Patent ID: 6520057
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: B26D,B26F,D06H,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A system for performing operations including cutting on sheet material including cloth comprising:a) means for inspecting sheet material to determine the existence and location of flaws in the sheet material; b) conveyor means for moving sheet material along a path between a input and an output; c) first operation means movable in directions substantially parallel to and substantially perpendicular to said conveyor path for performing operations on the sheet material along various contours as it is moved by said conveyor means along said path; d) first operation control means associated with said first operation means for controlling the speed, direction and mode of the operations performed by said first operation means including movement of the first operation means simultaneously with movement of the sheet material along the path by the conveyor means; and e) control means operatively coupled to said means for inspecting and connected in controlling relation to said conveyor means and to said first operation control means for controlling the speed of said conveyor means and for determining the operations to be performed by said first operation means in accordance with a predetermined pattern of operations for the sheet material wherein the various contours are included in the pattern, said control means adjusting the pattern in accordance with the existence and location of flaws in the sheet material as determined by the means for inspecting and said control means causing said first operation means to per form operations on the sheet material synchronously with movement of the sheet material along the path by the conveyor means.