US 11,897,075 B2
Knife edge location sensor
Darryl C. Stein, Andover, CT (US); and Timothy Philip MacDonald, South Windsor, CT (US)
Assigned to GERBER TECHNOLOGY LLC, Tolland, CT (US)
Filed by GERBER TECHNOLOGY LLC, Tolland, CT (US)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/125,703.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/950,728, filed on Dec. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0187687 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. B24B 3/54 (2006.01); B24B 41/06 (2012.01); B24D 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC B24B 3/54 (2013.01) [B24B 41/06 (2013.01); B24D 15/08 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for cutting material with compensation for knife edge offset, the apparatus comprising:
a base frame having a planar work surface;
a gantry assembly mounted above the planar work surface and having a cutter toolhead frame mounted for movement;
a knife moveably coupled to the cutter toolhead frame;
an actuated arm moveably attached to the cutter toolhead frame;
a computer controller that controls movements of the actuated arm and movements of the knife including a toolpath of the knife when cutting, material;
an abrasive sharpener attached to the actuated arm and adapted to selectively contact the knife for sharpening the knife; and
a sensor adapted to determine a distance between the cutter toolhead frame and the actuated arm during sharpening;
wherein the computer controller determines the knife edge offset based on the distance and adjusts the movements of the knife including the toolpath of the knife during cutting based on the knife edge offset to improve cutting accuracy, and
wherein the knife is a reciprocating knife and the abrasive sharpener includes two abrasive wheels and the two abrasive wheels include a first abrasive wheel and a second abrasive wheel configured to act as a probe in contact with the knife.