Apparatus for cutting strips of material of varying lengths

An apparatus for cutting a strip of material into segments including:

• feed means to feed a selected length of the strip of material past a cutting position during a first portion of each cycle of operation;
• cutting means to cut the fed material at the cutting position during a second portion of a cycle of operation while said feed means is inactive;
• means to control said cutting means to enable said cutting means to cut the fed material during a second portion of a cycle of operation while said feed means is inactive only after a selected number, greater than one, of the selected length of the strip of material has been fed past the cutting position by said feed means during a plurality of cycles of operation;
• and said control means including:
• first means movable from a first position to a second position during the first portion of a cycle of operation when said cutting means is to be activated during the second portion of the cycle of operation;
• and second means movable into engagement with said first means during the second portion of the cycle of operation when said first means has been moved to the second position during the first portion of the cycle of operation, said second means engaging said first means to cause said cutting means to cut the fed material.

An apparatus for cutting a strip of material into segments including:

• feed means to feed a selected length of the strip of material past a cutting position during a first portion of each cycle of operation;
• cutting means to cut the fed material at the cutting position during a second portion of a cycle of operation while said feed means is inactive;
• means to control said cutting means to enable said cutting means to cut the fed material during a second portion of a cycle of operation while said feed means is inactive only after a selected number, greater than one, of the selected length of the strip of material has been fed past the cutting position by said feed means during a plurality of cycles of operation;
• said control means including:
• first means movable from a first position to a second position during the first portion of a cycle of operation when said cutting means is to be activated during the second portion of the cycle of operation;
• and second means movable into engagement with said first means during the second portion of the cycle of operation when said first means has been moved to the second position during the first portion of the cycle of operation, said second means engaging said first means to cause said cutting means to cut the fed material;
• said first means of said control means including actuating means to actuate said cutting means when said actuating means is engaged by said second means of said control means to cause said cutting means to cut the fed material when said first means of said control means is in the second position;
• holding means to hold said actuating means out of position for engagement by said second means of said control means until the selected number of the selected length of the strip of material haas been fed past the cutting position by said feed means during a plurality of cycles of operation;
• said holding means including:
• means engaging said actuating means to hold said actuating means;
• and means cooperating with said engaging means to cause movement of said engaging means to a position in which said actuating means can be engaged by said second means of said control means after the selected number of the selected length of the strip of material has been fed past the cutting position during a plurality of cycles of operation;
• and said cooperating means including:
• cam means;
• rotating means to rotate said cam means a predetermined angular amount during the first portion of each cycle of operation;
• said engaging means having cam follower means thereon for engaging said cam means;
• means to urge said cam follower means against said cam means;
• said cam means having at least one low dwell on its profile;
• and said urging means moving said engaging means when said cam follower means engages a low dwell on said cam means to a position in which said actuating means can be engaged by said second means of said control means during the second portion of the cycle of operation in which said cam follower means engages a low dwell on said cam means.