Box Cutter and Method
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorMatthew L. Fourney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for cutting boxes. The box cutter has a rectangular work area defined by the upper run of an oblique-roller conveyor belt selectively driven forward or reverse in coordination with the actuation and deactuation of the obliquely rotatable belt rollers. Cutting tools along the sides of the work area cut into the side panels of the boxes as they are translated without rotation in a rectangular path against guide surfaces on the periphery of the work area by the sequential reversing of the conveyor belt direction and the actuation and deactuation of the box-supporting rollers.
Claims18
A box cutter comprising:
- a conveyor belt advanceable in and opposite to a first direction and having a plurality of rollers rotatable on axes oblique to the first direction and supporting a box within a work area having four sides;
- a guide surface disposed along each of the sides of the work area to register and guide the box;
- a cutting tool disposed at an intermediate position along each of the sides to cut into the side panel of the box registered against the guide surface;
- wherein the conveyor belt is selectively advanced in and opposite to the first direction and the rollers are selectively actuated and deactuated in coordination with the advancement of the conveyor belt to translate the box through the work area without rotation against the guide surfaces and past the cutting tool along each side of the work area to form a cut around the box.
A box cutter as in claim 8 further comprising a sensor associated with at least one of the sides to detect a box contacting the guide surface on the at least one side.
A method for cutting a box, comprising:
- translating a box atop obliquely rotatable rollers of a bidirectional conveyor belt without rotation on a rectangular path along the sides of a rectangular work area;
- forming a cut along a different side panel of the box along each side of the work area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.