Aspects of the present disclosure involve methods and apparatuses for cutting and removing trim from an advancing substrate. Particular embodiments of the apparatuses and methods disclosed herein provide for removal of continuous lengths of trim, and in some embodiments, discrete pieces of trim from an advancing substrate.

A system that enables a cutter head to pivot for improved alignment with a cutting face or die is disclosed. The system includes a cutter hub and a driveshaft hub mated with a plurality of round, spherical, or ovoid surfaces to enable the cutter hub to pivot with respect to the driveshaft hub. The system can include a plurality of alignment pins with spherical surfaces to transfer torque from the driveshaft hub to the cutter hub. The system can also include a cutter head, which can include a plurality of cutting blades. The system can be used in cutting machinery, such as a pelletizer, where alignment of the cutting head and the cutting die (or other cutting surface) is desirable.

An apparatus and associated method contemplating handling a workpiece on a surface. A mounting block is selectively movable in a first direction toward the surface. A finger is coupled to the mounting block so that the finger is retractable in a second nonparallel direction opposed to the first direction. The finger supports an engagement member operably contacting the workpiece and subject to a reaction force from the workpiece that retracts the finger during movement of the mounting block in the first direction. The engagement member traverses the surface as a result of simultaneous movement of the mounting block in the first direction and retraction of the finger in the second direction.

A pill splitter for cutting pills and tablets of multiple sizes into uniform dosage portions for treating humans or animals comprising a housing, a rotatable pill cassette with multiple pill cavities disposed to hold pills of different sizes, a cover with access ports for removing cut pill portion, and a retractable blade for smoothly cutting pill units with minimal shattering or residue. A method of splitting pills is also provided.

A pill splitter for cutting pills and tablets of multiple sizes into uniform dosage portions for treating humans or animals comprising a housing, a rotatable pill cassette with multiple pill cavities disposed to hold pills of different sizes, a cover with access ports for removing cut pill portion, and a retractable blade for smoothly cutting pill units with minimal shattering or residue. A method of splitting pills is also provided.

A food portioning machine (2) includes a portion thickness control assembly (22) comprising a carriage (40) carried by a machine base (4) and able to move relative to the machine base in order to adjust the thickness of each portion to be cut from a food product (90). A carriage drive assembly (46) is coupled to the carriage to move the carriage relative to the machine base, a product stop (50) is carried by the carriage and able to move relative to the carriage between advanced and retracted positions, and a product stop drive assembly (68) is coupled to the product stop to move the product stop between the advanced and retracted positions. The carriage drive assembly is operable to move the carriage to a position relative to the machine base with reference to the thickness (t) of the next portion to be cut, and the product stop drive assembly is operable to move the product stop from its retracted position to its advanced position for engagement by the leading end of the food product.

A food portioning machine (2) includes a portion thickness control assembly (22) comprising a carriage (40) carried by a machine base (4) and able to move relative to the machine base in order to adjust the thickness of each portion to be cut from a food product (90). A carriage drive assembly (46) is coupled to the carriage to move the carriage relative to the machine base, a product stop (50) is carried by the carriage and able to move relative to the carriage between advanced and retracted positions, and a product stop drive assembly (68) is coupled to the product stop to move the product stop between the advanced and retracted positions. The carriage drive assembly is operable to move the carriage to a position relative to the machine base with reference to the thickness (t) of the next portion to be cut, and the product stop drive assembly is operable to move the product stop from its retracted position to its advanced position for engagement by the leading end of the food product.

The cutting system is configured to cut a continuous strip which extends lengthwise in a longitudinal direction and widthwise between a first edge and a second edge into strips. The cutting system includes a drive device which imparts to the continuous strip a feed speed, a first cutting roller and a contrarotating second cutting roller that cooperate to cut the continuous strip across its full width. The first cutting roller is provided with a first helical blade and is driven in rotation A variable synchronizer makes it possible to select and to modify the synchronization ratio between the rotational speed of the first cutting roller and the non-zero forward speed of the continuous strip in such a way as to be able to adjust the cutting angle according to which the cross-section of the continuous strip is oriented with respect to the longitudinal direction of the continuous strip.

This application relates to an amplifier selectively operable in first or second modes. The first mode is a BTL mode with first and second output drivers (103p, 103n) both active to generate respective driving signals that vary with an input signal. The second mode is an SE mode, where the first output driver (103p) is active to generate a driving signal at and the output of the second driver (103n) is held constant. A controller (201) selectively controls the mode based on an indication of output signal amplitude. In the first mode, a ratio of magnitude of the two driving signals varies with the indication of output signal amplitude, i.e. the magnitudes of the two driving signals may vary so as to be not equal.