SHEET MATERIAL CUTTING APPARATUS INCLUDING A VACUUM HOLDDOWN SYSTEM HAVING A ROLLER MECHANISM FOR HANDLING AIR-IMPERMEABLE SHEETS

摘要

A sheet material cutting apparatus of the type wherein a layup of sheet material is spread onto the supporting surface of a cutting table and held to the cutting table in a compressed condition by vacuum applied to an overlying sheet or panel of air-impervious material includes a roller mechanism for handling the air-impervious panel whereby such a panel is removed from the layup at the cutting zone so as not to be cut by the cutting tool. The roller mechanism includes two rollers located on opposite sides of the cutting tool with the air-impervious panel comprising two sheets each partially rolled onto a respective one of the two rollers.