Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2002-10-01
Gordon, Paul P. (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459952
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for producing carved signs, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for producing carved signs using computers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Carving, dating long before paper was invented, can be considered one of the earliest forms of writing. Letters carved in wood provide a sense of warmth and a feeling of permanence, and can focus the attention of viewers in a most dramatic way.
Dating well beyond the Colonial Period, traditional hand-carved wood signs having gold-leafed lettering had found a deep rooted place in our culture, and over the years the manufacture of such signs has become a time-honored craft of the signmaking arts. Wood chisels and special knives are the wood crafters basic carving tools used in the time consuming process of hand carving signage works in both relieved and incised modes of carving. Traditionally gold or silver leaf coatings have been applied to the relieved and/or incised surfaces of signage works, so that natural as well as artificial light favorably reflects therefrom to improve the visibility of the signage work, and to display a sense of richness and accentuate the artistic beauty of a signage work itself.
The conventional process for producing these hand-carved gold-leafed wood signs is manual, slow and laborious, and although expensive, they are of distinct beauty and treasured by many.
Yet while hand carved wood signs with gold-leaf lettering are highly desired articles of manufacture, the traditional process by which they have been made, has tended to make them time intensive, too expensive and thus out of reach for the greater number of persons who otherwise would desire to own such a sign customized to their needs, interests and taste.
Hitherto, the art of making gold-leafed hand-carved wood signs has retained its traditional method of manufacture, with the exception of a minor development involving the use of an overhead projector to transfer a layout pattern to prepared. wood. Such a layout transfer technique is described in Volume 15 of
Fine Woodworking,
March 1979, in an article at pages 72-73 entitled “Routed Signs: Overhead Projector Transfers Layout To Prepared Wood” by Frederick Wilbur. Using architectural stick-on letters, a few parallel lines and a design concept, a sign layout is mocked-up on a piece of transparent plastic file. Using an overhead projector, the layout is transferred onto the prepared wood.
In contrast with wood carving signmakers universally eschewing, as a matter of convention, any and all computer-assistance in practicing conventional methods of manufacturing gold-leafed carved wooden signs, the signmaking industry in general, has nevertheless been effected by the application of computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing and computerized numerical control technology.
Hitherto, several computer-aided signmaking systems employing computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing and computer numerical control (CNC) based technology, have been developed and are presently available.
However, such signmaking systems and methods using CAD/CAM technology have been limited to the production of routed and cut-out type signs. In contrast, because of its nature, the art of carving traditional gold-leafed wood carved signs has remained in the field of art wherein wood carvers use only gouges, knives, chisels and hammers. Thus, it is now in order to briefly describe in the following paragraphs, these inherently limited CAD/CAM signmaking systems and methods.
Prior art computer-aided signmaking systems allow a signmaker to design two dimensional signage works on two-dimensional CAD systems, and to cut-out or route-in characters, shapes, designs and parts thereof so designed, using cutting tools moving under the guidance of a computer-aided machining system, which includes, a computerized numerically controlled (CNC) axially rotating routing tool. However, the cutting and routing functions achieved by the prior art CAD/CAM signmaking systems are limited in several significant ways.
In general, signage works formed into signboards by prior art CAD/CAM signmaking systems, are routed thereinto by, operation of a routing tool moving in a single plane, with single pass operations. The outlines of the characters are formed by a rotating router tool bit moving in a plane, routing out uniform grooves in the signboard within the plane. Notably, the uniform grooves formed in the signboard, have the cross-sectional shape of the rotating tool bit performing the routing operation, and are identical along the entire lengths of the members of alphanumeric characters. In some cases, multiple passes of the routing tool along the character outlines is effected, often using tool bit offsetting, to provide desired finished edges, slightly modifying the original uniform groove so formed coextensively within a single plane. These routed signs bear little if any resemblance to, and lack the surface features of, traditional gold-leafed wood carved signs, the subject to which the present invention is directed.
One example of such prior art signmaking apparatus is described in the sales brochure for the “System 48 Plus” of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. of Manchester, Conn., wherein a computer-aided signmaking system is disclosed. Specifically, the “System 48 Plus” signmaking system comprises a computer-aided manufacturing system which includes a gantry-type cutting machine which can cut or route-out letters up to 24″ high, or stencil-cut sign faces for backlighting. The characters so formed from the system, are square cut or beveled, with an optional finish cut. Also, the system provides control for specifying the total depth of cut, and depth of each pass of the router head. (See pages 4.74-4.76, IV System Operation of Gerber Scientific Products' System 48 User's Manual, Document No. 599-020174, January 1986). However, while the “System 48 Plus” signmaking system allows an operator to make any number of passes from 1″ to 2″ inches deep for efficient routing and finer surface finishes, the system is incapable of carving into a signboard, a signage work comprising characters and designs having three-dimensional incised and/or relieved surfaces for which hand-crafted gold-leafed wood carved signs are noted. In particular, the Gerber “System 48 Plus” is limited to 2 ½ axes of simultaneous cutting tool motion.
Another example of prior art signmaking apparatus is described in the sales brochure for the “CSF 300 Computerized Sign Fabrication System” of Cybermation Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. The brochure discloses a CAD/CAM signmaking system including a router head mounted to the carriage of a CNC gantry-type machine which is limited to 2 ½ axes of simultaneous motion. Sign layouts, either computer-designed or conventionally laid out, are programmed and can be called up at the machine by an operator. While the system has a library of pre-programmed geometric parts (i.e., letters and numbers in various typestyles) requiring the operator to enter only the desired dimensions, such parts do not have the three-dimensional features characteristic of traditional gold-leafed hand-carved wood signs, nor is the CSF 300 system capable of carving signs having such surface characteristics and features.
Thus, in the art of computer-assisted design and manufacture of signage works, the convention has been to use CAD systems to design two-dimensional layouts of signage works to be cut-out of or simply routed-in various signboard materials. In the latter instance, the routed surfaces formed within a single plane of a signboard, are limited to the cutting dimensions of the tool bit employed and moving in the plane thereof.
Therefore, there is no teaching or suggestion of a computer-aided method or system for producing carved signs embodying signage works which have three-dimensional surfaces akin to those characteristic of traditional hand-crafted gold-leafed wood carved signs.
Accordingly, it is a primary objec
Gordon Paul P.
Perkowski Esq. P.C. Thomas J.
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