Cutting apparatus

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece, comprising:

• a) a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and comprising a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends, the first end of each flap forming a first connecting portion, the second end of each flap forming a second connecting portion, the first connecting portion of each flap being connected with the second connecting portion of an adjacent flap to connect said each flap thereto, the first and second connecting portions of the flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in a common plane, each of the flaps having an outside edge on the outer edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the outside edge of the flap, and each flap having an inner area forming a driving throughhole;
• b) a plurality of supporting sprockets supporting the chain body for movement on an endless path extending around a given area and in said common plane;
• c) at least one driving sprocket provided alongside the chain body, comprising a plurality of driving protrusions provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction on a periphery of the driving sprocket, the driving protrusions engaging the driving throughholes of the flaps of the chain body to drive the chain body around said endless path;
• wherein as the flexible chain moves around said endless path, the chain includes first and second sections, each of said sections including a plurality of the flaps, and wherein the driving throughholes of the flaps in said first and second sections are spaced apart at regular intervals;
• d) a rigid backplate provided within the common plane and in said given area, at least one end of the backplate engaging with the inner edge of the chain body and preventing disengagement of the chain body and the backplate in a direction perpendicular to the common plane, and the backplate supporting the chain body towards the workpiece;
• wherein the flaps have a given thickness, and the backplate has a thickness not greater than said given thickness;
• e) a rotating means for rotating the driving sprocket;
• and
• f) a moving means for moving the workpiece or the chain body toward each other to cut the workpiece with the chain body;
• wherein said driving sprocket includes an outer peripheral surface facing toward the inner edge of the chain body, and defines an axis extending parallel to said common plane.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece, comprising:

• a) a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and comprising a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends, the first end of each flap forming a first connecting portion, the second end of each flap forming a second connecting portion, the first connecting portion of each flap being connected with the second connecting portion of an adjacent flap to connect said each flap thereto, the first and second connecting portions of the flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in a common plane, each of the flaps having an outside edge on the outer edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the outside edge of the flap, each of the cutting devices including a mounting projection, the outside edge of each of the selected ones of the flaps forming a mounting recess receiving the mounting projection of the cutting device connected to said each of the selected ones of the flaps, each of the mounting recesses including an elastically movable section to selectively engage and release the mounting projection received in said each mounting recess;
• b) a plurality of sprockets supporting the chain body for movement on an endless path extending around a given area and in said common plane;
• c) a rigid backplate provided within the common plane and in said given area, at least one end of the backplate engaging with the inner edge of the chain body and preventing disengagement of the chain body and the backplate in a direction perpendicular to the common plane, and the backplate supporting the chain body toward the workpiece;
• wherein the flaps have a given thickness, and the backplate has a thickness not greater than said given thickness;
• d) a rotating means for rotating at least one of the sprockets and driving the chain body around the endless path;
• and
• e) a moving means for moving the workpiece or the chain body toward each other to cut the workpiece with the chain body.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece, comprising:

• a) a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and comprising a plurality of generally planar flaps arranged in a common plane, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends and an outside edge on the outer edge of the chain body, the first end of each flap forming a connecting protrusion having a disk shape having a center axis and a peripheral surface perpendicular to the common plane, the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having an inner peripheral surface having a shape complementary with the shape of the connecting protrusion of the flap, and the connecting protrusion of each one of the flaps being fitted into the connecting recess of an adjacent flap, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in said common plane;
• b) a plurality of cutting devices located at the outside edges of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps;
• c) a plurality of sprockets supporting the chain body for movement on an endless path extending around a given area in said common plane;
• d) a rigid backplate provided within the common plane and in said given area, at least one end of the backplate engaging with the inner edge of the chain body and preventing disengagement of the chain body and the backplate in a direction perpendicular to the common plane, and the backplate supporting the chain body towards the workpiece;
• wherein the flaps have a given thickness, and the backplate has a thickness not greater than said given thickness;
• e) a rotating means for rotating the sprockets and driving the chain body around the endless path;
• and
• f) a moving means for moving the workpiece or the chain body toward each other to cut the workpiece with the chain body;
• wherein as the flexible chain body moves around said endless path, the chain body includes linearly elongated portions, each of said linearly elongated portions including a plurality of the flaps, and the outside edges of the flaps in each of the linearly elongated portions defining a straight line;
• wherein the first end of each flap has a first engaging means between the outside edge of the flap and the connecting protrusion thereof, and the second end of each flap has a second engaging means between the outside edge of the flap and the connecting recess thereof;
• and the first engaging means of each flap in said linearly elongated portions of the chain body engages the second engaging means of an adjacent flap to prevent disengagement of the flaps in said linearly elongated portions from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane and to prevent pivotal movement of said each flap and said adjacent flap around the center axis of the connecting protrusion of said adjacent flap in an outward direction beyond the straight line defined by the outside edges of the flaps;
• and
• wherein the first engaging means of each flap disengages from the second engaging means of an adjacent flap when a portion of the chain body including said each and said adjacent flaps is bent inwardly to a predetermined radius of curvature and said each and said adjacent flaps become detachable from each other in the direction perpendicular to the common plane.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece, comprising:

• a) a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and comprising a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps consisting of a center plate having first and second sides and first and second side plates bonded, respectively, to the first and second sides of the center plate, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends, the first end of each flap forming a connecting protrusion having at least a first engaging portion formed by a peripheral surface of the center plate of the flap, the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having a shape complementary with the shape of the connecting protrusion of the flap, the connecting recess of each flap including at least a second engaging portion formed by an inner peripheral surface of the center plate of the flap, and the connecting protrusion of each one of the flaps fitting into the connecting recess of an adjacent flap with the first engaging portion of said each flap engaged with the second engaging portion of said adjacent flap, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses of the flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in a common plane while preventing disengagement of the flaps from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane, and each flap having an outer edge on the outer edge of the chain body;
• b) a plurality of cutting devices located at the outer edges of at least selected ones of the plurality of flaps;
• c) a plurality of sprockets supporting the chain body for movement on an endless path extending around a given area in said common plane;
• d) a rigid backplate provided within the common plane and in said given area, at least one end of the backplate engaging with the inner edge of the chain body and preventing disengagement of the chain body and the backplate in a direction perpendicular to the common plane, and the backplate supporting the chain body towards the workpiece;
• wherein the flaps have a given thickness, and the backplate has a thickness not greater than said given thickness;
• e) a rotating means for rotating the sprockets and driving the chain body around the endless path;
• and
• f) a moving means for moving the workpiece or the chain body toward each other to cut the workpiece with the chain body.