Chopper for cutting fiber continuously, and method
AssigneeJohns Manville International, Inc.
InventorsRussell D. Arterburn, Randall C. Bascom, Shawn E. Dennis, Douglas J. Kempski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A new type of multi-chopper for cutting strands or ribbon shaped material such as strands of glass fibers, and a method of using this chopper, is disclosed. The chopper has at least two chopper assemblies on a rotating frame. When one chopper assembly needs repair, the frame is rotated which brings a rebuilt or repaired chopper assembly into operating position quickly and also brings the assembly needing repair into a position where it can be worked on while the other chopper is operating resulting in much reduced downtime. The frame of the chopper can rotate around a vertical or horizontal line, or around a line passing through two opposite corners of a frame.
Claims19
An apparatus for chopping fibers, strands and ribbon continuously at high speed into short lengths and into which apparatus new fibers, new strands and new ribbon can be inserted into an operating chopper assembly on the apparatus from beyond a vertical plane made by an outer vertical surface of a backup roll on the chopper assembly and into a nip between the backup roll and a blade roll while the apparatus is chopping other fibers, strands and ribbon like material at high speed comprising:
- a rotatable frame, said frame comprising a three dimensional shape and at least three sides,
- a first chopper assembly connected to said frame and adjacent one side of said frame,
- a second chopper assembly connected to said frame and adjacent a second side of said frame, said frame being rotatable to move said first chopper assembly out of an operating position and into a non-operating position while moving said second chopper assembly out of a non-operating position and into said operating position, and
- a drive, mounted in or on said frame, for driving each chopper assembly to chop said fibers, ribbon and strands as the fibers, ribbon and strands pass generally perpendicular to blades located in the blade roll.
A method of making chopped fiber, chopped strand or chopped ribbon by pulling fibers, strands, or ribbons and new fibers, strands or ribbons into a nip of a chopper, said chopper comprised of a blade roll and a backup roll, said nip being between said blade roll and said backup roll, pulling each new fiber, strand or ribbon into said nip from beyond a vertical plane formed by an outer vertical face of said backup roll while the chopper is chopping other fibers, strands or ribbons, which chopper must be periodically repaired, the improvement comprising using a chopper comprised of a rotatable frame, said frame having a three dimensional shape having at least three sides, a first chopper assembly connected to said frame and adjacent one side of said frame, a second chopper assembly connected to said frame and adjacent a second side of said frame, said frame being rotatable to move said first chopper assembly out of an operating position and into a non-operating position while moving said second chopper assembly out of a non-operating position and into an operating position, and a drive mounted in or on said frame for driving each chopper assembly to chop said fibers, strands or ribbons as the fibers, strands or ribbons pass generally perpendicular to blades located in the blade roll.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.