Abstract: A sheet diverter, adapted for cooperative association with a cutter in a pinless folder assembly for a high speed printing press, wherein a ribbon is cut into a plurality of signatures destined for serially deflected parallel collation from a diverter path through the sheet diverter to a desired one of a plurality of collation paths to systematize the order of the signatures into a selected array, is comprised of an oscillating diverter guide member reciprocating in a diverter plane having a component generally normal to the diverter path of a signature through the guide member, for directing the lateral disposition of the leading edge of the signature into engagement with a diverter member separating a plurality of collation paths, each having a throat for receiving a selected signature and merging to a confined course for guiding it, the diverter member including a diversion surface disposed in each of the throats lying at a diversion angle respecting the travel of the signature from the oscillating guide m

Abstract: A machine for automatically forming a placket on a garment, for example on a front of a child's shirt, makes use of a clamping and straightening apparatus which has a pair of clamp members which engage the garment piece along a segmented edge, straighten the edge and then transport the edge past a sewing machine which attaches a strip of lining material.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for splitting pieces of material (1) into smaller units for further handling, whereby the piece of material (1) is split-up into preferably sector formed units which are placed on a rotatable solid or ringformed plate (10) built up from several sector shaped carrier discs (11) mounted in a pulling and guiding chain, and whereby the rotatable plate (10) upon actuation from the chain is rotated and the carrier discs (11) successively are rotated to a position substantially parallely to each other and are displaced in such parallel position to a station for further handling.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a veneer piece into equal sections includes a main conveyer for feeding the veneer piece in a direction transverse to the wood fibers thereof and a cutter disposed in the main conveyer for cutting the veneer piece along the feeding direction thereof. A straightening unit is provided at the upstream position of the cutter for controlling the orientation of the veneer piece on the main conveyor in such a manner that the fibers precisely extend along the transverse direction of the main conveyer, the unit including a plurality of retractable stoppers capable of projecting from the main conveyer to stop the veneer piece for a predetermined time. A multiple conveyer system extends from the downstream end of the main conveyer to transport the sections of the cut veneer pieces to a single feeder at different timings, the feeder conveying the sections to an apparatus for forming seam plates.

Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying veneer sheets with spacings therebetween comprising a sheet supply conveyor for feeding a train of cut veneer sheets of a predetermined length in contact with one another, the cut sheet length measured in the direction of sheet feed; at least first and second conveyors arranged downstream of the supply conveyor to carry the cut sheets; a stick-and-carry conveyor spanning between the downstream end of the supply conveyor and the upstream end of the second conveyor, the circumferential length of the stick-and-carry conveyor being equal to an even number of times the specified length of the cut sheet, the stick-and-carry conveyor having nailing, or sticking, areas and non-nailing areas arranged alternately at the interval of the specified cut sheet length, the nailing area having a large number of nails embedded therein the stick-and-carry conveyor being driven so that the front of the nailing area will meet the front end of the cut sheet at a sticking operation start position; an

Abstract: An improved die cutting apparatus separates the gripper margin from the product portion and the releases the gripper margin from the gripper at the same station, i.e. at a pair of rolls. Further, the gripper margin is re-held and re-released at the pair of the rolls to prevent the gripper margins from becoming up with the product portions.

Abstract: A shear discharge conveying system including a plurality of individual conveying belt modules connectd to a main frame for easy repair and replacement. Impact bar assemblies are spaced between the modules to prevent sheared material from impacting directly on the belts. Rows of vertically extending and retracting gauging supports are adjustable to match the cut size, and tension links connected between the rows prevent the material from nosing down between supports. A scrap gripping and conveying mechanism moves strips of scrap transversely to the conveying direction directly behind the shear before the strips can contact and foul the conveyor. The main frame is mounted on air pads so a single operator can move the entire system to and from the shear.

Abstract: The work-holding fixture (1) for metal power saws is characterized by two gripping jaws (3, 4) arranged on the side of the work rest (6) facing away from the saw blade (5) bilaterally of the cutting plane (7--7), these gripping jaws being adjustable perpendicularly to the feeding direction (a) of the workpiece (2) by an arrangement of hydraulic clamping cylinders (8, 9), and also characterized by two work-gripping supports (11, 12) movably arranged on the machine frame (10) on the side of the work rest (6) facing the saw blade (5) bilaterally of the saw blade (5), with a toggle lever control (13, 14) for producing an opening moment (M) acting on the cutting gap (28) in the workpiece (2).

Abstract: Cucumber spears are rapidly and reliably packed into and around the inner periphery of a jar with the same cut side of each of the spears facing outwardly. The spears are formed by pushing a cucumber lengthwise through a set of knife blades, and the resultant spears are individually pushed through twisted channels by flexible rods which deliver them onto a horizontal platform with their cut sides down and all facing the same way. Two conveyor belts are recessed in the top of the platform, so that by lowering the platform the set of spears is deposited on the conveyor belts and conveyed downstream to a pair of adjacent platens each having grooves aligned with the conveyor belts. A fence across the conveyor arrests a first set of spears above the first platen, which is then raised to lift the first set of spears from the conveyor, whereupon a second set of spears accumulate above the second platen.

Abstract: A slitter feeds paper sheets one-at-a-time from a stack onto an alignment table and against a guide surface. A quick and accurate adjustment for the guide surface enables the orientation of the guide surface and thus of the sheets to be adjusted. The sheets are fed to a cutter and are cut into segments. The cutters include radially overlapping cutting edges which are freely separable, against a spring-bias, to accommodate the simultaneous passage of more than one sheet. The cut segments are discharged onto conveyor assemblies and fanned-out in divergent directions for collection. The conveyor assemblies support the segments along laterally spaced lines and frictionally engage the segments with a drive belt intermediate the lines of support. A quick-release clutch enables the drive to the sheet feeding mechanism to be interrupted.

Abstract: A dual cutoff machine system is provided for cutting two continuously moving rigid webs into sheets by way of first and second cutting devices at different elevations. The cutting devices are along first and second web paths which diverge in a downstream direction.

Abstract: A device for severing round timber includes a rotatable circular saw and a transversal feeding device feeding round timber pieces towards the saw and for feeding cut sections of the timber from the saw towards the discharge end of the device. The feeding device includes a number of rotary conveying chains arranged in groups in the feeding direction at one side of the saw and at the opposite side of the saw. The conveying chains of two groups extend in the feeding direction such that they include an acute angle with each other and diverge from one another whereby timber sections cut off by the saw tend to move away from each other and, after being cut off, do not contact the saw teeth in the area of the saw blade.

Abstract: A lumber sorter is provided for sorting aligned, side-by-side pieces of lumber. The sorter includes: (1) apparatus for driving fewer than all of the pieces along a first path of travel, while driving the remaining pieces along a second path of travel, the second path being vertically divergent with respect to the first path; and (2) laterally extending support apparatus for receiving and supporting the pieces which are driven along the first path of travel. The invention may alternatively be defined as a lumber edging picker conveyor adapted to receive boards and adjacent edgings from a lumber edger having a plurality of edger saws.

Abstract: A centering device is provided for centering a potato with respect to a propelling hydraulic fluid flow stream which carries the potato into cutting engagement with knife elements of a cutting assembly positioned along the flow stream. The device comprises an elongated tube at the upstream end of the cutting assembly shaped to define a linear flow path of generally circular cross-section and oriented for continuously accelerating the hydraulic fluid. This acceleration results in the fluid having a slightly higher velocity than the potato throughout the length of the tube to create, when the potato is displaced from a centered position, fluid velocity and pressure differentials on opposite sides of the potato tending to return the potato to the centered position.

Abstract: The gap cut by a saw blade into a work piece is kept open behind the saw blade by work piece engaging clamping jaw portions on each side of the blade. For this purpose, each clamping jaw includes, in addition to the clamping pressure applying power drive, a further power drive which permits moving the respective work piece engaging clamping jaw portion independently of the clamping pressure applying power drive and in a direction extending substantially perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the clamping pressure applying power drive.

Abstract: A sheet diverter in the path of a stream of cut sheets to be diverted in predetermined sequence in different directions in which a pair of rotary diverters having cam surfaces thereon divert and guide the sheets in the predetermined sequence relative to a pair of guiding surfaces.

Abstract: A spacing conveyor section includes a plurality of shafts each having a spring mounted thereon and a plurality of spaced donut rolls mounted on the spring. Glass sections having their leading edges transverse to the sheet movement path and generally aligned with one another are advanced onto the spacing rolls. Thereafter the springs are stretched to increase the distance between sides of adjacent sections. The sections are then advanced along the spacing conveyor section into downstream work positions.

Abstract: Filter plugs of double unit length are fed sideways into successive flutes of a rotating drum which moves successive plugs past a rotary knife so that each plug yields two coaxial sections of unit length. Each flute contains two spaced apart mechanical stops at the opposite sides of the cutting plane and each flute has two suction ports which are overlapped by the corresponding stops. The ports draw streams of air which attract the respective sections immediately upon completion of the cutting step so that the sections move away from each other and against the respective stops. Plugs of a different second type are thereupon inserted into the gaps between successive coaxial sections. The cutting station is overlapped by a stationary shroud having an opening through which the knife extends with sufficient clearance to allow streams of atmospheric air to flow into that flute which is located at the cutting station and into the respective suction ports.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for cutting blocks of e.g. cheese into portions for delivery to an automatic packaging machine comprises a platen 15 mounted on a hydraulic ram 16 which can be advanced in steps to force a block of cheese 14 located on the platen upward through fixed cutting wires mounted in a frame 17. After each advance of the platen a cutter 19 severs a layer of portions which are transferred to the packaging machine. Signals from a digital encoder 39 are supplied to a micro-processor which controls the steps in which the platen is advanced so that the block 14 is completely cut into portions none of which in thinner than a predetermined thickness whereby remnant waste is eliminated.

Abstract: The invention provides apparatus for separating portions of flat material cut-out from a web or sheet. First and second grippers respectively, which engage with first and second cut portions of flat material, are provided to travel along and define paths of motion for the first and second cut portions of flat material, which paths diverge from a point of separation. A feed conveyor is connected in front of the grippers and is synchronized with their drive.

Abstract: Apparatus for receiving sheets of corrugated paperboard or the like from a processing machine such as a slotter for transfer to another device such as a stacker including shifter rollers for longitudinal separation of each sheet, an inclinable belt conveyor for lateral separation of the sheet, and a belt conveyor adapted to be transiently stopped for the accumulation of the sheets, each conveyor having serial rolls along the upper surface of the conveyor belt to pass and restrain the sheets on the conveyor belt. Sheets divided in the slotter are separated crosswise and accumulated in order in the apparatus in accordance with the needs of the succeeding device.

Abstract: Sausages or other articles having initial lengths several times longer than their final, packaged lengths are automatically severed to their proper dimensions, accumulated into multisausage clusters and then inserted into awaiting containers, all automatically. Each long initial length of material is initially severed into separate lengths, then gathered into side-by-side relationship with other severed lengths, then severed a second time into the final length. The final lengths are then arranged into generally cylindrically configured clusters for axial packing into the awaiting containers. Special handling techniques are used throughout the process so as to render the system fully automated without damaging the materials or failing to pack the prescribed number of materials into each container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing lasagne noodles from the stripper of a high production pasta oven and packaging the noodles in a continuous processing line. The output of the stripper is split and directed along separate paths whereby the rate at which product is discharged to each path is reduced in half, as compared to conventional strippers. Conveyors transfer the respective split components of the stripper output away from the stripper and through successive accumulator, inspection and sawing stations. After departing from the sawing stations, the noodles are shingled into sub-components of a predetermined number of noodles and these sub-components are then displaced into containers for final packaging.

Abstract: A saw, especially a circular metal saw, is equipped with a device for keeping open the gap cut by the saw blade. For this purpose two chucking members are arranged symmetrically to the right and left of the saw blade on one side of the workpiece and an abutment member is arranged on the opposite side of the workpiece and opposite the saw blade. Power drive means press the chucking members against the workpiece. The workpiece engaging elements of the chucking members may be pointed ridges or conical tips.

Abstract: Wrapper portions, principally for use as uniting bands for joining together groups of component filter portions to form a composite filter rod, are obtained by longitudinally slitting a web, supporting the resultant strips on a plurality of suction tapes, guiding the tapes around angled pulleys to space them apart for delivery to a suction rolling drum, and cutting the strips into portions on the drum.

Abstract: According to the invention chip steaks initially deposited on a conveyor in close consecutive order are re-spaced to assume an extended order en route to facilities for stacking the chip steaks in erect piles; the re-spacing being accomplished by accelerating at least one section of the conveyor and as well, by diverting the stream of chip steaks conveyed as aforesaid into two branch streams, at least, respectively directed to separate and separated stackers.

Abstract: Pinless feeding apparatus for signatures wherein signatures from a printed web are automatically severed and fed to gripping cylinders having gripping fingers on the surface thereof. Positive engagement of each signature with a set of gripping fingers on the gripping cylinder is effected by modifying the rate of transport of each signature as it is severed and by controlling the transporting means so that each signature at any one time is primarily subjected to only one rate of transport.

Abstract: A machine for packing cigarettes in which packets, having one open end, are made by successively wrapping an inner layer of foil and an outer layer of paper round a former, transferring the open ended packets into a pocket on a conveyor, and then inserting a batch of twenty cigarettes into each packet. A plurality of packet-making devices, and batch-forming devices are provided, the conveyor being so positioned that each pocket first passes all the packet-making devices in succession and then all the batch-forming devices in succession.