Side-by-side programmable feed system

• US 5,406,872 A
• Filed: 03/19/1993
• Issued: 04/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MIM Industries Incorporated (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: MIM Industries Incorporated (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Young, James R., Conley, Ralph F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, EUGENIA A
• Application Number:
  US08/034,872
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 83/42, 83/272, 83/636, 83/650, 83/658, 83/694, 83/902, 83/440, 83/412, 83/109, 83/202, 226/109, 226/110, 112/130, 112/121.11, 112/153, 112/304, 225/34, 242/58.2, 242/58.3, 242/58.6, 242/181
• US Class Current: 83/109
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0006 Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 33/00 Devices incorporated in sewing machines for supplying or removing the work
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 35/06 for attaching bands, ribbons, strips, or tapes or for binding
• CPC Class Codes: D05D 2305/12 transversally
• CPC Class Codes: D05D 2305/14 Winding or unwinding
• CPC Class Codes: D06H 7/02 transversely D06H7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/902 Attachments for other types of machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2092 Means to move, guide, or permit free fall or flight of product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/444 Tool engages work during dwell of intermittent workfeed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/73 Guide fixed to or integral with stationary tool element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8854 Progressively cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/902 Plural supply sources

Abstract

A side-by-side material feed system is provided for feeding two dissimilar strips of material. The material is fed along parallel feed paths by first and second material feeders which move the material toward respective cutters. The operation of the feeders and the cutters is controlled by a programmable controller which permits each of the material strips to be fed and cut to form pieces of predetermined length which may be removed by an operator or conveyed to a subsequent station for further processing. In a further embodiment of the invention, the feeders are movable relative to a work station comprising a cutter associated with a common feed path extending between the cutter and a sewing apparatus. As each of the feeders is aligned with the work station, a predetermined length of material may be cut off by the cutter and conveyed along the common feed path to the sewing station.

Claims

1. A dual feed apparatus comprising:

a plurality of adjacent feeders, each of said plurality of adjacent feeders including a drive means and a supply stock of material wherein each said drive means draws material off a respective supply stock of material in a feed direction toward a work station;

an actuator for causing said plurality of adjacent feeders to move in a direction transverse to said feed direction and for selectively aligning at least one of said plurality of adjacent feeders with said work station so that said at least one of said plurality of adjacent feeders be energized to feed said material to said work station;

wherein each said drive means and supply stock of material is movable as a unit into alignment with said work station; and

including a cutter located at said work station, said cutter including a stationary blade and a sliding blade, said stationary blade comprising a guide surface having a central horizontal portion and beveled portions extending upwardly from opposing ends of said stationary blade toward said central horizontal portion for guiding an end of said material upwardly onto said central portion during movement of each of said plurality of adjacent feeders into alignment with said cutter.

2. The dual feed apparatus as in claim 1 including control means coupled to said actuator, said cutter and each of said plurality of adjacent feeders, said control means energizing said actuator to selectively move one of said plurality of adjacent feeders at a time into alignment with said cutter, energizing said one of said plurality of adjacent feeders to move said material into said cutter and energizing said cutter to cut said material.

3. The dual feed apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said plurality of adjacent feeders is comprised of two feeders and said control means energizes said actuator to alternately align each of said plurality of adjacent feeders into alignment with said cutter and energizes each of said feeders to feed a predetermined length of said material through said cutter which is energized to cut said material.

4. The dual feed apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sliding blade includes a cutting edge and said stationary blade includes a cutting edge, said cutting edges extending at an angle relative to each other whereby said cutting edges cooperate to progressively cut said material in a direction transverse to the feed direction.

5. The dual feed apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said sliding blade moves downwardly relative to said stationary blade to cut said material.

6. A material feed apparatus comprising:

at least one feeder for feeding a workpiece in a feed direction from an upstream location to a work station;

a cutter located at said work station for receiving the workpiece from said feeder, said cutter including a stationary blade and a sliding blade in operative sliding contact with said stationary blade wherein said stationary blade defines a guide surface for guiding an end of said workpiece into alignment with said cutter; and

wherein said feeder is mounted for movement to move the workpiece in a direction transverse to the feed direction and said guide surface comprises a central horizontal portion and a beveled portion extending upwardly from an end of said stationary blade toward said central portion for guiding a forwardly extending end portion of said workpiece onto said central portion during said transverse movement.

7. The material feed apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said sliding blade and said stationary blade each define a cutting edge, said cutting edges extending at an angle relative to each other whereby said cutting edges cooperate to progressively cut the workpiece in a direction transverse to the feed direction.

8. The material feed apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said sliding blade moves downwardly relative to said stationary blade to cut the workpiece.

9. The material feed apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said sliding blade includes an aperture for receiving the workpiece therethrough and said cutting edge for said sliding blade is defined along an edge of said aperture.

10. The material feed apparatus as in claim 6 wherein a plurality of feeders are provided, each said feeder including a material supply for supplying material to be fed toward said cutter and said feeders being actuated for said transverse movement to position said feeders in alignment with said cutter.

11. The material feed apparatus as in claim 6 including a controller and conveying means wherein said controller actuates said feeder and said cutter to feed and cut, respectively, a predetermined length of the workpiece and said controller actuates said conveying means to convey the predetermined length of the workpiece to a predetermined location within an attachment apparatus for attaching the workpiece to an additional workpiece.

12. The material feed apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said feeder is movable in a horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to said feed direction.