MACRAE, Michael (Performance Cutters Ltd, Unit 4 Norden Court,Heys Lane Industrial Estate,Great Harwoo, Blackburn Lancashire BB6 7UR, GB)
RAMSDEN, John, Christopher (Performance Cutters Ltd, Unit 4 Norden Court,Heys Lane Industrial Est,Great Harwoo, Blackburn Lancashire BB6 7UR, GB)
MACRAE, Michael (Performance Cutters Ltd, Unit 4 Norden Court,Heys Lane Industrial Estate,Great Harwoo, Blackburn Lancashire BB6 7UR, GB)
CLAIMS
1. A laser bed, having in the first part a base frame, formed from sheet metal, having vertical side members, with a formed corrugated inner base, slots of equal size spaced at specified centres within the corrugated sides, and run the entire longitudinal length of the base.
2. A laser bed, as claimed in claim 1, having in the second part, an upper detachable lattice style framework, retained in position within the said base frame by 'Lugs' positioned along the perimeter of the lattice framework, the lugs will be positively located on the upper edge of the base frame vertical sides.
3. A laser bed, as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3, where the detachable lattice
Framework can be moved into various positional modes, as and when wear occurs to the upper top surface.
4. A laser bed as claimed in an}' preceding claim, and substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Improvements in or relating to laser beds for material cutting.
SUMMARY
By present conventional methods, laser-cutting beds described are those used for cutting component parts used in the production of safety air-bags, used within the automotive industry.
Various other industries will use the same or similar laser cutting beds and techniques.
A typical laser bed presently in use is shown in fig 1, and consists of a multiple number of 'honeycomb' like open ended pockets., the beds are laid side by side and attached to horizontal endless conveyors, which conveys the material for laser cutting.
The conveyors vary in both their width and length dependent on the production volume and layout. The open ended pockets assist in both reduction in preventing beam deflection, and that of diffusion of gases, generated by laser cutting of the material.
A vacuum facility within the machine provides a controlled vacuum or negative pressure, which aids retaining the material in position.
The interior corrugated form provides both strength and rigidity to the said bed member.
A significaijt wear problem occurs/develops to the upperside of the beds, as a direct result of uslge within the process. Although this wear only occurs over twenty percent of the total upper surface areas, and is not consistent in the position/location. Also the time scale of wear development is dependent of usage Governed by the production schedules.
The net outcome is that all worn beds will require changing, creating down time and cost.
By way of the following description and drawings the invention seeks to improve on the aforesaid problem.
Fig. 1 Part plan view.
Fig. 2 Part plan and end elevation.
Fig. 3 Elevation and plan view.
Fig. 4 Perspective view of construction.
Fig. 5 Sectional view on 'X - 3C
Summary of the invention.
A laser bed, used for cutting of various material components, consisting of a base frame, having an overall length compatible to the width of horizontal conveyors, on which the beds of multiple number are fitted.
Seated within the base member, are the secondary upper members, consisting of flat plates in section, inter locked one to each other, forming a lattice like frame work and attached to the vertical sides of the base frame by lugs 1 such that the upper members form an integral part of the base frame.
When wear occurs to the upper surfaces (by reason of laser cutting), it is possible to interchange the upper sections, by reason of multiple interchangeability conditions of the top sections, without the use of hand tools or the like.
Item 3 Fig 1 is a part plan view of a typical laser bed presently in use.
All numerical dimensions given will apply to this description only, as these will vary by reason of size variation, of both the conveyors and that of the laser beds.
The bedplate item 3 fig 1 is 30 millimetres in depth/thickness, with a length which is compatible with the width of the horrizontal conveyor (not shown) to be used. Item 4 fig 1 are the end plates secured to either end of the bedplate item 3. Holes 5 are for securing the said bed in position across the width of the respective conveyor., having a width of 2.8 meters, the width of conveyors can vary between 2 and 2.8 meters. Also the length of the conveyors can vary dependant upon the production requirement and area availability (average length being that of 80 meters) The bedplate item 3 will have a length 2.4 meters and is represented by the dimension X" the width being between 90 - 95 millimetres represented by dimension λ W" the bed plates item 3 will be laid side by side at specified positions over the entire length of the conveyor.
Items 6 fig 1 is a pre-formed strip, attached to flat longitudinal members items 7, (drawn perpendicular to the plane of the paper), the material, dimensions and construction will be to a specified design.
Item 8 fig 2 is the new base frame, constructed from a flat sheet of a specified thickness, having folded corrugations items 9, with vertical sides 10, having a width of 90 - 95 millimetres represented by the dimension' A λ with a depth of 40 millimetres represented by dimension X" . Items 11 are slots of equal size and spaced as shown, in specified positions running the entire longitudinal length denoted by dimension ε λ and equal in length to that of a laser bed dimension X' shown in fig 1.
Item 12 fig 3 is a lattice style framework, manufactured to specified dimensions and material specification.
The width dimensionε" being of a size that will be a slide fit, within the inside dimension' r of the base frame 8 fig 2 the total length represented by the dimension λ F will be that of one third the total length of the framework item 8 fig 2 alternatively, the length can be either greater or smaller than one-third, dependant on two main factors, that of strength and rigidity.
A flat plate/angle bracket (not shown), having two holes, will require fasting to each end of the base frame item 8 fig 2, to enable the base assembly to be secured in position on the conveyor.
The location and securing the framework items 12 fig 3, in position within the base framework 8 fig 2 is implemented and effected by the "Lugs" items 13 figs 3 and 4 which are spaced along the perimeter of the framework item 12 fig 3, at corresponding positions as shown.
One method of construction is shown in fig 4, where the lattice type members 12 fig 3 are slotted to-gether. In use, the laser bed item 8 fig 2 having the lattice framework items 12 firmly in position, will dependant on use develop wear on the upper surfaces of the lattice frameworks items 12a.
Once the wear is of detrimental effect, the respective lattice framework iteml2 can be easily removed from its captivity within the base frame item 8, and turned through 180 degrees and re-positioned within the base item 8 fig 2. A further advantage is that once wear takes place in the new position, the entire section or sections items 12 fig 3 can be removed entirely from the base item 8, turned over and replaced., such that the under surface can be introduced into use. Both the slots 11 fig 2 and the open ended pockets 14 figs 3, will act as both preventing beam deflection and aid gas diffusion, also retention and slippage of the material will be achieved, by aid of vacuum, as herein before related and described.
Finally, various shapes and sizes of pockets could be used as alternatives, to those of square section items 14 fig 3.