Controls for automatic machine tools and the like

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE TOOL CAPABLE OF AUTOMATICALLY PERFORMING A SERIES OF OPERATIONS ON A WORKPIECE, IN COMBINATION, CARRIAGE MEANS ADAPTED TO CARRY A PLURALITY OF TOOLS USED IN PERFORMING THE SERIES OF OPERATIONS, RESPECTIVELY, AND MOVABLE DURING EACH OPERATION AWAY FROM AND BACK TO A REST POSITION; ACTUATING MEANS FOR ACTUATING AT LEAST PART OF THE CONTROLS OF THE MACHINE TOOL, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING MOVABLE ALONG A GIVEN PATH AND HAVING ALONG SAID PATH A PLURALITY OF EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED STARTING POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY CORRESPONDING TO THE LOCATION OF SAID CARRIAGE MEANS IN SAID REST POSITION THEREOF AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OF THE SERIES OF OPERATIONS; TRANSMISSION MEANS TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE MEANS TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM EACH OF SAID STARTING POSITIONS THEREOF TOWARD THE NEXT FOLLOWING STARTING POSITION DURING MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE MEANS AWAY FROM AND BACK TO ITS REST POSITION, SAID ACTUATING MEANS BEING SPACED AT THE END OF EACH OPERATION AT A HAPHAZARD DISTANCE FROM THE NEXT FOLLOWING STARTING POSITION DEPENDING UPON THE PARTICULAR OPERATION; AND MOVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING THE LATTER AT THE END OF EACH OPERATION THROUGH THE REMAINING DISTANCE UP TO THE NEXT FOLLOWING STARTING POSITION IRRESPECTIVE OF THE SIZE OF SAID REMAINING DISTANCE.