Patent ID: 7074360

Claim:
An apparatus for cutting an elongate workpiece along a cutting path with a cutting tool, said apparatus comprising: a workpiece drive adapted to selectively move a supported workpiece in the direction of an X-axis in a mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z-axis coordinate system; a tool mount, including a first rotatable carrier having a first axis of rotation and a first drive gear, a second carrier carried by said first carrier for rotation about a second axis, said first and second axes being spaced apart, gear teeth on said second carrier, said gear teeth being circular about said second axis, a tool holder adapted to secure the tool to the second carrier with the tool oriented generally parallel to and spaced from the second axis, and a ring gear rotatable about said first axis and engaging said gear teeth on said second carrier; a drive mechanism adapted to selectively drive said first drive gear and said ring gear to selectively position and move said tool; and a guide ring adapted to support said tool mount for motion in said Y and Z directions and for rotational movement about a workpiece.