Three-dimensional representation of solid objects

An apparatus for use in the three-dimensional representation of a solid object, comprising:

• support means rotatable about an axis, said support means surrounding a central space including said axis accommodating an object to be three-dimensionally reproduced;
• light-reflecting screen means on said support means defining a background area projecting beyond the outline of said object as viewed from a diametrically opposite location on said support means;
• first light-emitting means on said support means shielded from said central space and trained upon said screen means for illuminating same to the exclusion of said object;
• second light-emitting means on said support means directing at least one flat light beam toward said central space in a plane including said axis whereby a contour line is projected upon the surface of said object;
• and
• light-guiding means on said support means including at least one camera objective mounted for exposing a recording medium to a silhouetted image of said object, taken at said diametrically opposite location against said background area, and a collateral image of said contour line, taken at an acute angle to said plane.

An apparatus for use in the three-dimensional representation of a solid object, comprising:

• support means rotatable about an axis and adapted to hold a workpiece to be shaped into a replica of an object to be three-dimensionally reproduced;
• a first tool holder adjacent said support means defining an operating line for a cutting edge skew to said axis, said operating line being tiltable about a fulcrum remote from said axis;
• a second tool holder adjacent said support means defining a working plane including said axis for a cutting head pointed toward said axis;
• and
• control means for the guidance of said first tool holder according to first positional information and for the guidance of said second tool holder according to second positional information in each of a multiplicity of angular positions of said support means, said first positional information being a record of a corresponding multiplicity of silhouetted images of said object successively taken at different angles, said second positional information being a record of a corresponding multiplicity of collateral images of contour lines projected upon said object from different angles.