Importance

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for creating, laying out and cutting patterns on laminar sheet material having particular application to air handling ducting which permits the fully automated creation of the patterns required to subsequently construct three-dimensional products such as fittings, which have heretofore only been designed by skilled technicians. Information representative of the geometric configurations of a group of basic pattern types, including mathematical relationships, is stored in digital form in a memory. From the basic pattern types, substantially all variations of the three-dimensional product can be developed. An operator specifies the type of fitting required and inputs selected actual basic dimensions of the product, the basic dimensions being those dimensions necessary to specify the overall dimensions of the product. The patterns for the closed sides of the product are developed from the mathematical relationships specifying the geometry of the basic pattern types in response to the input basic dimensions. The patterns so developed are then computed for optimum positioning with other developed patterns, most preferably with alignment of similarly shaped edges for sheet material optimization, and preferably with adjacent grouping of the patterns for each end product to facilitate location and assembly and, most preferably, in such a manner that each grouping can be severed from the sheet material with a single cut to facilitate use of sheet or coil stock shearing machinery.

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First Claim