Blade holding device, assembly including the same, and method of operating associated thereto
A blade holding device for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighboring roller, such as the ones used in machines of the pulp and paper industry, and other like industries. The blade holding device includes a base, a hinge, a support plate, a blade, and biasing means. The hinge has first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotally moveable with respect to the first component. The support plate is preferably mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and is thus pivotally moveable with respect to the base. The blade is preferably removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate and is operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller from removing the contact pressure. The biasing means are used for operatively connecting between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position. The blade of the blade holding device may thus follow the roller continuously throughout a greater change in diameter and with little or no maintenance.
The present invention relates to a blade holding device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a blade holding device such as the ones employed to cooperate with rollers of machines used in the pulp and paper industry, and other like industries. The present invention also relates to an assembly, such as a machine for example, provided with the device and corresponding rollers, as well as to a method of operating associated thereto. The present patent application claims priority of patent application No. CA 2,440,903, filed Sep. 16th, 2003, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is known in the art that a paper machine such as the ones used in the pulp and paper industry, generally comprises an important number of rollers that have different utilities. Typically, the rollers must be cleaned by means of scrapers. Each scraper is generally provided with a blade-holder which contains an interchangeable blade, and each blade-holder must generally carry out a constant pressure or some kind of contact pressure on the roller via the blade so as to be able to properly clean the surface of the roller.
These types of blade-holders have been used in the industry of pulp and paper for many years now. Known in the art are two main types of blade-holders, namely: a) flexible blade-holders whose loading system operates by means of a hose filled with air, glycol, silicon, or the like; and b) rigid blade-holders which are not provided with such a direct loading system. The main function of blade-holders is to retain a blade onto a corresponding roller and enable the blade to clean the roller while keeping a contact pressure when the roller turns. In order to carry out the cleaning, the blade must typically be in compression (loaded) on the roller, and it is for this reason that the compression or loading system of a blade-holder is very important.
Also known in the art are DST and KF blade-holders, and the various disadvantages associated thereto, namely the fact that they require a hose for operation thereof, the hose drying up after a certain service time, which requires substantial maintenance, and thus in turn prevents production of paper, as well as the fact that these blade-holders generally require the assistance of a control box for proper operation thereof, and thus complicated electronics and corresponding maintenance and servicing thereof are required, and the like, which is also very disadvantageous for obvious reasons.
Also known to the Applicant are the following US patents and/or patent applications describing different blade holding devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,144,674; 3,377,644; 3,778,861; 3,800,357; 3,866,266; 4,151,797; 4,367,120; 4,444,102; 6,120,649; 6,328,853 B1; 6,389,669 B1; 6,547,932 B1; 6,749,725 B1; and 2004/0149414 A1.
Also known in the art are the disadvantages associated with some of the blade holding devices described in the above-mentioned documents, namely the fact that: a) an intricate design and complex cooperation between the components prevent them from being easily interchangeable and/or serviced, particularly when the blade needs to be replaced; b) because of their intricate design, any debris from the roller which may find itself accumulated onto the blade holding device and the components thereof may prevent proper operation of the blade holding device; c) the blade holding devices and corresponding blades thereof are not intended to follow the roller through a substantial change in diameter of the roller, thereby requiring the positioning of the blade holding device and/or the frequent replacement of different sized blades; d) the blade holding devices generally comprise projecting components which may adversely cooperate with the rollers, with debris accumulated thereon, and with other components of the assemblies in which they are used; e) the blade holding devices are not intended to have their blades maintain, in a continuous manner, a contact pressure on the rollers, and this throughout a wide range of roller diameters; and f) the blade holding devices are not devised to allow the blade to be easily, quickly, and adjustably operated between contact positions and retracted positions.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for a improved blade holding device which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the aforementioned prior art problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a device which satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and which is thus an improvement over other related blade holding devices known in the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved, as will be easily understood, with a blade holding device for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighboring roller, the device comprising:
-
- a base;
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis;
- a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base;
- a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is also provided an assembly comprising:
-
- a roller; and
- a blade holding device positioned adjacent to the roller for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto said roller, the device comprising:
- a base;
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis;
- a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base;
- a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and
- biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.
Preferably, the blade holding device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position. The retracting means may take on various suitable embodiments according to the present invention, as will be explained in greater detail hereinbelow.
For example, and preferably, the retracting means comprise:
-
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; and
- a lever, said lever being mounted onto the second component of the hinge of the retracting means, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base, said lever having a front portion cooperating with a rear portion of the support plate for displacing the same so as to reactively displace the front portion of the support plate and corresponding blade away from the roller, into the retracted position.
Preferably also, the retracting means comprise a retracting arm, the retracting arm being pivotably mountable onto the base and being provided with a cam, the cam being positioned adjacent to the lever, and being shaped and sized so that when the retracting arm is operated into a first configuration, the cam is away from said lever, thereby enabling the biasing means to bias the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position, and when the retracting arm is operated into a second configuration, the cam presses against the lever so as displace the same, and in turn displace the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.
Preferably also, the biasing means comprise a plurality of springs disposed along a transversal width of the support plate, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the hinge supporting the support plate.
Preferably also, the biasing means comprise a casing for containing the springs within said casing.
Preferably also, the casing comprises first and second parts, said parts being nestable into one another and being slidably movable with respect to each other so as allow the springs to either expand or be compressed within the casing.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a method of operating the above-mentioned blade holding device and/or assembly.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a kit with components for assembling the above-mentioned blade holding device and/or assembly.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate different embodiments of biasing means which could be used with the blade holding device shown in
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments and physical dispositions shown in the figures and/or described herein are preferred, and are used for exemplification purposes only.
Moreover, although the present invention was primarily designed for use with machines and rollers of the pulp and paper industry, it may be used with other type of objects and in other different fields, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For this reason, expressions such as “roller”, “pulp”, “paper”, “blade”, etc. used herein should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention and includes all other kinds of items and/or applications with which the present invention could be used and may be useful.
Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expressions “device”, “system”, “holder”, and any other equivalent expression and/or compound word thereof known in the art will be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the same applies for any other mutually equivalent expressions, such as “assembly”, “apparatus” and “machine”, as well as “spring” and “biasing means” for example, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises various components and although the preferred embodiment of the blade holding device 1 as shown consists of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations may be used for the blade holding device 1 and corresponding components according to the present invention, as briefly explained and inferred herein, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Broadly described, the present invention, as shown in the accompanying drawings, relates to a blade holding device 1 for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighbouring roller 5, such as the ones used in machines of the pulp and paper industry, and other like industries. It is to be understood that, in the context of the present description, “maintaining a contact pressure” refers to any suitable interaction (scraping, maintaining, guiding, and the like) which may take place between the blade 3 of the blade holding device 1 and the roller 5, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.
According to the present invention, and as better shown in
The hinge 7 preferably has first and second components 15, 17, and as can be easily understood from
As also better shown in
From this same
Indeed, an important aspect of the present invention resides in that the blade holding device 1 comprises biasing means 13, the biasing means 13 being operatively connected between the base 7 and the support plate 11 for biasing the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 into the contact position. Thus, a main function of the biasing means 13 is to ensure that the blade 3 which is mounted onto the support plate 11 is constantly urged onto the roller 5 for maintaining a contact pressure thereon, that is, to ensure that the blade 3 is kept in the contact position. Thus, it may be appreciated that the biasing means 13 according to the present invention may take on various suitable embodiments, while still carrying out the above-mentioned function. Indeed,
In order to selectively trigger the blade holding device 1 away from the contact position, that is, in order to “override” the biasing means 13, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention preferably also comprises retracting means 23 for operating the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 into the retracted position. Similarly to the biasing means 13, the retracting means 23 according to the present invention may take other suitable embodiments than those described and illustrated herein, in order to carry out the above-mentioned function, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
For example, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the retracting means 23 preferably comprise a hinge 29 similar to the above-mentioned first hinge 9. This second hinge 29 preferably has first and second components 31, 33, the first component 31 being mounted onto the base 7, and the second component 33 being pivotally moveable with respect to the first component 31 about a pivot axis 35, as can also be easily understood when referring to
Moreover, the retracting means 23 also preferably comprise a lever 37, said lever 37 being mounted onto the second component 33 of the second hinge 29, and thus being pivotally moveable with respect to the base 7, as can also be easily understood when referring to
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the retracting means 23 further comprise a retracting arm 43, better illustrated in
Furthermore, as aforementioned, various other suitable embodiments rather than the above-mentioned retracting arm 43 and cam 45 may be used to operate the lever (or simply the support plate 11, for that matter) in order to trigger the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 either into a contact position, or a retracted position, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example, the retracting means 23 could simply consists of the support plate 11 itself, which would be operated (i.e. pivoted) accordingly, in order to draw the blade 3 away from the roller 5, and into the retracted position.
However, it can be easily understood that the above-described retracting means 23 are advantageous in that they enable to easily, quickly, selectively and remotely operate the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 between the contact and retracted positions. It should be also understood that these retracting means 23, although advantageous, are not absolutely essential to the invention, in that, ultimately, the support plate 11 may act itself as the most basic retracting means 23, as aforementioned, that is, the support plate 11 may be operated manually or mechanically (with pistons, etc.) in order to have the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 operated between contact and retracted configurations, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the biasing means 13 preferably comprise a plurality of springs 47 disposed along a transversal width of the support plate 11, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis 19 of the hinge 9 supporting the plate 11, as can be easily understood from
According to another important aspect of the present invention, the blade holding device 1 preferably comprises a casing 49 for containing such springs 47 within the casing 49. This enables namely to avoid having any projecting components of the blade holding device 1 which may adversely cooperate with other components of the assembly, such as rollers 5, and the like (paper bands from the rollers 5, etc.), and most importantly, prevents the springs 47 from being substantially contaminated from any debris which may be accumulated thereon from the rollers 5 and other components of the assembly, thereby enabling the springs 47 to carry out their corresponding biasing action, also for extended periods of time, and in a substantially trouble-free manner. The springs 47 could operate without the casing 49, but the presence of such casing 49 is beneficial, as explained above and as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.
As can be easily understood from
In order to do so, the casing 49 preferably comprises means for ensuring that the first and second parts 51, 53 are slidably moveable with respect to each other, but in such a manner that they do not become detached from one another, and remained nested into one another. The means achievable for enabling the above-mentioned features of the first and second parts 51, 53 of the casing 49 can be very diversified, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Thus, according to a preferred and most basic embodiment of the present invention, the first part 51 of the casing 49 comprises pairs of diametrically opposed holes 55, each pair of holes 55 being devised for receiving a corresponding fastener 57, and the second part 53 of the casing 49 preferably comprises corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed oblong orifices 59, each pair of oblong orifices 59 being devised for receiving a fastener 57 of a corresponding pair of holes 55 and for thus allowing said fastener 57 to slidably move along said pair of oblong orifices 59, as can be better understood when referring to
Alternatively, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention may be provided with a casing 49 having first and second parts 51, 53 such as the ones illustrated in
As can be easily understood from the aforementioned, the numbers of springs 47 to be used, as well as the dimensions thereof, are determined by the force which is required for the application for which the blade holding device 1 is intended for, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Furthermore, the casing 49 is preferably devised so that the first and second parts 51,53 thereof are nested into one another, and slidably moveable with respect to each other, but in a manner that they do not become detached from one another, that is, enabling them to be operated from top to bottom, that is, enabling them to expand or be compressed depending on whether the spring(s) 47 contained therein need(s) to expand or are compressed. Moreover, it should be also understood that, although according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention there is a plurality of springs 47 contained within a single casing 49, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention may comprise a plurality of casings 49, each of said casings 49 containing either one single spring 47, or a plurality of such springs 47. As aforementioned, and in order to further illustrate how the biasing means 13 may be disposed in different various other suitable dispositions onto the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention, the biasing means 13 could for example, comprise a magazine 67 positioned within a recess of the base 7 and rotatable with respect to said base 7 about a shaft 69. The magazine 67 would be preferably positioned adjacent to the support plate 11 and comprise a plurality of casings 47 extending radially from the shaft 69. The casings 47 would each comprise a set of springs 47 of different biasing force, and each casing 49 would preferably be interchangeable via a rotation of the magazine 67 about the shaft 69 so as to have a given selected casing 47 operatively cooperate between the base 7 and the support plate 11 for biasing the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 into the contact position, as can be easily understood when referring to
In an attempt to ensure an easy interchangeability of the various components of the blade holding device 1, the first part 51 of the casing 49 preferably comprises securing means 52 for operatively securing the casing 49 via its first part 51 onto the support plate 11, in a quick and easy manner, and the second part 53 of the casing 49 also comprises securing means 54 for operatively securing the casing 49 via its second part 53 onto the base 7, in a similar manner. These securing means 52,54 may take on various different suitable embodiments, such as tracks, fasteners, and the like, as illustrated herein and as apparent to a person skilled in the art. The purpose of these securing means 52,54 is to enable to secure the positioning of either the top or bottom portion of the casing 49 onto a corresponding portion of the blade holding device 1, typically the support plate 11 and the base 7 respectively, so as to ensure that the casing 49 and the springs 47 contained therein, namely the biasing means 13, are positioned and kept into place appropriately, while enabling them to carry out their corresponding biasing function, so as to urge the support plate 11 and corresponding blade 3 into the contact position, as explained hereinabove.
In a further attempt to ease the interchangeability of the various components of the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention, the front portion 21 of the support plate 11 preferably comprises a support lip 61, such that an edge of the blade 3 may be slidably insertable into a slot defined between the support lip 61 and the support plate 11, as better shown in
According to the present invention, the blade holding device 1 and the corresponding components thereof are preferably made of suitable materials so as to sustain the loading conditions and the working environments for which the blade holding device 1, and corresponding assembly, are intended for, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Being typically used in the pulp and paper industry, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention is preferably designed to be used in an environment at high temperatures, as well as in very humid conditions. As can be easily understood from the present description, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention may easily replace conventional blade holders, such as the ones of type DST and KF, at any given position and location within a conventional assembly or machine.
As briefly explained herein, several components of the blade holding device 1 are completely closed (namely the springs 47 contained within the casing 49) to prevent that they be obstructed by paste fibers, dust and the like. The retracted position for the changing of a blade 3, for example, is activated by a cam-retractor system complementary to the blade holding device 1. It is also possible to activate the opening by means of a pressure-rig lever arm or even by means of pneumatic actuators, which would cooperate with the support plate 11 in a suitable manner, as explained above and as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, the loading system is mainly driven by means of biasing means 13, such as compression springs 47 for example, which are disposed in a manner so as to create a constant force on the blade holding device 1, which enables the blade 3 to be in contact with the roller 5 in a constant manner and this without maintenance, for extended periods of time of intense service, whereas the loading of the DST blade-holder, for example, is carried out by means of hoses such as those used for fires, or rubberized, which dry up and deteriorate after some time. This determining factor is a very important point to be considered since the great losses of time related to maintenance increase the costs of production of paper considerably.
As briefly explained and illustrated herein, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention does not require any control panel contrary to that of DST blade-holders which requires even more maintenance. Furthermore, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention is by far superior to the blade-holders of type KF and KB which are rigid and do not offer any flexibility, that is, cannot match in a uniform manner the surface of the rollers, when the latter go through substantial changes in diameter, as is only possible with the blade holding device 1 of the present invention (better appreciated when contrasting
The blade holding device 1 according to the present invention as well as the different embodiments thereof can be secured to the frame of the scraper or can be mounted onto tracks, in this manner they can be replaced easily by removing them via the extremities of the scraper.
According to the present invention, and as explained hereinabove, the loading system is carried out by means of biasing means 13, such as springs 47, irrespectively of the disposition, the shape, the nature, the dimensions or the material used for the manufacturing thereof, and thus any variations from the present invention, as can be easily understood from the preceeding embodiments by a person skilled in the art, is considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
As mentioned above, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly comprising a roller and a blade holding device 1 such as the one described herein and such as the one exemplified in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that according to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of operating the above-mentioned blade holding device 1 and/or assembly. Furthermore, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a kit with components for assembling the above-mentioned blade holding device 1 and/or assembly.
In regards to the setting of the operation pressures according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one simply has to obtain the equivalent pressure to that of the PSI required. Pressure tests are preferably carried out by means of a closed hose at the end linked to a manometer in which compressed air is sent and then one adjusts the desired pressure. As can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art, when the blade holding device 1 is parallel, the pressure is equivalent to the PSI indicated in the manometer. Thus, for example: by knowing that three (3) springs of 2″ long with a spiral of ⅝″ and a diameter of 0.080″ mounted inside of the compression system body on a distance of 18″ is equivalent to approximately 10 PSI.
As may now be appreciated, the present invention is a substantial improvement over the prior art in that by virtue of its design and components, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention a) has a loading system requiring substantially no maintenance and is thus a revolutionary concept since the arrival on the market of the DST blade-holders; similarly to the DST, it can be mounted on a plate of about 0.060 inches, but with the added advantage of enabling different thicknesses, shapes and configurations; b) has a revolutionary loading system operated by means of a closed system without maintenance nor control panel and comprising a flexibility equal and/or superior to that what is best done presently in the market; c) requires little or virtually no maintenance because it does not rely on a hose that may dry up, and offers also a continuous contact pressure and does not require any control box; d) is designed for working in an environment at high temperatures as well as in very humid conditions; e) can be provided on conversion sets for replacing DST and KF systems; and f) can be used on new equipment as well as current equipment. Moreover, the present invention is also advantageous in that it may be operated manually or automatically, directly or remotely.
As may now also be better appreciated, the present invention is a substantial improvement over other related blade holding devices of the prior art in that, by virtue of its design and components, the blade holding device 1 according to the present invention a) has a much more simpler design enabling the components thereof to be easily interchangeable and/or serviced, if need may be; b) prevents any debris from the roller 5 from being accumulated onto the springs 47 because the latter are contained within a corresponding casing 49; c) the support plate 11 mounted on the hinge 9 and corresponding blade 3 are thus intended to follow the roller 5 through a substantial change in diameter of the roller 5 (see and contrast
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A blade holding device for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighboring roller, the device comprising:
- a base;
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis;
- a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base;
- a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and
- biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.
2. A blade holding device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.
3. A blade holding device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position, said retracting means comprising:
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; and
- a lever, said lever being mounted onto the second component of the hinge of the retracting means, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base, said lever having a front portion cooperating with a rear portion of the support plate for displacing the same so as to reactively displace the front portion of the support plate and corresponding blade away from the roller, into the retracted position.
4. A blade holding device according to claim 3, wherein the retracting means comprise a retracting arm, the retracting arm being pivotably mountable onto the base and being provided with a cam, the cam being positioned adjacent to the lever, and being shaped and sized so that when the retracting arm is operated into a first configuration, the cam is away from said lever, thereby enabling the biasing means to bias the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position, and when the retracting arm is operated into a second configuration, the cam presses against the lever so as displace the same, and in turn displace the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.
5. A blade holding device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means comprise a plurality of springs disposed along a transversal width of the support plate, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the hinge supporting the support plate.
6. A blade holding device according to claim 5, wherein the biasing means comprise a casing for containing the springs within said casing.
7. A blade holding device according to claim 6, wherein the casing comprises first and second parts, said parts being nestable into one another and being slidably movable with respect to each other so as allow the springs to either expand or be compressed within the casing.
8. A blade holding device according to claim 7, wherein the first part of the casing comprises pairs of diametrically opposed holes, each pair of holes being devised for receiving a corresponding fastener, and wherein the second part of the casing comprises corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed oblong orifices, each pair of oblong orifices being devised for receiving a fastener of a corresponding pair of holes and for allowing said fastener to slidably move along said pair of oblong orifices.
9. A blade holding device according to claim 6, wherein the first part of the casing comprises securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the support plate.
10. A blade holding device according to claim 6, wherein the second part of the casing comprises securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the base.
11. A blade holding device according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the support plate comprises a support lip, an edge of the blade being slidably insertable into a slot defined between the support lip and the support plate.
12. A blade holding device according to claim 11, wherein the edge of the blade comprises a bulge, and wherein the support lip comprises a rim, the bulge of the blade being devised for abutting with the rim of the support lip, when the edge of the blade is inserted into the slot, so as to prevent the blade from being easily removed from said slot.
13. A blade holding device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means comprise a magazine positioned within a recess of the base and rotatable with respect to said base about a shaft, said magazine being positioned adjacent to the support plate and comprising a plurality of casings extending radially from the shaft, the casings comprising each within the same a set of springs of different biasing force, and each casing being interchangeable via a rotation of the magazine about the shaft so as to have a given selected casing operatively cooperate between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.
14. An assembly comprising:
- a roller; and
- a blade holding device positioned adjacent to the roller for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto said roller, the device comprising: a base; a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base; a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.
15. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.
16. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position, said retracting means comprising:
- a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; and
- a lever, said lever being mounted onto the second component of the hinge of the retracting means, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base, said lever having a front portion cooperating with a rear portion of the support plate for displacing the same so as to reactively displace the front portion of the support plate and corresponding blade away from the roller, into the retracted position.
17. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein the retracting means comprise a retracting arm, the retracting arm being pivotably mountable onto the base and being provided with a cam, the cam being positioned adjacent to the lever, and being shaped and sized so that when the retracting arm is operated into a first configuration, the cam is away from said lever, thereby enabling the biasing means to bias the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position, and when the retracting arm is operated into a second configuration, the cam presses against the lever so as displace the same, and in turn displace the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.
18. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the biasing means comprise a plurality of springs disposed along a transversal width of the support plate, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the hinge supporting the support plate, and wherein the biasing means further comprise a casing for containing the springs within said casing, the casing comprising first and second parts, said parts being nestable into one another and being slidably movable with respect to each other so as allow the springs to either expand or be compressed within the casing.
19. An assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first part of the casing comprises pairs of diametrically opposed holes, each pair of holes being devised for receiving a corresponding fastener, and wherein the second part of the casing comprises corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed oblong orifices, each pair of oblong orifices being devised for receiving a fastener of a corresponding pair of holes and for allowing said fastener to slidably move along said pair of oblong orifices, and wherein the first and second parts of the casing each comprise securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the support plate and base respectively.
20. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the front portion of the support plate comprises a support lip, an edge of the blade being slidably insertable into a slot defined between the support lip and the support plate, and wherein said edge of the blade comprises a bulge, the support lip comprising a rim and the bulge of the blade being devised for abutting with said rim, when the edge of the blade is inserted into the slot, so as to prevent the blade from being easily removed from said slot.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 16, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 28, 2005
Inventor: Christian Corriveau (St-Georges de Champlain)
Application Number: 10/941,902