Method of and apparatus for cutting sheet-material

A sheet-material cutting apparatus for cutting a long photographic sheet-material, being carried in its longitudinal direction, into a plurality of frames, including a cut segment and a remaining portion, said apparatus being provided in the vicinity of an outlet of a photographic printer from which said sheet-material is discharged for cutting by said cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a fixed cutting edge;
• a movable cutting edge so spaced away from said fixed cutting edge as to be movable in such a direction as to engage with said fixed cutting edge;
• a driving means for driving said movable cutting edge to cut said sheet-material into said cut segment and said remaining portion of said long photographic sheet-material by engaging said movable cutting edge with said fixed cutting edge, and for separating said movable cutting edge from said fixed cutting edge;
• a movement preventing means, comprising:
• a plate member for preventing the end portion of said remaining portion of said long photographic sheet-material from moving by a lower horizontal end portion of said plate member in the same direction as the moving direction of said movable cutting edge when said movable cutting edge disengages from said fixed cutting edge;
• and
• a fixed bracket cooperating with said fixed cutting edge, said plate member being disposed below said movable cutting edge when said movable cutting edge is at a top dead center of its movement;
• said sheet-material cutting apparatus further comprising a movable mask disposed up-stream from said plate member, cooperating with said plate member in constituting a printing frame defining an image size of each of said plurality of frames to be printed, said printing frame exhibiting a flare preventing function when images are printed on said photographic sheet-material.

In a photographic printer comprising means for making prints of images from photographic film on strips of photographic paper, and means for conveying said strip from said means for making prints to an outlet of said photographic printer, a cutting apparatus for cutting said strips into a plurality of frames to be printed, said apparatus being disposed between said means for making prints and said outlet, said apparatus comprising:

• a fixed cutting edge;
• a movable cutting edge disposed opposite said fixed cutting edge and moved in a first direction to engage said fixed cutting edge, causing a shearing force by which said strips are cut into a cut segment and a remaining portion, said movable cutting edge being subsequently moved in a second direction opposite to said first direction to disengage from said fixed cutting edge;
• a movement preventing means, disposed between said means for making prints and said movable cutting edge, having a plate member, for preventing the end of said remaining portion from moving in said second direction by a lower horizontal end portion of said plate member when said movable cutting edge moved in said second direction;
• said cutting apparatus further comprising a movable mask, disposed up-stream from said plate member, cooperating with said plate member in constituting a printing frame defining an image size of each of said plurality of frames to be printed, said printing frame exhibiting a flare preventing function when images are printed on said photographic sheet-material.

A sheet-material cutting apparatus for cutting a long photographic sheet-material, being carried in its longitudinal direction, into a plurality of frames to be printed, including a cut segment and a remaining portion, said apparatus being provided in the vicinity of an outlet of a photographic printer from which said sheet-material is discharged for cutting by said cutting apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a fixed cutting edge;
• a movable cutting edge so spaced away from said fixed cutting edge as to be movable in such a direction as to engage with said fixed cutting edge;
• a driving means for driving said movable cutting edge to cut said sheet-material into said cut segment and aid remaining portion by engaging said movable cutting edge with said fixed cutting edge, and for separating said movable cutting edge from said fixed cutting edge;
• a movement preventing means having a plate member, for preventing the end portion of said remaining portion from moving in the same direction as the moving direction of said movable cutting edge by a lower horizontal end portion of said plate member when said movable cutting edge disengages from said fixed cutting edge;
• a movable mask, disposed up-stream from said plate member, cooperating with said plate member in constituting a printing frame defining an image size of each of said plurality of frames to be printed, said printing frame exhibiting a flare preventing function when images are printed on said photographic sheet material;
• and
• a fixed bracket for holding said fixed cutting edge and said movement preventing means so as to separate said movable cutting edge and a bottom of said movement preventing means by a predetermined amount, said fixed bracket including U-shaped guide arms having a lower portion to which said fixed cutting edge is secured.

In a photographic printer comprising means for making prints of images from photographic film on strips of photographic sheet-material, and a photographic sheet-material cutting apparatus for cutting said strips into a plurality of frames to be printed, said apparatus being disposed between said means for making prints and an outlet of said photographic printer, said apparatus comprising:

• a fixed cutting edge;
• a movable cutting edge disposed opposite said fixed cutting edge and moved in a first direction to engage said fixed cutting edge, causing a shearing force by which said photographic sheet-material is cut into a cut segment and a remaining portion, said movable cutting edge being subsequently moved in a second direction opposite to said first direction to disengage from said fixed cutting edge;
• a movement preventing means, comprising:
• a plate member, disposed up-stream of a direction in which said photographic sheet-material is carried with respect to said movable cutting edge, for preventing the end of said remaining portion from moving in said second direction by a lower horizontal end portion of said member when said movable cutting edge moves in said second direction;
• a fixed bracket, cooperating with said fixed cutting edge, said plate member being disposed below said movable cutting edge when said movable cutting edge is at a top dead center of its movement;
• a movable mask disposed up-stream from said plate member, cooperating with said plate member in constituting a printing frame defining an image size of each of said plurality of frames to be printed, said printing frame exhibiting a flare preventing function when images are printed on said photographic sheet-material;
• and
• means for conveying said photographic sheet-material from said means for making prints to said outlet of said photographic printer to feed a first amount of said photographic sheet-material in between said fixed cutting edge and said movable cutting edge after printing an image on said photographic sheet-material in order to cut off a first segment from a first remaining portion, to feed a second amount of said photographic sheet-material in order to cut a printed piece of said photographic sheet-material from a second remaining portion, and to feed a third amount of said photographic sheet-material, said third amount being smaller than said first and second amount, so as to place the photographic printer in a standby condition to print the image on said second remaining portion;
• and
• a driving means for driving said movable cutting edge.