Background of the invention In the manufacture of pennants, the fabric rolls are cut into trapezoid pieces with the height paralleled to the fabric edge, so that these trapezoid pieces can be sewn together to form a pennant.

At present, the material used for pennant produce is cut into pieces in the same way as it is in ordinary garment production, i. e. , a number of layers of fabric are laid one on top of one another on a cutting table with the trapezoid drawing placed on the very top layer ; the cutting will subsequently be made by using a manual cutting device along the periphery of that drawing. The cutting procedure can similarly be repeated on different tables when required.

However, the specified manual cutting has some disadvantages as indicated below: 'The laying of fabric on different cutting tables is time-consuming work and accordingly not economical.

'The narrower and longer the trapezium is, the less accurate the cutting will be.

'In flag production, as rectangular flags are generally made in different sizes, therefore the remains from the rectangular flag cutting process always has different sizes. Using that remaining material for making pennants on different cutting tables is time-consuming as well as requiring a large working area.

Two sides of the trapezium pieces have a lot of fabric yams split out due to the cutting, that may easily be caught in the folder and screw-propeller of the machine during the sewing process. As a result, the worker is likely to have to stop the machine to take the stuck yams out. Even when the sewing done, there are still some yams on the sewn edge which need to be cut out to meet the standard of industrial hygiene. Consequently, it requires much more attention from the worker during the manipulation process in order to prevent the yams as much as possible from splitting out.

'In the case where there is a need to unstitch the products, more yarns may be split out and make it more difficult to re-sew when needed, even causing the products to be disposed of.

The above-mentioned disadvantages are likely to result in low productivity and low industrial hygiene performance. In the last few years, in order to overcome this problem, a similar machine has been developed and designed with a preheated knife for cutting flags along straight lines.

However, there has not been any option for cutting pennants along cross lines so far.

An operation rule of a straight-line cutting machine is based on the using of a driving unit for pressing a rubber roller that drives the fabric between another rubber roller and a idle roller, the fabric then will be unrolled from this idle roller to Aubsequently re-roll along the guiding rollers with predetermined elasticity controlled by tubes. These tubes, in turn, guide the fabric roll onto a metal roller (the cutting roller) while the electrically preheated knives at certain fixed positions cut the fabrics to create heat-cut straight lines to produce smaller rolls with the desired widths for making rectangular flags.

More particularly, the straight-line cutting of the fabrics for making rectangular flags is performed as follows: The targeted fabric roll is secured to a holder with wheels running on two template rails running parallel to the fabric edge.

- In order to get the cut lines parallel to the fabric edge, a photoreceiving member is used to recognize the fabric edge. The displacement of the edge of the fabric roll occurring during the unrolling process, is detected by the photoreceiving member and then transferred into the electronic controller. This electronic controller in turn regulates the fabric holder moving backwardly or forward by means of the wheels along the template rails to keep the fabric edge indisplaceable.

- The cutting knives as electrically preheated wires are designed in the form of properly sharp blades that can perform heat cutting for the fabric without splitting yams.

- Each cutting blade is secured to a cutting unit fitted by means of a clamping device displaceable along the cutter-holder extending parallel to the cutting roller in order to get the fabric rolls of desired sizes for making rectangular flags.

- The cutting blade presses smoothly against the fabric surface by means of a spring and mechanically controlled system in the cutting unit.

- Each blade is preheated using a transformer with the appropriate voltage.

- An electronic controller with a manual potentionmeter can be used to adjust the electric current to the transformer for heating each cutting blade Since the described machine can cut along the straight lines only, there is a real need to develop the cross cutting machine for use in the sewing sector for making pennants.

Description of the invention To obviate the problem when using a manual cutting device for making pennants as described above, the object of the invention is to provide a cross cutting machine useful for cutting the fabric roll along cross lines to the desired length for making pennants.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a cutting machine consisting of: An automatic unwinding unit with the control for aligning the fabric edge, 'An automatic winding unit, Parallel rollers and tubes are attached to a machine wall at both ends in order to deliver or guide the fabric to roll through at a controllable speed while adjusting the elasticity of the fabric; one of these is the supporting roller useful for supporting the fabric when being cut, At least two cutting member which are attached to at least one cutting member support in a way that the cutting member can move in counter directions extending parallel to itself along the vertical axis of the rollers. The cutting member can stand against the cutting roller at aligned points. Each cutting member can be fitted to one cutting member support at different points as desired, and can be independently adjusted to stand against the cutting roller, o A control unit to control the cutting member supports in a way that the cutting member can be either moving at different speeds, stopping or moving back any time during the cutting process.

When working, the fabric is stretched and driven along the cutting roller, while the cutting member stands against both the fabric and the cutting roller to cut the fabric open. By means of the the automatic fabric edge aligning unit, the fabric edge is indisplaceably aligned and the cutting procedure is as follows : In the case where a cutting member stands against a fixed point while cutting, i. e. , the corresponding cutting member support is unmoveable, the cutting will be performing along a straight line that is parallel to the fabric edge.

In the case where a cutting member moves forward at an unchangeable speed while leaning against the cutting roller, i. e. , the corresponding cutting member support also moves forward at an unchangeable speed, the resulting cutting line will be the combination of two movements: regular movement Y of the fabric and regular movement X of the cutting member support to form the cross cut. When required, the direction of the cutting member support can be changed to the contrary with the same speed to produce a second cross cut symmetrized to the first one.

In the case where the cutting member immediately changes into the reverse direction with the speed unchanged, the resulting cutting line will be another cross cut that is also symmetrical to the first one.

If the cutting member continues its performance while the direction of the cutting member support is shifted alternately between two directions, the resulting cuts will be the cross lines of the same length forming a symmetrical zigzag cut.

In the case where both cutting member move in directions opposite to each other at the same speed, the resulting cuts will be two zigzags that are symmetrical to each other along the fabric length.

If there are more than one cutting member of uniform distances from one to another (depending on the fabric size) fitted to each cutting member support in a way that each cutting member on one cutting member support is alternately located to corresponding cutting member on the other cutting member support, when these two cutting member supports advance at the same speed, and then switch to the reverse direction at the same time, the resulting cuts will be a variety of zigzags that are symmetrical to one another. Because the fabric has not been cut open along its width, the cut fabric will be automatically rolled into a new roll. After that, it is possible to cut at zigzag points along this new roll's width to produce isosceles trapezium pieces.

In order to obtain trapezium pieces with different cross lengths and trapezium heights useful for making various pennants of different sizes, it is possible to use the cutting member support control to regulate the speed and time at which the cutting member support changes the direction into the reverse. Additionally, it is possible to obtain various isosceles trapezium pieces with different top and bottom sizes by changing the distances between the cutting member.

Different cutting lines can also be obtained by moving the cutting member supports at different speeds or changing the stretching speed of the fabric.

The trapezium pieces with a right angle can be obtained by keeping one cutting member support still and the other advancing at an unchangeable speed.

Using heat cutting can result in burning the yarns well enough in order to prevent them from splitting out, and to consequently increase the productivity in the manufacture of pennants in particular. On the other hand, marked signs can be obtained right at the zigzag points by stopping both the fabric and cutting member for comparatively short periods of time adequate for burning the fabric there. The cutting along the fabric width then can be more simply done through these marked signs.

The cross cutting machine of the invention can function like a straight- cutting machine known to the person skilled in the prior art if the cutting member supports are unmoveably fixed, and only a certain cutting member is used while the other idle ones are designed to be not leaning against the cutting roller.

In summary, the key feature of the invention is to provide a pennant cross cutting machine consisting of a support (possibly one or two) to which the cutting member are alternately fitted. Cross cuts are formed when the cutting member supports (In the case of two) advance in directions opposite to each other at the same speed, whereas the straight-cutting function remains.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a rubber roller is driven by a belt transmission in order to move the fabric through the rollers, the cutting rollers and tubes. The two cutting member supports are two hollow cylinders that can move parallel to themselves by means of a screw transmission. This screw transmission is connected to the fabric-guiding roller by a pulley in order to directly transferred cutting parameters to the screw transmission control.

Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is the schematic side view of the drawing part of the cross cutting machine according to the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is the schematic side view of the drawing part of the screw transmission according the preferred embodiment of the invention ; Fig. 3 is the vertical elevation view of the drawing part of the cross cutting machine according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention As presented in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the machine according to the invention consists of a fabric unwinding unit 1, a fabric winding unit 2, a rubber roller 3. 1, a idle roller 3.2, a cutting roller 3.3, rollers and tubes for stretching the fabric 3.4, a driving unit 4, a cutting member 5, two cutting member supports 6.1, 6.2, screw transmission 7. Fabric unwinding unit 1 consists of fabric holder 1.1 and automatic fabric aligning unit with photoemiting member 1.2, a photoreceiving member 1. 3, an electronic controller 1.4 for the fabric holder 1.1. Idle roller 3.2 is fitted to rubber roller 3.1 via elastic means 3.5. Cutting roller 3.3 is fitted below cutting member supports 6. 1. 6.2 in a way that the cutting member can bear against the cutting roller. Driving unit 4 consists of brake-controlled motor 4.1, pulley 4.2 fitted to the motor worm shaft, pulley 4.4 fitted to one end of rubber roller 3.1, belt 4.3 wound around pulley 4.2 for transmitting rotation to pulley 4.4. Cutting unit 5 consists of cutting member 5.1, cutting member supporting plate 5.2, plate mounting stay 5.4 with spring 5.3 to form smooth cutting, worm shaft 5.5 of the cutting unit, worm shaft support 5.6, screw 5. 7 for the worm shaft support, clamping member 5.8 and screw 5.9 for clamping member to fix the cutting unit 5 to fit into cutting member supports 6.1 and 6.2, protrusion 6.3 attached to cutting member support 6.2, transformer 5.10 for applying power energy to cutting member 5.1, regulator 5.11 having potentiometer 5.12 in order to adjusting the current to transformer 5.10. Screw transmission 7 consists of pulley 7.1 fitted to the end of rubber roller 3.1, belt 7.2 wound around pulley 7.1 for driving transmission to pulley 7.3 fitted to the end of gear 7. 4 with clamping nut 7. 23, intermediate gears 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 connected to big gear 7.16 by means of specific worm shafts, rocker gear 7.8 connected to rocker lever 7.11, transmissions 7.9, 7.10, of which screw transmission 7.9 is concentrically disposed but not integrally attached to big gear 7. 16, rocker lever 7.11 rotating around worm shaft 7.12 of the rocker gear 7.8 in order to rock it from the position engaging with the gear 7.7. to that engaging with gear 7.4 or vice versa, two worm shaft 7.12, 7. 13, two suction relays 7.14, 7.15, big gear 7.16 is provided with a center hole so that worm shaft 7.12 can be inserted without interfering with it, and arc-shaped bored section for worm shaft 7.13 t accordingly, so that when it is needed to replace pulley 7.3, big worm shaft 7.17 will be turned to rotate the big gear 7.16 in order to move pulley 7.3 and to loosen or tighten belt 7.2 as desired, two nuts 7.18 and 7. 19, two multicontact switches 7. 20 and 7.21 affixed to the machine wall parallel to the cutting member support and connected to suction relays 7. 14,7. 15; and electronic timer 7.22 used to change the direction of the cutting member supports. Motor 4. 1 is connected to electronic timer 7.22.

When being operated, power energy is applied to motor 4.1 to rotate it making rubber roller 3.1 rotate as well as to press and stretch the fabric against the idle roller 3.2, stretching the fabric through rollers and tubes 3.4, and then through cutting roller 3.3 to fabric winding unit 2. At the same time, as belt 7.2 transmits rotation to pulley 7.3 and gears 7. 4,7. 5,7. 6,7. 7,7. 8, 7. 9,7. 10, to rotate worm shafts 7. 12, 7. 13 and enable cutting member supports 6.1, 6. 2 to move along their worm shafts and to consequently adjust the cutting blade just above the fabric surface. A combination of two movements: the longitudinal one of the fabric and the horizontal one of the cutting blade through the cutting roller 3.3, will form the cross cutting lines.

In the idle state, the cutting member are secured to the cutting member support at desired positions. It is possible to apply an appropriate heat to the cutting members by means of the potentiometer, the idle roller, and a timer.

By transmitting rotation from rubber roller 3.1 to pulley 4.4, belt 7.2 to pulley 7.3 of the screw transmission to rotate the gears. As a result, the rotating gears will serve to rotate the worm shafts to pull cutting member supports 6. 1.

6.2 move foreward at the constant speed, moving cutting member 5.1 along the size of the fabric to form cross cuts.

When cutting member supports 6.1, 6.2 move forward until protrusion 6.3 strikes either switch 7. 20 or switch 7.21, switch timer unit 7.22 on and motor 4. 1 off. As a result, the brake of driving unit 4.1 immediately halts the machine, and the cutting blade will burn the fabric to mark the end of the cross cut.

Multicontact. switches 7.20, 7.21 turn either relay 7. 14 or 7.15 on, rocking the rocker lever 7.11 and moving gear 7.8 from the position engaging with gear 7. 7 to that engaging with gear 7.4, or vice versa.

After a certain period of time, timer unit 7. 22 serves to turn motor 4.1 on to initiate the cutting procedure from where it stopped in the same manner except that in the direction opposite to that of the first cut. The procedure is repeated to form a zigzag cut.

The cutting member are fitted alternately by clamping member 5.8 to cutting member supports 6. 1 and 6.2 ; when working, gears 7. 9, 7.10 rotate in the direction opposite to each other to rotate worm shafts 7.12, 7.13 to the counter-rotational directions, cutting member supports 6. 1, 6.2 consequently move to the counter-rotational directions to form a symmetrical zigzag. After that, the cut fabric roll will be cut into isosceles trapezoid pieces along the zigzag ends in order to make pennants.

The removal of gear 7. 10 will stop worm shaft 7.13, cutting member support 6.2 and the corresponding cutting blade affixed to this support; the cutting will form the straight cuts, which in connection with the cross cuts formed by means of cutting member 6. 1, will produce trapezoid pieces with a right angle.

The different cross cuts depending on the cutting angle can be obtained as desired by twisting worm shaft 7.12 or 7.13.

The desired length of cut can be obtained by replacing pulley 7.3 with other pulleys having appropriate diameters by clamping nut 7.23.

In the case where of emergency, the lever can be removed to lift idle roller 3.2 from the fabric and rubber roller 3.1 to stop the cutting of the faulty fabric while the machine is still running until the end of the cross line for economical purposes.

If the two cutting member supports are affixed to the two worm shafts of the adjacent gears of the mechanical control, they will then advance in directions opposite to each other, and the cutting members on them will subsequently form symmetrical cross cuts.

If only one of two cutting member supports is affixed to a worm shaft, the cutting will form one straight cut and one cross cut.

In case of emergency during the cutting process, the lever can be pushed to lift idle roller 3, 2 from rubber roller 3.1 to stop the cutting of the faulty fabric while the machine is still running until the end of the cross line for economical purposes. When it is necessary, the lever can be pulled back to press the idle roller against the rubber roller to continue cutting.

Different lengths of cut can be obtained by using pulleys of different diameters, in that case, it is possible to use an endless worm shaft (big worm shaft 7.17) for moving the big gear to produce a certain elasticity of the belt.

The different cross zigzags can be obtained by using worm shaft and screw nuts of different twists.

When straight cuts are needed, e. g., for making rectangular flags, turn endless worm shaft 7.17 to loosen belt 7.2 to stop worm shafts 7.12, 7. 13, and cutting member 5 are then adjusted to fit certain cutting positions, so that the machine can be used as a straight cutting machine.