EP2868450B1

EP2868450B1 - Cutting system to cut wood panels or the like

Info

Publication number: EP2868450B1
Application number: EP14190898.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lorenzo Lattanzi
Original assignee: Biesse SpA
Current assignee: Biesse SpA
Priority date: 2013-10-29
Filing date: 2014-10-29
Publication date: 2016-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2034-10-29
Also published as: ES2593155T3; ITBO20130595A1; EP2868450A1

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting system to cut wood panels or the like, as per the preamble of claim 1. An example of such a cutting system is disclosed by EP 1 510 276 A .
In the field of cutting wood panels, it is known to provide a system comprising a cutting machine comprising, in turn, a support structure defining a substantially horizontal support surface for at least one wood panel or the like; a cutting station; at least one feeding device for feeding the panels along the support surface and through the cutting station in a first direction; and a cutting device mounted in the cutting station so as to move in a second direction and along a cutting plane which are perpendicular to the first direction, and to perform the operation of cutting the panels.
The cutting machine also comprises a pressing device, mounted in the cutting station so as to move perpendicular to the support surface between a panel clamping position against the support surface, and a release position.
The system further comprises a feeding unit comprising, in turn, a support portal frame at least partially extending about, and above, the cutting machine, and a gripping device mounted on the support frame to pick the panels in sequence from a stack and release them onto the support surface of the cutting machine.
The gripping device is mobile above the support surface both in the above-mentioned first and second directions, and in a third direction which is orthogonal to the support surface itself.
The known cutting systems to cut wooden panels or the like of the above-described type have certain drawbacks mainly due to the fact that the above-mentioned feeding unit is relatively costly, has relatively large volumes and is not suitable to be mounted in plants with a relatively low height.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cutting system to cut wood panels or the like, which is free from the above-described drawbacks and is simple and cost-effective to be implemented.
According to the present invention, a cutting system to cut wood panels or the like is provided as claimed in claim 1.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which:

figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the cutting system of the present invention;
figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of the cutting system in figure 1;
figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a detail in figures 1 and 2; and
figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a detail in figure 3.

With reference to figure 1, reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a cutting system to cut wood panels 2 or the like, which are substantially rectangular in shape.
System 1 comprises a cutting machine 3 comprising, in turn, a support structure 4 having two portal frames 5 which are parallel to each other and to a horizontal direction 6.
Each frame 5 comprises two parallel vertical uprights 7, 8, which extend in a direction 9 which is transverse to direction 6, are aligned at the corresponding uprights 7, 8 of the other frame 5 in a horizontal direction 10 which is orthogonal to the directions 6 and 9, and are connected together at the upper ends thereof by means of a horizontal longitudinal member 11 which is parallel to the direction 6 itself.
The two uprights 7 are connected together by means of two crosspieces 12, which are parallel to each other and to direction 10, and the two uprights 8 are connected together by means of a crosspiece 13 which is parallel to direction 10 itself.
Structure 4 further comprises two support devices 14, which are arranged on opposite sides of crosspiece 13 in direction 6, define, together with the upper face of crosspiece 13, a substantially horizontal support surface P for panels 2, and one (hereinafter indicated by 14a) comprises a plurality of roller bars 15 which are parallel to one another and to direction 6, and the other (hereinafter indicated by 14b) comprises four benches 16 which are parallel to one another and to the direction 6 itself.
Machine 1 further comprises a cutting station 17, which is obtained at the uprights 8, and is equipped with a cutting device 18 comprising a motorized carriage 19 coupled in a known manner to crosspiece 13 to perform straight movements in direction 10, with respect to structure 4 and under the thrust of a known actuating device (not shown).
Carriage 19 supports a blade 20 and an engraver 21 which are mounted to rotate about respective longitudinal axes which are parallel to each other and to direction 6, and to perform straight movements in direction 9 between lowered rest positions, in which blade 20 and engraver 21 are arranged under the surface P to allow panels 2 to be fed along surface P, and raised operating positions, in which blade 20 and engraver 21 project through crosspiece 13 above the surface P itself to perform the cut of panels 2.
Blade 20 and engraver 21 are also moved by carriage 19 along a cutting plane 22 parallel to direction 10, with a straight alternate motion comprising a forward travel, in which engraver 21, being arranged in front of blade 20 in the feeding direction 10 of carriage 19, engraves the panel 2 arranged on surface P and blade 20 performs the cut of the panels 2, and a return travel.
Device 18 cooperates with a pressing device 23 of known type, which is mobile between a lowered operating position, in which the panels 2 are blocked on surface P and are cut by device 18 parallel to direction 10, and a raised rest position.
Machine 3 further comprises a feeding device 24 for feeding the panels 2 along surface P and through station 17 in both the ways of direction 6.
Device 24 comprises a motorized support crosspiece 25, which extends between the two longitudinal members 11 in direction 10, is slidingly coupled to the two longitudinal members 11 to perform straight movements in direction 6, with respect to the longitudinal members 11 themselves and under the thrust of a known actuating device (not shown), and supports a plurality of picking members 26 distributed along the crosspiece 25 in the direction 10 itself and each arranged between two respective bars 15 which are adjacent to each other.
System 1 also comprises at least one station 27 for loading the panels 2 into machine 3 and/or unloading the panels 2 from the machine 3 itself.
In this particular case, system 1 comprises four stations 27, which are aligned with one another and with machine 3 in direction 10, and are divided into two pairs of stations 27 arranged on opposite sides of machine 3 in the direction 10 itself.
Each station 27 is adapted to receive a stack 28 of panels 2, which are transferred between station 27 and surface P by means of at least one pick and place assembly 29.
Assembly 29 comprises a rectilinear guide 30, which extends through the stations 27 and the machine 3 in direction 10, and is slidingly engaged, in this particular case, by two holding devices 31 mobile through the stations 27 and surface P in the direction 10 itself.
Each device 31 comprises a motorized horizontal slide 32, which is slidingly coupled to guide 30, extends upward in direction 9, and is provided with a support bar 33 slidingly coupled to slide 32 in order to perform rectilinear movements in the direction 9 itself.
Bar 33 comprises a vertical upright 34, which extends in direction 9, and is configured to slidingly engage a feeding channel 35, which is obtained through the roller bars 15 and therefore surface P, and extends over the whole width of surface P in direction 10.
Bar 33 further comprises a horizontal crosspiece 36, which extends in direction 6 and is provided with a plurality of sucking members 37 distributed along the crosspiece 36 itself.
Concerning the above explanation, it is worth noting that:

each holding device 31 is mounted underneath surface P, extends through surface P, and projects above surface P so as to allow the pick and place assembly 29 to move the panels 2 above surface P in direction 10, in this particular case, between surface P and the stations 27; and
the pick and place assembly 29 is configured to move underneath the two longitudinal members 11.

In use, the two devices 31 are first lowered in direction 9 to pick a panel 2 from a stack 28 arranged in one of the stations 27 and are then lifted in direction 9 to move the panel 2 above surface P. The two devices 31 are then moved along guide 30 and through channel 35 in direction 10, and are then lowered again in direction 9 to release the panel 2 onto the surface P itself.
Each station 27 is further provided with a limit stop device 38 adapted to allow the proper positioning of the corresponding stack 28 of panels 2 in direction 6.
Device 38 is mobile between an advanced operating position, in which device 38 is arranged inside a feeding path of the devices 31 in direction 10, and a retracted rest position, in which device 38 is arranged outside the feeding path of the devices 31 in the direction 10 itself.
Assembly 29 is further associated with an identification device of panels 2, in this particular case, a labelling device 39, which is carried by one of the devices 31, and comprises an applying unit 40 to apply the labels (not shown) onto the panels 2 and a supply unit 41 to print the labels (not shown) and supply them to the unit 40 itself.
Unit 40 is slidingly coupled to crosspiece 36 to perform rectilinear movements along the crosspiece 36 itself in direction 6, and unit 41 is slidingly coupled to slide 32 in order to perform rectilinear movements in direction 9.
In use:

unit 40 picks the labels (not shown) in sequence from unit 41 by combining the movements of unit 40 in direction 6 with the movements of unit 41 in direction 9;
unit 40 is mobile above the panels 2 to label the panels 2 themselves; and
unit 41 is moved underneath surface P to allow the movement of the holding device 31 through the surface P itself in direction 10.

According to certain variants (not shown):

the pick and place assembly 29 is further provided with a milling and/or drilling unit;
each station 27 receives one single panel 2 at a time;
blade 20 and engraver 21 are eliminated and replaced with a mill; and
unit 40 is mobile, with respect to crosspiece 36, in direction 9.

System 1 has certain advantages mainly due to the fact that:

the pick and place assemblies 29 have relatively small dimensions, are relatively compact, and thus are relatively cost-effective;
the pick and place assemblies 29 may be installed in systems 1 already available on the market by simply modifying the support device 14a so as to make channel 35; and
the operation of labelling panels 2 is performed at a predetermined distance from the cutting station 17 and, therefore, from the zone of machine 3 characterized by the presence of processing chips, scraps and dust.

Claims

A cutting system to cut wood panels (2) or the like, the system comprising a machine (3) to cut wood panels (2) or the like comprising, in turn, a support structure (4) defining a substantially horizontal support surface (P) for the panels (2); a cutting station (17); a feeding device (24) to feed the panels (2) along the support surface (P) and through the cutting station (17) in a first direction (6); and a cutting device (18), which is mounted in the cutting station (17) so as to move in a second direction (10), that is transverse to the first direction (6), and perform the cut of the panels (2); and being characterised in that it comprises, furthermore, at least one pick and place assembly (29), which is mounted under the support surface (P), extends through the support surface (P), projects above the support surface (P), and is mobile in the second direction (10) so as to move the panels (2) on the support surface (P) in the second direction (10) itself.
A cutting system according to claim 1 and comprising, furthermore, a guide (30), which is mounted under the support surface (P) parallel to the second direction (10) and is engaged in a sliding manner by each said pick and place assembly (29).
A cutting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support structure (4) comprises at least one longitudinal guide member (11), which is parallel to the first direction (6) and is engaged in a sliding manner by the feeding device (24); each pick and place assembly (29) extending under the longitudinal guide member (11).
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, at least one loading and/or unloading station (27) for the panels (2), which is aligned with the machine (3) in the second direction (10); the pick and place assembly (29) being mobile between the loading and/or unloading station (27) and the support surface (P) in the second direction (10) itself.
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the support structure (4) is configured so that the support surface (P) has a feeding channel (35), which extends through the support surface (P) in the second direction (10) and is engaged in a sliding manner by said pick and place assembly (29).
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the pick and place assembly (29) comprises at least one slide (32), which is mounted so as to move in the second direction (10), and, for each slide (32), a respective holding device (31), which is mounted so as to move in a third direction (9) that is substantially orthogonal to said support surface (P).
A cutting system according to claim 6, wherein the holding device (31) comprises a support bar (33), which extends in the first direction (6) and is provided with at least one sucking member (37), which is obtained along the support bar (33) itself.
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, at least one loading station (27), which is suited to receive at least one panel (2) and is aligned with the machine (3) in the second direction (10); the pick and place assembly (29) being mobile between the loading station (27) and the support surface (P) so as to feed the panels (2) on the support surface (P) itself.
A cutting system according to claim 8, wherein the loading station (27) is provided with a limit stop device (38), which allows the panels (2) to be correctly positioned in the first direction (6) and is mobile between an operating position, in which the limit stop device (38) is arranged inside a feeding path of the pick and place assembly (29) in the second direction (10), and a rest position, in which the limit stop device (38) is arranged outside of the feeding path of the pick and place assembly (29) in the second direction (10).
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, an identification device (39), which is suited to apply an identifying element onto the panels (2) and is mobile in the second direction (10).
A cutting system according to claim 10 and comprising, furthermore, a loading station (27), which is suited to receive at least one panel (2) and is aligned with the machine (3) in the second direction (10); the identification device (39) being mobile in the second direction (10) between the loading station (27) and the support surface (P).
A cutting system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the identification device (39) comprises a labelling machine comprising, in turn, a label applying unit (40) to apply labels onto the panels (2) and a label supply unit (41) to supply labels to the label applying unit (40).
A cutting system according to claim 12, wherein the label supply unit (41) extends under the support surface (P) and the label applying unit (40) extends above the support surface (P).
A cutting system according to any of the claims from 10 to 13, wherein the identification device (39) is mounted on the pick and place assembly (29).
A cutting system according to any of the previous claims and comprising, furthermore, a drilling and/or milling device, which is mounted on the pick and place assembly (29).