Method and apparatus for ultrasonically cutting mat board
AssigneesRobert K. Dowdle, Burton K. Dowdle
InventorBarton K. Dowdle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for cutting mat board, and more specifically for cutting apertures including non-linear boundaries in mat board. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention includes an automatically controlled ultrasonic cutting tool for cutting apertures having bevelled boundaries according to a predetermined pattern. The preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention includes stacking first and second mat boards and cutting through said first board into but not through said second, removing said first board, and cutting the same aperture in the same location in said second mat board which has been stacked on a third, uncut mat board.
Claims15
An apparatus for cutting mat board, comprising:
- a flat cutting table for supporting said mat board;
- hold down means for securing said mat board at its periphery to said cutting table;
- at least one ultrasonic cutting tool means including a blade element for cutting said mat board;
- means for moving said at least one ultrasonic cutting tool means at least in the X, Y and Z directions and rotationally about the Z-axis to engage said at least one ultrasonic cutting tool means with and disengage said at least one ultrasonic cutting tool means blade element from said mat board to effect a cut therein;
- and
- fixture means for rotating said at least one ultrasonic cutting tool means about a horizontal axis to adjust the angle of inclination of at least one said ultrasonic cutting tool means blade element with respect to said mat board.
The method of making a mat having at least one aperture therethrough, comprising:
- providing a cutting table;
- placing a mat board on said cutting table and securing the mat board at its periphery thereto;
- providing an ultrasonic cutting tool having a blade element;
- engaging said mat board with said blade element;
- moving said blade element along a line of cut in the X-Y plane to cut an aperture in said mat board having at least one arcuate segment and maintaining said blade element at an instantaneous tangent to the arc of said arcuate segment during the cutting thereof;
- and
- disposing said blade element at a acute angle to said mat board, taken in a direction perpendicular to the instantaneous line of cut to form a beveled edge at the periphery of said aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.