Flying shears with workpiece alignment device

A cutting assembly for cutting a continuous sheet of material covering containers located in a series of continuously moving container carriers conveyed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed by a roller chain, each carrier being spaced apart from adjacent carriers by a predetermined distance defining a gap between adjacent carriers, the cutting assembly comprising

• a support assembly including first and second spaced apart mounting plates and at least two arm members pivotably coupled to the first and second mounting plates,
• means coupled to the support assembly for rotating the support assembly in an orbital path so that the support assembly passes above the container carriers at substantially the predetermined speed and direction during a first portion of the orbital path,
• a cutting head assembly coupled to the at least two arm members to suspend the cutting head assembly above the container carriers,
• first and second knife blades coupled to the cutting head assembly, the knife blades being configured to enter the gaps between adjacent container carriers on opposite sides of a selected carrier to cut the continuous sheet of material during the first portion of the orbital path, and
• a pin member coupled to the cutting head assembly for aligning the cutting head assembly with respect to the container carriers as the first and second knife blades cut the continuous sheet of material.

A cutting assembly for cutting a continuous sheet of material covering containers located in a series of continuously moving spaced apart container carriers conveyed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed, the cutting assembly comprising

• a support assembly,
• means coupled to the support assembly for rotating the support assembly in an orbital path so that the support assembly passes above the container carriers at substantially the predetermined speed and direction during a first portion of the orbital path,
• means for cutting the continuous sheet of material as the support assembly moves above the container carriers during the first portion of the orbital path,
• means for pivotably coupling the cutting means to the support assembly to permit limited movement of the cutting means relative to the support assembly as the cutting means cuts the continuous sheet of material, and
• means for aligning the cutting means with respect to the container carriers as the cutting means cuts the continuous sheet of material.

A cutting assembly for cutting a continuous sheet of material covering containers which are continuously conveyed in a predetermined direction and at a determined speed in spaced apart container carriers, the cutting assembly comprising

• a support assembly,
• means coupled to the support assembly for rotating the support assembly in an orbital path so that the support assembly passes above the container carriers at substantially the predetermined speed and direction during a first portion of the orbital path,
• means cutting a continuous sheet of materials as the support assembly moves above the container carriers during the first portion of the orbital path,
• means for pivotably coupling the cutting means to the support assembly to permit limited movement of the cutting means relative to the support assembly,
• means coupled to the support assembly for limiting the rate of movement of the cutting means relative to the support assembly, and
• means for aligning the cutting means with respect to the container carriers as the cutting means cuts the continuous sheet of material.

An assembly for processing a material which is continuously conveyed in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined speed, the assembly comprising

• a support assembly,
• means coupled to the support assembly for moving the support assembly in a predetermined path so that the support assembly passes above the material at substantially the predetermined speed and direction during a first portion of the path,
• a tool for working on the material as the support assembly moves above the material during the first portion of the path,
• means for pivotably coupling the tool to the support assembly to permit limited movement of the tool relative to the support assembly, and
• means for aligning the tool with respect to the material as the support assembly moves over the material.