FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the special technical sector relative to cutting
machines for cutting material in sheets or rolls, being hides such as leather sheets,
leather, synthetic leathers, etc.
[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a cutting device with an oscillating
blade able to be used by and mounted on cutting machines.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] In this particular sector cutting machines comprise a frame, situated above a work
plane where the materials to be cut are stretched out, such as for example hides (skins,
leather), synthetic leathers and the like, a cutting device inferiorly provided with
a cutting blade and movement means, borne by the frame and mobile with respect thereto,
for moving the cutting device along the three Cartesian axes above the work plane
so that the cutting blade can be positioned above the hides, be lowered to cut the
leather sheet and be moved along a given cutting pathway so as to cut the leather
sheet on the basis of predetermined or desired profiles and/or shapes.
[0004] The cutting devices used for the above aim are predisposed so that the cutting blade
can oscillate vertically during the cutting of the leathers, from a lower cutting
position to a higher cutting position, while always remaining within the thickness
of the material to be scored/cut.
[0005] A first type of cutting device at present used includes causing the cutting blade
to oscillate vertically by means of a mechanical activation.
[0006] For example cutting devices are known which comprise a cam member mounted on a shaft
that can be activated in rotation, the cam being in contact with a rod or another
element connected to the cutting blade.
[0007] In this way, the rotation of the cam member, once the shaft has been activated in
rotation, transmits an oscillating movement (alternated vertical translation) to the
rod/contact member, and therefore to the cutting blade.
[0008] Types of cutting device are known that are predisposed to be able to cause the cutting
blade to oscillate vertically by means of a pneumatic activation.
[0009] For example cutting devices of known type are known comprising an oscillating chamber,
having an upper end-run wall and a lower end-run wall, an oscillating piston, predisposed
with the head thereof in the oscillating chamber and with the relative stem connected
to the cutting blade, and a pneumatic activating system communicating with the oscillating
chamber to oscillate the piston in the oscillating chamber between the upper end-run
wall and the lower end-run wall, and therefore to vertically oscillate the cutting
blade.
[0010] In this type of cutting device of known type, the pneumatic activating system comprises
a pneumatic supply source and a discharge, which are predisposed and configured so
that the part of the oscillating chamber comprised between the piston head and the
upper end-run wall and the part of the oscillating chamber comprised between the head
of the piston and the lower end-run wall are alternatively placed in communication
with the pneumatic supply and the discharge so as to enable the oscillation of the
piston in the oscillating chamber.
[0011] In particular, when the pneumatic supply is placed in communication with the part
of the oscillating chamber comprised between the piston head and the upper end-run
surface, the part of the oscillating chamber comprised between the piston head and
the lower end-run surface is in communication with the discharge, in this case the
piston is pneumatically pushed downwards, while when the pneumatic supply is in communication
with the part of the oscillating chamber comprised between the piston head and the
lower end-run surface, the part of the oscillating chamber comprised between the piston
head and the upper end-run surface is in communication with the discharge, in this
case the piston is pneumatically pushed upwards, generating an upwards oscillation
motion inside the oscillating chamber and the vertical oscillation of the cutting
blade.
[0012] In this regard, in these devices of known type, the oscillating chamber comprises
two openings and the pneumatic activating system comprises conduits, communicating
with the openings and with an obturator or another valve organ such as to place each
of the two openings of the oscillating chamber, via the conduits, alternatively in
communication with the pneumatic source and the discharge.
[0013] The commutation of the oscillation of the piston is made by means of an obturator
or a valve external to the cutting device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a new cutting device having an oscillating
blade for cutting leather sheets pneumatically activatable and which does not require
the use of external valve means for executing the oscillation of the piston.
[0015] The above-described aim is attained by a cutting device having an oscillating blade
for leather cutting machines according to the contents of claim 1.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The characteristics of the cutting device having the oscillating blade for leather
cutting machines proposed by the invention are described in the following with reference
to the appended tables of drawings, in which:
- figures 1A and 1B illustrate the cutting device with an oscillating blade for leather
cutting machines of the invention in two distinct operating configurations of the
oscillating cutting blade during activating thereof in oscillation for performing
the cut of a leather sheet, with figure A1 illustrating the lower cutting position
reachable by the cutting blade during oscillation thereof, while figure 1B illustrates
the upper cutting position reachable by the cutting blade during oscillation thereof;
- figure 1C illustrates the cutting device with an oscillating blade of the invention
in a particular application wherein the cutting blade can be brought in a raised position
with respect to the leather sheet, and then extracted and disengaged from the leather
sheet, without this involving to the raising of the whole device;
- figure 2A illustrates the cutting device with oscillating blade of the invention in
a first preferred but not exclusive embodiment, represented with the relative cutting
blade in the operating configuration of figure 1A, i.e. in the lower cutting position
reachable by the blade during oscillation thereof;
- figure 2B illustrates the view according to section plane II-II of figure 2A;
- figure 2C illustrates, in a larger scale, detail K of figure 2B;
- figure 3A illustrates the cutting device with oscillating blade of figure 2A, represented
with the cutting blade in the operating configuration of figure 1B, i.e. in the upper
cutting position reachable by the blade during oscillation thereof;
- figure 3B illustrates the view according to section plane III-III of figure 3A;
- figure 3C illustrates, in a larger scale, detail H of figure 3B;
- figure 4A illustrates the cutting device with oscillating blade of figure 2A, represented
with the cutting blade in the special configuration of figure 1C, i.e. with the cutting
blade in the non-operating configuration, i.e. in a raised position with respect to
the leather sheet, and therefore disengaged from the leather sheet;
- figure 4B illustrates the view according to section plane IV-IV of figure 4A;
- figure 4C illustrates, in a larger scale, detail J of figure 4B.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] With reference to the appended tables of drawings, reference numeral (100) denotes
the cutting device with oscillating blade for leather cutting machines proposed by
the present invention in its entirety.
[0018] The cutting device (100) of the invention comprises a body (C), a cutting blade (L)
for cutting a leather sheet (V) (or another similar material in sheet or roll form,
such as leather or synthetic materials) which is stretched out on a work plane.
[0019] The cutting device (100), in this regard, is able to be mounted on cutting machines,
for example, numerically controlled.
[0020] It is predisposed so as to pneumatically activate the cutting blade (L) so that it
can oscillate vertically to cut the leather sheet (V).
[0021] For this purpose, the cutting device (100) is provided, internally of the body (C),
with an oscillating chamber (1) having an upper end-run wall (11) and a lower end-run
wall (12), and an oscillating piston (10), having a head (13) and a stem (14), the
oscillating piston (10) being predisposed with the head (13) inserted in the oscillating
chamber (1), between the upper end-run wall (11) and the lower end-run wall (12),
and the stem (14) being connected to the cutting blade (L).
[0022] For the pneumatic activation of the vertical oscillation of the cutting blade (L),
the cutting device (100) is provided with a suitable pneumatic activating system (P)
which is in communication with the oscillating chamber (1).
[0023] The pneumatic activating system (P) comprises a pneumatic supply source (P1) (for
example compressed air, represented schematically by a square in the appended figures)
and at least a discharge (S1, S2).
[0024] The pneumatic activating system (P) is designed in such a way that the pneumatic
supply source (P1) and the at least a discharge (S1, S2) are predisposed and configured
so that a first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the head
(13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the lower end-run wall (12) and a second part
(1B) of the oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the head (13) of the oscillating
piston (10) and the upper end-run wall (11) are placed in communication alternatively
with the pneumatic supply source (P1) and the at least a discharge (S1, S2).
[0025] In this way, when the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) (comprised between
the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the lower end-run wall (12) of the
oscillating chamber (1)) is in communication with the pneumatic supply source (P1),
the second part (1B) of the oscillating chamber (1) (comprised between the head (13)
of the oscillating piston (10) and the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1)) is in communication with the at least a discharge (S1, S2) in such a
way that the oscillating piston (10) can be pneumatically pushed upwards [
see for example figures 2B, 2C which illustrate this situation with the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10)
in contact with the lower end-run wall (12), and therefore in the condition of being
pushed upwards, i.e. towards the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating chamber
(1)].
[0026] In a specular way, when the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) (comprised
between the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the lower end-run wall (12)
of the oscillating chamber (1)) is in communication with the at least a discharge
(S1, S2), the second part (1B) of the oscillating chamber (1) (comprised between the
head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1)) is in communication with the pneumatic supply source (P1) in such a way
that the oscillating piston (10) can be pneumatically pushed downwards [
see for example figures 3B, 3C which illustrate this situation with the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10)
in contact with the upper end-run wall (11), and therefore in the condition of being
pushed downwards, i.e. towards the lower end-run wall (12) of the oscillating chamber
(1)].
[0027] Therefore, the pneumatic activating system (P) present in the cutting device (100))
is able to pneumatically activate the oscillating piston (10) to oscillate in the
oscillating chamber (1), between the lower end-run wall (12) and the upper end-run
wall (11) and, consequently, to vertically oscillate the cutting blade (L).
[0028] In particular, the cutting blade (L) is thus made to oscillate vertically between
a lower cutting position (L1) (see figures 1A, 2A, 2B), defined when the head (13)
of the oscillating piston (10) reaches abutment against the lower end-run wall (12)
of the oscillating chamber (1), and an upper cutting position (L2) (see figures 1B,
3A, 3B), defined when the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) reaches abutment
against the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating chamber (1).
[0029] For this purpose, the cutting device (100) is such that the upper end-run wall (11)
is predisposed in the body (C) at a distance with respect to the lower end-run wall
(12) so that when the head (13) of the oscillating piston (109) reaches contact with
the upper end-run wall (11), the cutting blade (L) reaches an upper cutting position
(L2) so that it remains always in contact with the leather sheet (V) to be cut with
the aim of guaranteeing continuity of the cutting operation.
[0030] The peculiarities of the present invention consist in the peculiar structure of the
pneumatic activating system (P) which does not require any external commutating valve
means.
[0031] In fact, the cutting device (100) of the present invention has the below-described
special characteristics concerning the ways in which the oscillating piston (10) is
pneumatically activated to oscillate in the oscillating chamber (1), between the upper
end-run wall (11) and the lower end-run wall (12), with the aim of activating the
cutting blade (L) to oscillate vertically between the upper cutting position (L2)
and the lower cutting position (L1).
[0032] The body (C) comprises a cylinder (16) while the stem (14) of the oscillating piston
(10) is predisposed so as to be slidable alternatingly in the cylinder (16).
[0033] Further, the stem (14) of the oscillating piston (10) is conformed so as to exhibit:
two annular portions (141, 142) in slidable contact with the walls of the cylinder
(16) and an annular recess (140) comprised between the two annular portions (141,
142); an internal conduit (17); and is provided with through-holes (18) predisposed
in a position below the annular recess (140) in order to place the outside of the
stem (14) in communication with the internal conduit (17).
[0034] The head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) is instead provided with through-holes
(130) for placing the internal conduit (17) of the stem (14) in communication with
the second part (1B) of the oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the head (13)
of the oscillating piston (10) and the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1).
[0035] In turn, the pneumatic activating system (P) comprises: a switching chamber (8) in
a portion of the internal walls of the cylinder (16), a main conduit (81) predisposed
in the body (C) so as to be in communication with the pneumatic supply source (P1)
and with a lower part of the switching chamber (8); a secondary conduit (82) predisposed
in the body (C) so as to be in communication with an upper part of the switching chamber
(8) and with the oscillating chamber (1) through a passage hole (83) in the lower
end-run wall (12) of the oscillating chamber (1); an upper discharge (S1) communicating
with outside realised in the cylinder (16) in a position above the switching chamber
(8) and a lower discharge (S2) communicating with outside realised in the cylinder
(16) in a position below the switching chamber (8).
[0036] In particular, the annular recess (140) of the stem (14) has dimensions such that,
and with the holes (18) of the stem (14) positioned with respect to the annular recess
(140) such that, with the alternating sliding of the stem (14) internally of the cylinder
(16), the following conditions and situations are established:
when the annular recess (140) of the stem (14) is positioned at the switching chamber
(8), the holes (18) of the stem (14) are positioned at the lower discharge (S2), so
that the main conduit (81) is in communication through the annular recess (140) with
the secondary conduit (82) and therefore the pneumatic supply source (P1) is in communication
with the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) between the head (13) of the
oscillating piston (10) and the lower end-run wall (12), while the second part (1B)
of the oscillating chamber (1) between the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10)
and the upper end-run wall (11) is in communication with the lower discharge (S2)
through the through-holes (130) of the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10), the
internal conduit (17) of the stem (14) and the holes (18) of the stem (14), so that
the oscillating piston (10) can be pneumatically pushed upwards (see for example figures
2B, 2C)
and when the annular recess (140) of the stem (14) is positioned at both the upper
discharge (S1) and the upper part of the switching chamber (8) communicating with
the secondary conduit (82), the holes (18) of the stem (14) are in the lower part
of the switching chamber (8) and communicating with the main conduit (81), so that
the pneumatic supply source (P1), through the holes (18) of the stem (14), the internal
conduit (17) of the stem (14) and the through-holes (130) present in the head (13)
of the oscillating piston (10), is in communication with the second part (1B) of the
oscillating chamber (1) between the upper end-run wall (11) and the head (13) of the
oscillating piston (10), while the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1)
between the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the lower end-run wall (12)
is in communication with the upper discharge (S1) through the secondary conduit (82),
so that the oscillating piston (10) can be pneumatically pushed downwards (see for
example figures 3B, 3C).
[0037] By way of example, in the following a possible operating cycle of the cutting device
(100) of the invention is described, starting for example from the situation illustrated
in figures 2B and 2C, in which the pneumatic supply source (P1) is active and the
oscillating piston (10) has the relative head (13) in contact with the lower end-run
wall (12) of the oscillating chamber (1), i.e. with the cutting blade (L) which is
in the lower cutting position (L1).
[0038] In this situation, the stem (14) of the oscillating piston (10) is, with respect
to the cylinder (16) of the body (C), in a position such that the recess (140) of
the stem (14) is positioned at the switching chamber (8), placing the main conduit
(81) in communication with the secondary conduit (82), while the holes (18) of the
stem (14) are positioned at the lower discharge (S2).
[0039] Therefore the pneumatic supply source (P1), via the main conduit (81), the switching
chamber (8) the secondary conduit (82) and the passage hole (83) is in communication
with the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the head
(13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the lower wall (12) of the oscillating chamber
(1), while the second part (1B) of the oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the
head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) and the upper wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1), via the holes (130) of the head (13), the internal conduit (17) of the
stem (14) and the holes (18) of the stem (14), is in communication with the lower
discharge (S2).
[0040] The pneumatic flow originating from the pneumatic supply source (P1) therefore arrives
in the first part (1A) of the oscillating chamber (1), below the head (13) of the
oscillating piston (10), consequently pushing it upwards, as the second part (1B)
of the oscillating chamber (1), above the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10),
is connected with the lower discharge (S2).
[0041] The oscillating piston (10) is thus pushed upwards, with a contextual sliding upwards
of the stem (14) thereof in the cylinder (16) and a displacement upwards of the cutting
blade (L).
[0042] When the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) abuts against the upper end-run
wall (11) of the oscillating chamber (1), (see figures 3B, 3C), the cutting blade
(L) reaches the upper cutting position (L2) thereof, while the upwards sliding of
the stem (14) in the cylinder (16) of the body (C) determines the following condition
(see in particular figure 3C):
the holes (18) of the stem (14) are at the lower part of the switching chamber (8)
and therefore communicating with the main conduit (81), the recess (140) of the stem
(14) is positioned at both the upper discharge (S1) and the upper part of the switching
chamber (8), and are therefore communicating with the secondary conduit (82).
[0043] In this situation, the main conduit (81), through the holes (18) of the stem (14),
the internal conduit (17) of the stem (14) and the holes (130) of the head (13) of
the oscillating piston (10), is in communication with the second part (1B) of the
oscillating chamber (1) comprised between the head (13) of the oscillating piston
(10) and the upper wall (11) of the oscillating chamber (1), while the first part
(1A) of the oscillating chamber (1) below the head (13) of the oscillating piston
(10), through the passage holes (83) and the secondary conduit (82), is communicating
with the upper discharge (S1).
[0044] Therefore, the pneumatic flow originating from the pneumatic supply source (P1) arrives
in the second part (1B) of the oscillating chamber (1), above the head (13) of the
oscillating piston (10), consequently pushing it downwards, as the first part (1A)
of the oscillating chamber (1), below the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10),
is connected with the upper discharge (S1): the oscillating piston (10) is thus pushed
downwards, with a contextual sliding downwards of the stem (14) in the cylinder (16)
and a downwards displacement of the cutting blade (L), in order to return into the
preceding situation, see figure 2C i.e. into the lower cutting position (L1) thereof.
[0045] The cycle described in the following is repeated as long as the pneumatic supply
source (P1) is active, thus determining the oscillation of the cutting blade (L) between
the lower cutting position (L1) and the upper cutting position (L2).
[0046] Therefore, grace of the peculiar structure and configuration of the pneumatic activating
system according to the present invention, as above described, the commutation of
the oscillation of the piston is activated by the same piston, on the basis of the
position of the relative stem within the cylinder, and in particular with respect
to the switching chamber and to the two discharges.
[0047] The peculiar pneumatic activating system of the present invention finds its application
in all the cutting device wherein the oscillation of the cutting blade is required
for cutting, and, for example, also in those cutting device wherein it is necessary
to raise and extract the cutting blade above the leather sheet as shown in figure
1C.
[0048] In these cases, as shown for example in figures 2B, 2C, 3B, 4B and 4C, the cutting
device (100) comprises also an auxiliary chamber (2) and an auxiliary piston (23),
having a head (24) and a stem (25).
[0049] In particular, the auxiliary chamber (2) is arranged superiorly of the oscillating
chamber (1) and is provided with an opening (20) predisposed so as to be in communication
with the pneumatic supply source (P1), and has an upper abutment surface (21) and
a lower abutment surface (22), while the auxiliary piston (23) is predisposed in such
a way that the head (24) thereof is situated internally of the auxiliary chamber (2)
and the relative stem (25) is connected to the head (13) of the oscillating piston
(10) through a hole (110) present in the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1).
[0050] In greater detail, the auxiliary chamber (2) and the stem (25) of the auxiliary piston
(23) are dimensioned in such a way that the auxiliary piston (23), when the pneumatic
supply source (P1) is active such as to oscillate the oscillating piston (10) in the
oscillating chamber (1) between the lower end-run wall (12) and the upper end-run
wall (11), oscillates in the auxiliary chamber (2) up to reaching at most an upper
end-run position (FC) which is distant from and below the upper abutment surface (21)
of the auxiliary chamber (2) (see for example figure 3B).
[0051] The cutting device (100), in these cases, comprises a thrust element (3) which is
predisposed in the auxiliary chamber (2) in such a way as to be interposed between
the head (24) of the auxiliary piston (23) and the surface of the lower abutment surface
(22) of the auxiliary chamber (2).
[0052] For example, the thrust element (3) can be constituted by a sleeve having a passage
hole for sliding passage of the stem (25) of the auxiliary piston (23) having a shape
such as to be interposed between the head (24) of the auxiliary piston (23) and the
lower abutment surface (22) of the auxiliary chamber (2), and to constitute an abutment
for the head (24).
[0053] In particular, during activation of the pneumatic supply source (P1) for pneumatically
activating the oscillating piston (10) in the oscillating chamber (1), and thus vertically
oscillating the cutting blade (L) between the lower cutting position (L1) and the
upper cutting position (L2), the thrust element (3) is such as to be maintained pneumatically
in contact with the lower abutment surface (22) by means of a pneumatic flow which
enters from the opening (20) of the auxiliary chamber (2) which is in communication
with the pneumatic supply source (P1).
[0054] The thrust element (3), following the deactivation of the pneumatic supply source
(P1), is activatable to raise and push upwards the head (24) of the auxiliary piston
(23) and thus raise the auxiliary piston (23) up to placing it with the head (24)
thereof in abutment against the upper abutment surface (21) of the auxiliary chamber
(2) with a contextual raising of the oscillating piston (10) (the stem (25) of the
auxiliary piston (23) is connected to the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10)
as mentioned in the foregoing) and thus the raising of the cutting blade (L) above
the upper cutting position (L2).
[0055] For these purposes, the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating chamber (1) is
configured and predisposed in the body (C) in such a way as:
to be able to assume a static configuration in a predetermined working position (PL)
(figures 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C), during activation of the pneumatic supply source (P1) in
order to define the upper end-run limit of the oscillating piston (10) in the oscillating
chamber (1),
and when the pneumatic supply source (P1) is deactivated and the thrust element (3)
is activated to raise, to be dynamically movable upwards with respect to the body
(C) in order to enable a raising of the oscillating piston (10) up to when the auxiliary
piston (23) reaches abutment with the head (24) thereof against the upper abutment
surface (21) of the auxiliary chamber (2) .
[0056] Therefore, immediately and contextually with the deactivation of the pneumatic supply
source (P1), the cutting blade (L) is lifted into a raised position (LR) above the
upper cutting position (L2) thereof beyond the thickness of the leather sheet (V),
and thus be extracted and disengaged completely from the leather sheet (V) (figures
1C, 4A and 4B), all without requiring any movement or raising of the whole device
or the body of the device bearing the cutting blade.
[0057] According to a possible embodiment, shown by way of example in the figures, the cutting
device (100) can be predisposed and configured, for the purposes of the raising activation
of the thrust element (3), so as to comprise an elastic element (31).
[0058] The elastic element (31) is predisposed so as to be interposed between the thrust
element (3) and the lower abutment surface (22) of the auxiliary chamber (2),
[0059] In particular, the elastic element (31) is configured in such a way as to be compressable
and be elastically loadable when the thrust element (3) is maintained pneumatically
in contact with the lower abutment surface (22) by a pneumatic flow which enters from
the opening (20) of the auxiliary chamber (2) communicating with the pneumatic supply
source (P1), during the activation of the pneumatic supply source (P1).
[0060] In this way the elastic element (31) is placed in the condition to be able to elastically
activate the raising of the thrust element (3) to push the head (24) of the auxiliary
piston (23) upwards and therefore push and lift upwards the auxiliary piston (23)
and bring the relative head (24) against the upper abutment surface (21) following
the deactivation of the pneumatic supply source (P1), and therefore raise the oscillating
piston (10) and consequently the cutting blade (L) into the raised position (LR),
extracted and disengaged from the leather sheet (V).
[0061] In this regard, the thrust element (3) comprises an inferiorly open annular seating
(32), while the elastic element (31) is constituted by a helical spring (31) predisposed
in the annular seating (32) so as to be in contact with a relative lower end with
the lower abutment surface (22) of the auxiliary chamber (2).
[0062] The cutting device (100), in the case it is configured to made the raising and extraction
of the cutting blade above from the leather sheet, further comprises:
a manoeuvring chamber (4) inside the body (C), between the oscillating chamber (1)
and the auxiliary chamber (2);
a piston (40) predisposed in the manoeuvring chamber (4) and having a lower wall (41)
and provided with a through hole (42) for passage of the stem (25) of the auxiliary
piston (23) for connection thereof with the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10):
a connecting element (43) which connects and constrains the piston (40) to the thrust
element (3) through a passage hole (28) present in the lower abutment surface (22)
of the auxiliary chamber (2).
[0063] In this way, when the thrust element (3) is maintained pneumatically in contact with
the lower abutment surface (22) of the auxiliary chamber (2) by means of a pneumatic
flow which enters from the opening (20) of the auxiliary chamber (2) communicating
with the pneumatic supply source (P1) during the activation of the pneumatic supply
source (P1), the piston (40) is maintained, by the connecting element (43) with the
thrust element (3), in a predetermined position so that the relative lower wall (41)
is positioned in said working position (PL) in order to constitute the upper end-run
wall (11) of the oscillating chamber (1) and to define the upper end-run limit of
the oscillating piston (10) (figures 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C).
[0064] Further, owing to the presence of the connecting element (43) between the thrust
element (3) and the piston (40), when the pneumatic supply source (P1) is deactivated
and the thrust element (3) is raised, by means of the elastic element (31), to push
and raise the auxiliary piston (23) against the upper abutment surface (21) of the
auxiliary chamber (2), the piston (40) is also raised in the manoeuvring chamber (4)
and the relative lower wall (41) displaced upwards so as to enable the raising of
the oscillating piston (10) beyond the upper end-run limit reached in the oscillating
run thereof and thus enable the raising of the cutting blade (L) into the raised position
(LR).
[0065] The connecting element (43) comprises a stem (44) that is internally hollow and a
head (45) at a lower end of the stem (44), the connecting element (43) is predisposed
in the manoeuvring chamber (4) so that the upper end of the stem (44) is fixed to
the thrust element (3) through the passage hole (28) in the lower abutment surface
(22) of the auxiliary chamber (2), the head (45) is connected and fixed to the piston
(40), while the stem (44) slidably accommodates internally thereof the stem (25) of
the auxiliary piston (23).
[0066] The manoeuvring chamber (4) comprises, at or in proximity of the upper part thereof,
an opening (48) communicating with the pneumatic supply source (P1) of the pneumatic
activating system (P), so that when the pneumatic supply source (P1) is active, a
pneumatic flow enters the manoeuvring chamber (4) and acts on the head (45) of the
connecting element (43) to keep the piston (40) pushed downwards and thus maintain
the lower surface (41) thereof which defines the upper end-run wall (11) of the oscillating
chamber (1) stably stationary in the work position (PL), thus preventing the impacts
and abutments of the head (13) of the oscillating piston (10) from displacing the
piston (40) upwards.
[0067] At the moment when there is a need to change cutting direction, and therefore to
disengage and completely extract the cutting blade (L) of the leather sheet (V), it
will be sufficient to deactivate the pneumatic supply source (P1) and the thrust element
(3) will be activated to rise so as to push and lift the auxiliary piston (23) up
to setting the relative head (24) in abutment against the upper abutment surface (21)
of the auxiliary chamber (2), thus also causing the lifting of the connecting element
(43) which displaces the piston (40) upwards, thus enabling the oscillating piston
(10) to be raised, owing to the connection of the relative head (13) with the stem
(25) of the auxiliary piston (23), beyond the upper end-run height normally reached
during the oscillation thereof (i.e. beyond the height of the upper end-run wall (11)
of the oscillating chamber (1) defined by the lower part (41) of the piston (40) when
positioned in the working position (PL)), and thus raise the cutting blade (L) into
the raised position (LR) thereof, disengaging and extracting it from the leather sheet
(V).