Abstract: The dispenser dispenses tickets such as instant-winner lottery tickets from a strip in which the individual tickets are delineated by perforation lines. The dispenser includes a separator to tear the tickets apart before issuing them from the machine. The separator preferably is rotary and has a dull helical blade which rotates to contact the ticket strip adjacent a perforation line, and presses against the strip to tear the tickets apart along the perforation line at a point which progresses across the strip along the perforation line. Preferably, a bar code reader is provided for reading codes on tickets in the dispensing machine. The bar code reader is used in reading information from the tickets to initialize the dispenser control system and in accounting for the sale of tickets, and in the verification of winning tickets being sold. A game is provided in which the concept is that a jackpot is built up using the detection of each ticket sold.

Abstract: A cutting insert having two end portions and an intermediate portion extending longitudinally between the two end portions. The intermediate portion has N side surfaces and N primary cutting edges. The N primary cutting edges are formed at the intersection of adjacent side surfaces. Each one of the N primary cutting edges extends from one end portion to the other end portion. At least N secondary cutting edges formed on at least one of the two end portions. A cutting corner is formed between a primary cutting edge and a secondary cutting edge. Each secondary cutting edge extending away from the cutting corner in a direction generally away from the intermediate portion.

Abstract: A polymer pelletizing apparatus includes a device for automatically and electronically indexing (advancing) a set of pelletizer knives by a predetermined distance upon the expiration of a predetermined time period. This advancement is continued for the useful life of the pelletizer knives and is called the advancement cycle. The predetermined distance and predetermined time period are entered into a PLC. The PLC is connected to an external advancing device such that when the PLC determines that the predetermined time period has expired, the PLC causes the external advancing device to index or advance the pelletizer knives by a predetermined distance. This advancement cycle provides consistent wear of the pelletizer knives and accurately provides an estimate of the need for a knife change.

Abstract: A tape cutting apparatus which provides for cutting a multi-layered tape through only one layer of the tape. The apparatus includes a cutting device with a cutting blade wherein the cutting device is actuated by a drive mechanism and the position of the cutting device is controlled by a position controller. The apparatus further provides a braking mechanism to ensure that the cut is terminated at the proper position.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting pleated paper, and especially for filtration media for the automotive industry. Two tooth roller chains in parallel are supported above a support plate upon which pleated paper is placed. There is an opening in the plate through which the teeth of two sprockets supported beneath the plate may extend to mesh with the teeth of the corresponding roller chain. The teeth on both the chain and the sprocket are the same height as the pleated paper and when driven by an electric motor pulls the paper through the device separating each pleat. One pleat at a time is pushed through a slit in the table top at which point the pleat knuckle is sheared off by pneumatic operated cutter blade. A fiberoptics infrared scanner is used to monitor the amount of pleated material available. The number of pleats cut on any one run is controlled.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing data-bearing tapes which are dispensed by a machine, which apparatus comprises an electric motor for driving a double-edged helical rotary cutter for cooperating with a spring-loaded stationary cutter, comprises an angle-section carrier, which is formed on the outside of one leg of said carrier with a concave recess extending along said one leg and receiving said rotary cutter, whereas the second leg of the carrier constitutes a bottom for mounting the motor, which is disposed in the spaced defined between the two legs, and the carrier is adapted to be cut to a length which matches the width of the tape to be severed.

Abstract: A notcher includes a die having a die bore and a notching cutter received in the die bore. The die bore is connected to a suction device, and the notching cutter is formed with an air hole which opens to the atmospheric air and is communicated with the die bore. Accordingly, notching chips are smoothly discharged.

Abstract: A feed system for a punch press includes a first clamping and advancing mechanism for gripping feed stock and moving it toward the press, and a second clamping and advancing mechanism for gripping the stock and conveying the stock away from the press. A controller causes the first clamping and advancing mechanism to be operated until a predetermined number of punching operations have been performed upon the stock while the second clamping and advancing mechanism remains inoperative. After the predetermined number has been attained, the second clamping and advancing mechanism is activated and punch operations continue until a second predetermined count has been attained. Thereafter, the stock is conveyed away from the press. The invention permits stock to be conveyed through the press very rapidly, and it prevents damage to the press by accurately determining the position of the stock relative to the press.

Abstract: A slicing machine for slicing food products, particularly meat and other meat products 7 comprises a rotating blade 1 which either has a spiral cutting edge or a circular cutting edge and is mounted for planetary motion, and a pushing mechanism 8, 9, 11, 12 to feed the product towards the blade 1 so that upon each rotation or gyration of the blade a slice is cut from the face of the product 7. The slicing machine also includes a cam and proximity switch 34, 35 for monitoring the position of the blade 1 and outputting a signal when the blade is in a predetermined position, an event counter 19 for establishing when the blade 1 is cutting the slice to form the last slice in a group of slices and outputting a signal indicating this condition, a manually operated interrupt switch 27, and a computer 18 to interrupt the feed of the product to be sliced towards the blade 1 of the slicer.

Abstract: In an automatic wire cutting machine a stepper motor driven knurled roller is positioned between two wire guide channels to drive a wire toward a cutting station. The length of wire to be cut is set in a length counter. Drive cycles, during which the wire is driven a predetermined distance, are counted in the length counter. Then, the stepping motor is disabled and cutting blade is energized. This system prevents operation of the cutting blade solenoid at less than an acceptable duty cycle with short lengths of wire. Due to the particular displacement of the wire with each step of the stepping motor, the system is readily converted from English to metric units.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to cutters for automatically cutting strips of material such as wire rope, electrical cable, or any other desired cylindrical, linear material. The apparatus proposed is best suited for cutting wire rope having a diameter of from 1/4 inch to about 1 inch. The cutting apparatus includes a controlled turntable upon which a roll of wire rope is mounted, the wire rope is directed through the tubular guide into two oppositely disposed rollers which are adjusted to size for feeding the wire to a cutter. Adjacent the cutter a V-groove platform is provided in which the wire rope lays during cutting. The V-groove is formed by adjacent doorsections that pivot to permit the cut piece to fall through the opened doors to a container below the table. The apparatus is provided with a suitable electrical circuit for operating the cutter motor, the grip roller, the turntable and controls for movement of the cutter and opening the V-groove doors.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of members for programming and controlling the process of a blanking or die cutting machine, which process, because of simply comprising shearing machine blows, is programmed and controlled by merely fixing before hand the amount of blows that the machine should give, and then controlling the given blows. The invention is characterized in that the assembly or unit comprises a filing cabinet intended to accomodate the blanks or die cuts to be used for the process, each file being provided with members responsive to the presence of said blanks or die cuts, so that as a blank or die cut is withdrawn or picked up, the relative programming members are activated as set on the control board.

Abstract: The motor for the conveyor which removes accumulations of sliced product is controlled in a cycle which includes gradual acceleration and deceleration and higher peak speed.

Abstract: Drafts of preselected weight are sliced into a preselected number of slices by passing the material to be sliced through a curtain of radiation to measure the density of the material, and this measurement is used to calculate the length of each draft, which measurement is stored and subsequently read out to control the operation of a stepping hydroelectric motor which pushes the material through a cutting station at the proper speed.

Abstract: A machine which cuts gaskets and similar parts from a thin strip of material and which arranges the parts in stacks. Feed rollers periodically advance the gasket material through a pair of dies which are forced together by a hydraulic ram. The cut gaskets are carried with the strip to a knockout station at which pneumatic cylinders force knockout dies against the gaskets to separate them from the strip. The gaskets fall onto a rack on which they are stacked until a preselected number is contained in the stack, at which time the machine stops. Power cylinders then extend the rack to a position where the stacked gaskets are readily accessible for removal.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting scrap strip received from a press or the like has a cutting member driven in reciprocating movement by an air cylinder operatively connected thereto, the cutting member cooperating with a die member to cut scrap strip as desired. A solenoid controlled valve is connected to the air cylinder and is operable to control air flow into and out of the cylinder whereby movement of the cutting member is effected. Control means is connected in circuit relation with the valve and a rotating shaft of the press providing scrap strip and is responsive to rotation of the shaft to control the position of the valve. The interval between successive actuations of the cutting member may be preset to correspond to a desired time interval or a specific number of cycles of the shaft. A manual control connected in circuit relation with the valve is operable to actuate the cutting member independently of periodic movement of the press.

Abstract: An improved production counter for a corrugator including a knife for cutting web material into sheets. First and second digital signals are generated. The first digital signal indicates a predetermined number of sheets of web material to be cut by the knife. The second digital signal indicates the instantaneous number of sheets of web material cut by the knife. The second digital signal is cyclically incremented and decremented by predetermined counts. Coincidence of the cyclically varied second digital signal to the first digital signal is detected. A warning signal indicative of a preselected number of sheets of web material remaining to be cut is generated when the cyclically varied second digital signal and the first digital signal coincide.

Abstract: A system for loading a continuously moving conveyor belt comprises a slicer for producing bacon strips from a bacon slab, a conveyor for conveying bacon strips from the slicer, and a transfer station for transferring bacon strips from a serial arrangement on the conveyor to a side-by-side arrangement of spaced transverse rows on the continuously moving conveyor belt. A novel control system is provided to coordinate the operation of the slicer and the transfer station to obtain a continuous and uniform loading of the conveyor belt and to avoid the production of partial or deformed bacon strips by the slicer. The loading system is particularly well adapted to loading unfried bacon strips onto the conveyor of a bacon frying oven.