US2862554A - Strip burster - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 2, 1958 J. T. DAVIDSON ET AL 2,862,554

STRIP BURSTER' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15. 1955 INVENTOR. JOHN T. DAVIDSON I3 I IQ E JOHN A. SCHMIDT BY JOHN H. KROEMER WM .Dec; 2, 1958 J. T. DAVIDSON Ef AL STRIP BURSTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15. 1955 INVENTOR JOHN T DAVIDSON JOHN A. SCHMIDT BY JOHNfl-jfOEMER U Aflorney United tates Patent Offi 2,862,554 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 STRIP BURSTER John T. Davidson, John A. Schmidt, and John H. Krocmer, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 514,817 Claims. (Cl. 164-845) This invention relates to strip or web feeding and severing apparatus, by which single or multiple superposed strips of material are divided at predetermined longitudinally spaced intervals into a succession of individual sheets, and more particularly to a generally new burster blade mechanism operating in conjunction with intermittent strip tensioning means whereby successively advanced terminal portions of the strip material are tensioned beyond the tensile strength of transverse weakened division lines within such advanced portions, such terminal portions being thereby successively detached from the supply portion of the strip or web.

In the use of record strip material, it is known to inscribe continuous series connected printed forms, such as checks, utility bills, invoices, statements and other record sheets successively while keeping the printed forms intact in the strip by passing the strip through a writing or imprinting machine. Subsequently the strip is divided between successive inscribed forms into individual sheets. To facilitate separation, the record strips are provided with transverse longitudinally spaced transverse weakened division lines, upon which the strips are bursted by being subjected to excessive tension.

The instant invention may broadly be considered to be an improvement upon or modification of the strip severing apparatus disclosed in Patent No. 2,380,949 issued August 7, 1945, as well as the mechanism of Patent No. 2,618,336 issued November 18, 1952.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of strip bursters, whereby such bursters may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and be unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the present invention is to introduce a new concept in strip severing practice according to which the strip is subjected not only to a pulling tension but also to an abruptly terminated snap action resulting in a more accurate and facile detachment of the leading end of the strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bursting blade assembly operable in conjunction with a strip tensioning mechanism to supplement the applied tension with a tearing action directed specifically along a transverse weakened division line of the strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bursting blade assembly arranged to enforce the formation of a slack loop in the strip and yielding to only a limited extent upon the attempted removal of such slack loop.

Still another object of the invention is to provide burster blade means operating in conjunction with conventional strip tensioning means for a better severing of the strip, which means is more simple and inexpensive of operation and construction than like devices heretofore known.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strip burster possessing the advantageous structural features,

the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of one end assembly of the strip severing apparatus of the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strip severing mechanism of the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the position of the parts prior to application of the strip tensioning force; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position of the parts during application of the strip tensioning force.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, there is principally disclosed herein a unitary assembly of parts having a. pivotal mounting in a larger assembly, for example, the machine of Patent No. 2,618,336. The instant disclosed assembly comprises substantially the whole of the strip severing or bursting apparatus and is shown as especially adapted for use in a machine of the kind disclosed in Patent No. 2,618,336 so that reference may be had to that patent for a disclosure of machine parts and operations not here specifically illustrated and described.

Thus, the machine includes in part a rigid frame 11 (Fig. 3) supporting a shaft 12. In laterally spaced relation on the shaft 12 are arms 13 and 14 rigidly interconnected by tie rods 15 and 16 and supporting therebetween a pair of shafts 17 and 18 for relative rotary motion. On the shaft 17 is mounted a plurality of friction rolls 19 while on the shaft 18 is a sleeve 21 made of a relatively soft material and in effect defining a single continuous friction roll. In respectively opposed relation to the friction rolls 19 and 21 are friction feed rolls 22 and 23 suitably mounted in the frame 11 for relative rotary motion and, in the operation of the machine,

positively driven in a rotary sense at different peripheral speeds, the roller 23 being driven at a faster rate than the roller 22. Oscillatory motion of the arms 13 and 14 about the shaft 12, it will be understood, will serve fric tionally to engage and to disengage the rolls 19 and 21 relatively to the respective feed rolls 22 and 23. In the engaged position of the parts the several rolls, it will further be understood, rotate in unison, with the pair of rolls 21 and 23 rotating more rapidly than the pair of rolls 19 and 22.

Also on the shaft 17 are laterally spaced apart pin Wheel-bodies 24 carrying radially projecting pins 25 on their peripheries. A record strip 26 is marginally perforated for engagement with the feeding pins 25 and reaches engagement with such pins by motion in a right hand direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, passing beneath the shaft 12. The pin wheel bodies 24, like the rollers 19, are made fast to the shaft 17 which in the operation of the machine is rotated in accompaniment with rotation of the rolls 22 and 23. There is thus a regular progress of the strip 26 over the shaft 17 during operation of the machine and during oscillatory movement of the arms 13 and 14, there being provided hold down fingers 27 strip 26 is lifted or stripped from the pins 25 by fingers 29- mounted on the tie rods ISand 1'6, and extending upward between the shafts. i7 and 18. Also located between the shafts l7. and i3, and beyond the fingers 29. in the direction of travel of the strip, is a paper pan 31 suspended from blocks 32 on the arms 13 and 14. The pan 31 is depressed beneath the plane of a line tangent to the peripheries of the rolls l9 and 21.. Beyond the pan 31, the strip 26 passes over the roll 21, or more specifically between the roll, 21 and the roll 23, the terminal portion thereof being received on and guided by a' deflector member 33. V

In overlying relation to the paper pan 31 and to the strip 26 is a burster blade 34 extending as a bar between the arms 13 and 14 and pivotally mounted by pivot studs 35 in mounting plates 36 and 37 in the respective side arms. The studs 35 are offset toward one longitudinal edge of the blade 34 with the result the blade tends to rock about the studs 35 in a manner to move the opposite longitudinal edge thereof downward toward the paper pan 31. Tension springs 38 connect the blade 34 to anchor points on the pan 31 and urge the blade in a rocking motion as described. So positioned, the blade 34 deflects the strip 26 into a slack formation in which it conforms substantially to the location and configuration of' the pan 31. Motion of the burster blade in the opposite direction, against the urging of springs 38, is limited by a cross bar 39 supported between the mounting plates 36 and 37.

The rolls 22 and 23 are, as noted, positively driven at different speeds of rotation. The shaft 17 also is positively driven, at a speed placing the peripheries of the pin wheel bodies 24- and rolls 19 thereon in substantially synchronized motion with the roll 22. The shaft 18 is journaled between the side arms 13 and 14 so that the roll 21 thereon becomes an idler roll having rotary motion only when frictionally engaged with the roll 23. The rolls 21 and 23, because of their relatively greater peripheral speed when engaged may be termed snatch rolls while the relatively slower moving rolls 19 and 22 may be termed snubbing rolls. The strip 26 is, as also noted, moved continuously through the bursting or severing apparatus by the pin wheel bodies 24. The side arms 13 and 14- alternately occupy the position shown in Fig. 3 wherein the rolls l9 and 21 are disengaged from their respective rolls 22 and 23,.and the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein the rolls l9 and 21 have been caused to approach the respective rolls 22 and 23 whereby to apply a gripping pressure to the strip 26 at longitudinally spaced apart points along the length thereof. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the burster blade 34 enforces a slack formation in the strip in the bursting area, which may be considered to be the area between the rolls 19 and 21. Now, as the side arms 13 and 14 are raised to grip the strip between the gripping or feeding devices represented by the snatch and snubbing rolls, the greater speed of rotation of the rolls 21 and 23 tends to straighten the strip in the bursting area or to remove the slack formation therefrom. In the course of such movement, as seen in Fig. 4, the burster blade 34 is rocked about the pivot pins 35 against the urging of springs 38 until it reaches engagement with the cross bar 39 whereupon the rocking motion of the burster blade and the straightening action of the strip abruptly are terminated. A tearing action accordingly results, which is assisted by the tension placed upon the leading end of the strip by the attempted acceleration of the strip by the snatch rolls 21 and 23. The leading end of the strip is in this manner torn or separated from the main body of the strip and expelled as separate sheets 26a from the machine. At the completion of each form separating operation, the tension is removed from the strip, and the bursting blade is returned by the springs 38 to the position shown in Fig. 3 where it is held short of frictional engagement with the paper pan 31 by a stop pin 41 engageable with an end of the paper pan 31. As the shaft 17 continues to rotate, the new leading end of the strip is projected beneath the blade 34 and guided by the pan 31 over the roller 21 in position again to be gripped between the rolls 21 and 23 whenthe' side arm assembly next is raised for the succeeding form separating or bursting operation. The lower edge of the blade 34, or that edge engaging the strip 26 is cut away, as may be seen, to present substantially a knife edge against which the strip may more readily be torn; It' will be understood that the parts are caused to operate in such timed relationship to one another, and the strip 26 is so initially placed in the machine, that the applied tensile and tearing actions occur at a time when a weakened or perforate line of the strip achieves a cooperative relationship with the described knife edge onthe lower edge of the blade 34.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in itsform, portions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into eifect, the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including series arranged longitudinally spaced apart strip feeding devices, the forward one of which operates intermittently and at a greater peripheral speed than the other, means for guiding the strip in a curved path between said devices, said means including a bursting blade spring urged to deflect the strip out of a straight line between said devices, operation of the forward one of said devices tending to straighten the strip against the urging of said blade, means for abruptly stopping movement of said blade under straightening influence of the strip, and means supporting said bursting blade for movement as described.

2. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including intermittently operating strip tensioning means, means for guiding the strip to said tensioning means including a burster blade spring urged to deflect the strip out of a straight lie to said tensioning means, operation of said tensioning means tending to straighten the strip and thereby to move said blade, means for abruptly stopping such movement of said blade, and means supporting said burster blade for movement as described.

3. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including intermittently operating strip tensioning means, means for guiding the strip to said tensioning means including strip feeding means and means for producing a slack formation in the strip between said feeding means and said tens'ioning means, the strip tending to straighten in response to operation of said tensioning means and said slack producing means being displaced by said strip upon straightening thereof, means to limit displacement of said slack producing means by said strip whereby abruptly to interrupt straightening movement of the strip, and means supporting said slack producing means for movement as described.

4. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including spaced apart feed devices intermittently operated at different rates of Spee a bursting blade between said devices spring urged to deflect the strip into a slack formation between said devices, a stop limiting motion of said blade in one direction, said blade being moved in said one direction by the strip as operation of said feed devices tends to remove said slack formation, and means supporting said bursting blade for movement as described.

5. Strip severing apparatus, including longitudinally spaced apart pairs of feed rolls, the forward pair of said feed rolls being intermittently and differentially operable to tension the strip between said pairs of feed rolls, a burster blade bearing on the strip between said pairs of rolls tending to deflect the strip out of a straight line path between said pairs of rolls, said blade being movable by the strip in response to differential operation of said feed devices, means for abruptly interrupting such movement of said blade, and means supporting said burster blade for movement as described.

6. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including a pair of oscillatory frame arms, longitudinally spaced apart feed rolls supported between said arms, other rolls respectively mating with said feed rolls to define spaced apart pairs of rolls, means for guiding a strip between said spaced apart pairs of rolls, a bursting blade pivotally mounted between said arms and extending between said pairs of rolls, said blade bearing on and deflecting the strip in a slack formation between said pairs of rolls, a higher peripheral speed of rotation of the forward one of said pairs of rolls tending to straighten the strip whereby to move said blade, and a stop supported between said arms abruptly to interrupt such movement of said blade.

7. Strip severing apparatus for successively detaching terminal portions of a strip along successive transverse weakened division lines, including a pair of laterally spaced apart side frames, a pair of parallel spaced apart rollers supported between said side frames and over which a strip is advanced, a pan member supported by said frame members between said rolls in offset relation to a straight line tangent to the peripheries of both of said rolls, a bursting blade pivotally mounted between said frame members and deflecting the strip into said pan member, said blade being movable by the strip in response to tensioning of the strip tending to restore it to said straight line, and yielding means urging said blade in a direction to deflect said strip.

8. Strip severing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by a stop supported between said frame members limiting motion of said blade under influence of the strip' 9. Strip severing apparatus wherein a strip is passed through a pair of series arranged intermittently operating feeding devices, the latter encountered one of which operates at greater speed than the former for tensioning of that portion of the strip between the devices, a bursting blade intermediate said devices, a pivotal mounting for said blade providing for motion thereof in a direction to deflect said portion of the strip to a slack formation, said blade being movable by the strip in an opposite direction in response to operation of said devices tensioning said portion of the strip, and a stop interposed in the path of motion of said blade in said opposite direction.

10. Strip severing apparatus, according to claim 9, characterized by spring means urging said blade in said direction to deflect said portion of the strip to a slack formation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,380,949 Davidson Aug. 7, 1945 2,492,497 Oakley Dec. 27, 1949 2,513,093 Hageman June 27, 1950 2,618,336 Davidson Nov. 18, 1952

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