Blade holding device, assembly including the same, and method of operating associated thereto

Abstract

A blade holding device for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighboring roller, such as the ones used in machines of the pulp and paper industry, and other like industries. The blade holding device includes a base, a hinge, a support plate, a blade, and biasing means. The hinge has first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotally moveable with respect to the first component. The support plate is preferably mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and is thus pivotally moveable with respect to the base. The blade is preferably removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate and is operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller from removing the contact pressure. The biasing means are used for operatively connecting between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position. The blade of the blade holding device may thus follow the roller continuously throughout a greater change in diameter and with little or no maintenance.

1 . A blade holding device for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto a neighboring roller, the device comprising: 
 a base;    a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis;    a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base;    a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and    biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.    
   
   
       2 . A blade holding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.  
   
   
       3 . A blade holding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position, said retracting means comprising: 
 a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; and    a lever, said lever being mounted onto the second component of the hinge of the retracting means, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base, said lever having a front portion cooperating with a rear portion of the support plate for displacing the same so as to reactively displace the front portion of the support plate and corresponding blade away from the roller, into the retracted position.    
   
   
       4 . A blade holding device according to  claim 3 , wherein the retracting means comprise a retracting arm, the retracting arm being pivotably mountable onto the base and being provided with a cam, the cam being positioned adjacent to the lever, and being shaped and sized so that when the retracting arm is operated into a first configuration, the cam is away from said lever, thereby enabling the biasing means to bias the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position, and when the retracting arm is operated into a second configuration, the cam presses against the lever so as displace the same, and in turn displace the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.  
   
   
       5 . A blade holding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the biasing means comprise a plurality of springs disposed along a transversal width of the support plate, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the hinge supporting the support plate.  
   
   
       6 . A blade holding device according to  claim 5 , wherein the biasing means comprise a casing for containing the springs within said casing.  
   
   
       7 . A blade holding device according to  claim 6 , wherein the casing comprises first and second parts, said parts being nestable into one another and being slidably movable with respect to each other so as allow the springs to either expand or be compressed within the casing.  
   
   
       8 . A blade holding device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first part of the casing comprises pairs of diametrically opposed holes, each pair of holes being devised for receiving a corresponding fastener, and wherein the second part of the casing comprises corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed oblong orifices, each pair of oblong orifices being devised for receiving a fastener of a corresponding pair of holes and for allowing said fastener to slidably move along said pair of oblong orifices.  
   
   
       9 . A blade holding device according to  claim 6 , wherein the first part of the casing comprises securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the support plate.  
   
   
       10 . A blade holding device according to  claim 6 , wherein the second part of the casing comprises securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the base.  
   
   
       11 . A blade holding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the front portion of the support plate comprises a support lip, an edge of the blade being slidably insertable into a slot defined between the support lip and the support plate.  
   
   
       12 . A blade holding device according to  claim 11 , wherein the edge of the blade comprises a bulge, and wherein the support lip comprises a rim, the bulge of the blade being devised for abutting with the rim of the support lip, when the edge of the blade is inserted into the slot, so as to prevent the blade from being easily removed from said slot.  
   
   
       13 . A blade holding device according to  claim 1 , wherein the biasing means comprise a magazine positioned within a recess of the base and rotatable with respect to said base about a shaft, said magazine being positioned adjacent to the support plate and comprising a plurality of casings extending radially from the shaft, the casings comprising each within the same a set of springs of different biasing force, and each casing being interchangeable via a rotation of the magazine about the shaft so as to have a given selected casing operatively cooperate between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.  
   
   
       14 . An assembly comprising: 
 a roller; and    a blade holding device positioned adjacent to the roller for selectively and adjustably maintaining a contact pressure onto said roller, the device comprising: 
 a base;  
 a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis;  
 a support plate, said support plate being mounted onto the second component of the hinge, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base;  
 a blade being removably mountable onto a front portion of the support plate, the blade being operable between a contact position where the blade rests against the roller for maintaining the contact pressure, and a retracted position where the blade is drawn away from said roller for removing the contact pressure; and  
 biasing means, the biasing means being operatively connected between the base and the support plate for biasing the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position.  
   
   
   
       15 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.  
   
   
       16 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the device comprises retracting means for operating the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position, said retracting means comprising: 
 a hinge having first and second components, the first component being mounted onto the base, and the second component being pivotably moveable with respect to the first component about a pivot axis; and    a lever, said lever being mounted onto the second component of the hinge of the retracting means, and thus being pivotably moveable with respect to the base, said lever having a front portion cooperating with a rear portion of the support plate for displacing the same so as to reactively displace the front portion of the support plate and corresponding blade away from the roller, into the retracted position.    
   
   
       17 . An assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the retracting means comprise a retracting arm, the retracting arm being pivotably mountable onto the base and being provided with a cam, the cam being positioned adjacent to the lever, and being shaped and sized so that when the retracting arm is operated into a first configuration, the cam is away from said lever, thereby enabling the biasing means to bias the support plate and corresponding blade into the contact position, and when the retracting arm is operated into a second configuration, the cam presses against the lever so as displace the same, and in turn displace the support plate and corresponding blade into the retracted position.  
   
   
       18 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the biasing means comprise a plurality of springs disposed along a transversal width of the support plate, in a direction substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the hinge supporting the support plate, and wherein the biasing means further comprise a casing for containing the springs within said casing, the casing comprising first and second parts, said parts being nestable into one another and being slidably movable with respect to each other so as allow the springs to either expand or be compressed within the casing.  
   
   
       19 . An assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the first part of the casing comprises pairs of diametrically opposed holes, each pair of holes being devised for receiving a corresponding fastener, and wherein the second part of the casing comprises corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed oblong orifices, each pair of oblong orifices being devised for receiving a fastener of a corresponding pair of holes and for allowing said fastener to slidably move along said pair of oblong orifices, and wherein the first and second parts of the casing each comprise securing means for operatively securing the casing onto the support plate and base respectively.  
   
   
       20 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the front portion of the support plate comprises a support lip, an edge of the blade being slidably insertable into a slot defined between the support lip and the support plate, and wherein said edge of the blade comprises a bulge, the support lip comprising a rim and the bulge of the blade being devised for abutting with said rim, when the edge of the blade is inserted into the slot, so as to prevent the blade from being easily removed from said slot.