DE3109226A1 - METHOD FOR CUTTING WITH A HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOL - Google Patents

Description

PAT E N TA N W A LT E

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D-1 BERLIN-DAHLEM 33 · PODBIELSKIALLEE 68 D-8 MUNICH 22 · WIDENMAYERSTRASSE 4S

GERBER GARMENT ^{BERUN! DIPL} - ' ^{N <3} - ^R " ^MÜLLER - ^BÖRNER

I LLHlH (JLUbY ₅ I NL. Munich: dipl.-inq. Hans-heinrich wey

DIPL.-ING. EKKEHARD KORNER

Berlin, March 5th, 1981

Method of cutting with a hand-held cutting tool

(Priority: USA, Ser.No. 176,516 of August 8, 1980)

16 pages of description with
7 claims
1 page summary
1 sheet of drawing

MP - 27 682

BERLIN: TELEPHONE (O3O) 8312O88 MUNICH: TELEPHONE (O89) 22 65 86

CABLE: PROPINDUS TELEX O1 84OB7 CABLE: PROPINDUS TELEX OS 24 244

The procedure with which this invention is concerned is one that is used for cutting fabric or Upholstery material parts and the like. Can be used, the either from a layer of layers in a vertically stacked relationship or from a single layer are cut out, which rests during the cutting process in a generally flat state on the giner-penetrable support surface.

For certain automatically controlled cutting machines it is known to use slack flat material with a layer of im to cover essential airtight material and then between the airtight layer and the support surface Apply negative pressure or vacuum during cutting. The impermeable layer is made of the Vacuum is drawn against the support surface and keeps the slack Material in a relatively rigid or solid state for cutting by means of a reciprocating cutting knife. One such a cutting device with a vacuum bed is described in the applicant's US Pat. No. 3,495,492, and the cutting method is the subject of applicant's US Pat. No. 3,598,006.

However, there are two limitations to the automatically controlled cutter. On the one hand, there is an automatically controlled cutting device by one High technology machine that requires a certain amount of expertise not always available in small businesses. On the other hand, the automatically controlled cutting device can represent a large capital investment, which by a Small-scale business can be difficult to reintroduce in a short period of time.

According to the method of the invention it is proposed that a support from a single or a plurality of Layers of flat material is spread or placed on a penetrable support surface. Then between the top layer of the flat material and the support surface a vacuum was applied. The uppermost layer of the flat material is pulled against the support surface by the vacuum and holds the flat material in a relatively rigid state for cutting by means of a hand-held cutting tool. That for The cutting tool used in the cutting process penetrates the bearing surface while the flat material is cut will.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least one Part of the flat material with a layer or layer substantially air-impermeable material covered. Then the vacuum is between the air impermeable layer and the support surface. The layer is made by the Vacuum is drawn against the support surface, causing the flat material for the cutting process and during the same is compressed.

The object of the present invention is generally to provide an alternative method for cutting flat material without Using an automatically controlled cutting device. The use of a hand-held cutting tool in conjunction with a penetrable support bed and a vacuum system for holding and rigidifying the material is suggested. The hand-held Controls can be arranged at the location of the cutting process

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may or may not be, but are located in a location that enables an operator to manually guide movement of the cutting tool along a desired cutting line. When hand controls are available to an operator, sophisticated numerical or other controls and related skills are not required. On the other hand, the investment costs for a hand-controlled cutting tool are lower than those for a cutting device with automatic controls.

Further developments of the invention are in the subclaims specified.

Details, advantages and applications of the invention will be given below with reference to two shown in the drawing Embodiments of the subject matter of the invention explained in more detail. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a broken perspective view of a Device for holding flat material for Cutting and an illustration of a method for carrying out the invention,

Fig. 2 is a broken away view of the device and the Cutting tool according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device for holding flat stock for cutting and an illustration of an alternative method for carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 shows how the cutting method of the present invention is carried out with the aid of an operator a cutting tool 44 along cutting lines leads through a multilayered layer of flat material 12, which lies on a table generally designated 10. The table 10 used in this method comprises a support surface 16, on the slack flat material 12 spread will. The table 10 further includes a vacuum hold-down device shown in detail in FIG the flat material 12 applies a vacuum and holds the material 12 firmly in a rigid state during the cutting process. The cutting of the material 12 is done by a hand-held cutting tool 44 with a reciprocating Cutting knife. The cutting tool 44 is guided by an operator along predetermined cutting lines, which can be determined by a marker of sample pieces while the cutting knife is in cutting engagement performs the cutting operation with the material 12. During the cutting process, the back and forth penetrates Cutting knife the bottom layer of the support and the support surface 16 of the table 10.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this includes for the cutting process table device 10 used a generally horizontally extending part or a base plate 20, which is in a suitable working height is supported by a plurality of feet 22,22. On top of the plate 20 is a general Rectangular frame 24 arranged, which consists of longitudinally extending side parts 26,26 and transversely extending End parts 28 'consists. Also on top of the plate 20 is a penetrable bed 30 within the frame 24 arranged. The bed 30, which has the upward-facing, fabric

bearing support surface 16 is limited, is particularly to this suitable to carry flat material 12 and from a cutting knife getting penetrated while cutting. That Bed material can or preferably consist of foamed plastic with an open or closed cell structure of bristle mats or blocks as shown in Figs. The bristles are at their lower ends in one Support part 50 held and are with their upper ends on a common plane, which is the penetrable support surface 16 limited.

The vacuum hold-down device, which is shown in detail in FIG is shown comprises two longitudinal rows of adjacent vacuum chambers 36,36, each row between the longitudinal extending side parts 26,26 and the penetrable bed. The vacuum hold-down device also includes one A plurality of lines 38,38, each of which is connected at one end to one of the vacuum chambers 36,36 and at the other end to a suitable vacuum source 40. The vacuum source 40 preferably has a flow capacity suitable for Maintaining a pressure differential between the top of the flat material and the vacuum chambers 36,36 is sufficient despite the leakage from cuts in the flat material 12 as a result of the cutting process. For tables with large contact areas it is preferable to have a sectioned support surface with individual vacuum chambers that are EIN or can be switched OFF. In this way, the support surface can be divided into areas along the X-axis and the vacuum can be localized with respect to the area of the sheet 12 that is being processed will.

For the vacuum device shown, it is essential that that the bed material has a plurality of passages to create a vacuum on the surface 16 of the chambers 36,36 to generate from. If the bed material is porous, such as a foamed plastic with an open ZeI 1 structure, these passages are made by the porosity of the material. If the overlay material is preferable Has a bristle mat structure, the material has passages all through it.

In summary, the effect of the illustrated vacuum hold-down device can be described as that the vacuum source 40 creates a vacuum in that between the bristles of the bed material 30 forms space. Because the vacuum the pressure on the bearing surface 16 to a level below atmospheric pressure or less than the pressure reduced, which acts on the flat material 12 downwards, there is a pressure differential and causes the material 12, to be pressed together into a rigid state on the supporting surface 16. It is conceivable that different Types of material comprising the sheet support 12, different permeabilities for the passage of air between the upper side of the material and the supporting surface 16 when the vacuum source 40 is in operation. If that Material is very porous, such as woven fabric, may possibly be the pressure differential between the The upper surface of the material and the supporting surface are insufficient be big enough to compress the material. If this is the case, an air impermeable one is preferred Layer 42 over the top surface of the sheet 12 spread. A relatively thin, flexible plastic pad

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such as a polyethylene film has been found to be particularly satisfactory for this purpose. If the Layer 42 is in place and the vacuum source is operating, causing the air impermeable Layer 42 downward atmospheric pressure, that the sheet material 12 in a rigid arrangement for Cutting against the support surface 16 pressed together will. A more detailed description of a similar or alternative vacuum hold-down device used in Used under the cutting method according to the invention is described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 3,765,289.

1 and 2 show a hand-held cutting tool, generally designated 44, as it is used in the context of Invention can be used. The cutting tool 44 comprises an elongated cutting knife 46 which, in the manner of a boom, extends from the frame of the cutting tool and by a motor (not shown) is moved back and forth within the framework of the cutting tool. Penetrates during the cutting process according to the invention the cutting knife 46 the support surface 16, wherein the cutting tool 44 is guided by hand by an operator along a desired cutting line, as shown in Fig. shown. The operator works from a position on the table or stands next to the table and moves the cutting tool 44 along a predetermined cutting line P while the knife 46 performs the cutting process executes.

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In contrast to the direct guidance of the cutting tool 44 on or close to the flat material as in FIG Fig. 1 illustrates Fig. 3 the use of an alternative hand-held cutting tool 52, which is a guide from a position remote from the flat material 12 ago enables. The cutting tool 52 with a penetrating Cutting knife similar to knife 46 in Fig. effects the cutting process on the flat material 12, whereby it hangs down from a kind of gallows 60. The knife of the Cutting tool 52 is rotated in the Θ direction by a motor 64 carried by cutting tool 52. The boom 60 has articulated portions of elongated arms that are interconnected and movable relative to one another are. A first section 62 of the boom 60 is in the form of two elongated "L-shaped arms" attached to one another fastened pipes. One of the tubes of the first section is arranged vertically above the flat material 12 and carries the cutting tool 52 in cutting engagement with the flat material 12 at the lower end of the tube. The second The tube of the first section runs parallel to and above the flat material 12. A second section of the Gallows 60 consists of an elongated arm which is attached in an articulated manner in a lower part 68. The elongated arm part of the second section 66 is arranged parallel to the flat material 12 and is supported by a (not shown) Motor swiveled in the lower part 68. The first section 62 interacts with the second section 66 of the gallows 60 together in such a way that the second of the tubes of the first section 62 is caused by means of one on the boom attached motor 70 to be telescoped in and out. The diameter of the second section 66 is

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far enough to pass the second tube of the first section 62 to be able to take in easily. The sections of the gallows 60 which slide in and out telescopically allow in the extended position that the cutting tool 52 is the area of the farthest from the lower part 68 Flat material achieved; and the telescopically extending and retracting sections extend sufficiently far back so that the cutting tool 52 the area of the lower part 68 closest to the area of the flat material can reach. Due to the sections of the gallows 60 just described, the cutting tool 52 be adjusted to each point on the flat material 12, by coordinated movement of the telescopic in and out sections and the rotation of the boom 60 in relation to the lower part 68. The cutting tool 52 can be oriented in any θ direction relative to the cutting table to be tangential to the cutting knife to advance along a cutting line.

The above-described motors of the gallows 60, the lower part 68 and the cutting tool 52 are transmitted and rotate the cutting tool along a desired cutting line on the flat material 12. The motors respond sent to the table via the electric cable 58 connected between the control panel 54 and the lower part Signals. To assist in guiding the cutting tool, the control panel 54 has a screen 62 'on which predetermined material cutting lines, for example the Contours of a sample. Also on the screen 62 'is a marker or tracker, which is shifted by the operator by means of a joystick in order to follow the pattern contours. That

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Cutting tool 52 on table 10 reacts in the same way as the tracker to the movements of the Joystick 56 on the control panel 54 so that an operator can move the joystick 56 and can trigger a movement of the cutting tool 52 along the contours of a pattern in the material 12, by observing the movement of the tracker relative to the pattern on the screen 62 '. The orientation of the Cutting tool is taken from the displacement signals or a side load sensor, as in FIG U.S. Patent 4,133,235.

To summarize the sequence of operational steps that associated with the use of the control panel 54 in guiding the cutting tool 52, the operator observes screen 62 'and at the same time manually move joystick 56 to cause the Marker follows the pattern on screen 62 '. The movements of the joystick by the operator generate control signals in the control panel 54, and the control panel 54 automatically transmits the command signals in shifting and derived alignment signals for the cutting tool 52 and transmit the signals over the electrical cable 58 to the boom 60. The motors of the boom 60, the lower part 68 and the cutting tool 52 react the signals sent and move the boom sections and the cutting tool 52 for generating the direction and the orientation of the cutting tool 52 on the flat material, so that they correspond to the operator's command signals.

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The alternative cutting system according to FIG. 3 is intended to show that the required manual guidance of the cutting process can be carried out both away from the flat material 12 and on the flat material, as in FIG and 2 shown.

As a further alternative to the remotely located hand-held Cutting tool 52 can be a handheld Follower-type mechanism can be used for the cutting process. The simplest tracker form includes one Pantograph connection between a follower pin and the cutting tool. Actuation of the follower pin from Hand at one end of the connection can be reinforced by servomotors and has the consequence of a cutting tool performs similar movements at the other end of the link.

The type of cutting tool has been described here as a reciprocating knife that performs the cutting process on the sheet, but the description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Other types of cutting tools that are alternatives to the reciprocating knife type can be used Include rotary knife, laser, or water jet cutter.

In summary, it is the object of the present invention to provide an alternative method for cutting flat material without using an automatically controlled cutting machine. This problem is solved by using a hand-held cutting tool in connection with a penetrable support surface and a vacuum system to hold and rigidify the material during the

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Cutting. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the hand guide controls can be arranged on the sheet material or be removed from it. Since the operator can operate hand controls to operate a cutting tool To induce the execution of the desired cut, are not highly developed controls, computer programs and related specialist knowledge required for this cutting process. In addition, the investment lies cost less than that of a hand-held cutting tool as used in this cutting method for cutting devices that are used in the context of automatic cutting processes.

Se / MP -27 682 - 16 -

Claims (6)

Claims 1. Procedure for cutting slack flat material with a Pad, which is a support surface for what is to be cut Has flat material, wherein the slack flat material is placed on the support surface so that the upper side of the material is directed away from the support surface, and whereby a vacuum is created between the upper side of the slack sheet material and the support surface, so that Atmospheric pressure acting on the upper side presses the material against the support surface and the flat material caused to be compressed, further comprising a hand-held cutting tool with a back and forth forward knife is brought into cutting engagement with the compressed material and wherein the cutting tool and the knife by hand generally progressively into cutting engagement with the sheet material across the support surface and guided along a desired cutting line, characterized in that a support is provided with a surface penetrable by the reciprocating knife of the cutting tool is, and that the cutting tool is guided along a desired cutting line while the reciprocating Knife cuts the flat material and the support surface penetrates. 2. Procedure for cutting slack flat material Claim 1, characterized in that that on the laying of the slack flat material on the penetrable support surface the arrangement of an im an essential air-impermeable layer follows over at least part of the upper side of the material, and that then a vacuum is created between the air-impermeable layer and the supporting surface, so that on the surface the atmospheric pressure acting on the layer directed away from the flat material, the flat material compresses between the layer and the support surface. 3. A method for cutting slack flat material according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that that guiding includes the operation of a handheld remote control that is used to control the Movement of the cutting tool and the cutting knife is coupled to the cutting tool, so that the control panel generates the desired movement of the cutting tool along a cutting line. 4. Procedure for cutting slack flat material Claim 1 or 2, characterized by geke n-n, that the provision of the support means the provision of a support with a penetrable bed made of a multitude of tightly packed bristles, which are held at one end in a carrier part and their opposite ends on one common plane that limits the penetrable support surface. 5. Method for cutting slack flat material. after Claim 2, characterized in that the provision of a support means the provision of a support bed comprised of bristles, and that creating a vacuum by evacuating the flat material the support surface and the penetrable bed through it includes. 6. Procedure for cutting slack flat material Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that that the arrangement of a hand-held cutting tool the provision of a cutting tool includes that in cutting engagement with the compressed Material is held and which is mechanically suspended from above the material. 7, method of cutting slack flat material after Claim 6, characterized in that that the cutting tool is suspended mechanically by means of a cantilever structure. Sc /, MP - 27 682 " ⁴