Safety system and method for cutting machine
OwnerJeff Buchanan, Mark Buchananinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A safety system prevents cutting machine operators from being accidentally carried through the infeed chute into the machine's cutting mechanism. An operator wears a safety device on his wrist and/or ankle and a sensor array mounts on opposing sides of the cutting machine's infeed chute. The sensor array elements are wound in opposite directions and connect in series opposing. The magnetic field of the safety device induces a current in the sensor array as it moves in the proximity of the sensor array. The safety system generates a signal which is proportional to the sum of the induced currents. When the signal exceeds a threshold, the safety system shuts off power to the feed mechanism and/or the cutting blades of the cutting machine, preventing injury to the operator.
Claims11
A safety system for a cutting machine comprising:
- a sensor array including at least two sensor elements having conductive windings, each sensor element comprising a protective plate and a winding, each conductive winding comprising at least one loop of wire, the sensor elements mounted on opposing sides of an infeed chute of a cutting machine and connected in series opposing;
- and
- a signal processor comprising:
- a sensor circuit that senses a current induced in the conductive windings by a magnetic field of a magnetic safety device, the current produced by moving the magnetic safety device proximate to the sensor array, the sensor circuit further comprising an amplifier that generates an amplified signal proportional to the current;
- and
- a comparator to compare the amplified signal to a threshold value, such that the signal processor causes the cutting machine to shut off power to an operation of the cutting machine when the amplified signal is greater than the threshold value.
An apparatus for automatically interrupting operation of a cutting machine comprising:
- a sensor array including at least a first array element and at least a second array element, each array element including a conductive winding, the array elements connected in series opposing;
- a sensor circuit that senses a current induced in the at least first sensor array element and a current induced in the at least second sensor array element by a magnetic field of a magnetic safety device in response to moving the magnetic safety device proximate to the sensor array, the sensor circuit further comprising an amplifier that generates an amplified signal proportional to the sum of the current in the first and second sensor array elements;
- a threshold circuit for generating a predetermined threshold;
- a comparator for comparing the amplified signal to the predetermined threshold;
- and
- a shut-off circuit to terminate an operation of a machine when the amplified signal is greater than the predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.