US 5,406,872 AGranted

Side-by-side programmable feed system

AssigneeMIM Industries, Inc.

InventorsRalph F. Conley, Jr., Young, James R.

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A side-by-side material feed system is provided for feeding two dissimilar strips of material. The material is fed along parallel feed paths by first and second material feeders which move the material toward respective cutters. The operation of the feeders and the cutters is controlled by a programmable controller which permits each of the material strips to be fed and cut to form pieces of predetermined length which may be removed by an operator or conveyed to a subsequent station for further processing. In a further embodiment of the invention, the feeders are movable relative to a work station comprising a cutter associated with a common feed path extending between the cutter and a sewing apparatus. As each of the feeders is aligned with the work station, a predetermined length of material may be cut off by the cutter and conveyed along the common feed path to the sewing station.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A dual feed apparatus comprising:

a plurality of adjacent feeders, each of said plurality of adjacent feeders including a drive means and a supply stock of material wherein each said drive means draws material off a respective supply stock of material in a feed direction toward a work station;
an actuator for causing said plurality of adjacent feeders to move in a direction transverse to said feed direction and for selectively aligning at least one of said plurality of adjacent feeders with said work station so that said at least one of said plurality of adjacent feeders be energized to feed said material to said work station;
wherein each said drive means and supply stock of material is movable as a unit into alignment with said work station;
and
including a cutter located at said work station, said cutter including a stationary blade and a sliding blade, said stationary blade comprising a guide surface having a central horizontal portion and beveled portions extending upwardly from opposing ends of said stationary blade toward said central horizontal portion for guiding an end of said material upwardly onto said central portion during movement of each of said plurality of adjacent feeders into alignment with said cutter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/034,872Filed 19 Mar 1993 · continuation in part
Priority: 28 Jul 1992
Granted: 18 Apr 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

D06H 7/02
Apparatus or processes for cutting, or otherwise severing, specially adapted for the cutting, or otherwise severing, of textile materials:…
B65H 35/0006
Delivering articles from cutting or line-perforating machines; Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating…:…
D05B 33/00
Devices incorporated in sewing machines for supplying or removing the work
D05B 35/06
Work-feeding or -handling elements not otherwise provided for: for attaching bands, ribbons, strips, or tapes or for binding