Abstract: A modular comb element for a machine for automatically cutting a mat of sheets of material. The cutting machine includes a plurality of cutting supports. The comb element includes a plate forming a support from which a first and a second row of teeth extend longitudinally. The teeth of the first row alternate with the teeth of the second row, and a free end of the teeth of the first row are farther from a downstream edge of the support than a free end of the teeth of the second row of teeth. A ramp is mounted on the downstream edge of the support and inclined with respect to the latter so as to limit the contact surface between the mat of sheets and the comb element. Air injection means are at a downstream edge of the ramp over an entire width thereof.

Abstract: A method for determining components of a mechanical action torsor at the guiding point of a cutting blade for a cutting machine, the blade being guided in a presser foot of a cutting head of the machine, such that the method includes the positioning of a five-component dynamometer on the presser foot, the dynamometer comprising a plurality of sensors for determining a frontal force, a lateral force, a rolling moment, a pitching moment and a yawing moment of the cutting blade, the establishment of a calibration matrix of the dynamometer, and the determination of the forces in three dimensions to which the cutting blade is subjected, on the basis of the measurements obtained by the sensors and the calibration matrix.

Abstract: A suction cutting conveyor of an automatic blade cutting machine for sheet materials, including a plurality of cutting supports rigidly connected to a drive mechanism driven along rectilinear and curvilinear trajectories, each cutting support including a plurality of bristles each having a foot rigidly connected to a sole and a head opposite to the foot and on which a sheet material to be cut is intended to rest, the sole of each cutting support being capable of being able to elastically deform following the trajectories of the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A modular cutting-support element with suction in a machine for automatic cutting of sheet material by means of blades, includes a plurality of bristles arranged in the same single line, at least some of the bristles each having a base rigidly connected to a bearing plate intended to be mounted on a support, a head opposite the base on which a sheet material to be cut is intended to rest, and a stem connecting the head to the base, the largest cross-section of which is strictly included in the largest cross-section of the head, the bearing plate comprising, on each of its side surfaces, a plurality of transverse channels for the passage of suction air providing communication between an upper surface of the bearing plate from which the bristles extend and an inner surface opposite the upper surface.

Abstract: A method for determining a dimension between the back and the cutting edge of a vibrating blade mounted on a cutting head includes successively of acquiring a digital image of the blade mounted on the cutting tool so a line corresponding to a cutting edge of the blade and a line corresponding to a back of the blade are visible in the image, determining on the digital image along a straight line perpendicular to the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade the pixels comprised between the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade and the line corresponding to the back of the blade, and calculating a filtered dimension between the back and the cutting edge of the blade from the number of pixels comprised between the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade and the line corresponding to the back of the blade.

Abstract: A method for determining a dimension between the back and the cutting edge of a vibrating blade mounted on a cutting head includes successively of acquiring a digital image of the blade mounted on the cutting tool so a line corresponding to a cutting edge of the blade and a line corresponding to a back of the blade are visible in the image, determining on the digital image along a straight line perpendicular to the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade the pixels comprised between the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade and the line corresponding to the back of the blade, and calculating a filtered dimension between the back and the cutting edge of the blade from the number of pixels comprised between the line corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade and the line corresponding to the back of the blade.

Abstract: The invention provides a flattening method for flattening the edges of a swatch of flexible material from which pieces are to be cut out. The method comprises: establishing a digital representation of at least a portion of an outline (HC) of the swatch of flexible material (H); establishing a specific flattening direction (Di, Dj) and distance (Vi, Vj) for each of the points (Pi, Pj) of the scanned portion of the outline of the swatch; and for each selected point of the scanned portion of the outline of the swatch, using a presser foot of a cutter tool, to flatten the edges of the swatch along the specific flattening direction and distance established for said point, and along a flattening direction going from within the swatch towards its edges.

Abstract: The invention provides a flattening method for flattening the edges of a swatch of flexible material from which pieces are to be cut out. The method comprises: establishing a digital representation of at least a portion of an outline (HC) of the swatch of flexible material (H); establishing a specific flattening direction (Di, Dj) and distance (Vi, Vj) for each of the points (Pi, Pj) of the scanned portion of the outline of the swatch; and for each selected point of the scanned portion of the outline of the swatch, using a presser foot of a cutter tool, to flatten the edges of the swatch along the specific flattening direction and distance established for said point, and along a flattening direction going from within the swatch towards its edges.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for automatically cutting sheet material, the machine comprising a bench having a cutting zone, a cutter head mounted on means for moving it relative to the bundle, a cutter conveyor housed inside a box placed under the cutting zone, and means for establishing suction in the box, the box bulging outwards at least in its bottom portion that is remote from the cutting zone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for automatically cutting sheet material, the machine comprising a bench having a cutting zone, a cutter head mounted on means for moving it relative to the bundle, a cutter conveyor housed inside a box placed under the cutting zone, and means for establishing suction in the box, the box bulging outwards at least in its bottom portion that is remote from the cutting zone.

Abstract: Pieces are cut out from a sheet material by means of an installation comprising a cutting-out table (12) receiving the sheet material (30) from a loading station (12), and an unloading station (16) for unloading cut-out pieces. A flexible sealing film (32) is brought onto the sheet material upstream from the cutting-out table, and it is applied by establishing suction at the surface of the cutting-out table. After cutting-out, at least the skeleton (32?) of the sealing film is separated at the downstream end of the cutting-out table in order to be recovered. The recovery is preformed by automatic winding-up outside the unloading station, it being possible to deposit fastenings on the sealing film so that they straddle the cutting-out lines, or else said recovery is performed by sucking up the fragments of sealing film by means of a rotary member bearing against the sheet material.

Abstract: A method for laying out pieces to be cut out from a remnant of flexible material, the cut out pieces being used to manufacture an article. A mask generic to remnants of a given type is generated. The at least one generic mask is subdivided into zones which correspond to different gradations of a characteristic of the remnant, e.g. leather color or leather grain. At least some of the pieces to be cut out are assigned a set of constraints including at least one value constraint for a characteristic of the remnant. At least some of the pieces to be cut out are linked to each other, for example, as a function of the constraints assigned to the respective pieces. The at least one generic mask is applied to a particular remnant of the given type to subdivide the particular remnant into zones having uniform characteristics. The pieces to be cut out are automatically laid out on the particular remnant as a function of any constraints assigned to the pieces, and in compliance with the links defined between the pieces.

Abstract: Pieces are cut out from a sheet material by means of an installation comprising a cutting-out table (12) receiving the sheet material (30) from a loading station (12), and an unloading station (16) for unloading cut-out pieces. A flexible sealing film (32) is brought onto the sheet material upstream from the cutting-out table, and it is applied by establishing suction at the surface of the cutting-out table. After cutting-out, at least the skeleton (32′) of the sealing film is separated at the downstream end of the cutting-out table in order to be recovered. The recovery is preformed by automatic winding-up outside the unloading station, it being possible to deposit fastenings on the sealing film so that they straddle the cutting-out lines, or else said recovery is performed by sucking up the fragments of sealing film by means of a rotary member bearing against the sheet material.

Abstract: Pieces are cut out from a sheet material by means of an installation comprising a cutting-out table (12) receiving the sheet material (30) from a loading station (12), and an unloading station (16) for unloading cut-out pieces. A flexible sealing film (32) is brought onto the sheet material upstream from the cutting-out table, and it is applied by establishing suction at the surface of the cutting-out table. After cutting-out, at least the skeleton (32′) of the sealing film is separated at the downstream end of the cutting-out table in order to be recovered. The recovery is preformed by automatic winding-up outside the unloading station, it being possible to deposit fastenings on the sealing film so that they straddle the cutting-out lines, or else said recovery is performed by sucking up the fragments of sealing film by means of a rotary member bearing against the sheet material.