Belt loop trimming apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for forming belt loops from an elongated loop string having a backing material and with shorter lengths of cloth wrapped about the exterior of the backing material and forming splices between adjacent lengths of cloth, the apparatus comprising in combination: an input portion comprising a dancer roller engaging said loop string, said dancer roller being movably mounted to form a loop in said loop string, an idler roller engaging loop string extending from said dancer roller, means sensing the position of said dancer roller whereby the amount of material stored in said input portion can be regulated; and a metering and trim portion positioned to receive the loop string exiting said input portion and operatively associated with said means for sensing the position of said dancer roller to disengage said metering and trim portion when the amount of loop string stored in said input portion is less than a set minimum, said metering and trim portion having a pair of driven rollers engaging said loop string and being connected together by an endless belt, a tension roller compressing said loop string against the second of said driven rollers, said second driven roller being operatively connected to a metering drive motor through a clutch/brake whereby said metering drive motor may be disconnected from said second driven roller and the rotation of the roller terminated, a rotary encoder connected to said second driven roller to generate pulses as said second driven roller rotates, a cutting apparatus comprising a fixed knife blade adjacent to the path of said loop string and a movable knife blade selectively movable to engage said fixed knife blade and shear said loop string, an actuator cylinder operatively associated with said movable knife blade which, when actuated, moves said knife blade to shear said loop string, said cylinder being operatively associated with said rotary encoder and said clutch/brake to shear said loop string at predetermined lengths required by said belt loops, a foot positioned adjacent the path of said loop string between said first and second driven rollers, a lamp/photosensor positioned adjacent said foot for directing a beam of light onto and for receiving light reflected from the surface of said foot, said foot being positioned so that splices in said loop string will engage said foot and interrupt the light beam, means operatively associated with said lamp/photosensor to retract said foot upon the presence of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter actuator cylinder to sever said loop string at a point adjacent the splice in said loop string, and a deflector positioned adjacent said cutter for deflecting and sorting said splices from said precut belt loop lengths.

Claim 2

An apparatus for forming belt loops from an elongated loop string having a backing material and with shorter lengths of cloth wrapped about the exterior of the backing material and forming splices between adjacent lengths of cloth, the apparatus comprising in combination: an input portion comprising a dancer roller engaging said loop string, said dancer roller being movably mounted to form a loop in said loop string, an idler roller engaging loop string extending from said dancer roller, means sensing the position of said dancer roller whereby the amount of material stored in said input portion can be regulated; and a metering and trim portion positioned to receive the loop string exiting said input portion and operatively associated with said means for sensing the position of said dancer roller to disengage said metering and trim portion when the amount of loop string stored in said input portion is less than a set minimum, said metering and trim portion having a pair of driven rollers engaging said loop string and being connected together by an endless belt, a tension roller compressing said loop string against the second of said driven rollers, said second driven roller being operatively connected to a metering drive motor through a clutch/brake whereby said metering drive motor may be disconnected from said second driven roller and the rotation of the roller terminated, a rotary encoder connected to said second driven roller to generate pulses as said second driven roller rotates, a cutting apparatus comprising a fixed knife blade adjacent to the path of said loop string and a movable knife blade selectively movable to engage said fixed knife blade and shear said loop string, an actuator cylinder operatively associated with said movable knife blade which, when actuated, moves said knife blade to shear said loop string, said cylinder being operatively associated with said rotary encoder and said clutch/brake to shear said loop string at predetermined lengths required by said belt loops, a foot positioned adjacent the path of said loop string between said first and second driven rollers, a lamp/photosensor positioned adjacent said foot for directing a beam of light onto and for receiving light reflected from the surface of said foot, said foot being positioned so that splices in said loop string will engage said foot and interrupt the light beam, means operatively associated with said lamp/photosensor to retract said foot upon the presence of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter actuator cylinder to sever said loop string at a point adjacent the splice in said loop string, and a deflector positioned adjacent said cutter for deflecting and sorting said splices from said precut belt loop lengths.

Claim 3

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string having a material splice therein comprising in combination: feed means for feeding said loop string through said apparatus; a cutter positioned adjacent the path of said loop string for selectively cutting said loop string; means for measuring movement of said loop string through said feed means and for selectively operating said cutter to cut belt loop lengths from said loop string; means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter to remove the portion of said loop string containing said splice therefrom; said means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string comprising: a foot extending adjacent to the path of the loop string and positioned whereby said foot will extend under the spliced material in said loop string; and a lamp/photosensor means positioned to direct light onto and to receive light reflected from said foot whereby said light path is interrupted when said foot extends under said spliced material.

Claim 4

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string having a material splice therein comprising in combination: feed means for feeding said loop string through said apparatus; a cutter positioned adjacent the path of said loop string for selectively cutting said loop string; means for measuring movement of said loop string through said feed means and for selectively operating said cutter to cut belt loop lengths from said loop string; means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter to remove the portion of said loop string containing said splice therefrom; said means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string comprising: a foot extending adjacent to the path of the loop string and positioned whereby said foot will extend under the spliced material in said loop string; and a lamp/photosensor means positioned to direct light onto and to receive light reflected from said foot whereby said light path is interrupted when said foot extends under said spliced material.

Claim 10

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string having splices therein comprising in combination: feed means for feeding said loop string through said apparatus; a cutter positioned adjacent the path of said loop string for selectively cutting sections from said loop string; means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter to cut the portion of said loop string containing said splice therefrom; said means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string comprising: a foot extending adjacent to the path of the loop string and positioned whereby said foot will extend under the splice of material in said loop string; and a photosensor means positioned to receive light reflected from said foot whereby said light path is interrupted when said splice material contacts said foot.

Claim 11

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string having splices therein comprising in combination: feed means for feeding said loop string through said apparatus; a cutter positioned adjacent the path of said loop string for selectively cutting sections from said loop string; means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string and for operating said cutter to cut the portion of said loop string containing said splice therefrom; said means for sensing the position of a splice in said loop string comprising: a foot extending adjacent to the path of the loop string and positioned whereby said foot will extend under the splice of material in said loop string; and a photosensor means positioned to receive light reflected from said foot whereby said light path is interrupted when said splice material contacts said foot.

Claim 16

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string comprising: feed means for feeding said loop string along a prescribed path, a cutter disposed adjacent said path for selectively cutting said loop string, encoder means for generating pulses representative of the movement of said loop string along said path, a loop counter containing a preset count and responsive to said pulses for counting, circuitry responsive to a predetermined count within said loop counter for operating said cutter to cut a belt loop having a prescribed length, means for sensing a material splice in said loop string, a splice counter containing a preset count and responsive to said pulses for counting, said preset count beginning with the sensing of the material splice and ending with a predetermined count, circuitry responsive to said predetermined count within said splice counter for operating said cutter to cut said material splice from said loop string, circuitry responsive to a second predetermined count in said splice counter for resetting said loop counter in order to index said apparatus for proper cutting of additional belt loops.

Claim 17

An apparatus for cutting belt loops from an elongated loop string comprising: feed means for feeding said loop string along a prescribed path, a cutter disposed adjacent said path for selectively cutting said loop string, encoder means for generating pulses representative of the movement of said loop string along said path, a loop counter containing a preset count and responsive to said pulses for counting, circuitry responsive to a predetermined count within said loop counter for operating said cutter to cut a belt loop having a prescribed length, means for sensing a material splice in said loop string, a splice counter containing a preset count and responsive to said pulses for counting, said preset count beginning with the sensing of the material splice and ending with a predetermined count, circuitry responsive to said predetermined count within said splice counter for operating said cutter to cut said material splice from said loop string, circuitry responsive to a second predetermined count in said splice counter for resetting said loop counter in order to index said apparatus for proper cutting of additional belt loops.