AU8933301A - Method and apparatus for forming patterns - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

a. a a Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Kemtech Pty. Ltd.

of 441 Moorabool Street, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia "Method and apparatus for forming patterns" Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): PR1336/00 8 November 2000 a.* The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -1- P:%opa~~nm~h coltedoe-07/I 01 -2- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PATTERNS This invention relates to method and apparatus for forming patterns.

Timber or other wood products may be formed with a grooved surface for various purposes. For example, timber may be treated to an impregnation process in which chemicals which impart resistance to rot are infused into the timber. In order to improve the uptake of chemicals, one or more surfaces of the timber may grooved to increase the surface area of the timber. Timber may also be grooved, where it is intended that the timber will be used for joining to other timber by an adhesive the action of which is improved by increasing the surface area where the adhesive is applied. Grooving may also be effected for decorative or other purposes such as to lessen the likelihood of slippage when treading on decking or steps. For all of these purposes, cutting devices produce the grooving by chiselling or milling action. These processes, while successful, produce waste 15 material which must be processed, and the maintenance of necessary cutting tools is an e added cost burden in production.

It may also be desired to form surface patterns of other kinds on surfaces of timber or other wood products.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of producing at least one groove on a wood product, in which the groove is produced by rolling with a roller.

According to the present invention there is further provided an apparatus for forming one or more grooves on a wood product, the apparatus having a roller and means for causing the roller to rollingly engage and press against a surface of the wood product to form the groove or grooves on the wood product.

According to the present invention there is further provided a method of producing a surface pattern on a wood product, in which the pattern is produced by rolling with a roller.

P:Aopkcrklh cmnpl .doc&-7/I IA -3- According to the present invention there is further provided a method of producing a surface pattern on a wood product by passing the wood product between rollers which rollingly engage and press against opposed surfaces of the wood product, one of the rollers having a surface configured to impress the surface pattern in the surface against which that roller presses.

According to the present invention there is further provided an apparatus for forming a surface pattern on a wood product, the apparatus having a roller with a surface configured to a form complementary to said surface pattern and means for causing the roller to rollingly engage and press against a surface of the wood product to form the surface pattern on the wood product.

Generally, the surface pattern or one or more grooves provided by the invention may be 15 provided for structural or aesthetic reasons. Thus, decorative features such as may be suitable for timber used in internal construction work may be provided.

*e°.9 oo The invention is further described, by way of example only, with reference to the •accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus for forming grooves in a timber piece; Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 1; 25 Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of the periphery of one roller included in the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a timber piece which has had grooves formed thereon by use of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; and P.opc JdkknUzch oplet doc4)7/1 IA)I -4- Figures 5 and 6 are exemplary profiles of grooves in a timber piece which may be produced by use of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 3.

The illustrated apparatus 10 comprises a frame 12 formed as a lower part 14 and an upper part 16. These parts are hinged together for pivotal movement about the common horizontal axis of pins 18 at either side of the apparatus. The common axis is located towards a rear end of the apparatus 10, so that the forward end of the upper part 16 can be pivoted upwardly and downwardly with respect to the part 14.

At the forward ends, the parts 14, 16 are interconnected by extensible rams 28, one to either side of the apparatus. The rams 28 are pivotally connected at respective pairs of pivotal connections 20, 22 to the parts 14, 16. The parts 14, 16 are illustrated in a pivotal condition where part 16 extends generally horizontally. By extension of the rams 28, part 16 can be pivoted about the axis of pins 20, 22 in the upward direction shown in 15 Figure 1, and also slightly downwardly as shown by the arrow A horizontal bed 24 is provided on frame part 14, this extending between and being connected to opposed side frame walls 26. Opposed side bearings 30 are provided on part 14, each being located inwardly of and adjacent separate ones of walls 26. A roller 20 assembly 32 is carried by these bearings. Roller assembly 32 has a cylindrical roller 34 and oppositely extending coaxial axle portions 36, 38. Axle portions 36, 38 are carried by respective ones of the bearings 30 for rotation with respect to these and with respect to the frame part 14, about a horizontal axis (the axis of the roller assembly) transverse to the apparatus. The periphery of the roller 34 extends slightly upwardly through an opening in the bed 24.

Another roller assembly 40 is carried by part 16. This has a cylindrical roller 42 with opposed axially extending axle portions 44, 46 received in respective bearings 48 carried by part 16. By this, the roller 42 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to the apparatus. Viewed from the side, the roller 42 is positioned directly above the roller P:opr dkeech ol-lecdoc47/I IA) I 34 so that the axes of these are in a common vertical plane, and so that a nip 50 is defined between these. At the nip, there is a gap between the rollers.

Figure 3 shows the periphery of the roller 34 in greater detail. The periphery of this has a series of adjacent, axially spaced, grooves 52 which extend circumferentially around the roller and are, in this case, contained in planes which are at right-angles to the axis of the roller 34. The roller 42 has a periphery formed with grooves which are similar to the grooves 52.

In order to use the apparatus 10, the roller assemblies 32, 40 are connected to drive means for rotating these in the respective directions D" as shown in Figure 1. That is to say, as viewed in Figure 1, the roller assembly 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction and the roller assembly 32 rotated in an anti-clockwise direction. The drive means may comprise any suitable motor, connected for example to the axle portions 36, 44 •o A wood product, particularly a timber piece 60 (Figure 4) shown in phantom lines 60' in Figure 1 and Figure 2, is advanced into nip 52 so as to pass between the rollers and be gripped between these and caused to be frictionally driven by the rollers through the nip _..and past the rollers. The spacing between the rollers is adjusted, by appropriate adjustment 20 of rams 28, and consequent pivoting of part 16 with respect to part 14, so that the rollers press against the opposed surfaces 56, 58 of the piece and impress on these surfaces oo000 grooves 62 caused by penetration of the surfaces by grooves on the rollers (Figure That is, the grooves 62 are of complimentary configuration to those of the rollers.

An adjustable stop 70 is provided on part 14 to limit the downward movement of the part 16 to prevent this moving to a position where the rollers 34, 42 engage each other.

It has been found that by appropriate adjustment of the rams 28, it is possible to impress grooves extending along the lengths of the wood piece 60, without employing cutting.

P:\OPFR KL ,crh copl.do4)17/1 1101 -6- Figures 5 and 6 show exemplary profiles of ridges produced in a timber piece and which may be produced by appropriately configured rollers 34, 42. The ridges are defined between grooves in the surface of the timber piece. In Figure 5, the profile has ridge portions 64 with outwardly convergent opposed faces 66, so that the ridge portions are substantially triangular in section. The angle between facing faces of adjacent ridge portions 64 may be about 600, for timber such as pine. The ridge portions may, typically, have a base width of 1.5 to 2.5 mm. The ridge profile shown in Figure 6 exhibits ridge portions 68, somewhat similar to those in Figure 5, save that these, while having outwardly convergent opposed faces 74, have outer radiussed portions 76. In this case, the angle between facing faces 74 of adjacent ridge portions 68 may be substantially in the range 400 to 600. Again, a ridge pitch of 1.5 to 2.5 mm has been found satisfactory for timber such as pine. The form and dimensions of the ridges may however be varied.

The invention has been found to be effective in producing, by pressing, grooves or other 15 surface patterns in wood products, without producing substantial amounts of waste material. While, in the described embodiment, the patterns are produced on opposed faces of the wood product, they may be produced on one only, or on more than two faces.

Different patterns may be formed on different faces. Generally, one or more grooves may be provided on one or more faces.

While the described arrangement has two rollers for impressing surface patterns on one or more opposed faces of the wood product, more rollers may be provided for impressing surface patterns on other surfaces. For example, by providing two further vertical rollers, grooves or other surface patterns may be impressed on one or more side faces of the wood 25 product.

The described arrangement has been advanced merely by way of explanation any many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which includes every novel feature and combination of novel features herein disclosed.

P:\OPERLM emiccl conpltAe.doct07/l IAll -7- Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

While the invention has been described by reference to its use with timber pieces, it may also be applicable with other wood products, for example structural products such as reconstituted wood, e.g. fibre board, chip-board or particle board.

o** *o

Claims (24)

1. A method of producing at least one groove on a wood product, in which the groove is produced by rolling with a roller.

2. A method of producing at least one groove on a wood product by passing the wood product between rollers which rollingly engage and press against opposed surfaces of the wood product, one of the rollers having a configuration whereby to impress the groove in the surface against which that roller presses.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein more than one said groove is formed by said rolling.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said roller is one of two opposed rollers, 15 each of which has a configuration whereby to provide grooves on each of the opposed surfaces of each wood product, the form of the grooves being complementary to the configurations of the rollers. 0 C

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the or one or more said 20 rollers are rotationally driven to effect the rolling engagement.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said wood product is a timber piece. C. 25

7. Apparatus for forming one or more grooves on a wood product, the apparatus having a roller and means for causing the roller to rollingly engage and press against a surface of the wood product to form the groove or grooves on the wood product.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein a further roller is provided, so that the P'opekfkde#h compllce dc4)71 IfA I -9- rollers define a nip therebetween, through which, in use of the apparatus, the wood product is passed to form the groove or grooves.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein means is provided for driving one or both rollers, so as in use of the apparatus to frictionally drive the wood product past the roller or rollers.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, claim 8, or claim 9, having guide and/or support means for guiding and/or or supporting the wood product for movement past the roller or rollers.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the guide and/or support means includes a bed. o 15

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or any one of claims 9 to 11, as directly or :indirectly appended thereto, having means for varying the gap between the rollers, to adjust the pressure applied to the wood product as it passes the roller or rollers.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, for forming said groove or ~20 grooves in said wood product in the form ofa timber piece.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or any one of claims 10 to 13 as directly or indirectly appended thereto, wherein both the rollers are grooved to produce .grooves in opposed surfaces of the wood product.

A method of producing a surface pattern on a wood product, in which the pattern is produced by rolling with a roller.

16. A method of producing a surface pattern on a wood product by passing the wood product between rollers which rollingly engage and press against opposed surfaces P:\opekl\kc chconpletc.doc4)7/I /01 of the wood product, one of the rollers having a surface configured to impress the surface pattern in the surface against which that roller presses.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the surface pattern is formed as grooves.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the wood product is a timber piece.

19. Apparatus for forming a surface pattern on a wood product, the apparatus having a roller with a surface configured to a form complementary to said surface pattern and means for causing the roller to rollingly engage and press against a surface of the wood product to form the surface pattern on the wood product.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the surface pattern is formed as grooves. 1 15

21. A method as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the wood product is a timber piece.

22. A method of producing a groove or other surface on a wood product substantially 20 as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. Apparatus for producing a groove or other surface on a wood product substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A wood product formed by a method substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.