US 4,681,004 A · Apparatus and method for forming die-cut articles from sheet material

Abstract

Apparatus and method for forming disks or other articles from flexible sheet material. The disks can be used, for example, as substrates of magnetic recording disks known as floppy disks. The apparatus includes an upper die plate shiftably mounted above a lower die plate and having a die thereon so that a strip of material moveable between the die plates can be sequentially die-cut to form the disks. The upper die plate has quick release latches attaching the upper die plate to a support so that, when the latches are retracted, the upper die plate can be quickly and easily removed from the apparatus to permit the die to be sharpened or replaced. The apparatus includes air delivery ports near the upper and lower die plates to direct air under pressure against a disk after it has been die-cut from the strip so that the disk will be moved laterally and into a chute and onto a spindle which receives a stack of the disks. The strip is incrementally unwound from a roll and forms a low-tension loop near the entry point between the upper and lower die plates. The loop is controlled by an electric eye device which senses the presence or absence of the loop. A pair of adjacent pressure rollers receive and frictionally engage the strip near the opposite end of the apparatus to incrementally pull the strip past the die plate. A timing device controls the advancement of the strip, the lowering of the upper die plate, and the blowing of air against the disks after they are die-cut.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Apparatus for die-cutting articles from sheet material comprising:

a support having an upper end;
a lower die plate mounted on the support near the upper end thereof;
an upper die plate having a die thereon and guide means for shiftably mounting the upper die plate on the support for vertical movement toward and away from the lower die plate, said upper die plate normally being spaced above the lower die plate to present a path between the die plates for a strip of sheet material movable relative to the support;
quick release latch means carried by the support for engaging and removably holding the upper die plate on the support, said latch means including a shock absorber for damping the vibrations of the upper die plate;
means coupled with the upper die plate for biasing the same upwardly relative to said support;
magnetically actuated means coupled with the upper die plate for shifting the same downwardly relative to the support to die-cut the strip of material between the die plates to form an article;
fluid pressure means coupled with the die plates for causing a die-cut article to be urged transversely of said path and away from the die when the upper die plate is shifted upwardly relative to the lower die plate;
chute means coupled with the support for receiving the articles;
and
control means carried by the support for controlling the operation of the shifting means, the advancing means and the causing means.

7 more elements

Apparatus for die-cutting articles from sheet material comprising:

a support having an upper end;
a lower die plate mounted on the support near the upper end thereof;
an upper die plate having a die thereon and means for shiftably mounting the upper die plate on the support for vertical movement toward and away from the lower die plate, said upper die plate normally being spaced above the lower die plate to present a path between the die plates for a strip of sheet material movable relative to the support;
means carried by the support for incrementally advancing the strip along said path;
means coupled with the upper die plate for shifting the same downwardly to cause the die thereon to die-cut the strip of material between the die plate to form an article;
quick release latch means coupled with the upper die plate and the support for removably securing the upper die plate on the support;
means coupled to the upper die plate for biasing the same upwardly, there being shock absorbing means for damping the vibrations of the upper die plate due to upward movement of the upper die plate under the influence of said bias means;
means coupled with at least one of the die plates for causing a die-cut article to be urged away from the die when the upper die plate is shifted upwardly relative to the lower die plate;
and
means coupled with said shifting means, said advancing means and said causing means for sequentially controlling the operation of the same.

7 more elements

Apparatus for die-cutting articles from sheet material comprising:

a support having an upper end;
a lower die plate mounted on the support near the upper end thereof;
an upper die plate having a die thereon and means for shiftably mounting the upper die plate on the support for vertical movement toward and away from the lower die plate, said upper die plate normally being spaced above the lower die plate to present a path between the die plates for a strip of sheet material movable relative to the support;
means carried by the support for incrementally advancing the strip along said path;
means coupled with the upper die plate for shifting the same downwardly to cause the die thereon to die-cut the strip of material between the die plate to form an article, said shifting means including a coil member having a central recess provided with an open top, said coil member being on the upper end of the support, and a core of magnetic material movable downwardly into said recess, said core being on said upper die plate, said core being attracted into the recess by a magnetic force generated by the coil member when a current flows therethrough;
means coupled to the upper die plate for biasing the same upwardly, there being shock absorbing means for damping the vibrations of the upper die plate due to upward movement of the upper die plate under the influence of said bias means, said bias means including a pin projecting downwardly from said core member and engageable with a lower inner surface of the coil member, and a spring for biasing the pin downwardly to thereby bias the upper die plate upwardly relative to said lower die plate;
means coupled with at least one of the die plates for causing a die-cut article to be urged away from the die when the upper die plate is shifted upwardly relative to the lower die plate;
and
means coupled with said shifting means, said advancing means and said causing means for sequentially controlling the operation of the same.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for forming die-cut articles from sheet material

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Apparatus and method for forming die-cut articles from sheet material

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12