Cutting – With control means responsive to replaceable or selectable...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2001-05-22
Peterson, Kenneth E. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With control means responsive to replaceable or selectable...
C083S465000, C083S468600, C083S940000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234052
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Automated systems for cutting mat board and the like, which operate under computer control (CNC matcutters), are known in the art and are commercially available (See for example the article entitled “Computerized Automated Matcutters” by Robert Palmer,
PFM Magazine,
May 1995, pages 66-86.) The cutting head employed in such apparatus typically has an associated glide plate that surrounds the tip of the blade, which facilitates movement over the board and improves cutting.
A difficultly that arises due to the presence of such a glide plate concerns interference with elements used for clamping the workpiece in place against the machine table. The clamping elements not only limit the closeness of approach of the blade to the edge of the board, and consequently border width, but they also preclude sizing (i.e., cutting of a smaller piece of mat board from a larger one) because the blade cannot move all the way to the edge of the workpiece.
Other deficiencies that are typically present in matcutters of the prior art concern operation of the head itself. For example, the motion of the head components by which blade plunging is effected is often not sufficiently smooth and well-controlled to enable the production of optimal cuts, and the construction often does not afford facile and precise relative positioning of the parts comprising the head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a broad object of the present invention to provide a novel machine for cutting a sheet material, including a novel clamping system and cutting head assembly.
A more specific object is to provide such a machine which is specially adapted for use with a cutting head having a glide plate, and in a computerized automated matcutter.
It is also a broad object of the present invention to provide a novel cutting head assembly suitable for use in a matcutter, and especially a computerized automated matcutter, wherein operation of the components is smooth and well controlled, and they are constructed for facile and precise relative positioning and repositioning.
It has now been found that certain of the forgoing and related objects of the invention are readily attained by the provision of a machine for cutting a sheet material, including system for clamping the sheet material comprising a base having a support surface with a marginal portion, a plurality of clamp units, each including a separate clamping member, and actuating means for effecting movement of the clamping members between release and clamp positions and for applying clamping force in the clamp positions. Each clamping member has an axial stem portion and a head portion at one end, the head portion having a substantially flat top surface and a peripheral element constructed to engage thereunder an edge portion of a sheet material. The clamp units are arranged with the stem portions of the clamping members extending through the marginal portion of the support surface, with the head portions spaced from one another there-along. In the release and clamp positions of the clamping members, the head portions are spaced relatively away from and proximate to the support surface, respectively.
The machine additionally includes a cutting head assembly and means for supporting the assembly for movement over the support surface of the base. The cutting head includes a cutting element surrounded by a glide plate, the cutting element and guide plate being disposed for contact with sheet material supported on the support surface. The machine will most desirably include electrical drive means for effecting movement of the cutting head on the means for supporting, and electronic data processing means for controlling the electrical drive means and thereby the movement of the cutting head (generally in an X-Y mode).
Usually, the marginal portion of the base support surface will comprise two margin components extending at an angle (normally 90°) to one another. The number and arrangement of clamp units will usually provide a plurality of clamping member head portions, normally at least three, rectilinearly aligned along each of the margin components. The stem portions of the clamping members will generally provide elements against which the sheet material may be abutted for proper positioning on the support surface. Most desirably the head portion of each clamping member will provide a narrow, thin lip extending at least partially about the stem portion, with the lip constituting the sheet material-engaging peripheral element and advantageously having a relatively sharp lower outer edge; the head portion and the lip will typically be substantially circular and substantially annular, respectively, but other shapes (e.g., square) may provide better clamping characteristics. Although mechanical or eletromechanical actuation may be provided, each of the clamp units will desirably include a double-acting pneumatic system (or motor) comprised of a piston to which the clamping member is operatively connected, and a cylinder, the actuating means provided comprising means for selectively delivering pneumatic pressure to the cylinder.
Other objects of the invention are attained by the provision of a head assembly for such a cutting machine, comprising a head having mounting-means for movement of the assembly on an axis, and defining a first channel oriented at an oblique angle to the axis; a slide mounted for slidable movement in the head channel, between a withdrawn blade position and a plunged blade position, the slide having a second channel therein extending substantially parallel to the first channel for receiving a blade-holding magazine inserted thereinto; and such a magazine dimensioned and configured for slidable insertion into the second channel (in the slide). The slide and head have first cooperating mechanical means thereon-for adjustably limiting the movement of the slide to the plunged blade position, and the slide and magazine have second cooperating mechanical means thereon for adjustably limiting the depth of magazine insertion in the second channel.
Such a head assembly will preferably include a linear motion support system for the slide, which support system comprises, on each of two opposite sides of the slide, an array of at least three elongate rectilinear elements mutually spaced to define a passage therewithin, and a multiplicity of bearing elements loosely stacked within the defined passage. The slide may advantageously have a boss defining a threaded aperture that opens to the second channel, with a tightening screw received within the aperture for clampingly engaging a cutting blade received in the magazine. Most desirably the assembly will comprise at least a second magazine, with a locating component of the second cooperating means on the first-mentioned magazine being disposed differently from the corresponding locating component on the second magazine, and with the slide having separate abutment components for independently engaging each of the locating components of the first and second magazines.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3392761 (1968-07-01), Klein
patent: 3662635 (1972-05-01), Yabuta
patent: 3758099 (1973-09-01), Scott
patent: 4519284 (1985-05-01), Hunter
patent: 5137399 (1992-08-01), Blaimschein
patent: 5205197 (1993-04-01), Wiltshire
patent: 5211090 (1993-05-01), Rathert
patent: 5824388 (1998-10-01), Freund et al.
Kozyrski Vincent T.
Peters Alan R.
Dorman Ira S.
Peterson Kenneth E.
The Fletcher-Terry Company
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