Abstract: A shear machine for irradiated nuclear fuel elements has a replaceable shear assembly comprising a fuel element support block, a shear blade support and two clamp members which hold the fuel element to be sheared in contact with the support block. A first clamp member contacts the fuel element remote from the shear blade and a second clamp member contacts the fuel element adjacent the shear blade and is advanced towards the support block during shearing to compensate for any compression of the fuel element caused by the shear blade.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 18, 1978
Date of Patent:
January 20, 1981
Assignee:
British Nuclear Fuels Limited
Inventors:
Michael Astill, Alec Sunderland, Maurice G. Waine
Abstract: A sheet metal slitter of the type having a pair of parallel shafts journalled at spaced axial points and a slitter roll on each shaft, the rolls cooperatively defining a cutting nip. The invention resides in a bearing assembly with bearings cantilevered from a support element. The bearings are positioned, respectively, adjacent the pair of slitter rolls on the shafts to resist forces tending to separate the shafts during metal cutting. The support element is slotted to accommodate the cut portions of the workpiece without spreading or tearing and with substantially no bending.
Abstract: An apparatus for slitting paper having a plurality of pairs of cutting elements disposed transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the web and a pair of arcuate support boards extending about one row of slitter elements to a point closely adjacent the overlap of the slitter elements to provide an arcuate path of travel for the web as it passes through the cutting area. The arcuate support boards are mounted for rotation about transverse axes to facilitate rotation of the boards away from the cutting elements and thus provide access to such cutting elements for adjustment and maintenance.
Abstract: In a process and apparatus for cutting portions such as labels or tickets from a continuously moving web, the web is passed between a blade and a co-operating support member. As the web moves past the blade, the blade is displaced during the cutting operation in the same direction as the web and synchronously therewith, but over a shorter distance than the length of the portion to be cut out. The blade is then disengaged from the web and returned to its initial starting position. The support member may also be displaced in the opposite direction to the movement of the web and blade during the cutting operation.
Abstract: Apparatus for transporting knives, sockets, holders and analogous devices for severing, supporting, transferring and/or otherwise manipulating rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products has first and second disks which are rotatable about parallel axes and carry sets of levers each pivotable about an axis which is parallel to the axes of the disks. Each lever of one disk is coupled to a lever of the other disk by a crank unit one pin of which carries a tool. One of the disks is driven and transmits torque to the other disk by way of the levers and crank units whereby the crank units orbit and their pins hold the tools against any change of orientation. Stationary cams have congruent grooves for roller followers which are provided on the levers of the first and second disks, and the cam grooves are configurated in such a way that the cams can reduce or increase the absolute speed of movement of crank pins by moving the pins toward or away from the axes of the respective disks.
Abstract: Whole oriented onions are sliced in a slicer by holding the onions on a horizontal cutter-bearing plate and by rotating the plate to continuously remove slices from the lower ends of the onions until the onions are fully sliced. Non-oriented onions are recirculated between a feed hopper and the conveyor leading to the slicer.
Abstract: Breast cups having various types of cuts or configurations are initially molded from basically flat sheets of flexible fabric on a bust cup mold having a prescribed configuration. The resulting, three-dimensional molded fabric cup then is cut by a die having a plurality of cutting surfaces, at least a portion of the outermost cutting surfaces serving as guides for alignment with the outer perimeter of the molded cup and a portion of the cutting surfaces cutting the molded breast cup to the desired shape resulting in a breast cup having a size and configuration differing from that of a bust cup initially molded.
Abstract: A device for cutting a paper web includes a rotary blade assembly, a stationary or non-rotatable blade in cutting engagement with the rotary blade assembly and being retractable from the rotary blade assembly during the cutting engagement therewith, guide members supporting the non-rotatable blade for sliding movement in the direction of the retraction, and the non-rotatable blade being biased into cutting engagement with the rotary blade assembly.
Abstract: A hydraulic system for controlling the cutting feed speed of a saw frame of a sawing machine, such as a band-sawing machine, includes an improved control valve on the discharge line enabling the fluid to draw off from the hydraulic cylinder, the control valve being capable of amplifying changes of pressure in the cylinder occurring in response to changes of cutting resistance to the saw blade, thereby securing a proper control over the cutting feed speed of the saw frame irrespective of the size and weight of the saw frame.
Abstract: A circular saw blade is divided into sectors through slots extending from the periphery toward the hub part so that adjacent sectors have appreciably different natural frequencies. The sectors damp one another's vibration so that the blade's function is stabilized.
Abstract: In a hand-operated punching device such as that incorporated with a stapler to enable the same both to staple and perforate sheets of paper or the like, an improved punch element is provided which is movable into and out of a hole in a die for perforation. The punch element has three or more sharp-edged cutting teeth formed peripherally on one end thereof in order to improve the perforating or cutting ability of the device. The axis of the pivot pin connecting the base, lever and staple magazine lies in a plane extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the punch element intermediate between the distal end thereof and a location thereon to which the punch element is allowed to advance relative to the inlet of the hole. Numerous variations are possible in the structural details of the punch element.
Abstract: Centering and wear compensating means for turret bores and the like. Plugs of a suitable resilient, long wearing, self-lubricating material are equiangularly placed in bores of uniform length provided in the wall of a turret bore in which a tool holder is positioned. The plugs are made long enough to be compressed into the bores by the tool holder when the tool holder is centered in the turret bore and are spaced along the turret bore such that engagement of the plugs with the tool holder will be maintained as the tool holder is raised and lowered in the turret bore. The plugs are curved on one end to conform to the tool holder surface and are chamfered to permit easy compressibility as the tool holder is positioned in the turret bore.
Abstract: A sheet perforator head having a perforating wheel rotationally supported on a solenoid-operated, toggle-actuated leverage arm and capable of perforating according to program.
Abstract: The cutting action in a rotary slicer is provided by a pair of circular disc blades, which are mounted in apertures in a circular plate, which is rotated within an outer casing. The plate rotates adjacent a feeding chute at one side of the casing and the depth of the slice is adjusted by varying the distance of the blade in front of the circular plate. The cut slices pass between the blades and apertures into the rear of the casing, which discharges them downwardly. The blades are mounted on a lobular bracket supported on a central shaft in a fixed longitudinal position. The depth of cut is varied by moving the apertured plate back and forth along the shaft to a position governed by a C-shaped stop ring with a calibrated shaft extending outwardly from the rear shaft bearing. The plate is detachably secured to the shaft by a thumb screw accessible through an ample cut-out in the top of the rear casing.
Abstract: A corrugated paperboard slitter scorer has slitting and scoring heads movable individually or as a group along an expandable shaft by way of a master shifter. The expandable shaft provides a friction drag to maintain a head in position until all heads are simultaneously locked to the shaft.
Abstract: A system for introducing "tensioning" stress distribution into the wide bandsaw blade without its plastic deformation, for automatically compensating for blade temperature expansions and blade manufacturing inaccuracies, and for controlling blade position on the bandsaw wheels, comprising: torsional loading of the back, noncutting section of the bandsaw blade by using two actuators acting as a couple; continuously sensing for a displacement of the bandsaw blade during sawing from a set position on the wheels and countering the adverse effect of such displacement by generating a corrective displacement in the opposite sense relative to the said set position through the change of the ratio of forces forming the said couple.
Abstract: In a fret saw blade having a shank portion and saw-teeth, the saw-teeth are formed in a manner that the centers of the cutting edges of some saw-teeth are depressed and deformed generally in V-shape so as to form sharp ends projecting beyond the side surfaces of the shank portion of the fret saw blade.
Abstract: The specification discloses a mill including a track having separable sections clamped to ground bearing cross members to which a log to be ripped is dogged. A carriage has deeply flanged rollers engaging opposite track members and supporting a post. A crossarm support is adjustable up and down the post and a horizontal crossarm is adjustable horizontally on the support by a rack and pinion drive. A saw bar of a chain saw is bolted to a quadrant which is quickly adjustable between a vertical position and a horizontal position of the saw bar. A handle on the carriage is adapted to be pushed by an operator to move the carriage along the track, and a bowden-wire control to the throttle of the chain saw is mounted on the handle.
Abstract: Automatic power shearing apparatus and method for trimming sheet material into finished blanks comprising blade means, x and y axis feeding means and sheet feeding means including a first power driven means for moving the sheet in x and y directions and a second means responsive to a control acting to move the sheet in preselected directions by a constant counter balance against the first power driven means.
Abstract: An apparatus for the longitudinal cutting of webs of material into individual strips has a plurality of cutter pairs consisting of a lower cutter and an upper cutter and disposed side by side. The spreading of the material on its width and the spreading apart of the strips of material after cutting is brought about solely by the mounting of the cutter pairs in an arc along the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web and by the tilting movement of the cutter pairs into the plane of movement of the web of material.