GB2406327A

GB2406327A - A dispenser cassette for a coiled metallic strip

Info

Publication number: GB2406327A
Application number: GB0322687A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Michael Starkie; Gregory Fontaine
Original assignee: M P AUTOMATION Ltd
Current assignee: M P AUTOMATION Ltd
Priority date: 2003-09-27
Filing date: 2003-09-27
Publication date: 2005-03-30
Also published as: GB0322687D0

Abstract

A dispenser cassette for a coiled metallic strip 20 comprises a base plate 10, a lid 12 attached to the base plate by a hinge or hinges 14,16 so as to be movable back and forth between a closed position and an open position, spacers 18 to hold the lid a predetermined spacing from the base plate when the lid is in the closed position and a lock 24 to hold the lid in said closed position. The base plate and lid may be of the same size and may be formed from planar webs of plastics material arranged so that when in the closed position the lid extends parallel to, and overlies, the base plate. Elongate apertures 30,32 may be provided in both base plate and lid to allow the free end of the coiled metallic strip to be drawn out of the cassette. One or more clamps 26 may be provided within the cassette through which the metallic strip can be guided and/or retained in place. In use, the dispenser cassette stores metallic strip having a bladed edge, the metallic strip being withdrawn from the cassette, folded and used to cut a die or blank.

Description

DISPENSER CASSETTE FOR METALLIC CUTTING RULE

This invention concerns a dispenser unit for a coil of metallic cutting rule.

Dies for cutting carton blanks are produced from various types of metallic cutting rule. Generally this is a continuous length of steel rule which has a cutting blade along one edge and which is sufficiently flexible to be stored in the form of a roll or coil. It is cut to length, notched and folded to a required die configuration.

Nowadays these operations can be carried out in an automated process using apparatus such as that available from SDS USA Inc. and described in their US patent specifications 5,787,750; 5,870919; 6,128,940 and 6,405, 574.

A safe and efficient manner of supplying steel rule to a die production machine, whether or not this is fully automated, is required.

Steel rule as used in die production is available in several different grades, namely different alloy specifications, different heights and thicknesses and with different blade angles. The most common height used is 23.8mm, but several others are possible, ranging from 12mm to 100mm. Dies for different purposes may need to be produced from different grades of steel rule. It is therefore desirable to be able to supply these, as required, to a die production machine, with minimum loss of operating time and minimum requirement for intervention by operatives. Also operatives need to be kept safe from possible contact with the very sharp blade.

A known steel rule dispenser comprises a housing in which rolls (coils) of rule are stored in respective cassettes mounted one above the other. The free end of a roll is drawn out and into a die production machine. The housing is mounted on an upright post and can be raised and lowered or moved from side to side relative to the post so that a cassette is at the correct position for feeding rule into the machine.

Steel rule coils are always presented blade uppermost and they may be supplied coiled clockwise or anti-clockwise. Therefore, any coil held within a cassette may need to be fed from the right hand side or the left hand side of the front of the cassette.

A known cassette comprises a steel base plate onto which a steel turntable is rotatably mounted, the turntable being for supporting the coil of steel rule in a manner which facilitates it being drawn out from the coil. The turntable has a transparent plastics cover, which is secured at a spacing thereabove by a plurality of bolts, serving also as spacers. A top plate, also of steel, and having a large circular aperture therein to accommodate the turntable lid, is similarly secured by bolts to the base plate at the same height as the turntable lid. A single pivotal clamping device may be provided on the base plate. This is in the form of a closed end socket which can receive and clamp the end of the steel rule when the latter is not in use.

This known cassette is heavy and bulky to transport and to load and unload from the aforesaid dispenser housing. It is also time consuming to remove the lid when access to the turntable is needed and the steel rule coil is to be removed or replaced. More importantly, it is not particularly safe, as it is difficult to constrain or handle any remaining steel rule once the turntable lid is removed, and the blade thereof is very sharp indeed. The clamp device also is not particularly effective as it necessitates handling of the steel rule to fit it and release it. Moreover, if the end of the steel rule is being fed from the side remote from the clamp device it may need to be curled around to fit into the device which is not at all desirable as there is then a risk of it springing back and causing injury.

An object of the invention is to provide a steel rule, or more generally a metallic rule dispenser cassette which is of simpler construction, is less expensive and is improved as regards the safety of operatives who handle such cassettes compared to the known version.

Pursuant hereto the invention provides a dispenser cassette for a coil of metallic rule comprising a base plate, a lid, hinge means connecting the lid to the base plate so that the lid is swingable from a closed position overlying the base plate to an open position, spacer means provided on the lid or on the base plate to hold the lid at a predetermined spacing from the base plate when in its closed position and define a central region for reception of the coiled rule and locking means provided on the lid and/or on the base plate to lock the lid in its closed position.

Thus, at its simplest, a cassette in accordance with the invention consists of only two planar webs or leaves - the base plate and its lid without the complication of any turntable mechanism. Moreover the lid is simply hinged to overlie the base plate, without the complication of a separate turntable cover which is bolted into position.

It has been found that, particularly if the base plate and the lid are of plastics material, there is no need for a rotatable platform (turntable), and any steel rule coil can be drawn out from such a simple cassette without excessive friction or hindrance.

The spacer means should be positioned to limit the region in which a coil of steel rule will be confined between the two leaves.

In particularly advantageous embodiments of the cassette of the invention elongate apertures are provided in the lid and the base plate, which apertures are substantially in alignment when the lid is in its closed position. These enable a cable tie or similar to be fed through to secure any coil which is inside the cassette before the lid is opened. This makes the opening of a cassette a much safer operation for the people involved.

Also in particularly advantageous embodiments of the cassette of the invention at least one clamping device is provided on the base plate, between it and the lid. The or each such clamping device comprising opposing clamp members between which there is a passage, through which the steel rule can be guided and in which the steel rule can be clamped. Thus the steel rule is permanently guided between the clamp members and does not have to be handled each time it needs to be clamped.

Preferably, such a clamping device is provided at each side of the front of the cassette to cater for direct guiding of the rule from either right or left handed coils without the need for curling the rule across to the opposite side, as is sometimes the case with the previously known cassettes.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred practical embodiment of the cassette of the invention in an open condition; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same cassette as in Fig. 1, shown at a slightly different angle, and in which a steel rule coil has been placed in its "in use" position; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same cassette as in Figs. 1 and 2, again shown at a slightly different angle, to a small scale and in a closed condition.

With reference to the drawings, a preferred practical embodiment of the dispenser cassette of the invention comprises two substantially planar leaves, namely a base plate 10 and a lid 12, which are of the same, generally rectangular shape and of substantially the same size, and are hingedly connected adjacent one edge by means of two pairs of hinge blocks 14, 16, attached to the respective leaves 10, 12. These leaves are formed of plastics material, a suitable type of plastics being industrial PVC.

Upon the base plate 10, on its surface facing the lid 12, six spacers, in the form of bearing posts 18, are mounted. These are arranged at approximately equi-distant spacing around the circumference of an imaginary circle. They define a central region of an appropriate size to receive and accommodate a coil of steel rule 2O, which is shown, in-situ, in Fig. 2. The posts 18 carry respective bearings 22 to facilitate rotation of the coil 20 as the steel rule is drawn out therefrom and passes out of the cassette at the edge opposite the hinge 14, 16.

As is apparent by reference to the drawings the hinge 14, 16 enables the lid 12 to be swung relative to the base plate 10 from an open position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to a closed position, in which it is held substantially parallel to the base plate 10, by the posts 18 and the blocks 14, 16, as shown in Fig. 3. To accommodate a steel rule of the most common height, 23.8mm, the distance between the leaves 10, 12 when the lid 12 is closed may suitably be about 28mm.

A lock 24 is provided on the lid 12 and a corresponding catch 26 for engagement thereby is provided on the base to enable the lid to be locked in its closed position.

Adjacent the front corners of the base plate 10, i.e. the corners thereof remote from the hinge connection to the lid 12, there are respective clamp devices, each comprising opposing clamp members 28 with a narrow gap 27 therebetween, and a thumb screw 25. The latter in each case projects to the exterior of the cassette and engages into the passage 27 via the outermost clamp member 28, to clamp any ribbon extending through the passage 27 against the innermost member 28.

Two symmetrically opposed elongate slits 30 are provided in the base plate 10.

Similar slits 32 are provided in the lid 12 which are in alignment with the base plate slits 30 when the lid 12 is closed.

In use, the lid 12 is opened and the steel rule coil 20 is placed onto the base plate 10, as shown in Fig. 2, in the central region defined by the posts 18. The free end margin 21 of the coil 20 is carefully inserted into the passage 27 of one of the clamp devices and clamped between the opposing members 28 by tightening the respective thumb screw 25. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the coil 20 is wound anti-clockwise so the free end margin 21 is guided through the passage 27 of the clamp device 28 at the left hand side of the cassette (as viewed from the front edge, opposite the hinges 14, 16). If the coil 20 in another instance, e.g. when replaced, were to be wound clockwise then its free end margin would naturally tend to be drawn out at the right hand side and would then be clamped in the other clamp device 28 provided. Such clamping simply restrains the steel rule, which has a very sharp upper edge and can be dangerous because of its tendency to uncoil.

The lid 12 is closed once the steel rule coil 20 is in place and it is locked by means of the lock 24 and the catch 26, again for safety in storage, and handling, and transportation. It can then be loaded into a dispenser housing. The rule 20 end margin 21 can then be released and drawn out through the clamp 28 whenever required. Release of the end 21 of the rule for feeding into a die production machine is easily achieved by release of the relevant thumb screw 25 and the rule remains guided via the passage 27 at all times. Such release should usually be undertaken only once the lid is closed and locked. It should not be necessary to open the lid to do this.

When the end 21 of the rule is drawn out the remaining part of the coil 20 rotates quite freely within the constraints of the posts 18, and the bearings 22, which are rotatable, facilitate this.

The purpose of the aligned openings 30, 32 is to allow the coil 20 to be restrained without unlocking the cassette lid 12, but prior to unlocking same, for subsequent safe handling by operatives. A cable tie can be inserted though the aligned slits 32, 30, around the coil 20 and back again, and then secured to itself so as to restrain the coil. This can be done through each of the pairs 32, 30 for maximum restraint of the coil. This very much aids safe handling once the lid 12 is opened, as the coil 20 cannot then spring apart and potentially cause injury. Such a facility was not available on the known prior cassette for steel rule.

The foregoing is illustrative not limitative of the scope of the invention and many variations in the detail of the cassette design are possible in other embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A dispenser cassette for a coil of metallic rule comprising a base plate, a lid, hinge means connecting the lid to the base plate so that the lid is swingable from a closed position overlying the base plate to an open position, spacer means provided on the lid or on the base plate to hold the lid at a predetermined spacing from the base plate when in its closed position and define a central region for reception of the coiled rule and locking means provided on the lid and/or on the base plate to lock the lid in its closed position. 2. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base plate and the lid consist of planar webs. 3. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the base plate and the lid are formed of plastics material. 4. A cassette as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the base plate and the lid are of substantially the same size. 5. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lid fully overlies the base when the lid is in its closed position. 6. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lid, in its closed position, extends substantially parallel to the base plate. 7. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein elongate apertures are provided in the lid and the base plate, which apertures are substantially in alignment when the lid is in its closed position. 8. A cassette as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least two such apertures are provided in each of the lid and the base plate. 9. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a clamping device is provided on a surface of the base plate facing the lid, said clamping device comprising opposing clamp members between which there is a passage, through which the metallic rule can be guided and in which the metallic rule can be clamped. lO.A cassette as claimed in claim 9 wherein two such clamping devices are provided, situated to guide the metallic rule out of an open front side of the cassette at the right hand side and, respectively, at the left hand side thereof. 11. A dispenser cassette for a coil of metallic rule substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS

1. A dispenser cassette for a coil of metallic rule comprising a base plate, a lid, hinge means connecting the lid to the base plate so that the lid is swingable from a closed position overlying the base plate to an open position, in which respect elongate apertures are provided in the lid and the base plate, which apertures are substantially in alignment when the lid is in its closed position, ]O spacer means provided on the lid or on the base plate to hold the lid at a predetermined spacing from the base plate when in its closed position, said spacer means comprising a plurality of spaced apart posts which define a central region for reception of the coiled rule, and locking means provided on the lid and/or on the base plate to lock the lid in its closed position.

2. A cassette as claimed in claim] wherein the base plate and the lid consist of planar webs.

3. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the base plate and the lid are formed of plastics material.

4. A cassette as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the base plate and the lid are of substantially the same size.

5. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lid fully overlies the base when the lid is in its closed position.

6. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lid, in its closed position, extends substantially parallel to the base plate. ll

7. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least two elongate apertures are provided in each of the lid and the base plate, which apertures are substantially in alignment when the lid is in its closed position.

8. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a clamping device is provided on a surface of the base plate facing the lid, said clamping device comprising opposing clamp members between which there is a passage, through which the metallic rule can be guided and in which the metallic rule can be clamped.

9. A cassette as claimed in claim 8 wherein two such clamping devices are provided, situated to guide the metallic rule out of an open front side of the cassette at the right hand side and, respectively, at the left hand side thereof.

10. A dispenser cassette for a coil of metalhc rule substantially as hereinbeforc described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.