Abstract: A method of and apparatus for reducing the thickness of (or skiving) regions of sheet material workpieces, e.g. shoe upper components, involves feeding a workpiece 14 to a band knife (4) and, in advance of said knife, applying pressure to the workpiece 14, using a row of pressure-applying elements (18) to deform a region of the workpiece in relation to the cutting plane (20) of the knife. By controlling the elements (18) to operate in successive sequences of combinations, regions of the workpiece (14) are successively skived as the workpiece (14) passes the knife (4). The operation of the elements (18) is controlled by a computer (CPU), having a memory in which workpiece information data, relating to certain workpiece parameters, as well as in accordance with shape, positional and orientational data is stored. Such data may be generated using optical recognition workpiece means (100,120,140,160).

Abstract: A system for identifying workpieces by scanning them and "reading" details of their configuration is adapted for applying a desired pattern of material in liquid form (e.g. ink) or in powder form (e.g. toner material or a hot melt adhesive) to the workpieces regardless of their location and orientation on a workpiece support (18, 118). This is achieved by the pattern data (relating to the desired pattern) selected from a store being modified in accordance with positional data (relating to the location and orientation obtained during scanning FIG. 2). When the applied material is liquid and dispensed from such as a suitable tool such as a pen (152) or other liquid applicator. When the ink is in powder form, a suitable tool is an electrostatic printer (36) e.g. an ionographic printer.