Electronic timing and cutting apparatus

Claim 1

A TIMING CIRCUIT TO CONTROL THE CROPPING OF PREDETERMINED VARIABLE LENGTHS FROM THE END OF A LONGITUDINAL MEMBER MOVING ALONG A TRANSPORT PATH, COMPRISING: A FIRST SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ALONG A TRANSPORT PATH AND GENERATING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE LEADING END OF SAID MOVING MATERIAL PASSING THEREBY, A SECOND SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ALONG THE TRANSPORT PATH POSTERIORLY OF THE FIRST SENSING MEANS WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF MATERIAL TRAVEL AND GENERATING A SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE LEADING END OF SAID MOVING MATERIAL PASSING THROUGH, A GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE BIASED IN A NORMAL CUT-OFF CONDITION AND HAVING INPUT AND OUTPUT CIRCUITS, A TIMING CONDENSER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID INPUT CIRCUIT OF SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR CONTROL THEREOF, A TIMING CONDENSER CHARGING PATH INCLUDING NORMALLY OPEN CONTACTS CONTROLLED BY SAID FIRST SENSING MEANS AND NORMALLY CLOSED CONTACTS CONTROLLED BY SAID SECOND SENSING MEANS, SAID TIMING CONDENSER CHARGING PATH ACCORDINGLY BEING OPERATIVE TO CHARGE SAID TIMING CONDENSER UPON THE LEADING END OF AN ITEM PASSING BY SAID FIRST SENSING MEANS, A CONDENSER DISCHARGE PATH INCLUDING A NORMALLY OPEN CONTACT CONTROLLED BY SAID SECOND SENSING MEANS, SAID CONDENSER DISCHARGE PATH BEING OPERABLE TO DISCHARGE SAID TIMING CONDENSER TO A TRIGGERING LEVEL FOR SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE IN RESPONSE TO THE LEADING END OF AN ITEM PASSING BY SAID SECOND SENSING MEANS, SAID CONDENSER DISCHARGE PATH HAVING A DIFFERENTIALLY VARIABLE AMOUNT OF IMPEDANCE THEREIN TO ENABLE THE TRIGGERING OF SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE UPON SAID MOVING MATERIAL ASSUMIGN A PREDETERMINED POSITION IN SAID TRANSPORT PATH, MATERIAL CLAMPING MEANS OPERATIVELY POSITIONED ALONG THE PATH OF MATERIAL TRAVEL AND RESPONSIVE TO ENERGIZATION OF SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE TO RESTRAIN SAID MATERIAL AND PREVENT FURTHER MOVEMENT ALONG SAID TRANSPORT PATH, MATERIAL CUTTING MEANS OPERATIVELY POSITIONED ALONG THE MATERIAL TRANSPORT PATH SUCH THAT UPON ENERGIZATION OF SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE THE PREDETERMINED DESIRED AMOUNT OF LEADING END WILL HAVE PASSED THEREBY, GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE RESETTING MEANS OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO ENERGIZATION OF SAID CUTTER MEANS TO REMOVE THE OPERATING POTENTIAL THEREFROM, CLAMPING AND CUTTING HOLD CIRCUIT MEANS INSURING PROPER DURATION OF SAID CLAMPING AND CUTTING OPERATION AFTER DEENERGIZATION OF SAID GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE BY SAID RESETTING MEANS, SAID RESETTING MEANS BEING OPERABLE FOR AS LONG AS SAID MOVING MATERIAL IS SENSED BY SAID SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS.