Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6736078
-
Patent Number
6,736,078
-
Date Filed
Friday, March 1, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 18, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Wood, Herron & Evans, L.L.P.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 112 47508
- 112 47503
- 112 303
- 112 304
- 112 305
- 112 306
- 112 307
- 112 318
- 112 322
- 112 122
- 112 117
- 112 1227
- 112 1224
- 112 130
- 112 220
- 030 102
- 083 331
- 083 339
- 083 344
- 083 345
- 083 37
- 083 86
- 083 348
- 083 731
- 083 492
- 083 496
- 083 497
- 083 502
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for feeding and slitting mattress covers, quilts and other soft goods supported on a table. The apparatus has a first slitting wheel rotatable by a motor. A second slitting wheel is rotatable by the motor and contacts the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action. The apparatus further includes upper and lower conveyors operable by the motor for conveying the soft goods past the slitting wheels. The upper conveyor is resiliently vertically movable and applies a compression force against the soft goods as they are moved between the upper and lower conveyors and past the slitting wheels.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to cutting flat soft goods and more particularly, to feeding and cutting a stack comprised of different layers of soft goods. The invention is particularly useful for trimming the longitudinal edges of mattress covers and other quilted soft goods in large-scale, wide-width quilt manufacturer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the manufacture of bedding and furniture, a mattress cover or other cushion is often fabricated from layers of different soft goods. Such mattress covers are typically made on wide-width multi-needle quilting machines and associated panel cutters such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,154,130, 5,544,599 and 6,237,517, all hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
For example, a mattress cover is often comprised of a stack of layers of different soft goods, which are often quilted together, that include a first, top layer of fabric ticking material, a second layer of a fiber material, a third layer of foam and a bottom layer of fabric backing material. Such a stack of compressible soft goods is about 2-6 inches thick and has a length and width corresponding to the size of the mattress cover being made. As part of the manufacturing process, it is necessary that the edges of the stack of soft goods be trimmed, so that the edges are straight and parallel. Known edge cutting machines have a motor-driven conveyor belt that transfers the stack of soft goods past a motor-driven compression roller and a pair of motor-driven cutting wheels. The compression roller compresses the stack of soft goods to a thickness of less than about three inches. A motor-driven cutting wheel is located on each side of the machine, and the cutting wheels must have a radius greater than the thickness of the compressed stack of soft goods, that is, at least about three inches.
While such a cutting operation is effective, it does have some disadvantages. First, the cutting wheel is relatively thin and has a tendency to bend or warp slightly from the cutting forces applied by the compressed stack of soft goods being moved past the cutting wheel by the conveyor. Thus, the cutting wheel has a tendency to drift or walk with respect to a desired straight cutting path, thereby producing a cut edge of the stack of soft goods that is rough and not straight over the length of the stack.
Second, the cutting wheel edge dulls with use and must be periodically sharpened. Therefore, a separate sharpening device is mounted adjacent the cutting wheel. In order to effect a sharpening cycle, the edge cutting operation is interrupted; and the sharpening device is manually or automatically moved into contact with the cutting wheel to execute a cutting wheel sharpening cycle. During the sharpening cycle, the cutting machine is out of production; and thus, the sharpening cycle reduces the efficiency of the machine operation and adds to the overall cost of the cutting operation.
In addition, the overall structure of the cutting machine is relatively complicated and costly. The cutting machine requires a motor-driven compression roller as well as a relatively wide motor-driven conveyor belt that provides a subjacent support for the stack of soft goods and moves it past the cutting wheel. A sharpener is also required, which has actuators that move the sharpener into contact with the cutting wheel; and often, a separate clamp is used. Such a system has different motors or actuators for powering the cutting wheel, the compression roller, the conveyor and for positioning the cutting wheel sharpener. Further, the operation of those actuators is often coordinated by a separate control. Such a complex cutting machine is expensive to build, operate and maintain; and that expense must be borne by the product, for example, the mattress cover, being trimmed on the cutting machine. This is particularly relevant to quilt manufacture.
Therefore, there is a need for a cutting machine that reliably provides a clean and straight cut edge over the full length of the stack of soft goods and that has a simpler and less costly structure. This need especially exists in the manufacture of quilts such as quilted mattress covers, that are manufactured on a large-scale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a relatively compact and inexpensive slitter and feed mechanism that reliably feeds, compresses and cuts side edges of a quilt or other stack of soft goods.
According to certain embodiments of the invention, the slitter and feed mechanism achieves the feeding, compression and cutting actions with just a single motor. The use of only one motor represents a substantial cost savings over known feeding, compressing and cutting devices. A quilting panel cutter equipped with such a slitter and feed mechanism improves the quality and economy of the quilt making process.
According to other aspects of the invention, the slitter and feed mechanism further permits the compression force to be easily adjusted. The cutting edges of the slitting wheels are preloaded to more reliably hold the cutting edges in contact, so that a clean and consistent cutting action is provided. As a result, in a quilt manufacturing operation, quilts of differing thicknesses can be trimmed without the need for prolonged shutdown and adjustment of the quilting line.
In addition, with the slitter and feed mechanism of the present invention, the slitting wheels are mounted to be self-sharpening during use, thereby providing a more reliable cutting action over an extended period of time. Thus, the slitting process is more efficient because the machine does not have to be taken out of production to sharpen the slitting wheels. The slitter and feed mechanism of the present invention is especially useful in the textile industry for trimming a quilt or other stack of soft goods as is found, for example, in a cushion or mattress cover.
According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with the described embodiments, the invention provides an apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods such as a mattress cover or other quilt being supported on a table. The apparatus has a motor mounted on a frame and a first slitting wheel rotatable by the motor. A second slitting wheel is rotatable by the motor and contacts the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action. Thus, both of the slitting wheels are rotatable by a single motor.
In one aspect of this invention, the apparatus further includes a conveying apparatus for conveying the soft goods past the slitting wheels; and the conveying apparatus is operably connected to the motor. Thus, the single motor not only operates the slitting wheels but also operates the conveying apparatus.
In another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for slitting and feeding soft goods includes first and second slitting wheels that are rotatable by a motor. A biasing apparatus is mechanically connected to the first slitting wheel and biases the first slitting wheel against the second slitting wheel with a desired biasing force. Such a biasing forces maintains the first and second slitting wheels in contact during a cutting operation.
In a further embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for slitting and feeding soft goods includes first and second slitting wheels that are rotatable by a motor about respective first and second axes of rotation. The second axis of rotation is oblique to the first axis of rotation by an amount that results in a self-sharpening of the slitting wheels. In one aspect of the invention, the oblique axes of motion form an acute angle therebetween of about 2°. The oblique axes of rotation plus the slitting wheel biasing force provides a self-sharpening capability that substantially improves the durability, quality and reliability of the cutting action of the slitting wheels.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for slitting and feeding soft goods includes first and second slitting wheels that are rotatable by a motor. A powered lower conveyor contacts and supports a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods; and a powered upper conveyor contacts an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods. The upper conveyor has an upper conveyor belt with a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor. The upper conveyor is thus able to provide a downward acting compression force against the soft goods. In further aspects of this invention, the compression force is adjustable; and the conveyors are powered by the slitting wheel motor.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for feeding and slitting compressible soft goods has a stationary table for supporting the soft goods. A rail is disposed above, and extends across a width of, the stationary table. First and second slitter and feed mechanisms are mounted on the rail adjacent side edges of the table. The slitter and feed mechanisms are movable across the width of the table. A first actuator is mounted on the rail and has a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the first slitter and feed mechanism, and a second actuator is mounted on the rail and has a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the second slitter and feed mechanism. Thus, the separation of the slitter and feed mechanisms can be controlled to trim different widths of soft goods.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a slitter and feeder mechanism in accordance with the principles of the present invention, which is used to trim one edge of soft goods.
FIG. 2
is a partial perspective view of a slitter wheel power drive for a slitter and feed mechanism that is a mirror image of, but otherwise identical to, the slitter and feed mechanism shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a partial perspective view of a conveyor drive of the slitter and feed mechanism that is a mirror image of, but otherwise identical to, the slitter and feed mechanism shown in FIG.
1
. and which is used to trim an opposite edge of the soft goods. for a slitter and feed mechanism
FIG. 4
is a top view of spindle bearings for one of the slitter wheels and illustrate an oblique relationship between axes of rotation of the slitting wheels used with the slitter and feed mechanism of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is a partial perspective view of a machine that uses the slitter and feed mechanisms of
FIGS. 1 and 3
.
FIG. 6
is a front elevation view of the slitter and feed mechanism of
FIG. 3
illustrating a resilient deflection of an upper conveyor as soft goods are fed thereby.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a slitter and feed mechanism
20
is mounted on one side of a table
158
(
FIG. 5
) and is used to trim one edge of soft goods
32
. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a slitter and feed mechanism
20
is generally comprised of a support frame
22
, an actuator
24
, for example, an electric motor, a slitter
26
and a conveyor
28
. The motor
24
and gearbox
66
are packaged together as a ⅓ horsepower, 67 rpm, face-mount, gear motor, part no. #SK1S50AZ-71S/4, commercially available from Gateway Textiles of Notts, England. Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, a slitter and feed mechanism
20
a
is mounted on an opposite side of a table
158
(
FIG. 5
) and used to trim an opposite edge of soft goods
32
. Thus, the slitter and feed mechanism
20
a
is a mirror image of, but otherwise identical to, the slitter and feed mechanism
20
. The slitter
26
has an upper cutting or slitting wheel
42
mounted on one end of a spindle
44
. The opposite end of the spindle
44
has a keyway (not shown), so that it can be axially engaged in a drive shaft (not shown) in the gear box
66
(
FIG. 1
) in a known manner. A first upper sprocket
46
is rigidly mounted on the upper spindle
44
and engages an upper drive chain
48
. The upper drive chain
48
is connected to a second upper sprocket
50
that is welded or otherwise rigidly attached to an upper pinion gear
52
. The second upper sprocket
50
and upper pinion gear
52
are mounted on an upper axle
53
. The upper pinion gear
52
mechanically engages a lower pinion gear
54
that is welded or otherwise rigidly connected to a first lower sprocket
56
. The first lower sprocket
56
and lower pinion gear
54
are mounted on a lower axle
57
. The first lower sprocket
56
mechanically engages a chain
58
that is also mechanically engaged with a second lower sprocket
60
. The second lower sprocket
60
is mounted on a lower spindle
62
that supports a lower cutting or slitting wheel
64
. The slitting wheels
42
,
64
are blade, scissor, small bevel slitting wheels commercially available from Gateway Textiles of Notts, England.
The upper and lower axles
53
,
57
are supported at their ends within a drive housing
67
(
FIG. 1
) that is configured to cover the sprockets
46
,
50
,
56
,
60
and gears
52
,
54
. The motor
24
and gear box
66
are mounted to the drive housing
67
by fasteners or other means, and the drive housing
67
, in turn, is mounted to an inner shaft support
68
. The frame
22
includes a front plate
70
, an extrusion
72
and a spacer
74
all of which are connected together by fasteners or other means. The front plate
70
and spacer
74
facilitate the connection or fastening of the extrusion
72
with the inner shaft support
68
. The inner shaft support
68
is rigidly connected to an outer shaft support
69
by tie bars (not shown) that are fastened at their ends to the shaft supports
68
,
69
. A support plate
30
is rigidly fastened to the to the outer shaft support
69
.
The motor
24
thus provides power to the upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
. Further, the diameters of the sprockets
46
,
50
,
56
,
60
and the pinion gears
52
,
54
are chosen such that the angular velocity of the upper slitting wheel
42
is substantially equal to the angular velocity of the lower slitting wheel
64
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, the lower spindle
62
is supported by an outer bearing
78
and an inner bearing
80
that are mounted inside a bearing housing
82
. Typically, the bearings
78
,
80
are oriented such that the lower spindle
62
has a lower axis of rotation
84
that is substantially parallel to an upper axis of rotation
86
of the upper spindle
44
. Therefore, referring to
FIG. 4
, looking down on the bearings
78
,
80
, with a typical mounting, the projection of the lower axis of rotation
84
onto a horizontal plane, for example, support plate
30
(FIG.
1
), would be approximately collinear. Further, the parallel lower and upper axes of rotation
84
,
86
would define a substantially vertical plane that is substantially perpendicular to the support plate
30
. Therefore, the opposed and contacting cutting portions
88
(
FIG. 3
) and
90
(
FIG. 2
) of the respective upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
are substantially parallel, and the cutting portions
88
,
90
have a small common area of contact.
However, in contrast to a typical mounting described above, with the present invention, as shown in
FIG. 4
, the inner bearing
80
is offset in a substantially horizontal plane in the direction indicated by the arrow
90
, thereby making the lower spindle
62
and corresponding lower axis of rotation
84
oblique to the upper spindle
44
and corresponding upper axis of rotation
86
. In other words, the lower spindle
62
and corresponding lower axis or rotation
84
is pivoted in a plane parallel to the support plate
30
with respect to the upper spindle
44
and corresponding upper axis of rotation
86
through an angular displacement
91
of about 2°. Thus, projections of the lower and upper axes of rotation
84
,
86
into the plane of the support plate
30
form an included angle
91
between the projected lower and upper axes of rotation
84
,
86
of about 2°. This small pivoting of the spindle
62
, its corresponding axis of rotation
84
and lower slitting wheel
64
angles or skews the lower slitting wheel
64
with respect to the upper slitting wheel
42
. Thus, the cutting portions
88
,
90
are not parallel, and the area of common contact between the cutting portions
88
,
90
is substantially reduced.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the upper spindle
44
has a central axial bore
92
that contains a compression spring
94
. The biasing compression spring
94
mechanically contacts an end
96
of an adjusting screw
98
that is threaded into a nut
99
that is mounted or secured in a wall of the gear box
66
. Alternatively, the adjusting screw
98
can supported in a threaded hole in the wall of the gear box
66
. The spindle
44
is axially movable with respect to the gear box
66
, and thus, the spring
94
is effective to provide an axial preload or biasing force on the upper spindle
44
. That biasing force preloads or pushes the upper slitting wheel
42
against the lower slitting wheel
64
. Further, the magnitude of that preload force is adjustable by turning the adjusting screw
98
. The application of the axial preload or force on the upper slitting wheel
42
guarantees that the upper cutting portion
88
(
FIG. 3
) of the upper slitting wheel
42
always remains in contact with the lower cutting portion
90
(
FIG. 2
) of the lower slitting wheel
64
. Thus, the axial preload on the upper slitting wheel
42
substantially improves the cutting action of the upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
. Further, the net effect of the axial preload provided by the biasing spring
94
combined with the small angular pivot of the lower spindle
62
and slitting wheel
64
is to provide a dynamic and automatic self-sharpening of the cutting portions
88
,
90
of the respective upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 3
, the conveyor
28
is comprised of an upper conveyor
100
and a lower conveyor
102
. The upper conveyor is powered from a drive shaft
104
that is mounted to the upper slitting wheel
42
by means of a flange
106
extending from one end of the upper drive shaft
104
. A drive pulley
108
is mounted on and connected to the upper drive shaft
104
. The drive pulley
108
engages an upper conveyor belt
110
that is further supported by a fixed idler pulley
112
and pairs of inner and outer movable idler pulleys
114
,
116
. The idler pulley
112
has a fixed axle
118
that is supported by L-bracket
120
(
FIG. 1
) mounted to the extrusion
72
, and the movable idler pulleys
114
,
116
are supported by respective axles
128
,
130
.
An outer four bar linkage or mechanism
122
is mounted on outer ends of the drive spindle
104
and axles
118
,
128
,
130
. The four bar linkage
122
includes an upper fixed link
124
connected at its ends to the upper conveyor drive shaft
104
and the fixed axle
118
. A lower movable link
126
is substantially parallel to the upper link
124
and pivotally connected at its ends to axles
128
,
130
supporting the respective idler pulleys
114
,
116
. The four bar linkage
122
further comprises a pair of parallel pivot links
132
,
134
. The first pivot link
132
is pivotally connected at one end to the axle
118
and pivotally connected at an opposite end to the axle
128
. The second pivot link
134
is pivotally connected at one end to the upper drive shaft
104
and pivotally connected at its opposite between the idler pulleys
114
,
116
is displaceable in a generally vertical direction depending on the thickness of the stack of soft goods passing between the upper and lower conveyors
100
,
102
. Referring to
FIG. 3
, an inner four bar linkage
122
a
is mounted on inner ends of the drive spindle
104
and axles
118
,
128
,
130
. The inner four bar linkage
122
a
is identical in construction to the outer four bar linkage
122
described above, except that the inner four bar linkage does not require a link comparable to the fixed link
122
.
The outer four bar linkage
122
includes a compression force biasing adjustment. A compression spring
136
is mounted over an adjusting screw
138
that, in turn, is threaded into the first pivot link
132
. Thus, by turning the adjusting screw
138
, the compression force applied by the upper conveyor
100
against a stack of soft goods moving thereunder can be adjusted. In other words, tightening or shortening the effective length of the compression spring
138
provides a greater preloading or biasing force that resists an upward movement of the lower movable link
126
and the pivot links
132
,
134
. Hence, a greater downward acting compression force is applied against a stack of soft goods moving between the upper and lower conveyors
100
,
102
, thereby compressing the stack of soft goods to a lesser height or thickness.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, the lower conveyor
102
has a lower conveyor drive pulley
140
mounted on the axle
57
that also rotates with the pinion gear
54
(
FIG. 2
) and sprocket
56
of the drive train for the slitter
24
. The lower conveyor drive pulley
140
drivingly engages a lower conveyor belt
142
(
FIG. 1
) that is also supported by pairs of inner and outer idler pulleys
144
,
146
,
148
(FIG.
3
). The idler pulleys
144
,
146
,
148
are rotatably supported by respective axles
150
,
152
,
154
. Inner ends of the axles
150
,
152
,
154
are supported by the inner shaft support
68
; and the outer ends of the axles
150
,
152
,
154
are supported by an outer shaft support
69
(FIG.
1
). Thus, the lower conveyor belt
142
provides a fixed, generally horizontal surface that is substantially parallel to the surface of the support plate
30
. The inner and outer shaft supports
68
,
69
are rigidly connected together by tie bars (not shown) that are fastened at their ends to the shaft supports.
With the above-described structure, the motor
24
is operative to power not only the upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
, but also the upper and lower conveyors
100
,
102
. Further, the drive pulleys
108
,
140
have diameters relative to the diameters of the upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
such that the linear velocities of the respective upper and lower conveyor belts
110
,
142
are substantially equal. Further, the linear velocity of the conveyor belts
110
,
142
is substantially less than the linear velocities of the outer circumferences of the respective upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
.
In use, referring to
FIG. 5
, a machine
155
for trimming the side edges of soft goods has a first slitter and feed mechanism
20
mounted adjacent one edge
156
of a stationary table
158
. A second slitter and feed mechanism
20
a
is mounted adjacent an opposite edge
160
of the stationary table
158
. The slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
are mirror images of each other. Further, the extrusions
72
as well as the other parts of the support frames
22
are identical parts that are fabricated so that they may be used with either of the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
. In addition, all of the other parts in the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
are identical and interchangeable. Thus, the assembly of different, that is, mirror image, slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
is relatively cost efficient.
The extrusions
72
are supported by a cross rail
170
that is rigidly supported at its ends by structure (not shown). The rail
170
is an aluminum extrusion that contains upper and lower parallel linear guides
172
,
174
, respectively, that are mounted on respective linear bearings
173
,
175
within the rail
170
. The rail
170
and linear guides and bearings are commercially available as a unit from 80/20, Inc. of Columbia, Ind. Both of the linear guides
172
,
174
are rigidly fastened to one leg
176
of an L-bracket
178
. The other leg
180
of the L-bracket
178
is rigidly fastened to the extrusion
22
. A pair of actuator mounts
182
are rigidly fastened to the rail
170
. Each of the actuator mounts
182
supports an actuator
184
that is operable to reciprocate, that is, extend and retract, a drive shaft
186
. A distal end of each of the drive shafts
186
is pivotally connected to the leg
180
of the L-bracket
178
via pivot blocks
188
. The actuators
184
may be any appropriate actuator that is effective to move the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
longitudinally with respect to the rail
170
, for example, a cylinder, a motor driven screw, etc. Thus, the actuators
184
are operable to control the separation between the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
on the rail
170
. The actuators
184
can be operated to position the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
at different locations on the rail
170
to accommodate different widths of the soft goods being trimmed. The width of the soft goods also corresponds to the width of the stationary table
158
. The stationary table
158
is located on top of the support plates
30
of the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a.
The slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
are used to cut opposed side edges of a stack of soft goods, a portion of which is shown at
32
. As will be appreciated, the stack of soft goods
32
is supported on an upper surface
190
of the table
158
and normally extends substantially the full distance between the extrusions
72
. In this example, the stack of soft goods is a mattress cover comprising a top layer
34
of a ticking fabric material, a lower layer
36
of a fiber material, a third layer
38
of a foam and a bottom layer
40
of a fabric backing material. More or fewer layers of soft goods may be utilized depending on the application of the stack of soft goods
32
. The mattress cover is about 2-6 inches thick. In this application, the slitting wheels
42
,
64
are mounted such that the cutting portion
88
(
FIG. 3
) on the upper wheel
42
contacts the cutting portion
90
(
FIG. 2
) on the lower wheel
64
about 0.75 inches above the support plate
30
.
As the mattress cover
32
is fed by an upstream conveyor (not shown) onto the stationary table
158
, its lateral edges are engaged by the upper and lower conveyors
100
,
102
on each of the slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
and the mattress cover
32
is fed over the table
158
in a direction indicated by the arrow
192
. Referring to
FIG. 6
, the upper conveyor
100
is moving in a counterclockwise direction, and the conveyor
102
is moving in a clockwise direction. The uncompressed thickness
164
may be five or more inches. As the stack of soft goods
32
is fed between the conveyors
100
,
102
, the upper conveyor
100
applies a compression force against the top of the stack of soft goods
32
. As the stack of soft goods
32
force the lower link
132
and the pivot links
132
,
134
upward, the compression spring
136
compresses and shortens, thereby increasing the compression force as a function of the spring constant of the spring
136
. The compression force is able to reduce the thickness of the stack of soft goods
32
to about two or more inches as the stack of soft goods is conveyed between the upper and lower conveyors
100
,
102
. Referring to
FIG. 5
, as the side edges of the mattress cover
32
is compressed and conveyed by the respective conveyors
100
,
102
of respective slitter and feed mechanisms
20
,
20
a
, the edges pass between respective upper and lower slitting wheels
42
,
64
that trim the edges to desired straight edges separated by a desired width.
The slitter and feed mechanism
20
is a relatively compact and inexpensive device for reliably compressing and cutting side edges of a stack of soft goods, for example, a mattress cover. The slitter and feed mechanism
20
utilizes a single motor
22
to drive both of the slitting wheels
42
,
64
as well as both of the conveyors
100
,
102
. The utilization of a single motor to achieve conveying, compressing and cutting functions represents a substantial cost savings. The upper conveyor
100
includes an adjustable biasing device
136
,
138
that readily permits the compression force to be easily adjusted as required by different stacks of soft goods. In addition, the upper slitting wheel
42
has a biasing device
94
,
98
that preloads the cutting portion
88
of the upper slitting wheel
42
against the cutting edge
90
of the lower slitting wheel
64
. This preload more reliably maintains contact between the cutting portions
88
,
90
such that a clean and consistent cutting action is provided. In addition, the outer bearing
78
is slightly offset with respect to the inner bearing
80
. Therefore, the spindle
62
and the lower slitting wheel
64
is slightly oblique with respect to the spindle
44
of the upper slitting wheel
42
. This oblique orientation of the respective slitting wheels
42
,
64
together with the axial preload on the slitting wheels
42
,
64
promotes a self-sharpening of the cutting portions
88
,
90
, thereby providing a more reliable cutting action over an extended period of time.
The features described above can be incorporated into a panel cutter for a quilting machine, which is situated either in a separate cutting line or in-line with and downstream of a quilting machine. Such a quilting machine typically produces quilted mattress covers from a multi-layered web of material that forms the soft goods described above and illustrated in the figures. The panel cutter operates to transversely sever and crop panels from the web using transverse cutter tools provided for this purpose. In addition, slitters are provided in the panel cutter to trim selvedge edges from the quilted web or from individual quilted panels. While the features are described above as applied to slitters or longitudinal trimmers, these features can also be adapted for use in performing the transverse cut-off functions of the panel cutters, as most of the problems and properties found in slitting or trimming the edges of the quilted soft goods also can be found in cut-off operations performed on the same material.
While the invention has been illustrated by the description of one embodiment and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, there is no intention to restrict nor in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those who are skilled in the art. For example, in the described embodiment, the biasing means
94
,
136
are compression springs. As will be appreciated, other mechanisms can be utilized to create a downward acting compression force with the upper conveyor
100
or an axial preload force on the upper slitting wheel
42
. Further, in the described embodiment, the slitting wheel
42
is biased against the slitting wheel
64
; however, as will appreciated, in another embodiment, the slitting wheel
64
can be biased against the slitting wheel
42
.
Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described. Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow.
Claims
- 1. An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table; a motor mounted on the frame; a first slitting wheel; a spindle having an internal bore and a distal end connected to the first slitting wheel and a proximal end connected to, and mounted to rotate with, the motor; a second slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame, the second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action; and a compression spring mounted in the internal bore and mechanically connected to the spindle, the compression spring applying a biasing force on the spindle to push the first slitting wheel against the second slitting wheel with a desired biasing force.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the biasing apparatus further comprises an adjusting knob contacting one end of the compression spring, the biasing force being changeable by using the adjusting knob to change a length of the compression spring.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the motor has a housing and the adjusting knob is threaded in the housing.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first slitting wheel rotates with respect to a first axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table, and the second slitting wheel rotates with respect to a second axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table, the second axis of rotation being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second axis of rotation is pivoted with the first axis of rotation in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the table.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein projections of the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation onto the upper surface of the table are nonparallel and noncoincident.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein projections of the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation onto the upper surface of the table form an acute angle therebetween.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the acute angle has a magnitude causing the peripheral edge of the second powered slitting wheel to sharpen the peripheral edge of the first powered slitting wheel.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the acute angle is about 20°.
- 10. An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table; a first slitting wheel; a powered first spindle connected to the first slitting wheel and rotatably supported by the frame to define a first axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table; a second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action; a powered second spindle connected to the second slitting wheel and rotatably supported by the frame to define a second axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table, a first bearing mounted on the frame; a second bearing spaced apart from the first bearing, the first bearing and the second bearing supporting the first spindle to make the first axis of rotation substantially oblique to the second axis of rotation; and a biasing apparatus mechanically connected to one of the first and the second spindles and applying a biasing force on the one of the first and the second spindles to axially preload the one of the first and the second slitting wheels against another of the first and the second slitting wheels.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second bearing is displaced from the first axis of rotation in a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table.
- 12. An apparatus for feeding and slitting a stack of compressible soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table; a first powered slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame; a second powered slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action; a powered lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods; and a powered upper conveyor disposed above the lower conveyor and adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the upper conveyor further comprises:a powered drive pulley and a plurality of idler pulleys, the drive pulley and the idler pulleys supporting the upper conveyor belt; and a mechanism supporting the drive pulley and the idler pulleys, the mechanism having a fixed portion supporting one of the pulleys and a resiliently movable portion supporting others of the pulleys.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the mechanism further comprises a four bar linkage.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the four bar linkage further comprises:a fixed link having opposed ends; a pair of pivot links, each pivot link of the pair of pivot links having one end pivotally connected to a different end of the fixed link; and a movable link having opposed ends, and each end of the movable link being connected to an opposite end of a different one of the pair of pivot links.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a motor supported by the frame and mechanically connected to the first and second slitting wheels and the lower and upper conveyors.
- 17. An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on a table comprising:a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table; a motor mounted on the frame; a first slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame; a second slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action; a lower conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame, the lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods; and an upper conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame above the lower conveyor, the upper conveyor adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:a biasing apparatus mechanically connected to the spindle and applying a biasing force on the spindle to push the first slitting wheel against the second slitting wheel with a desired biasing force; a first axis of rotation defined by a rotation of the first slitting and adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table; and a second axis of rotation defined by a rotation of the second slitting wheel and adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table, the second axis of rotation being oblique to the first axis of rotation.
- 19. An apparatus for feeding and slitting compressible soft goods comprising:a stationary table having an upper surface adapted to support the soft goods; a rail mounted above the stationary table and extending across a width of the stationary table; a first slitter and feed mechanism mounted for sliding motion adjacent one end of the rail; a first actuator supported by the rail having a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the first slitter and feed mechanism; a second slitter and feed mechanism mounted for sliding motion adjacent an opposite end of the rail; a second actuator supported by the rail and having a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the second slitter and feed mechanism, the first and second actuators being operable to move respective first and second slitter and feed mechanisms to different positions along the rail.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the rail further comprises:a first linear bearing and a first linear guide supported for linear motion on the first linear bearing, the first linear guide supporting the first slitter and feed mechanism; and a second linear bearing and a second linear guide supported for linear motion on the second linear bearing, the second linear guide supporting the second slitter and feed mechanism.
- 21. A method of making quilted panels comprising:quilting multi-layered soft goods at a quilting station; feeding the quilted soft goods to a cutting apparatus; at the cutting apparatus, supporting the quilted soft goods on a table having a frame, a motor mounted on the frame, a first slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame, a second slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action, a lower conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame, the lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods; and an upper conveyor powered by the motor and supported by frame above the lower conveyor, the upper conveyor adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor; and energizing the motor to operate the cutting apparatus to feed the quilted soft goods through over the table and to slit the opposite edges from the quilted soft goods.
US Referenced Citations (6)