Detectable cutter knife and method for making same
US5235880A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1992 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/4812
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A detectable cutter knife (100) is useful as a replacement for a conventional cutter knife used in product inspection and cutting systems of the type having a cutting wheel assembly. The cutting wheel assembly includes a knife guide having angularly spaced radially oriented knife support slots through which cutter knives having tangs extending therefrom move between a retracted noncutting position and an extended cutting position. The detectable cutter knife (100) includes a shank (102), a tang (114), and an amount of metallic material in the shank sufficient to stimulate a metal detector. The use of metallic material in the shank permits automatic and efficient detection of a broken cutter knife (100) and its removal from product flow. Preferably, the metallic material takes the form of a ball bearing (152) secured within a hole (150) positioned in a low-stress area (154) of shank (102).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.