METHOD FOR CUTTING NATURAL HIDES AND THE LIKE

Abstract

A method for cutting natural hides, on cutting machines comprising a conveyor belt on which a hide to be cut is arranged, and at least one longitudinal cantilever arm for supporting a cutting head, comprising the steps of: on a conveyor belt of the machine that is divided into a placement area, a cutting area and a collection area, wherein the collection area is an area of the conveyor belt toward which the at least one supporting arm protrudes with the corresponding cutting head, placing a hide on the placement area; defining a cutting layout on the hide; advancing the hide at the cutting area; by means of a collection operator, located at the collection area and directed toward the supporting arm with corresponding cutting head, rearranging the hide when it is at the cutting area; advancing the hide toward the collection area and collecting the cut pieces.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method for cutting natural hides and the like, on cutting machines comprising a conveyor belt on which a hide to be cut is arranged, and at least one longitudinal cantilever arm for supporting a cutting head adapted to cut said hide, the method comprising the steps of: on a conveyor belt of the machine that is divided into a placement area, a cutting area and a collection area, wherein the collection area is an area of the conveyor belt toward which said at least one supporting arm protrudes with the corresponding cutting head, placing, by means of a placement operator, a hide on said placement area; defining a cutting layout on said hide; advancing said hide at said cutting area in order to cut the hide by means of said at least one cutting head; by means of a collection operator, located at said collection area and directed toward said at least one supporting arm with corresponding cutting head, rearranging said hide when it is at said cutting area; advancing said hide toward the collection area and collecting the cut pieces.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the collection operator has the task of collecting the cut pieces at said collection area and of intervening at said cutting area in order to rearrange said hide.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the hide is subjected to aspiration at said cutting area.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein at said cutting area said hide is spread manually by the collection operator, who accesses said cutting area from said collection area.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the intervention of the collection operator at said cutting area stops said at least one cutting head.

15. A machine for cutting natural hides and the like, comprising a conveyor belt that is adapted to convey a hide to be cut, said conveyor belt being divided into a placement area, a cutting area and a collection area, at least one cutting head, adapted to act on said cutting area, being supported by an arm that is extended in a cantilevered manner along the direction of motion of the conveyor belt, wherein said placement area is arranged in the opposite position, on said conveyor belt, with respect to the extension of said arm that supports said cutting head, said collection area being defined, on said conveyor belt, so as to lie opposite said placement area, and being an area of said conveyor belt toward which said arm that supports said cutting head is extended.

16. The machine for cutting natural hides and the like according to claim 15, wherein said area of the conveyor belt identified as the cutting area is provided with suction in order to spread the hide on said cutting area.

17. The machine according to claim 15, wherein a space occupation of said arm with said cutting head is such as to allow a collection operator located at said collection area to interact in said cutting area, in order to rearrange the hide when said hide is arranged at said cutting area.

18. The machine according to claim 15, further comprising at least two cutting heads.

Description

[0031] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the method according to the present invention, illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hide cutting machine to which a method according to the invention is applied;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the machine of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the machine of FIGS. 1-3.

[0036] With reference to the figures, the machine, designated generally by the reference numeral 1, is a machine for cutting hides and the like, which comprises a conveyor belt 2, a framework 3 that is arranged so as to lie above the conveyor belt 2 and supports at least one longitudinal cantilever arm 4, for supporting a cutting head 5.

[0037] Conveniently, the machine can have two or more arms for supporting corresponding cutting heads.

[0038] The conveyor belt 2 can be divided conveniently into a placement region 2a, a cutting region 2b, below one or more cutting heads 5, and a collection region 2c.

[0039] An operator 7, with the task of placing the hide, is located at the placement area 2a of the conveyor belt and a collection operator 6 is located at the collection area 2c, but this last operator 6 can interact with the cutting area 2b.

[0040] Substantially, therefore, the placement operator 7 and the collection operator 6 are arranged in diametrically opposite positions with respect to the positions usually assumed by such operators in hide cutting machines of the type shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0041] Likewise, the conveyor belt is divided into areas that are reversed with respect to the current use of such conveyor belt. In other words, the placement area 2a would usually be an area dedicated to the collection of the cut pieces, while the collection area 2c would be the area dedicated to placement.

[0042] Substantially, therefore, placement is identified on the conveyor belt 2 as the area that lies opposite the cutting heads, i.e., the area that lies opposite the area 2c toward which the cutting heads protrude.

[0043] The method according to the invention provides for the use of hide cutting machines that have minimal space occupations as regards the arms 4 and the corresponding cutting heads 5, so that the operator 6 can interact with the cutting area easily, though being located frontally with respect to the machine, at the cutting area 2c.

[0044] The method according to the invention therefore develops in a cascade arrangement along the conveyor belt 2 on the three areas 2a, 2b and 2c in the following manner.

[0045] In a first step, automatic loading of the hide on the area 2a of the conveyor belt 2 occurs and the cutting layout is prepared manually or automatically.

[0046] The hide is then made to advance at the area 2b of the conveyor belt 2, i.e., in the area of action of the cutting head or heads 5.

[0047] When the hide is in the cutting area, the collection operator 6 can interact with the hide, reach the cutting area and arrange, by flattening it, the hide on the plane of the conveyor belt 2, aided in this by adapted photocells which, when the operator invades the cutting area, inhibit the operation of the cutting heads 5.

[0048] When the hide passes, conveyed by the conveyor belt 2, into the cutting area 2b, it is subjected to suction, and the hide is then spread and rearranged manually by the operator 6, who accesses the cutting area from the collection area 2c in order to obtain perfect adhesion and spreading of the hide on the cutting plane.

[0049] The cutting head or heads 5 then proceeds or proceed with hide cutting, while the operator 6 can still intervene in the cutting area 2b to spread and rearrange the hide or even pick up already cut pieces (by using the safety systems described above, which temporarily interrupt the motion of the heads 5).

[0050] The hide then passes to the collection area 2c, where the operator 6 collects the cut pieces, while he can however continue to monitor the cutting area 2b, ready to intervene as in the preceding step.

[0051] Therefore, the work method according to the invention provides for a reversal of the roles of the collection operator 6 and placement operator 7 and for a reversal of the positions of such operators with respect to the conveyor belt 2 of the machine 1.

[0052] The work method described above allows to speed up the cutting operations and therefore to optimize the cutting work in general.

[0053] In practice it has been found that the cutting method according to the present invention achieves fully the intended aim and objects, since it allows to optimize processing on natural hides that require frequently to be rearranged by an operator after they have been placed on the placement area and while they are being cut.

[0054] The method thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0055] All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0056] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2015A000252 (102015902332185) from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.