Control for the back gage of a cutting machine

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A CUTTING MACHINE HAVING A TABLE AND A KNIFE RECIPROCABLY OPERABLE IN A CUTTING PLANE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TABLE, A BACK GAGE OPERABLE ALONG THE SURFACE OF SAID TABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID CUTTING PLANE TO POSITION MATERIAL TO BE CUT WITH RESPECT TO SAID KNIFE, BACK GAGE POSITION CONTROL MEANS MOVABLE ALONG A DEFINED PATH IN RELATION TO MOVEMENT OF SAID GAGE AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PULSE GENERATING MEANS SPACED THEREON TO DEFINE SUCCESSIVE POSITIONS OF SAID BACK GAGE, DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BACK GAGE PULSE SENSING MEANS FOR SCANNING SAID POSITION CONTROL MEANS, MEANS DRIVING SAID SENSING MEANS TO SCAN CYCLICALLY OVER A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE PATH ALONG WHICH SAID POSITION CONTROL MEANS TRAVELS, MEANS DEFINIG A REFERENCE POSITION IN SAID PORTION OF SAID PATH SCANNED BY SAID SENSING MEANS AND INCLUDING MEANS GENERATING AN IMPULSE FOR SAID REFERENCE POSITION, AND MEANS OPERATIVE BY PULSES FROM SAID PULSE SENSING MEANS AND SAID REFERENCE POSITION MEANS TO DISABLE SAID DRIVE MEANS AND HALT SAID BACK GAGE IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED RELATION BETWEEN SAID PULSE GENERATING MEANS AND SAID REFERENCE POSITION.