Computer controlled polystyrene cutter e.g. for advertising material, involves a cutting wire held in a bow carried on a vertical traversing column

摘要

A cutter for rigid polystyrene foam (3) has the cutting wire (2) stretched in a bow (1), which is carried on a slide (12) that can move vertically along a column (13). The column (13) is mounted on a carriage (16), which can move horizontally along rails (18). The various stepping motor or direct current motor drives are controlled through a computer (26) to produce the required motions. An independent claim is also included for a modified arrangement using two such columns arranged on two sides of a polystyrene block to deal with larger shapes.