Die cutter blanket-anvil locking arrangement

A die cutter blanket anvil having a longitudinal axis about which the anvil rotates, the blanket having opposing ends and a depending projection at each end, the projections having a common cavity, the anvil outer peripheral surface having a channel extending transverse to the axis for receiving the projections in a blanket locked state, the anvil comprising:

• an elongated first shaft having a longitudinally axially extending first anvil bore;
• a plurality of second radial bores in the first shaft, each second bore in communication with said channel and with said first anvil bore;
• a pneumatic cylinder attached to the anvil in said first anvil bore at each said second radial bores, said pneumatic cylinder having a second shaft which extends in the respective second radial bore in response to a pneumatic force applied thereto;
• and
• a blanket engaging device attached to the second shaft for releasably engaging the blanket opposing ends for lifting said projections out of said channel to a blanket unlocked state from a blanket locked state in the channel in response to the extension of said second shaft;
• and for retaining said projections in said channel in the blanket locked state to releasably lock the blanket to the anvil.

A die cutting anvil-blanket assembly comprising:

• a plastic sheet material die cutter blanket lying in a plane and having opposing ends, each end having a projection depending from the plane;
• a roller anvil having an outer surface and a longitudinal first bore defining an axis about which the anvil rotates, the anvil having an axially extending channel in the outer surface, the blanket being wrapped about the anvil with the opposing ends and projections abutting each other, the projections being located in said channel in a locked state;
• and
• a pneumatic apparatus secured to the anvil and coupled to the blanket for selectively securing the projections in said channel in the blanket locked state and for selectively displacing said projections out of the channel to a blanket unlocked state.