US3670612A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Card cutting apparatus
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1970-05-27
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-05-27
Abstract
Abstract Cards are formed by intermittently die cutting both ends simultaneously from a web of polyester material, providing cards of a width equal to that of the web. This ''''cookie-cutter'''' approach leaves a small scrap strip between cards, but assures that the cards will be of consistently accurate length with precisely positioned corner cuts or rounded corners being formed at the same time as the transverse end cut. During the punching stroke, the uncoated side of the web is attracted by vacuum to the punch just before it enters the die; and two U-shaped movable guides that laterally support the web are spread apart to release the card as it is cut from the web; whereupon air under pressure is supplied to the punch to divert the scrap strip into a receptacle and release the card onto a conveyor for stacking.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L Johnson
- 👤 David W Leach
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 04:17
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26D; B26D7/00; B26D7/01; B26D7/015; B26D7/018; B26D7/18; B26D7/1845; B26D7/1854; B26F; B26F1/00; B26F1/38; B26F1/40; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S83/00; Y10S83/929; Y10S83/949; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/202; Y10T83/2066; Y10T83/2068; Y10T83/2092; Y10T83/2192; Y10T83/2194; Y10T83/222; Y10T83/444; Y10T83/463; Y10T83/546; Y10T83/647; Y10T83/6472; Y10T83/664; Y10T83/6644; Y10T83/727; Y10T83/739; Y10T83/741; Y10T83/743; Y10T83/748
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
225 words
Apparatus for cutting cards from a web, comprising, in combination, punch means and a die means disposed at a punch station, means for advancing the free end of the web to the punch station, oppositely arranged guide members at the station for supporting the web adjacent its lateral edges during operation of the advancing means, means for moving the punch means relative to the die means to punch out a card from the web by making continuous transverse cookie-cutter-like cuts along at least two oppositely arranged edges simultaneously upon completion of the operation of the advancing means, means responsive to the movement of said punch means during a punching stroke to spread said guide members out of the way of the punch means, said punch means having a plurality of ports opening through its punching face, means for supplying suction to the ports during the initial phase of the punching stroke to adhere the web to the punch means just before it pushes the web through the die means and to hold the web in position as the guide members are spread, and means forming part of said movement responsive means to spread one of the movable guides from one side of the web after the other movable guide to allow the suction applied through said ports adequate time to capture and register the web.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
225 words
Apparatus for cutting cards from a web, comprising, in combination, punch means and a die means disposed at a punch station, means for advancing the free end of the web to the punch station, oppositely arranged guide members at the station for supporting the web adjacent its lateral edges during operation of the advancing means, means for moving the punch means relative to the die means to punch out a card from the web by making continuous transverse cookie-cutter-like cuts along at least two oppositely arranged edges simultaneously upon completion of the operation of the advancing means, means responsive to the movement of said punch means during a punching stroke to spread said guide members out of the way of the punch means, said punch means having a plurality of ports opening through its punching face, means for supplying suction to the ports during the initial phase of the punching stroke to adhere the web to the punch means just before it pushes the web through the die means and to hold the web in position as the guide members are spread, and means forming part of said movement responsive means to spread one of the movable guides from one side of the web after the other movable guide to allow the suction applied through said ports adequate time to capture and register the web.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including means to supply fluid under pressure to said ports sequentially in the final phase of a punching stroke to blow the cut card off the punch means one edge first.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the web is coated on one side, as with a magnetic recording surface, the guide members provide facing channels that overlap the lateral edges of the web a very slight distance to minimize damage to the coating, and the opposite side of the web is attracted to and registers against the punch means during the initial phase of the punching stroke.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continuous transverse cuts are along what will define the leading and trailing edges of the card, and a scrap strip is provided between the leading edge of the web and the leading edge of the caRd as cut, and including a receptacle adjacent one edge of the die means for receiving the scrap strip, and means operative during the final phase of the punching stroke for blowing the scrap strip into the receptacle and diverting it away from the card.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continuous transverse cuts are along what will define the leading and trailing edges of the card, and a scrap strip is provided between the leading edge of the web and the leading edge of the card as cut, and including a receptacle adjacent one edge of the die means for receiving the scrap strip, a conveyor below the die means for receiving the card when cut, and means operative during the final phase of the punching stroke for blowing the scrap strip into the receptacle and diverting it away from the card and blowing the card toward the conveyor, and the lateral edges of the card being defined by the preselected width of the web.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including fixed guide members just upstream of the punch station for supporting the web upon spreading of the movable guide members during a punching stroke.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one side of the web is coated with a medium that is readily damaged, and said advancing means comprises a rubber-coated roll spring loaded against a steel roll to provide a resilient yieldable nip through which the web is advanced without damage to the coating, at least one of said rolls being driven, and a pair of parallel plates interposed in the web path between said rolls and the punch station and vertically spaced apart a distance greater than the web thickness, each of said plates loosely retaining at least one longitudinally extending row of spaced stainless steel balls, the balls having their center lines aligned, the row of balls in the uppermost plate resting by their own weight on the uncoated side of the web.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |