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(11) | EP 2 159 020 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Method for the production of wooden frames or similar. |
| (57) A method for the production of fixtures (2) made of wood or the like, wherein a plurality
of components (4a, 4b) made of wood or the like are locked within corresponding clamping
vices (29), are longitudinally profiled at respective free side faces (30a, 30b) protruding
from the clamping vices (29) themselves, and are provided with coupling members (20)
adapted to allow to connect the components (4a, 4b) themselves to one another; the
clamping vices (29) thus being moved with respect to one another at least in a given
direction (11) for connecting the components (4a, 4b) to one another and assembling
a corresponding fixture (2).
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[0001] The present invention relates to a method for the production of fixtures made of wood or the like.
[0002] Hereinafter, the term "fixture" will be used to identify doors, windows and furniture doors comprising a closing plate or sheet, e.g. made of glass, mounted within an annular supporting frame, normally defined by a plurality of components made of wood or the like and connected to one another.
[0003] In the field of production of fixtures made of wood or the like, it is known to implement a machine of the type comprising an elongated base provided with two longitudinal guiding members parallel to a substantially horizontal first direction; a plurality of cross elements mounted between the longitudinal guiding members parallelly to a substantially horizontal second direction which is transversal to the first direction; at least one clamping vice mounted to each cross element; and a bridge crane extending over the base in the second direction and provided with at least one operating head.
[0004] Generally, each component is clamped inside at least one corresponding clamping vice, is longitudinally profiled along at least one free side face thereof protruding outwards from the clamping vice itself, and is longitudinally and/or transversally drilled at its butt ends so as to have a plurality of holes adapted to receive respective pins for the connection to the adjacent components.
[0005] Once the mentioned side faces have been profiled and the mentioned butt ends have been drilled, as the components are unloaded from the machine to be firstly transferred to a station for inserting the mentioned pins into the corresponding holes, and then to an assembly station of the corresponding fixture, the newly described manufacturing cycle is relatively complex and costly, involves the presence of devices for transferring the components between the machine and the insertion and assembly stations, and therefore involves the use of systems of relatively large overall dimensions.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the production of fixtures made of wood or the like which is free from the above-described drawbacks and which is simple and cost-effective to be implemented.
[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of fixtures made of wood or the like as claimed in the appended claims.
[0008] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limitative embodiment thereof, in which:
figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the machine of the present invention;
figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the machine in figure 1;
figure 3 diagrammatically shows the operating principle of the machine in figures 1 and 2;
figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view, with parts enlarged for clarity, of a variant of the machine in figure 1; and
figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a variant of the fixtures showns in figures from 1 to 4.
[0009] With reference to figures 1 and 2, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a machine for the production of fixtures 2 made of wood or the like, each of which comprises a closing plate or sheet (not shown), e.g. made of glass, inserted into an annular supporting frame 3 defined by a plurality of components 4 made of wood or the like which are elongated in shape and connected to one another. In this case, frame 3 comprises four substantially parallelepiped rectangular shaped components 4 orthogonal to one another in pairs.
[0010] Machine 1 comprises an elongated base 5, which extends in a horizontal direction 6, is substantially U-shaped, has two longitudinal guiding members 7 parallel to direction 6, and supports a bridge crane 8 comprising, in turn, a vertical upright 9, which is coupled to the base 5 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements in direction 6 along the base 5 itself under the bias of an actuating device (known and not shown), and carries a cross element 10 connected at a free end thereof, which cross element extends over the base 5 in a horizontal direction 11 transversal to direction 6, and is laterally limited in the direction 6 itself by two faces 12, 13 opposing each other.
[0011] The bridge crane 8 supports an operating head 14 of known type, which is mounted to face 12, is coupled to the cross element 10 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements in the direction 11 along the cross element 10 itself, and comprises a plurality of tool-holder spindles (not shown) mounted to the head 14 in a known manner to move in a vertical direction 15 orthogonal to the directions 6 and 11. A plurality of tools (not shown) may be fitted on the tool-holder spindles (not shown), which are shaped to mill and/or drill the frame 3 and/or the components 4, and are transferred to and from the corresponding tool-holder spindles (not shown) and a tool-holder crib 16 closed as a loop through the upright 9.
[0012] The bridge crane 8 further supports a broaching unit 17 mounted to the face 13 and comprising a slide 18 coupled to the cross element 10 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements along the cross element 10 itself in direction 11, and two broaching assemblies 19, which are mounted to the slide 18 for making rectilinear movements in direction 15 with respect to the slide itself 18, and are oriented to insert connecting pins 20 (figure 3e) into at least some of the components 4 in two insertion directions 11a, 11b opposing to each other and parallel to direction 11.
[0013] Each assembly 19 comprises an outlet channel 21, which extends in the corresponding direction 11a, 11b, cooperates with a stopper element (not shown) movable between an operating position, in which the stopper element (not shown) protrudes within the channel 21 to prevent the pins 20 from exiting from the channel 21, and a rest position in which the stopper element (not shown) is arranged outside the channel 21 to allow the pins 20 to exit from the channel 21 itself, and is connected by means of a corresponding feeding pipe 22 to a vibrating hopper 23, which is in common to the two assemblies 19, is mounted to the slide 18, and accommodates the pins 20 therein.
[0014] Assembly 19 further comprises an actuator cylinder 24, which extends in the corresponding direction 11a, 11b, is substantially aligned with the channel 21 in the corresponding direction 11a, 11b, and is provided with an outlet rod (not shown) movable between an forward ejection position of the pin 20 arranged each time at the outlet of the channel 21 and a retracted rest position.
[0015] Assembly 19 finally comprises a gluer nozzle 25, which is arranged over the channel 21, and is connected by means of a feeding pipe 26 to a tank 27, which is in common to the two assemblies 19, is mounted to the slide 18, and contains glue or the like therein.
[0016] Furthermore, machine 1 is provided with a plurality of cross elements 28, which will be indicated hereinafter with the term "work tops", extend between the longitudinal members 5 in direction 11, and are slidingly coupled to the longitudinal members 7 for making rectilinear movements in direction 6 along the longitudinal members 7 themselves under the bias of respective actuating devices (known and not shown).
[0017] Each work top 28 supports a plurality of clamping vices 29 (in this case four vices 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d sequentially mounted along the work top 28 in direction 11), the arrangement of which on the work top 28 substantially depends on the size of frame 3 and/or components 4 to be machined and/or on the processes to be carried out on frame 3 and/or components 4. Each vice 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d is slidingly coupled to the work top 28 for making rectilinear movements in direction 11 along the work top 28 and under the bias of a corresponding actuating device (known and not shown), and is movable in direction 15 between a clamping position and a releasing position of at least one component 4.
[0018] The operation of machine 1 will now be described with reference to figures 1 and 3 starting from a moment when (figure 3a):
two components 4 (hereinafter indicated by 4a) are blocked parallelly to direction 6, one inside the vices 29a of two work tops 28 (hereinafter indicated by 28a) arranged side by side and the other inside the vices 29d of the work tops 28a; and
two components 4 (hereinafter indicated by 4b) are blocked parallelly to direction 11 one inside the vices 29b, 29c of one work top 28 (hereinafter indicated by 28b) arranged by the side of the work tops 28a and the other inside the vices 29b, 29c of a work top 28 (hereinafter indicated by 28c) arranged on the opposite side of the work top 28b with respect to the work tops 28a.
[0019] Each component 4a has a free side face 30a, which protrudes outwards from the corresponding vices 29a, 29d in direction 11, and is longitudinally profiled by the operating head 14 in direction 6, while each component 4b has a free side face 30b, which protrudes outwards from the corresponding vices 29b, 29c in direction 6, and is longitudinally profiled by the operating head 14 in direction 11 (figures 3b and 3c).
[0020] At this point, each butt end of each component 4a is transversally drilled by the operating head 14 in direction 11 (figure 3d) to obtain four holes 31 parallel to one another (figure 1); and each butt end of each component 4b is longitudinally drilled by the operating head 14 in direction 11 (figure 3d) to obtain four holes 32 parallel to one another (figure 1).
[0021] Once the holes 31, 32 have been made, the broaching unit 17 inserts and glues a corresponding pin 20 into each hole 32 (figure 3e); and the work tops 28b, 28c are moved in direction 6 to transfer each component 4b from the corresponding vices 29b, 29c of the corresponding work top 28b, 28c to the vices 29b, 29c of the corresponding work top 28a and to align the pins 20 carried by each component 4b with the corresponding holes 31 of the components 4a in direction 11 (figures 3f and 3g).
[0022] Finally, the vices 29a, 29d of the work tops 28a are moved in direction 11 to insert the pins 20 into the corresponding holes 31 and to assemble the frame 3 of the fixture 2 (figure 3h); the vices 29b, 29c of the work tops 28a are moved in direction 11 to engage the frame 3 at its vertexes (figure 3i); and the vices 29a, 29d of the work tops 28a are released from the frame 3 to free an outer peripheral edge 33 of the frame 3 itself adapted to be later machined by the operating head 14 (figure 3l).
[0023] According to some variants (not shown):
once the face 30a, 30b of each component 4a, 4b has been profiled, before assembling the frame 3, each component 4a, 4b is transferred to new vices 29 adapted to engage the component 4a, 4b at the corresponding face 30a, 30b; and
once the face 30a, 30b of each component 4a, 4b has been profiled, the components 4b are kept inside the corresponding vices 29b, 29c and connected to the components 4a.
[0024] Machine 1 thus allows to machine and assemble the components 4a, 4b, to possibly machine the edge 33, and to entirely make the frame 3 of the fixture 2 on the machine 1 itself.
[0025] The variant shown in figure 4 relates to a machine 34, which differs from machine 1 in that:
the broaching unit 17 is mounted in a fixed position by the side of the base 5;
the operating head 14 is provided with an electrospindle 35, which has a longitudinal axis 35a parallel to direction 15, is mounted to the head 14 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements in direction 15, and supports an adjustable gripping and handling member 36, which is fitted on the outlet shaft of the electrospindle 35, and is adapted to hold a component 4 and to orient it about the axis 35a;
the bridge crane 8 supports a gripping and handling device 37 comprising a supporting arm 38, which protrudes from the face 13 in direction 6, is coupled to the face 13 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements in direction 11 with respect to the bridge crane 8, and is provided with a pair of gripping members 39, which are movable with respect to each other along arm 38 in the direction 6 itself, and are coupled to the arm 38 in a known manner for making rectilinear movements in direction 15 with respect to the arm 38 itself; and
the work tops 28 are distributed along the base 5 in two distinct groups of work tops 28 defining a working station 40 for the components 4 and an assembly station 41 for the fixtures 2, respectively.
[0026] The operation of machine 34 will now be described with reference to figure 4 starting from a moment when four components 4 are parallelly locked in direction 6 within corresponding vices 29 of the station 40. With this regard, it is worth noting that the components 4 may be loaded in the corresponding vices 29 either manually or by means of the device 37, which takes each component 4 from a crib (not shown) and feeds it into the corresponding vices 29.
[0027] Each component 4 has a free side face 42, which protrudes outside the corresponding vices 29 in direction 11, and is longitudinally profiled by the operating head 14 in direction 6, and two butt ends, each of which is drilled by the head 14 itself in a manner completely similar to that previously described for machine 1.
[0028] Once the components 4 have been machined by means of head 14, two components 4 are transferred from the member 36 of the electrospindle 35 or from the device 37 to the broaching unit 17 for inserting the pins 20.
[0029] Two components 4 are finally transferred to the station 41 by means of the member 36 and/or the device 37 and are locked into corresponding vices 29 parallelly to direction 6; two components 4 are transferred to station 41 by means of the member 36, are oriented about the axis 35a, and are locked in corresponding vices 29 parallelly to direction 11; and the frame 3 of the fixture 2 is assembled by moving the work tops 28 and the vices 29 from the station 41 in directions 6 and 11, respectively.
[0030] Once the components 4 have been transferred to the station 41 and during the stabilization time of the newly assembled frame 3 in the station 41 itself, machine 34 obviously starts a new operating cycle by loading four new components 4 in the station 40.
[0031] With this regard, as set forth above, it is worth noting that the components 4 are locked in the corresponding vices 29 of the station 41 at the faces 42 thereof so as to allow the head 14, once frame 3 has been assembled, to machine the outer peripheral edge 33 of the frame 3 itself.
[0032] According to some variants (not shown):
the broaching unit 17 of machine 34 is mounted to the bridge crane 8 as described with regards to machine 1; and
the components 4 are blocked in the corresponding vices 29 of the station 41 at the side faces opposite to the faces 42.
[0033] Figure 5 shows a frame 43, which is free from pins 20, may be assembled both on machine 1 and machine 34, and is defined by four components 44 having respective end tenons 45, each of which is made on the corresponding component 44 by the head 14, and comprises at least one recess 46 and at least one tooth 47 adapted to geometrically couple with a recess 46 of an adjacent tenon 45.
locking a plurality of components (4) made of wood or the like, having an elongated shape, inside corresponding clamping vices (29);
longitudinally profiling a free side face (30a, 30b, 42) of each component (4) protruding from the corresponding clamping vices (29) in one of said first and second directions (6; 11), whereas the component (4) is locked inside corresponding clamping vices (29); and
forming in each component (4) at least one seat (31, 32, 46), whereas the component (4) itself is locked inside corresponding clamping vices (29), the seat (31, 32, 46) being adapted to receive means (20, 47) for reciprocally coupling the components (4);
and being characterized in that it further comprises the step of:moving the clamping vices (29) at least in one of said first and second directions (6, 11) for engaging the coupling means (20, 47) in the corresponding seats (31, 32, 46) and for assembling a fixture (2).
mounting each pin (20) in a hole (31, 32) of a corresponding first component (4), whereas the first component (4) itself is locked inside either the corresponding clamping vices (29) or a gripping and handling device (36, 37) carried by the bridge crane (8); and
moving the clamping vices (29) in at least one of said first and second directions (6, 11) to engage each pin (20) in a hole (31, 32) of a corresponding second component (4) and assembling the fixture (2).
obtaining each tooth (47) in a corresponding first component (4), whereas the first component (4) itself is locked inside corresponding clamping vices (29); and
moving the clamping vices (29) in at least one of said first and second directions (6, 11) to engage each tooth (47) in a recess (46) of a corresponding second component (4) and assembling the fixture (2).
transferring at least part of the components (4) from the corresponding first clamping vices (29) to corresponding second clamping vices (29) arranged on the side opposite to the corresponding first clamping vices (29) with respect to the corresponding components (4);
assembling the fixture (2); and
longitudinally profiling an outer peripheral edge (33) of the fixture (2) protruding from the second clamping vices (29).
locking each said first component (4a) within the corresponding clamping vices (29a; 29d) of at least two corresponding first cross elements (28a);
locking each said second component (4b) within at least one corresponding clamping vice (29b, 29c) of a corresponding second cross element (28b, 28c) different from the first cross elements (28a);
longitudinally profiling the side face (30a, 30b) of each said first and second component (4a, 4b);
transferring each second component (4b) from the corresponding clamping vices (29b, 29c) of the corresponding second cross element (28b, 28c) to at least one further clamping vice (29b, 29c) of a corresponding said first cross element (28a); and
assembling the fixture (2).
locking each component (4) of a first fixture (2) into corresponding first clamping vices (29) parallelly to the first direction (6);
longitudinally profiling each component (4) of the first fixture (2) in the first direction (6);
orienting at least two components (4) in the second direction (11); and
assembling the first fixture (2).
transferring each component (4) of the first fixture (2) from the corresponding first clamping vices (29) to corresponding second clamping vices (29) different from the first clamping vices (29);
assembling the first fixture (2) by means of second clamping vices (29); and
blocking the components (4) of a second fixture (2) in the corresponding first clamping vices (29) during the step of assembling and stabilizing the first fixture (2).