Slotter wheel mechanism having dynamically retractable slotter blades

Slotter wheel apparatus for slotting of box blanks, comprising:

• a rotatable body presenting a peripheral margin;
• at least one slotter blade comprising a pair of blade sections each having a cutting edge, and means pivotally interconnecting said sections, said blade section interconnecting means comprising an intermediate blade section presenting a pair of opposed ends, one of said intermediate section ends being pivotally secured to a first one of said blade sections, with the opposed end of the intermediate section being bifurcated, the end of a second one of said blade sections proximal to the bifurcated end of said intermediate section also being bifurcated, and a link pivotally interconnecting said bifurcated ends of said second blade section and said intermediate section;
• and
• means operably coupling said blade to said body including structure for shifting of said blade between an extended slotting position wherein the blade cutting edges of said blade sections are located outboard of said body peripheral margin for slotting of said blank, and a retracted blank-clearing position wherein said cutting edges of said blade sections will pass said blank without slotting thereof,
• said blade section interconnecting means permitting retraction of said blade sections when the blade sections are in said extended position.

Slotter wheel apparatus for slotting of box blanks, comprising:

• a rotatable body presenting a peripheral margin;
• at least one slotter blade comprising a pair of blade sections each having a cutting edge, and means pivotally interconnecting said sections;
• and
• means operably coupling said blade to said body including structure for shifting of said blade between an extended slotting position wherein the blade cutting edges of said blade sections are located outboard of said body peripheral margin for slotting of said blank, and a retracted blank-clearing position wherein said cutting edges of said blade sections will pass said blank without slotting thereof,
• said blade section interconnecting means permitting retraction of said blade sections when the blade sections are in said extended position,
• said slotter blade comprising a central blade section presenting a pair of opposed ends, and said pair of blade sections respectively adjacent the opposed ends of said central blade section, said blade section interconnecting means coupling each of said pair of blade sections to the adjacent end of the central blade section.