Dual-end blinds trimming machine

• US 6,615,698 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Custom Craft Inc
• Original Assignee: Custom Craft Inc
• Inventors: Chuang, Hsirong, Shieh, Kevin Chang Dien
• Primary Examiner(s): ASHLEY, BOYER DOLINGER
• Application Number:
  US09/871,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 83/35, 83/39, 83/24, 83/52, 832/21, 832/56, 834/09, 834/16, 834/53, 834/61, 834/681, 834/682, 834/684, 834/686, 834/687, 835/58, 834/711, 831/60, 833/91, 831/67, 834/04, 834/091, 834/12, 834/22, 834/371, 836/22, 831/00, 834/712, 834/771, 835/221.9, 835/64, 834/85, 269/41, 269/56, 269/58, 144/2.1
• US Class Current: 83/24
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/10 with a plurality of circular saw blades B23D45/143, B23D45/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 47/04 of devices for feeding, positioning, clamping, or rotating work
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/001 Measuring or control devices, e.g. for automatic control of work feed pressure on band saw blade measuring in general G01; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/006 for removing or collecting chips
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 27/02 arranged laterally and parallel with respect to the plane of the saw blade
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 27/10 Devices for moving or adjusting the guide fences or stops
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 5/02 characterised by a special purpose only
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 5/04 for edge trimming equipment for adjusting the mutual distance between the saw blades B27B5/34
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/266 Devices or accessories for making or mounting lamellar blinds or parts thereof cleaning of lamellar blinds A47L4/00; joining plastics plates for making venetian blinds B29C66/437
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0453 By fluid application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0505 With reorientation of work between cuts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0524 Plural cutting steps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/207 By suction means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/222 With receptacle or support for cut product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4579 With change of direction between tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6476 Including means to move work from one tool station to another
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/654 With work-constraining means on work conveyor [i.e., "work-carrier"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6656 Rectilinear movement only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7493 Combined with, peculiarly related to, other element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7627 With traversing cutter guide; e.g., cut-off saw
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7647 : Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7693 : Tool moved relative to work-support during cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7726 : By movement of the tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7788 : Tool carrier oscillated or rotated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/858 : Indicates dimension of work being cut

Abstract

A dual-end cutting machine for trimming assembled blinds has fixed spacing between a pair of trimming units, which are adapted from conventional power miter saws. The blind assembly is clamped to a carriage that is movable on tracks between the trimming units, and adjustable stops are supported at opposite ends of the machine. The adjustable stops also have actuators for movement between an advanced position for positioning the blinds for cutting, and a retracted position that facilitates evacuation of scraps and chips from respective collector boxes wherein cutting takes place to a vacuum holding tank. A method for trimming includes clamping the blinds to the carriage with components aligned against one stop member, trimming that end of the blinds, moving the carriage to abut the blinds against the other stop, and trimming the other end of the blinds.

Claims

1. An dual-end cutting machine for assembled blinds having a plurality of slats movably suspended between an upper rail and a lower rail, the machine comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a pair of trimming units fixedly supported on the base, each trimming unit having a powered rotary saw for cutting components of the blinds in respective cutting planes, the saws being advancable in the respective cutting planes relative to the blinds, the cutting planes being parallel-spaced apart by a span distance, each of the trimming units further comprising;

(i) a saw track supported relative to the base and oriented parallel to the cutting planes;

(ii) a saw carriage supported by the track, the saw carriage being guided parallel to the cutting planes;

(iii) an arm pivotally supported by the carriage on a pivot axis; and

(iv) a handle fixedly projecting from the arm for manually advancing respective the saws in the respective cutting planes thereof in a first motion segment wherein the arm pivots about the arm axis, followed by a second motion segment wherein the saw carriage advances parallel to the saw track;

(c) a pair of blind-supporting tray carriages supported relative to the base between the cutting planes and guided perpendicular to the cutting planes, each of the tray carriages having a clamp supported thereon for fixedly clamping the blinds assembly in a collapsed condition at spaced apart locations, the blinds being oriented perpendicular to the cutting planes;

(d) a pair of stop mechanisms supported on the base outwardly from the cutting planes for registering the blinds prior to cutting, each stop mechanism comprising;

(i) a stop member defining a stop surface parallel to the cutting planes and having a projecting stop arm extending outwardly from and perpendicular to the cutting planes;

(ii) a stop carriage telescopically receiving the stop arm, the stop carriage being movable between an advanced position and a retracted position in a direction parallel to the stop arm;

(iii) a stop actuator for moving the stop carriage to the retracted position in response to activation of a corresponding one of the trimmer units; and

(iv) means for adjustably clamping the stop arm to the stop carriage to achieve a predetermined distance from the stop surface to the nearest of the cutting planes in the advanced position of the stop carriage; and

(e) a pair of scrap collectors, each scrap collector comprising a chip-collection box forming a chip-collecting chamber that extends on opposite sides of a respective one of the cutting planes, the box having a saw opening for admitting a blade of the cutting device, a workpiece opening for receiving an end portion of the blinds, a stop opening for receiving the stop member of a corresponding one of the stop mechanisms, and an exhaust port for connecting a vacuum device to the chip-collection box for sucking both chips and scraps from the chip-collecting chamber, the exhaust port having an exhaust flow area sufficient for passing the scraps, the exhaust port area being not less than 50 percent of a composite effective inlet area of the chip-collecting chamber when the corresponding trimmer unit is cutting the blinds,

trimming of respective end portions of the blinds being effected with the blinds clamped to the tray carriages and moved with components of the blinds moved into abutment with one of the stop members in the advanced position thereof upon operation of the associated trimmer unit, the carriage being subsequently moved with the components of the blinds abutting the other of the stop members in the advanced position thereof at operation of the other of the trimmer units a finished length of the blinds being an initial length of the blinds less the total distance between the cutting planes and the stop members in the advanced positions thereof.

2. A method for trimming assembled blinds having a plurality of slats movably suspended between an upper rail and a lower rail, the method comprising:

(a) providing a machine having first and second trimmer units, each trimmer unit having a cutting plane, the cutting planes being parallel-spaced apart by a span distance, a blinds carriage being movable between and perpendicular to the cutting planes, the trimmer units also having respective first and second adjustable stops associated therewith;

(b) clamping the blinds in a collapsed condition to the blinds carriage;

(c) adjusting each of the stops for a desired length of the blinds to be removed from respective ends thereof;

(d) moving the blinds carriage until the rails and slats of the blinds contact the first stop;

(e) activating the first trimmer unit;

(f) advancing the first trimmer unit relative to the carriage for trimming one end of the blinds at the corresponding cutting plane;

(g) moving the carriage until the blinds contact the second stop;

(h) activating the second trimmer unit; and

(i) advancing the second trimmer unit relative to the carriage for trimming the other end of the blinds at the corresponding cutting plane.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising retracting the first stop in response to activation of the first trimmer unit, and retracting the second stop in response to activation of the second cutter unit.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(a) providing for each of the trimmer units a chip-collecting chamber that extends on opposite sides of the corresponding cutting plane, the chamber having a blade opening for admitting a blade of the cutting device, a workpiece opening for receiving an end portion of the blinds, and an outlet port;

(b) connecting a conduit between each of the outlet ports to a vacuum holding tank;

(c) in the moving of the carriage, advancing the blinds into respective ones of the chip collecting chambers; and

(d) pumping air from the chambers to the holding tank at sufficient volume and velocity to carry into the tank substantially all chips and scraps being removed by the trimmer units.

5. A dual-end cutting machine for assembled blinds having a plurality of slats movably suspended between an upper rail and a lower rail, the machine comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a pair of trimming units fixedly supported on the base, each trimming unit having a powered cutting device for cutting components of the blinds in a cutting plane, the cutting planes being parallel-spaced apart by a span distance;

(c) a blind-supporting tray carriage supported relative to the base between the cutting planes and guided perpendicular to the cutting planes; and

(d) a clamp supported on the tray carriage for fixedly locating the blinds assembly relative thereto in a collapsed condition and oriented perpendicular to the cutting planes,

trimming of respective end portions of the blinds being effected with the blinds clamped to the tray carriage and moved to a desired location relative to respective ones of the cutting planes when the corresponding trimming unit is activated, a finished length of the blinds being the span distance less a distance moved by the carriage between respective trimming operations.

6. The cutting machine of claim 5, wherein the tray carriage is one of a pair of tray carriages, each of the tray carriages supporting a corresponding blinds clamp for clamping the blinds at adjustably spaced-apart locations thereon.

7. The cutting machine of claim 6, further comprising a tray carriage track structure fixedly supported on the base and having track surfaces extending a major portion of the span distance between the cutting planes, each of the tray carriages being supported by the carriage track surfaces for translation along the track structure.

8. The cutting machine of claim 5, wherein the cutting device of each of the trimming units comprises a powered rotary saw, the saw being advancable in the cutting plane thereof relative to the blinds.

9. The cutting machine of claim 8, wherein each of the trimming units further comprises a saw track supported relative to the base and oriented parallel to the cutting planes, and a saw carriage supported by the track and guided for supporting the saw for movement in the cutting plane thereof.

10. The cutting machine of claim 8, wherein each of the trimming units further comprises an arm pivotally supported on a respective arm axis being oriented perpendicular to the cutting planes, the saw being supported on the arm for arcuate movement in the respective cutting plane.

11. The cutting machine of claim 8, wherein each of the trimming units further comprises:

(a) a saw track supported relative to the base and oriented parallel to the cutting planes;

(b) a saw carriage supported by the track, the saw carriage being guided parallel to the cutting planes;

(c) an arm pivotally supported by the carriage on a pivot axis; and

(d) a handle fixedly projecting from the arm for manually advancing the saw in the cutting plane thereof in a first motion segment wherein the arm pivots about the arm axis, followed by a second motion segment wherein the saw carriage advances parallel to the saw track.

12. The cutting machine of claim 5, further comprising a pair of scrap collectors, each scrap collector comprising a chip-collection box forming a chip-collecting chamber that extends on opposite sides of a respective one of the cutting planes, the box having a saw opening for admitting a blade of the cutting device, and a workpiece opening for receiving an end portion of the blinds, and an exhaust port for connecting a vacuum device to the chip-collection box for sucking both chips and scraps from the chip-collecting chamber, the exhaust port having an exhaust flow area sufficient for passing the scraps, the exhaust port area being not less than 50 percent of a composite effective inlet area of the chip-collecting chamber when the corresponding trimmer unit is cutting the blinds.

13. The cutting machine of claim 12, wherein the chip-collection box additionally has a stop opening for receiving an adjustable stop member for registering the blinds prior to cutting, the effective inlet area being inclusive of the effective area of the stop opening.

14. The cutting machine of claim 12, including the adjustable stop member, the machine further comprising means for retracting the stop member in response to activation of the associated cutting unit.

15. The cutting machine of claim 12, including the vacuum device connected to the exhaust port, the combination of the vacuum device, the chip-collection box, and the exhaust port being effective for exhausting substantially all chips and scraps from the chip-collecting chamber as cutting of the blinds is taking place.

16. The cutting machine of claim 5, further comprising a pair of a stop mechanisms supported outwardly from the cutting planes for registering the blinds prior to cutting, each stop mechanism comprising:

(a) a stop member defining a stop surface parallel to the cutting planes and having a projecting stop arm extending outwardly from and perpendicular to the cutting planes;

(b) a stop carriage telescopically receiving the stop arm, the stop carriage being movable between an advanced position and a retracted position in a direction parallel to the stop arm; and

(c) means for adjustably clamping the stop arm to the stop carriage to achieve a predetermined distance from the stop surface to the nearest of the cutting planes in the advanced position of the stop carriage.

17. The cutting machine of claim 16, wherein each of the stop mechanisms further comprises a stop actuator for moving the stop carriage to the retracted position in response to activation of a corresponding one of the trimmer units.

18. The cutting machine of claim 17, wherein the stop actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder fixedly supported by the base, the stop carriage being supported by a movable member of the hydraulic cylinder.

19. The cutting machine of claim 16, further comprising a scale rule mounted relative to one of the stop arm and the stop carriage and a scale reference mounted relative to the other of the stop arm and the stop carriage for indicating a position of the stop member relative to the stop carriage.

20. The cutting machine of claim 19, wherein one of the scale rule and the scale reference is adjustably mounted for calibrating readings of the scale rule relative to reductions in length of the blinds to be made by the machine.