Pivot Punch
AssigneePearl Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEarl T. Pottorff, Robert J. Tewksbury, Mark J. Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A punch arrangement for punching holes in a moving web of a plastic film has a pivoted yoke mounted on a fixed bracket above the plastic film. An air cylinder or other actuator is mounted on the yoke and has a cutting head mounted on the rod of the cylinder. The cutting head is in registered alignment with an aperture on a support plate below the film. The film engages and swings the cutting head out in the film transport direction until the head rises out of contact with the film. Then a spring urges the yoke, actuator and cutting head back to their home position. A punch cycle can be carried out repeatedly on the film while the film is in constant motion.
Claims7
A pivot punch apparatus for punching holes in a web of film material that is continuously moving in a film transport direction, the apparatus comprising:
- an apertured backing plate on which the moving web of film is supported;
- and
- a punch mechanism disposed over said backing plate and including
- a bracket adapted to be mounted onto a support member;
- a pivoting yoke member having a horizontal pivot member at one end thereof, the pivot member being journalled onto said bracket at a horizontal pivot axis transverse to said film transport direction;
- a spring disposed on the yoke member between said yoke member and said bracket for biasing said yoke member to a vertical home position but allowing the yoke member to tilt on said pivot axis;
- and
- an actuator mounted on said yoke member and having a punch head mounted thereon, the actuator holding said punch head in registered alignment with an aperture in said backing plate when said yoke member is in its home position, and including means for reciprocating said punch head in a direction substantially normal to said backing plate;
- so that in a punch cycle the punch head descends vertically to contact and to cut said film and then moves in the direction of film transport until the head rises out of contact with the film, after which the spring urges the yoke member, the actuator, and the cutting head back to the home position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.