Patent ID: 6019023
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: B26D,B26F,B65H,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A cutting machine for cutting a flexible material in the form of a single ply or of a small lay-up of plies, said cutting machine comprising:a table-top comprising a support surface for supporting the flexible material to be cut;a cutting head comprising a cutting wheel, a drive motor for rotating said cutting wheel, and sharpening means for sequentially sharpening said cutting wheel;horizontal drive means for horizontally displacing said cutting head above said table-top along two orthogonal displacement axes; androtary drive means for rotating said cutting head about a vertical tangential servo-control axis;said cutting machine further comprising:said table-top comprising a support material of predetermined thickness into which said cutting wheel can penetrate easily;said cutting head comprising a carriage to which it is connected via a vertical displacement means capable of displacing said cutting head between a top position in which said cutting wheel is at a distance above said table-top, and a bottom position in which said cutting wheel penetrates to a predetermined depth into said support material;said vertical adjustment means are adapted so as to make it possible to adjust the bottom position of the cutting head, and therefore the depth to which said cutting wheel penetrates into said support material;said drive motor for rotating said cutting wheel is carried by said cutting head and is capable of rotating said cutting wheel at a speed greater than 5,000 rpm, said motor and said cutting wheel being respectively provided with a drive shaft and an axis of rotation that are parallel and horizontal;said rotary drive means for rotating said cutting head are organized so that said tangential servo-control axis of said cutting wheel is offset horizontally at a distance (D) relative to the axis of rotation thereof, so that said cutting wheel penetrates into said support material at a front contact point situated in the vicinity of said tangential servo-control axis; andhorizontal adjustment means are adapted so as to make it possible to adjust the distance between said tangential servo-control axis and said axis of rotation of said cutting wheel.