A cutting machine for preparing a model for spectacle lenses comprising a base rotatable about its axis by a drive for supporting a spectacle dummy lens or real lens concentrically placed thereon and serving as a model lens, a clamp rotatable with the base and the lens for holding the lens between the base and the clamp, a profiling member adapted to contact the outer periphery of the lens held between the base and the clamp, a rotary head rotatable at the same speed as the base by drive means about an axis parallel with the axis of the base for holding a model work thereon concentrically therewith, and a stationary cutter for cutting the work on the rotary head.

A machine for manufacturing a templet for edge grinding a spectacle lens according to the shape of an opening in a spectacle frame designed to hold the lens, comprises a spectacle frame holder supported on a housing. A copying sensor is mounted on the housing for rotation about the axis of the opening and for rectilinear displacement, the sensor sensing the shape of the opening upon rotation thereof. A blank holder is rotatable synchronously with the sensor and a sliding carriage is mounted on the housing for rectilinear displacement with respect to the blank holder, the sliding carriage carrying a cutting tool for cutting the blank to provide said templet. A plunger is rectilinearly displaceable with the copying sensor and synchronously controls the rectilinear displacement of the sliding carriage and cutting tool, the plunger having an axis extending in the direction of the axis of the spectacle frame opening. A sensing element is mounted in the housing coaxially with the plunger and spaced therefrom for sensing the distance between the plunger and the sensing element, and a mechanical motion transmission connects the sensing element to the sliding carriage. A drive motor for rectilinearly displacing the sliding carriage is connected to an electronic processing unit and to the sensing element, the processing unit controlling the rotational speed of the drive motor so that the distance between the plunger and the sensing element remains constant.

A template cutting device suitable for transferring onto a rotatable plain unworked template the lateral profile of a shaped sample piece that passes substantially perpendicularly to the device, which is specially suitable for use in machines which make shaped pieces in general and in which the profile is reproduced on a control cam or template. The purpose of the device is to manufacture control cams or templates and the like. The device includes structure for sensing the profile of the shaped piece when the former is moving crosswise to the latter; and a working group suitable for processing the plain, unworked template so as to obtain the control cam or template, whereby the forward movement of the sample piece controls the rotation of said unworked template.

The invention makes it possible to produce from a blank an article whose contour is altered, preferably linearly enlarged, with great precision in relation to a corresponding contour of a used model (1c). A copying machine is used in the production. The machine comprises, on the one hand, a first pair of units (1, 2) which are arranged so as to be rotatable. The model (1c) is arranged on the first unit (1) and the blank is arranged on the second unit (2). The machine also comprises a pair of second units (24, 25) in which one supports a detecting member (24a) which is brought into cooperation with the model, and the second unit supports a machining or actuating member which is brought into cooperation with and acts on the blank. The said pairs of units are displaced from and towards each other during production. In each pair of units, the units are also controlled individually so that the one unit executes second displacement movements relative to the other unit in such a way that the desired alteration is obtained.

Apparatus for making the finishing cut on the internal outline of a rough cut female die has two carriages one sliding in one direction upon the other, and the other carriage sliding upon a base at right angles to the first. A male punch comprising a template of the outline to which the die is to be finish cut is mounted on one carriage and the die or workpiece is mounted in an indexing work holder on the other carriage. The template engages a tracer finger fixed relative to the base and to a hacksaw blade which finish cuts the die or workpiece by strokes with the plane of the blade perpendicular to the die surface being cut. The tracer and blade are in common planes to which one carriage moves perpendicularly and the other parallel. The cutter blade and tracer respectively engage the die or workpiece and punch or template in the same direction so that cutting action urges the template and tracer into engagement. Preferably the tracer is supported on a hinged mount which can swing the template 180 degrees into opposition to the workpiece, so that the die or workpiece can be adjusted in its work holder until registered with the punch or template. A linear drive for one of the carriages is used for moving the workpiece carriage for cutting along linear portions of the die/workpiece, a linear portion of the template simultaneously moving along the tracer so as to urge the template and both carriages in a second direction normal to the first to the extent that the template deviates from linearity. For cutting arcuate workpiece surfaces the template and workpiece are rotatably mounted on their respective carriages and turned by a rotary drive. An adjustable eccentric coupled between the rotary drive and workpiece carriage translates the workpiece carriage during rotation to compensate for the displacement of the workpiece rotational axis from the axis of curvature of the arcuate surface being cut.