Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Including aperture
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-11
2002-02-05
Heinrich, Samuel M. (Department: 1725)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Including aperture
C198S844100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344256
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the art of perforating sheet material, and more particularly to a new and improved method and apparatus for providing closely spaced small diameter holes in sheet material such as conveyor belts.
One area of use of the present invention is in micro-drilling a series of closely spaced holes in a conveyor belt to a facilitate passage of air through the belt thus providing suction and vacuum hold-down of items such as sheet material carried on the conveyor belt. By way of illustration, such conveyor belts in vacuum hold-down apparatus used in the cloth cutting industry have very dense hole patterns, i.e. nearly a million small diameter closely spaced holes in a belt six feet wide and fifty feet long. In addition to the ability to provide even smaller diameter holes in closer spaced relation, an important consideration is providing the holes in a manner that does not impart structural weakness in the belt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a new and improved system and method for perforating sheet material such as conveyor belts which provides relatively smaller diameter holes in closer spaced relation and yet which avoids imparting significant structural weakness to the perforated sheet material.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for perforating sheet material wherein the resulting perforations are in a predetermined pattern which avoids imparting structural weakness to the perforated sheet material. The predetermined pattern includes spaced perforations along linear paths which are spaced along one linear dimension of the sheet material and each of which paths is disposed at an acute angle relative to another linear dimension of the sheet material. The predetermined pattern avoids straight paths of perforations along the longer linear dimension of the sheet material and thereby avoids imparting structural weakness to the material. Preferably the predetermined pattern is a series of herringbone patterns along the longitudinal dimension of the sheet with the rows of herringbone patterns and peaks thereof extending laterally of the sheet material. The pattern is formed by moving the sheet material in a first direction and scanning the material in a second direction with a pulsed laser beam.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3813682 (1974-05-01), Nishikawa et al.
patent: 4015103 (1977-03-01), Cherian
patent: 4214984 (1980-07-01), MacElvain
patent: 4316718 (1982-02-01), Drugge
patent: 4647033 (1987-03-01), Emrich
patent: 4674976 (1987-06-01), Naohara et al.
patent: 4842721 (1989-06-01), Schloemann
patent: 4989346 (1991-02-01), Wilken
patent: 5048818 (1991-09-01), Nemeskal
patent: 5081502 (1992-01-01), Mitsuya et al.
patent: 5094886 (1992-03-01), Bogardy
patent: 5097755 (1992-03-01), Hill
patent: 5328304 (1994-07-01), Kress et al.
patent: 5840636 (1998-11-01), Mitsutsuka et al.
patent: 4334497 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 195 08 687 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 44 38 550 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 197 33 204 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 197 33 205 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 0 565742 (1992-04-01), None
patent: 0 559328 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 565 742 (1993-10-01), None
Pfeiffer; F. : Höhere Sphären, IN: Maschinenmarkt, Würzburg 101 (1995) 52, Seiten 46 bis 49.
“Hartdrehen statt Feinschleifen”, IN: Industrieanzeiger 34-35/97, Seite 48 (siehe Gelbmarkierungen).
“Hartdrehen überholt Feinschleifen”, IN: maschine und werkzeug 6/95, Seiten 57 bis 61.
Eastman Machine Company
Heinrich Samuel M.
Hodgson & Russ LLP
LandOfFree
System and method for perforating sheet material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for perforating sheet material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for perforating sheet material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2968961