Automatic positioning apparatus for cutting torches

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC POSITIONING APPARATUS FOR A TORCH, COMPRISING: A TORCH, TORCH MOVING MEANS INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR, BRAKE MEANS FOR IMMEDIATELY STOPPING SAID MOTOR AND FOR ENABLING SAID MOTOR TO MOVE SAID TORCH, SAID BRAKE MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZABLE SOLENOID, A SENSING MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID TORCH FOR RIDING OVER AND RESPONDING TO INCLINATIONS IN A WORK SURFACE, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID MOTOR AND SAID SOLENOID, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST SWITCH OPERABLE BY SAID SENSING MEMBER FOR CAUSING ENERGIZATION OF SAID SOLENOID TO ENABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID TORCH MOVING MEANS AND FOR CAUSING ENERGIZATION OF SAID MOTOR TO MOVE SAID TORCH IN ONE DIRCTION, AN ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZABLE RELAY, A SECOND SWITCH OPERABLE BY SAID SENSING MEMBER FOR CAUSING ENERGIZATION OF SAID RELAY, AND SWITCH MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID RELAY FOR CAUSING ENERGIZATION OF SAID SOLENOID TO ENABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID TORCH MOVING MEANS AND FOR CAUSING ENERGIZATION OF SAID MOTOR TO MOVE SAID TORCH IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SO THAT SAID TORCH CAN BE PREVENTED FROM MOVING OUTSIDE PREDETERMINED DISTANCE LIMITS RELATIVE TO THE WORK SURFACE.