Numerical contouring control for a flamecutting tool

Claim 2

A numerical contouring control for producing relative motion between a flamecutting tool and a workpiece along a path and for maintaining a fixed angle between an axis of the flamecutting head and the path direction comprising: a. input information means for commanding the speed of said relative motion and first and second directional components of the commanded path to be followed along respective axes; b. a clock oscillator for synchronizing system operation; c. a velocity command generator coupled to the input information means and the clock oscillator for producing contouring velocity pulses at a rate indicative of the speed of said relative motion; d. a contouring function generator coupled to the velocity command generator and the input information means for resolving the contouring velocity pulses into the first and second components of pulses having respective rates which indicate the direction of the commanded path relative to axes; e. control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; f. means responsive to the first component of pulses for effecting movement along one of said two axes; g. means responsive to the second component of pulses for effecting movement along the other of said two axes; and h. means responsive to the angular change pulses and the angular direction signal for effecting rotation of the flamecutting head.

Claim 3

A numerical contouring control for producing relative motion between a flamecutting tool and a workpiece along a path and for maintaining a fixed angle between an axis of the flamecutting head and the path direction comprising: a. input information means for commanding the speed of said relative motion and first and second directional components of the commanded path to be followed along respective axes; b. a clock oscillator for synchronizing system operation; c. a velocity command generator coupled to the input information means and the clock oscillator for producing contouring velocity pulses at a rate indicative of the speed said relative motion; d. a contouring function generator coupled to the velocity command generator and the input information means for resolving the contouring velocity pulses into the first and second components of pulses having respective rates which indicate the direction of the commanded path relative to axes; e. compensating information input means for indicating the required amount of compensation resulting from deviation in cutting tool dimensions; f. control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; g. a compensating function generator responsive to the compensating input information, the angular change pulses and the angular direction signal for generating first and second compensating components of pulses which indicate the direction of compensation relative to the axes; h. comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the compensating function generator representing the compensation direction for controlling the angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; i. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said first components of pulses to produce first result pulses for effecting movement along one of said two axes; j. means coupled to said contouring function generator for combining said second components of pulses to produce second resultant pulses for effecting movement along the other of said two axes; and k. means responsive to the angular change pulses and the angular direction signal for effecting rotation of the flamecutting head.

Claim 4

A numerical contouring control for producing relative motion between a flamecutting tool and a workpiece along a path and for maintaining a fixed angle between an axis of the flamecutting head and the path direction comprising: a. input information means for commanding the speed of said relative motion and first and second directional components of the commanded path to be followed along respective axes; b. a clock oscillator for synchronizing system operation; c. a velocity command generator coupled to the input information means and the clock oscillator for producing contouring velocity pulses at a rate indicative of the speed said relative motion; d. a contouring function generator coupled to the velocity command generator and the input information means for resolving the contouring velocity pulses into the first and second components of pulses having respective rates which indicate the direction of the commanded path relative to axes; e. compensating information input means for indicating the required amount of compensation resulting from deviation in cutting tool dimensions; f. control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; g. a compensating function generator responsive to the compensating input information, the angular change pulses and the angular direction signal for generating first and second compensating components of pulses which indicate the direction of compensation relative to the axes; h. comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the compensating function generator representing the compensation direction for controlling the angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; i. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said first components of pulses to produce first result pulses for effecting movement along one of said two axes; j. means coupled to said contouring function generator for combining said second components of pulses to produce second resultant pulses for effecting movement along the other of said two axes; and k. means responsive to the angular change pulses and the angular direction signal for effecting rotation of the flamecutting head.

Claim 5

A numerical contouring control for producing relative motion between a flamecutting tool and a workpiece along a path and for maintaining a fixed angle between an axis of the flamecutting head and the path direction comprising: a. input information means for commanding the speed of said relative motion and first and second directional components of the commanded path to be followed along respective axes; b. a clock oscillator for synchronizing system opereation; c. a velocity command generator coupled to the input information means and the clock oscillator for producing contouring velocity pulses at a rate indicative of the speed of said relative motion; d. a contouring function generator coupled to the velocity command generator and the input information means for resolving the contouring velocity pulses into the first and second components of pulses having respective rates which indicate the direction of the commanded path relative to axes; e. compensating information input means for indicating the required amount of compensation resulting from deviation in cutting tool dimensions. f. first control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; g. a compensating function generator responsive to the compensating input information, the first control means angular change pulses, and angular direction signal for generating first and second compensating components of pulses which indicate the direction of compensation relative to the axes; h. first comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the compensating function generatoR representing the compensation direction for controlling the first control means angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; i. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said first components of pulses to produce first result pulses for effecting movement along one of said two axes; j. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said second components of pulses to produce second resultant pulses for effecting movement along the other of said two axes; k. second control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; l. flamecutter rotation function generator responsive to the input information means, and the second control means angular direction signal and angular change signal for keeping track of the commanded flamecutter head angle; m. second comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the flamecutter rotation function generator representing the flamecutter rotation direction for controlling the second control means angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; and n. means responsive to the second control means angular change pulses and angular direction signal for effecting rotation of the flamecutting head.

Claim 6

A numerical contouring control for producing relative motion between a flamecutting tool and a workpiece along a path and for maintaining a fixed angle between an axis of the flamecutting head and the path direction comprising: a. input information means for commanding the speed of said relative motion and first and second directional components of the commanded path to be followed along respective axes; b. a clock oscillator for synchronizing system opereation; c. a velocity command generator coupled to the input information means and the clock oscillator for producing contouring velocity pulses at a rate indicative of the speed of said relative motion; d. a contouring function generator coupled to the velocity command generator and the input information means for resolving the contouring velocity pulses into the first and second components of pulses having respective rates which indicate the direction of the commanded path relative to axes; e. compensating information input means for indicating the required amount of compensation resulting from deviation in cutting tool dimensions. f. first control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; g. a compensating function generator responsive to the compensating input information, the first control means angular change pulses, and angular direction signal for generating first and second compensating components of pulses which indicate the direction of compensation relative to the axes; h. first comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the compensating function generatoR representing the compensation direction for controlling the first control means angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; i. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said first components of pulses to produce first result pulses for effecting movement along one of said two axes; j. means coupled to said contouring function generator and said compensating function generator for combining said second components of pulses to produce second resultant pulses for effecting movement along the other of said two axes; k. second control means coupled to the velocity command generator and the information means for generating a train of pulses wherein each pulse represents an incremental angular change of the path direction and a signal indicating the direction of angular change; l. flamecutter rotation function generator responsive to the input information means, and the second control means angular direction signal and angular change signal for keeping track of the commanded flamecutter head angle; m. second comparison means responsive to information stored in the contouring function generator representing the commanded path direction and to information stored in the flamecutter rotation function generator representing the flamecutter rotation direction for controlling the second control means angular direction and change signals so that the compensation direction is aligned with the commanded path direction; and n. means responsive to the second control means angular change pulses and angular direction signal for effecting rotation of the flamecutting head.