PLANT TO PROCESS WOOD PANELS OR THE LIKE

Abstract

 A plant to process panels (2) of wood or the like is defined by a cutting machine (3) to cut a plurality of panels (2) from a sheet (4) of wood or the like, an edgebanding machine (5) to edgeband each panel (2) with a relative finishing edge, and a single fixed gantry (26) extending above the cutting machine (3) and the edgebanding machine (5) to support a plurality of operating units (29, 33).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant to process wood panels or the like.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a plant to process wood panels or the like of the type comprising a cutting machine to cut, in succession, a plurality of panels from a wood sheet or the like and an edgebanding machine to edgeband each panel with a relative finishing edge.

[0003] The cutting machine generally comprises support means defining a first support surface for the sheet; a cutting station; a grip and feeding assembly to feed the sheet through the cutting station in a first direction that is parallel to the first support surface; and an operating head, which is mounted in the cutting station, is provided with a cutting tool, and is mobile in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction and parallel to the first support surface.

[0004] The grip and feeding assembly normally has a plurality of gripping members, which are designed to hold the panel in the area of a rear edge of its, which is parallel to the second direction, and/or in the area of a lateral edge of its, which is parallel to the first direction.

[0005] The edgebanding machine generally comprises an elongated base; a plurality of sucking support blocks, which are mounted on the base to lock the panels, through sucking, on a second support surface; and an overhead crane, which is mobile along the base and above the second support surface.

[0006] The overhead crane supports an edgebanding unit, which is designed to apply a finishing edge on each panel and to process the finishing edge itself.

[0007] Known plants to process wood panels or the like of the type described above are affected by some drawbacks, which are mainly due to the fact that the cutting machine and the edgebanding machine are completely separate, must be handled in a completely independent manner relative to one another, and require the presence of intermediate stores to temporarily store the panels that, after having been manufactured in the cutting machine, wait to be fed to the edgebanding machine.

[0008] Therefore, known plants of the type described above are very large and have relatively high installation and managing costs.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant to process wood panels or the like, which is designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks in a straightforward, relatively low-cost manner.

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a plant to process wood panels or the like according to the appended claims.

[0011] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a nonlimiting embodiment thereof in a schematic perspective view with parts removed for greater clarity.

[0012] With reference to the accompanying figure, number 1 indicates, as a whole, a plant to process wood panels 2 or the like.

[0013] The plant 1 comprises a cutting machine 3 to cut, in succession, the panels 2 from a wood sheet 4 or the like and an edgebanding machine 5 to edgeband each panel 2 with a relative finishing edge, which is known and not shown.

[0014] The cutting machine 3 comprises a base 6 with an elongated shape, which extends in a horizontal direction 7 and has two longitudinal guide members 8, which are parallel to one another and to the direction 7 itself.

[0015] The longitudinal guide members 8 extend along part of the base 6 and are engaged in a sliding manner by a motor-driven crosspiece 9, which extends in a horizontal direction 10 transverse to the direction 7 and is mobile along the longitudinal guide members 8 in both ways of the direction 7.

[0016] The crosspiece 9 defines part of a grip and feeding assembly 11 for the sheet 4, which comprises, furthermore, a plurality of main gripping members 12, which are parallel to one another, extend in the direction 7, and are distributed along the crosspiece 9 so as to hold the panel 2 in the area of a rear edge of its, which is parallel to the direction 10.

[0017] In the embodiment shown herein, the assembly 11 is provided, furthermore, with two auxiliary gripping members 13 (only one of the them is shown in the accompanying figure), which are coupled to the base 6 in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements along the base 6 in the direction 7, and are designed to hold the panel 2 in the area of a lateral edge of its, which is parallel to the direction 7 itself.

[0018] The machine 1 comprises, furthermore, a cutting station 14, which is obtained in the area of a free end of the longitudinal guide members 8, and two support devices 15, 16, which are arranged on opposite sides of the station 14 in the direction 7, and define a substantially horizontal support surface P1 for the panels 2 and the sheet 4.

[0019] In the embodiment shown herein, the device 15 comprises a plurality of support bars 17, in particular roller support bars 17, which are parallel to one another, extend in the direction 7, and are staggered relative the members 12 in the direction 10; and the device 16 comprises an output bench 18.

[0020] The edgebanding machine 5 comprises a base 19, which extends in the direction 7, is parallel to and faces the base 6, and has two longitudinal guide members 20, which are parallel to one another and to the direction 7 itself.

[0021] The longitudinal guide members 20 are engaged in a sliding manner by a grip and feeding assembly 21, which is mobile along the base 19 so as to move the panels 2 in the direction 7.

[0022] The assembly 21 has a support slide 22 comprising a pair of elongated sliding blocks 23, which are parallel to one another, extend in the direction 10, are coupled to the longitudinal guide members 20 in a sliding manner, and are connected to one another by a plurality of crosspieces 24 (in the embodiment shown herein, five crosspieces 24), which are parallel to one another and to the direction 7.

[0023] Each crosspiece 24 is coupled to the sliding blocks 23 in a sliding manner, so as to move in the direction 10, and supports a plurality of support blocks 25, which are coupled to the crosspiece 24 in a sliding manner, so as to make straight movements along the crosspiece 24 in the direction 7.

[0024] The blocks 25 of each crosspiece 24 are coplanar to one another and to the blocks 25 of the other crosspieces 24, so as to define a support surface P2, which is parallel, in particular coplanar, to the surface P1, and are connected to a known pneumatic sucking device, which is not shown herein, so as to lock at least one panel 2 on the surface P2.

[0025] Furthermore, the plant 1 is provided with a fixed gantry 26 comprising two vertical uprights 27, which extend upwards from the ground, are arranged on opposite sides of the bases 6 and 19 in the direction 10, and are connected to one another by a horizontal crosspiece 28, which extends above the bases 6 and 19 in the direction 10.

[0026] The crosspiece 28 is engaged in a sliding manner by an operating head 29, which is associated with the cutting machine 3, is mobile along the crosspiece 28 in the direction 10, and supports an electrospindle 30, which is mobile, relative to the head 29, in a vertical direction 31 orthogonal to the directions 7 and 10, and has, fitted on it, a known cutting tool, which is not shown herein (in particular, a milling cutter).

[0027] The cutting machine 3 comprises, furthermore, a pressing device 32, which extends in the direction 10, is mounted above the surface P1, and is mobile in the direction 31 between a locking position, in which the sheet 4 is locked on the surface P1 so as to allow the head 29 to cut the sheet 4 in the direction 10, and a release position. In other words, the pressing device 32 is moved to its release position when the sheet 4 is cut parallel to the direction 7 and to its locking position when the sheet 4 is cut parallel to the direction 10.

[0028] The crosspiece 28 is engaged, furthermore, in a sliding manner by an edgebanding unit 33, which is associated with the edgebanding machine 5, and comprises an applicator assembly 34 to apply, to each panel 2, the relative finishing edge (not shown), and a tool assembly 35 to process the finishing edge itself (not shown).

[0029] The assemblies 34, 35 are mobile along the crosspiece 28 in the direction 10 and are also mobile relative to the gantry 26 in the direction 31.

[0030] In use, when combining the movements of the grip and feeding assembly in the direction 7 with the movements of the operating head 29 in the direction 10 and of the electrospindle 30 in the direction 31, the head 29 separates the panels 2 from the sheet 4 in succession.

[0031] Each panel 2 is picked up from the bench 18 by operators and transferred onto the support blocks 25 of the grip and feeding assembly 21.

[0032] When combining the movements of the slide 22 in the direction 7 with the movements of the edgebanding unit 33 in the direction 10 and of the assemblies 34, 35 in the direction 31, each panel 2 is subject to edgebanding and provided with the relative finishing edge (not shown).

[0033] According to an embodiment that is not shown herein, the crosspiece 28 is engaged in a sliding manner by a transfer assembly to transfer each panel 2 from the surface P1 of the cutting machine 3 to the surface P2 of the edgebanding machine 5.

[0034] The plant 1 comprises, furthermore, a single electrical enclosure 36 for the cutting machine 3 and for the edgebanding machine 5, a single safety barrier 37, which is designed to surround three sides of the assembly made up of the cutting machine 3 and the edgebanding machine 5, and a single mat safety system 38 to control the access of operators to a forth side of the assembly made up of the cutting machine 3 and the edgebanding machine 5.

[0035] Owing to the above, the plant 1 combines the cutting machine 3 and the edgebanding machine 5 with one another and, therefore, it is relatively small and has relatively reduced installation and managing costs.

[0036] Furthermore, the configuration of the plant 1 allows the machining with greater chipping, namely the cutting of the panels 2 from the sheet 4, to be separated from the machining with smaller chipping, namely the edgebanding of the panels 2, which requires a dust-free environment, suited for the use of the glues that are necessary for the edgebanding procedure.

Claims

1. A plant to process panels (2) of wood or the like, the plant comprising a cutting machine (3) to cut a plurality of panels (2) starting from a sheet (4) of wood or the like, the cutting machine (3) comprising, in turn, support means (15, 16) defining a first support surface (P1) for the sheet (4); a cutting station (14); a grip and feeding assembly (11) to feed the sheet (4) through the cutting station (14) in a first direction (7) that is parallel to the first support surface (P1); and an operating head (29), which is mounted in the cutting station (14), is provided with a cutting tool, and is mobile in a second direction (10) that is transverse to the first direction (7) and parallel to the first support surface (P1); the grip and feeding assembly (11) comprising a plurality of gripping members (12, 13), which are designed to hold a rear edge of the panel (2) that is parallel to the second direction (10) and/or a lateral edge of the panel (2) that is parallel to the first direction (7); and an edgebanding machine (5) to edgeband each panel (2) with a relative finishing edge, the edgebanding machine (5) comprising, in turn, a support unit (21), which is provided with a plurality of sucking support blocks (25), which are designed to lock the panels (2), through sucking, on a second support surface (P2); and an edgebanding unit (33); and being characterized in that it comprises, furthermore, a fixed gantry (26) comprising, in turn, a crosspiece (28), which extends above said first and second support surfaces (P1, P2) in the second direction (10), and is engaged in a sliding manner by the operating head (29) and by the edgebanding unit (33); the support unit (21) and the edgebanding unit (33) being mobile in the first direction (7) and in the second direction (10), respectively.

2. A plant according to claim 1, wherein the gantry (26) comprises at least two support uprights (27), which are arranged on opposite sides of the cutting machine (3) and of the edgebanding machine (5) in the second direction (10), and are connected to one another by the crosspiece (28).

3. A plant according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting machine (3) and the edgebanding machine (5) comprise respective bases (6, 19), which are arranged so as to be parallel and next to one another, and extend in the first direction (7).

4. A plant according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, a transfer unit, which is coupled to the crosspiece (28) in a sliding manner, and is mobile in the second direction (10) so as to transfer the panels (2) between the first support surface (P1) and the second support surface (P2).

5. A plant according to any of the previous claims, wherein the edgebanding unit (33) comprises an applicator assembly (34) to apply, to each panel (2), the relative finishing edge, and a tool assembly (35) to process the finishing edge itself.

6. A plant according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, a single electrical enclosure (36) for the cutting machine (3) and for the edgebanding machine (5).

7. A plant according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, a safety barrier (37), which is designed to surround three sides of the assembly made up of the cutting machine (3) and the edgebanding machine (5).

8. A plant according to claim 7 and comprising, furthermore, a safety system (38) to control the access of operators to a forth side of the assembly made up of the cutting machine (3) and the edgebanding machine (5).

9. A plant according to any of the previous claims, wherein the cutting machine (3) is provided, furthermore, with a pressing device (32) to lock the sheet (4) on the first support surface (P1).

Drawing