Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting a window covering comprises a saw for cutting the window blind. An assembly is provided for moving the window covering on the support surface relative to the saw such that the window covering is positioned to be cut by the saw. A sensor is used to automatically determine a center of the window covering by detecting a predetermined portion of the window covering such as a mark on the window covering or an edge of the window covering.

Abstract: An apparatus for trimming a plurality of printed products includes at least one trimming station including a yoke, at least one blade positioned on the yoke and a trimming transport device arranged to transport the plurality of printed products inside the at least one trimming station. A feeding conveyor is arranged to feed the printed products to the trimming station. At least one driver is coupled to and operative to drive the yoke, the feeding conveyor, and the trimming transport device, respectively. A control unit is coupled to the at least driver and operative to control the adjustment of the phase position of the feeding conveyor relative to the yoke.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatically trimming a plurality of printed products in a trimming apparatus having at least one trimming station including at least one blade positioned on a moveable yoke. The plurality of printed products are supplied successively through a feeding conveyor to the trimming station. Each of the plurality of printed products is transported within the trimming station via a trimming transport device to a predetermined position for trimming. The phase position of the feeding conveyor is adjusted relative to the moveable yoke for each of the plurality of printed products according to the format width of the printed product extending in a conveying direction.

Abstract: Tab cutting apparatus designed to assist in floor leveling, the tab cutting apparatus including a base designed for movement along the surface of a floor. A framework is affixed to the base and supports a vertically movable portion above the base. The framework and vertically movable portion include height control apparatus capable of moving the movable portion vertically relative to the framework. Height sensing apparatus is affixed to the movable portion. A cutting element is affixed to the movable portion and positioned at a fixed distance below the height sensing apparatus. The cutting element is designed to cut an upright ribbon or rod portion of a leveling tab.

Abstract: An apparatus for straightening a coiled tubing has an injector that receives the coiled tubing, a straighter that straightens the coiled tubing from the injector, and a shear that cuts the straightened coiled tubing. The straightener has a frame having a first section rotatably connected to a second section, an actuator connected to the second section, and a straightening wheel connected to the actuator. The injector has a first drive chain and a second drive chain. The first and second drive chains each have semi-circular members forming circular channels that grab an outer surface of the coiled tubing. The shear has a trolley, a clamp, a tubing cutter, a return mechanism, and an automated controller. The automated controller actuates the clamp and the tubing cutter while the trolley translates along rails from a first position to a second position.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for increasing the capacity and precision of a portion cutter wherein the items to be portion cut are positioned abutting each other. In particular are provided a method and apparatus for identifying a boundary between consecutive items to be cut when the items are placed on a conveyor abutting each other with little or no gab between the items. At least one characteristic is measured for each of the items, and at least one process parameter is controlled in order to achieve predetermined product portions from the items based on the measured characteristic.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for ductile materials comprises a nozzle having a number of outlet openings separated from each other by separator webs. Next to the nozzle, a rotating cutting tool is provided, having a plurality of cutting knives for cutting off the strands of material discharged through the outlet openings of the nozzle. Each separator web is at least as wide as a cutting knife. For performing a cutting operation, the cutting tool is intermittently rotated. Between two cutting operations, the cutting tool is stopped, whereby its knives remain in a rest position behind the separator webs. For the next cutting operation, the cutting tool is rotated by such an amount that its cutting knives move from a position behind a first separator web to the next adjacent separator web.

Abstract: A method of trimming printed media comprises selecting printed media to be positioned on a conveyor based on predetermined delivery sequence data, positioning the printed media on the conveyor, receiving size data representative of at least one dimension of the printed media to be trimmed, and electronically controlling a trimmer based on the received size data to adjust a location at which the printed media is to be trimmed.

Abstract: A device for separating disc-shaped bodies from an original body includes a separating device, a feeding device, an optical recognition device for determining the front face contour of the original body and lamps for illuminating the surroundings of the cutting surface. The recognition device detects the front face using the contrast between the surroundings of the front face and the original body in relation to the determined front face. The lamps are mounted in a tunnel and arranged in a planar manner along the longitudinal direction of the original body. The method includes the steps of guiding the source body in a tunnel, mounting a plurality of lamps in a planar fashion along the longitudinal direction of the source body in the tunnel, and illuminating the source body and the environment of the face of the source body with the plurality of lamps.

Abstract: A process is provided for minimizing waste during processing of a length of stock into one or more shorter usable segments, where in connection with the processing station upon which the length of stock is processed, the length of stock has a minimum handling length. The waste is minimized by mapping the remnant segment at a position other than the last segment at the trailing end of the length of stock. The last segment at a trailing end of the length of stock is alternatively defined as one of the usable segments having a length greater than the minimum handling length.

Abstract: An automatic cutoff saw includes a workpiece positioner comprising a plurality synchronized conveying belts driven by a single motor to position a workpiece for cutting by reciprocating, rotating saw blade.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) is provided for automatically cutting strip materials (22) into slats (20) for a venetian blind. The apparatus (10) has a feeding station (12), a cutting station (14), a punching station (16) and a laddering station (18). Strip materials (22) for the slats (20) are stored in a magazine (24) of the station (12) and they are fed one at a time to the cutting station (14) for cutting into slats (20) of preset length after slots (46) have been punched. The slats (20) are then fed to the laddering station (18) for assembling into blinds. A sensor (56,58) is positioned to sense remnants of the strip material (22) and the remnants are automatically moved back to the feeding station (12) where they are lifted off the feeding path for ejection by a following strip (12).

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning lumber pieces for end trimming, by means of a succession of gates mounted on traveling chains set at a converging angle with the even end line of uniformly spaced lumber pieces carried transversely on parallel chains towards a multiple saw trimmer. The positioning is accomplished by any one gate pushing against the end of a lumber piece and then retracting when the lumber piece has reached the appropriate position for cutting by stationary trimming saws. The positioning process and the saw selection for each cut are scanner/computer controlled.

Abstract: A continuous web of sheet material is fed through the lip of a first pair of driven pull rolls around a series of idler rollers and through the nip of a second pair of driven pull rolls. The pairs of pull rolls are selectively rotated to exert a desired tension on the web in a tension zone formed between the pairs of rolls. One pair of pull rolls operates as feed rolls to advance a preselected length of the web to a rotating cutter mechanism so that envelope blanks of a selected length are cut from the web for each revolution of the cutter mechanism. The feed rolls are operated by a servo-controlled motor responsive to an operator initiated signal to adjust the feed length without interrupting the feed of the web to the cutter mechanism. The second pair of pull rolls operates as tension rolls and is servo-motor controlled to maintain a preselected tension on the web fed to the cutter mechanism.

Abstract: A wire processing apparatus is provided with a prefeeder 120, a feeding unit 12 and an accumulator 110 therebetween. A detector is provided to determine if there is a cause for stopping the prefeeder 120. In response to such a detected cause, a controller stops the prefeeder 120 while simultaneously permitting the feeding unit 12 to draw a wire from the accumulator to permit continued operation of the wire processing apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a labelling system and process. A continuous single-ply film is provided with a reverse printed image on an inside surface thereof with opaque coating substantially covering the inside surface. The film preferably is very thin, less than about 1.7 mils. The film is applied with a system using registration control based on two sources of input data, registration indicia and cutter position. The system self corrects for variations in true label length. An adhesive applicator is provided, such as a laser jet spray adhesive or alternatively a rotating cylinder having a cam surface which contacts the label with adhesive utilizing a perfectly cylindrical vacuum drum to avoid container/label slippage. A controlled motor drive on the supply roll to reduce web tension is provided.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting, from a continuously extending sinuously formed wire, a variably selected predetermined length thereof having a plurality of sinuously formed generally identical coils, which apparatus comprises a frame, a mechanism on said frame for severing the sinuously formed wire, a track on said frame for guiding travel of the sinuously formed wire to the wire severing mechanism, and a control connected to the wire severing mechanism and including a sensing circuit for generating countable electrical pulses in response to wire travel relative to the wire severing mechanism, and a counting circuit operable to receive the countable electrical pulses and, in response to receipt of a predetermined number thereof, to generate an actuating signal effective to cause action of the wire severing mechanism to sever the wire.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a photo-sensitive film magazine packed in a container is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of (a) assembling a photosensitive film magazine in a photosensitive film magazine assembly section (b) feeding successively the photosensitive film magazine to a container accommodation section from said photosensitive film magazine assembly section through a predetermined passage and (c) setting the photosensitive film magazine into a photosensitive film magazine container in the container accommodation section.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for feeding strips having a fusion adhesive coating on one of their surfaces to an advancing transport unit, in particular a sheet-stack binding apparatus where loose sheets are bound to form brochures or books. The method is carried out in that a thickness range of a sheet stack to be bound is associated with a specific width of a strip coated with a fusion adhesive, in that the association is effected in that the thickness of the sheet stack to be bound is determined or in that a selectable predetermined value is provided and in that the sheet-stack thickness value preselected or determined is used to control a drive mechanism (5, 6) which transfers the strip associated with the thickness range of the sheet stack to be bound from separate standby positions (7') of a number of strips (1c, 1d) of different widths to a handling position (12').

Abstract: A multiplicity of cooled steel products, after having been severed from an as-rolled steel, divided into sectional bars and delivered to and accumulated on a cooling hearth, are taken from the cooling hearth, and delivered to a multi-bar straightening machine. There, simultaneously with straightening, a predetermined distance from the leading ends of the bars is measured simultaneously, the forward movement of the bars is interrupted after they have advanced by said measured distance, and said forward portions are cut.

Abstract: A slicing machine for cutting slices from a product includes a camera (6) which views a cut face (5) of the product. A boundary recognition processor (14) processes image signals from the camera (6) to determine a boundary of the cut face (5). A parameter characteristic of the cut face (5) is calculated from image data corresponding to regions of the cut face within the determined boundary. A control signal generating circuit generates a control signal to control the operation of the slicer in accordance with the determined parameter.In a preferred example, the boundary is analysed to determine the location of any secondary regions (10) of the cut face (5) and the characteristic parameter is calculated from image data corresponding to regions of the cut face other than the secondary regions.

Abstract: A bloom is heated and rolled by the flying shear system so as to produce a semi-finish rolled billet having a reduced cross section. A CLSI value, which is indicative of the uniform length of each of a number of product billets that can be cut from the length of the semi-finish rolled billet while maintaining predetermined optimum head and tail scrap lengths, is then calculated by the flying shear system. The cross section of the semi-finish rolled billet is corrected, so as to produce a finish rolled billet having an adjusted length, when the CLSI value is not within a safety billet length range, to thereby obtain a new CLSI value that falls within the safety billet length range. A flying shear cuts the semi-finish rolled billet or the finish rolled billet into the number of product billets when the CLSI value is within the safety billet length range.

Abstract: A shear mechanism is controlled by ultrasonically calipering the bar stock and adjusting the length of sheared bar stock to assure a uniform volume of metal bar stock in the sheared product. A plurality of ultrasonic transducers are carried in a common frame and centered on the bar stock using the same ultrasonic calipers.

Abstract: A division sheet feeding method comprises the steps of laying at least one division sheet, which is fed by a division sheet conveyance device, upon a group of a predetermined number of product sheets each time the predetermined number of the product sheets are stacked one upon another by a sheet stacking device in the course of cutting a product web by a product web cutting device into the product sheets having predetermined sizes, conveying the product sheets by a product sheet conveyance device, and stacking the product sheets by the sheet stacking device. A division sheet web is cut as required to obtain the division sheet, and the division sheet is fed to the division sheet conveyance device.

Abstract: In a ham loaf slicing machine having a rotary cutter supported for cyclical orbital movement into and out of a slicing station, a ham loaf size sensing mechanism is provided in a collar having an aperture for supporting a ham loaf in position at the entrance to the slicing station to control the speed of ham loaf feed toward the slicing station. In the inner wall of the collar which defines the aperture, an annular groove and a draw-out passage for a flexible strap-like member which leads to a location outside the collar are provided. The strap-like member is disposed in the annular groove, one end of the member being fixed at a suitable location in the groove. The other end of the strap-like member is positioned outside the collar past the draw-out passage and is connected to a sensor.

Abstract: A manual stock stop is diclosed including a track assembly and a sliding stop assembly. A cable-activated electromechanical position transducer sends an electrical signal corresponding to the position of a stop bar mounted on the top assembly to a monitor/control unit which displays the position of the stop bar. A fine adjustment mechanism in the stop assembly allows for precise positioning of the stop bar. An automatic stock stop is also disclosed including a track and sliding carriage assembly. A motorized screw mechanism mounted on the track moves a carriage a limited distance along the track. The ends of flippers mounted on the carriage can be extended beyond an edge of the carriage to actually stop the stock. A guide and a device for performing a machine operation on the stock may also be mounted on the track. A computer control unit activates and coordinates the various functions of the stock stop.

Abstract: The label dispenser comprises a cutter (11) for cutting a label from a continuous tape (1), with first and second means (10, 12) disposed on either side of said cutter for holding and for driving said tape. The dispenser further includes cells (25, 26) for detecting tape advance relative to the cutter in order to place the tape in an initial position at a desired label length from said cutter, together with ejector means (30) for ejecting a label cut from said tape, said ejector means causing said label to advance at a higher speed than the tape advance speed. A franking machine fitted with the detector includes a detector for detecting the position of a lever which controls the printing of an optional slogan on the label, and the length label selected in said dispenser is controlled as a function of the detected position of said slogan conrolling lever.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for cutting a chain of longitudinally joined elongate products into pieces of a desired length, the chain of elongate products is intermittently fed by a feed unit through a first distance equal to the length of each piece to be severed, along a path through a detector and a cutting unit downstream of the detector and the chain is cut successively into pieces of the desired length at the cutting unit while the feed unit is inoperative. As the chain is advanced, the joint portion of each adjacent pair of the elongate products is detected by the detector. Upon detection of the joint portion, a control unit computes the number of prospective pieces of the desired length producible by severing from a longitudinal portion of the chain which extends from the present leading end of the chain toward the detected joint portion and terminates short of the detected joint portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for shearing logs to form billets includes movable stop at the discharge side of a shear to measure the length of the log passed through the shear. A light beam impinges on a detector when the trailing end of a log passes beyond the light beam to produce a signal concurrently with a signal which is produced by displacement of the movable stop. The concurrent production of these two signals is used to produce a third signal corresponding to a measure of the length of the log. The latter signal is used for determining the sheared length of one or part of a two-piece billet that can be produced from the log-end portion. The log is severed by displacing a movable upper die of the shear beyond a stationary lower die. In one embodiment, a gripper engages and pulls the end of the log from the shear. In a second embodiment, an H-shaped frame extending outwardly at the discharge side of the shear carries a movable stop.

Abstract: A printer utilizes an automatic stacker that has a conveyor belt whose speed and increment of advance is varied as a function of the size of the tag being printed in order to provide a more even overlap when different size tags are stacked in a shingle fashion.

Abstract: A controller for cutting sheet material so that inferior or incomplete sheet material is eliminated is characterized by the provision of means for detecting a length of sheet passing through a rotary cutter which continuously cuts the sheet material, means for calculating a length of sheet moving until the sheet is cut after a shear is started, and means for controlling the start timing of the shear so that a cut portion of sheet cut first by the shear coincides with a cut portion of sheet cut by the rotary cutter.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of shearing heated metal bars to form billets, using a hot shearing apparatus. The bars are heated or kept warm in an oven upstream of the hot shearing apparatus, and the bar column normally is conveyed back into the oven after a shearing procedure. The bar length differs from an integer multiple of the billet length, and in passing over to a subsequent bar, a remnant of the preceding bar is combined with an initial piece of the subsequent bar to form a billet of the billet length prescribed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting a continuous corrugated member while conveying it in a longitudinal direction thereof, in which a movable cutter blade is moved forward in the same direction as the conveying direction of the corrugated member at the same speed as the conveying speed of the corrugated member. The cutter blade is also reciprocated to cut the corrugated member when the cutter blade is moved forward.

Abstract: A bucking station for small logs is disclosed, in which a log is scanned to determine its size and shape, the resulting data are analyzed by a computer which determines the optimum locations for cuts, and the proposed cut locations are displayed on the log optically for the operator's inspection. If the operator overrides any of the proposed cuts, the computer recalculates any cuts not specified by the operator. When all cuts have been approved, the log is kicked to a cutting bed, where the cuts are made by means of two independently controllable traveling saws. The cutting bed is preferably defined by three sets of parallel plates. The first set comprises stationary plates having V-shaped upper edges which define a V-shaped trough in which the log is initially received. The second and third sets of plates are vertically movable and, when raised, together define a second V-shaped trough located above the first trough.

Abstract: A printing system for printing characters in various fonts and formats onto webs of sheet stock of various sizes includes apparatus for cutting the web into various lengths to accommodate various formats as well as for providing different lengths of tags which are interposed between batches of tags to permit easy separation of the batches. A stacker is also provided which selectively stacks the tags in a shingle fashion or into piles. Circuitry is provided to detect jams in the system and to assure that the proper size web corresponding to the selected format is used. Also, the system is provided with circuitry for adjusting the line print position to compensate for positioning errors caused by mechanical tolerances in the printers.

Abstract: Hog loins or other meat items are trimmed to a base weight by severing from one relatively uniform end of each loin a single portion having a length determined by the amount of actual weight of said loin which exceeds the base weight multiplied by a factor representing a lineal relationship between increments of weight and length taken from corresponding uniform ends of other loins which also exceeded the base weight.