Patent US5638494A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3790154A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3790154A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for holding sheet material and other objects during working
Assignee: Gerber Technology LLC
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Filing: 1971-12-17
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Granted: 1974-02-05
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Expires: 1991-12-17
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for holding sheet material and other objects during cutting or other work thereon includes a vacuum holddown device having a supporting surface including a plurality of vacuum openings passing therethrough. A vacuum chamber associated with the supporting surface applies a vacuum through the vacuum openings to the sheet material or other object or objects received thereon. A sheet or panel of substantially airimpervious sheet material, such as a sheet of thin polyethylene, is spread over the exposed surface of the work and cooperates with the vacuum to draw the work toward the supporting surface and, if it is compressible, into a more compact condition. The air-impervious panel used with the vacuum may be an expendable sheet of such material spread entirely over the surface of the work prior to working thereon and/or may be one or two continuous belts of such material located in front of and/or behind an associated tool. In cases where the work is a layup of garment fabric, the vacuum and air-impervious panel may also be used to hold the layup in a compact condition for a long period of time between the laying up process and the cutting or other work process to prevent the various layers of the layup from shifting, flowing or otherwise moving relative to one another so as to depart from their relative positions as initially laid up.
Inventors
- 👤 H Gerber
- 👤 D Pearl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 14:25
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06H; D06H7/00; D06H7/02; B; B25; B25B; B25B11/00; B25B11/005; B26; B26D; B26D7/00; B26D7/01; B26D7/018; B65; B65H; B65H45/00; B65H45/02; B65H45/06; B65H45/10; B65H45/101; B26D7/20; B26D2007/206; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/748
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, said supporting surface defining means including a bed of supporting material having air flow passages passing therethrough communicating with said supporting surface, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface comprising a vacuum chamber located on the opposite side of said bed from said supporting surface and communicating with said air flow passages, said bed of supporting material being made of foamed plastic.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
149 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, said supporting surface defining means including a bed of supporting material having air flow passages passing therethrough communicating with said supporting surface, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface comprising a vacuum chamber located on the opposite side of said bed from said supporting surface and communicating with said air flow passages, said bed of supporting material being made of foamed plastic.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus for holding an object as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said foamed plastic being a material which is substantially non-porous and said passages passing therethrough consisting of passageways extending therethrough and formed by means other than the porosity of said material.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
231 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member including a belt conveyor having a belt with an upwardly facing upper run adjacent said supporting surface, means associated with said upper run of said belt for forming a gap therein by training said belt along said upper run into a downwardly extending loop, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located adjacent said upper run of said belt, on the opposite side thereof from said supporting surface, and said belt being porous so that air may flow therethrough from said supporting surface to said vacuum chamber.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
231 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member including a belt conveyor having a belt with an upwardly facing upper run adjacent said supporting surface, means associated with said upper run of said belt for forming a gap therein by training said belt along said upper run into a downwardly extending loop, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located adjacent said upper run of said belt, on the opposite side thereof from said supporting surface, and said belt being porous so that air may flow therethrough from said supporting surface to said vacuum chamber.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
179 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for prOducing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means defining said supporting surface comprising a rotatable drum having a porous cylindrical wall, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located on the inside of said drum and exposing at least a portion of the interior surface of said cylindrical wall to the vacuum therein.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
179 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for prOducing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means defining said supporting surface comprising a rotatable drum having a porous cylindrical wall, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located on the inside of said drum and exposing at least a portion of the interior surface of said cylindrical wall to the vacuum therein.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member including two belt conveyors having upper runs adjacent said supporting surface and arranged end to end so as to form a gap therebetween, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located on the side of each of said belt conveyors opposite from said supporting surface, each of said belt conveyors having a belt which is porous so that air may flow therethrough from said supporting surface to said vacuum chamber.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for holding an object in a rigid condition, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting an object received thereon, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of the object received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said object between it and said supporting surface, a stationary member, and means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member in one coordinate direction so as to also move in such coordinate direction said object held to said supporting surface by said air-impervious sheet, said means for moving said supporting surface relative to said stationary member including two belt conveyors having upper runs adjacent said supporting surface and arranged end to end so as to form a gap therebetween, and said means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface including means defining a vacuum chamber located on the side of each of said belt conveyors opposite from said supporting surface, each of said belt conveyors having a belt which is porous so that air may flow therethrough from said supporting surface to said vacuum chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus for holding an object as defined in claim 5 further characterized by said supporting surface being defined by a separate bed of supporting material received on said belt and having air-flow passages passing therethrough.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus for holding an object as defined in claim 5 further characterized by said supporting surface being defined by one surface of each of said belts.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
94 words
An apparatus for holding sheet material, said apparatus comprising means including a bed of supporting material made of foamed plastic and defining a supporting surface for supporting sheet material spread thereover, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least an associated portion of the exposed surface of the material spread over said supporting surface, and means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said sheet material between it and said supporting surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
94 words
An apparatus for holding sheet material, said apparatus comprising means including a bed of supporting material made of foamed plastic and defining a supporting surface for supporting sheet material spread thereover, a piece of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least an associated portion of the exposed surface of the material spread over said supporting surface, and means for producing a vacuum adjacent said supporting surface which acts on said sheet of air-impervious material and pulls it toward said supporting surface so as to compress said sheet material between it and said supporting surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus for holding sheet material as defined in claim 8 further characterized by said foamed plastic being a material which is substantially non-porous and having passageways extending therethrough to said supporting surface and formed by means other than the porosity of said material.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
171 words
An apparatus for holding a layup of porous fabric sheets in a relatively rigid condition during working, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting a layup received thereon, a panel of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said layup received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent a portion of said layup spaced from said panel which vacuum is transmitted to said panel through said layup to produce a vacuUm directly adjacent the surface of said panel facing said layup so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said layup and causes said layup to be compressed between said panel and said supporting surface, said means defining a supporting surface including means for moving said layup longitudinally of itself past a stationary work zone extending transversely of said layup, and means overlying and engageable with said panel in the vicinity of said work zone for sealing cuts made in said panel at said work zone.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
171 words
An apparatus for holding a layup of porous fabric sheets in a relatively rigid condition during working, said apparatus comprising means defining a surface for supporting a layup received thereon, a panel of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said layup received on said supporting surface, means for producing a vacuum adjacent a portion of said layup spaced from said panel which vacuum is transmitted to said panel through said layup to produce a vacuUm directly adjacent the surface of said panel facing said layup so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said layup and causes said layup to be compressed between said panel and said supporting surface, said means defining a supporting surface including means for moving said layup longitudinally of itself past a stationary work zone extending transversely of said layup, and means overlying and engageable with said panel in the vicinity of said work zone for sealing cuts made in said panel at said work zone.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus for holding a layup of porous fabric sheets as defined in claim 10 further characterized by said cut sealing means comprising at least one endless belt of air-impermeable material supported for movement with said panel.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
128 words
An apparatus for holding a layup of sheet material and for producing relative movement in at least one coordinate direction between it and a given work zone, said apparatus comprising means for supporting a layup of sheet material, means for producing relative movement of said layup and said given work zone in one coordinate direction, a panel of substantially air-impervious material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said layup, means for producing a vacuum directly adjacent the surface of said air-impervious panel facing said layup so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said layup, and means overlying and engageable with said panel in the vicinity of said work zone for sealing cuts made in said panel at said work zone.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
128 words
An apparatus for holding a layup of sheet material and for producing relative movement in at least one coordinate direction between it and a given work zone, said apparatus comprising means for supporting a layup of sheet material, means for producing relative movement of said layup and said given work zone in one coordinate direction, a panel of substantially air-impervious material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said layup, means for producing a vacuum directly adjacent the surface of said air-impervious panel facing said layup so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said layup, and means overlying and engageable with said panel in the vicinity of said work zone for sealing cuts made in said panel at said work zone.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 12 further characterized by said cut sealing means comprising at least one endless belt of air-impermeable material supported for movement in said one coordinate direction with said panel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 12 further characterized by said one coordinate direction of relative movement being the direction extending longitudinally of said layup, and said cut sealing means comprising two endless belts each extending transversely of said layup and spaced from one another longitudinally of said layup, said work zone being located in the space between said two belts.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a machine having a tool in the form of a cutting blade adapted to normally pass through and beyond an object in a cutting operation, an apparatus for holding the object in a rigid condition while it is worked on by the cutting blade, said apparatus comprising support means defining a penetrable supporting plane on which said object is placed in a cutting operation for enabling the cutting blade passing through said object to also pass through and beyond the supporting plane, a panel of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said object, and means for producing a vacuum directly adjacent the surface of said air-impervious panel facing said object so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said object and causes said object to be compressed between said panel and said supporting plane.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a machine having a tool in the form of a cutting blade adapted to normally pass through and beyond an object in a cutting operation, an apparatus for holding the object in a rigid condition while it is worked on by the cutting blade, said apparatus comprising support means defining a penetrable supporting plane on which said object is placed in a cutting operation for enabling the cutting blade passing through said object to also pass through and beyond the supporting plane, a panel of substantially air-impervious sheet material overlying at least a portion of the exposed surface of said object, and means for producing a vacuum directly adjacent the surface of said air-impervious panel facing said object so that atmospheric pressure acting on said panel pushes it toward said object and causes said object to be compressed between said panel and said supporting plane.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus defined in claim 15 further characterized by said support means comprising a bed having a supporting surface defining said supporting plane and which bed is made of such material as to be readily penetrable by said tool to thereby enable said tool to pass through and beyond the plane of said supporting surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus defined in claim 15 further characterized by said support means including two aligned belt conveyors which support the object for movement parallel to the supporting plane, said two belt conveyors being arranged end-to-end with their adjacent ends spaced from one another to form a gap therebetween for receiving said tool and for thereby enabling said tool to pass through the object and the supporting plane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3294392A
Cited
US3433699A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-04 | 1977-08-06 | 1978-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-04 | 1981-08-06 | 1982-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-04 | 1985-08-06 | 1986-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |