US3765289A — Vacuum hold-down apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 117 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. means defining a generally horizontally disposed upwardly facing sheet material supporting surface, b. said supporting surface defining means including a bed of material adjacent said supporting surface, c. said bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed above said base portion, d. means providing a vacuum source, and e. means for connecting said vacuum source to the gas permeable body portion of the bed at a station above the impermeable base portion and laterally adjacent at least one side edge of said body portion to effect a vacuum within said body portion.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 117 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. means defining a generally horizontally disposed upwardly facing sheet material supporting surface, b. said supporting surface defining means including a bed of material adjacent said supporting surface, c. said bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed above said base portion, d. means providing a vacuum source, and e. means for connecting said vacuum source to the gas permeable body portion of the bed at a station above the impermeable base portion and laterally adjacent at least one side edge of said body portion to effect a vacuum within said body portion.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the gas permeable body portion includes a plurality of flexible bristles which are fixedly connected to the base portion and extend generally perpendicularly to the supporting surface.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 107 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting surface defining means includes an elongated table, said bed including a plurality of segments extending transversely of said table and being disposed longitudinally therealong, said bed having a plurality of transversely extending air impermeable divider means inserted between at least some of said segments of the bed to divide said supporting surface into a plurality of sheet material holding zones, said divider means being effective to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from each of the holding zones, and said connecting means including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to individual ones of said holding zones.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 3 for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a cutting tool wherein said body portion of said bed is penetrable by said tool; and each of said divider means is composed of a thin strip of material that may readily be cut by the tool.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 71 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said table includes two longitudinally extending side members, said bed segments extend transversely of said table for a distance shorter than the distance between said side members, and said vacuum connecting means includes a first gas passage means located along one of said side members of the table and disposed between such one side member and the associated side edge of said bed.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said vacuum connecting means includes a second gas passage means located along the other of said side members and disposed between said other side member and the associated side edge of said bed.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 51 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein: the first gas passage means in the vacuum connecting means comprises a channel member interposed between the one of said side members of the table and the associated side edge of the bed and defining a gas-transmitting channel communicating with the body portion.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein: the first gas passage means in the vacuum connecting means comprises an air permeable block extending laterally adjacent the one side edge of the body portion.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 64 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein: the first gas passage means in the vacuum connecting means includes a vacuum chamber structure located along the one of said side members of the table and the associated side edge of the bed, the chamber structure forming a gas passageway between the vacuum source and the station laterally adjacent the body portion of the bed.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 75 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bed includes a plurality of transversely extending divider means disposed in said bed to divide it into a longitudinal series of contiguous sheet material holding zones, said divider means being air impermeable to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from each of the sheet material holding zones, and said connecting means including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to individual ones of said holding zones.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 118 words

In an apparatus for working on sheet material, said apparatus having a generally horizontally disposed upwardly facing sheet material supporting surface, a tool, a bed of material penetrable by the tool and means for moving the tool and said bed of penetrable material with respect to each other, the combination comprising: a. support means for said penetrable bed, b. said penetrable bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed on said base portion, c. means providing a vacuum source, and d. means for connecting said vacuum source to the gas permeable body portion of the bed laterally adjacent at least one side edge thereof for effecting a vacuum within said body portion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 118 words

In an apparatus for working on sheet material, said apparatus having a generally horizontally disposed upwardly facing sheet material supporting surface, a tool, a bed of material penetrable by the tool and means for moving the tool and said bed of penetrable material with respect to each other, the combination comprising: a. support means for said penetrable bed, b. said penetrable bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed on said base portion, c. means providing a vacuum source, and d. means for connecting said vacuum source to the gas permeable body portion of the bed laterally adjacent at least one side edge thereof for effecting a vacuum within said body portion.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

In an apparatus as defined in claim 11, the combination wherein said gas permeable body portion of said bed is comprised of a plurality of flexible bristles which are fixedly connected to said gas impermeable base portion and extend generally perpendicularly to the supporting surface.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 78 words

In an apparatus as defined in claim 11, the combination wherein said bed includes a plurality of transversely extending air impermeable separators disposed in said bed to divide it into a longitudinally extending series of contiguous sheet material holding zones, said separators being effective to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from each of the sheet material holding zones, and said connecting means including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to individual ones of said holding zones.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 138 words

In an apparatus having a cutting tool as defined in claim 11, the combination wherein said supporting surface means includes an elongated table having a longitudinal series of contiguous chambers defining vacuum zones adjacent at least one edge of said gas permeable body portion, said penetrable bed including a plurality of segments disposed longitudinally along said table and extending transversely of said table, said bed having air impermeable divider means capable of being cut by said cutting tool disposed between selected segments of the penetrable bed to define sheet material holding zones generally longitudinally aligned wiTh said vacuum zones, said connecting means including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to selected ones of said contiguous chambers, and said divider means being effective to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from each of the sheet material holding zones.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 106 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. a bed of bristles projecting from one side of a non-permeable supporting base in the bed, the free ends of the bristles defining a supporting surface for supporting sheet material to be worked upon, b. means providing a vacuum source, and c. means for connecting said vacuum source to the region between the one side of the supporting base and the supporting surface defined by the free ends of the bristles so that air may flow through the bristles from said supporting surface to the vacuum source.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 106 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. a bed of bristles projecting from one side of a non-permeable supporting base in the bed, the free ends of the bristles defining a supporting surface for supporting sheet material to be worked upon, b. means providing a vacuum source, and c. means for connecting said vacuum source to the region between the one side of the supporting base and the supporting surface defined by the free ends of the bristles so that air may flow through the bristles from said supporting surface to the vacuum source.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 69 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus as defined in claim 15 further characterized by said supporting base being a gas impermeable base, and said means for connecting the vacuum source to the region between the one side of the base and the supporting surface including means extending along at least one lateral side edge of said bed for removing air from said region along said lateral side edge of the bed.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 66 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus as defined in claim 16 further characterized by said bed of bristles providing a plurality of contiguous holding zones arranged in a series extending longitudinally of said bed, and said connecting means including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to the region between the one side of the support base and the supporting surface within individual ones of said holding zones.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 48 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus as defined in claim 17 further characterized by a plurality of transversely extending gas impermeable divider strips disposed in the region of said bed between the one side of the supporting base and the supporting surface and dividing said bed into said holding zones.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 212 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. a sheet material supporting bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed on said base portion with said gas permeable body portion defining a sheet material supporting surface, b. means providing a vacuum source, c. means for connecting said vacuum source to said gas permeable body portion of said bed along at least one lateral side edge of said body portion above the impermeable base portion to effect a vacuum within said body portion, d. said connecting means including means defining a plurality of vacuum chambers arranged in a series extending longitudinally of said bed and separated from one another by a plurality of partitions extending transversely of said bed, e. said connecting means further including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to individual ones of said vacuum chambers, and f. a plurality of transversely extending divider means in said gas permeable body portion of said bed aligned with said partitions for dividing said body portion of said bed into a plurality of holding zones each associated with a respective one of said chambers and to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from said holding zones.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 212 words

A vacuum holddown apparatus for holding sheet material in place while being worked on by a tool comprising: a. a sheet material supporting bed including a gas impermeable base portion and a gas permeable body portion disposed on said base portion with said gas permeable body portion defining a sheet material supporting surface, b. means providing a vacuum source, c. means for connecting said vacuum source to said gas permeable body portion of said bed along at least one lateral side edge of said body portion above the impermeable base portion to effect a vacuum within said body portion, d. said connecting means including means defining a plurality of vacuum chambers arranged in a series extending longitudinally of said bed and separated from one another by a plurality of partitions extending transversely of said bed, e. said connecting means further including means for selectively connecting said vacuum source to individual ones of said vacuum chambers, and f. a plurality of transversely extending divider means in said gas permeable body portion of said bed aligned with said partitions for dividing said body portion of said bed into a plurality of holding zones each associated with a respective one of said chambers and to prevent the longitudinal dissipation of vacuum from said holding zones.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-10-15	1977-04-16	1977-10-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-10-15	1981-04-16	1981-10-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-10-15	1985-04-16	1985-10-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Vacuum hold-down apparatus

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