Compensating stripper rings for material slitting machines

1 . A stripper ring for use on a material slitting machine, said stripper ring comprising:

a flexible ring having a mounting hole extending therethrough, said flexible ring further having a circumferentially extending driving surface and a first lateral face extending between said circumferentially extending driving surface and said mounting hole and a second lateral face extending from said circumferentially extending driving surface and said mounting hole;

a first annular groove in said first lateral face; and

a second annular a groove in said second lateral face.

2 . The stripper ring of claim 1 wherein said first annular groove has a first outer wall and a first inner wall, the first outer wall spaced from said circumferentially extending driving surface a first distance and wherein said second annular groove has a second outer wall and a second inner wall, said second outer wall being spaced from said circumferentially extending driving surface a second distance that differs from said first distance.

3 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said first outer wall of said first annular groove is substantially concentric with said circumferentially extending driving surface.

4 . The stripper ring of claim 3 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

5 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

6 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said mounting hole defines an annular mounting surface and wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is substantially concentric with said annular mounting surface.

7 . The stripper ring of claim 6 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is substantially concentric with said circumferentially extending driving surface.

8 . The stripper ring of claim 6 wherein said second outer wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second inner wall.

9 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second outer wall.

10 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said first inner wall and said second outer wall are substantially parallel to each other.

11 . The stripper ring of claim 1 wherein said mounting hole extends through a central portion of said stripper ring, said central portion defining a first width and wherein said circumferentially extending driving surface has a second width that is less than said first width.

12 . The stripper ring of claim 2 wherein said circumferentially extending driving surface has a first width and wherein said mounting hole extends through a central portion of said stripper ring to define a mounting surface that has a second width that is greater than said first width.

13 . A stripper ring for use on a material slitting machine, said stripper ring comprising a ring having a central portion with a mounting hole extending therethrough, said central portion further having a first lateral face with first relief means therein and a second lateral face with second relief means therein and a circumferentially extending driving surface, said first and second relief means enabling a portion of said stripper ring to deflect in at least two different directions upon the application of compressive force to said portion of said stripper ring.

14 . The stripper ring of claim 13 wherein said first relief means comprises at least one first annular groove and wherein said second relief means comprises at least one second annular groove.

15 . The stripper ring of claim 14 wherein at least one of said at least one first annular grooves has a first outer wall and a first inner wall, the first outer wall spaced from said circumferentially extending driving surface a first distance and wherein at least one of said at least one second annular grooves has a second outer wall and a second inner wall, said second outer wall being spaced from said circumferentially extending driving surface a second distance that differs from said first distance.

16 . The stripper ring of claim 15 wherein said first outer wall of said first annular groove is substantially concentric with said circumferentially extending driving surface.

17 . The stripper ring of claim 16 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

18 . The stripper ring of claim 15 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

19 . The stripper ring of claim 15 wherein said mounting hole defines an annular mounting surface and wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is substantially concentric with said annular mounting surface.

20 . The stripper ring of claim 19 wherein said second inner wall of said annular groove is substantially concentric with said circumferentially extending driving surface.

21 . The stripper ring of claim 19 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second outer wall.

22 . The stripper ring of claim 15 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second outer wall.

23 . The stripper ring of claim 15 wherein said first inner wall and said second outer wall are substantially parallel to each other.

24 . The stripper ring of claim 13 wherein said mounting hole extends through a central portion of said stripper ring, said central portion defining a first width and wherein said circumferentially extending driving surface has a second width that is less than said first width.

25 . A knife assembly for a slitting machine having a drive shaft, said knife assembly comprising:

a knife holder assembly attachable to said drive shaft for rotatable travel therewith;

a rotary knife supported by said knife holder assembly, said rotary knife having a shearing face, a circumferentially extending end surface and a mounting face, said shearing face and said circumferentially extending end surface forming a shearing edge;

a female stripper ring supported by said knife holder assembly adjacent said shearing face of said rotary knife, said female stripper ring having a first circumferentially extending driving surface formed thereon and being constructed to permit at least a portion of said female stripper ring to compress in two different directions upon the application of compressive force to a corresponding portion of said first circumferentially extending driving surface; and

a male stripper ring supported by said knife holder assembly adjacent said mounting face of said rotary knife.

26 . The knife assembly of claim 25 wherein said female stripper ring has a first mounting hole extending therethrough for receipt of a corresponding first portion of said knife holder assembly therein and a first lateral face and a second lateral face opposite to said first lateral face and wherein said female stripper ring further comprises:

a first annular groove in said first lateral face; and

a second annular a groove in said second lateral face.

27 . The knife assembly of claim 26 wherein said first annular groove has a first outer wall and a first inner wall, the first outer wall being closest to said first circumferentially extending driving surface than said first inner wall and is spaced from said circumferentially extending driving surface a first distance and wherein said second annular groove has a second outer wall and a second inner wall, said second outer wall being closer to said circumferentially extending driving surface than said second inner wall and being spaced from said first circumferentially extending driving surface a second distance that differs from said first distance.

28 . The knife assembly of claim 27 wherein said first outer wall of said first annular groove is substantially concentric with said first circumferentially extending driving surface.

29 . The knife assembly of claim 28 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

30 . The knife assembly of claim 27 wherein said first inner wall is not substantially parallel to said first outer wall of said first annular groove.

31 . The knife assembly of claim 27 wherein said mounting hole defines an annular mounting surface and wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is substantially concentric with said annular mounting surface.

32 . The knife assembly of claim 31 wherein said second inner wall of said annular groove is substantially concentric with said circumferentially extending driving surface.

33 . The knife assembly of claim 21 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second outer wall.

34 . The knife assembly of claim 27 wherein said second inner wall of said second annular groove is not substantially parallel to said second outer wall.

35 . The knife assembly of claim 29 wherein said first inner wall and said second outer wall are substantially parallel to each other.

36 . The knife assembly of claim 25 wherein said mounting hole extends through a central portion of said female stripper ring, said central portion defining a first width and wherein said circumferentially extending driving surface has a second width that is less than said first width.

37 . The knife assembly of claim 27 wherein said mounting hole extends through a central portion of said female stripper ring to define a mounting surface and wherein said second outer wall of said second annular groove is spaced from said annular mounting surface a third distance that is substantially equal to said first distance, said central portion defining a first width and wherein said circumferentially extending driving surface has a second width that is less than said first width.

38 . The knife assembly of claim 26 wherein said first mounting hole has a first mounting hole axis and wherein said two different directions, comprise:

a first direction substantially parallel to said mounting hole axis; and

a second direction that is not substantially parallel to said mounting hole axis.

39 . The knife assembly of claim 38 wherein said female stripper ring compresses in a direction that is a resulting sum of said first and second directions.

40 . The knife assembly of claim 38 wherein said first direction is toward said shearing face.

41 . A material slitting machine, comprising:

a driven upper shaft;

a driven lower shaft supported in spaced relation to said driven upper shaft;

at least one upper knife holder assembly mounted to said driven upper shaft, said at least one upper knife holder assembly comprising:

an upper rotary knife supported by said upper knife holder assembly, said upper rotary knife having an upper shearing face, an upper mounting face and a circumferentially extending upper end surface, said upper shearing face forming an upper shearing edge with said upper end surface;

an upper female stripper ring supported by said upper knife holder assembly adjacent said upper shearing face of said upper rotary knife, said upper female stripper ring having a circumferentially extending upper driving surface formed thereon and constructed to permit at least a portion of said upper female stripper ring to compress in two different directions upon an application of compressive force to a corresponding portion of said upper driving surface; and

an upper male stripper ring supported by said upper knife holder assembly adjacent said upper mounting face of said upper rotary knife;

at least one lower knife holder assembly mounted to said driven lower shaft, said at least one lower knife holder assembly corresponding to one of said at least one upper knife holder assemblies and comprising:

a lower rotary knife supported by said lower knife holder assembly, said lower rotary knife having a lower shearing face, a lower mounting face, and a circumferentially extending lower end, said lower shearing face forming a lower shearing edge with said lower end, said lower shearing edge being oriented adjacent to said upper shearing edge of said upper rotary knife corresponding thereto, said lower end of said lower rotary knife in confronting relationship with respect to at least a portion pf said first upper driving surface of said upper female stripper ring of said upper knife holder corresponding thereto;

a lower female stripper ring supported by said lower knife holder assembly adjacent said lower shearing face of said lower rotary knife, said lower female stripper ring having a circumferentially extending lower driving surface formed thereon and constructed to permit at least a portion of said lower female stripper ring to compress in two other different directions upon application of other compressive forces to a corresponding portion of said lower driving surface that is in confronting relationship with at least a portion of said upper male stripper ring and a portion of said upper rotary knife; and

a lower male stripper ring supported by said lower knife holder assembly adjacent said lower mounting face of said lower rotary knife and in confronting relationship relative to at least a portion of said upper drive surface of said upper female stripper ring.