Vacuum supply system for movable cutter
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorHeinz J. Gerber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sheet material cutter is movable between a number of different cutting stations at which it cooperates respectively with a number of stationary spreading tables. Vacuum is transmitted from a single stationary vacuum generator to a number of normally closed junction boxes located one at each of the cutting stations. When the cutter is positioned at a selected cutting station, a vacuum inlet carried by the cutter aligns with the junction box serving that station, and the vacuum inlet is movable between connected and disconnected positions relative to the junction box to supply vacuum from the generator to the cutter.
Claims11
In a sheet material cutting plant, the combination comprising:
- a generally horizontal floor having a number of different cutting stations,
- a plurality of vacuum outlets each located at a respective one of said cutting stations,
- a vacuum generator,
- duct means connecting all of said vacuum outlets to said vacuum generator so that vacuum produced by said generator is available at each of said outlets,
- a sheet material cutter including a cutting table,
- means supporting said cutting table for movement over said floor to any selected one of said cutting stations, and
- means for releasably connecting said cutting table to the vacuum outlet associated with the cutting station at which said table is positioned to supply vacuum from said generator to said table through such outlet.
In a sheet material cutting plant, the combination comprising:
- a generally horizontal floor,
- a sheet material cutter including a cutting table having a frame, a support surface for supporting sheet material to be cut in a spread condition, and a vacuum inlet means carried by said frame for receiving vacuum which is applied to at least a portion of said support surface, and a cutter head movable relative to said support surface to cut parts from sheet material supported thereon,
- means supporting said cutting table for horizontal movement relative to said floor between a plurality of cutting stations fixed relative to said floor,
- a vacuum supply system including a vacuum source, a plurality of vacuum junction boxes fixed relative to said floor and located one at each of said cutting stations, and duct means connecting the interior of each of said junction boxes to said vacuum source, each of said vacuum boxes having an access port and a valve member associated with said access port, said valve member having a normally closed position and being movable to an open position, said junction boxes being arranged so that when said cutting table is positioned at any selected one of said cutting stations said vacuum inlet means of said cutting table is aligned with the junction box serving the selected cutting station, and
- cooperable means on said junction boxes and on said inlet means providing a releasable connection between said inlet means and any one of said junction boxes with which said inlet means may be aligned, said releasable connection having a released condition at which the valve member of the involved one of said junction boxes is in its normally closed position and said inlet means is mechanically disconnected from said involved junction box so as to be free to move horizontally relative thereto and a connected condition at which said inlet means is sealingly connected to said junction box and the valve member of the involved junction box is held in its open position to transmit vacuum from said junction box to said inlet means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.