GB1094113A - Improvements in cutting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,094,113. Cutting by fusion. K. F. RUSHTON. March 18, 1966 [March 20, 1965], No. 2538/65. Heading B3V. [Also in Division B5] A cutting machine comprises a supporting frame or bed 1, 3, a support 2 for a workpiece to be cut, means 29 for clamping the workpiece in position upon the support in the path of a cutter 26, such as a rotary friction saw, toothed saw or oxy-acetylene or similar type of cutter, a guide rail or rails 5, 6 associated with the frame, a roller type chain or toothed rack fixedly associated with the frame, and a carriage 8 running on the guide rail or rails and carrying the cutter head 22 which carries the cutter 26, the carriage supporting an electric motor 12 driving through a reduction gear 13 a sprocket or pinion 14 in engagement with the chain or rack for traversing the carriage along the guide rail or rails, the direction of traverse being reversible. The frame consists of a pair of end plates 1 on a girder 2 supported by legs 3 provided with wheels 4, the girder acting as a support for the workpiece (shown chain dotted) which may be a flat or corrugated sheet of steel, brass, aluminium, asbestos, timber or fabricated material. The guide rails 5, 6 and chain 7 extend between the end plates 1, the rail 5 5 being engaged by thrust pads 10 on an inverted V-shaped bracket 9 of the carriage which also has a pair of rollers (18, 19, Fig. 4) engaging the rail 6, roller (18) being mounted on a lever acted on by a spring (20) which serves to press roller (18) against rail 6 and bracket 9 against rail 5, the spring tension being adjustable by means of a screw (21). The motor 12 drives through a variable speed belt drive the sprocket 14 which engages the chain 7 to effect movement of the carriage along the rails, the chain having open links 15 at its ends to terminate the traversing movement. The motor unit is rockable about a pivot (16) to disengage the sprocket from the chain to permit the carriage to be traversed manually. The carriage also carries a cutter head 22 consisting of a motor 23 connected by a belt drive 24 to a shaft 25 carrying the cutter, and the cutter head is vertically adjustable on a pillar (45, Fig. 2) by an adjusting nut (47), a clamp being provided to secure the head in its adjusted position. The workpiece is clamped to the supporting beam 2 by spring steel fingers (29, Fig. 4) secured to shafts (30) having levers (31, Fig. 3) engaged by screws (33) whereby the shafts are rotatable to urge the fingers against the workpiece. The workplace may also be supported by tables (37, 41, Fig. 4) extending forwardly and rearwardly of the supporting beam 2, the tables being clamped to rod-like supports (38, 42) and carrying a guide rail and adjustable stops.