Semi-automatic feed laser apparatus

Claim 2

Gas assisted laser generating apparatus for cutting and scoring a workpiece mounted to a template, with spacer means therebetween when desired, comprising: a gas assisted laser source; means for substantially focusing laser radiation generated by said source at a predetermined point; a generally hollow guide structure adapted for rotatable mounting to a suitable support member, with its longitudinal axis generally aligned with the focused laser radiation, said guide having an upper end adapted to partially support said workpiece/template assembly and to frictionally engage an edge of said template for defining the desired pattern; a support member for supporting said guide, said support member including means for enabling rotation of said guide with respect to said support member; drive means mounted to a suitable support, operably coupled to said guide for providing rotational drive to said guide to rotate said guide with respect to said support member, such that when said workpiece/template assembly is positioned with said pattern edge of said template in frictional engagement with said upper end of said guide, said workpiece is generally automatically fed under said focused laser radiation while said generally automatic feed can be manually overridden when desired, and such that laser radiation penetrating said workpiece can defocus within said guide.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 further including exhaust means for collecting and removing substantially all smoke, oxides and other debris generated during operation to prevent scattering thereof.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other end of said guide is adapted for coupling to evacuation means adapted to provide suction where it is coupled to said other end such that a substantial suction force is effectively developed at said upper end of said guide for collecting and removing substantially all smoke, oxides and other debris generated during operation, immediately of the region of incidence on said laser on said workpiece to substantially prevent scattering thereof.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3, which further includes cooling means positioned at least generally near said upper end of said guide to maintain the temperature of structural members collecting the flow of said smoke, oxides and other debris at a substantially lower magnitude than that of said smoke, oxides and other debris, to substantially prevent any build-up which could impede said flow.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 which further includes height sensing means generally in contact with the top surface of the workpiece for substantially maintaining said focused laser radiation an essentially fixed distance from the surface of said workpiece.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said height sensing means is an electro-mechanical height sensor comprising: a generally heat-resistant shoe member adapted for contacting the top surface or said workpiece, said shoe member including contacting means provided on at least two generally opposed sides of said nozzle in contact with said workpiece; biasing means for urging said shoe in contact with the top surface of said workpiece to maintain said shoe in contact with said top surface; adjustment means operably coupled to said beam enclosure assembly for adjusting the position of said beam enclosure assembly to move said beam enclosure assembly in response to non-uniformities in said workpiece; transformer means operably coupled to said adjustment means for controlling the operation of said adjustment means, said transformer means also being coupled to said shoe member for responding to linear displacements of said shoe member such that when shoe member moves away from said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon, and when said shoe member moves closer to said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said contacting means of said shoe member substantially surround said nozzle, said beam enclosure assembly includes a first arm member supporting said transformer means, and said shoe member includes a second arm member adapted for generally spaced pivotal mounting to said first arm member with biasing means positioned therebetween for urging said contacting means in contact with the top surface of said workpiece, said first and second arm members being positioned with respect to each other such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are translated to said transformer means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first and second arms are essentially parallel and wherein said transformer means comprises a linear variable displacement transformer having a ferromagnetic slug slidable therein, said slug being coupled to said second arm member such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are transmitted to said slug for generally linear movement thereof, corresponding to said linear displacements, for varying the output of said transformer thereby controlling said stepper motor means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said adjustment means is a stepper motor.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1 which further includes cooling means positioned below the workpiece/template assembly and wherein said guide means is essentially cylindrical and rotatably mounted with its central axis slightly askew of said focused laser beam to accommodate positioning of said cooling means below said workpiece, such that said defocusing laser radiation and said debris and other discharge particles are subjected to the cooling influence of said cooling means to reduce their potential for causing damage.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said cooling means includes a porous torroid coupled to a source of fluid coolant.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 11 which further includes height sensing means generally in contact with the top surface of the workpiece for substantially maintaining said focused laser radiation an essentially fixed distance from the surface of said workpiece.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said height sensing means is an electro-mechanical height sensor comprising: a generally heat-resistant shoe member adapted for contacting the top surface of said workpiece, said shoe member including contacting means provided on at least two generally opposed sides of said nozzle in contact with said workpiece; biasing means for urging said shoe in contact with the top surface of said workpiece to maintain said shoe in contact with said top surface; adjustment means operably coupled to said beam enclosure assembly for adjusting the position of said beam enclosure assembly to move said beam enclosure assembly in response to non-uniformities in said workpiece; transformer means operably coupled to said adjustment means for controlling the operation of said motor means, said transformer means also being coupled to said shoe member for responding to linear displacements of said shoe member such that when shoe member moves away from said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon, and when said shoe member moves closer to said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said contacting means of said shoe member substantially surround said nozzle, said beam enclosure assembly includes a first arm member supporting said transformer means, and said shoe member includes a second arm member adapted for generally spaced pivotal mounting to said first arm member with biasing means positioned therebetween for urging said contacting means in contact with the top surface of said workpiece, said first and second arm members being positioned with respect to each other such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are translated to said transformer means.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first and second arms are essentially parallel and wherein said transformer means comprises a linear variable displacement transformer having a ferromagnetic slug slidable therein, said slug being coupled to said second arm member such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are transmitted to said slug for generally linear movement thereof, corresponding to said linear displacements, for varying the output of said transformer thereby controlling said stepper motor means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said adjustment means is a stepper motor.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said support structure is generally hollow and connected to said exhaust means, and wherein said guide means comprises: an essentially cylindrical first section generally near said point of incidence, adapted for contacting said workpiece/template assembly and having its central axis aligned with said laser beam; a generally conical second section flaring generally outwardly and over said base portion; a generally conical third section extending over a portion of said laser, adapted for operable connection to said drive means; and bearing means for accommodating rotational movement between said guide means and said base to enable said guide means to rotate with respect to said base when subjected to the rotational drive of said drive means, such that an exhaust vacuum is generated at the end of said first section nearest said workpiece for evacuating said smoke, debris and other particles immediately of said area of incidence.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 17 which further includes height sensing means generally in contact with the top surface of the workpiece for substantially maintaining said focused laser radiation an essentially fixed distance from the surface of said workpiece.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said height sensing means is an electro-mechanical height sensor comprising: a generally heat-resistant shoe member adapted for contacting the top surface of said workpiece, said shoe member including contacting means provided on at least two generally opposed sides of said nozzle in contact with said workpiece; biasing means for urging said shoe in contact with the top surface of said workpiece to maintain said shoe in contact with said top surface; adjustment means operably coupled to said beam enclosure assembly for adjusting the position of said beam enclosure assembly to move said beam enclosure assembly in response to non-uniformities in said workpiece; transformer means operably coupled to said adjustment means for controlling the operation of said motor means, said transformer means also being coupled to said shoe member for responding to linear displacements of said shoe member such that when shoe member moves away from said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for repositioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon, and when said shoe member moves closer to said beam enclosure assembly, the linear displacement of said movement is directly translated to said transformer means for changing the output voltage thereof to energize said adjustment means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly closer to said top surface of said workpiece for maintaining said focused laser beam thereon.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said contacting means of said shoe member substantially surround said nozzle, said beam enclosure assembly includes a first arm member supporting said transformer means, and said shoe member includes a second arm member adapted for generally spaced pivotal mounting to said first arm member with biasing means positioned therebetween for urging said contacting means in contact with the top surface of said workpiece, said first and second arm members being positioned with respect to each other such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are translated to said transformer means.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said first and second arms are essentially parallel and wherein said transformer means comprises a linear variable displacement transformer having a ferromagnetic slug slidable therein said slug being coupled to said second arm member such that said linear displacements of said shoe member are transmitted to said slug for generally linear movement thereof, corresponding to said linear displacements, for varying the output of said transformer thereby controlling said stepper motor means for re-positioning said beam enclosure assembly.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said adjustment means is a stepper motor.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 17 which further includes: a wall within said hollow support structure, said wall forming a substantially liquid-tight coolant jacket between said wall and said support structure and providing passage generally central of said support structure for channelling said smoke, oxides and other debris to said evacuation means; coolant introduction means coupled to a source of coolant for introducing said coolant.