METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING ONE OR MORE GROOVES IN A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT
Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for cutting one or more grooves in a cylindrical element. In specific embodiments, the one or more grooves are cut into an outer surface of the cylindrical element. The cylindrical element can be solid, or can have one or more hollow portions. In a specific embodiment, the cylindrical element is a hollow tube. Embodiments also pertain to a cylindrical element having one or more grooves cut in an outer surface of the cylindrical element. Further specific embodiments are directed to cylindrical elements having one or more grooves that can be utilized as a drapery or curtain tube, where the one or more grooves, in combination with rotation of the cylindrical element, can be used for moving the drapery to one or more positions along the tube, such as from an open position for the drapery or curtain to a closed position for the drapery or curtain, by engaging an interconnecting element between the drapery or curtain and the one or more grooves while rotating the tube.
1 . A method of cutting one or more grooves into an outer surface of a cylindrical element, comprising:
rotating a cylindrical element about a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical element;
wherein while rotating the cylindrical element about the longitudinal axis, further comprising:
moving a rough cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the rough cutter moves from a rough start position to a rough end position, wherein the rough start position has a rough axial start position along a length of the cylindrical element and a rough rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the rough end position has a rough axial end position along a length of the cylindrical element and a rough rotational end position about the longitudinal axis; and
moving a finish cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the finish cutter moves from a finish start position to a finish end position, wherein the finish start position has a finish axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a finish rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the finish end position has a finish axial end position along a length of the cylindrical element and a finish rotational end position about the longitudinal axis;
wherein while moving the rough cutter from the rough start position to the third position, positioning the rough cutter with respect to an outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the rough cutter cuts away a rough portion of the outer surface,
wherein while moving the finish cutter from the finish start position to the finish end position, positioning the finish cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the finish cutter cuts away a finish portion of the outer surface,
wherein cutting away the rough portion and cutting away the finish portion creates a groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rough rotational end position is the same as the rough rotational start position.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the finish rotational end position is the same as the finish rotational start position.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the finish rotational start position is the same as the rough rotational start position.
5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein while moving the rough cutter from the rough start position to the rough end position, the rough cutter is maintained at the rough rotational start position.
6 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein while moving the finish cutter from the finish start position to the finish end position, the finish cutter is maintained at the finish rotational start position.
7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein while moving the rough cutter from the rough start position to the rough end position, the rough cutter is maintained at the rough rotational start position, wherein while moving the finish cutter from the finish start position to the finish end position, the finish cutter is maintained at the finish rotational start position.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein rotating the cylindrical element comprises rotating the cylindrical element at a constant speed of rotation.
9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein rotating the cylindrical element comprises rotating the cylindrical element at a constant speed of rotation.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein moving the rough cutter from the rough start position to the rough end position comprises moving the rough cutter from the rough start position to the rough end position at a first axial speed, wherein the first axial speed is a constant axial speed, wherein moving the finish cutter from the finish start position to the finish end position comprises moving the finish cutter from the finish start position to the finish end position at the first axial speed.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the finish axial start position is axially separated from the rough axial start position by n leads, where a lead is an axial distance covered by one 360° rotation of the groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element and n is an integer having a value of 1 or greater.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein n=1.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein while rotating the cylindrical element about the longitudinal axis, further comprising:
moving a second rough cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second rough cutter moves from a second rough start position to a second rough end position, wherein the second rough start position has a second rough axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second rough rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the second rough end position has a second rough axial end position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second rough rotational end position about the longitudinal axis; and
moving a second finish cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second finish cutter moves from a second finish start position to a second finish end position, wherein the second finish start position has a second finish axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second finish rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the second finish end position has a second finish axial end position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second finish rotational end position about the longitudinal axis;
wherein while moving the second rough cutter from the second rough start position to the second rough end position, positioning the second rough cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the second rough cutter cuts away a second rough portion of the outer surface,
wherein while moving the second finish cutter from the second finish start position to the second finish end position, positioning the second finish cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the second finish cutter cuts away a second finish portion of the outer surface,
wherein cutting away the second rough portion and cutting away the second finish portion creates a second groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the second rough rotational start position, the second finish rotational start position, the second rough rotational end position, and the second finish rotational end position are the same as the rough rotational start position.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein while moving the second rough cutter from the second rough start position to the second rough end position, the second rough cutter is maintained at the second rough rotational start position wherein while moving the second finish cutter from the second finish start position to the second finish end position, the second finish cutter is maintained at the second finish rotational start position.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein moving the second rough cutter from the second rough start position to the second rough end position comprises moving the second rough cutter from the second rough start position to the second rough end position at the first axial speed, wherein moving the second finish cutter from the second finish start position to the second finish end position comprises moving the second finish cutter from the second finish start position to the second finish end position at the first axial speed.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the second finish axial start position is axially separated from the second rough axial start position by m leads, where m is an integer having a value of 1 or greater.
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein m=1.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the second rough axial start position is axially separated from the finish axial start position by (p+½) leads, wherein p is an integer having a value of zero or greater.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein p=0.
21 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein while rotating the cylindrical element about the longitudinal axis, further comprising:
moving a second rough cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second rough cutter moves from a second rough start position to a second rough end position, wherein second rough start position has a second rough axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second rough rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein second rough end position has a second rough axial end position and a second rough rotational end position; and
moving the second finish cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second finish cutter moves from a second finish start position to an second finish end position, wherein the second finish start position has a second finish axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second finish rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the second finish end position has a second finish axial end position and a second finish rotational end position;
wherein while moving the second rough cutter from the second rough start position to the second rough end position, positioning the second rough cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the second rough cutter cuts away a second rough portion of the outer surface,
wherein while moving the second finish cutter from the second finish start position to the second finish end position, positioning the second finish cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the second finish cutter cuts away a second finish portion of the outer surface,
wherein cutting away the second rough portion and cutting away the second finish portion creates a second groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element.
22 . A method of cutting two grooves into an outer surface of a cylindrical element, comprising:
rotating the cylindrical element about the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical element;
moving a first cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first cutter moves from a first start position to a first end position, wherein the first start position has a first axial start position along a length of the cylindrical element and a first rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the first end position has a first axial end position along a length of the cylindrical element and a first rotational end position about the longitudinal axis; and
moving a second cutter and the rotating cylindrical element with respect to each other in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second cutter moves from a second start position to a second end position, wherein the second start position has a second axial start position along the length of the cylindrical element and a second rotational start position about the longitudinal axis, wherein the second end position has a second axial end position along a length of the cylindrical element and a second rotational end position about the longitudinal axis;
wherein while moving the first cutter from the first start position to the first end position, positioning the first cutter with respect to an outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the first cutter cuts away a first portion of the outer surface,
wherein while moving the second cutter from the second start position to the second end position, positioning the second cutter with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical element such that the second cutter cuts away a second portion of the outer surface,
wherein cutting away the first portion creates a first groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element, and
wherein cutting away the second portion creates a second groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element.
23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the first rotational end position is the same as the first rotational start position.
24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the second rotational end position is the same as the second rotational start position.
25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the second rotational start position is the same as the first rotational start position.
26 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein while moving the first cutter from the first start position to the first end position, the first cutter is maintained at the first rotational start position.
27 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein while moving the second cutter from the second start position to the second end position, the second cutter is maintained at the second rotational start position.
28 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein while moving the first cutter from the first start position to the first end position, the first cutter is maintained at the first rotational start position, wherein while moving the second cutter from the second start position to the second end position, the second cutter is maintained at the second rotational start position.
29 . The method according to claim 28 , wherein the second rotational start position is the same as the first rotational start position.
30 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein rotating the cylindrical element comprises rotating the cylindrical element at a constant speed of rotation.
31 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein rotating the cylindrical element comprises rotating the cylindrical element at a constant speed of rotation.
32 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein moving the first cutter from the first start position to the first end position comprises moving the first cutter from the first start position to the first end position at a first axial speed, wherein the first axial speed is a constant axial speed, wherein moving the second cutter from the second start position to the second end position comprises moving the second cutter from the second start position to the second end position at the first axial speed.
33 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the second axial start position is axially separated from the first axial start position by a separation axial distance, wherein the second groove is separated from the first groove by the separation axial distance.
34 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the separation axial distance is (k+½) leads, where a lead is an axial distance covered by one 360° rotation of the first groove in the outer surface of the cylindrical element and k is an integer having a value of zero or greater.
35 . The method according to claim 34 , wherein k=0.