Interlock Between Tool Actuating And Work Feed Means Patents (Class 83/221)
  • Patent number: 9827689
    Abstract: A slicing machine for cutting slices of a food product includes a machine housing including a circular blade configured to rotate in a cutting plane, a stop plate configured to be move, by an adjustment device, perpendicular to the cutting plane, a carriage mounted such that it is movable parallel to the cutting plane, and a machine status display for displaying an actual status of the slicing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: BIZERBA SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Holger Klinger, Rainer Seemann, Michael Heck, Markus Bodmer
  • Patent number: 8156851
    Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
  • Patent number: 7849771
    Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
  • Patent number: 7748303
    Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
  • Patent number: 7430947
    Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Julian, Gary R. Brockman, Trent R. Wetherbee
  • Patent number: 7080431
    Abstract: System, including apparatus and method, involves processing materials in opposite directions between two machines along a processing path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Precision Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip P. Sawyer, David A. Morgan, David Lee
  • Patent number: 6932163
    Abstract: A saw (10) facilitates cutting of roofing and includes a frame (12) that is mobile on a work surface. A locking mechanism (40) locks the frame (12) into a transport position. Actuating a release lever (60) allows the frame (12) to be adjusted into a working position. A shaft (14) rotatably mounted by first, second and third bearings (74, 75, 76) has saw blades (16, 18) and a pulley (77) for connection with a drive belt (80). The drive belt (80) passes through a hole (79) in the frame (12) to connect to a drive (81) to rotate the shaft (14) and the saw blades (16, 18). The third bearing (76) is mounted to a bearing support (85). The frame (12) has a gap (84) communicating the hole (79) with an exterior edge (78) of the frame (12) proximate the third bearing (76), with the bearing support (85) removably and replaceably mounted to the frame (12) and spanning the gap (84).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Garlock Equipment Company
    Inventors: Richard B. Stoffels, John Munoz
  • Publication number: 20040163516
    Abstract: An article conveying, guiding, and locating device includes a treadle including a web guide plate, a knock lever mechanism having a knock lever arm configured to co-act with a stationary platen as the treadle is moved relative to the stationary platen during a severing operation so as to retract the follower wheel away from the drive wheel to release a web carried therebetween to enable lateral centering of articles carried in the web. The device also includes a web conveyor having a servo pick assembly and a servo helper assembly driven by a servo motor. The web conveyor is configured to move a web of articles. The servo pick assembly is carried by the treadle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventor: Jere F. Irwin
  • Publication number: 20040163515
    Abstract: An article handling apparatus for a trim press includes a die and a cooperating punch configured to sever articles from a web, a treadle configured to move relative to the die, and a drive wheel assembly configured to move the web and the articles. The drive wheel assembly includes a pair of roller feed assemblies. Each of the roller feed assemblies include a knock-lever mechanism having a lever arm and a follower wheel, the lever arm being configured to contact the die as the treadle is moved towards the die. The the follower wheel is configured to retract from the respective drive wheel in response to contact of the lever arm with the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventor: Jere F. Irwin
  • Patent number: 6026723
    Abstract: An inventive apparatus for feeding rolled paper comprises rolled paper, a feed roller for feeding the rolled paper, a cutting unit for cutting the rolled paper, a driving source for actuating the feed roller and the cutting unit, a first gear train interposed between the driving source and the feed roller and a second gear train interposed between the driving source and the cutting unit. A reverse feed gear for transmitting driving force for a cutter gear to a feed gear is interposed between the first gear train and the second gear train and connects the first gear train with the second gear train when a movable cutter moves from a cutting position to a non-cutting position. Thereby, the feed roller is rotatively driven in the direction opposite to the feed direction by the driving force from the cutter gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Sakai
  • Patent number: 5857397
    Abstract: A sheet machining apparatus has a die for positioning a sheet to be machined. The die is mounted on a lower die base for movement and has a machining pattern for the sheet, a plurality of punches are mounted on an upper punch base for machining the sheet in coaction with the die in a predetermined number of machining cycles according to the individual machining pattern, and a feed mechanism horizontally moves the die to align a machining position on the sheet with the punches each time the sheet is machined by the die and the punches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Mitsui High-Tec, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsubayashi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Motoo Noritake
  • Patent number: 5601005
    Abstract: A powered bread slicer capable of slicing successive loaves of bread to selected different slice thicknesses. A rotating circular bread slicing knife is mounted on a pivotal, reciprocal arm for shifting the knife from a retracted position through slicing positions between and transverse to an infeed table and an out feed table, and return to the retracted position. The slice thickness is selected, as for standard one-half inch thickness, deli one-quarter to three-eighths inch thickness, garlic or French bread up to one inch thickness, or otherwise. A variable stepper motor incrementally advances a loaf pusher one step at a time, the dimension of the step being of the selected slice thickness dimensional. The distance by the travelled loaf pusher to reach the end of its travel is monitored to determine whether the bread heal is thick enough to slice once more. This decision is a function of the selected slice thickness dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Oliver Products Company
    Inventors: Bernard L. Petersen, Alan M. Ledford, Gary L. Kruse
  • Patent number: 5477761
    Abstract: A device for dispensing a bandage material has a container for accommodating a supply of bandage material, a mechanism for advancing the bandage material from the container so as to expose a desired portion of the bandage material outside of the container, a mechanism for cutting the exposed piece of the bandage material, and including a cutting element movable between an initial position before cutting the piece of the bandage material and a final position after the piece of the bandage material has been cut off during which movement from the initial position to the final position the piece of the bandage material is being cut, and a structure for preventing advancement of the bandage material by the advancing mechanism when the cutting element is in the final position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Holtsch Metallwarenherstellung
    Inventor: Peter Holtsch
  • Patent number: 5461956
    Abstract: A powered bread slicer capable of slicing successive loaves of bread to selected different slice thicknesses. A rotating circular bread slicing knife is mounted on a pivotal, reciprocal arm for shifting the knife from a retracted position through slicing positions between and transverse to an infeed table and an outfeed table, and return to the retracted position. The slice thickness is selected, as for standard one-half inch thickness, deli one-quarter to three-eighths inch thickness, garlic or French bread up to one inch thickness, or otherwise. A variable stepper motor incrementally advances a loaf pusher one step at a time, the dimension of the step being of the selected slice thickness dimension. The distance by the travelled loaf pusher to reach the end of its travel is monitored to determine whether the bread heal is thick enough to slice once more. This decision is a function of the selected slice thickness dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Oliver Products Company
    Inventors: Bernard L. Petersen, Alan M. Ledford, Gary L. Kruse
  • Patent number: 5216872
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semi-automatic slide mounter where individual film transparencies are severed from a photographic film and inserted into a slide mount to prepare a photographic slide. In the semi-automatic slide mounter, a portion of the operation of the mounter is controlled by a manual operating lever and a portion is controlled by a motorized drive assembly. In particular, the film web is advanced along a film track for operation by the motorized drive assembly and individual film transparencies thereof are severed by a knife assembly and inserted into a slide mount ejected from a slide magazine. In the apparatus of the present invention a latch assembly is coupled with the manual operating lever to restrict operation of the manual operating lever while the film is advanced by the motorized drive assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Pakon, Inc.
    Inventor: Wilbur Gerrans
  • Patent number: 4988053
    Abstract: A therapeutic warmer composed of a non-ventilative envelope and a film-coated bag disposed within the envelope wherein the film-coated bag includes a plurality of needle apertures disposed therein and further includes an exothermic composition and a mugwart powder whereby when the envelope is broken, and the contents are kneaded, heat is generated for warming the bag to use in warming and treating regions of the human body; a punching apparatus for adjustably forming the needle apertures so as to correspond with demand of the user; and also a method for manufacturing a punched fabric of the warming bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Inventor: Dong Sok Choi
  • Patent number: 4949611
    Abstract: In a heavy-duty saw assembly having a base, a pair of columns, a feed carriage guidably mounted upon the columns supporting a power-driven saw, a hydraulic lift feed cylinder assembly within each column and connected to the carriage, an elongated saw train extending at right angles to the base, including a plurality of transverse rollers, a sprocket chain connected to the rollers for selective rotation in unison for intermittently feeding an elongated workpiece onto the base transversely of and under the saw, spaced normally open rear and front hydraulic vises adjustably mounted upon the base adapted to selectively grip the work, and a pair of spaced manually rotatable lead screws journaled upon the base connected to the vises respectively, the improvement of a hydraulic circuit therefor which comprises first and second hydraulic circuits, first and second power-operated hydraulic pumps for feeding pressurized liquids into the circuits and a four-way, three-position, spring centered, solenoid-activated saw ca
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Steel Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Fillion
  • Patent number: 4708043
    Abstract: An apparatus for forwardly and laterally indexing a strip provided with an angular blanking pattern along a zigzag path is provided with an adjustable indexing cam mechanism. Forward and lateral indexing assemblies are provided as an integral unit whose operation is synchronized with that of a strip processing machine by means of a direct drive arrangement. The extent of lateral indexing is adjustable by altering the degree of eccentricity of a master cam plate provided within the indexing cam mechanism. The indexing cam mechanism provides the apparatus with dwell periods within which the strip is subjected to one or more operations, for example, blanking, with the dwell periods being independent of the degree of eccentricity of the master cam plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: The Cly-Del Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Richard A. Greguoli
  • Patent number: 4664005
    Abstract: A device for automatically dispensing labels from a tape comprises a drive shaft and means for driving the tape intermittently from the drive shaft. These drive means comprise a tape feed shaft and a tape feed gearwheel coupled to this shaft. The device also comprises means for actuating the cutter from the drive shaft when the tape is stopped, in the form of a cutter actuator shaft and a cutter actuator gearwheel coupled to this shaft. A cylindrical drive member is coupled to the drive shaft and at least one toothed sector on the cylindrical drive member meshes with the tape feed and cutter actuator gearwheels in such a way that these gearwheels are driven one after the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: SHM Alcatel
    Inventor: Jacques Peyre
  • Patent number: 4615249
    Abstract: A machine for trimming the edges of stacked paper sheets at a trimming station has a conveyor which delivers successive stacks to the trimming station, several knives which are movable from raised positions to lower end positions to thereby trim the respective edges of a stack at the trimming station, anvil blocks which are penetrated into by the cutting edges of the knives when the knives complete their working strokes subsequent to trimming of a stack, and a control unit which prevents the knives from contacting the respective blocks if the knives perform working strokes in the absence of a stack at the trimming station. The control unit can shift the working strokes of the knives and/or lower the blocks to thus ensure that the cutting edges of the knives are arrested short of the respective blocks when a photocell detects the absence of a stack at the trimming station while the knives perform their working strokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1986
    Assignee: Grapha-Holding AG
    Inventor: Peter Geiser
  • Patent number: 4555966
    Abstract: A punch press has a punching tool assembly removably coupled to the ram, and it carries a plurality of punching pins which are individually selectable for a punching operation. A rotatable cam moves the selected punch pin from a retracted position in the tool assembly to an operative punching position, and the cam is driven by a retractable drive mechanism which is movable into engagement with the rotatable cam to effect such rotation and retracted to an inoperative position, by a moving means. Control means is provided to effect operation of the moving means and of the drive mechanism, and is operable to effect precise rotation of the cam member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: Trumpf GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Hans Klingel
  • Patent number: 4466317
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling the movement of a workpiece to be processed in a punch press is disclosed in which after the workpiece is processed by contact of a ram on the upper tool of the press and the ram is momentarily out of contact with the upper tool, the recontact of the ram and upper tool is detected and then the processed workpiece is moved out of the processing position. In addition, the apparatus detects when the ram has returned to the proximity of the top dead center of the eccentric shaft which drives the ram and when the processing of the workpiece has been completed. The apparatus is also provided with a monitoring system which detects a malfunction in the control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1984
    Assignee: Amada Company Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 4151770
    Abstract: Two webs of different widths of microfoam are fed from web rolls by a continuously driven roller and a pinch roller through a heated-wire cutting station. At the cutting station, a single cutting wire extends across the path of both webs; a single set of clamping plates is also provided. The feed of the webs may be alternately interrupted by a clamping device which includes a pivotal clamp support that can be swung in a rocking motion back and forth about its pivot axis. A pair of U-shaped channels located on either side of the support pivot axis extend across the width of both webs and can be swung respectively toward and away from the webs. Removable clamping segments are fitted into a portion of each U-shaped channel to define adjustable length clamping elements which extend across the widths of respective webs for accommodating various sizes of webs. By swinging the clamp support between two positions, the clamping device alternately clamps one or the other web against a fixed clamp bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1979
    Assignee: Flexible Design Packaging Machine Company
    Inventors: Joseph J. D'Angelo, Lawrence S. Maccherone
  • Patent number: 4104940
    Abstract: A nibbling machine comprises a workpiece support which is driven by separate drive motors in longitudinal and transverse directions to shift the workpiece during the times at which it is not contacted by a punch which is arranged to reciprocate over the workpiece and to contact it and effect the nibbling thereof. A rotary control member is rotated in timed relationship to the means for driving the punch and it is connected to each of the motors for driving the workpiece support in a manner to start and stop these motors when the punch is raised off the workpiece for feeding the workpiece. The rotary member advantageously drives through an eccentric of adjustable magnitude to a fluid piston movable in a cylinder to displace a control fluid selectively to an oil volume dispenser which supplies oil to each of the fluid drive motors for operating the workpiece support in the transverse and longitudinal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Trumpf Maschinen AG
    Inventors: Eugen Herb, Theodor Petera, Hubert Bitzel
  • Patent number: 4052919
    Abstract: A punch press having a bed, a reciprocable press ram carrying a die member, means for reciprocating the ram between raised and lowered positions, and a sliding bolster plate carrying another die member mounted for movement between a withdrawn load position and a retracted work position. The press includes a drive assembly for harmonically reciprocating the bolster plate, positioning sensors for disconnecting the drive assembly when the bolster plate reaches its load position or its work position, a positioning control mechanism for locking the bolster plate at its work position and triggering reciprocation of the press ram and an electrical operating and interlock circuit for controlling and ensuring proper operation of the press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1977
    Assignee: The Anderson Company
    Inventor: Patrick G. McKissack
  • Patent number: 4033215
    Abstract: Selected lengths of a strip of material are cut either continuously in an automatic mode or each selected length is cut in a manual mode by manual activation of a switch. When the thickness of the strip of the material being cut exceeds a predetermined thickness or is less than a predetermined thickness, this difference is sensed so that this portion of the strip of the material is cut as soon as it ceases to exceed the predetermined thickness or be less than the predetermined thickness. In the automatic mode, automatic cutting may be stopped after this portion of different thickness has been cut either every time or every other time, and manual activation is required to start another automatic cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Inventor: Volker Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4000672
    Abstract: A slitting machine is disclosed which feeds corrugated pipe through the machine intermittently and between the periods of pipe feeding when the pipe is stationary a plurality of angularly spaced saw sets are moved radially inward toward the machine axis and the pipe to cut slots through the wall thereof, and then withdrawn whereupon the cycle repeats. The pipe is fed through the machine by endless transporters equal in number to the saw sets and uniformly disposed angularly with respect to each other, the saw sets and the axis. The transporters have projections which fit into the corrugations of the pipe for a driving connection therewith. A saw set is located angularly between each pair of transporters so that a pair of the latter are roughly opposite to a saw set for an even number of sets or directly opposite a transporter for an odd number of sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1977
    Assignee: Altair National Corporation
    Inventors: Theodor K. Sitterer, Siegfried Valentin
  • Patent number: 3948130
    Abstract: A device for controlling the feed mechanism for copying material is connected to a coupling at the feed mechanism of the copying material in order to ensure that the respective leading edges of an original and the copying material are fed to a copying zone in congruence irrespective of the throughput speed. For easy adjustment this device is built up with a pulse generator in synchronism with the movement of the original feed mechanism and with a pulse counter the output of which is connected to the coupling. The counter counts the number of pulses in a predetermined period of time and stores this number. Further, the counter counts a second number of pulses occurring after the predetermined period and produces an output signal when the second number of pulses is equal to a predetermined number of pulses less the stored count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1976
    Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Herbert Schroter
  • Patent number: 3948125
    Abstract: Apparatus for subdividing webs of photographic paper into discrete prints has a detector which scans marks applied to the web for the purpose of arresting the drive for the web at the exact moment when the central portion of a frame line between two successive images on the web is in register with the knives. The signals which are furnished by the detector can be used to arrest the drive only within a short interval of time which begins shortly or immediately before a mark reaches the detector. This prevents the detector from arresting the drive in response to detection of a flaw or a particle of foreign matter whose effect upon the detector is similar to that of a mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1973
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1976
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert, A.G.
    Inventors: Friedrich Hujer, Ferdinand Schaner