Abstract: A cutting head for cutting spread sheet material and using a vertically reciprocating knife achieves a light-weight, low cost, low maintenance and high stroking speed design through a unique combination and arrangement of parts wherein the knife drive motor is isolated from rotation with the knife about the theta axis without using a conventional swivel mechanism. The knife has a leaf spring portion directly connected to the eccentric member, fatigue failure of the leaf spring portion of the blade is inhibited by antivibration stops and by a varying cross-section, a simple sharpener mechanism sharpens the blade on either one or both side faces, and a roller guide restrains the lower portion of the blade to the vertical axis with minimum frictional loss.

Abstract: A sheet material cutter is movable between a number of different cutting stations at which it cooperates respectively with a number of stationary spreading tables. Vacuum is transmitted from a single stationary vacuum generator to a number of normally closed junction boxes located one at each of the cutting stations. When the cutter is positioned at a selected cutting station, a vacuum inlet carried by the cutter aligns with the junction box serving that station, and the vacuum inlet is movable between connected and disconnected positions relative to the junction box to supply vacuum from the generator to the cutter.

Abstract: In a table for supporting sheet material, such as cloth, in a spread condition while it is cut by a cutter the main structural component of the table consists of a panel having an upwardly facing support surface and made up of upper and lower sheets bonded to a core including at least one duct for supplying air at vacuum pressure or positive pressure to openings spaced longitudinally of the panel to supply vacuum or positive air pressure to selected parts or all of a material support surface defined by a bristle bed supported by and located above the upwardly facing support surface of the panel. Valves carried by the panel open and close the openings in the duct to selectively control the portion of the work material support surface to which vacuum or positive air pressure is applied.

Abstract: Programmable apparatus for cutting woven fabric wound on a supply roll includes a fabric spreader which pays-off fabric from the supply roll and onto a cutting table as the spreader moves relative to the table. A vibrating member carried by the fabric spreader and over which the payed-off fabric is constrained to pass imparts vibration to a portion of the fabric which extends across the entire width of the fabric to relieve residual stresses within the fabric as it is spread onto the table surface. The spread fabric is immediately cut by a rotary cutting wheel which moves in cutting engagement with the fabric in response to command signals received from a programmable controller.

Abstract: A bed for supporting sheet material to be cut or otherwise worked on is made of a densely packed array of relatively short, stiff bristles with pointed upper ends which penetrate the sheet material to inhibit it from moving laterally relative to the bed. Vacuum may be used in the space containing the bristles to aid in holding the sheet material to the bed and to normalize the holding effect of the bristles with respect to different sheet materials. Pressurized air may also be used in the bristle space to aid in removing cut sheet material from the bed and the bristles are shaped to facilitate such removal. Various different cutters are useable with the bed to provide a complete sheet material cutting machine.

Abstract: A photoplotter supports a sheet of photosensitive material for exposure by an associated light source. A light valve device interposed between the light source and the sheet has a main face parallel to the sheet divided into a plurality of subareas or pixels the light transmissivities of which are individually controlled through an associated computer to cause the exposure to be that of a desired graphic or artwork.

Abstract: A compact notching device comprises a single piston and cylinder assembly including a piston rod, a shaft axially and rotatably mounted within the piston rod, and means for longitudinally coupling the shaft to the piston rod such that when the piston rod reciprocates, the shaft reciprocates, means for attaching an instrument in fixed relation to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft and the instrument, and a presser foot assembly mounted in fixed relation to and carried by the piston rod or the shaft.

Abstract: A knife blade for cutting sheet material has a cutting portion which includes two adjoining faces defining a cutting edge and comprises a relatively soft or high wear base material and a relatively hard or low wear coating. One of the faces is formed by the relatively hard coating and the other face is formed by the relatively soft base material. Both of the faces of the cutting portion are bevelled and are exposed to the sheet material during cutting. Another knife blade embodying the invention has a cutting portion which includes one face formed of a relatively soft base material and another corrugated face formed of a relatively hard coating.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically cutting piled or fleecy fabric sheets including thermoplastic fibers uses a heated cutting instrument to inhibit the generation of dust during the cutting process. The heated cutting instrument heats and melts at least some portion of at least some of the thermoplastic fibers which contact or near it, the melted material in turn capturing and holding to the sheets free cut fiber portions which might otherwise fall from the sheets to create dust. An induction coil or an electrical resistance heating material may be used to heat the cutting instrument, and a cooling means may also be used to aid in maintaining a desired cutting instrument temperature.

Abstract: A cutter for cutting fabric and similar sheet materials spread on a supporting surface includes a rotary cutting blade and an associated sharpening element in the form of a rotary sharpening disk or similar element. A simplified sharpening apparatus and procedure is obtained wherein both the cutting blade and the sharpening element are continuously driven by a single drive motor and wherein the sharpening element is periodically moved along its axis of rotation into and out of sharpening engagement with the cutting blade to sharpen or renew the edge on the blade, such a sharpening event if desired occuring while the blade remains in cutting relation with the material being cut.

Abstract: An apparatus for annotating a workpiece with powder comprises a writing device which outputs a stream of powder and a mechanism such as an X-Y plotter for moving the device and the workpiece relative to one another to shape the annotation. One such writing device comprises a grinding wheel which grinds powder from a stick of chalk, a nozzle aimed at the workpiece, and air moving means for entraining the powder and transporting it through the nozzle. Another such writing device comprises a storage means for the powder, the storage means tapering to form a downwardly sloping guide which collects powder and leads to an outlet, and a gear adjacent the guide having teeth which move the powder along the guide towards the outlet. Both the rate of powder grinding by the first device and the rotational speed of the gear in the latter device are variable in proportion to the writing speed to adjust the output of powder and thereby provide an annotation of generally uniform intensity despite variations in writing speed.

Abstract: Programmable apparatus for cutting woven fabric wound on a supply roll includes a fabric spreader which pays-off fabric from the supply roll and onto a cutting table as the spreader moves relative to the table. A vibrating member carried by the fabric spreader and over which the payed-off fabric is constrained to pass imparts vibration to a portion of the fabric which extends across the entire width of the fabric to relieve residual stresses within the fabric as it is spread onto the table surface. The spread fabric is immediately cut by a rotary cutting wheel which moves in cutting engagement with the fabric in response to command signals received from a programmable controller.

Abstract: An automatically controlled cutting machine having a reciprocating cutting blade that is translated along a cutting path through a layup of limp sheet material under computer control includes an ultrasonic transducer that establishes standing waves along the length of the blade. The reciprocating motions of the blade shift the nodes in the standing wave to different elevations within the layup so that cutting is uniform in each ply of the limp sheet material. A drill used to produce marking holes in the material is also provided with ultrasonic means and aids the drilling in penetrating through the layup during drilling operations.

Abstract: An apparatus for working on a single layer or a layup of sheet material, or other work material, has a table for supporting the work material with a support surface selected areas of which may be vacuumized. The selective vacuumization of support surface areas is accomplished by a simple valving system interposed between an air plenum and a plurality of individual compartments underlying the work surface, the valving system including an elongated valving member having a plurality of first and second ports distributed along the length thereof, a belt extending along the length of the valving member and overlying the ports and a belt deflector movable along the length of the valving member, the position of the belt deflector determining the selection of which second ports are connected to which first ports. In the selective vacuumization mode of operation a vacuum is applied to the air plenum.

Abstract: An automatic cutting and dedusting apparatus for piled or fleecy worksheets comprises an automatic cutting apparatus, a means for applying an electric field to the worksheets to statically charge them, and a dedusting machine including means for agitating and moving air adjacent cut pattern pieces to remove pile fiber portions which were previously cut and thereby disconnected from said worksheets.

Abstract: The disclosed system assists an operator in dealing with flaws encountered during the spreading of web material to be cut in accordance with a marker stored in a computer memory. Information representing the location of the flaw is processed by a computer in conjunction with the marker information to yield results visually displayed to the operator concerning the seriousness of the fault's location and corrective action to be taken if the flaw does fall at a troublesome spot. The flaw location representation may be made by manual measurements entered into the system by way of a keyboard or may be made semi-automatically through a two-dimensionally encoded pointer. The visual display may give the operator information concerning a patch or concerning stop and restart lines for making a splice or may display a portion of the marker in the vicinity of the flaw.

Abstract: A vibration damper for a rotary stepping motor consists of an inertial mass connectible to the shaft of the motor through a viscous coupling comprising a standard rolling element bearing unit filled with a high viscosity material such as a silicone compound.

Abstract: Single sheets of garment material are spread on work tables for cutting by a computer controlled cutter to provide all pattern pieces for assembly into a particular garment. The pieces are selectively picked up for transport in pairs to first stage sewing stations where they are joined to provide subassembled garment pieces. Robotic devices are used for this transfer and/or joining steps and the process is repeated successively until a finished garment is produced.

Abstract: Three dimensional garment pieces are formed with a computer generated mold produced from pregathered numerical data describing the object or person to be clothed.

Abstract: An automatically controlled machine for cutting limp sheet material includes a vacuum bed defining a surface on which the sheet material is spread and held during cutting. A reciprocating cutting blade penetrates through the sheet material and the support surface of the vacuum bed as the blade is translated parallel to the support surface along lines of cut. A plurality of air-impermeable panels extend through the bed in spaced relationship to sectionalize the vacuum bed and permit the vacuum to be generated only in those portions of the bed where the cutting blade is operating. To prevent interference with the penetrating cutting blade, the panels are individually withdrawn from the bed when the cutting blade approaches.