Abrasive cutting wheel system

In an abrasive cutting system having an abrasive cutting wheel, means for holding the object to be cut, and means for advancing and means for retracting said holding means relative to the abrasive cutting wheel, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• said means for advancing said wheel toward the holding means utilizing pressurized fluid flowing from a source to a piston and cylinder through a fluid feed valve, and means for automatically intermittently switching said valve between open and closed positions, whereby the wheel is automatically advanced toward the holding means with a plurality of intermittent pauses in said advancement while the wheel is cutting said object, for improved cutting and in which said fluid feed valve in the closed position prevents the flow of pressurized fluid to the piston and cylinder, but permits the reverse venting of pressurized fluid from the piston and cylinder to permit the pressure of fluid therein to drop, whereby between intermittent advancements, small, spontaneous retraction can take place to facilitate removal of debris from between the cutting wheel and said object.

In an abrasive cutting system having an abrasive cutting wheel, means for holding the object to be cut, and means for advancing and means for retracting said wheel and holding means relative to each other, the improvement comprising, in combination:

• added means for automatically intermittently advancing said wheel and holding means toward each other while the wheel is cutting said object, for improved cutting, and in which limit switch means are activated at a predetermined maximum advancement of said wheel and holding means, to activate said added means for mechanically retracting said wheel and holding means.