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:
Nov. 22, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 22, 1993
Norman A Rudy, Renton, WA (US);
Design Systems, Inc., Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for cutting a predetermined repetitive pattern in at least one piece of material (14). The apparatus includes a conveyor belt (12) for advancing the material (14) to be cut. A first drive mechanism, disposed above the conveyor belt, includes an endless belt (28) trained over two spindles (30, 32) powered by a servomotor (34). To reciprocate in a direction transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, at least one fluid jet cutter (16) is attached to the forward span of the drive belt (28) so as to move with the forward span of the drive belt. Correspondingly, at least one fluid jet cutter (18) is attached to the rearward span of the drive belt so as to move with the rearward span of the drive belt (28). The fluid jet cutters are carried by carriages (20, 22) which ride along tracks disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the drive belt. A second drive mechanism (19b) with a second set of jet cutters (16b, 18 b) and a second belt (28b) may be employed to cut complicated shapes. The present invention is used to cut shapes such as circles and pie segments by having the forward cutter and a rearward cutter attached to the opposite runs of the same belt to simultaneously cut mirror images of the circles or pie segments.