Claims
- 1. Apparatus for cutting the pile of a carpet to provide a sculptured pattern in the carpet, comprising:
- support means having a surface for supporting the carpet for cutting the pile thereof;
- carriage means mounted for movement relative to said support means;
- cutting means carried by said carriage means for cutting the pile of the carpet to form the sculptured pattern therein;
- drive means for moving the carriage means, the operation of the drive means moving the cutting means relative to the carpet for cutting the pile to form said sculptured pattern in the carpet;
- control means for controlling at least the movement of said carriage means, said control means including processing means having an associated memory means, said memory means including stored predetermined instructions defining at least one pattern of movement for the carriage means for moving at least the cutting means to cut the sculptured pattern in the carpet;
- means for applying lubricating fluid to said cutting means, including a fluid reservoir and a dispensing means for dispensing the lubricating fluid to said cutting means, said dispensing means including electrical pump means, said pump means being operatively connected to said control means, said control means generating signals for activating said pump means to dispense fluid to said cutting means at predetermined intervals when said cutting means is operating, said memory means adapted to the store data and instructions for controlling the apparatus for cutting a predetermined sculptured pattern in the carpet including data identifying the elevation of each of a predetermined number of locations across said support means, said control means driving said carriage means to control the movement of said cutting means along a predetermined path relative to the carpet for cutting a predetermined sculptured pattern in the carpet and to vertically adjust the carriage means, so that said cutting means cuts the pile of the carpet at a constant depth notwithstanding any undulation of the surface of the support means.
- 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said carriage means includes means for moving said cutting means horizontally along the surface of the carpet and means for moving the cutting means generally perpendicularly relative to the surface of the carpet, said carriage means being operable to rotate said cutting means, said carriage means performing such movement in response to receiving selected control means generated signals being applied thereto.
- 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting means comprises a motor driven clipping head, said clipping head being energized for operation in response to shear control signals being generated by said control means.
- 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including sensing means for detecting the temperature of said cutting means, said sensing means generating a cutoff signal and applying the same to said control means in response to said sensed temperature exceeding a predetermined limit, said control means de-energizing said cutting means in response to said cutoff signal being generated.
- 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including means for removing the pile cutting of the carpet that result from the cutting of the sculptured pattern in the carpet.
- 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the removing means comprises a power driven vacuum means having a vacuum head positioned adjacent the cutting means and adapted to remove pile cuttings that result from the cutting of the sculptured pattern in the carpet.
- 7. Apparatus for cutting the pile of a carpet to provide a sculptured pattern in the carpet, comprising:
- support means having a generally horizontal surface for supporting the carpet for cutting the pile thereof;
- carriage means mounted for movement relative to said support means;
- cutting means carried by said carriage means for cutting the pile of the carpet to form the sculptured pattern therein;
- drive means for moving the carriage means, the operation of the drive means moving the cutting means relative to the carpet for cutting the pile to form said sculptured pattern in the carpet;
- control means for controlling at least the movement of said carriage means, said control means including processing means having an associated memory means, said memory means adapted to store data and instructions for controlling the apparatus for cutting a predetermined sculptured pattern in the carpet, including data identifying the elevation of each of a predetermined number of locations across said support means, said control means driving said carriage means to control the movement of said cutting means along a predetermined path relative to the carpet for cutting a predetermined sculptured pattern in the carpet and said control means being operable to vertically adjust the carriage means so that said cutting means cuts the pile of the carpet at a constant depth nonwithstanding any undulation of the surface of the support means.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 including means for applying a lubricating fluid to said cutting means under control of said control means.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7 including sensing means for detecting the temperature of said cutting means, said sensing means generating a cutoff signal and applying said cutoff signal to said control means in response to said detected temperature exceeding a predetermined limit, said control means de-energizing said cutting means in response to said cutoff signal being generated.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising means for removing pile cutting of the carpet that results from the cutting of the sculptured pattern in the carpet.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of our prior patent application, Ser. No. 565,294, filed Dec. 27, 1983 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (33)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2207857 |
Aug 1973 |
DEX |
696042 |
Aug 1953 |
GBX |
1365188 |
Aug 1974 |
GBX |
2121214 |
Dec 1983 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
565294 |
Dec 1983 |
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