US 5,838,569 A · Method of digitizing and cutting up remnants of non-repetitive shapes

Abstract

Sheet materials in the form of remnants of non-repetitive shapes and that might be flawed, e.g. hides (10), are cut up using a method that includes the following operations: digitizing the geometrical shape of each remnant; defining a layout for pieces to be cut out from the remnant; and cutting out the pieces from the remnant in compliance with the resulting layout. The surface of the remnant (10) is provided with marks characteristic at least of the disposition and of the orientation of the remnant during digitization. The marks are detected so as to generate and record position information representative of the positions of the first marks. At the cutting-out station (300), images of the marks in the positions defined by the recorded first position information are projected onto a work surface, and the corresponding remnant is placed on the work surface by bringing together the marks carried on the surface of the remnant and their projected images, so as to cut out the pieces from the remnant in a disposition and an orientation similar to those which it had during digitization.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of cutting up sheet material in the form of remnants of non-repetitive shapes and that might be flawed, the method including the following operations:

digitizing the configuration of each remnant so as to generate and record graphics information representative of the shape of the remnant;
generating first position information representative of the configuration of the remnant during digitization;
recording the first position information corresponding to the remnant whose configuration has been digitized;
defining from said graphics information a layout for pieces to be cut out from the remnant so as to use the surface of the remnant optimally;
projecting onto a work surface images whose positions correspond to said recorded first position information;
placing the corresponding remnant on the work surface with a configuration corresponding to the projected images;
and
cutting out the pieces from the placed remnant in compliance with said layout;
whereby said pieces are cut from the remnant in a configuration similar to that which the remnant had during digitization.

6 more elements

A method of cutting up sheet material in the form of remnants of non-repetitive shapes and that might be flawed, the method including the following operations:

digitizing the configuration of each remnant so as to generate and record graphics information representative of the shape of the remnant;
generating flaw position information representative of locations of flaws on the remnant during digitization;
recording the flaw position information corresponding to the remnant whose configuration has been digitized;
defining from said graphics information and said flaw position information a layout for pieces to be cut out from the remnant so as to use the surface of the remnant optimally while taking into account any flaws on the remnant;
projecting onto a work surface an image representing the remnant and the locations of the flaws, using the graphics information representative of the shape of the remnant and the flaw position information;
placing the corresponding remnant on the work surface with a configuration corresponding to the projected images;
and
cutting out the pieces from the placed remnant in compliance with said layout;
whereby said pieces are cut from the remnant in a configuration similar to that which the remnant had during digitization.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of digitizing and cutting up remnants of non-repetitive shapes

Life of this patent

Method of digitizing and cutting up remnants of non-repetitive shapes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27