DRILLING MACHINE TO DRILL HOLES INTO PANELS MADE OF WOOD, PLASTIC OR THE LIKE

Abstract

 In a drilling machine to drill holes into panels (2) made of wood, plastic or the like, each panel (2) is moved forward through a drilling station (8) using two pushing devices (14) facing each other in a forward direction (6) of the panel (2); each pushing device (14) has a slide (15) mounted transversely to the forward direction (6) and two pushing members (16; 21) distributed along the slide (15) and coupled to the slide (15) so as to be moved, in relation to the slide (15), in the forward direction (6).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102022000002447 filed on February 10, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a machine to drill holes into panels made of wood, plastic or the like.

BACKGROUND

[0003] In the field of drilling holes into panels made of wood, plastic or the like, it is known to provide a drilling machine comprising an elongated base, which extends in a first, horizontal direction, and is provided with a support device with belts and/or bars defining a support surface for the panels; a drilling station made along the base; and a feeding unit for moving the panels forward along the support surface and through the drilling station in the first direction.

[0004] The feeding unit comprises at least one moving assembly provided with two pushing devices facing each other in the first direction.

[0005] Each pushing device comprises a slide, which extends above the support surface in a second, horizontal direction that is transversal to the first direction, and is mobile along the base in the first direction.

[0006] Each slide supports two pushing members, which have an elongated shape, extend in the first direction, and project from the slide towards the slide of the other pushing device.

[0007] Each pushing member has an L-shaped holding portion for panels, is mobile perpendicularly to the support surface between a raised rest position and a lowered operating position, and is mobile along the slide in the second direction depending on the shape and/or dimensions of the panels.

[0008] The drilling station comprises at least one upper crossbar, which extends above the support surface in the second direction, and supports at least one drilling head that is mobile along the upper crossbar in the second direction, and is mobile, in addition, in relation to the upper crossbar, in a third direction perpendicular to the support surface between a raised rest position and a lowered operating position.

[0009] The known drilling machines of the type described above have some drawbacks mainly deriving from the fact that the pushing members, when arranged in their raised operating positions may interfere with the drilling head during the forward movement of the panels through the drilling station and limit, thus, the operating capacity of these drilling machines.

[0010] In addition, the known drilling machines of the type described above have the additional drawback consisting of the fact that the two pushing devices are only able to correctly move panels having a rectangular lateral contour forward through the drilling station and have, thus, relatively limited flexibility and versatility.

SUMMARY

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine to drill holes into panels made of wood, plastic or the like, which is free of the previously described drawbacks and which is simple and economical to produce.

[0012] According to the present invention there is provided a machine to drill holes into panels made of wood, plastic or the like as claimed in the attached claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate a nonlimiting embodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the drilling machine of the present invention;

Figures 2-4 schematically show, in plan, with parts removed for clarity, three operating modes of the drilling machine in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a variant of a detail of the drilling machine in Figures 1-4.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0014] With reference to Figure 1, number 1 indicates, as a whole, a drilling machine for drilling holes in substantially flat panels 2 made of wood, or the like, each of which is bounded by two parallel main faces 3 and is further bounded by a lateral contour 4, which is substantially perpendicular to the faces 3.

[0015] The drilling machine 1 comprises an elongated base 5, which extends in a horizontal direction 6, and is provided with two support devices 7 mounted one after the other in the direction 6.

[0016] In this case, the two devices 7 comprise a plurality of support bars and/or conveyor belts (not shown) defining a horizontal support surface P for the panels 2.

[0017] The drilling machine 1 further has a drilling station 8, which is made along the base 5 between the two devices 7, and is provided, in this case, with an upper crossbar 9 and a lower crossbar (not shown) extending above and, respectively, below the surface P in a horizontal direction 10 transversal to the direction 6.

[0018] The crossbar 9 supports an upper drilling head 11 mounted to make straight movements along the crossbar 9 in the direction 10 and to make, in addition, in relation to the crossbar 9 itself, straight movements in a vertical direction 12 that is orthogonal to the surface P and to the directions 6 and 10 between a raised rest position and a lowered drilling position.

[0019] The lower crossbar (not shown) supports a lower drilling head (not shown) mounted to make straight movements along the lower crossbar (not shown) in the direction 10 and to make, in addition, in relation to the lower crossbar (not shown) itself, straight movements in the direction 12 between a lowered rest position and a raised drilling position.

[0020] The panels 2 are moved forward along the surface P and through the drilling station 8 in the direction 6 by a feeding unit 13 comprising, in this case, two pushing devices 14 facing each other in the direction 6.

[0021] Each device 14 comprises a slide 15, which extends above the surface P in the direction 10, and is slidably coupled to the base 5 to make straight movements along the base 5 in the direction 6.

[0022] The slide 15 supports two pushing members 16, which have an elongated shape, extend in the direction 6, and project from the slide 15 towards the other device 14.

[0023] Each member 16 is coupled to the slide 15 via the interposition of a horizontal sliding block 17 mounted to make straight movements along the slide 15 in the direction 10 and a vertical sliding block 18 coupled to the other sliding block 17 to make, in relation to the sliding block 17 itself, straight movements in the direction 12.

[0024] The member 16 is also coupled to the sliding block 18, so as to make, in relation to the sliding block 18 and, thus, to the slide 15, straight movements in the direction 6 between a retracted position and a forward position.

[0025] Each member 16 is bound by one free end 19 that is substantially flat and perpendicular to the direction 6 and is provided with a holding portion 20, which is made at the end 19, has, in plan, an L shape, faces the other member 16 in the direction 10, and is configured to engage the contour 4 at one corner at 90° of the contour 4 itself.

[0026] Each member 16 is moved by the corresponding sliding block 18 in the direction 12 between a raised rest position, in which the member 16 is arranged on the outside of a moving path of the panels 2, and a lowered operating position, in which the member 16 is arranged inside the moving path of the panels 2.

[0027] The operation of the feeding unit 13 will now be described with reference to the Figures 2-4.

[0028] According to the operating mode shown in Figure 2, the contour 4 of the panel 2 is shaped and the pushing members 16 of a pushing device 14 are arranged one in its forward position and the other in its retracted position so as to correctly hold the panel 2 at the two corners at 90° staggered between them in the direction 6.

[0029] According to the operating mode shown in Figure 3, the pushing members 16 of a pushing device 14 are arranged one in its forward position so as to engage a corner at 90° of the contour 4 and the other in its retracted position so as to engage the contour 4 with its free end 19.

[0030] According to the operating mode shown in Figure 4, the pushing members 16 of each pushing device 14 are arranged one in its retracted position so as to engage a corner at 90° of the contour 4 and the other in its forward position so as to engage a lateral face of the contour 4 perpendicular to the direction 10.

[0031] The variant shown in Figure 5 differs from what is illustrated in the preceding figures only due to the fact that, in it, one of the pushing members 16 is eliminated and replaced with a pushing member 21 provided with two holding portions 22, 23, which are arranged one after the other in the direction 6, are staggered in relation to each other in the direction 10, and are arranged, thus, so as to engage the contour 4, one when the member 21 is moved into its retracted position and the other when the member 21 is moved into its forward position.

[0032] In this case, the portion 22 has, in plan, an L shape configured to engage a corner at 90° of the contour 4, and the portion 23 has, in plan, a rounded shape configured to engage a rounded corner of the contour 4 itself.

[0033] According to some alternative embodiments that are not shown:

the portion 23 has, in plan, a chamfered shape;

the feeding unit 13 comprises two moving assemblies parallel and beside one another and provided, each, with two corresponding pushing devices 14; and

each member 16, 21 is coupled to the sliding block 18 so as to move between the retracted position and the forward position in a direction inclined according to angles other than 0° both in relation to the direction 6, and in relation to the direction 10 (in other words, the member 16, 21 is moved, in relation to the sliding block 18, with a motion component parallel to the direction 6).

[0034] Since the members 16, 21 are mobile in relation to the corresponding slides 15 and, thus, in relation to the panels 2 in the direction 6:

the feeding unit 13 is configured to move panels 2 with different lateral contours 4, for example shaped ones, forward through the drilling station 8, and has, thus, relatively high flexibility and versatility; and

the members 16, 21 may be moved in relation to the panels 2 in the direction 6 and, at the same time, kept in their lowered operating positions, so as not to interfere with the drilling head 11.

Claims

1. A drilling machine to drill holes into panels (2) made of wood, plastic or the like, the drilling machine comprising an elongated base (5), which extends in a first direction (6) and is configured to define a support surface (P) for the panels (2); at least one drilling station (8), which is obtained along the base (5) and is provided with at least one drilling head (11) mounted above or under the support surface (P) in order to drill holes into the panels (2); and a feeding unit (13) to move the panels (2) along the support surface (P) and through the drilling station (8) in the first direction (6); the feeding unit (13) comprising at least one moving assembly provided with two pushing devices (14), which face one another in the first direction (6) and each comprises a respective slide (15), which extends above the support surface (P) in a second direction (10) transverse to the first direction (6), is movable along the base (5) in the first direction (6) and supports two pushing members (16; 21) projecting from the relative slide (15) in the first direction (6); and being characterized in that each pushing member (16; 21) is coupled to the relative slide (15) so as to move, relative to the relative slide (15), with at least one motion component parallel to the first direction (6).

2. The drilling machine according to claim 1, wherein each pushing member (16; 21) is coupled to the relative slide (15) so as to move, relative to the relative slide (15), in the second direction (10).

3. The drilling machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each pushing member (16; 21) is coupled to the relative slide (15) so as to move, relative to the relative slide (15), in a third direction (12) orthogonal to said first and second directions (6, 10) and to the support surface (P).

4. The drilling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pushing member (16; 21) has at least one holding portion (20; 22, 23) configured to engage a lateral contour (4) of a panel (2).

5. The drilling machine according to claim 4, wherein the holding portion (20; 22) is L-shaped in order to engage a 90° corner of the lateral contour (4) of the panel (2).

6. The drilling machine according to claim 4, wherein the holding portion (23) has a rounded or chamfered shape in order to engage a rounded or chamfered corner of the lateral contour (4) of the panel (2).

7. The drilling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pushing member (21) has two holding portions (22, 23) configured to engage a lateral contour (4) of a panel (2) and is movable, relative to the relative slide (15), with at least one motion component parallel to the first direction (6) between a retracted position and a forward position.

8. The drilling machine according to claim 7, wherein the two holding portions (22, 23) are staggered relative to one another in the first direction (6) so as to engage the lateral contour (4) of the panel (2), one, when the holding member (21) is arranged in its retracted position and, the other one, when the holding member (21) is arranged in its forward position.

9. The drilling machine according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the two holding portions (22, 23) are staggered relative to one another in the second direction (10) so as to engage the lateral contour (4) of the panel (2), one, when the holding member (21) is arranged in its retracted position and, the other one, when the holding member (21) is arranged in its forward position.

10. The drilling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pushing member (16; 21) has a substantially flat free end (19) configured to engage a lateral contour (4) of a panel (2).

11. The drilling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pushing member (16; 21) is coupled to the relative slide (15) so as to move, relative to the relative slide (15), in the first direction (6).

12. The drilling machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pushing member (16; 21) is coupled to the relative slide (15) so as to move, relative to the relative slide (15), in a direction that is inclined at an angle other than 0° both relative to the first direction (6) and relative to the second direction (10).

Drawing