Electric cutter mechanism for dunnage converter
AssigneeRanpak Corp.
InventorsAnthony J. Komaransky, Henry L. Meyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A converter mechanism for producing generally low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product in continuous strip form from flexible sheet-like stock material such as, for instance, paper, with an electrically energizable cutter mounted on the converter mechanism, for cutting the produced dunnage product into selected lengths. The cutter includes a pivotably movable blade member adapted for engaging the produced strip of dunnage product and severing it to selected length, together with an electrically energizable motor unit coupled to the cutter blade member for actuating the latter pursuant to control of the mechanism operator.
Claims13
In a converter mechanism for producing generally low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product in strip form from flexible sheet-like stock material, such as for instance paper, and emitting it through an exit opening in said mechanism, and which includes a cutter means for cutting the pad-like dunnage product into selected lengths, said cutter means comprising a movable blade member for engaging the produced dunnage product and cutting it into selected lengths, and power means for actuating said cutter means, said power means comprising an electrically energizable motor unit consisting of a solenoid including a reciprocal plunger portion, and means including a rotatable shaft to which is attached said plunger portion and said blade member coupling said motor unit to said blade member for causing movement of the latter, said blade member being mounted for pivotal movement in a generally vertical plane and from a lower gravity induced inactive position in said mechanism to an upwardly swung operative cutting position with respect to associated dunnage product produced and emitted by said mechanism, and upon energization of said motor unit, said mechanism also including an electric drive motor for actuating said mechanism to produce the dunnage product from the stock material and emitting the product through said exit opening, and motor control means including a switch operatively wired to said drive motor and so positioned in said mechanism so as to be engaged and actuated by said cutter means in said gravity induced inactive position of said blade member so as to permit energization of said drive motor only when said blade member is in said gravity induced inactive position, and upon upward pivotal movement of said blade member from said gravity induced inactive position toward said operative cutting position and away from engaged relation with said switch, said switch automatically opening and thus automatically deactivating said drive motor, so that cutting of the produced dunnage product by said cutter means can occur only when the dunnage product is stationary relative to said mechanism.
A cutter unit adapted for mounting on a frame of a dunnage producing mechanism which is adapted to produce a relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material, such as, for instance, paper, and which mechanism includes an electric drive motor for actuating the mechanism to produce the dunnage product from the stock material and emit the product from the mechanism through a product exit opening in the mechanism, said cutter unit comprising a pivotal elongated mounting bar and a cutter blade secured to said bar, and means including a rotatable shaft to which is attached said mounting bar and blade, for pivoting said mounting bar and blade adjacent one end thereof to the frame of an associated dunnage producing mechanism, for pivotal movement in a generally vertical plane of said bar and blade from a lower gravity induced inactive position upwardly to an operative cutting position, and an electrically powered linearly reciprocal motor unit consisting of a solenoid including a reciprocal plunger portion which is coupled to said rotatable shaft and thus to said bar and blade, adapted for mounting on the mechanism for pivotal actuation of the bar and blade relative to the mechanism frame for causing severing of the produced dunnage product into selected length upon said upward movement of said bar and blade to said cutting position, and means for controlling the actuation of said solenoid and the associated mechanism drive motor, the last mentioned means including a switch adapted to be operatively wired to the mechanism drive motor and being engageable and actuated by said bar and blade in said gravity induced inactive position of the latter for activation of said switch so as to permit energization of the mechanism drive motor only when said bar and blade are in said gravity induced inactive position, and upon upward pivotal movement of said bar and blade from said gravity induced inactive position toward said cutting position, said switch automatically opening and being deactivated thus being operable to automatically deactivate the mechanism drive motor so that cutting of the produced dunnage product by said cutter unit can occur only when the dunnage product is stationary relative to the mechanism frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.