Material cutting and printing system

Claim 2

A severing system comprising in combination: a. means for maintaining a radiant energy beam focused in a cutting plane within a cutting area; b. endless means, including air-permeable means substantially non-reflecting to said radiant energy beam for supporting material thereon in at least a single flat layer; c. means for moving said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; d. means for traversing said focused radiant energy beam, while it is focused in said plane, along a predetermined route over said work support surface within said cutting area which route includes a plurality of separate, spaced apart closed patterns so as to sever from said material along said route a plurality of parts conforming to said closed patterns; and e. means for interrupting said radiant energy beam when it is between said patterns.

Claim 3

A severing system in accordance with claim 1 characterized further in that said radiant energy beam is a laser beam.

Claim 4

A severing system in accordance with claim 2 characterized further by means for forcing gas to flow away from the underside of said air-permeable means so as to remove by-products produced by said severing.

Claim 5

The severing system of claim 2 characterized further in that said means for traversing includes a numerical control unit responsive to stored command signals representing points along said route.

Claim 6

A severing system comprising in combination: a. means for maintaining a radiant energy beam focused in a cutting plane within a cutting area; b. endless means including air-permeable means for supporting material thereon in at least a single flat layer and substantially non-reflective to said radiant energy beam; c. means for moving said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; d. means for traversing said beam, while it is focused in said plane, along a predetermined route over said work support surface within said cutting area which route includes a plurality of separate, spaced apart parts conforming to preselected closed patterns so as to sever said material along said route, thereby cutting said parts out of said material in said cutting area according to said patterns; and e. means for forcing gas to flow away from the underside of said air-permeable support means so as to remove by-products produced by said severing.

Claim 7

A severing system comprising in combination: a. means for maintaining a radiant energy beam focused in a cutting plane within a cutting area; b. endless means including air-permeable means for supporting material thereon in at least a single flat layer and substantially non-reflective to said radiant energy beam; c. means for moving said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; d. means for traversing said beam, while it is focused in said plane, along a predetermined route over said work support surface within said cutting area which route includes a plurality of separate, spaced apart parts conforming to preselected closed patterns so as to sever said material along said route, thereby cutting said parts out of said material in said cutting area according to said patterns; and e. means for forcing gas to flow away from the underside of said air-permeable support means so as to remove by-products produced by said severing.

Claim 8

A severing system comprising in combination: a. stationary means for generating a beam of coherent radiation; b. movable means for focusing a beam of coherent radiation rEceived thereby in a cutting plane within a cutting area; c. endless means including means substantially totally transmissive to said coherent radiation for supporting material substantially in said cutting plane in at least a single flat layer; d. means for moving said movable focusing means within said cutting area in a second plane parallel to said cutting plane; e. means for projecting said beam from said stationary means onto said focusing means during all of its positions in said cutting area; f. means for moving said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; and g. means for commanding said moving means to move said focusing means along a predetermined route in said second plane so as to burn a corresponding route into and through the material lying on said supporting means in said cutting plane within said cutting area.

Claim 9

A severing system comprising in combination: a. stationary means for generating a beam of coherent radiation; b. movable means for focusing a beam of coherent radiation rEceived thereby in a cutting plane within a cutting area; c. endless means including means substantially totally transmissive to said coherent radiation for supporting material substantially in said cutting plane in at least a single flat layer; d. means for moving said movable focusing means within said cutting area in a second plane parallel to said cutting plane; e. means for projecting said beam from said stationary means onto said focusing means during all of its positions in said cutting area; f. means for moving said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; and g. means for commanding said moving means to move said focusing means along a predetermined route in said second plane so as to burn a corresponding route into and through the material lying on said supporting means in said cutting plane within said cutting area.

Claim 12

A system in accordance with claim 7 characterized further in that: a. said projecting means includes a stationary laser beam source, movable means for focusing said beam onto said cutting plane and digital servo means for traversing said movable means along said cutting plane in response to a pair of velocity-representative pulse trains; and b. said digital computing means is programmed to derive said pulse trains from said stored signals.

Claim 13

A system in accordance with claim 7 and characterized further in that said conveying means is controlled by said computer to advance after the signals representing a predetermined group of said patterns have been executed by said projecting means.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 7 and characterized further by printing means movable under the control of said computer in response to additional stored signals for marking said material.

Claim 17

The system of claim 11 characterized further in that said conveying means is a conveyor having an elongate flat work support surface, said cutting and printing areas form rectangular areas through which said conveyor moves, and in that there is additionally provided for eAch of said movable cutting and printing means a carriage movable in a plane parallel to said work support surface respective ones of said cutting and printing means being mounted on, and carried parallel to said work support surface by, respective ones of said carriages.

Claim 18

The system of claim 11 characterized further in that said conveying means moves so as to advance said layer of material first through said printing area and then through said cutting area, whereby printing paths are executed prior to cutting paths on respective ones of said successive portions of said material.

Claim 19

A severing system comprising in combination: a. means for maintaining a laser beam focused in a cutting plane within a cutting area; b. an endless conveyor including air-permeable means substantially non-reflecting to said laser beam for supporting material thereon in at least a single flat layer; c. means for progressively advancing said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area in steps, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means and having successive portions thereof brought to a stop substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; d. means responsive to stored control signals for traversing said focused laser beam, while it is focused in said plane and after a given portion of said material has been brought to a stop within said cutting area, along a predetermined route over said work support surface within said cutting area, which route includes a plurality of separate, spaced apart closed patterns so as to sever from said material along said route a plurality of parts conforming to said closed patterns; and e. means for interrupting said laser beam when it is between said patterns.

Claim 20

A severing system comprising in combination: a. means for maintaining a laser beam focused in a cutting plane within a cutting area; b. an endless conveyor including air-permeable means substantially non-reflecting to said laser beam for supporting material thereon in at least a single flat layer; c. means for progressively advancing said supporting means with said material thereon through said cutting area in steps, with said material lying flat upon said supporting means and having successive portions thereof brought to a stop substantially in said cutting plane within said cutting area; d. means responsive to stored control signals for traversing said focused laser beam, while it is focused in said plane and after a given portion of said material has been brought to a stop within said cutting area, along a predetermined route over said work support surface within said cutting area, which route includes a plurality of separate, spaced apart closed patterns so as to sever from said material along said route a plurality of parts conforming to said closed patterns; and e. means for interrupting said laser beam when it is between said patterns.

Claim 21

A severing system in accordance with claim 14 characterized further in that said means responsive to stored control signals includes a computer and a numerical control unit operatively coupled thereto and in that said computer is connected to said means for progressively advancing said supporting means and is operative to cause said last means to start a given one of its steps after said laser beam has been traversed over its predetermined route, said computer also being connected to said means for interrupting said laser beam and being responsive to stored control signals to start and stop said means for interrupting said laser beam.