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:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1997
Erich F. Steadman, Williamsville, NY (US);
Eastman Machine Company, Buffalo, NY (US);
Abstract
A system and method for performing operations such as cutting on sheet material such as cloth wherein the sheet material is scanned at an inspection station to determine the existence and location of flaws in the material, the material is transferred to a conveyor where operations such as cutting are performed on the sheet material as it is moved by the conveyor, and the speed of the conveyor and the speed, direction and mode of the operations are controlled all according to a predetermined pattern of operation for the sheet material and the pattern can be re-nested or adjusted in accordance with the existence and location of flaws in the material as determined by the scanning. The operations are performed by controlled gantry-style cutters, and preferably two such cutters are employed wherein a control determines the conveyor speed and determines the portions of the cutting operation to be performed by the respective cutters.