Programmed method and apparatus for cutting sheet material with a sharpenable blade
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorDavid R. Pearl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A program controlled cutting machine is provided with a sharpenable blade for cutting limp sheet material spread in a multi-ply layup on a support table. The program controlling relative movement of the cutting blade and sheet material along a cutting path compensates for wear on the cutting edge of the blade by extending the relative movement at selected points on the cutting path to improve cutting accuracy and quality.
Claims14
Programmed apparatus for cutting limp sheet material with a sharpenable blade comprising:
- a table defining a support surface for holding limp sheet material in a spread condition;
- a cutting blade having a sharpenable cutting edge engageable with the sheet material on the table for cutting the material;
- motor means connected with the cutting blade and the table for moving the cutting blade and the sheet material on the table relative to one another along a cutting path;
- a blade sharpener supported on the table and cooperative with the cutting blade for sharpening the cutting edge of the blade from time to time during cutting of the sheet material;
- and
- programmed control means connected with the motor means for guiding the relative movement of the cutting blade and the sheet material along a programmed cutting path and including means for compensating for wear of the cutting edge on the blade by the blade sharpener.
A method of operating a programmed machine for cutting limp sheet material with a sharpenable blade comprising;
- spreading the limp sheet material on a support surface;
- positioning a sharpenable cutting blade above the sheet material on a support surface with the cutting edge in predetermined relationship with a tool axis perpendicular to the support surface;
- moving the sheet material and the sharpenable blade relative to one another with the cutting edge of the blade in engagement with the material to move the tool axis relative to the material along a cutting path between points defining the programmed path to cut the sheet material accordingly;
- sharpening the cutting edge of the blade periodically to maintain a sharp cutting edge on the blade as the sheet material is cut;
- and then
- extending the relative movement of the tool axis and the sheet material between two successive points on the path by a predetermined amount beyond the second point in a direction defined by the two points to compensate for wear of the cutting edge on the blade caused by the sharpening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.