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US 4,345,496 AGranted
Apparatus for working on successive segments of sheet material
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorDavid R. Pearl
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorDavid R. Pearl
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for cutting patterns from successive contiguous segments of an elongated layup of sheet material has a zoned vacuum table which includes an endless bristle mat conveyor, for shifting a layup along the table to position a segment of the layup in the cutting zone of the table and for holding the layup segment in the cutting zone, and a carriage assembly, which moves a cutting mechanism relative to the table and in cutting engagement with the segment to cut patterns from the segment in response to signals from a programmable controller. A rotary encoder mounted on the carriage assembly has a pinion which engages a rack carried by the conveyor to detect movement of the carriage assembly relative to the conveyor when the carriage assembly returns to its starting position after completing its cutting cycle. A responsive circuit connects the encoder to the conveyor drive motor and energizes the drive motor in response to the relative movement detected by the encoder to cause the conveyor to move the layup in the return direction and through a distance equal to the distance traversed by the carriage assembly in returning to its starting position whereby the next successive segment of the layup is accurately positioned in the cutting zone. An error sensing circuit detects the magnitude and direction of an error in positioning the layup and alters the data in the controller to nullify the error. A vacuum device cleans the bristle mat while the conveyor is in motion and also reduces the vacuum holddown force applied to the layup while it is being shifted by the conveyor.
Apparatus for working on sheet material comprising a vacuum table having material shifting means for moving sheet material relative to said table, said material shifting means including an endless belt conveyor having a bristle mat including an upper run having upwardly extending bristles defining a movable material supporting surface and a lower run having downwardly extending bristles defining a lower surface of said belt conveyor, said apparatus having a working mode wherein said conveyor is at rest relative to said table and a material moving mode wherein said conveyor relative to said table, said material supporting surface having air passageways, therethrough, means in communication with said passageways in at least a portion of said material supporting surface for applying vacuum to said portion of said material supporting surface, means defining a vacuum chamber below said lower run and having an opening therein adjacent said lower surface for applying vacuum to said lower surface, and means for applying vacuum to said vacuum chamber and reducing vacuum applied to said portion of said material supporting surface during
Apparatus for working on sheet material comprising a table assembly including a table and material shifting means for supporting sheet material and advancing it longitudinally of said table, said material shifting means having a movable material supporting surface defined by a longitudinal series of contiguous material supporting zones, instrument means for working on sheet material, carriage means supported for movement longitudinally of said table for moving said instrument means in working relation to sheet material spread on said supporting surface, said apparatus having a working mode wherein said material shifting means is at rest and said carriage means moves said instrument means relative to said table and said supporting surface and in working relation to sheet material spread on said supporting surface and a material moving mode wherein said instrument is out of working relation with the sheet material and the material shifting means advances the sheet material longitudinally of said table, means for advancing said material shifting means with said carriage means and in response to advancing movement of said carriage means during said material moving mode, and vacuum means comprising a part of said table assembly and responsive to the position of said carriage means for applying vacuum to and maintaining vacuum on at least one of said material supporting zones during said material moving mode whereby to hold a leading end portion of the sheet material spread on the supporting surface in firmly fixed engagement with said material shifting means while said material shifting means advances the sheet material during said
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.