Automatic band saw and method

Claim 1

IN A BAND SAW HAVING A FRAME WITH UPPER AND LOWER GUIDE WHEELS MOUNTED THEREON AND AN ENDLESS SAW BLADE OPERATED THEREBY TO DRAW THE WORKING RUN OF THE SAW BLADE DOWNWARDLY AT ONE SIDE OF SAID WHEELS THROUGH A SAWING ZONE, A WORK TABLE HAVING AN OPEN CENTRAL AREA THROUGH WHICH SAID WORKING RUN OF THE SAW BLADE MAY EXTEND AND OPPOSITE WHICH AREA A PATTERN AND A WORK PIECE MAY BE CLAMPED TO THE TABLE, A STATIONARY GUIDE ON AND IN FIXED RELATION TO THE FRAME AND ADJACENT SAID WORKING RUN OF THE BLADE AND AGAINST WHICH GUIDE THE CONTROL EDGE OF SUCH A PATTERN MAY ABUT, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TABLE FOR ROTATIVE AS WELL AS COORDINATE MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, AN ACTUATING FRAME FOR SAID TABLE HAVING MEANS FOR IMPARTING YIELDING FEED MOVEMENT TO THE TABLE IN THE GENERAL PLANE OF THE SAW BLADE AND FOR IMPARTING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE TABLE GENERALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE SAW FOR MAINTAINING SUCH A PATTERN IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GUIDE, MEANS INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON SAID ACTUATING FRAME FOR IMPARTING ROTATION IN EITHER DIRECTION TO SAID TABLE, SENSING MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME AND ENGAGING SAID WORKING RUN OF THE SAW BLADE AS IT MOVES TOWARD THE SAWING ZONE AND SHIFTABLE IN RESPONSE TO LATERAL DEVIATION OF THE SENSED POSITION OF THE BLADE, AND CIRCUIT CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID MOTOR GOVERNED BY SHIFTING MOVEMENT OF SAID SENSING MEANS FOR OPERATING THE MOTOR IN ONE DIRECTION WHEN THE SENSING MEANS IS SHIFTED IN ONE DIRECTION FROM A PREDETERMINED NORMAL POSITION AND FOR OPERATING THE MOTOR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION WHEN THE SENSING MEANS IS SHIFTED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION.