Eastman Machine Company

Robert M Yetman

Andrew A Nalecz

A skate for an end cutter for cutting sheet material such as cloth as the sheet material lies on a supporting surface having opposite sides, the end cutter comprising an elongated track extending across the supporting surface between the sides and having a longitudinal axis, an exposed surface over which the sheet material lies during cutting thereof, a slot extending along the length thereof and a guide surface spaced from the exposed surface facing the slot and extending along the track in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof. The skate is elongated, slides along the track, and has an operative surface facing the guide surface of the track. A bracket extends from the skate through the slot in the track member, and a blade is carried by the bracket and extends into the slot for cutting sheet material lying on the exposed surface of the track as the skate slide therealong. In accordance with the present invention there is provided at least one movable bearing mounted in the skate on the operative surface thereof for providing bearing contact between the skate and the guide surface of the track as the skate slides along the track. As a result of provision of the movable bearing, friction between the skate and the track is reduced significantly and wear life of the skate and the track is increased significantly.

Skate for end cutter

In a cloth spreading machine having a motor-driven cradle for holding a roll of cloth and feeding cloth from the roll onto a supporting surface along which the machine travels, a first signal is provided which is proportional to the speed of travel of the machine, a second signal is provided which is proportional to the rate of feed of cloth from the roll, and a control responsive to the first and second signals provides a signal for controlling the speed of the cradle motor so that the rate of feed of cloth from the roll is substantially equal to the speed of travel of the machine along the surface. Sudden changes in tension on the cloth due to acceleration or deceleration of the machine cause movements in a dancer bar which are converted by a transducer to an input to the control for causing a relatively rapid compensating increase or decrease in the speed of the cradle motor. The first and second signals are provided by tachometers associated with the machine and cradle motors, respectively, and the control includes a circuit having one control loop with the dancer bar transducer being in another loop of the control circuit. The circuit also includes a component for providing a fine adjustment in tension on the cloth during feed. The knife box or folding blades of the cloth spreading machine includes a one-piece cloth guide which accommodates raising and lowering of the box or blades in a manner interfacing with flow of cloth along the guide.

Growing community of inventors

Lakeview, NY, United States of America

Robert M Yetman