Automated plasma cutting apparatus and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10556300-B2
Application number	US-201715658805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A plasma cutting apparatus includes a housing, a workpiece support, a movable plasma nozzle, and a nozzle drive arrangement. The housing includes a base, an upright pedestal extending upward from the base, and a stationary head cantilevered from the upright pedestal. The workpiece support extends from the upright pedestal and is located below the stationary head. The nozzle extends downward from an underside of the stationary head and is oriented for delivering a cutting plasma generally along one direction and toward a workpiece on the workpiece support. The nozzle drive arrangement is mounted to the stationary head and is connected for moving the plasma nozzle during a cutting operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plasma cutting apparatus, comprising:
a housing comprising a base, an upright pedestal extending upward from the base and a stationary head cantilevered from the upright pedestal, wherein the stationary head extends in a fixed position over the base;
a workpiece support extending from the upright pedestal and located below the stationary head and above the base;
a movable plasma nozzle extending downward from an underside of the stationary head and oriented for delivering a cutting plasma generally along one direction and toward a workpiece on the workpiece support; and
a nozzle drive arrangement mounted to the stationary head and connected for moving the plasma nozzle during a cutting operation, wherein the nozzle drive arrangement moves the plasma nozzle relative to the stationary head during cutting;
wherein the nozzle drive arrangement is configured to move the plasma nozzle in a first direction along the underside of the stationary head, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the one direction;
wherein the nozzle drive arrangement is configured to move the plasma nozzle in a second direction along the underside of the stationary head, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to both the one direction and the first direction; and
wherein the nozzle drive arrangement is configured to move the plasma nozzle in a third direction relative to the stationary head, wherein the third direction is substantially parallel to the one direction enabling variance and/or control of nozzle distance from the workpiece during cutting operations.

2. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a height of the workpiece support along the pedestal is adjustable to vary a spacing between the workpiece support and the stationary head.

3. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller within the housing and connected to control the nozzle drive arrangement and plasma nozzle to control plasma nozzle movement and plasma nozzle firing according to a specified cut pattern to be made in a workpiece.

4. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller comprises on-board non-transitory memory storing one or more cut patterns.

5. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a user interface on the housing, wherein the user interface is located at a front side of the stationary head.

6. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the user interface includes selectable inputs for accessing locally-stored cut patterns.

7. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the user interface includes selectable inputs for a circular hole cut pattern and a circular hole dimension.

8. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the user interface includes selectable input for nozzle speed and/or selection of automatic nozzle speed adjustment.

9. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further including one or more data ports configured to receive custom cut pattern information from an external source.

10. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further including an alignment mechanism, wherein the alignment mechanism comprises at least one of (i) a laser pointer aimed along the plasma nozzle in the one direction, (ii) a projector configured for projecting an outline of an intended cut (iii) a camera positioned to view along the plasma nozzle in the one direction and a display for displaying an image viewed by the camera along with an overlay of an intended cut or (iv) a lens and mirror system configured to allow a user to operate the plasma cutting apparatus from a front side of the plasma cutting apparatus while viewing alignment marks built into the lens and mirror system.

11. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an angle of the nozzle tip relative to the workpiece support is adjustable.

12. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece support is grounded to a plasma supply ground path.

13. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further including permanent, removable, or deflectable shielding located at the underside of the stationary head and around the plasma nozzle along at least the front side of the stationary head and left and right side portions of the stationary head to help optically shield a user's eyes.

14. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , further including a removable catch pan below the workpiece support.

15. The cutting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a projected rectangular footprint of the head is at least 70% of an area of the projected rectangular footprint of the base and no more than 130% of the area of the projected rectangular footprint of the base.

16. A plasma cutting apparatus, comprising:
a housing comprising a base, an upright pedestal extending upward from the base and a stationary head cantilevered from the upright pedestal, wherein the stationary head extends in a fixed position over the base, the housing further comprising one or more fixed couplers for receiving plasma supply gas, plasma voltage, plasma grounding, and plasma system feedback;
a movable nozzle body mounted on an underside of the stationary head for movement along the underside of the stationary head in at least a first direction and a second direction, where the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the movable nozzle body including replaceable wear components;
a network of hose and wiring for transmitting plasma supply gas and plasma voltage between the fixed couplers and the nozzle body, wherein the network of hose and wiring is enclosed within the housing and nozzle body and at least part of the network of hose and wiring is located within the stationary head.

17. The plasma cutting apparatus of claim 16 wherein the hose and wiring is completely enclosed within the housing and nozzle body.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Jackson Harrison J
• Guy Eric D

Classifications

• B23K37/0258

  Electric supply or control circuits therefor · CPC title

• B23K10/006

  Control circuits therefor · CPC title

• B23K37/0288

  Carriages forming part of a cutting unit · CPC title

• B23K37/0235 Primary

  the guide member forming part of a portal · CPC title

• B23K37/0408

  for planar work · CPC title