Continuous system and method for cutting sheet material

A system for performing operations including cutting on sheet material including cloth comprising:

• a) means for inspecting sheet metal to determine the existence and location of flaws in the sheet material;
• b) conveyor means for moving sheet material along a path between a input and an output;
• c) first operation means movable in directions substantially parallel to and substantially perpendicular to said conveyor path for performing operations on the sheet material along various contours as it is moved by said conveyor means along said path;
• d) conveyor control means connected in controlling relation to said conveyor means for controlling the operation of said conveyor means including the speed of movement of said conveyor means;
• e) first operation control means associated with said first operation means for controlling the speed, direction and mode of the operations performed by said first operation means;
• f) primary motion control means connected in controlling relation to said conveyor control means and to said first operation control means for coordinating movement of the first operation means with movement of the conveyor means during movement of the sheet material along said path and for causing said first operation means to perform operations on the sheet material synchronously with movement of the sheet material along the path by the conveyor means;
• and
• g) system control means operatively coupled to said means for inspecting and connected in controlling relation to said primary motion control means for determining the operations to be performed by said first operation means in accordance with a predetermined pattern of operations for the sheet material wherein the various contours are included in the pattern and said system control means adjusting the pattern in accordance with the existence and location of flaws in the sheet material as determined by the means for inspecting.