Title: Apparatus for opening envelopes
Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing mail by severing an edge of each envelope in a stack of mail. The apparatus includes an input bin for receiving a stack of mail. A feeder feeds the bottom envelope from the input bin to a transport that conveys the envelope along an envelope path. A cutter positioned along the envelope path severs one edge of the envelopes. A displaceable outfeed guide is provided for supporting the cut edge of the envelope as the envelop is being cut. Preferably, the outfeed guide is connected with the cutter so that the outfeed guide automatically adjusts position as the depth of cut is adjusted. The transport discharges the opened envelopes onto a return conveyor that conveys the opened envelopes to a stacking area where the opened envelopes are stacked.
Patent Number: 6,912,827 Issued on 07/05/2005 to Forbes
| Inventors:
|
Forbes; John R. (Media, PA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Opex Corporation (Moorestown, NJ)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
093871 |
| Filed:
|
March 8, 2002 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
53/381.3; 493/8; 493/34; 83/912; 83/446 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B31B 049/00 |
| Field of Search: |
53/3813,381.5
85/912,875-878,440,440.1,446,447
493/8-29,34
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| 3116718 | Jan., 1964 | Krupotich et al.
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| 3132629 | May., 1964 | Krupotich et al.
| |
| D202673 | Oct., 1965 | Kamp.
| |
| D204338 | Apr., 1966 | MacKrell.
| |
| D212062 | Aug., 1968 | Davis.
| |
| 3673763 | Jul., 1972 | Dorfmann.
| |
| 3828634 | Aug., 1974 | Luperti.
| |
| 3927589 | Dec., 1975 | Emkjer et al.
| |
| 3943807 | Mar., 1976 | Bingham et al.
| |
| D260133 | Aug., 1981 | Power et al.
| |
| D263276 | Mar., 1982 | Tagaki.
| |
| D272229 | Jan., 1984 | Oussani.
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| 4576287 | Mar., 1986 | Bingham et al.
| |
| 4741105 | May., 1988 | Wong.
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| 4893454 | Jan., 1990 | Russell.
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| 4973037 | Nov., 1990 | Holbrook.
| |
| 5156515 | Oct., 1992 | Charron et al.
| |
| 5336034 | Aug., 1994 | Hidding.
| |
| 5443253 | Aug., 1995 | Dale et al.
| |
| 5470182 | Nov., 1995 | Krupotich et al.
| |
| 5767452 | Jun., 1998 | Yankloski.
| |
| 5927705 | Jul., 1999 | Becker et al.
| |
| 6196393 | Mar., 2001 | Kruk et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 2535889 | Jan., 1976 | DE.
| |
Other References
Omation Product Specification for Model 202c published before June 5, 1998.
Omation Product Specification for Model 106 published before Jun. 5, 1998.
Omation Product Specification for Model 2000 published before Jun. 5, 1998.
Omation Product Specification for Model EV-2 published before Jun. 5, 1998.
|
Primary Examiner: Paradiso; John
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Eland; Stephen H., Dann, Dorfman, Herrell & Skillman, P.C.
Parent Case Text
PRIORITY APPLICATION
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/317,065,
filed Sep. 4, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Claims
1. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:
an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;
a cutter operable to open an edge of each of the envelopes;
a displaceable outfeed guide positioned adjacent the cutter to guide the envelopes
as the envelopes are conveyed away from the cutter;
a controller operable to vary the depth of cut of the cutter, wherein the controller
is operatively linked with the outfeed guide such that operating the controller
to vary the depth of cut automatically displaces the outfeed guide.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein operating the controller to vary the depth
of cut to a new depth of cut automatically displaces the outfeed guide to a position
correlating to the new depth of cut.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a biasing element biasing the outfeed
guide toward the cutter.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a justifier for justifying the envelopes
against the outfeed guide as the cutter opens the envelopes.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an adjustment element for adjusting the
position of the outfeed guide relative to the cutter.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a edge guide extending transverse the
outfeed guide to support a lower edge of the envelopes, wherein the edge guide
is attached to the outfeed guide.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a plurality of pre-set
stops corresponding to pre-set depth of cut positions.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising means for maintaining the angular position
of the outfeed guide relative to the cutter as the outfeed guide is displaced.
9. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:
an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;
a cutter operable to open an edge of each of the envelopes;
a displaceable outfeed guide positioned adjacent the cutter to guide the envelopes
as the envelopes are conveyed away from the cutter;
a controller operable to vary the depth of cut of the cutter;
a connector operatively linking the cutter and the outfeed guide such that operating
the controller to vary the depth of cut also displaces the outfeed guide.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the connector comprises a biasing element
biasing the outfeed guide toward the cutter.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising a justifier for justifying the envelopes
against the outfeed guide as the cutter opens the envelopes.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising an adjustment element for adjusting the
position of the outfeed guide relative to the cutter.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising a edge guide extending transverse the
outfeed guide to support a lower edge of the envelopes wherein the edge guide is
attached to the outfeed guide.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller comprises a plurality of
pre-set stops corresponding to pre-set depth of cut positions.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising means for maintaining the angular position
of the outfeed guide relative to the cutter as the outfeed guide is displaced.
16. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:
an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;
a transport for conveying the envelopes along an envelope path;
a feeder for serially feeding the envelopes from the input bin to the transport;
a cutter positioned along the envelope path operable to sever one edge of each
of the envelopes;
an infeed guide positioned adjacent the cutter to guide the envelopes as they
are conveyed to the cutter;
an outfeed guide positioned adjacent the cutter to guide the envelopes as they
are conveyed away from the cutter;
a controller operable to vary the depth of cut of the cutter;
wherein the cutter and the outfeed guide are operatively linked such that operating
the controller to vary the depth of cut also displaces the outfeed guide.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cutter is pivotable relative to the
infeed guide, and the controller is operable to pivot the cutter relative to the
infeed guide to vary the depth of cut.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising means for maintaining the outfeed guide
parallel to the infeed guide when the outfeed guide is displaced.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising a pair of guide arms pivotably attached
to the outfeed guide operable to maintain the outfeed guide parallel to the infeed
guide when the outfeed guide is displaced.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising an edge guide extending transverse the
outfeed guide to support a lower edge of the envelopes, wherein the edge guide
is attached to the outfeed guide.
21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transport is operable to convey the
envelopes toward the infeed guide and the outfeed guide.
22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cutter comprises a milling cutter and
an anvil assembly, wherein the anvil supports an edge of the envelope as the cutter
cuts the edge of the envelope.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 comprising an opening between the infeed guide
and the outfeed guide, wherein the anvil and milling cutter project outwardly through
the opening and into the envelope path.
24. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising a biasing element biasing the outfeed
guide toward the cutter.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing mail and, more specifically,
to an apparatus for severing an edge of an envelope to facilitate removal of the
contents from the envelope.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Automated and semi-automated machines have been employed for processing
mail. One such device is an envelope opener that is operable to sever an edge of
each piece of mail being processed. A typical known envelope opener has an input
bin for receiving a stack of mail, and a feeder for feeding the envelopes from
the input bin to a conveyor that conveys the envelopes to a device that severs
an edge of the envelopes.
In the known envelope openers, a gap is created adjacent the top edge of an envelope
as the envelope is cut. The gap can cause an envelope to skew, resulting in an
improperly cut edge. This is particularly true when the depth of cut is relatively deeper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the shortcomings of the existing devices, the present invention provides
an envelope opening apparatus for efficiently processing mail. The apparatus includes
an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes. A feeder serially feeds the envelopes
from the input bin to a transport which conveys the envelopes along an envelope
path. A cutter positioned along the envelope path operates to sever one edge of
each of the envelopes. An outfeed guide positioned adjacent the cutter guides the
envelopes as they are conveyed away from the cutter. A controller is operable to
vary the depth of cut of the cutter, wherein the cutter and the outfeed guide are
operatively linked such that operating the controller to vary the depth of cut
also displaces the outfeed guide.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention will be better understood when read in conjunction
with the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for opening envelopes according
to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective partially broken away view of
the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective broken away view, illustrating
the details of a cutter assembly and outfeed guide of the apparatus illustrated
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top view partially broken away of the apparatus
illustrated in FIG. 4, illustrating the outfeed guide in a retracted position;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top view partially broken away of the apparatus
illustrated in FIG. 5, illustrating the outfeed guide in an extended position;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in general and to FIGS. 1 and 2 specifically,
a device for opening envelopes is designated
10. The envelope opener
10
includes an input bin
20 for receiving a stack of unopened envelopes
6.
A feeder
30 serially feeds the envelopes from the input bin
20 to
an envelope transport
60, which conveys the envelopes along a path. A cutter
assembly
70 positioned along the envelope path severs an edge of each envelope
as the transport
60 conveys the envelopes. The transport
60 discharges
the envelopes and the envelopes fall vertically onto the surface of a return conveyor
80. The return conveyor
80 conveys the envelopes to a stacking area,
where the envelopes are reoriented from a generally horizontal orientation to form
a stack of opened envelopes
8 in an inclined orientation. The vertically
oriented envelopes accumulate on the return conveyor in a horizontal stack until
they are manually removed by an operator. The operation of the device is controlled
by a control panel
17 having an LCD output screen
18 and a plurality
of buttons
19 for manually inputting various operational parameters, such
as the number of envelopes to be processed before pausing to allow the operator
to remove the stack of opened envelopes
8.
The device
10 is operable to open envelopes of various sizes, including
standard-size envelopes, oversized envelopes, commonly referred to as flats, and
other large envelopes such as cardboard overnight shipment letter packs. The various
envelope sizes need not be sorted by size prior to processing. Instead, a stack
of envelopes of similar or varying envelope-size can be processed together. The
stack of envelopes
6 is placed into the input bin
20 so that the
envelopes form a vertical stack of horizontally disposed envelopes.
The device
10 includes a generally vertical back plate
12. Referring
to FIG. 1, preferably, the back plate
12 is angled from front to back approximately
15° from vertical.
The input bin
20 includes a rear wall
21 parallel to and attached
to the back plate
12, a side wall
24 and a generally planar base
plate
22 that also extends under the envelope transport
60. The base
plate
22 is generally horizontal, projecting from the back plate substantially
normal to the back plate being angled downwardly from left to right from the perspective
of FIG. 2, approximately 17° from horizontal. Preferably, the stack of envelopes
are edge justified along one of the edges of the stack and the justified edge of
the stack is placed in the input bin
20 against the rear wall
21.
In addition, the transport
60 is disposed at an angle toward the back plate
12, so that the transport justifies the envelopes against the back plate.
Specifically, the transport is angled at 2½° angle relative to the back
plate
12 so that the transport feeds the envelopes forwardly along the envelope
path, and laterally toward the back plate.
The input bin
20 preferably includes a pair of ribs
58 protruding
upwardly from the base plate
22. The ribs are only illustrated in FIG.
1.
The ribs
58 are longitudinally elongated and are located adjacent the front
edge of the base plate
22. Standard sized envelopes lie flat on the base
plate
22 between the ribs
58 and the rear wall
21. The front
edge of oversized mail engages the ribs
58 so that the front edge of an
oversized envelope rests on the ribs, thereby further angling the oversized envelope
toward the rear wall
21 to reduce the possibility of the envelope falling
forward out of the input bin.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the feeder
30 feeds the envelopes from
the input bin
20 to the transport
60 one at a time. The feeder
30
includes a pair of feed belts
46 that protrude through the base plate
22
in the input bin
20, confronting the bottom envelope of the stack of envelopes.
The side wall
24 of the input bin terminates above the base plate
22,
so that a feed slot
31 is formed between the base plate and the bottom edge
of the side wall. It is desirable that the height of the feed slot
31 correspond
to the thickness of the bottom envelope to reduce the possibility that the feeder
will simultaneously feed two envelopes, a problem commonly referred to as a double
feed. Accordingly, if the device is to be used to process mail having a variety
of envelope thicknesses, it is desirable to have a variable height feed slot.
Referring again to FIG. 2, the feeder
30 feeds the envelopes to
the transport
60, which conveys the envelopes past a cutter assembly
70.
The transport comprises a plurality of rollers
62 in an aligned row opposing
a transport belt. Each roller
62 is mounted on a pivotable arm positioned
vertically above the transport belt
63. The transport
60 conveys
the envelopes between the transport belt
63 and the rollers
62. Preferably,
the transport belt
63 is disposed at a 2½° angle toward the back
plate
12, similar to the feeder, so that the transport belt conveys the
envelopes forwardly along the envelope path and laterally toward the back plate.
Each roller arm is biased downwardly urging the corresponding roller
62
into contact with the transport belt
63. A cover
64 partially encloses
the rollers to prevent the operator from inadvertently contacting the rollers
62
during operation of the device.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the cutter assembly
70 is positioned along
the path of the transport
60, and it includes a circular milling cutter
72 housed within a housing
74 located behind the back plate
12.
The cutter
72 protrudes through an opening
76 in the back plate
12
of the device and mills the edge of an envelope as the envelope is conveyed past
the cutter. As discussed further below, the back plate operates as a guide, guiding
the edge of the envelope to be cut as it approaches the cutter assembly
70.
Preferably a moveable outfeed guide
90 is provided for guiding the cut edge
of the envelope as the cut edge is displaced away from the cutter assembly
70.
The edge of each envelope conveyed by the transport is justified against the
back plate
12. Therefore, the depth of cut of the cutter into the envelope
is determined by the distance that the cutter protrudes from the back plate
12.
Since the device is operable to open a variety of types of envelopes, the depth
of cut can be varied to correspond to the type of envelopes being processed in
a particular stack. The depth of cut is controlled by an adjustment knob
75
on the control panel.
More specifically, the housing
74 is pivotably attached to the back side
of the back plate
12. Pivoting the housing
74 toward the back plate
12 pivots the cutter
72 forwardly, so that the cutter projects further
out through the opening
76. The housing
74 is pivoted by turning
the adjustment knob
75.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the adjustment knob
75 preferably includes
a camming surface, such as a helical cam groove, that cooperates with a connecting
rod
78 attached to the cutter housing
74. The connecting rod has
an end that engages the camming surface and operates as a follower. More specifically,
the connecting rod
78 is attached to a post extending from the cutter housing
74. The connecting rod is constrained to translational motion so that as
the knob is rotated, the camming surface cooperates with the connecting rod
78
to convert the rotational motion into translation motion, which in turn pivots
the cutter assembly
70. In this way, turning the knob one way pivots the
cutter outwardly to increase the depth of cut. Turning the knob
75 in the
opposite direction pivots the cutter inwardly to decrease the depth of cut.
Preferably, the camming surface in the knob
75 has several recesses
spaced apart along the length of the camming surface. The recesses correspond to
preset depth of cut positions for the cutter assembly
70. In addition, preferably
a fine adjustment is provided for making fine adjustments to the depth of cut.
Specifically, preferably the knob has a threaded engagement with the back plate
12, such the knob can be screwed toward or away from the back plate, thereby
altering the position of the camming surface in the knob relative to the back plate,
which in turn alters the depth of cut.
As an envelope approaches the cutter
72, the transport
60 justifies
the top edge of the envelope against the back plate
12. As the envelope
passes by the cutter
72, the cutter cuts away a portion of the edge of the
envelope, which creates a gap above the forward portion of the cut edge of the
envelope as it is being cut. Since the transport
60 justifies the envelopes
against the back plate as they are being cut, the leading edge of an envelope may
skew inwardly toward the back plate as the envelope is being cut, so that the trailing
portion of the cut edge may not be properly cut in some instances. Accordingly,
preferably, the apparatus
10 includes a moveable outfeed guide
90
for guiding and supporting the leading portion of the cut edge of an envelope as
the envelope is being cut.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the outfeed guide
90 projects outwardly from
the back plate
12 so that the outfeed guide supports the cut edge of the
envelope as it is being cut. Preferably, the outfeed guide
90 projects outwardly
from the back plate a distance substantially equal to the depth of cut of the cutter
72.
The outfeed guide
90 is a substantially elongated planar element that
is displaceable inwardly and outwardly from the back plate, laterally with respect
to the direction of travel of the envelopes. The outfeed guide can be retracted
inwardly, as shown in FIG. 5 so that the guide is flush with the plane of the back
plate
12. In FIG. 6, the outfeed guide is illustrated fully extended, which
preferably is approximately {fraction (3/16)}";. However, the maximum extension
of the outfeed guide can be increased or decreased if desired.
Preferably, the outfeed guide
90 is operatively connected with
the cutter assembly
70 so that the outfeed guide moves inwardly and outwardly
automatically as the depth of cut of the cutter is adjusted. The outfeed guide
90 may be fixedly connected to the cutter assembly
70. However, as
shown in FIG. 4, preferably the outfeed guide is biased into engagement with the
cutter housing
74.
A spring arm
96 fixedly attached to the back side of the back plate
12
projects rearwardly away from the outfeed guide
90. A post
94 attached
to the outfeed guide also projects rearwardly. A spring
95 connected to
the post
94 and the arm
96 biases the outfeed guide rearwardly against
the cutter housing. In this way, as the depth of cut is increased, the cutter housing
74 pivots toward the back plate, pushing the outfeed guide
90 outwardly.
As the depth of cut is decreased, the cutter housing
74 pivots away from
the back plate, and the spring
95 pulls the outfeed guide inwardly up against
the cutter housing. Therefore, the outfeed guide
90 automatically adjusts
to changes in the depth of cut.
The back side of the outfeed guide
90 may directly contact the face of
the cutter housing
74. However, preferably, a pin or set screw
93
projects rearwardly from the outfeed guide, providing a point of contact with the
cutter housing. The set screw can be threaded inwardly or outwardly to adjust the
position of the outfeed guide relative to the cutter
72.
Since the outfeed guide
90 is elongated, it is desirable to provide
a position guide
100 to maintain the outfeed guide in parallel relation
with the back plate
12. Otherwise, the outfeed guide
90 could skew
relative to the back plate, which could allow the envelopes to skew as they are
cut, which in turn could lead to improper edge cuts.
In the present instance, the position guide
100 is a parallel linkage
that
is provided to maintain the outfeed guide parallel to the back plate
12.
The parallel linkage
100 comprises a pair of posts
104 fixedly attached
to the back side of the back plate
12. A pair of connecting blocks
106
are fixedly attached to the outfeed guide
90. A pair of connecting arms
104 are pivotably attached to the posts
102 and the connecting blocks
106. The arms
104 are the same length, so that the arms constrain
the outfeed guide
90 to movement parallel to the plane of the back plate
12.
As described above, the outfeed guide
90 is displaceable through an opening
in the back plate
12. To facilitate such movement, there is a clearance
gap between the outfeed guide and the opening in the back plate. However, since
the transport
60 urges the envelopes toward the back plate and the outfeed
guide, it is possible for the envelope to get jammed in the gap between the outfeed
guide and the back plate. Accordingly, it is desirable to have an edge support
92 attached to the lower edge of the outfeed guide.
The edge support
92 extends along the substantially the length of the
outfeed guide, and projects transverse the outfeed guide. The edge guide
92
is substantially parallel to the surface of the base plate
22 of the transport
60, so that the edge guide supports the bottom face of the envelope along
the edge being cut.
The intersection of the edge support
92 and the outfeed guide forms a
corner. The transport
60 justifies the envelopes into this corner as the
envelopes are being cut, thereby preventing the envelopes from becoming jammed
in the gap between the back plate
12 and the outfeed guide
90.
After the envelopes are cut, the transport discharges the opened envelopes
onto the lower transport
80. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport
60
and the return conveyor
80 vertically overlap. The base plate
22
of the transport
60 terminates intermediate the return conveyor, so that
a discharge gap is provided between the end of the transport and the right-most
end of the conveyor
80. The discharge gap width is wider than the length
of the longest envelope to be processed by the device. In this way, the envelopes
exiting the transport
60 fall vertically onto the return conveyor.
The return conveyor
80 comprises a conveyor belt having a width that is
wide enough to support and convey the envelopes. Preferably the return conveyor
is angled downwardly from right to left approximately 6° from horizontal,
and is angled downwardly from front to back approximately 15° from horizontal.
The conveyor
80 is disposed between a right end wall
84 that protrudes
above the uppermost edge of the return conveyor, and a left end wall
86
adjacent the end of the return conveyor. The right end wall
84 operates
as a stop, stopping the forward motion of the envelopes as they are discharged
from the transport
60. Specifically, as an envelope is discharged from the
transport
60, the envelopes is moving downwardly and forwardly from left
to right from the perspective of FIG.
2. After the envelope contacts the
return conveyor, the forward motion of the envelope continues to propel the envelope
to the right. The right end wall
84 limits the forward motion of the envelope,
preventing the envelope from being propelled off the end of the return conveyor.
Preferably a resilient vertical rib
85 is attached to the forward edge of
the right end wall
84 so that oversized envelopes impacting the right wall
are urged toward the back plate
12, thereby reducing the possibility that
an oversized envelope will inadvertently fall off the return conveyor after impacting
the right wall. In addition, preferably, a compressible layer, such as foam, may
be attached to the right wall to limit the rebound of the envelopes as they hit
the right wall.
The envelopes are discharged onto the return conveyor
80 so that a face
of each envelope lies on the return conveyor. The return conveyor
80 conveys
the envelopes toward the left end wall
86 that is at an angle to the return
conveyor. As the leading edge of the first envelope in a stack being processed
contacts the left wall
86, the return conveyor
80 drives the envelope
up the left wall, thereby reorienting the envelope from a generally horizontal
orientation to an inclined orientation. The return conveyor then conveys the next
succeeding envelope into contact with the first envelope so that the envelope is
driven up a face of the first envelope until the envelope is oriented similarly
to the first envelope. In this way, the processed envelopes form a generally horizontal
stack of envelopes resting on edge on the return conveyor. The stacked envelopes
are then manually removed by an operator.
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications
may be made without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention.
For instance, the device has been described as including a parallel linkage for
retaining the outfeed guide
90 parallel to the base plate as it is displaced.
However, other types of elements can be used to achieve this function. For instance,
a pair of guide pins could be attached to the outfeed guide
90. The pins
could cooperate with a pair of parallel slots, which limit the guide to parallel
movement. Further, the device has been described as including a spring that biases
the outfeed guide
90 toward the cutter assembly
70 to maintain the
two in operative engagement. Alternatively, the outfeed guide
90 and cutter
assembly
70 can be more directly connected, such as by a universal ball
and joint connection. It should therefore be understood that this invention is
not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is intended to
include all changes and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the
invention as set forth in the claims.
*
