US3728918A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotatable panel cutter
Assignee: FL Smithe Machine Co Inc
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Filing: 1970-11-09
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Granted: 1973-04-24
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Expires: 1990-11-09
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material that includes a cylindrical anvil roller rotatably supported on a bridge member. A die shaft is rotatably supported on a frame member and positioned below the anvil roller. The die shaft has one or more cutting dies or knives mounted on its periphery and a semi-cylindrical vacuum bar. The vacuum bar is positioned in spaced relation to the cutting dies and is arranged to engage different sized blanks of sheet material. The cutting dies may be positioned at various locations on the die shaft to simultaneously form panels of various sizes at various locations on the blank of sheet material. A first valve member is provided adjacent one end of the die shaft to impart a negative pressure or vacuum through longitudinal openings in the vacuum bar so that the blank of sheet material is engaged to the vacuum bar and conveyed between the dies and anvil roller positioned thereabove. A combination valve is secured adjacent the opposite end of the die shaft and is arranged to impart a negative pressure to the cutting dies while the panel is being severed from the blank and to apply a positive pressure and remove the panels severed from the blank. The anvil roller is arranged to rotate with the die shaft in the same direction as the die shaft or in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the die shaft. Other elements are provided to control the peripheral speed of the anvil roller and provide a differential rate of rotation between the anvil roller and the die shaft. The vacuum bar has a plurality of spaced openings that are adapted to engage different sized blanks of sheet material. The openings not employed to engage a particular sized sheet are covered with a tape material during operation of the apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 H Helm
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 22:12
CPC Classifications
B; B31; B31B; B31B50/00; B31B70/00; B31B70/14; B31B70/148; B31B50/74; B31B50/81; B31B50/82; B31B50/83; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/04; Y10T83/0405; Y10T83/0443; Y10T83/0515; Y10T83/202; Y10T83/2066; Y10T83/465; Y10T83/4766; Y10T83/4795; Y10T83/483; Y10T83/4838
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, a die shaft rotatably supported in a frame member, panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, sheet engaging means mounted on said die shaft in spaced peripheral relation to said panel cutting means, an anvil roller rotatably supported in said frame member in spaced parallel relation to said die shaft, drive means to rotate said die shaft and convey said blanks of sheet material on said die shaft by said sheet engaging means between said panel cutting means and said anvil roller to cut said panel from said blank of sheet material, and friction means to engage said rotatable anvil roller and limit the rotation of said anvil roller relative to said die shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, a die shaft rotatably supported in a frame member, panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, sheet engaging means mounted on said die shaft in spaced peripheral relation to said panel cutting means, an anvil roller rotatably supported in said frame member in spaced parallel relation to said die shaft, drive means to rotate said die shaft and convey said blanks of sheet material on said die shaft by said sheet engaging means between said panel cutting means and said anvil roller to cut said panel from said blank of sheet material, and friction means to engage said rotatable anvil roller and limit the rotation of said anvil roller relative to said die shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
192 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, a die shaft rotatably supported in a frame member, panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, a semi-cylindrical vacuum sheet engaging means mounted on said die shaft for rotation therewith and in spaced relation to said panel cutting means, said sheet engaging means having a plurality of rows of spaced apertures in the outer surface thereof arranged to engage blanks of sheet material of different size by means of a negative pressure in said apertures, a valve member mounted on said die shaft and arranged to provide negative pressure to said apertures in said sheet engaging means during preselected degrees of rotation of said die shaft, anvil means positioned in spaced relation to said die shaft and arranged to provide a backing member for said panel cutting means during the cutting of panels from said blanks of sheet material, and means to rotate said die shaft and convey said blanks of sheet material by said sheet engaging means on said die shaft between said panel cutting means and said anvil means to cut said panels from said blank of sheet material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
192 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, a die shaft rotatably supported in a frame member, panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, a semi-cylindrical vacuum sheet engaging means mounted on said die shaft for rotation therewith and in spaced relation to said panel cutting means, said sheet engaging means having a plurality of rows of spaced apertures in the outer surface thereof arranged to engage blanks of sheet material of different size by means of a negative pressure in said apertures, a valve member mounted on said die shaft and arranged to provide negative pressure to said apertures in said sheet engaging means during preselected degrees of rotation of said die shaft, anvil means positioned in spaced relation to said die shaft and arranged to provide a backing member for said panel cutting means during the cutting of panels from said blanks of sheet material, and means to rotate said die shaft and convey said blanks of sheet material by said sheet engaging means on said die shaft between said panel cutting means and said anvil means to cut said panels from said blank of sheet material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 2 in which, said first valve member includes an annular rotor secured to and rotatable with said die shaft and a stator member coaxially positioned on said die shaft in nonrotatable relation thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 2 which includes, a second valve member coaxially positioned on said die shaft to provide positive and negative pressure to said panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft during preselected degrees of rotation of said die shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 2 in which said anvil means includes, an anvil roller rotatably supported in said frame member in spaced parallel relation to said die shaft.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, selectively closing a plurality of apertures on the surface of sheet engaging means mounted on a die shaft and retaining open a selected plurality of apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means, engaging a portion of the blank of sheet material to said sheet engaging means by a negative pressure through open apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means, engaging a second portion of said blank of sheet material to a panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, rotating said die shaft and conveying said blank of sheet material between said die shaft and an anvil means positioned in spaced relation to said die shaft, cutting said panel from said blank of sheet material between said panel cutting means and said anvil means, thereafter terminating the negative pressure through said open opertures on the surface of said sheet engagiNg means to disengage the first portion of said blank of sheet material from said die shaft, and removing said panel from said panel cutting means.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material comprising, selectively closing a plurality of apertures on the surface of sheet engaging means mounted on a die shaft and retaining open a selected plurality of apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means, engaging a portion of the blank of sheet material to said sheet engaging means by a negative pressure through open apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means, engaging a second portion of said blank of sheet material to a panel cutting means mounted on said die shaft, rotating said die shaft and conveying said blank of sheet material between said die shaft and an anvil means positioned in spaced relation to said die shaft, cutting said panel from said blank of sheet material between said panel cutting means and said anvil means, thereafter terminating the negative pressure through said open opertures on the surface of said sheet engagiNg means to disengage the first portion of said blank of sheet material from said die shaft, and removing said panel from said panel cutting means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 6 which includes, applying pressure-sensitive tape to portions of the surface of said sheet engaging means to close preselected apertures in said sheet engaging means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 6 which includes, rotating said anvil means with said die shaft in timed relation thereto while cutting said panel from said blank of sheet material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 2 in which said sheet engaging means includes, a semi-cylindrical vacuum bar secured to said die shaft, said vacuum bar having a plurality of spaced longitudinal passageways therein, said passageways connected through said valve member to a source of negative pressure through a preselected portion of each revolution of said die shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 9 which includes, a semi-cylindrical plate positioned in overlying relation with said vacuum bar and secured thereto, said plurality of rows of apertures extending longitudinally on said plate, said apertures positioned in overlying relation with said longitudinal passageways in said vacuum bar.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 4 in which, said second valve member includes an annular rotor secured to and rotatable with said die shaft and a stator member coaxially positioned on said die shaft in nonrotatable relation thereto.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 6 which includes, opening certain of said apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means and selectively closing certain of said apertures on the surface of said sheet engaging means to thereby engage a different sized blank of sheet material on said sheet engaging means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 4 in which said panel cutting means includes, an annular die holder coaxially secured to said die shaft, said annular die holder having a plurality of longitudinal passageways therethrough spaced circumferentially around said die shaft, said annular die holder outer surface having openings therein connected to said longitudinal passageways, means to connect one or more cutting dies to the outer surface of said annular die holder in overlying relation with circular longitudinal passageways in said annular die holder.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus for cutting panels from blanks of sheet material as set forth in claim 13 which includes a second valve member coaxially positioned on said die shaft to provide positive and negative pressure to said longitudinal passageways in said annular die holder during preselected degrees of rotation of said die shaft, and means to selectively connect said second valve member to said longitudinal passageways.
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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) | 1976-04-23 | 1976-10-23 | 1977-04-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-23 | 1980-10-23 | 1981-04-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-23 | 1984-10-23 | 1985-04-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |