PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT CUTTER

• US 3,813,976 A
• Filed: 06/20/1973
• Issued: 06/04/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jimmy E. Greer
• Original Assignee: Jimmy E. Greer
• Inventors: Greer, Jimmy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yost, Frank T.
• Application Number:
  US05/371,639
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 83/211,210,209,282,367,371,449,453,605,601,602,694,48,611,610,42
• US Class Current: 83/211
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/046 Automatic cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/446 With means to initiate tool feed by same control impulse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4463 Work-sensing means to initiate tool feed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4645 With means to clamp work during dwell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/536 Movement of work controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/745 Opposed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7493 Combined with, peculiarly related to, other element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8809 Fixed axis lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8818 Axially progressing cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9447 Shear type

Abstract

A cutter conversion unit for use in a high speed system for severing individual photographic prints from a continuous strip of such prints, permitting conversion of an existing system from one which cuts conventional bordered style prints to one which punches out a chaff strip shaped to create a borderless and round-cornered print. The conversion unit, adapted to be actuated by an existing reciprocating link, comprises an oscillating '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'I'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'-shaped punch which automatically strokes along an arcuate path in response to a signal from a sensing system when the strip is properly positioned and clamped beneath the punch.

Claims

1. For use in a high speed cutting system for severing individual photographic prints from a continuous strip of such prints, of the type including feed means for providing an intermittent feed of the roll to the cutting unit and cutter drive means including a reciprocating member for actuating the cutter blade in response to a signal from the control circuit that the print roll is stationary and in proper cutting position under the blade, an improved cutter unit capable of use as a conversion unit to convert the system from conventional bordered style prints to borderless style prints, comprising:

a base adapted to be secured to the cutting system at the cutting station;

a punch pivotally mounted on said base and oriented so that its pivot axis lies parallel to the plane of the print strip and transverse to the direction of feed of the strip through the cutting system;

said punch being dimensioned in shape to remove from the print strip a narrow elongated transverse chaff strip running the full width of the print strip and shaped generally like a Roman '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'I,'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' with the serifs thereof being slightly rounded, so that the punching out of such chaff strip from the print strip severs two adjacent prints from each other and leaves the corners of the prints rounded;

said punch being adapted to be eccentrically connected to the reciprocating member to cause said punch to stroke along an arcuate path in response to movement of the reciprocating member; and

a die mounted on said base and having a cavity shaped and dimensioned to receive such punch, and positioned on the opposite side of the print strip path from said punch, whereby said punch and die cooperate to punch out a chaff strip from the print strip upon actuation by the cutter drive means.

2. The cutter unit of claim 1 which further comprises:

a guide means mounted on said base and positioned on the opposite side of the print path from said die and immediately upstream therefrom, said guide means functioning to maintain the print strip of a substantially flat condition in a predetermined path as it enters the punch-die zone; and

a biasing means carried by said base and position to bias the print strip against said guide means.

3. The cutter unit of claim 1 wherein the leading edge of said punch is non-parallel to its line of intersection with the print strip, so that it punches progresSively across the transverse width of the print strip.

4. The cutter unit of claim 1 wherein the leading edge of said punch is shaped as a shallow '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'V'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' when viewed along the direction of print strip feed, so that its punching action is progressively outward from the center of the print strip toward the two lateral edges thereof.