Abstract A fabric lay-up is held against the upper side of a porous carrier adjacent to a cutting tool by suction applied by vacuum chambers at the opposite carrier side. A series of vacuum chambers are located adjacent to the cutting tool, each being partially evacuated to a different subatmospheric pressure than adjacent chambers, the most reduced pressure being in the chamber directly opposite the cutting tool. The subatmospheric pressures in the other chambers are always higher fore and aft of the lowest pressure chamber. The carrier may be reciprocated, and the vacuum chamber series may be fixed relative to the cutting tool in the direction of carrier reciprocation. Alternatively, the cutting tool may be reciprocable relative to a stationary vacuum chamber series, and chamber-evacuating means may be operable to change the absolute subatmospheric pressures, though not their relative pressure differentials, in synchronism with such reciprocation.
In apparatus for a tailoring machine for cutting fabric webs having a cutting tool, a cutting region surrounding the cutting tool, an air-pervious fabric carrier for supporting a stack of fabric webs in the cutting region through which suction force can be applied to hold the fabric webs in position for cutting, the improvement comprising a plurality of vacuum chambers arranged in series at the side of the fabric carrier opposite the stack of fabric webs, one of said chambers being disposed in the cutting region, evacuating means for evacuating said vacuum chambers differentially to subatmospheric pressures for effecting differential suction forces along the fabric carrier, the one of said chambers located in the cutting region being evacuated to a pressure lower than the pressure in the chambers of the series adjacent to said cutting region chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
In apparatus for a tailoring machine for cutting fabric webs having a cutting tool, a cutting region surrounding the cutting tool, an air-pervious fabric carrier for supporting a stack of fabric webs in the cutting region through which suction force can be applied to hold the fabric webs in position for cutting, the improvement comprising a plurality of vacuum chambers arranged in series at the side of the fabric carrier opposite the stack of fabric webs, one of said chambers being disposed in the cutting region, evacuating means for evacuating said vacuum chambers differentially to subatmospheric pressures for effecting differential suction forces along the fabric carrier, the one of said chambers located in the cutting region being evacuated to a pressure lower than the pressure in the chambers of the series adjacent to said cutting region chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1, in which the vacuum chamBer series is stationary.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1, in which the cutting region is movable relative to the vacuum chamber series, and the evacuating means includes regulating means operable to vary the degree of evacuation in each vacuum chamber for effecting selectively stronger and weaker suction forces, and selecting means for operating said regulating means in response to movement of the cutting region for effecting stronger suction forces in the one chamber of the series located in the cutting region, and weaker suction forces in the chambers adjacent to such cutting region chamber.