Claims
- 1. A cutter for material, comprising:
- a cutter bar having a bottom wall, opposing side walls and first and second upper wall portions defining a hollow interior, said upper wall portions being spaced apart to define a longitudinal slot; said upper wall portions each having an outer surface;
- a blade positioned in the hollow interior of said bar and extending substantially along the length thereof and including an upper edge disposed within said longitudinal slot; said blade being mounted in said cutter bar in a manner which permits lateral displacement of the upper edge of said blade;
- a movable knife connected with said cutter for translation along said slot, and including a cutting edge abuttingly engaging the upper edge of said blade for cutting material therebetween as said knife is moved along said bar; said blade having an extended, cutting position, wherein the upper edge of said blade is disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of said upper wall portions for cutting the material, and a retracted, storage position wherein the upper edge of said blade is disposed below the outer surface of said upper wall portions for storage;
- resilient means for normally retaining said blade in the storage position; and wherein
- said knife is positioned over said slot in a location such that engagement between said knife and said blade shifts said blade from the storage position to the cutting position.
- 2. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said blade is semi-flexible for resilient deformation about said knife, whereby engagement between said knife edge and said blade edge shifts said blade into the cutting position at only that location adjacent where the material is being cut.
- 3. A cutter as set forth in claim 2, wherein:
- said blade has a lower edge thereof nonrigidly mounted in a channel portion of said cutter bar.
- 4. A cutter as set forth in claim 3, wherein:
- said channel portion is slightly wider than the width of the lower edge of said blade to permit limited lateral translation of said blade.
- 5. A cutter as set forth in claim 4, wherein:
- said resilient means comprises a strip of expanded synthetic material which extends along the length of said blade, whereby said blade resiliently twists about said knife as said knife is drawn along said cutter bar for cleanly shearing the material along a straight line.
- 6. A cutter as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
- said knife comprises a circular knife which rotates as the same is translated along said cutter bar.
- 7. A cutter as set forth in claim 6, including:
- a cover shielding substantially all of those portions of said circular knife and said blade which extend above said cutter bar.
- 8. A cutter as set forth in claim 7, wherein
- said circular knife includes a friction wheel disposed above said cutter bar for abutting engagement therewith, whereby translation of said knife rotates said circular knife.
- 9. A cutter as set forth in claim 8, wherein:
- said blade upper edge is blunt for cutting packing and cushioning materials.
- 10. A cutter as set forth in claim 8, wherein:
- said blade upper edge is sharpened to an acute angle for cutting thin sheet materials.
- 11. A cutter as set forth in claim 10, including:
- means for positively holding a sheet of material firmly against said cutter bar face.
- 12. A cutter as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
- said holding means comprises a roller.
- 13. A cutter as set forth in claim 12, wherein:
- said roller extends over said cutter bar face on both sides of said slot for urging said sheet thereagainst, and includes an annular groove therein in which the blade cutting edge is received during the cutting position.
- 14. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said blade has a lower edge thereof nonrigidly mounted in a channel portion of said cutter bar.
- 15. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said resilient means comprises a strip of expanded synthetic material which extends along the length of said blade, whereby said blade resiliently twists about said knife as said knife is drawn along said cutter bar for cleanly shearing the material along a straight line.
- 16. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said knife comprises a circular knife which rotates as the same is translated along said cutter bar.
- 17. A cutter as set forth in claim 16, wherein:
- said circular knife includes a friction wheel disposed above said cutter bar for abutting engagement therewith, whereby translation of said knife rotates said circular knife.
- 18. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, including:
- a cover shielding substantially all of those portions of said circular knife and said blade which extend above said cutter bar.
- 19. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said blade upper edge is sharpened to an acute angle for cutting thin sheet materials.
- 20. A cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
- said blade upper edge is blunt for cutting packaging and cushioning materials.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending parent application Ser. No. 126,960, filed Mar. 3, 1980, entitled SHEET CUTTER, now abandoned which is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
126960 |
Mar 1980 |
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