Method for splitting marker lines and related method for bite-by-bite cutting of sheet material
AssigneeGerber Garment Technology, Inc.
InventorJohn F. Schnetzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the bite-by-bite cutting of a length of sheet material split points for pattern pieces extending between adjacent bites are assigned to bite overlap regions containing sheet material capable of being cut at the cutting station either before or after a given advancement. A method is further given for optimally locating the split points within the bite overlap regions so as to best avoid problems caused by slit notches, V-notches, sharp corners or other discontinuities located close to the split points.
Claims15
A process for determining the location at which the splitting of a marker line extending from one bite to an adjacent bite of sheet material is to occur for the purpose of cutting the line in sheet material in a cutting process wherein the sheet material is cut bite by bite by an X-Y cutter at a cutting station having a given length in a length direction, and wherein the sheet material is intermittently advanced to said cutting station in said length direction with the distance said material is advanced during each advancement being smaller than said given length of said cutting station s that between successive advancements the material then residing at the cutting station includes an overlap region which will also be at the cutting station after the next advancement, said process comprising:
- providing marker data representing a marker to be cut from said sheet material and having a length longer than that of said cutting station and whereby the marker lines to be cut consist of successive straight line segments extending between end points defined by said marker data,
- inspecting said marker data to identify a marker line passing through said overlap region of said sheet material,
- dividing said overlap region into a plurality of channels located at various places along the length of said overlap region and extending transversely of said length direction,
- determining the number of said straight line segments of said identified marker line contained at least in part in each of said channels to provide a line segment count for each channel,
- on the basis of said line segment count per channel selecting one of said channels, and
- assigning the splitting of said identified marker line to the portion thereof passing through said one selected channel.
A process for bite-by-bite two-dimensional cutting of sheet material, said process comprising:
- providing means defining a cutting station having a given length in a length direction,
- providing marker data representing a marker to be cut from said sheet material and having a length longer than that of said cutting station and whereby the marker lines to be cut consist of successive straight line segments extending between end points defined by said marker data,
- intermittently advancing sheet material to be cut in accordance with said marker data to said cutting station to successively bring different successive portions of said sheet material to said cutting station with distance of said material is advanced during each advancement being smaller than said given length of said cutting station so that the given portion of said sheet material residing at the cutting station between any two advancements includes an overlap region which will also be included in the next portion of said sheet material residing at said cutting station after the next advancement,
- inspecting said marker data to identify a marker line contained in part in said given portion of said sheet material and in part in said next portion of said sheet material and passing through said overlap region,
- dividing said overlap region through which said identified line passes into a plurality of channels located at various places along the length of said overlap region and extending transversely of said length direction,
- determining the number of segments of said identified marker line contained at least in part in said channels to provide a line segment count for each channel,
- on the basis of said line channel count selecting one of said channels,
- cutting in said sheet material while said given portion thereof is at said cutting station that part of said given line located on one side of said selected channel, and
- cutting in said sheet material while said next portion thereof is at said cutting station that part of said given line located on the other side of said selected channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.