# US 5,699,946 A · Vulcanized sheet comprising annular rubber articles, a method of and an apparatus for separating the articles from the vulcanized sheet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,699,946 A - Document ID: US5699946A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/618,819 - Filed: 1996-03-20 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1994-05-10 - Assignees: Nakanishi Metal Works Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Koichi Hashimoto; Michiyuki Kamiji - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5699946A ## CPC - B29B 11/14: characterised by structure or composition - B26F 1/3846: {cutting out discs or the like (B26F1/384, B26F1/40 and B26F1/44 take precedence)} - B26F 3/02: Tearing - B29C 37/02: Deburring or deflashing {(thermal deburring in general B23D79/005)} - B29C 49/071: {Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties} - B29C 69/001: {a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts (for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence)} - B29C 48/001: {Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations} - B29C 48/0011: {combined with compression moulding} - B29C 48/0022: {combined with cutting} - B29C 48/07: Flat, e.g. panels - B29C 48/08: flexible, e.g. films - B29C 48/12: Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles - B29C 48/13: Articles with a cross-section varying in the longitudinal direction, e.g. corrugated pipes - B29C 2949/0715: the preform having one end closed - B29K 2021/00: Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material - B29L 2031/26: Sealing devices, e.g. packaging for pistons or pipe joints - Y10T 83/0577: Repetitive blanking - Y10T 83/943: Multiple punchings - Y10T 225/10: Methods - Y10T 225/329: Plural breakers - Y10T 428/15: Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness - Y10T 428/215: Seal, gasket, or packing - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A vulcanized sheet S1 having formed therein annular articles P1 is prepared at first, which sheet comprises thick external bridges (16) in a thin annular zone (14) and at regular angular intervals so that the bridges connect an external flash (13) to a body (15) of the sheet. A recess (22) is formed centrally of an inner waste (20) surrounded by each article. Then, a guide lug (34) is inserted in the recess to correctly position the article, before tearing by of a first punch (35) an inner breakable boundary (26) intervening between the article and the inner waste so as to remove the inner waste from the article. Next, a further guide lug (44) is inserted in a space from which the inner waste has been removed, a die having a bore (31a) of a diameter larger than the article supports the sheet, and finally a second punch (45) tears an outer breakable boundary (12) to separate the article from the sheet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of separating annular rubber articles from a vulcanized sheet, the method comprising the steps of: providing the vulcanized sheet which comprises: the annular rubber articles separable from the sheet and distributed over a plane body of the sheet; an outer waste formed around each article; an inner waste formed inside the article; an outer breakable boundary between the outer waste and an outer periphery of the article; the outer waste consisting of: an external flash surrounding the outer boundary; a thin annular zone intervening between the external flash and the body and being of such a thickness as preventing a vulcanization pressure from escaping; and thick external bridges formed integral with the body and the flash and disposed in and along the annular zone at regular angular intervals; an inner breakable boundary between the inner waste and an inner periphery of the article; and a recess formed centrally of the inner waste and engageable with a positioning means; then removing the inner waste out of each annular article, by placing on a first die each of portions where the annular articles are formed in the vulcanized sheet, the first die having formed therein a bore, subsequently fitting a guide lug as the positioning means in the recess of each annular article so as to position the portion correctly relative to the first die, before gripping the portion with and between the first die and a first thruster, and thereafter causing a first punch to force the inner waste into the bore so that the inner waste is torn off the article at the inner breakable boundary, wherein the first punch having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to but slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the article; and finally separating each annular article out of the vulcanized sheet, by placing on a second die each of the portions where the annular articles having their inner wastes removed are arranged in the vulcanized sheet, the second die having formed therein a further bore whose diameter substantially corresponds to but is slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the article, subsequently fitting a further guide lug in a space from which the inner waste has been removed so as to position the portion correctly relative to the second die, before gripping the external flash with and between the second die and a second thruster, and thereafter causing a second punch to force the annular article into the further bore so that the annular article is torn off the vulcanized sheet at the outer breakable boundary.