Apparatus for repeated tracing various patterns

Claim 1

Apparatus for repeatedly describing a certain path, and comprising a first rotatable cam means, a first pair of cam followers spaced a fixed distance apart and disposed on opposite sides of and in alignment with the center of revolution of said first cam means to define a first axis, said first cam means being cooperable with said first pair of cam followers for supplying positive reciprocal motion parallel said first axis responsive to rotation of said first cam means, a second rotatable cam means having its center of revolution common with that of said first cam means, a second pair of cam followers spaced a fixed distance apart and disposed on opposite sides of and in alignment with said center of revolution to define a second axis extending normal to said first axis, said second cam means being cooperable with said second pair of cam followers to supply positive reciprocal motion parallel said second axis responsive to rotation of said second cam means, means to rotate said first and second cam means at an essentially constant angular velocity, means to translate the reciprocal motions along said first and second axis into the vector sum thereof to describe said path, said first and second cam means and the cam followers associated therewith being described respectively by the equation: Z A + Z'' A 180 a constant wherein: Z the distance between the center of revolution of the first or second cam means, as applies, and the center of a cam follower associated therewith; Z'' the distance between the center of revolution of the first or second cam means, as applies, and the center of the opposite cam follower associated therewith; and < A any specified angle on the first or second cam means, as applies, from 0* to 360*.