Method and apparatus for cutting successive segments of sheet material with cut continuation.

摘要

In a method and apparatus (10) for cutting sheet material (22) wherein the material is cut in bites or segments (58) by bringing in stepwise fashion successive lengthwise segments (72, 74, 76) to a cutting station (26) incomplete cutting of a line (62) or pattern piece (58) when the line (62) or pattern piece (58) is continued from one segment (72, 74, 76) to another is avoided by a retracing of the line (62) of cut in the vicinity of the line's or pattern piece's transition from one segment to another. Therefore, when the cutting tool (32), following the advancement of the material (22) to bring a fresh segment to the cutting station (26), is returned to the vicinity of a previously cut point it retraces a portion of the previously cut line (62) to promote complete separation of the desired material from the waste material (60) despite possible relaxation or other shifting or mispositioning of the material (22) between the times of the cutting tool's first and second arrivals at the transition point.