Apparatus for cutting and stacking of photographic films or the like

Claim 2

Apparatus for cutting and arraying sections of webs of photographic film or the like which have a predetermined width and exhibit a tendency to curl upwardly or downwardly when located in a horizontal plane, comprising a support; advancing means mounted in said support and arranged to normally transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; and a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber for accumulation of stacks of superimposed sections therein, said chamber having an elongated open side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks therefrom and said stacking device including means for confining the sections in said chamber from below as well as from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl, at least a portion of said confining means having a width which is less than said predetermined width so that a stack in said chamber extends laterally beyond said portion of said confining means in the region of said open side of said chamber.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for confining comprises top and bottom walls respectively flanking said chamber from above and from below and respectively having upwardly and downwardly flaring inlet portions for convenient entry of successively severed web sections into said chamber.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said inlet portions have smooth web-guiding surfaces.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising yieldable abutment means extending into said chamber to normally arrest the forward progress of web sections in said stacking device.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, further comprising mounting means adjustably securing said abutment means to said stacking device so that the position of said abutment means can be changed lengthwise of the path of web sections in said chamber.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising conveyor means interposed between said devices and arranged to transport successively severed web sections into said chamber.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said conveyor means comprises at least one pair of driven endless bands having section-engaging stretches flanking the opposite sides of a portion of said path, said stretches defining a gap having a width which at least equals the thickness of a web.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said stretches have surfaces with a high coefficient of friction.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the speed of said conveyor means exceeds the speeD of said advancing means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said advancing means is located upstream of said severing device and the speed of said conveyor means exceeds the speed of said advancing means by 30-40 percent.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said conveyor means comprises at least one pair of endless bands having web-engaging stretches which define an elongated gap, said gap having an inlet portion in register with said path and an outlet portion which is offset with reference to said inlet portion.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said conveyor means comprises at least one pair of narrow endless bands disposed at the opposite sides of a portion of said path and arranged to engage a marginal portion of each of a series of successively severed web sections.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a receptacle for a supply of stack-receiving containers, said receptacle being adjacent to said open side of said chamber.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said receptacle forms part of a conveyor.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for confining comprises top and bottom walls respectively flanking said chamber from above and from below, at least one of said walls having at least one cutout which is overlapped by the sections in said chamber to thus afford access to the stack in said chamber, that portion of said one wall which is provided with said cutout constituting said portion of said confining means.

Claim 17

Apparatus for cutting and arraying section of webs of photographic film or the like which have a predetermined width and exhibit a tendency to curl upwardly or downwardly when located in a horizontal plane, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; and a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber for accumulation of stacks of superimposed sections therein, said chamber having an open first side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks from said chamber and a second side located opposite said open first side, said stacking device having walls for confining the sections in said chamber from below and from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl and means for confining the sections along said second side of said chamber, at least a portion of at least one of said walls having a width which is less than said predetermined width so that a portion of a stack of sections in said chamber is exposed for convenient withdrawal of the stack through said open side of said chamber.

Claim 18

Apparatus for cutting and arraying section of webs of photographic film or the like which have a predetermined width and exhibit a tendency to curl upwardly or downwardly when located in a horizontal plane, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; and a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber for accumulation of stacks of superimposed sections therein, said chamber having an open first side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks from said chamber and a second side located opposite said open first side, said stacking device having walls for confining the sections in said chamber from below and from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl and means for confining the sections along said second side of said chamber, at least a portion of at least one of said walls having a width which is less than said predetermined width so that a portion of a stack of sections in said chamber is exposed for convenient withdrawal of the stack through said open side of said chamber.

Claim 19

Apparatus for cutting and arraying sections of webs of photographic film or the like which exhibit a tendency to curl upwardly or downwardly when located in a horizontal plane, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to normally transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; and a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber for accumulation of stacks of superimposed sections therein, said chamber having an open side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks therefrom and said stacking device including means for confining the sections in said chamber from below as well as from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl, said means for confining comprising top and bottom walls respectively flaNking said chamber from above and from below and said walls having surfaces facing said chamber and provided with layers of friction generating material.

Claim 20

Apparatus for cutting and arraying sections of webs of photographic film or the like which exhibit a tendency to curl upwardly or downwardly when located in a horizontal plane, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to normally transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; and a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber for accumulation of stacks of superimposed sections therein, said chamber having an open side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks therefrom and said stacking device including means for confining the sections in said chamber from below as well as from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl, said means for confining comprising top and bottom walls respectively flaNking said chamber from above and from below and said walls having surfaces facing said chamber and provided with layers of friction generating material.

Claim 21

Apparatus for cutting and arraying sections of webs of photographic film or the like which exhibit a tendency to curl, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to normally transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber having an open side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks therefrom and said stacking device including means for confining the sections in said chamber from below as well as from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl; conveyor means located between said severing device and said stacking device to transport successively severed web sections into said chamber, said conveyor means comprising a pair of endless bands having web-engaging stretches which define an elongated gap for the passage of successively severed web sections between said bands and into said chamber; and an idler wheel extending into that end of said gap which is remote from said severing device to influence the positions of the leaders of web sections during entry into said chamber.

Claim 22

Apparatus for cutting and arraying sections of webs of photographic film or the like which exhibit a tendency to curl, comprising a support; advancing means mounted on said support and arranged to normally transport a succession of webs lengthwise in stepwise fashion along a predetermined path; a severing device adjacent to said path and being actuatable to sever and to thus subdivide the webs into a series of sections during intervals between successive advances of the webs; a stacking device located downstream of said severing device and defining an elongated chamber having an open side extending lengthwise thereof to allow for withdrawal of stacks therefrom and said stacking device including means for confining the sections in said chamber from below as well as from above to thereby counteract the tendency of sections in said chamber to curl; conveyor means located between said severing device and said stacking device to transport successively severed web sections into said chamber, said conveyor means comprising a pair of endless bands having web-engaging stretches which define an elongated gap for the passage of successively severed web sections between said bands and into said chamber; and an idler wheel extending into that end of said gap which is remote from said severing device to influence the positions of the leaders of web sections during entry into said chamber.