[0001] The invention concerns an automatic belt-inserting device for the insertion of sand
or lamellar belts between the rotating cylinders of a honing machine.
[0002] It is a known fact that the lapping operations on wooden materials, either rough
or varnished, are performed by means of honing machines on which the material to be
smoothed is placed over a conveyor belt which conveys it under of a plurality of sand
belts, each of them being wrapped around rotating cylinders.
[0003] The granulometry and the type of abrasive material depend on the working operation
to be performed, therefore, the sand belts are replaced both depending on the type
of product to be smoothed and on the degree of finish which needs to be obtained on
such product.
[0004] Moreover, sometimes, each sand belt is pushed against the piece to be smoothed through
a lamellar belt interposed between the cylinder around which the sand belt is wound
and the back of the sand belt itself.
[0005] It is a known fact to the operators of this field, that the replacement of the sand
belts and of the lamellar belts is a rather long operation both because it is performed
manually and because the operator is forced to work in a rather uncomfortable position,
given the dimension of the belts and the position of the honing machine, where the
rotating cylinders on which the belts are wound are mounted.
[0006] Moreover, if one considers that the current trends of the market force the users
of the honing machine, such as furniture-makers, to produce lots of limited quantity
in a high number of colour variations and superficial finishes, it is easy to understand
how the machine idle times for the replacement of the belts can become very long,
thus having a considerable effect on the machine tooling time, and therefore on the
total cycle time.
[0007] In order to replace the belts, it is necessary to remove them from the cylinders,
around which they are wound, then to insert in their place other belts having proper
characteristics for the product to be obtained.
[0008] In such a replacement operation what happens to be particularly difficult is to fit
each belt on the corresponding top winding cylinder.
[0009] It is with the purpose of facilitating the replacement operations of the belts and
in particular the fitting operation of each belt on the corresponding top cylinder,
that the patent for industrial invention which makes the object of the Italian patent
application No. VI92A000082, in the name of the same inventor, has been realized,
which describes a leading casing for inserting the belts between the cylinders of
a honing machine, the purpose of which is to make the belt replacement operation easier
and faster.
[0010] The advantages of using the leading casing, object of the mentioned invention, are
partially limited when said casings are applied to honing machines wherein the top
winding cylinder of the belts is arranged at such a height which cannot be reached
by an operator of average height working standing up.
[0011] In these cases the operator is forced to use an up rised platform on which he can
stand in order to reach the height necessary for fitting the belt on the cylinder.
[0012] The replacement operation of the belts, therefore, besides requiring a higher performance
time as compared to the time necessary should the operator be able to work standing
on firm ground, becomes also more hazardous considering the dimensions of the belts
that the operator has to handle in this up rised position in relation to the floor.
[0013] It is with the purpose of overcoming such inconveniences that the present invention
realizes an automatic belt-inserting device, whose main purpose is to expedite the
replacement operation of the belts on honing machines wherein the top winding cylinders
of the belts are arranged at such a height that can not be reached by the operator
standing on the ground.
[0014] Another purpose is for the automatic belt-inserting device of the invention to permit
the insertion of the belts without forcing the operator to use any up rised platforms
such as stools, ladders or others.
[0015] The last but not least purpose is that the automatic belts-inserting device of the
invention can be used on any kind of honing machine available on the market.
[0016] The described purposes are reached by an automatic belt-inserting device for honing
machines, which, in accordance with the main claim, comprises a leading casing with
an external convex surface, for the sliding insertion of the belts between the rotating
cylinders of a honing machine, and is characterized in that it presents a moving element,
to which said leading case is hinged, sliding along a driving unit attached to a supporting
structure, said belt-inserting device being provided with displacement means of the
moving element along said driving units and with means belonging to said leading case
and rotating around the hinge point to the moving element, said means being suited
to bring the convex surface of said leading case parallel with the external surface
of the cylinder of the honing machine into which the belt needs to be inserted.
[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the supporting structure, to which the driving
unit is attached, is the structure of the honing machine.
[0018] According to a different embodiment, the driving unit slides vertically in relation
to the structure of the honing machine to which is connected.
[0019] According to another different embodiment, the supporting structure to which the
driving unit is attached, is a supporting
framework, movable on wheels.
[0020] Advantageously, the automatic belt-inserting device of the invention not only expedites
the replacement operation of the belts, but it also permits to perform more safely
the replacement of the belts themselves.
[0021] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from
the detailed description given hereinfater. However, it should be understood that
the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments
of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and
modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to
those skilled in the art from this detailed description and from the drawings, wherein:
- Fig. 1 shows the automatic belt-inserting device according to the invention in its
rest position;
- Fig. 2 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig.1 with the leading casing
arranged in its horizontal position, lined up with the top rotating cylinder around
which the belt needs to be wound;
- Fig. 3 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig. 2 with the leading casing
in its lowered position for receiving the belt;
- Fig.4 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig. 3 during the inserting operation
of the belt into the leading casing;
- Fig. 5 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig. 4 during the inserting operation
of the belts between the rotating cylinders of the honing machine;
- Fig. 6 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig. 5 at the end of the inserting
operation of the belt between the cylinders of the honing machine;
- Fig. 7 shows the automatic belt-inserting device of Fig. 6 with the leading casing
placed again in its rest position;
- Fig. 8 shows the front view of the automatic belt-inserting device represented in
Fig. 7;
- Fig. 9 shows a different embodiment of the belt-inserting device according to the
invention;
- Fig. 10 shows the different embodiment of the belt-inserting device of Fig. 9 in a
different position;
- Fig. 11 shows the front view of the different embodiment of Fig. 9;
- Fig. 12 shows yet another different embodiment of the automatic belt-inserting device
according to the invention;
- Fig. 13 shows the different embodiment represented in Fig. 12 arranged in a different
position.
[0022] As can be observed in Fig. 1, the automatic belt-inserting device according to the
invention, indicated as a whole with 1, comprises a leading casing, indicated with
2, hinged through a pin 3 to a moving element 4 sliding along a driving unit, indicated
as a whole with 5, connected to a supporting structure 6, that, in the described case,
consists of the structure of the honing machine, indicated as a whole with 7.
[0023] It will be observed in particular in Fig. 8, that the driving unit 5 consists of
a pair of vertical uprights 61, each of them presenting their bottom ends attached
to the supporting structure 6, through a connecting plate 8, anchored to the supporting
structure itself by means of fixing elements, such as screws, and each of the top
ends attached directly to the supporting structure 6 itself, as can be observed in
particular in the Figs. 3 and 4.
[0024] With regard to the leading casing 2, it will be observed that it consists essentially
of an external surface 21, having a convex profile, which can rotate around a pin
3 hinged to the moving element 4, belonging to the driving unit 5, through rotating
means.
[0025] In the case of the described embodiment, said rotating means consist of a pneumatic
cylinder 22 presenting the end 24 of its body 23 hinged to the moving element 4, and
the end 25 of its stem 26 hinged to the external surface 21 of the leading casing
2.
[0026] Finally, it can be observed in Fig. 8, that the moving element 4, is attached, through
a connecting element 41, to the sliding element of the displacement means, which,
in the described case, consists of the piston of a cylinder without stem 42 which
presents its body 43 attached to the supporting structure 6, consisting of the frame
of the honing machine, and the piston which slides axially in the interior of said
body 43 (not represented in the Fig.), and is connected to the connecting element
41.
[0027] It can be easily understood, therefore, how through the pneumatic cylinder 22, the
leading casing 2 can rotate around the hinge pin 3, following any of the two directions
of arrow 27, while the moving element 4, and consequently the leading casing 2 and
the rotating cylinder 22 both connected with it, through the displacement cylinder
42, can vertically translate following any of the two directions of arrow 44, as represented
in Fig. 3.
[0028] Whenever the belt-inserting device according to the invention is in its rest position,
its leading casing 2 is arranged vertically, as represented in Fig. 1, in its highest
up rised position and lined up with the top cylinder 71 of the honing machine 7.
[0029] In order to insert a belt on to the top cylinder 71 or to remove from the latter
a belt supported by the same, it is necessary, first of all, to cause the leading
case 2 to rotate, so that it will be brought, as represented in Fig. 2, into an essentially
horizontal position.
[0030] The rotation occurs by acting on the rotating cylinder 22 through a push-button or
other mechanism of control belonging to the pneumatic feeding circuit of the cylinder
itself, and attached to the supporting structure 6, which is not represented in the
Fig. for the purpose of simplifying the description.
[0031] When the leading casing 2 is arranged in its horizontal position, the displacement
cylinder 42, visible in Fig. 8,is activated through another control push-button, and
it lowers the moving element 4 vertically toward the bottom by causing it to slide
along the driving rods 61, so as to bring it into the most suitable position for receiving
the sand belt 72, as can be observed in the Figs. 3 and 4, whenever the belt itself
is pushed by an operator following direction 73.
[0032] The sand belt 72 can be inserted into the leading casing 2 manually by the operator
performing the insertion.
[0033] It can be observed that on the external surface 21 of the leading casing 2 is arranged
a pneumatic sensor 28 connected with the feeding circuit of the rotating and displacement
cylinders 22 and 42 respectively, as well as with the control push-buttons, such a
sensor automatically controlling the displacement cylinder 42, when sensing the presence
of belt 72, so that the moving element 4, the leading casing 2 and the sand belt 72
inserted into on it, are driven vertically toward the top, following the direction
represented in Fig. 4 and indicated by arrow 45.
[0034] When the moving element 4 has reached the upper end stroke, as represented in Fig.
5, the sand belt 72 is placed in front of the top rotating cylinder 71 and it can
be easily make to slide on the external surface of the top rotating cylinder 71 itself
by the operator exerting another pressing action on the side of the sand belt 72 itself,
following the direction of arrow 73.
[0035] When the sand belt 72 is placed on the top rotating cylinder 71, as it can be observed
in Fig. 6, by acting again on the pneumatic cylinder through the push-button, the
leading casing 2 is made to rotate following the direction of arrow 29, so that it
will be brought as observed in Fig. 7, in the same configuration as represented in
Fig. 1, that is to say back to its rest position.
[0036] It is easy to understand how the same operations are carried out whenever it is necessary
to remove the belt 71 in order to proceed to its replacement.
[0037] A different embodiment of the automatic belt-inserting device according to the invention,
based on the same idea of solution and suitable to be used in particular on honing
machines into which the sand belt is driven by a lamellar belt, is represented in
the Figs. 9, 10 and 11 wherein is indicated with 101.
[0038] Such a different embodiment is applied to a honing machine supplied with lamellar
belts, represented in Fig. 9 and indicated as a whole with 107, where it can be observed
that the lamellar belt 201 is supported by an intermediate rotating cylinder 202,
arranged parallel and at a lower position in relation to the top rotating cylinder
171, around which the corresponding sand belt is wound, which is not represented in
the Fig. in order to simplify the description.
[0039] In that case, it can be understood, that, when there is the need of replacing the
lamellar belt 201, it is necessary to displace the whole driving unit 105 toward the
bottom, following direction 144, so as to prevent the vertical sliding rods 161 from
interfering with the profile of the belt 201 itself, whenever there is a need of removing
it.
[0040] For this purpose, the driving unit 105 is attached to the end 35 of the stem 36 of
a pneumatic cylinder 32, whose body 33 is connected in correspondence with the end
34, to the supporting structure 106, consisting, in this case too, of the framework
of the honing machine 107.
[0041] In that case, the driving rods 161 will present each, only their bottom end connected
with the supporting structure 106 itself, again through the interposition of the connecting
plate 108 attached to the supporting structure 106 itself, wherein the ends of said
rods 161 are sliding, being coupled in the interior of the driving seats 181 obtained
in the connecting plate 108 itself.
[0042] Moreover, in such a different embodiment, the body of the cylinder without item 142,
which causes the moving element 104 to move, is connected with the bottom ends of
said rods 161, therefore it moves integrally with them and with the whole driving
unit 105, whenever the latter is vertically displaced by the pneumatic cylinder 32.
[0043] Therefore, it is easy to understand, that the described different embodiment permits
the removal and the insertion of both the sand belts and the lamellar belts.
[0044] In fact, in order to remove or to insert the sand belts, the driving unit 105 has
to be brought into its utmost upright position, as represented in Fig. 9, so that
the leading case 102 is lined up with the top rotating cylinder 171 of the honing
machine 107, whereas, in order to remove or to insert the lamellar belt 201, the driving
unit 105 has to be displaced toward the bottom, as observed in Fig. 10, so that the
same leading casing 102 is lined up with the intermediate rotating cylinder 202 supporting
the lamellar belt 201 itself.
[0045] Another different embodiment is represented in the Figs. 12 and 13, wherein it can
be observed that the belt-inserting device according to the invention, indicated as
a whole with 301, is attached to a supporting structure 306, which, in this case,
consists of a trolley 40 movable by means of the wheels 41.
[0046] In this case too, the driving unit 305 consists of a pair of vertical rods 361, each
of them attached, at their bottom end, to the supporting structure 306, through the
interposition of a connecting plate 308.
[0047] Such a different solution, permits to arrange, as observed in Fig. 13, any belt 372
placed into the leading casing 302, in any vertical position, thus allowing the insertion
of the belt 372, which can indifferently be a sand belt or a lamellar belt, on the
corresponding rotating cylinder by only adjusting the height which the moving element
304 supporting the leading casing 302, can reach.
[0048] On the basis of what has been described, it can be understood how the automatic belt-inserting
device according to the invention, reaches, first of all, the main purpose of expediting
the replacement operation of the belts on honing machines, wherein the top winding
cylinders of the belts are arranged at such a height that is not reachable directly
by the operator standing on the ground.
[0049] In this way the operator is no longer forced to use up rised platforms such as stools,
ladders or others, and consequently the replacement operation of the belts is carried
out faster and under improved safety conditions.
[0050] The described different embodiment reaches the mentioned purposes too, with the additional
advantage of permitting the replacement of the lamellar belts too, in case the honing
machine is provided with them.
[0051] The same advantages and purposes can be reached through yet another different embodiment
of the automatic belt-inserting device according to the invention, which foresees
the setting-up on a supporting structure consisting of a framework movable on wheels
and dependent from the honing machine, rather than a supporting structure consisting
of the framework of the honing machine.
[0052] During the manufacturing process, the automatic belt-inserting device according to
the invention can undergo constructive modifications, with the purpose of improving
its performance or of making it more economical. All said possible variations must,
however, be considered within the scope protected by the present invention.
1. An automatic belt-inserting device for honing machines, comprising a leading casing
(2; 102; 302), with an external convex surface (21) for the sliding insertion of the
belts (72; 201; 372) between the rotating cylinders (71; 171; 202) of a honing machine
(7; 107), characterized in that it presents a moving element (4; 104; 304), to which
said leading case (2; 102; 302) is hinged, sliding along a driving unit (5; 105; 305)
attached to a supporting structure (6; 106; 306), said belt-inserting device being
provided with displacement means (42) of the moving element (4; 104; 304) along said
driving units (5; 105; 305) and with means (22) for the rotation of said leading case
(2; 102; 302) around the hinging point (3) to the moving element, said means being
suited to bring the convex surface (21) of said leading case (2; 102; 302) parallel
with the external surface of the cylinder (71; 171; 202) of the honing machine around
which the belt (72; 201; 372) needs to be wound.
2. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the
supporting structure of the driving unit (5; 105) is the frame (6; 106) of the honing
machine (7; 107).
3. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the
supporting structure of the driving unit (305) is the frame (306) of a trolley (40)
mounted on wheels (41).
4. An automatic belt-inserting device according to any of the claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized
in that the driving unit (5; 105; 305) consists of one or more driving rods (61; 161;
361) essentially vertical, with which the moving element (4; 104; 304) is connected,
which slides longitudinally along them, said at least one rod having each at least
one of its ends connected with the supporting structure (6; 106; 306) through a connecting
plate (8; 108; 308) attached to the supporting structure itself.
5. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 4, characterized in that each
of said at least one driving rod (61) presents both ends connected with the supporting
structure (6).
6. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 4, characterized in that each
of said at least one driving rod (161) presents one free end and its opposite end
slidingly connected within the interior of driving seats (181) obtained within the
connecting plate (108) attached to the supporting structure (106).
7. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the
driving unit (105) is attached to the end of the moving element of an actuator (32)
the fixed part of which is attached to the supporting structure (106).
8. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the
actuator consists of a pneumatic cylinder (32).
9. An automatic belt-inserting device according to either claim 1 or 3, characterized
in that the means for the vertical displacement of the moving element (4; 304) are
a pneumatic cylinder without stem (42) presenting its body (43) attached to the supporting
structure (6; 306) and its piston attached to the moving element (4) through a connecting
element (41).
10. An automatic belt-inserting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the
means for the vertical displacement of the moving element (104) consist of a pneumatic
cylinder without stem (142) presenting its body attached to the bottom end of the
rods (161) and its piston attached to the moving element (104) through a connecting
element (141).
11. An automatic belt-inserting device according to any of the claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized
in that the means causing the leading casing (2; 102; 302) to rotate around the hinge
point (3) are a pneumatic cylinder (22) presenting the end (24) of its body (23) hinged
to the moving element (4; 104; 304) and the end (25) of its stem (26) hinged to the
external surface (21) of the leading casing (2; 102; 302) itself.