Numerically-controlled form-cutting machine

Claim 1

A form-cutting machine for cutting a form in a flat surface of a sheet of material in response to a numerical control signal, the shape of the form being determined by the numerical control signal, the form-cutting machine comprising: (a) a frame having an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, a tracing plane, a first carriage-locus plane, and a second carriage-locus plane defined in relation thereto, the X-axis and the Y-axis directions being substantially mutually perpendicular and located in the tracing plane, the three planes being spaced apart from and substantially parallel to one another; (b) sheet-support means for supporting the sheet of material such that the surface to be cut substantially coincides with the tracing plane; (c) an X-direction carriage-positioning assembly, having: (c.1) a Y-axis carriage support member located in the first carriage-locus plane and extending linearly in the Y-axis direction; (c.2) a first X-axis guide member and a second X-axis guide member, the two guide members being fixedly attached to the frame spaced apart from one another and extending linearly substantially parallel to the X-axis direction; (c.3) a first X-axis slider and a second X-axis slider slideably mounted on the first and the second X-axis guide members respectively, the first X-axis slider being attached to a first end of the Y-axis carriage support member and the second X-axis slider being attached to a second end of the Y-axis carriage support member; (c.4) an X-direction drive motor for moving the Y-axis carriage support member, the X-direction drive motor being fixedly secured to the frame; (c.5) X-axis toothed-belt means for connecting the X-direction drive motor and the Y-axis carriage support member so that motion produced by the motor is imparted to the support member with substantially no slippage; (d) a Y-direction carriage-positioning assembly, having: (d.1) an X-axis carriage support member located in the second carriage-locus plane and extending linearly in the X-axis direction; (d.2) a first Y-axis guide member and a second Y-axis guide member, the two guide members being fixedly attached to the frame spaced apart from one another and extending linearly substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction; (d.3) a first Y-axis slider and a second Y-axis slider slideably mounted on the first and the second Y-axis guide members respectively, the first Y-axis slider being attached to a first end of the X-axis carriage support member and the second Y-axis slider being attached to a second end of the X-axis carriage support member; (d.4) a Y-direction drive motor for moving the X-axis carriage support member, the Y-direction drive motor being fixedly secured to the frame; (d.5) Y-axis toothed-belt means for connecting the Y-direction drive motor and the X-axis carriage support member so that motion produced by the motor is imparted to the support member with substantially no slippage; (e) a tool carriage having a cutting tool mounted thereon so that the cutting tool can be positioned in the tracing plane, the tool carriage being slideably mounted on the X-axis carriage support member and on the Y-axis carriage support member such that moving the carriage support members causes the cutting tool to move parallel to the tracing plane; and (f) circuit means connected to the X-direction and Y-direction drive motors for energizing the drive motors so that the Y-axis and the X-axis carriage support members, and consequently the tool carriage, are positioned in response to the numerical control signal.