Patent ID: 7755013

Claim:
An optical guidance system for cutting wire machinery having a cutting wire guided by a first and second cutting wire guide, each of said cutting wire guides oriented opposite one another, said cutting wire guides configured to guide said cutting wire as it travels across a cutting wire span between said cutting wire guides, said cutting wire configured to cut a kerf into a solid slab when said solid slab comes into contact with said cutting wire guide as it travels across said cutting wire span, said optical guidance system comprising: a light emitter fixedly attached to said first cutting wire guide, said light emitter configured to traverse a beam of light across said cutting wire span; said light emitter further configured to traverse said beam of light through said kerf; and at least one light detector fixedly attached to said second cutting wire guide, each of said light detectors being oriented essentially opposite of said light emitter, said light detectors being further configured to detect said beam of light when said beam of light is not obscured over said cutting wire span such as when said kerf conforms to an intended straight cutting path; each of said light detectors being further configured to communicate detection of said beam of light to a controller; wherein said light emitter directs said beam of light toward said light detectors so that said beam of light travels through said cutting wire span in a beam trajectory that corresponds to said intended straight cutting path; wherein, when said kerf conforms to said intended straight cutting path, said beam of light will travel through said kerf and to said light detectors where said light detectors will detect said beam of light, said light detectors configured to communicate such detection to said controller as an indication of proper performance by said cutting wire; and wherein, when said kerf does not conform to said intended straight cutting path, said beam of light will be at least partially obscured as it travels through said kerf such that at least one of said light detectors will not receive a full intensity of said beam of light, said light detectors configured to communicate such lack of reception of full intensity to said controller as an indication of non-proper performance by said cutting wire.