Patent GB-1377060-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for cutting or marking sheet material
IPC: D06H7/02
Filed: 1970-11-13
Abstract: 1377060 Cutting glass sheet GLAVERBEL 10 Nov 1971 [13 Nov 1970] 54149/70 Heading C1M Apparatus for marking or cutting glass sheet 1 along lines spaced apart in a longitudinal direction along the sheet and extending at least partly across the sheet, comprises means such as rollers 2 for supporting the sheet 1, a guide 4 extending at an angle across the sheet 1, an endless tool course such as chains 5 comprising forward and return paths along the guide 4, means such as the rollers 2 on shafts 3 for. bringing about relative displacement between the guide 4 and the sheet 1 in a direction at an angle to the paths, at least one marking or cutting tool 16 mounted at 6, 7 for movement around the tool course 5 and which is displaceable relative thereto from an operative to an inoperative position for acting on the sheet 1, mechanism for driving the tool(s) 16 around the course 5 continuously in one direction and tool control means operable during traversal of the course 5 by the or any tool for causing such tool to move from its inoperative position to its operative position or vice versa. Such tool control means may be operative to achieve a predetermined marking or cutting programme and/or may be linked to a computer to take into account notified variations due for example to defects on the sheet 1. Endless chains 5 mounted on sprockets 8 have pins 6 supporting the tool holders 7 each of which has side arms rotatably carrying support rollers 9, 9 and 10, 10 running on tracks formed by internal flanges 11,11 and 12, 12 on the guide 4. Each holder 7 comprises a hollow body 13 and a head section 14 having a disc 15 in the body 13  and a stem carrying the cutting tool 16, a helical spring 17 urging the head section 14 down relative to the body 13. A lateral arm on disc 15 rotatably supports a roller 18 running on a rail 19 mounted on the guide 4, the rail 19 being raised or lowered by a cam 21 on a control member 20 to give inoperative and operative positions respectively of the tool 16. The loading of spring 17 can be adjusted by screw 22 on threaded stem 23 engaging a threaded bore in the top of body 13 and having a spring-engaging disc 24. The screw 22 can be adjusted during operation by automatic mechanism operating opposed plungers 25, 26 on guide 4 which can be pressed inwardly against pressure of springs 27, 28 so that rubber or like pads 29, 30 can engage the screw 22, the plunger 25 increasing the loading of spring 17 and the plunger 26 decreasing the loading of spring thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure of tool 16 against the sheet 1. When more than one tool 16 is provided, each tool may have a separate rail 19 or two or more together may engage a single rail 19 so that they are raised or lowered together. A number of variations are disclosed. The tool holder (Fig. 4) may incorporate an endless propelling metal member (33) replacing the chains 5 and a clutch control by which the position of the tool holder can be varied along the member. Synchronizing mechanism (Fig. 5) may be provided to maintain the speeds of the glass sheet 1 and the chains 5 or metal member (33) in a predetermined ratio. By this mechanism the sheet 1 may be cut in the longitudinal direction or on curved lines transversely. A further cutter supporting beam (Fig. 6) transverse to the direction of movement of sheet 1 may have fixed cutters for longitudinal cuts. The apparatus (Fig. 7) may incorporate two sets of tools with two separate guides 4 and chains 5, the two sets being operable together by a clutch mechanism but separable for short periods to vary spacing. A sensing device (Figs. 8 and 9) may be used at one end of the chains 5 to signal the passage of a tool holder and triggers a selector unit which can choose the position of a cut to be made by that tool. Instead of the sheet 1 being movable, the guide (Fig. 10) and chains carrying the tools are movable along side guides. The tool holders (Fig. 11) may be driven on the endless course by electromagnetic forces.