Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: The present invention provides a machine tool capable of suppressing cost increase of a cover even when a long workpiece is machined. A machining unit 3 by which the spindle 2 is supported to be movable in X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions relative to the machining table 5; and a shielding mechanism 100 provided in said machining unit 3 to prevent chips and coolant from scattering out of a machining area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a machine tool realizing high-speed movement of a spindle and thus reducing the machining time without any increase in size of the whole machine. A machining unit 3 by which a spindle 2 with a tool T attached thereto is supported to be relatively movable in X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions is mounted on a long bed 4 having a plurality of machining areas a1 to a4 arranged in one direction, and the machining unit 3 is movable in the arrangement direction of the machining areas.

Abstract: A fabric cutting system for cutting a pre-selected pattern from a fabric stock and transferring the cut fabric piece to a workstation. The system includes a cutter assembly for cutting the preselected pattern from the fabric stock. A configurable pickup assembly is located between the cutter assembly and the workstation and adapted to pick-up and transfer the cut fabric piece to the workstation. A hold down table adjacent to the cutter assembly maintains the position of the fabric stock in a determinable relationship to the position of the cutter assembly and the configurable pickup assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the hold down table is vacuum operated and includes a moving mesh belt on which and the fabric stock is moved downstream towards the pickup assembly as the fabric piece is being cut by the cutter assembly. This arrangement results in substantially higher throughput through the fabric cutting system.

Abstract: A cutting table for cutting pieces of fabric. The table has a fabric supporting surface mounted on a frame. A cutter is manually movable along a linear cutting path that is substantially perpendicular to an edge guide. First and second light emitting devices emit respective first and second lights in a direction substantially parallel to the linear cutting path. A manually powered drive supports the first and second light emitting devices in a spaced apart relationship, and the drive is manually operable to move the light emitting devices through equal displacements in opposite directions substantially perpendicular to the linear cutting path. The light emitting devices are used to quickly align the fabric, so that it can be cut to a desired width.

Abstract: A method for automatically cutting products, composed of a plurality of elementary pieces, such as items of clothing in general, shoes, leather goods, sofa upholstery and any other similar product, including the steps of: acquiring all the geometric characteristics and defectiveness characteristics of the material to be cut and storing all the above-described characteristics in an electronic memory so that they can be sent or retrieved automatically in real time for subsequent processing; optimizing the shapes to be cut in the material acquired in the previous step in a fully automatic manner and taking simultaneously into account all the characteristics of the acquired material and all the characteristics and rules according to which the elements that constitute the product must be cut and then assembled; removing, on said conveyor, said pieces cut in the previous step and managing them in single-product mode or as a pack; and sending, by computerized control system which controls the entire synchronization

Abstract: For making a nest of cuts (N) for cutting blanks out of flat, irregular workpieces (W), the contour (U) and the flaws (F) of the spread workpieces (W) together with a workpiece characteristic are detected by means of a digitizing unit (3), and the corresponding data are read into a computer (5), which on the basis of these data and the data stored in the computer (5) concerning number, shape and quality requirements of the blanks calculates and stores a nest of cuts and utilizes the detected workpiece characteristics of the workpieces (W) as a workpiece code for allocating the nests of cuts (N) to the respective workpieces (W).

Abstract: A cutter plotter for drawing a roll type cutting sheet and cutting it, prevents bad influences accompanied with increasing of drawing resistance when drawing the roll type cutting sheet from a rolled part. If a feeding amount of the cutting sheet by a cutting order to be executed is over an amount already fed at that time, the cutting sheet is further fed in a Y-direction prior to execution of the cutting order for compensating said over amount.

Abstract: An apparatus for trimming the edges of a fabric panel. The apparatus includes a holding fixture for holding the panel such that the edges to be trimmed hang freely in the holding fixture. A trimming apparatus is insertable into the holding fixture for trimming the edges of the panels together while the panels are held in the holding fixture. The trimming apparatus includes a frame having a movable slide and at least one trimming assembly attached to the slide. A fixture drive engages the holding fixture holding the edges of the panels to be trimmed and repositions the holding fixture prior to trimming the edges of the panel.

Abstract: An apparatus for use with fabric measuring and cutting machines for the purpose of assuring that tubular fabric that is drawn from storage is forced into an essentially flat, wrinkle free form prior to its entry into the measuring and cutting machine. The apparatus consists of a rectangular frame which is adjustable in width and is required to sit in a clamped position atop the feed rollers of the measuring and cutting machine so that the tubular fabric in forced over the device just prior to its being pulled into the cutting and measuring device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for nondestructively removing a cut segment of predetermined shape from a limp material sheet workpiece and transporting the cut workpiece segment to a staging area for further processing. The cut segment is picked up by a picker which may comprise an array of carding strips, each strip having a plurality of needle-like elements, arranged such that each strip can be displaced relative to its adjacent strips and the needle-like elements of each strip are angularly offset with respect to the needle-like elements of the adjacent strips. Such removal and transporting having is accomplished without distorting the shape of the cut segment.

Abstract: Motor-driven cutting apparatus for cutting sheet media are disclosed, particularly for use with plotter and printer apparatus. The cutting apparatus of one embodiment comprises two cutting members in which at least one of the cutting members is moved both angularly and linearly, e.g., pivoted and reciprocated, relative to the other to cut media placed between the two cutting members. In another embodiment, the cutting members are both simultaneously pivoted relative to each other. Rotary motion of a driving member, e.g. a motor shaft or a shaft coupled to a motor shaft, is converted to combined angular and straight line motion or only angular motion at one or both cutting members by a simplified coupling arrangement which may comprise simple sleeves with eccentric structure and pivot-type joints. Cutting apparatus according to the invention may be used for X-axis and/or Y-axis cutting.

Abstract: A completely automatic method for the nesting of contours to be cut from a piece of natural leather in which defects in structure and material as well as the outer contours of the leather are detected by means of a camera. The defective places, characterized by different shades of color, are transmitted to the electronic control unit. Pattern contours to be cut are stored in the electronic control unit, and regions wherein specific degrees of defect are tolerable are defined for each contour. A specific shade of color corresponds to each degree of defect, so that defects of the same degree are characterized by the same shade of color (in the case of black-and-white cameras by the same gray values; in the case of color cameras by the same color temperature). An automatic nesting simulation process is then effected via a software program.

Abstract: Arrangement for production of sections cut out from a material web (18), such as sections for articles of clothing. It comprises a carrier element (19) with a deposit surface (17) for the material web (18), an automatic cutter (16) which is displaceable over the cutting member (70; 77) is supported by the slide arrangement. The cutting member is moved by means of a computer program along the intended contours of the sections which are to be cut out. The carrier element (19), which can be a conveyor belt, is of a material which is elastically compressible. The material, by virtue of its elasticity, tends to form a main plane in which, as a result of the compressibility of the material, depressions can be formed by exerting a force on the material, for example by pressing-down of bottom parts of the cutting and picking members.

Abstract: A method for changing the direction of a cutting edge of a cutting plotter in order to align the cutting edge in the direction in which the initial portion of the desired cut will be made, prior to beginning a cut in the effective plotting area of a sheet mounted on a recording surface. By preliminarily aligning the cutting edge along the cutting direction, the cut can be made accurately along, for example, a straight line from the starting point of the cut. The method is performed with a cutting blade with a main edge directed diagonally upwardly from a cutting point, the cutting blade being rotatably supported in a holder for rotation around its axial center. The edge of the cutter can be aligned in a certain direction by first pressing the blade against a non-used portion of the sheet and moving the cutter therealong in a predetermined direction to cause rotation of the main edge of the cutter in the holder to align it in a first predetermined direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for cutting patterned sheets. The apparatus is made of a support surface formed on an upper side of a pedestal. Needle holders having removable needles therein are disposed above said support surface and held adjustably by a base member. The apparatus also includes a suction pipe disposed on one side edge of the support surface. The suction pipe is used with an envelope of air-impervious material and forms one edge of the envelope.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting sheet material such as cloth during operations thereon such as cutting wherein a pattern is placed on a supporting surface provided with a plurality of pins extending through apertures in the surface, the pins are lowered below the surface for removal of the pattern whereupon sheet material is placed on the surface, typically a plurality of plies being layed up in a stack, and simultaneously the pins are moved through the sheet material to maintain alignment and matching of the plies in the stack. The pattern then is placed on the sheet material in a position determined by the location of the pins, and the material is shaped such as by cutting.A plurality of separate pin holding and supporting devices, each of relatively narrow width, are provided in spaced relation lengthwise along the apparatus and are independently movable lengthwise toward and away from each other.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for cutting parts from hides from different shapes and sizes a digitizer and a cutter are provided which make it possible to digitize a hide at one time on the digitizer and to then cut it at a later time on the cutter with the hide when spread on the supporting surface of the cutter being given a shape and location exactly corresponding to its shape and location on the supporting surface of the digitizer. Therefore, the digitized representation of each hide may be used to create an efficient cuting marker for the hide which marker can then be used to cut the hide on the cutter without producing rejects or other cutting errors due to the location and shape of the hide on the supporting surface of the cutter not agreeing with those of the hide on the supporting surface of the digitizer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting sheet material such as cloth during operations thereon such as cutting wherein a pattern is placed on a supporting surface provided with a plurality of pins extending through apertures in the surface, the pins are lowered below the surface for removal of the pattern whereupon sheet material is placed on the surface, typically a plurality of plies being layed up in a stack, and simultaneously the pins are moved through the sheet material to maintain alignment and matching of the plies in the stack. The pattern then is placed on the sheet material in a position determined by the location of the pins, and the material is shaped such as by cutting. A plurality of separate pin holding and supporting devices of narrow width are spaced lengthwise along the apparatus and independently movable lengthwise toward and away from each other. Pins of adjacent rows can be closely spaced together thereby achieving a grid pattern wherein the pins are relatively closely spaced.

Abstract: A laminate cutting apparatus includes a cutter head moved horizontally back and forth above a support member which supports a laminate, and a cutting member and piercing blade mounted on the cutter head, with the cutting member comprising a knife-shaped cutting blade or the cutting blade and a cutting blade guide. The upper surface of a cutter rest moved in synchronization with the cutter head and in the same direction is arranged flush with a supporting surface of the support member. There are provided a cutting member receiving body into which receives the cutting member, and a piercing blade receiving body which receives the piercing blade. The cutting member and the piercing blade are adapted so as to turn in the same direction and so as to be raised and lowered independently of each other. Furthermore, the cutting member receiving member is adapted so as to turn in synchronization with the cutting member and in the same direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a laminated sheet material includes a pedestal for supporting on a support surface thereof a laminate of a sheet material at least the upper and lower surfaces of which are covered with an air-impermeable sheet. Arranged on the support surface is a suction pipe a side face of which is provided with a suction port for attracting a side face of the laminate. Connected to the suction pipe is a suction pipe drive unit for reciprocating the suction pipe in one direction. Coupled to a cutter head arranged above the laminate is a cutter head drive unit for reciprocating the cutter head in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the suction pipe is reciprocated. A guide groove opposing the path along which the cutter head is reciprocated is provided in the support surface of the pedestal, and a number of closure plates driven in synchronization with the cutter head are fitted in the guide groove, the closure plates being interconnected.

Abstract: A table exchanging device for a wood working machine wherein workpieces of wood can be individually attracted and fixed by a sucking action by vacuum and such sucking action can be maintained also while the slide tables are slidably moved. The device comprises a pair of hollow slide tables having air sucking holes formed in upper walls thereof, a hollow bracket provided in a pneumatically communicating relationship on each slide table, and a hollow tubular shaft provided on each of a pair of left and right beds of the wood working machine and connected to a blower or a vacuum pump. A first hollow arm is supported for horizontal pivotal motion on each hollow bracket and pneumatically communicated with the follow bracket at their mutually connecting location. A second hollow arm is supported for horizontal pivotal motion on each hollow tubular shaft and pneumatically communicated with the hollow tubular shaft at their mutually connection location.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a laminated sheet material includes a pedestal for supporting on a support surface thereof a laminate of a sheet material at least the upper and lower surfaces of which are covered with an air-impermeable sheet. Arranged on the support surface is a suction pipe a side face of which is provided with a suction port for attracting a side face of the laminate. Connected to the suction pipe is a suction pipe drive unit for reciprocating the suction pipe in one direction. Coupled to a cutter head arranged above the laminate is a cutter head drive unit for reciprocating the cutter head in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the suction pipe is reciprocated. A guide groove opposing the path along which the cutter head is reciprocated is provided in the support surface of the pedestal, and a number of closure plates driven in synchronization with the cutter head are fitted in the guide groove, the closure plates being interconnected.

Abstract: A cutter in which a reciprocating knife is driven by an eccentric mechanism. The knife has a drive portion that flexes laterally in a plane perpendicular to the drive axis of the eccentric mechanism. The eccentric drive axis is offset along the perpendicular plane away from the axis on which the knife reciprocates. The offset of the eccentric drive axis allows the flexible drive portion to be kept straighter during the downstroke than in previous cutters. The increased straightening provides greater columnar strength and reduces deflection and stress of the drive portion during the time the knife is in compression. During the upstroke the knife is bent to a greater degree than in the previous cutters, but during this time the knife is in tension, the tension forces opposing rather than aiding the bending. The offset therefore provides for a longer service life for a blade of equal size or allows a reduction in size and mass of the knife to maintain an equivalent service life.