for the lower feed roll including a second clutch-driving shaft, means operatively connecting the end of the rack with both said clutch-driving shafts whereby said shafts rotate in one direction on a downstroke of the rack and rotate in a reverse direction on an upstroke of the rack, and means rendering the clutch structures operative in an alternate manner in timed relation with the strokes of the rack for intermittently rotating the feed rolls to cause intermittent feeding of the strip material in the same direction.

Claim 17

In feeding apparatus for intermittently feeding strip material in predetermined lengths, in combination, a pair of coacting feed rolls including an upper feed roll and a lower feed roll both journaled for rotation for feeding the strip material passing between the rolls, a driving member including a camshaft adapted to be constantly rotated during operation of the apparatus a pair of cams on the camshaft, a cam follower shaft having mounted thereon a pair of cam follower plates and which are respectively engaged by said cams during rotation of the cam shaft to cause intermittent rotation of the cam follower shaft, a faceplate fixed to the cam follower shaft so as to rotate therewith, a trunnion member carried by the faceplatE, a reciprocating rack for rotating the feed rolls, means provided by the trunnion member for journaling the crank end of the rack, said trunnion member having a position on the faceplate spaced from the axial center of the cam follower shaft, whereby the trunnion member provides crank arm structure to cause up and down reciprocating strokes of the rack, clutch structure for the upper feed roll including a clutch-driving shaft, similar clutch structure for the lower feed roll including a second clutch-driving shaft, means operatively connecting the end of the rack with both said clutch-driving shafts whereby said shafts rotate in one direction on a downstroke of the rack and rotate in a reverse direction on an upstroke of the rack, and means rendering the clutch structures operative in an alternate manner in timed relation with the strokes of the rack for intermittently rotating the feed rolls to cause intermittent feeding of the strip material in the same direction.

Claim 18

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 14, wherein the clutch structure for the upper feed roll is rendered operative to drive the upper feed roll when its clutch-driving shaft is rotated in one direction and wherein the clutch structure for the lower feed roll is rendered operative when its clutch-driving shaft is rotated in a reverse direction.

Claim 19

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 14, additionally including a first journaled shaft for the upper feed roll, a second journaled shaft for the lower feed roll, the clutch structure for the upper feed roll including clutch discs fixed to the first journaled shaft and which alternate with clutch discs fixed to the clutch-driving shaft for the upper feed roll, the clutch structure for the lower feed roll also including clutch discs fixed to the second journaled shaft and which alternate with clutch discs fixed to its clutch-driving shaft, and means for applying pressure respectively to each set of clutch discs and in an alternate manner to compact the discs causing them to contact each other for first rendering the clutch device for the upper feed roll operative and then for the lower feed roll.

Claim 20

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 16, wherein the means for applying pressure to compact the discs of the respective sets includes piston means for each set and wherein the piston means of each set is actuated by a fluid under pressure.

Claim 21

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 16, additionally including a gear on the first journaled shaft for the upper feed roll and which has meshing relation with a similar gear on the second journaled shaft for the lower feed roll, whereby the upper and lower feed rolls are geared to rotate together.

Claim 22

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 18, wherein the means for applying pressure to compact the discs of the respective sets includes piston means for each set, wherein the piston means of each set is actuated by a fluid under pressure, and wherein the gear on the first and second journaled shafts are respectively recessed for receiving the said piston means for its set of discs.

Claim 23

Feeding apparatus as defined by claim 18, wherein the means for applying pressure to compact the discs of the respective sets includes piston means for each set, wherein the piston means of each set is actuated by a fluid under pressure, wherein the gear on the first and second journaled shafts are each recessed for receiving the said piston means for its set of discs, and additionally including a shaft extending concentrically of each clutch-driving shaft and being journaled thereby and on which the piston means for its set of clutch discs is mounted for sliding movement.