Contour shaping apparatus

A contour shaping apparatus for cutting and grinding plate material comprising a first cutting work position and a second grinding work position;

• means for maintaining plate material in predetermined fixed orientations in the first and the second work positions during respective cutting and grinding thereof;
• the plate material being positioned, in turn, in the first and second work positions;
• the plate material fixed orientations being defined along orthogonal X and Y axes;
• means for cutting plate material in the first work position, the cutting means being movable along the X and Y axes over the plate material;
• control means operatively connected to the cutting means for guiding the cutting means along a predetermined contour on the plate material thereby effecting cutting of the plate material along the predetermined contour;
• means for grinding the edges of plate material in the second work position, the grinding means defining a first trace axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes;
• means for moving the grinding means along the X and Y axes in concidence with the cutting means whereby the grinding means trace axis traces the perimeter edge of a previously cut plate material in the grinding work position while the cutting means cuts plate material in the cutting position along the same predetermined contour;
• the grinding means includes a grinding head and means for spinning the grinding head about a grinding head axis, the grinding head axis being aligned generally perpendicularly to the X and Y axes and spaced from the grinding means trace axis an amount corresponding the radius of the grinding head at the point of grinding head contact with the plate material;
• means for rotating the grinding means about the trace axis;
• the rotating means operatively interconnected to the control means whereby a line passing through the center of the grinding head and the trace axis is maintained normal to the plate material edge while the trace axis is moved therealong.