Cutting apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for cutting uniform sized articles separated by transversed seals from a continuous strip, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel for supporting said strip at said transverse seals on the blades and with the pockets between the blades; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing the strip into uniform sized articles; and means comprising an arcuate hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel for holding the strip thereagainst in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cutting uniform sized articles separated by transversed seals from a continuous strip, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel for supporting said strip at said transverse seals on the blades and with the pockets between the blades; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing the strip into uniform sized articles; and means comprising an arcuate hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel for holding the strip thereagainst in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone.

Claim 3

An apparatus for cutting off packages from a strip having individual filled pouches formed therein and separated by transverse seals at opposite ends comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals equal to the separation of said transverse seals for receiving and moving said strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery; said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the seals of said strip and said strip is moved about said index wheel; and circumferentially spaced suction means on said cutting wheel and operable after the package has been severed from the strip for controlling the severed package and in its movement immediately after severence.

Claim 4

An apparatus for cutting off packages from a strip having individual filled pouches formed therein and separated by transverse seals at opposite ends comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals equal to the separation of said transverse seals for receiving and moving said strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery; said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the seals of said strip and said strip is moved about said index wheel; and circumferentially spaced suction means on said cutting wheel and operable after the package has been severed from the strip for controlling the severed package and in its movement immediately after severence.

Claim 5

An apparatus for severing packages from a continuous strip of transversely sealed packages, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel having elements for supporting said strip at said transverse seals; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing said strip at said transverse seals; transversely spaced pressure points on a leading side of each of said elements for engagement with opposite margins of the continuous strip; and means comprising a hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel and positioned for bearing on an outer side of the strip for holding the strip against said elements and against said pressure points thereby maintaining the packages in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone.

Claim 6

An apparatus for severing packages from a continuous strip of transversely sealed packages, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel having elements for supporting said strip at said transverse seals; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing said strip at said transverse seals; transversely spaced pressure points on a leading side of each of said elements for engagement with opposite margins of the continuous strip; and means comprising a hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel and positioned for bearing on an outer side of the strip for holding the strip against said elements and against said pressure points thereby maintaining the packages in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone.

Claim 7

An apparatus for cutting uniform sized articles from a continuous strip, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel for supporting said strip at said transverse seals; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing the strip into uniform sized articles; means comprising a hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel for holding the strip thereagainst and the pouches in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone; and biasing means operatively engaged against said hold down arm urging the arm into engagement with the strip and the strip against the indexing wheel.

Claim 8

An apparatus for cutting uniform sized articles from a continuous strip, the improvement comprising: a rotating indexing wheel for supporting said strip at said transverse seals; a ganged rotating slicer having a plurality of blades for intermeshing at a strip slicing zone with said indexing wheel and slicing the strip into uniform sized articles; means comprising a hold down arm mounted over said rotating indexing wheel for holding the strip thereagainst and the pouches in a centered position on the indexing wheel as the strip advances into the strip slicing zone; and biasing means operatively engaged against said hold down arm urging the arm into engagement with the strip and the strip against the indexing wheel.

Claim 9

An apparatus for cutting-off articles from a strip having spaced transverse areas to be severed comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals corresponding to the transverse area to be severed for receiving and carrying the strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery, said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the transverse areas of said strip as said strip is moved about said index wheel; captive means on the index wheel comprising pockets for entrapping a leading edge of the strip for restricting movement of the edge for controlled deposition of the article onto an article receiving surface while and after a trailing edge of the article is being severed from the strip; and circumferentially spaced suction means on the cutter wheel for retrieving the severed articles from each pocket and for releasing the severed articles in a controlled manner.

Claim 10

An apparatus for cutting-off articles from a strip having spaced transverse areas to be severed comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals corresponding to the transverse area to be severed for receiving and carrying the strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery, said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the transverse areas of said strip as said strip is moved about said index wheel; captive means on the index wheel comprising pockets for entrapping a leading edge of the strip for restricting movement of the edge for controlled deposition of the article onto an article receiving surface while and after a trailing edge of the article is being severed from the strip; and circumferentially spaced suction means on the cutter wheel for retrieving the severed articles from each pocket and for releasing the severed articles in a controlled manner.

Claim 11

An apparatus for cutting off articles from a strip having spaced transverse areas to be severed comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals corresponding to the transverse areas to be severed for receiving and carrying the strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery, said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the transverse areas of said strip as said strip is moved about said index wheel; captive means on the index wheel for entrapping a leading edge of the strip for restricting movement of the edge for controlled deposition of the article onto an article receiving surface while and after a trailing edge of the article is being severed from the strip; said captive means comprising channels defining captive pockets mounted on trailing sides of said bars with said channels having radially inner and outer channel legs projecting circumferentially of the bar with the radially outer channel leg being shorter than the radially inner channel leg; and means on the cutter wheel for pushing the leading edge of the strip over the radially outer channel leg into the associated captive pocket.

Claim 12

An apparatus for cutting off articles from a strip having spaced transverse areas to be severed comprising: an index wheel having bars positioned about its periphery at intervals corresponding to the transverse areas to be severed for receiving and carrying the strip; a cutting wheel having blades positioned about its periphery, said wheels being operably mounted and driven so that said blades move into slicing contact with the transverse areas of said strip as said strip is moved about said index wheel; captive means on the index wheel for entrapping a leading edge of the strip for restricting movement of the edge for controlled deposition of the article onto an article receiving surface while and after a trailing edge of the article is being severed from the strip; said captive means comprising channels defining captive pockets mounted on trailing sides of said bars with said channels having radially inner and outer channel legs projecting circumferentially of the bar with the radially outer channel leg being shorter than the radially inner channel leg; and means on the cutter wheel for pushing the leading edge of the strip over the radially outer channel leg into the associated captive pocket.

Claim 17

An apparatus for severing individual articles from a strip of interconnected articles, comprising: cutting means comprising a pair of cooperative cutters arranged to sever the strip at areas intermediate adjacent ones of the interconnected articles; and means on one of the cooperative cutters for capturing a leading one of the series of articles on the strip prior to a trailing edge of the leading article being severed and for controlling vertical movement of the package during and after cutting of the trailing edge to deposit severed articles flat onto an underlying surface with one side thereof oriented relative to similar sides of previously severed articles in a preselected manner, each of said cooperative cutters being mounted for rotation and including radially projecting, circumferentially spaced cutting blades arranged to intermesh with cutting blades formed on the other one of said cooperative cutters to slice the strip at areas intermediate adjacent ones of the interconnected articles, one of said cooperative cutters rotating at an essentially constant rotational speed, and the other of said cutters operating at a varying speed with a maximum speed being attained at approximately a position wherein said blades intermesh to slice the strip.

Claim 18

An apparatus for severing individual articles from a strip of interconnected articles, comprising: cutting means comprising a pair of cooperative cutters arranged to sever the strip at areas intermediate adjacent ones of the interconnected articles; and means on one of the cooperative cutters for capturing a leading one of the series of articles on the strip prior to a trailing edge of the leading article being severed and for controlling vertical movement of the package during and after cutting of the trailing edge to deposit severed articles flat onto an underlying surface with one side thereof oriented relative to similar sides of previously severed articles in a preselected manner, each of said cooperative cutters being mounted for rotation and including radially projecting, circumferentially spaced cutting blades arranged to intermesh with cutting blades formed on the other one of said cooperative cutters to slice the strip at areas intermediate adjacent ones of the interconnected articles, one of said cooperative cutters rotating at an essentially constant rotational speed, and the other of said cutters operating at a varying speed with a maximum speed being attained at approximately a position wherein said blades intermesh to slice the strip.