摘要 |
A cutting apparatus comprises a machine bed support (1) having a quarter circle profile as seen from above and carrying a workpiece supporting platform (5). The workpiece may be a steel plate (6). The rear of the apparatus has an upstanding post (2) forming a vertical pivot to which is rigidly connected upper and lower arms (3) and (4) which may thus swing in a horizontal plane. A frame (7) is supported on the arms (3) and (4) by rollers R for free movement towards and away from the post (2). The lower limb of frame (7) carries the workpiece cutting device (16) and the upper limb of this frame caries a template following sensor device (8). The sensor device (8) is arranged to follow the required profile defined by a drawing or template on table (10) and this is effected by control of two drive motors using photo-electric template following means one motor driving a wheel (12) which frictionally engages the template and the other motor controlling the orientation of the wheel (12). The wheel is thus rotated to travel across the surface of the template and controlled directionally so that the template pattern is followed to produce a corresponding tracking movement of the frame (7) and thus the cutting device (16). In this arrangement the wheel (12) directly moves the frame (7) together with the cutting device 16 avoiding complex drives and couplings. |