Method and apparatus for blanking out pattern pieces from a layup
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorHeinz Joseph Gerber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A relatively rigid horizontally extending supporting surface supports a layup of sheet material to be cut. Air is evacuated from between the sheets in the layup, and a sheet of air impervious material covers the layup to aid in compacting the layup. One of several blanking dies in a turret is adapted for vertical movement in a carriage mechanism, which is movable in at least one coordinate direction across the layup. Relative movement in the other coordinate direction is also provided for, and the turret is rotatable on a vertical axis normal to the supporting surface for orienting the die to be used. The blanking die turret is also indexable about a horizontal axis in order to locate its various dies for the blanking motion and thereby minimize waste from the layup of sheet material.
Claims10
Apparatus for blanking pattern pieces out of a layup of sheet material and comprising:
- a. means defining a substantially continuous upwardly facing supporting surface for the sheet layup, said supporting surface being mechanically rigid,
- b. means for withdrawing the air from between adjacent sheets in said layup to provide a compacted layup on said supporting surface,
- c. a turret having a plurality of faces, and means rotatably supporting said turret for indexing movement on a turret axis,
- d. a plurality of blanking dies provided on said turret faces,
- e. means for moving said turret and said turret axis normally relative to said sheet layup supporting surface to move one of said blanking dies through the layup to blank pattern pieces out of said layup, said supporting surface being rigid enough to react the forces imposed thereon by said blanking die as it cuts through the layup and contacts said supporting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.