Automatic initial-cutting device for microtomes, particularly ultramicrotomes

An automatic initial cutting device in a microtome, comprising:

• a knife having an edge for cutting an object;
• holding means for holding the object to be cut by said knife;
• a driving means operably connected to one of said knife and said holding means for relative movement therebetween at a travelling speed for cutting the object;
• feed means for producing a relative feed movement between said knife edge and said holding means such that the object can be sectioned by said knife edge, said feed means comprising a servomotor;
• sensing means, comprising at least one sensor, for sensing a condition resulting from forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object and generating a signal corresponding to the condition sensed;
• an electronic control means for receiving said signal from said sensing means and controlling at least one of said driving means and servomotor of said feed means as a function of the condition resulting from the forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object;
• and
• a recording device connected to said electronic control means for recording the relative position of said knife edge and an object held by said holding means and indicating the relative position to said electronic control means, wherein said electronic means controls said driving means as a function of said signal from said sensing means when the object held by said holding means contacts said knife edge and the indication from said recording device to switch from a rapid relative speed between said knife and the object held by said holding means to a slower cutting speed at a position before contract between said knife edge and the object such that vibrations arising from switching over from the rapid relative speed to the slower cutting speed have abated before contact between said knife edge and the object takes place.

An automatic initial cutting device in a microtome, comprising:

• a knife having an edge for cutting an object;
• holding means for holding the object to be cut by said knife;
• a driving means operably connected to one of said knife and said holding means for relative movement therebetween at a travelling speed for cutting the object;
• feed means for producing a relative feed movement between said knife edge and said holding means such that the object can be sectioned by said knife edge, said feed means comprising a servomotor;
• sensing means, comprising at least one sensor, for sensing a condition resulting from forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object and generating a signal corresponding to the condition sensed;
• and
• an electronic control means for receiving said signal from said sensing means and controlling at least one of said driving means and servomotor of said feed means as a function of the condition resulting from the forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object, wherein said electronic control means controls said driving means and said feed means such that said knife edge can repeatedly cut sections from an object held by said holding means, said electronic control means comparing said signals from said sensing means for successive sections cut from the object and switching at least one of said driving means and said feed means to a low cutting speed, or low rate of feed or cutting thickness, respectively, when substantially identical said signals result from two consecutive sections cut from the object.

An automatic initial cutting device in a microtome, comprising:

• a knife having an edge for cutting an object;
• holding means for holding the object to be cut by said knife;
• a driving means operably connected to one of said knife and said holding means for relative movement therebetween at a travelling speed for cutting the object;
• feed means for producing a relative feed movement between said knife edge and said holding means such that the object can be sectioned by said knife edge, said feed means comprising a servomotor;
• sensing means, comprising at least one sensor, for sensing a condition resulting from forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object and generating a signal corresponding to the condition sensed;
• an electronic control means for receiving said signal from said sensing means and controlling at least one of said driving means and servomotor of said feed means as a function of the condition resulting from the forces generated by said knife edge cutting a section of the object;
• a display means for displaying to a user at least one of the minimum and maximum forces resulting from said knife edge cutting a section of the object, said display means displaying the forces from the most recent cutting of a section of the object, and the forces being determined from said signal of said sensing means;
• and
• signalling means for signalling a user when one of the minimum and maximum forces falls below or exceeds a predetermined value.