Contour-cutting machine having a light-weight knife carrier

A contour-cutting machine, which is particularly suited for cutting foam, comprising:

• a workpiece table for supporting and moving workpieces in a longitudinal direction, said workpiece table having support means for supporting said workpieces and defining an upper side of said workpiece table, said workpiece table upper side being bounded in said longitudinal direction by a pair of first and second longitudinal extending, lateral sides, a table gap extending transversely to said longitudinal direction between said pair of lateral sides;
• said workpiece table including workpiece conveying means for moving said workpieces on said workpiece table upper side in said longitudinal direction across said table gap;
• a stationary frame that encloses said workpiece table in a vicinity of said table gap;
• a movable cutting-element carrier defining a quad and having an open side and an opposite side, said cutting-element carrier supporting a plurality of pulleys;
• an endless cutting element mounted on said pulleys and passing through said table gap at said open side of said cutting-element carrier;
• cutting-element driving means for driving said cutting element in a vertical direction along said open side of said cutting-element carrier through a cutting region for said workpieces;
• first means for supporting and guiding said cutting-element carrier near said open side thereof in a transverse direction along said table gap;
• transverse-direction driving means for driving said cutting-element carrier at said open side thereof in said transverse direction, and
• second support means for supporting and guiding said cutting element carrier near said opposite side thereof along said first lateral side of said workpiece table in said longitudinal direction.