Self-activating cutter for strip material

Claim 2

In a device for handling and cutting a continuous strip of material comprising means defining a predetermined path of movement for the strip of material from a supply source to a discharge slot, said means including a continuously rotating element arranged in the path upstream from the slot for advancing material into the slot and advancing means arranged in the path upstream from the element and adjustable between a holding condition in which it holds the material and an advancing condition in which it advances the material into engagement with the rotating element, the improvement comprising: means arranged between the advancing means and the rotating element for guiding the strip of material through a loop to the element and including means for sensing a reduction in the size of the loop caused by continued rotation of the rotating element when the advancing means is in its holding condition; means mounted between the advancing means and the adjacent one end of the guiding means and movable between an inoperative position and a position for engaging and cutting the strip of material transversely of its direction of movement; and means responsive to said sensing means for moving the cutting means into the cutting position when the size of the loop of material is reduced.

Claim 3

In a device for handling and cutting a continuous strip of material comprising means defining a predetermined path of movement for the strip of material from a supply source to a discharge slot, said means including a continuously rotating element arranged in the path upstream from the slot and means arranged in the path upstream from the rotating element and engaging the strip of material for advancing the latter into engagement with the rotating element, the improvement comprising: means arranged between the advancing means and the rotating element for guiding the strip of material to the rotating element and having a part thereof movable into a generally collapsed position by a decrease in the length of the strip of material between the advancing means and the rotating element; means mounted between the advancing means and the guiding means and movable between an inoperative position and a position for cutting the strip of material transversely of its direction of movement; and means coupling the movable part of the guiding means to the cutting means for moving the latter into the cutting position, when the strip of material is held by the advancing means and at least the leading edge thereof is in contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating element for continued movement thereby, whereby the reduction in length of the strip of material within the guiding means causes the movable part to move the cutting means so as to cut the strip of material.

Claim 4

In a device for handling and cutting a continuous strip of material comprising means defining a predetermined path of movement for the strip of material from a supply source to a discharge slot, said means including a continuously rotating element arranged in the path upstream from the slot and means arranged in the path upstream from the rotating element and engaging the strip of material for advancing the latter into engagement with the rotating element, the improvement comprising: means arranged between the advancing means and the rotating element for guiding the strip of material to the rotating element and having a part thereof movable into a generally collapsed position by a decrease in the length of the strip of material between the advancing means and the rotating element; means mounted between the advancing means and the guiding means and movable between an inoperative position and a position for cutting the strip of material transversely of its direction of movement; and means coupling the movable part of the guiding means to the cutting means for moving the latter into the cutting position, when the strip of material is held by the advancing means and at least the leading edge thereof is in contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating element for continued movement thereby, whereby the reduction in length of the strip of material within the guiding means causes the movable part to move the cutting means so as to cut the strip of material.

Claim 5

The device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the rotating element comprises a drum and a resiliently biased member extending partially around the drum for maintaining the strip of material in contact with the drum while being advanced thereby.

Claim 6

The device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the guiding means comprises a fixed member on one side of the strip of material and extending between the advancing means and the peripheral surface of the rotating element and a movable member on the other side of the strip of material comprising a number of pivotally interconnected sections movable into the collapsed position.

Claim 7

The device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the cutting means comprises a pivotal support and a cutting blade carried by the support.

Claim 8

The device in accordance with claim 5 wherein the coupling means comprises at least one link member interconnecting the pivotal support to one of the interconnected sections.

Claim 9

The device in accordance with claim 2 including means actuated by the cutting means upon movement into the cutting position for engaging and holding the advancing means against movement.

Claim 10

In a device for handling and cutting a continuous strip of photothermographic material comprising means defining a path of movement for the strip of material from a supply source, through an exposure station and a processing station to a discharge slot, said means including a continuously rotatable drum arranged between the exposure station and the discharge slot and means arranged between the exposure station and the drum for advancing an exposed area of the strip of material to move the area out of the exposure station and into engagement with the drum and for holding the strip of material when the trailing edge of the exposed area has been advanced past the advancing means, the improvement comprising: means arranged between the advancing means and the drum for guiding the strip of material into engagement with the peripheral surface of the drum and comprising a rigid, fixed member and a number of intermediate sections forming with the fixed member a passageway through which the strip of material is moved, the sections being movable into a collapsed position by the strip of material as the latter is held by the advancing means and is continued to be moved by the drum to effectively decrease the length of the strip of material between the advancing means and the drum; means mounted between the advancing means and the end of the guiding means and movable between an inoperative position and a position for cutting the strip of material transversely of its direction of movement; and linkage means coupling one of the intermediate sections and the cutting means for moving the latter into the cutting position as the sections move into the collapsed position, thereby separating the exposed area from the strip of material.

Claim 11

In a device for handling and cutting a continuous strip of photothermographic material comprising means defining a path of movement for the strip of material from a supply source, through an exposure station and a processing station to a discharge slot, said means including a continuously rotatable drum arranged between the exposure station and the discharge slot and means arranged between the exposure station and the drum for advancing an exposed area of the strip of material to move the area out of the exposure station and into engagement with the drum and for holding the strip of material when the trailing edge of the exposed area has been advanced past the advancing means, the improvement comprising: means arranged between the advancing means and the drum for guiding the strip of material into engagement with the peripheral surface of the drum and comprising a rigid, fixed member and a number of intermediate sections forming with the fixed member a passageway through which the strip of material is moved, the sections being movable into a collapsed position by the strip of material as the latter is held by the advancing means and is continued to be moved by the drum to effectively decrease the length of the strip of material between the advancing means and the drum; means mounted between the advancing means and the end of the guiding means and movable between an inoperative position and a position for cutting the strip of material transversely of its direction of movement; and linkage means coupling one of the intermediate sections and the cutting means for moving the latter into the cutting position as the sections move into the collapsed position, thereby separating the exposed area from the strip of material.

Claim 12

The device in accordance with claim 8 wherein the sections are interconnected for pivotal movement away from the fixed member with the continuous decrease in the length of the strip of material in the passageway.

Claim 13

The device in accordance with claim 8 wherein the cutting means includes a blade having a toothed edge for penetrating the strip of material prior to cutting thereof.

Claim 14

The device in accordance with claim 10 wherein the blade is provided with a number of pairs of adjacent teeth, each pair of teeth having one tooth that engages the strip of material to effect a partial cutting before engagement of the strip of material by the other tooth.

Claim 15

The device in accordance with claim 8 wherein the linkage means comprises a pair of spaced link members, each link member having one end fixed to the cutting means and the other end providing a lost-motion conNection with one of the sections.

Claim 16

The device in accordance with claim 8 wherein the intermediate sections comprise three in number, the first section having one end pivotally fixed adjacent the advancing means, the third section having one end pivotally fixed adjacent the drum, and the second section being pivotally connected at its ends to the free ends of the first and third section, whereby the sections are foldable relative to each other in the collapsed position.

Claim 17

The device in accordance with claim 13 wherein the linkage means couples the cutting means to the first section of the guiding means.

Claim 18

The device in accordance with claim 8 including means actuated by the cutting means upon movement into the cutting position for engaging and holding the advancing means against movement.

Claim 19

The device in accordance with claim 15 wherein the cutting means is resiliently biased into the inoperative position wherein it maintains the guiding means in its uncollapsed position and the engaging and holding means in a position disengaged from the advancing means.