Cutting module and method for cutting a strand into individual pieces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097280-B2
Application number	US-201716318934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 18, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A cutting module for cutting a strand into individual pieces, the cutting module comprising a rotatable cutter wheel and a rotatable cot wheel, the cutter wheel being rotatable and having cutting blades, the cot wheel having a cylindrical outer surface and being rotatable parallel at a distance from the cutter wheel, such that cutting edges of the cutting blades contact the outer surface of the cot wheel successively in use, so that a strand which is fed between the cutter wheel and the cot wheel is cut into individual pieces, each of the cutting blades being designed such that a cutting force is directed through the cutting blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutting module for cutting a strand into individual pieces, the cutting module comprising:
a rotatable cutter wheel and a rotatable cot wheel,
the cutter wheel being rotatable about a cutter wheel central rotational axis, and having a plurality of cutting blades, spaced apart in circumferential direction of the cutter wheel and each extending in an axial direction, each of the plurality of cutting blades having a front surface, facing forward in a direction of rotation of the cutter wheel in use, and a rear surface, at an acute tip angle with the front surface, facing rearward in the direction of rotation in use, an intersection of the front and rear surfaces defining a cutting edge,
the cot wheel having a cylindrical outer surface and being rotatable about a cot wheel central rotational axis extending parallel at a distance from the cutter wheel rotational axis, such that the plurality of cutting edges of the cutting blades contact the outer surface of the cot wheel successively in use, so that a strand which is fed between the cutter wheel and the cot wheel is cut into individual pieces,
each of the plurality of cutting blades being designed such that a cutting force having a direction that coincides with a virtual line intersecting the cot wheel rotational axis and the cutting edge of a cutting blade in use while the cutting blade cuts through the strand is directed through the cutting blade in use, and
each of the plurality of cutting blades being designed such that the cutting force is directed through the rear half of the cutting blade in use, the rear half being between an angle bisector line of the tip angle and the rear surface of the cutting blade.

2. The cutting module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cutting blades points forward, over a forward angle, in the direction of rotation of the cutter wheel in use,
the forward angle being the acute angle between the angle bisector line of the tip angle of a cutting blade and a mathematical base line intersecting the rotational axis of the cutter wheel and the cutting edge.

3. The cutting module according to claim 2 , wherein the forward angle of each of the plurality of cutting blades is in the range of 3 to 10 degrees.

4. The cutting module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cutting blades points forward, over a forward angle, in the direction of rotation of the cutter wheel in use, the forward angle being the acute angle between the angle bisector line of the tip angle of a cutting blade and a mathematical base line intersecting the rotational axis of the cutter wheel and the cutting edge, and wherein the forward angle of each of the plurality of cutting blades is in the range of 3 to 10 degrees.

5. The cutting module according to claim 1 , wherein a cutter wheel radius, defined by a circumscribed circle of the plurality of cutting blades, is in the range of 20 to 35 percent of a cot wheel radius, defined by the cylindrical outer surface of the cot wheel.

6. The cutting module according to claim 1 , wherein the tip angle of the cutting edge is in the range of 25 to 40 degrees.

7. The cutting module according to claim 1 , wherein the cot wheel has a resilient layer at least at the outer surface which resilient layer made of an elastomeric material, and wherein the distance between the cutter wheel rotational axis and the cot wheel rotational axis is such that the respective cutting edges of the cutting blades of the plurality of cutting blades successively penetrate the resilient layer of the cot wheel.

8. A method of making a composite product comprising:
I) preparing a sheathed, composite strand; and
II) cutting the sheathed, composite strand into individual pieces using a cutting module according to claim 1 .

9. Method according to claim 8 , wherein step I) comprises:
i) providing a plurality of continuous fibers;
ii) applying a sizing composition to coat said plurality of fibers provided in step i)
iii) gathering said plurality of sized glass fibers obtained in step ii) to obtain a preimpregnated continuous glass multifilament strand containing between 2 and 25% by mass of said sizing composition;
iv) applying a sheath of thermoplastic polymer around the preimpregnated continuous multifilament strand to form a sheathed, composite strand; and
wherein step II) comprises:
A) counter-rotating the cot wheel and the cutter wheel of the cutting module;
B) feeding the sheathed, composite strand between the cutter wheel and the cot wheel, and
C) cutting the sheathed, composite strand into individual pieces.

10. Method according to claim 9 , wherein said fibers are glass fibers and wherein said sheathing material is polypropylene so as to obtain a composite material having a core comprising a continuous glass multifilament strand and a sheath of polypropylene surrounding said core.

11. Method according to claim 8 , wherein step I) comprises:
a1) unwinding from a package of at least one continuous glass multifilament strand containing at most 2% by mass of a sizing composition or a2) providing a plurality of continuous fibers, applying a sizing composition to coat said plurality of fibers provided, and gathering said plurality of sized glass fibers to obtain a sized continuous glass multifilament strand containing at most 2% by mass of said sizing composition);
b) applying from 0.5 to 20% by mass of an impregnating agent to said at least one continuous glass multifilament strand to form an impregnated continuous multifilament strand;
c) applying a sheath of thermoplastic polymer around the impregnated continuous multifilament strand to form a composite strand, being a sheathed continuous multifilament strand; and
wherein step II) comprises:
A) counter-rotating the cot wheel and the cutter wheel of the cutting module;
B) feeding the sheathed, composite strand between the cutter wheel and the cot wheel, and
C) cutting the sheathed, composite strand into individual pieces.

12. A cutting module for cutting a strand into individual pieces, the cutting module comprising:
a rotatable cutter wheel and a rotatable cot wheel,
the cutter wheel being rotatable about a cutter wheel central rotational axis, and having a plurality of cutting blades, spaced apart in circumferential direction of the cutter wheel and each extending in an axial direction, each of the plurality of cutting blades having a front surface, facing forward in a direction of rotation of the cutter wheel in use, and a rear surface, at an acute tip angle with the front surface, facing rearward in the direction of rotation in use, an intersection of the front and rear surfaces defining a cutting edge,
the cot wheel having a cylindrical outer surface and being rotatable about a cot wheel central rotational axis extending parallel at a distance from the cutter wheel rotational axis, such that the plurality of cutting edges of the cutting blades contact the outer surface of the cot wheel successively in use, so that a strand which is fed between the cutter wheel and the cot wheel is cut into individual pieces,
wherein each of the plurality of cutting blades points forward, over a forward angle, in the direction of rotation of the cutter wheel in use,
wherein the forward angle being the acute angle between the angle bisector line of the tip angle of a cutting blade and a mathematical base line intersecting the rotational axis of the cutter wheel and the cutting edge,
wherein a cutter wheel radius, defined by a circumscribed circle of the plurality of cutting blades, is in the range of 20 to 35 percent of a cot wheel radius, defined by the cylindrical outer surface of the cot

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Dijsselbloem Willy Joseph
• Gielen Stefan
• Sales-Fernandez Jose

Classifications

• B26D1/40

  and coacting with a rotary member · CPC title

• B02C18/186

  Axially elongated knives · CPC title

• B02C18/144 Primary

  with axially elongated knives · CPC title

• B02C18/18

  Knives; Mountings thereof · CPC title