Slotted worktable

Claim 2

A slotted worktable, comprising, a first frame having two oppositely-facing sides, securing means disposed in a horizontal plane and arranged on said oppositely-facing sides of the first frame, a single length of flexible support material extending between said securing means, the single length of flexible support material being in the form of an endless band, a second frame situated between said sides of the first frame and movable in a horizontal plane towards and away from said sides, a first pair of parallel rollers carried by the second frame and spaced apart in a horizontal plane substantially coplanar with said plane of the securing means, further roller means carried by the second frame and extending parallel to the first pair of rollers, below said plane of the first pair of rollers, the flexible support material being trained over the first pair of rollers and the further roller means so that said material passes over the first pair of rollers and below the further roller means to define a slot between the first pair of rollers.

Claim 3

A slotted worktable according to claim 1, in which the securing means arranged on said oppositely-facing sides of the first frame include support rollers over which the endless loop of flexible support material is trained.

Claim 4

A slotted worktable according to claim 2, in which the further roller means comprise a second pair of horizontally spaced-apart rollers.

Claim 5

A slotted worktable according to claim 3, in which the spacing between the rollers of the second pair is greater than the spacing between the rollers of the first pair.

Claim 6

A slotted worktable according to claim 3, in which the flexible support material has a portion which is trained over the first pair of rollers and below the further roller means so as to define a slot which is symmetrical about a vertical plane passing midway between the first pair of rollers.

Claim 7

A slotted worktable according to claim 2, in which the flexible support material has substantially coplanar portions extending between said securing means and the first pair of rollers, a receptacle is secured to the second frame within the slot defined by the flexible support material, and the receptacle has an open upper end which is substantially coplanar with said portions of the flexible support material.

Claim 8

A slotted worktable according to claim 2, in which the securing means are arranged on said oppositely-facing sides of the first frame so as to anchor the band at two spaced locations.

Claim 9

A slotted worktable according to claim 2, further comprising suction means for clamping a workpiece to the flexible support material.

Claim 10

Cutting apparatus, including a slotted worktable according to claim 2, in which cutting means are secured to the second frame, above the slot, to cut a workpiece positioned on the flexible support material.

Claim 11

Cutting apparatus according to claim 9, in which the cutting means are movable relative to the second frame in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the second frame towards and away from the sides of the first frame.

Claim 12

Cutting apparatus according to claim 9, in which the cutting means comprise a high pressure fluid jet.

Claim 13

A worktable for holding a flat workpiece stationary as the same is operated upon by a movable penetrating tool arranged above the workpiece comprising, in combination, a single endless band of flexible material forming a wide belt having spaced support portions extending horizontally in opposite directions as well as a central portion positioned between the support portions, a main frame having means for gripping the support portions of the band in tension to define a horizontal working plane upon which the workpiece is stationarily supported, first and second rollers spaced from one another and extending transversely of the band and tangent to the working plane, the central portion of the band being trained downwardly between the rollers to define a depending loop of material with the upper portion of the loop separated by a relatively narrow transversely extending clearance slot, auxiliary roller means at the lower end of the loop for keeping the loop in a taut condition, a subframe, means for mounting the subframe for horizontal shifting movement parallel to the working plane, a penetrating tool support above the working plane, the penetrating tool support being mounted on the subframe so that the tool is centered with respect to the clearance slot, the first and second rollers and the auxiliary roller means being fixedly mounted with respect to the subframe so that upon shifting of the subframe to move the penetrating tool relative to the stationary workpiece the slot moves in unison with the tool to provide under-workpiece clearance for the tool regardless of the position of the tool on the workpiece, the subframe being shiftable through a sufficient distance so that the tool may traverse the band throughout substantially its entire horizontal length thereby enabling accommodative support of a workpiece of substantially the same horizontal dimension as the band.

Claim 14

A worktable for holding a flat workpiece stationary as the same is operated upon by a movable penetrating tool arranged above the workpiece comprising, in combination, a single endless band of flexible material forming a wide belt having spaced support portions extending horizontally in opposite directions as well as a central portion positioned between the support portions, a main frame having means for gripping the support portions of the band in tension to define a horizontal working plane upon which the workpiece is stationarily supported, first and second rollers spaced from one another and extending transversely of the band and tangent to the working plane, the central portion of the band being trained downwardly between the rollers to define a depending loop of material with the upper portion of the loop separated by a relatively narrow transversely extending clearance slot, auxiliary roller means at the lower end of the loop for keeping the loop in a taut condition, a subframe, means for mounting the subframe for horizontal shifting movement parallel to the working plane, a penetrating tool support above the working plane, the penetrating tool support being mounted on the subframe so that the tool is centered with respect to the clearance slot, the first and second rollers and the auxiliary roller means being fixedly mounted with respect to the subframe so that upon shifting of the subframe to move the penetrating tool relative to the stationary workpiece the slot moves in unison with the tool to provide under-workpiece clearance for the tool regardless of the position of the tool on the workpiece, the subframe being shiftable through a sufficient distance so that the tool may traverse the band throughout substantially its entire horizontal length thereby enabling accommodative support of a workpiece of substantially the same horizontal dimension as the band.

Claim 15

The combination as claimed in claim 12, in which the auxiliary roller means comprises third and fourth rollers horizontally spaced apart by a distance greater than the spacing between the first and second rollers so that the loop is of trapezoidal section.

Claim 16

The combination as claimed in claim 12, in which the tool support is not only movable in unison with the subframe in the length dimension of the band but is movable with respect to the subframe transversely of the band so that the entire surface of the workpiece is accessible to the tool and with under-workpiece clearance being automatically provided regardless of the position of the tool on the workpiece.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 12, in which a pair of support rollers are mounted on the main frame in spaced relationship and respectively engage the band adjacent the outer ends of said support portions, and said gripping means comprising a pair of releasable clamping devices for clamping said support portions against said support rollers.

Claim 18

A slotted worktable according to claim 2, in which the securing means also includes releasable clamping devices coacting with said support rollers for clampingly holding said band.