US 4,070,936 AGranted

Apparatus for cutting or scoring sheet material

AssigneePilkington Brothers Limited

InventorAngus Dougal Duncan

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Abstract

Apparatus for cutting or scoring sheet material, e.g. glass, with rapid responses to irregularities in the surface of the sheet material and to commands to commence or interrupt a cutting or scoring operation, employs a fluid pressure actuated diaphragm device to impart movement to a cutting or scoring tool, e.g. a cutting wheel, towards and away from the surface to be cut or scored, and means for controlling selectively the pressure acting on each side of the diaphragm. The tool may be supported and guided in a cutter head which incorporates the diaphragm device and which carries supporting means, such as a pair of wheels, for supporting the cutter head on the surface of the material when the tool is retracted. Fluid pressure supply to the diaphragm device and to a separate piston device for applying the cutting load can be controlled by solenoid-operated values. Supply of a cutting fluid to the tool can be similarly controlled.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Apparatus for cutting or scoring sheet material comprising a cutter head mounted for travel toward and away from a surface of the sheet material, a cutting or scoring tool supported and guided in the cutter head for movement relative to the cutter head towards and away from the surface of the sheet material, loading means connected to the cutter head for applying a cutting or scoring load thereto, a fluid pressure actuated diaphragm located within the cutter head and operatively connected to the tool, fluid pressure supply means arranged to selectively control the fluid pressure acting on each side of the diaphragm at any time during operation so that the diaphragm can be displaced to move the tool relative to the cutter head toward and away from the surface of the sheet without varying the load applied by the loading means to the cutter head, and support means on the cutter head for supporting the cutter head on the surface of the sheet material when the tool is moved away from the surface of the sheet material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.