Abstract: A replaceable ring shaped member for a clamp foot air jet apparatus for a clamp foot for clamping a plate for a cutting tool, includes a clamp foot assembly having an outer ring shaped member fluidly and supportably connectable to the removably ring shaped member. The inner ring shaped member includes a central aperture for the cutting of a plate to be located. An outer curved edge surface of the inner ring shaped member includes at least one abutting surface to sealingly abut a curved edge of the outer ring member includes a groove for directing air from the outer ring member and through at least one hole in the inner member, whereby a fluid can be directed through each hole to the central aperture, and whereby at least one fluid jet can be formed to move coolant and/or waste from the cutting location with respect to the clamp foot.

Abstract: An above plate coolant containment and recovery system for a machine having at least one machining head having a cutting tool in the form of a machining spindle with coolant supplied to the tooling and is designed for containing machining coolant during machining. The system includes a coolant guard apparatus and waste removal assembly. The coolant guard contains and separates coolant fluid as used during wet cutting machining for providing a dry cutting environment beyond the coolant guard apparatus. The coolant guard apparatus includes at least one shaped containment area formed with a substantially upright perimeter wall located on top of the plate to be cut to form the contained area, whereby the waste removal assembly, which is fluidly connected to the coolant guard apparatus, causes the removal of the used coolant and machining solid waste without leaking beyond the containment area.

Abstract: A cutting table for supporting or suspending plate while being processed by a profile plate cutting machine, includes a modular construction made up from several interlocking and connected components. The cutting table includes supporting frame assembly and sacrificial grid assembly which supports and connects to a sacrificial interlocking grid assembly being removably connected together by slotted connecting apparatus to form the cutting table. The supporting frame assembly includes structural support bar members. The sacrificial interlocking grid assembly includes a plurality of first cross slat elongate members and second cross slat members being slidably interwoven with each other in a slotted type arrangement to form a sacrificial grid of parallel spaced members. Each of the first cross slats of the interlocking grid members sit directly on and parallel to the planar structural support bar members that can support the heavy loads of the plate being cut.

Abstract: A cutting machine waste extraction apparatus is provided and includes ducting system and junction apparatus such that waste from cutting is removable from the cutting area through a movable ducting system. The ducting system receives and directs waste from the cutting area, up a vertical plane to a horizontal plane. A portion of the ducting system is connected by the junction apparatus to another portion of the ducting system, whereby in the horizontal plane the ducting is movable with respect to other ducting. The junction apparatus includes a movable junction ducting for directionally directing waste flow. The ducting has at least one movable flexible belt covering and sealing the ducting. belt being movably supported by rollers to be slidably raised above a portion of the ducting to allow the junction apparatus to be movable along the ducting to allow waste therein while being continuously fluidly sealed.

Abstract: A below plate coolant recovery and waste separation system is provided for a combined machining and thermal metal plate cutting machine A trolley structure is located underneath a table supporting a fume chamber and coolant tray. The trolley is movable both in the X axis, and in response to the location of the cutting tools which move with the gantry along the rails to be positioned over the table and plate to be cut, during use in cutting the plate such that the coolant or cutting fluid is captured and reused and kept separate from the cutting waste. The trolley structure is suspended under the cutting table and includes a chamber for movably supporting at least one fume extraction chamber and at least one tray for receiving and removing coolant, whereby the coolant recovery and waste separation system movement is synchronised with the cutting tools by the machine control system.

Abstract: A torch spacing apparatus for a plasma or flame cutting machine includes a gantry that is guided to travel in an X axis. Mounted to the gantry is at least one carriage that is/are guided to travel in a Y axis. Mounted to each carriage are selected tooling having at least two cutting torches mounted thereon with an active cutting tool in an active cutting position. The carriage is mounted to enable tooling substitution whereby the torch spacing apparatus includes a substitution mechanism which is operatively attached to the carriage and tooling such that the said substitution mechanism is adapted to allow the position of a cutting torch or active cutting torch to be substituted with another cutting torch currently in the active position to space the torches accordingly by rotating the cutting tools about a Z axis.