Band saw blade sensor and control system

1. A band saw blade sensor and control system to sense and control saw blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade driven around at least a pair of pulleys, which system comprises:

a pair of proximity inductive sensors spaced apart from each other, each of said sensors adjacent to a side of said saw blade to detect blade deviation; and

a controller mechanism to receive input regarding said blade deviation from each of said pair of sensors, to control and adjust band tension on said blade in response to said blade deviation, and to control and adjust blade force on a work piece in response to said blade deviation.

2. A band saw blade sensor and control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said pair of inductive sensors includes an induction loop having a magnetic field to sense position of said saw blade.

3. A band saw blade sensor and control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller mechanism to adjust band tension on said blade adjusts position of said pair of said pulleys with respect to each other.

4. A band saw blade sensor and control system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pulleys include a drive pulley driven by a motor and an idler puller positioned by a hydraulic cylinder.

5. A band saw blade sensor and control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller mechanism additionally adjusts the speed of said saw blade in response to said blade deviation.

6. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade driven around a pair of pulleys, which process comprises:

sensing position of said continuous, flexible metal saw blade with a pair of proximity inductive sensors spaced apart from each other, each of said sensors adjacent to a side of said blade to detect blade deviation;

delivering said position information and blade deviation from said sensors to a controller;

varying the set point of blade force on a work piece in response to said blade deviation; and

varying the band tension of said blade in response to said blade deviation.

7. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said pair of inductive sensors includes an induction loop having a magnetic field.

8. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pair of pulleys include a drive pulley driven by a motor and an idler pulley positioned by a hydraulic cylinder.

9. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of varying the band tension of said blade includes varying pressure in at least one hydraulic cylinder.

10. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade as set forth in claim 6 including the additional step of varying the speed of said saw blade in response to said blade deviation.

11. A process to sense and control blade deviation of a continuous, flexible metal saw blade driven around a pair of pulleys, which process comprises:

entering cut properties of a cut to be performed on material into a controller mechanism;

comparing data from a pair of proximity inductive sensors, each of said sensors adjacent to a side of said blade in communication with said controller to determine the position of said blade and to determine if blade deviation has occurred; and

varying the set point of blade force on a work piece in response to blade deviation or varying the band tension of said blade in response to said blade deviation.

12. A process to sense and control blade deviation as set forth in claim 11 wherein amounts of said blade deviation are divided into divisions and said varying the set point or varying the band tension are implemented in accordance with said divisions.