Strip shearing and joining method and apparatus

Claim 1

A strip clamping and joining apparatus, comprising: a frame bed for passage of strip material thereover, joining means mounted with respect to said frame bed for joining the trailing end of one strip to the leading end of another strip, first and second clamping means mounted on said frame bed, respectively, for clamping the strips in relative fixed position, and means for automatically moving said joining means during operation of the latter to join such strip ends, said means for automatically moving comprising motor means for producing a mechanical output, drive means driven by said motor means for providing linear motion in a direction substantially parallel to the linear extent of the aligned clamped strip ends, carriage means for moving said joining means relative to such aligned clamped strip ends to join the same, and means for coupling said drive means and said carriage means, whereby said drive means may move said carriage means upon being connected thereto by said means for coupling, said drive means comprising a belt continuously driven by said motor means, and said means for coupling said drive means and said carriage means comprising a clamping arm on said carriage means, and means for moving said clamping arm into and out of clamping engagement with said belt.

Claim 5

A method of joining the trailing end of a first strip with respect to the leading end of a second strip utilizing upstream and downstream clamping means each including an upper fixed clamp bar and a lower vertically movable clamp bar for clamping and locating the strip ends at a strip joining position comprising the steps of moving the lower clamp bars vertically downwardly away from the upper clamp bars to provide a clearance space therebetween for relatively unimpeded passage of the strips through the clamping means and for locating the trailing end of the first strip at a shearing station upstream of the upstream clamping means, actuating at least one of said clamping means to clamp the first strip during shearing, shearing the trailing end of the first strip upstream of the clamping means, releasing said clamping means, positioning the trailing end of the first strip downstream of the upstream clamping means, the vertically movable clamp bar of at least the upstream clamping means including stop means movable vertically upwardly into the clearance space at least partially to block the same for locating the trailing end of the first strip brought into abutment therewith in alignment with strip joining means, moving the stop means vertically upwardly into such clearance space, moving the trailing end of the first strip in an upstream direction into engagement with the stop means, clamping the first strip by vertical upward movement of the downstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, withdrawing the stop means vertically downwardly from the clearance space, shearing the leading end of the second strip upstream of the clamping means, moving the leading end of the second strip in a downstream direction through the clearance space between the clamp bars of the upstream clamping means and into abutment with the clamped trailing end of the first strip, clamping the second strip by vertical upward movement of the upstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, and thereafter joining the strip ends together.

Claim 6

A method of joining the trailing end of a first strip with respect to the leading end of a second strip utilizing upstream and downstream clamping means each including an upper fixed clamp bar and a lower vertically movable clamp bar for clamping and locating the strip ends at a strip joining position comprising the steps of moving the lower clamp bars vertically downwardly away from the upper clamp bars to provide a clearance space therebetween for relatively unimpeded passage of the strips through the clamping means and for locating the trailing end of the first strip at a shearing station upstream of the upstream clamping means, actuating at least one of said clamping means to clamp the first strip during shearing, shearing the trailing end of the first strip upstream of the clamping means, releasing said clamping means, positioning the trailing end of the first strip downstream of the upstream clamping means, the vertically movable clamp bar of at least the upstream clamping means including stop means movable vertically upwardly into the clearance space at least partially to block the same for locating the trailing end of the first strip brought into abutment therewith in alignment with strip joining means, moving the stop means vertically upwardly into such clearance space, moving the trailing end of the first strip in an upstream direction into engagement with the stop means, clamping the first strip by vertical upward movement of the downstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, withdrawing the stop means vertically downwardly from the clearance space, shearing the leading end of the second strip upstream of the clamping means, moving the leading end of the second strip in a downstream direction through the clearance space between the clamp bars of the upstream clamping means and into abutment with the clamped trailing end of the first strip, clamping the second strip by vertical upward movement of the upstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, and thereafter joining the strip ends together.

Claim 8

A method of joining the trailing end of a first strip with respect to the leading end of a second strip utilizing upstream and downstream clamping means each including an upper fixed clamp bar and a lower vertically movable clamp bar for clamping and locating the strip ends at a strip joining position comprising the steps of moving the lower clamp bars vertically downwardly away from the upper clamp bars to provide a clearance space therebetween for relatively unimpeded passage of the strips through the clamping means, positioning the trailing end of the first strip downstream of the upstream clamping means, the vertically movable clamp bar of at least the upstream clamping means including stop means movable vertically upwardly into the clearance space at least partially to block the same for locating the trailing end of the first strip brought into abutment therewith in alignment with strip joining means, moving the stop means vertically upwardly into such clearance space, moving the trailing end of the first strip in an upstream direction into engagement with the stop means, clamping the first strip by vertical upward movement of the downstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, withdrawing the stop means vertically downwardly from the clearance space, moving the leading end of the second strip in a downstream direction through the clearance space between the clamp bars of the upstream clamping means and into abutment with the clamped trailing end of the first strip, clamping the second strip by vertical upward movement of the upstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, and thereafter joining the strip ends together.

Claim 9

A method of joining the trailing end of a first strip with respect to the leading end of a second strip utilizing upstream and downstream clamping means each including an upper fixed clamp bar and a lower vertically movable clamp bar for clamping and locating the strip ends at a strip joining position comprising the steps of moving the lower clamp bars vertically downwardly away from the upper clamp bars to provide a clearance space therebetween for relatively unimpeded passage of the strips through the clamping means, positioning the trailing end of the first strip downstream of the upstream clamping means, the vertically movable clamp bar of at least the upstream clamping means including stop means movable vertically upwardly into the clearance space at least partially to block the same for locating the trailing end of the first strip brought into abutment therewith in alignment with strip joining means, moving the stop means vertically upwardly into such clearance space, moving the trailing end of the first strip in an upstream direction into engagement with the stop means, clamping the first strip by vertical upward movement of the downstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, withdrawing the stop means vertically downwardly from the clearance space, moving the leading end of the second strip in a downstream direction through the clearance space between the clamp bars of the upstream clamping means and into abutment with the clamped trailing end of the first strip, clamping the second strip by vertical upward movement of the upstream lower vertically movable clamp bar, and thereafter joining the strip ends together.