1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cutting-folding machine and more particularly, to a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, which enhances the neatness of processed and folded fiber/plastic sheet products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to
The cutting wheel 11 and the rotary wheel 13 are disposed adjacent to each other and rotatable in reversed directions, for example, the cutting wheel 11 is rotatable in counter-clockwise direction and the rotary wheel 13 is rotatable in clockwise direction. The cutting wheel 11 has a plurality of cutters 111 attached thereto. The rotary wheel 13 has a plurality of open recesses 131 spaced around the periphery thereof. During rotation of the cutting wheel 11 and the rotary wheel 13, the cutters 111 of the cutting wheel 11 will coincide with the open recesses 131 of the rotary wheel 13, causing the cutters 111 of the cutting wheel 11 to cut through the fiber sheet product 12 at the open recesses 131, as shown in
The differential wheel 15 is disposed adjacent to the rotary wheel 13 and the first folding wheel 171. The rotary wheel 13 receives the well-cut fiber sheet product 12 and transfers it to the first folding wheel 171 via the differential wheel 15, as shown in
Using the aforesaid fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine 10 can cut and fold a fiber sheet product 12. However, this design of fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine 10 has drawbacks in actual application. As shown in
After cutting by one cutter 111, the cut end edge of the fiber sheet product 12 exhibits a serrated structure, causing a larger fiber sheet product cut-piece length tolerance. Variation in length or position between cut pieces of the fiber sheet product 12 or formation of the serrated structure on the end edge of the fiber sheet product 12 may cause the end edge of each cut piece of fiber sheet product 12 to be falsely folded, leading to an unequal thickness of folded stack of fiber sheet product, as shown in
The first folding wheel 171 and the second folding wheel 173 each are equipped with at least one gripper 1711/1731 for gripping the fiber sheet product 12 to complete the folding of the fiber sheet product 12. The first folding wheel 171 is disposed adjacent to the differential wheel 15. To facilitate smooth rotation of the first folding wheel 171 and the differential wheel 15, the differential wheel 15 provides at least one open recess 151 at the periphery thereof corresponding to the at least one gripper 1711 so that the at least one open recess 151 can coincide with the at least one gripper 1711 during rotation of the first folding wheel 171 and the differential wheel 15, as shown in
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, which uses a cutter and a rotary cutting wheel to cut off a fiber/plastic sheet product, so that each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product has a straight cut edge, facilitating stacking of cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product neatly in an interfolded form.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, which has open recesses and/or protruding portions provided at the periphery of each wheel component thereof in such a manner that the open recesses and/or protruding portions of one wheel component can coincide with the protruding portions and/or open recesses of each adjacent wheel component during rotation, preventing displacement of each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product during transfer and facilitating follow-up cutting process, overlapping process and/or folding process.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, which has at least one suction unit provided at each wheel component thereof for sucking each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product, so that each cut piece of fiber/plastic product can be held at each wheel component or transferred from one wheel component to another positively, enhancing machine operating efficiency.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the present invention provides a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine operable to cut and fold a predetermined fiber/plastic sheet product, comprising: a cutter; a rotary cutting wheel disposed adjacent to the cutter, the rotary cutting wheel comprising at least one cutting tool for touching the cutter to cut off the fiber/plastic sheet product during rotation of the rotary cutting wheel relative to the cutter; one or more differential wheels disposed adjacent to the rotary cutting wheel for receiving each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product from the rotary cutting wheel and enabling each two successive cut pieces of the fiber/plastic sheet product to be overlapped; a first folding wheel disposed adjacent to the differential wheel for receiving each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product from the differential wheel; and a second folding wheel disposed adjacent to the first folding wheel and rotatable relative to the first folding wheel to fold each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product between the first folding wheel and the second folding wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the differential wheels comprises a first differential wheel and a second differential wheel disposed adjacent to each other, the second differential wheel being disposed between the first differential wheel and the first folding wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the rotational speed of the first differential wheel is greater than the rotational speed of the second differential wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the first differential wheel and the second differential wheel are so arranged that each two successive cut pieces of the fiber/plastic sheet product are partially overlapped at the second differential wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the circumference of the first differential wheel is greater than the circumference of the second differential wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the second differential wheel and the pressure wheel each comprise at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess disposed at the periphery thereof, the at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess of the second differential wheel being moved to coincide with the at least one open recess and at least one protruding portion of the pressure wheel to make at least one folding line on each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product at the second differential wheel during relative rotation between the second differential wheel and the pressure wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, further comprising a pressure wheel disposed adjacent to the second differential wheel and adapted to impart a pressure to each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product at the second differential wheel.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the rotary cutting wheel, the first differential wheel, the second differential wheel, the first folding wheel and the second wheel each comprise at least one suction unit controllable to suck or release each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the second differential wheel, the first folding wheel and the second folding wheel each comprise at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess adapted for transferring each cut piece of the fiber/plastic sheet product.
In one embodiment of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, wherein the first differential wheel comprises at least one open recess adapted for receiving the at least one cutting tool of the rotary cutting wheel during relative rotation between the first differential wheel and the rotary cutting wheel.
In the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be noted that the word of “connection” means direct or indirect connection between or among objects or components, for example, an intermediate connecting member or multiple intermediate connecting members can be set between two or multiple objects or components.
Please refer to
Referring also to
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 further comprises at least one sheet transfer wheel set 24 adapted for transferring a fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the rotary cutting wheel 23. The rotary cutting wheel 23 comprises at least one suction unit 232 adapted for sucking the transferring fiber/plastic sheet product 22 on the rotary cutting wheel 23. In different embodiments, the at least one sheet transfer wheel set 24 and/or the at least one suction unit 232 may be eliminated.
The cutter 21 and each cutting tool 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23 can be plain cutters without a serrated cutting edge. Thus, the cut edge of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 is kept straight, as shown in
Referring also to
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first differential wheel 251 comprises at least one suction unit 2512 adapted for sucking the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to hold it at the periphery of the first differential wheel 251. The at least one suction unit 2512 can be respectively mounted in the at least one open recess 2511 and controlled to suck the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 at one cutting tool 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23, enabling the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to be smoothly transferred by the rotary cutting wheel 23 to the first differential wheel 251.
Referring also to
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 further comprises a pressure wheel 26, as indicated by the imaginary line in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 have different rotational speeds and/or different circumferences. For example, the rotational speed of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the rotational speed of the second differential wheel 253, and/or the circumference of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the circumference of the second differential wheel 253. Because the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 have different rotational speeds and/or different circumferences, each two adjacent cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be partially overlapped, as shown in
During transfer of one cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the first differential wheel 251 transfers the lead end 221 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the second differential wheel 253 firstly, while the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 remains secured to the first differential wheel 251. In the case the rotational speed of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the rotational speed of the second differential wheel 253, the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be pushed by the first differential wheel 251, causing the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to curve outwards between the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253. When the first differential wheel 251 transfers a next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the second differential wheel 253, these two cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be partially overlapped. For example, the first differential wheel 251 can release the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 only after the lead end 221 of the next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 has been transferred by the first differential wheel 251 to the second differential wheel 253, thus, the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be overlapped by the lead end 221 of the next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22, as shown in
In actual application, adjusting the relative circumference and/or rotational speed between the first differential wheel 251 to the second differential wheel 253 can change the overlapped area between each two adjacent cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22.
To facilitate explanation, only two differential wheels, for example, the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 are shown in
Referring also to
The second folding wheel 273 is disposed adjacent to the first folding wheel 271, and adapted for receiving partially overlapped cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 from the first folding wheel 271 so that the received cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be set into a stack of interfold fiber sheet product.
The second folding wheel 273 comprises at least one at least one protruding portion 2731 and at least one open recess 2733 alternatively arranged around the periphery. Thus, the at least one protruding portion 2731 and at least one open recess 2733 of the second folding wheel 273 can coincide with the at least one open recess 2713 and at least one protruding portion 2711 of the first folding wheel 271 during relative rotation between the second folding wheel 273 and the first folding wheel 271, making a folding line on the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 being delivered between the first folding wheel 271 and the second folding wheel 273, and folding up the fiber/plastic sheet product 22.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first folding wheel 271 comprises at least one suction unit 2712, and the second folding wheel 273 also comprises at least one suction unit 2732. By means of controlling the at least one suction unit 2712/2732 to suck or release the fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be folded up.
Subject to the arrangement of the at least one suction unit 232/2512/2532/2712/2732 at the rotary cutting wheel 23, first differential wheel 251, second differential wheel 253, first folding wheel 271 and second folding wheel 273 and the operation of the at least one suction unit 232/2512/2532/2712/2732 to suck or release the fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be held in place, transferred, cut, overlapped and/or folded up accurately, enhancing the operating efficiency of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20.
The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 of the present invention is designed for cutting and folding fiber/plastic sheet products 22, more particularly for the production of interfold fiber/plastic sheet products. It can form multiple folding lines on one single piece of fiber/plastic sheet product, and fold up the single piece of fiber/plastic sheet product into multiple folds. In the example shown in
Subject to the application of the cutter 21 and the rotary cutting wheel 23, the invention avoids formation of a serrated edge on each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 or stretching of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during cutting. Thus, all cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can have approximately the same size and length, avoiding the problem of unequal thickness of folded stack of fiber sheet product of the prior art design as shown in
Subject to the arrangement of the at least one recessed portion 2511/2533/263/2713/2733 and/or at least one protruding portion 2531/261/2711/2731 at the first differential wheel 251, second differential wheel 253, pressure wheel 26, first folding wheel 271 and second folding wheel 273 of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 of the present invention, displacement of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during transfer is prohibited, the folded stack of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can have the same height, as shown in
It is to be understood the invention is not limited to particular systems described which may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this specification, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a device” includes a combination of two or more devices and reference to “a material” includes mixtures of materials.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
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