The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 15, 1992
Filed:
Mar. 19, 1990
Robert L Campbell, Jr, Hickory, NC (US);
Harry S Hickman, II, Morganton, NC (US);
Thomas E Holshouser, Granite Falls, NC (US);
Gary L Icenhour, Taylorsville, NC (US);
FORCAM, Incorporated, Hickory, NC (US);
Abstract
A method and system for cutting a web, such as a patterned fabric, displays a nested template pattern for the fabric along with a superimposed image of the fabric on a display screen, to allow the nested template pattern to be moved relative to the fabric image, under operator control. The nested template pattern may be moved as a whole, and individual templates may be moved, rotated or warped, so that a new template pattern is produced which is aligned to the fabric image, notwithstanding defects such as skew, bow or uneven repeat in the fabric. Once produced, the new template pattern is converted into customized cutting instructions for the fabric. The customized instructions are used to control a cutting station, for example a laser cutting station, to cut each section of fabric according to its customized cutting instructions. High speed cutting of patterned fabric may be provided by simultaneously capturing the image of a first section of fabric, generating a customized template pattern for a second section of fabric, the image of which has already been captured, and cutting a third section of fabric, the customized cutting instructions for which have already been generated.