US 6,604,929 B2 · Fiber cutting mechanism

Abstract

A cutting mechanism for cutting fibers entrained within a viscous flow is herein disclosed. The present invention is typically part of a system for preparing fiber reinforced molding materials that comprises a viscous entrainment compounding device for compounding a continuous strand of reinforcing fiber with a molding material in a predetermined ratio. The entrained fibers are conveyed to the cutting mechanism which cuts the continuous strand of reinforcing fibers into predetermined lengths and conveys the fiber reinforced molding material to an output device. The cutting mechanism itself comprises a housing having a bore with an inlet and an outlet and a bed knife disposed therein. The bed knife has an inlet channel formed therethrough that is aligned with the gullets of a rotating cutter such that the gullets of the rotating cutter are rotated past the inlet channel of the bed knife in substantial alignment therewith. Fibers entrained within the molding material flow into the gullets of the rotating cutter and are cut to a predetermined length and then conveyed to an output device.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A cutting mechanism for cutting fibers entrained in a viscous material, the cutting mechanism comprising:

a housing having a cavity formed therein, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet;
a bed knife disposed within the cavity of the housing, the bed knife having an inlet channel formed therethrough, the bed knife being arranged within the cavity of the housing such that the inlet channel of the bed knife is substantially aligned with the inlet of the housing;
and,
a rotating cutter, the rotating cutter having formed entirely therethrough a plurality of gullets, the gullets being located on the rotating cutter such that as the cutter rotates with respect to the bed knife, the gullets of the rotating cutter are rotated past the inlet channel of the bed knife in substantial alignment therewith.

1 more element

A cutting mechanism for cutting fibers entrained in a viscous material, the cutting mechanism comprising:

a housing having a cavity formed therein, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet;
a bed knife having an inlet substantially aligned with that of the housing, the bed knife having a substantially planar cutting surface arranged to face the interior of the cavity;
a rotating cutter supported upon and rotated by a pilot shaft, the rotating cutter having a substantially planar cutting face that is in substantially full facial contact with the cutting surface of the bed knife, the rotating cutter further having a plurality of gullets formed therethrough, the gullets being aligned with the inlets of the housing and the bed knife so as to receive the fibers entrained in the viscous material therethrough, a trailing edge of the gullets constructed and arranged to sever the fiber as the trailing edge of the gullet passes the inlet of the bed knife, a resulting mixture of cut fibers and viscous material passing from the cavity of the cutting mechanism through the outlet of the housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fiber cutting mechanism

Life of this patent

Fiber cutting mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17