Apparatus for cutting film tubing
AssigneeAxon Corporation
InventorKuo-Raid Grant Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus for cutting film tubing in a machine for applying tubular labels to each of a series of containers that are transported on a conveyor. The film tubing is advanced incrementally through a ring gear and a bore in a platform on which the ring gear is rotatably mounted. A number of pinions with attached cutting blades are rotatably mounted to the platform in positions to mesh with the ring gear. One of the pinions is driven to rotate a single revolution when the film tubing has been advanced. The driven pinion causes the additional pinions to rotate through rotation of the ring gear, causing the blades to cut the film tubing.
Claims13
In a machine for applying cut lengths of film tubing as tubular labels to products, an apparatus for cutting the film tubing, comprising:
- a. a platform having a bore formed therethrough;
- b. a ring gear having external teeth and a hole formed centrally therethrough positioned on the platform coaxially with the bore, wherein the film tubing is passed through the ring gear;
- c. a plurality of pinions rotatably mounted to the platform in positions to engage the teeth of the ring gear, the plurality of pinions arranged about a periphery of the ring gear;
- d. a planar member is mounted to the pinions to overlie an area of the ring gear, the area being located between the associated pinion and the bore formed through the platform and spaced radially from the hole formed centrally through the ring gear, the planar member located in proximity to the ring gear to capture the ring gear between the platform and the planar member thereby limiting movement of the ring gear in the axial direction away from the platform by contacting the ring gear;
- e. a blade affixed to each of the plurality of pinions;
- and
- f. means for rotating one of the pinions.
An apparatus for cutting a tube of film, comprising:
- a platform having a bore formed therethrough;
- a ring gear having external teeth and a hole formed centrally therethrough positioned on the platform coaxially with the bore, wherein the film tubing is passed through the ring gear;
- a plurality of pinions rotatably mounted to the platform in positions to engage the teeth of the ring gear;
- a planar member fixed to the associated pinion such that it rotates therewith, the planar member assembled to overlie an area of the ring gear, the area being located between the associated pinion and the bore formed through the platform;
- a blade affixed to each of the plurality of pinions and arranged to cut the tube of film as the plurality of pinions rotate;
- and
- an actuator for rotating one of the pinions;
- wherein the plurality of pinions are arranged about a periphery of the ring gear such that the plurality of pinions maintain the coaxial alignment between the hole of the ring gear and the bore of the platform by inhibiting movement of the ring gear in a direction away from a center of the bore as the ring gear rotates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.