Apparatus for detecting abnormal condition of cuttable objective material for use in a cutting machine

Abstract: An apparatus for use with a cutting machine (1) for detecting in advance an abnormal condition on cuttable material like laminated fabrics comprising, a stationary material-mounting table capable of holding cuttable material on its surface and a cutter blade (21) which is freely movable in any desired direction and disposed above said material-supporting table; wherein said cutting machine (1) is movable itself from one direction to the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the material-supporting surface (4); wherein said cutting machine (1) further comprises a blade-supporting member (27) which vertically and slidably supports said cutter blade (21) having bottom surface coming into contact with the top surface of cuttable objective material and an abnormal-condition detecting apparatus (28) which at least detects rise of cuttable objective material on the downstream side in the direction of the movement of said cutter blade (21) on the way of cutting operation; and wherein said abnormal-condition detecting apparatus (28) comprises a movable member (29) which displaces in an abnormal-condition in the vertical direction and a detecting member (30) which detects the displaced amount of said movable member (29).

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting abnormal condition of cuttable objective material like swallen domain of laminated fabrics secured on a plane mounting table before cutting them into desired shapes with a cutter blade. Description of the Prior Art US-A-3 848 490 describes a cutting apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1. As is also typically disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-45357 of 1980 for example, there is such a proposal on an apparatus for detecting crease or abnormal condition of cuttable objective material following detection of elastic deformation of a cutter blade in the light of such a phenomenon in which the cutter blade is subject to elastic deformation by variable load applied onto the cutter blade, where the amount of load is variable when the cutter blade cuts such a domain bearing crease and such a domain free of crease. Nevertheless, when operating the conventional abnormal-condition detecting apparatus offered by the above-cited art, the apparatus merely detects a fact that the cutter blade has just cut abnormal domain of a cuttable material bearing defective symptom in succession to the detection of elastic deformation occurred in the cutter blade. Therefore, the apparatus offered by the above-cited art could not precisely normalize the abnormal part of the cuttable material in advance of cutting operation with the cutting blade. In consequence, once the apparatus detects abnormal domain on the cuttable fabrics, these fabric pieces can no longer be available for industrial and commercial uses, thus resulting in the decreased yield rate and productivity. This in turn raises the cost in the material-cutting process and the actual cost of the cut-off fabric as well. The invention provides an apparatus for previously detecting abnormal condition of cuttable material in a cutting machine comprising a material-mounting table capable of holding cuttable material on its surface, a cutter blade which is freely movable in any desired direction and disposed above the surface, and a blade support member which vertically and slidably supports the blade, the cutting machine transfers cuttable material from one longitudinal direction of the surface to the other, characterised in that the blade support member is pivotally controlled by a blade-tip direction controller to control a cutting direction of the cutting blade and is supported by a slidable block supported by a casing and has a surface coming into contact with a surface of the material, and further comprising an abnormal-condition detecting apparatus which at least detects rise of material on the downstream side in the direction of movement of the cutter blade during the cutting operation, and the abnormal-condition detecting apparatus comprises a movable member being an annular member slidably disposed in the casing and downwardly energised by tensile force of a spring which is movable in the vertical direction in the neighbourhood of external periphery of said blade supporting member, and a contact type detector which becomes conductive by coming into contact with a contact member when said movable member displaces itself. The invention also provides an apparatus for previously detecting abnormal condition of cuttable material in a cutting machine comprising a material-mounting table capable of holding cuttable material on its surface, a cutter blade which is freely movable in any desired direction and disposed above the surface, and a blade support member which vertically and slidably supports the blade, the cutting machine transfers cuttable material from one longitudinal direction of the surface to the other, characterised in that the blade support member is pivotally controlled by a blade-tip direction controller to control a cutting direction of the cutting blade and is supported by a slidable block supported by a casing and has a surface coming into contact with a surface of the material, and further comprising an abnormal-condition detecting apparatus which at least detects rise of material on the downstream side in the direction of movement of the cutter blade during the cutting operation, and the abnormal-condition detecting apparatus comprising a movable member and a rack secured to the casing engaged with a pinion gear of a rotary shaft of a rotary encoder which detects the displaced amount of the movable member to detect the displaced amount of said movable member to detect the displacement between the casing and the slidable block by measuring a rotation of the pinion gear with the rotary encoder. The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a lateral view of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a lateral view of components of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of components of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of disassembled components of the cutting machine according to the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 is a lateral view of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 is a front view of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the second embidiment of the invention; and Fig. 8 is a sectional plan of the cutting machine incorporating the apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The First Embodiment Fig. 1 is the overall perspective view of the cutting machine incorporating a sealing device of a cuttable material absorptive/mounting table. Fig. 2 is the lateral view of the cutting machine shown in Fig. 1. The reference numeral 1 designates the cutting machine. Structurally, the cutting machine 1 comprises the following; three suction boxes 3, 3, 3, which are horizontally disposed on a base frame 2; a rigid-hair assembly 5 which is disposed in order that it can endlessly travel on these three suction boxes 3 and form a cuttable-material supporting surface 4 on those three suction boxes 3; an absorptive mounting table 9 comprising a suction duct 7 which generates absorptive force on the material supporting surface 4 via those three suction boxes 3 in order to securely hold a cuttable objective material 6 like laminated fabrics or laminated knits for example and a suction device 8; and a cutting unit which is disposed on the cuttable-material supporting surface 4 so that it can freely travel itself in any desired direction. A pair of endless chains are disposed on both sides of widthwise direction of each suction box 3 in the longitudinal direction of the base frame 2. A pair of conventional endless track conveyer units having a number of receiver plates held by those endless chains on both sides of the external circumference of these both-side endless chains like the one disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-28759 and others. The rigid-hair assembly 5 is laid on the top surface of each receiver plate to properly form the material-supporting surface 4. The above-identified cutting unit 10 comprises a pair of members 12 which respectively move in the X-axial direction and a drive member 13 moving itself in the Y-axial direction, Those two members 12 moving themselves in the X-axial direction respectively wind a belt 16 attached with a movable blade across a pair of gears 14 and 15 rotatably being provided between both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorptive mounting table 9. Bottom edge of a block 17 is connected to part of the belt 16 attached with a movable blade. The gear 15 is disposed at an end of the absorptive mounting table 9 in order to wind the belt 16 attached with a movable blade on it. Structurally, the gear 16 is interlinked with an output shaft 19 of a drive motor 18 via a drive belt 20 attached with a blade. In consequence, structurally, by properly controlling the direction and the speed of the rotation of the drive motor 18 via the movable belt 16 and the drivebelt 20 respectively being attached with a blade, a cutter blade 21 is permitted to move itself in the X-axial direction, in other words, in the longitudinal direction of the absorptive mounting table 19. The above-identified Y-axial direction drive member 13 has the structure shown in Fig. 3, in which a guide bridge 22 is secured between those X-axial direction movable members 12 respectively being provided in the widthwise direction of the absorptive mounting table 9, whereas a frame 23 supporting the cutter blade 21 is driven in the Y-axial direction by a Y-axial direction drive motor (not shown) via the guide bridge 22. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cutter blade 21 is provided with a blade-tip direction controller 25 which is vertically oscillated by an oscillating meand 24 secured to the upper end of the frame 23 and exerts control in order that the tip of the cutter blade 21 is constantly oriented in the cutting direction below this oscillating means 24. A blade supporting member 27 is installed below the blade-tip direction controller 25, where the blade-supporting member 27 holds the cutter blade 21 by permitting the cutter blade 21 to slidably ascend and descend itself, and yet, the bottom surface of the blade-supporting member 27 comes into contact with the top surface of the cuttable material 6 when the cutter blade 21 cuts off the objective material 6. A pair of guide rods 49 and 49 provided for the above-identified oscillating means 24 are vertically installed inside of a casing 26 of the cutter unit 10. A slidable block 50 is disposed below the oscillating means 24 so that it can sladably ascend and descend itself. The slidable block 50 supports the upper end of the blade-supporting member 27 to permit a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) to lift and lower the sliing block 50 and the blade-supporting member 27 in association with the oscillating means 24. An abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 is secured on the external surface of the blade-supporting member 27 in order to detect the rise of the cuttable material 6 on the downstream side in the direction of proceeding the cutting operation. The abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 comprises a movable member 27 which is capable of displacing itself in the vertical direction and a detecting member 30 which detects the displaced amount of the meovable member 29. As shown in Figures 3 through 5, the movable member 29 comprises an annular-shape plane and dough-nut-like member 31 having an end being folded upward, a slide-movement guide member 32, a contact member 33 having a substantially horizontal surface, and a spring holder 34. The slide-movement guide member 32 is secured to a linear bearing 47 via a screw 48, where the linear bearing 47 slidably lifts and lowers a bracket 46 which is vertically extended from a supporting frame 45. The movable member 29 is downwardly energized by tensile force of a weak-tensional spring 36 engaged between the spring holder 34 and a spring-receiving screw 35 which is screwed in a fixing member provided on the part of the blade-supporting member 27. As shown in Fig. 5, the abnormal-condition detecting member 30 comprises the following; a bracket 39 which is secured to the fixing member on the part of the blade-supporting member 27 above the movable member 29 so that the position of the bracket 39 can properly be adjusted in the vertical direction by means of a screw 37 and a lengthy through-hole 38; and a needle-like rod 40 which is secured to the bracket 39 with a screw. Fine adjustment of interval 41 between the needle-like rod 40 and the contact member 33 of the movable member 29 is executed by means of spiral coupling between the bracket 39 and the needle-like rod 40. Before actually operating the apparatus for detecting abnormal condition of cuttable material 6 provided for the cutting machine having the structure described above, initially, a fabric spreader is operated to supply a predetermined number of lamited fabrics 6 on the material-supporting surface 4 formed by means of a rigid-hair assembly 5. Initially, those three suctoqn boxes 3 are held inoperative. Next, as soon as operation of chains (not shown) is activated, the receiver plate integrally securing the rigid-hair assembly 5 thereon rotates itself in the counterclockwise direction on those three suction boxes 3 to permit a unit of laminated fabrics 6 to be delivered onto the effective cutting domain on the material-supporting surface 4. Next, absorptive force generated by these suction boxes 3 absorbs the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 on the effective cutting domain to securely fix them on the material-supporting surface 4. Next, the bottom surface of the blade supporting member 27 comes into contact with the top surface of the cuttable laminated fabrics 6. When this condition is present, operating staff sets an interval 41 between the contact plate 33 and the needle-like rod 40 of the detecting member 30 at moment to permit the movable member 29 to become conductive when the movable member 29 comes into contact with the detecting member 30. In this case, operating staff needs to consider the sinkable amount of the cuttable fabrics 6 caused by pressure generated by the blade-supporting member 27. Next, operator activates operation of the cutter unit 10 to sequentially cut the objective laminated fabrics 6 into a predetermined shape. While the cutting operation is underway, by effect of the drive force from the drive motor 18, the cutter unit 10 is moved in the X-axial direction (from the left to the right in Fig. 1) at a predetermined operating speed via the drive belt 20 attached with a blade and the movable belt 16 attached with a blade. Next, as shown in Fig. 4 with an imaginary chained line, if a swallen domain A were present on the surface 6a of the cuttable fabrics 6 as a result of generation of crease or double fold effect in these fabrics 6 on the downstream side in the direction of proceeding the cutting operation with the cutter blade 21, then, the movable meber 29 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 is lifted in resistance against tensile force of the spring 36. In consequence, the top surface of the contact plate 33 and the bottom tip of the needle-like rod 40 of the detecting member 30 are brought into contact with each other so that they can integrally become conductive. In the event that any abnormal condition is present on the cuttable laminated fabrics 6, this faulty condition is securely detected before the faulty domain is cut off. Practically, as soon as the faulty domain is detected on the cuttable fabrics 6, the cutting machine 1 can generate alarm or stop the operation of the cutting machine itself to securely implement a corrective measure before cutting off the laminated fabrics 6 bearing defective domain. Even when such a swallen faulty domain A were present on the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 because of poor cutting effect caused by the worn or broken blade 21 on the way of executing a cutting operation to result in the generation of crease or double folding effect without being able to precisely cut off the laminated fabrics 6 for example, in the same way as was done for the preceding case, the movable member 29 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 is lifted in resistance against tensile force of the spring 36. In consequence, the top surface of the contact plate 33 of the lifted movable member comes into contact with the bottom tip of the needle-like rod 40 of the detecting member 30 to have them enter into conductive condition. This securely enables the apparatus embodied by the invention to previously detect presence of abnormal condition on the cuttable fabrics 6. The first embodiment provides the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 with an annular-shaped movable member 31. Nevertheless, the scope of the invention doesnot merely confine the shape of the movable member to be of annular shape, but the invention also permits introduction of any practical shape capable of detecting abnormal condition of cuttable fabrics on the downstream side in the direction of proceeding a cutting operation with the cutter blade 21, in other words, by way of following up the direction of the movement of the cutter blade 21. The Second Embodiment The apparatus for detecting abnormal condition of cuttable objective material for use in combination with a cutting machine according to the second embodiment of the invention substantially corresponds to the one which is partially modified from the structure of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 of the first embodiment as shown in Figures 6 through 8. Concretely, the abnormal-condition detectting unit 28 according to the second embodiment of the invention features the structure described below. A movable member capable of displacing itself in the vertical direction is formed by means of a blade supporting member 27. In order to detect the displaced amount of the blade-supporting member 27, an "L"-shaped bracket 53 (shown in the lateral view) is extended from a slidable block 50 which supports the blade-supporting member 27. A rotary encoder 54 is secured to the tip of the "L"-shaped bracket 53. A rack 56 engaged with a pinion gear 55 of the rotary shaft of the rotary encoder 54 is secured to a casing 26. Next, functional operation of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 featuring the above structure is described below. Like the first embodiment, initially, a fabric spreader delivers a predetermined number of laminated fabrics 6 onto, the material-supporting surface 4. Next, absorptive force is generated by three suction boxes 3, 3, 3, to secure the laminated fabrics 6 onto the material-supporting surface 4. Next, the blade-supporting member 27 is lowered until the bottom surface of the blade-supporting member 27 is brought into contact with the top surface of the laminated fabrics 6, and then, the cutter unit 10 is activated to sequentially cut the laminated fabrics 6 into a predetermined shape. While the cutting operation is underway, if there were such a swallen domain A on the surface 6a of the laminated fabrics 6 shown in Fig. 7 with an imaginary chained line as a result of the generation of crease or double-fold effect on these laminated fabrics 6 on the downstream side in the direction of proceeding the cutting operation with the cutting blade 21 for example, then, the blade-supporting means 27 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 is lifted by the swallen domain A. Then, in response to the ascending movement of the blade supporting member 27, relative transfer is generated between the pinion gear 55 on the rotary shaft of the rotary encoder 54 and the rack 56 engaged with the pinion gear 55 to cause the pinion gear 55 to rotate itself, thus enabling the rotary encoder 54 to output a signal designating the amount of the relative transfer to a control unit which is not shown. The control unit identifies that abnormal condition is present when the received signal designating the amount of the relative transfer exceeds a predetermined value (the signal value indicating the amount of the relative transfer output simultaneous with the detection of extremely fine projection and recess on the surface of the cuttable laminated fabrics 6). In this way, the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 securely detects the presence of abnormal condition from the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 before permitting the cutter blade 21 to cut off the defective domain. Concretely, in response to the detected abnormal condition on the cuttable laminated fabrics 6, the cutter machine itself can generate alarm or stop own operation, thus properly normalizing the abnormal condition before permitting the cutter blade 21 to cut off the defective domain. Even when such a swallen domain A were present on the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 because of poor cutting effect generated by the worn or broken blade on the way of executing a cutting process tomerely result in the generation of unwanted crease of double-fold effect without being able to precisely cut off the laminated fabrics 6, in the same way as was done for the first embodiment, as soon as the movable member 29 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 is lifted, the pinion gear 55 on the rotary shaft of the rotary encoder 54 is rotated to permit the rotary encoder 54 to simultaneously output a signal designating the amount of relative transfer to the control unit which is not shown. In this way, like the first embodiment, the control unit identifies that abnormal condition is present when the received signal designating the amount of relative transfer exceeds a predermined value (the signal value indicating the amount of the relative transfer output simultaneous with the detection of extremely fine projection and recess on the surface of the cuttable laminated fabrics 6). In this way, the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 securely detects the presence of abnormal condition from the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 before permitting the cutter blade 21 to cut off the defective domain. The preceding first embodiment of the invention permits the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 to detect the rise of the movable member 29 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 by way of detecting the presence of swallen domain A of the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 by operating the contact-type detecting member 30. Alternatively, the second embodiment of the invention may replace the contact-type detecting member 30 with a limit switch, and yet, may compose the abnormal condition detecting unit 28 by means of a distance sensor availing of ultrasonic wave. The second embodiment has formed the movable member 29 of the abnormal-condition detecting unit 28 by means of the blade-supporting member 27 mounting the rotary encoder 54. According to the second embodiment, the rack 56 engaged with the pinion gear 55 of the rotary shaft of the rotary encoder 54 is secured to the casing 26 to permit the detecting unit 28 to detect abnormal condition of the cuttable lamanated fabrics 6 by referring to the amount of relative transfer between the pinion gear 55 and the rack 56. In place of this mechanism, it is also practicable for the second embodiment to securely detect abnormal condition on the cuttable laminated fabrics 6 by applying variable pressure of fluid in a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) which operates the slidable block 50 when the blade-supporting member 27 ascends itself. Furthermore, the first and second embodiments of the invention have respectively introduced the movable absorptive-mounting table 9. However, the invention can also be implemented by applying a stationary absorptive-mounting table 9 as well.

Claims: An apparatus for previously detecting abnormal condition of cut table material in a cutting machine (1) comprising a material-mounting table (9) capable of holding cuttable material (6) on its surface (4), a cutter blade (21) which is freely movable in any desired direction and disposed above the surface (4),and a blade support member (27) which vertically and slidably supports the blade, the cutting machine (1) transfers cuttable material (6) from one longitudinal direction of the surface (4) to the other, characterised in that the blade support member (27) is pivotally controlled by a blade-tip direction controller to control a cutting direction of the cutting blade and is supported by a slidable block (50) supported by a casing (26) and has a surface coming into contact with a surface of the material (6), and further comprising an abnormal-condition detecting apparatus (28) which at least detects rise of material (6) on the downstream side in the direction of movement of the cutter blade (21) during the cutting operation, and the abnormal-condition detecting apparatus comprises a movable member (29) being an annular member slidably disposed in the casing and downwardly energised by tensile force of a spring which is movable in the vertical direction in the neighbourhood of external periphery of said blade supporting member, and a contact type detector which becomes conductive by coming into contact with a contact member when said movable member displaces itself. An apparatus for previously detecting abnormal condition of cuttable material in a cutting machine (1) comprising a material-mounting table (9) capable of holding cuttable material (6) on its surface (4), a cutter blade (21) which is freely movable in any desired direction and disposed above the surface (4),and a blade support member (27) which vertically and slidably supports the blade, the cutting machine (1) transfers cuttable material (6) from one longitudinal direction of the surface (4) to the other, characterised in that the blade support member (27) is pivotally controlled by a blade-tip direction controller to control a cutting direction of the cutting blade and is supported by a slidable block (50) supported by a casing (26) and has a surface coming into contact with a surface of the material (6), and further comprising an abnormal-condition detecting apparatus (28) which at least detects rise of material (6) on the downstream side in the direction of movement of the cutter blade (21) during the cutting operation, and the abnormal-condition detecting apparatus comprising a movable member (29) and a rack secured to the casing engaged with a pinion gear of a rotary shaft of a rotary encoder which detects the displaced amount of the movable member to detect the displaced amount of said movable member to detect the displacement between the casing and the slidable block by measuring a rotation of the pinion gear with the rotary encoder.

Inventors: IMAI TAICHI, OCHI TOSHIRO, IMAI, TAICHI, OCHI, TOSHIRO
Applicants: SHIMA SEIKI MFG, SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B26D5
IPC codes: B26D7, G01B5, D06H7, B26F1, D06H3, G01N21