Slotter wheel mechanism having selectively rotatable slotter blade

A slotter wheel apparatus for slotting box blanks at selectively variable locations along the length of the blanks as the blanks are transported along a path of movement through the apparatus, said slotter wheel apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive assembly including an elongated rotatable drive shaft extending in a direction generally transverse to the path of movement of the blanks, said shaft presenting a longitudinal axis, and a drive wheel operably coupled with said rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;
• at least one blade wheel positioned along the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft adjacent said drive wheel;
• a slotter blade coupled with said blade wheel and presenting a cutting edge;
• blade support means for supporting said blade wheel and said slotter blade on the drive assembly for rotation about said drive shaft;
• and
• blade coupling means including
• clutch assembly operably coupled with said drive wheel and said blade wheel, said clutch assembly being selectively shiftable between an engaged position for coupling said blade wheel with said drive wheel so that said blade wheel rotates with said drive wheel, and a released position for decoupling said blade wheel from said drive wheel so that said blade wheel rotates independently of said drive wheel for rotation of said drive wheel relative to said blade wheel,
• a brake assembly operably coupled with said blade wheel, said brake assembly being selectively shiftable between a braked position for stopping the rotation of said blade wheel, and an unbraked position for allowing rotation of said blade wheel, and
• control means for controlling the shifting of said clutch assembly between said engaged and released positions and for controlling the shifting of said brake assembly between said braked and unbraked positions for selectively rotating said slotter blade between cutting and non-cutting positions,
• said blade coupling means operable for effecting said coupling and decoupling without stopping the rotation of said drive assembly and during passage of said blanks through said apparatus, and for selective rotation of said drive wheel through a full 360 degrees of rotation relative to the decoupled blade wheel.

A slotter wheel apparatus for slotting box blanks at selectively variable locations along the length of the blanks as the blanks are transported along a path of movement through the apparatus, said slotter wheel apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable drive assembly including an elongated rotatable drive shaft extending in a direction generally transverse to the path of movement of the blanks and defining a longitudinal axis about which the shaft is rotatable;
• a slotter blade presenting a cutting edge;
• blade support means for supporting said slotter blade on the drive shaft for rotation relative to the drive shaft about the longitudinal axis;
• and
• a gear assembly for selectively rotating said slotter blade with said drive shaft so that said slotter blade rotates through the path of movement of the blanks and slots the blanks, and for selectively stopping the rotation of said slotter blade, said gear assembly including a servo motor having a rotatable gear shaft, means including a drive belt coupled with said rotatable gear shaft for rotation therewith, and a toothed blade wheel coupled with said drive belt and attached to said slotter blade for rotating said slotter blade upon rotation of said rotatable gear shaft.

Slotter wheel apparatus for slotting of a box blank traveling along a path of travel through the apparatus and comprising:

• an elongated shaft oriented transverse to said path of travel;
• a blade support mounted for rotation about said shaft;
• a slotter blade operatively coupled with said blade support;
• motive means coupled with said support and blade for rotation of said support and blade about and relative to said shaft through a full 360 degrees rotation around the shaft;
• and
• control means coupled with said motive means for selectively rotating the support and blade around the shaft into slotting engagement with said blank, and for selectively stopping rotation of the support and blade at an idle position permitting passage of portions of said blank through the apparatus without slotting thereof, whereby said blank may be slotted at spaced apart locations with any desired distance between the slots.