Edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar

Abstract

 In an edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar, a tank (10) for containing glue is fitted to a movable supporting arm (16) for moving the tank (10) to and from a work position in which the tank (10) is located beneath a device (9) for withdrawing glue from the tank (10).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to an edging assembly located at an edging station of an edging machine, and comprising a tank for containing glue; withdrawing means for withdrawing glue from the tank; and supporting means for supporting the tank beneath the withdrawing means.

[0003] The withdrawing means are generally movable, with respect to the tank and in a substantially vertical direction, to and from a raised position, in which the withdrawing means release the tank to enable removal of the tank from the supporting means.

[0004] Since the tank is normally fairly heavy and located in a part of the edging machine which is difficult to reach, and since the glue must be kept at relatively high temperature, removing the tank from the supporting means is an extremely difficult job, so that the edging assembly takes a relatively long time to set up.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which is cheap and easy to produce.

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided an edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar, the assembly comprising a tank for containing glue; withdrawing means for withdrawing glue from said tank; and supporting means for supporting the tank in a work position in which the tank is located beneath said withdrawing means; and being characterized in that said supporting means are movable supporting means for moving the tank to and from said work position.

[0007] A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show schematic views in perspective, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the edging assembly according to the present invention in three different operating positions.

[0008] Number 1 in the accompanying drawings indicates as a whole an edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar (not shown) and located at an edging station 2 of an edging machine (not shown), which also comprises a conveying device (not shown) for feeding the panels (not shown) successively through station 2 in a substantially horizontal direction 3, and a feed device (not shown) for feeding an edge (not shown) to station 2.

[0009] Assembly 1 comprises a fixed frame 4 having a guide 5, which extends in a substantially vertical direction 6 crosswise to direction 3, and supports a slide 7 fitted in known manner to guide 5 to move linearly in direction 6 along guide 5 under the control of an actuating device 8 described in detail later on.

[0010] Slide 7 supports a known withdrawal screw 9 (Figure 2) for withdrawing glue from tank 10, and which is fitted to slide 7 to rotate continuously, with respect to slide 7 and under the control of a known actuating device not shown, about a respective longitudinal axis 11 substantially parallel to direction 6.

[0011] Device 8 comprises an actuating cylinder 12, which is fixed to frame 4, extends in direction 6, and has an output rod 13, a free end of which is fixed to slide 7 to move slide 7 between a lowered work position (Figure 1) in which screw 9 extends inside tank 10, and a raised rest position (Figure 2) in which screw 9 is entirely outside tank 10.

[0012] Assembly 1 also comprises a known spreading roller 14 for receiving glue from screw 9 and spreading the glue onto the lateral edges of the panels (not shown), and which is fitted to slide 7 to rotate continuously, with respect to slide 7 and under the control of the same actuating device as screw 9, about a respective longitudinal axis 15 substantially parallel to axis 11.

[0013] Tank 10 is fitted removably to a first free end of a substantially U-shaped supporting crank 16 hinged to frame 4 at a second free end to oscillate, with respect to frame 4 and under the control of an actuating device 17, about a hinge axis 18 substantially parallel to axes 11 and 15.

[0014] In the example shown, device 17 comprises an actuating cylinder 19, which is hinged to crank 16 to oscillate, with respect to crank 16, about a hinge axis 20 substantially parallel to axis 18, comprises an output rod 21 hinged to frame 4 to oscillate, with respect to frame 4, about a hinge axis 22 substantially parallel to axis 20, and provides for moving tank 10, when slide 7 is in the raised rest position, between a work position (Figure 2) in which tank 10 is located beneath screw 9, and a rest position (Figure 3) in which tank 10 is located alongside screw 9 and detached completely from said device (not shown) for feeding said edge (not shown), so as to permit relatively troublefree maintenance and/or replacement of tank 10.

[0015] In a variation not shown, actuating cylinder 19 is eliminated, and crank 16 is moved manually between the work and rest positions.

Claims

1. An edging assembly for edging wood panels or similar, the assembly comprising a tank (10) for containing glue; withdrawing means (9) for withdrawing glue from said tank (10); and supporting means (16) for supporting the tank (10) in a work position in which the tank (10) is located beneath said withdrawing means (19); and being characterized in that said supporting means (16) are movable supporting means for moving the tank (10) to and from said work position.

2. An edging assembly as claimed in Claim 1, and also comprising actuating means (17) which act on said supporting means (16) to move the tank (10) to and from said work position.

3. An edging assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, and also comprising coupling means for fitting the tank (10) removably to said supporting means (16).

4. An edging assembly as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, wherein said supporting means (16) comprise a crank mechanism (16) for moving the tank (10) between said work position and a rest position in which the tank (10) is located alongside said withdrawing means (9).

5. An edging assembly as claimed in Claim 4, and also comprising actuating means (17) which act on said crank mechanism (16) to move the tank (10) to and from said work position.

6. An edging assembly as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the crank mechanism comprises a crank (16) which oscillates about a given axis (18).

7. An edging assembly as claimed in Claim 6, and also comprising an actuating cylinder (19) for moving the crank (16) about said axis (18).

8. An edging machine for edging wood panels or similar, and comprising an edging station (2); conveying means for feeding at least one panel through said edging station (2); and an edging assembly as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims.

Drawing