EP3542981B1

EP3542981B1 - Press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas and the method of their pressing

Info

Publication number: EP3542981B1
Application number: EP19163807.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gregor Ledinek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-03-22
Filing date: 2019-03-19
Publication date: 2020-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-19
Also published as: SI25323A; EP3542981A1

Description

The subject of the invention is a press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas Z according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to claim 10 of continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas using such a press.

Technical problem

The technical problem solved by this invention is such a construction of the press that will enable continuous and, thus, flow travelling of wooden lamellas of optional, i.e. of various lengths, without lamella waste, in the initial phase of pressing and gluing them into laminated panels of optional widths, with or without intermediate openings. Furthermore, it will enable a production of the glued panels with openings in the middle of them, which will represent a saving of wood and shorten machining time, since later no openings need to be cut. An execution of the movable segments of a segment pusher on an infeed conveyor and the construction of the pusher dogs on an endless chain are in particular innovative. Furthermore, an innovative construction and structure of the press enable a high machining productivity and quality of glued laminated panels. At the same time, the press will be compact, easy to produce, and on the basis of its construction features, the method of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels will be simple, efficient and rational.

Current state of the art

There are many known solutions of presses for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels.
US2015233117 A1 discloses a press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels comprising an infeed conveyor on which a pusher is fixed to feed lamellas under parallel running endless pressing conveyors. Such a device permits the manufacture of a layer with openings. A layer is formed of parallel rows of lamellas, bonded together by one or more beads of glue on one edge. A row can be formed of one single lamella having the length of the layer or of two lamellas separated by an opening, or also of three lamellas separated by two openings.
According to document EP 1 669 175 B1 , a gluing press for laminar wood elements as well as method for pressing said elements are known. Inside the press, boards and/or wooden lamellas can be pressed and glued exclusively within the width of the pressing area, which is dimensionally limited, and its final products are dimensionally limited laminated panels. After the pressing and gluing process is completed, the laminated panel is pushed from the press and wooden lamellas are fed for the next laminated panel, this process is cyclically repeated. In the press, wooden lamellas are pressed pneumatically. Weakness and deficiency of this press is, in particular, dimensional limitation of laminated panels, and the cyclic process of their manufacture, which does not enable their continuous production without interruptions.
According to DE 2 940 802 A1 , it is known a device for gluing and pressing plates of wooden lamellas having one or both longer side edges obliquely executed, which is why the edges are not parallel to each other. The pushers are of an oscillating execution so that they can be adjusted to the oblique side edges of wooden lamellas that are pressed. Furthermore, a machine for gluing panels made from laminated wooden elements according to document EP 1 157 794 A2 is known. According to this solution, inside the area for pressing wooden lamellas, the wooden lamellas are pre-prepared in the width of the laminated panel, the width of which is limited with the width of the press. The base of wooden lamellas prepared in this way is pushed by a pusher into the press, where the panel is pressed and glued. Weakness and deficiency of this press are in the fact that it does not make it possible to continuously produce glued laminated panels, of which dimensions are limited.
The common weakness and deficiency of previously described known solutions of presses for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels is in the fact that their technical characteristics do not enable continuous production of laminated panels without limitations of their dimensions, and also, they do not make it possible to form intermediate openings in laminated panels in the procedure of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas. In addition to this, weakness and deficiency of those solutions is in the fact that the first rows of lamellas in the initial phase of pressing and intermediate openings cut into laminated panels after their production represent waste of lamellas, because wooden lamellas are not adequately pressed to each other and because intermediate openings must be cut into glued laminated panels.
Furthermore, weakness and deficiency of known solutions is also in the fact that they do not enable quality pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas of various lengths. They function in such a way that only the lamella added last to the set is pressed, whereby the pressing force is transmitted to previous joints of wooden lamellas in the entire set. As adequate pressure between wooden lamellas is not ensured and as it is impossible to change the length of wooden lamellas, lamellas of different lengths are not pressed along the entire length of the joint.
Because of the previously described weaknesses and deficiencies, the described known presses for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels represent an unsolved technical problem.

The description of the invention and its use

The present invention provides a device according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 10.
The solution to the described technical problem is based on the innovative construction of a press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas according to the present invention that enables continuous pressing and gluing of calibrated wooden lamellas into laminated panels of optional widths, with or without intermediate openings and without limitations regarding their width, without waste of wooden lamellas in the initial pressing phase.
The invention is based on permanent development of the individual vital assemblies of the press, with the focus on the method of continuous pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas into laminated panels of optional widths, with or without intermediate openings, and without waste of wooden lamellas.
Quality continuous pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas into laminated panels of optional width without lamellas waste in the initial phase is enabled by segments of a segment pusher on an infeed conveyor of the press and by pusher dogs on parallel endless chains. The segment pusher represents a group of an optional number of pusher segments, which are separated from each other, on an infeed conveyor. Each endless chain has at least two pusher dogs.
Segments of the segment pusher of wooden lamellas, which can be of the same or of different lengths, push the wooden lamellas transversely into the pressing area of the press. The pusher dogs enable an appropriate squeezing of wooden lamellas against each other within the pressing area, from the first feeding of the press onwards, thereby preventing ejection of wooden lamellas within the laminated panels due to poor mutual gluing.
Before pressing and gluing in the press, the wooden lamellas are machined and calibrated. Thus, all wooden lamellas are of the same width and thickness before the operation, with machined side longitudinal edges, their lengths can, however, differ.
The press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels basically consists of a glue applicator, infeed conveyor with movable segments of a segment pusher, cut-off saw, non-driven roller conveyor, and endless chains with their drives and pusher dogs. All these assemblies and components are built into a compact housing of the press.
The infeed conveyor consists of a non-driven roller conveyor, segments of a segment pusher with hydraulic cylinders and crank mechanisms, swings with drive wheels and swing arms, transverse shifters and oscillating limiters.
On the infeed conveyor, the segments of the segment pusher are movably fixed. The number of segments is optional, it depends on the dimensions of the infeed conveyor. Each segment of the segment pusher is fixed movably and separately to the corresponding linear guide and has its own servohydraulic drive in the form of a hydraulic cylinder. All segments in the segment pusher operate synchronously and very precisely, which is enabled by a measuring system within the hydraulic cylinders and the corresponding control system with appropriate software. In this way, it is ensured that linearity of feeding the wooden lamellas to the press along its entire length is very precise, the precision is several hundredths of a millimetre, which represents the basis of high quality and efficient pressing. This prevents wooden lamellas from leaving the optimal direction of movement and the working area of the press during the process of pressing. Division of segment pusher into several separated segments represents an important advantage during transport and press assembly.
An optional number of endless chains with pusher dogs can be built into the press, the number is limited with the press width. Endless chains are parallel to each other and slightly separated from each other, whereby they move by means of pusher dogs, which are inserted with bearing wheels within channels, formed by corresponding pairs of support laths. On each endless chain, at least two pusher dogs are preferentially located, or more than two. When filling the press with the wooden lamellas, when pressing the wooden lamellas of various lengths, and in removing the pressed and glued laminated panels from the press, the pusher dogs are activated. When wooden lamellas of the same length are pressed continuously, pusher dogs are not active, and they are outside the reach of wooden lamellas.
Hereinafter, the method of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels with the press according to the invention is described.
Before entering the press, a glue layer is applied to the longer side edges of the wooden lamellas by the glue applicator, afterwards wooden lamellas travel along the infeed conveyor towards the entrance into the pressing area of the press. During this, the drive wheels, operating cyclically, push them to the central position in the press, afterwards, transverse shifters push one or simultaneously up to two wooden lamellas into the press in a cyclical, repeated way, thereby preparing space for the next wooden lamella or two that follow.
Each wooden lamella pushed towards the press by means of the corresponding transverse shifter, moves, in a pressing position, straight-lined towards the working area of the press, afterwards the segments of the segment pusher push it into it.
If wooden lamellas are of various lengths, at one of their ends, the pusher dogs, are activated and they move closer to them, whereby they either push or hold lamellas, depending on their length. If the current wooden lamella is shorter than the previous one, pusher dogs push it forward. If the current wooden lamella is longer than the previous one, the pusher dogs hold it back until its end aligns with the end of the neighbouring shorter wooden lamella. The previously described alignment of ends of wooden lamellas takes place continuously within a production cycle. In this way, optimally glued joints between pressed lamellas are ensured along the entire length of their longer side edges, without intermediate stops during pressing.
The pusher dogs on the endless chains are activated also during each first feeding of the press with wooden lamellas, whereby they operate in such a way that they hold the first fed wooden lamella and all further ones that follow the first one until the pressing area within the press is full, whereupon the pusher dogs move away and the press operates fully automatically.
When the press, after the last wooden lamella in the set is fed, becomes empty, the pusher dogs on the endless chains re-activate in order to push the pressed and glued laminated panel from the press. At the same time, the pusher dogs serve for holding lamellas when forming openings inside laminated panels, in the direction of the movement of the wooden lamellas forward and backward. Thereby, if necessary, the pusher dogs are activated at the beginning and at the end of the pre-determined opening and they hold the rest of the laminated panel before and after the opening under an appropriate pressure.
Therefore, it applies that the innovative solution of the construction of the individual previously described machining units of the press conditions an innovative solution of the method of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas. The advantages and features of this common innovative solution are evident primarily from continuous pressing and gluing of previously calibrated wooden lamellas into laminated panels with or without intermediate openings, without limiting their width and practically without damaged wooden lamellas, which is the result of optimal pressing of wooden lamellas together.
The novelty of the presented invention is thus in the constructional execution of the machining units as well as in the method of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panels, with or without intermediate openings.
The invention will be more precisely described in relation to the preferential feasibility example and figures, which show as follows:

Fig. 1 press for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas into laminated panelsaccording to the invention with a glue applicator, infeed conveyor and cut-off saw, plan view
Fig. 2 same as in Fig. 1 , only axonometric projection
Fig. 3 same as in Fig. 1 , elevation view only
Fig. 4 infeed conveyor with segment pushers and endless chain with pusherdogs and non-driven roller conveyor, detail "A"
Fig. 5 detail of a non-driven roller conveyor with segments of the segment pusher, oscillating limiters of the chain and swings, side view
Fig. 6 detail of a swing with a crank mechanism and drive wheel, and a transverse shifter, side view
Fig. 7 detail of a non-driven roller conveyor with hydraulic cylinders and a measuring system with a servo electric drive of the corresponding drive wheel, side view
Fig. 8 detail of a segment of the segment pusher with a hydraulic cylinder and a linear positon sensor with a magnetic encoder, side view
Fig. 9 detail of the segments of the segment pusher with corresponding hydraulic cylinders, plan view
Fig. 10 detail of endless chains with pusher dogs, plan view
Fig. 11 pusher dog, side view
Fig. 12 pusher dog, in cross-section B-B
Fig. 13 pusher dog, isometric projection
Fig. 14 schematic presentation of continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas of different lengths
Fig. 15 schematic presentation of continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas of various lengths into laminated panels with intermediate openings

Thereby the reference numerals in the figures indicate as follows:

1. infeed conveyor
2. glue applicator
3. press
4. cut-off saw
5. wooden lamella
6. a swing
7. non-driven roller conveyor
8. free-running roller
9. servo electric drive
10. drive wheel
11. swing arm
12. crank mechanism
13. cylinder with piston rod
14. oscillating limiter
15. transverse shifter
16. hydraulic cylinder
17. segment pusher
18. linear position sensor
19. swivel head of hydraulic cylinder 16
20. magnetic encoder
21. pusher dog
22. endless chain
23. bolt
24. body
25. bearing wheel
26. pressing lath
27. support lath
28. guide channel
29. drive
30. laminated panel
31. pusher dog base
32. pusher dog shoulder
33. segment pusher plate
34. clevis bracket
35. cylinder clevis end
36. linear guide
37. smaller opening
38. larger opening

The main characteristic of the present invention is the solution of the previously described technical problem with an innovative construction of a press 3 for the continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 of various or equal lengths into laminated panels 30 of various widths, with or without intermediate openings 37, 38. As previously indicated, the press 3 will enable continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of calibrated wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 of equal or various lengths into laminated panels 30 of optional widths, without limitations regarding their widths, which is due to a segment pusher 17 on an infeed conveyor 1. Furthermore, it will enable pressing and gluing of laminated panels 30 absolutely without waste of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 in the initial phase of pressing, i.e. in the phase of first feeding of the press 3, which is made possible on the basis of pusher dogs 21 on endless chains 22. Furthermore, pusher dogs 21 enable continuous gluing of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1 and 5.2 of various lengths as shown in Fig. 14 . In addition to this, this characteristic of the press 3 with pusher dogs 21 on endless chains 22 enables gluing of laminated panels 30 with larger and/or smaller intermediate openings 37, 38, saving the material, i.e. saving in reference to wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2, as after completed gluing of these laminated panels 30, a cutting of the openings 37, 38 does not take place, since these openings have already been formed during the process of pressing and gluing. This is shown in Fig. 15 .
Furthermore, the construction of the press 3 according to the invention enables continuous pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 of equal or various lengths into laminated panels 30 without any interruptions, which is made possible by the segment pusher 17 with its segments on the infeed conveyor 1.
In Fig. 1, Fig. 2 , and Fig. 3 . it is shown that the press 3 for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 consists of a glue applicator 2, infeed conveyor 1 with segments of a segment pusher 17, a cut-off saw 4, a non-driven roller conveyor 7 and endless chains 22 with drives 29 and pusher dogs 21.
The glue applicator 2 is located at the entrance into the press 3, more precisely, in front of the infeed conveyor 1, which is located along one side of the housing of the press 3, whereas the cut-off saw 4 is located along the opposite side of the housing, both of them are made along the entire length of the press 3. Between the infeed conveyor 1 and the cut-off saw 4, there are the pressing laths 26, below which there are positioned the support laths 27, which run in a transverse sequential set. The number of both of them depends on the length of the press 3.
As shown in Fig. 4 , the infeed conveyor 1 consists of a non-driven roller conveyor 7, above which the drive wheels 10 are located in sequence and below which movable segments of the segment pusher 17 are positioned. Next to each individual segment, a hydraulic cylinder 16 with a measuring system is located.
Perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the infeed conveyor 1, endless chains 22 with pusher dogs 21 are positioned in such a way that they lie at the beginning of the infeed conveyor 1 and so that their upper surface is slightly under the level of the non-driven roller conveyor 7, and under the level of the segments of the segment pusher 17 respectively. Laterally and parallel with the endless chains 22, there run support laths 27 and slightly above them, there are transverse pressing laths 26.
Fig. 5 shows that the swings 6 and oscillating limiters 14 are positioned on the housing of the press 3, above the non-driven roller conveyor 7 and perpendicular to it, with a space between each other and in an alternating order. Above the swings 6 and the oscillating limiters 14, there is a set of transverse shifters 15 spaced from one another. The segments of the segment pusher 17 are formed transversely under the non-driven roller conveyor 7.
Each of the swings 6 consists of a two-leg crank mechanism 12, which is movable in the joint and is, via hydraulic cylinder with a piston rod 13, connected with a swing arm 11 with a drive wheel 10 driven by the servo electric drive 9. In this way, the drive wheel 10 is movable in the vertical direction and it operates in a cyclical mode, i.e. it is driven when located on the wooden lamellas. Under the swings 6 with the driving wheels 10, a non-driven roller conveyor 7 with free-running rollers 8 is positioned. The described is shown in Fig. 6 .
It is evident from Fig. 7 that next to the non-driven roller conveyor 7 of the infeed conveyor 1, there are positioned in a set, and slightly separated from each other, the hydraulic cylinders 16 with a measuring system.
Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 show the construction and the position of the segments of the segment pusher 17. Each segment of this segment pusher 17 consists of a horizontal segment pusher plate 33 with a clevis bracket 34.
The segments of the segment pusher 17 are fixed movably to the infeed conveyor 1 so that, with the segment pusher plate 33, they lie in the plane that is typical of the plane of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2, when travelling along the infeed conveyor 1, and they lie slightly above the level of linear guides 36 that guide them. The segment pusher plates 33 are movably connected with the swivel head 19 of the hydraulic cylinder 16 via clevis bracket 34. This means that each hydraulic cylinder 16 is, with one of its ends, movably connected via swivel head 19 with a clevis bracket 34 on the corresponding segment of the segment pusher 17, whereas with the opposite end, it is connected via cylinder clevis end 35 to the framework of the infeed conveyor 1. Under the hydraulic cylinder 16 and parallel to it, a linear positon sensor (18) with a magnetic encoder (20) is located. The described is shown in Figures 8 and 9 .
Fig. 10 shows that pusher dogs 21 are fixed perpendicularly to endless chains 22 so that their bearing wheels 25 travel along the pairs of parallel guide channels 28 through the entire pressing area of the press 3. One guide channel 28 is located at each side of the corresponding pusher dog 21, and it lies between the corresponding support lath 27 and the endless chain 22. Pusher dogs 21 are made on endless chains 22 in transverse sets and they are in the same horizontal axis with them, whereby all transverse sets have, as a rule, the same number of pusher dogs 21. As previously described, guide channels 28 are made next to and parallel to pusher dogs 21, at least one on each side. The parallel bearing wheels 25 of both pairs that are on the same side, run along the same corresponding guide channel 28.
Each individual pusher dog 21 has two pairs of bearing wheels 25 put on the bolt 23 and separated by a certain distance, whereby the bearing wheels 25 of both pairs at the same side of the pusher dog 21 run along the same track, i.e. inside the same corresponding guide channel 28.As previously described, pusher dogs 21 are located and fixed with a distance between them along the entire circumference of the endless chains 22, whereby each endless chain 22 has its own drive 29.
Fig.11, Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 show a construction of pusher dogs 21. The base of each pusher dog 21 is formed by a monobloc body 24 with a pair of bearing wheels 25. The monobloc body 24 consists of a pusher dog base 31 and a pusher dog shoulder 32, which is made perpendicularly on it and preferentially of the form of a slightly lower rectangular solid. The bearing wheels 25 are attached to the corresponding bolt 23 in twos, whereas both bolts 23 are inserted through the transverse holes in the pusher dog base 31. The bolts 23 with bearing wheels 25 are slightly separated from each other and are positioned at both ends of the pusher dog base 31. At first sight, the pusher dogs 21 have a form of a simple child vehicle.
Below the method of positioning, pressing and gluing wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 into laminated panels 30 in the press 3 according to the invention is described. Within a compact housing, the infeed conveyor 1 with movable segments of the segment pusher 17, the glue applicator 2, cut-off saw 4, non-driven roller conveyor 7 and endless chains 22 with drives and pusher dogs 21 are located, what is previously described in relation to the construction of the press 3. The consequence of its innovative construction is an innovative method of positioning, gluing and pressing calibrated wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 into laminated panels 30 of optional widths, with or without intermediate openings 37, 38, without waste of wooden lamellas.
Wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 are machined and calibrated before pressing and gluing, which makes them all of the same width and the same thickness, but they can be of different lengths, and also their longitudinal side edges are machined. If producing laminated panels 30 with openings 37, 38, which are provided, for example, for the installation of windows and/or doors into walls of a building, a larger number of lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 of a suitable length is previously prepared in a set and in the distance required for forming individual openings 37 respectively 38, prior to application of the glue.
Before the entry into the press 3, a glue layer is applied to longer side edges of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 with the glue applicator 2, afterwards, they travel along the infeed conveyor 1 by means of drive wheels 10 to the central position in the press 3. Depending on the length of an individual wooden lamella 5 or 5.1 or 5.2, the central position is regulated each time with the drive wheels 10, driven with servo electric drives 9. Then transverse shifters 15 push transversally one to two wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2, when forming openings 37, 38 into laminated panels 30 also several wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 at the same time, to the entrance of the press 3 to make space for the next lamella 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 that follows. This is repeated cyclically through the entire process of positioning, pressing and gluing.
Each wooden lamella 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 that was pushed by the corresponding transverse shifter 15 to the press 3, moves, in the pressing position, straight-lined towards its working area, afterwards, the segments of the segment pusher 17 on the infeed conveyor 1 push it to the pressing area in the press 3, where wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 are, after previous positioning with pusher dogs 21, pressed and glued together. Thereby it is not of significance whether wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 are of equal or various lengths.
As individual segments of the segment pusher 17 have their own servohydraulic drive via hydraulic cylinder 16, they can, via swivel head 19 of the hydraulic cylinder 16, straight-lined push wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 along the infeed conveyor 1 transversely to the pressing area of the press 3, whereby they centrally align them. The segments of the segment pusher 17 operate synchronously by means of an appropriate measuring system, built into the hydraulic cylinders 16, and by using the corresponding control and suitable software. The synchronous operation of the segments of the segment pusher 17 is ensured by a suitable measuring system. Thus, positioning of one or more wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 to the desired optional position on the infeed conveyor 1 before the press 3 is enabled.
By using pusher dogs 21 on endless chains 22, wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 are continuously pressed in the direction of their movement A or B and/or in the opposite direction of the movement of the wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2. The described is shown in Figures 14 and 15 .
Pusher dogs 21 are active when feeding the press 3 with wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2 of various lengths, when pressing and gluing them and when removing the glued laminated panels 30 from it. When manufacturing laminated panels 30 from wooden lamellas 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 of equal length, pusher dogs 21 are not active and they are positioned outside their reach.
In the case when wooden slats 5, 5.1., 5.2 of different lengths, at one of their ends are activated and move closer pusher dogs 21, which are attached to endless chains 22, and push the wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2 into the press 3 or they hold them before they enter into the press 3, depending on the length of the wooden lamella 5, respectively 5.1 and 5.2 respectively.
If wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 are of various lengths, the pusher dogs 21 fixed to endless chains 22 are activated at one of their ends, they move closer to them and push the wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2 into the press 3 or they hold them before they enter into the press 3, depending on the length of the wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2
If the set of wooden lamellas 5.1 that follows is shorter than the previous set of wooden lamellas 5.2, pusher dogs 21 push or press them forward in the direction of movement A. If the set of wooden lamellas 5 is longer than the previous set of wooden lamellas 5.1, the pusher dogs 21 push or press them in the direction that is opposite to the direction of their movement A. This means that if the current wooden lamella 5.1 is shorter than the previous wooden lamella 5.2, the pusher dogs 21 push the latter in the direction A into the press 3 first. If the current wooden lamella 5 is longer than the previous wooden lamella 5.1, the pusher dogs 21 hold it until its end is aligned with the end of the shorter wooden lamella 5.1. The previously described alignment of the ends of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 is carried out continuously within the production cycle, thereby ensuring that all the joints are glued optimally along the entire length of the longer side edges of the wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2.
Therefore, it applies that the pusher dogs 21 enable positioning, pressing and gluing of the wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 of various lengths without any interruptions of the pressing process.
Furthermore, the pusher dogs 21 enable positioning, pressing and gluing of the wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 with the intermediate openings 37 and/or 38 within an individual laminated panel 30, which is useable when producing walls for buildings with prefabricated openings for windows and doors, which, in the known presses of this type so far in this way is not possible. In case of the presented pressing of wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 into laminated panels 30 with opening 37 and/or 38, they travel in direction B, whereby the pressing force is produced by pusher dogs 21 in such a way that, within the opening 37 and/or opening 38, one set of pusher dogs 21 presses in the direction of movement B, whereas the opposite set of pusher dogs 21 presses in the direction that is opposite to direction B. This is shown in Fig. 15 .
The precondition for pressing laminated panels 30 with openings 37 and/or 38 is the appropriate positioning of the wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 before they enter into the press 3, which is executed by the infeed conveyor 1 with its driven rollers that make it possible to stop the lamellas 5, 5.1 at an optional position. In this way, wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 are positioned with intermediate interruptions in the size of the opening 37 or opening 38.
The described method of positioning wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 enables a formation of the openings 37 and 38 during the pressing process, without shortening the wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1 and without cutting of the openings 37, 38 later, after the pressing and gluing process of laminated panels 30 is completed. This brings great material savings of the wooden lamellas 5 and 5.1, and, thus, also for the laminated panels 30.
The pusher dogs 21 are activated also at each first feeding of the press 3 with the wooden lamellas 5 and/or 5.1 and/or 5.2. Thereby they function in such a way that they hold the first fed wooden lamella 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 and all the others that follow it as long as the pressing area in the press 3 is not full, afterwards the pusher dogs 21 move away and the press 3 operates further automatically. The pusher dogs 21 are activated again, when the press 3 is empty after the last fed wooden lamella 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 in the set, in order to press and push the pressed and glued laminated panel 30 from the press 3.
For both previously described methods of positioning, pressing and gluing of the wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2, it applies that with the pusher dogs 21 the pressure is alternately put on several wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 in the direction of their movement A or B and at the same time in the opposite direction of the movement A, B. The wooden lamellas 5 or 5.1 or 5.2 are pressed with the pusher dogs 21 from their entry into the pressing area of the press 3 to their exit from the pressing area.
As previously mentioned, the innovative structure of the individual machining units of the press 3 results in an innovative method of pressing and gluing wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 into laminated panels 30. The advantages and features of these innovative solutions include primarily continuous pressing and gluing of previously calibrated wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2 into laminated panels 30 with or without the intermediate openings 37, 38, without limitations of their width and without waste of wooden lamellas 5, 5.1, 5.2.

Claims

A press (3) for pressing and gluing wooden lamellas (5) into laminated panels (30) comprising a glue applicator (2), an infeed conveyor (1), a cut-off saw (4), a non-driven roller conveyor (7) and parallel running endless chains (22) is characterised by the fact that:
- a segment pusher (17) is movably fixed on the infeed conveyor (1), the segment pusher (17) consisting of separate segments, each of them having its own servo electric drive (9) in a form of a hydraulic cylinder (16) with a measuring system for synchronous operation of all active segments;

- pusher dogs (21) are fixed transversely and at a distance along the entire circumference of each of the parallel running endless chains (22), the pusher dogs (21) being positioned between two support laths (27), whereby the pusher dogs (21) with bearing wheels (25) run along guide channels (28) formed within support laths (27), wherein each endless chain (22) has its own drive (29);

- drive wheels (10) are provided, which are positioned in sequence above the non-driven roller conveyor (7) of the infeed conveyor (1), wherein each drive wheel (10) has its own servo electric drive (9) for pushing wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) into the press (3).
The press according to Claim 1 is characterised by the fact that the segments of the segment pusher (17) are formed as a horizontal segment pusher plate (33) with a clevis bracket (34), the clevis bracket (34), through which the segment pusher plates (33) are movably connected with a swivel head (19) of the hydraulic cylinder (16), whereby the opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder (16) is clamped to the framework of the infeed conveyor (1) with a cylinder clevis end 35.
The press according to Claim 1 or 2 is characterised by the fact that, under and parallel to the hydraulic cylinder (16), a linear positon sensor (18) with magnetic encoder (20) is located.
The press according to Claim 1 is characterised by the fact that the endless chains (22) with the pusher dogs (21) are constructed perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the infeed conveyor (1), whereby the upper surface of the endless chains (22) with pusher dogs (21) is positioned slightly below the level of the non-driven roller conveyor (7) and below the level of the segments of the segment pusher (17).
The press according to Claim 1 or 4 is characterised by the fact that the pusher dogs (21) travel along the parallel guide channels (28) through the entire pressing area in the press (3).
The press according to Claim 1 is characterised by the fact that the guide channel (28) is located at each side of the corresponding pusher dog (21), whereby two guide channels (28) are located between the juxtaposed support lath (27) and the endless chain (22).
The press according to Claim 1 is characterised by the fact that the number of the pusher dogs (21) on an individual endless chain (22) can be optional, provided that at least two pusher dogs (21) are fixed to an individual endless chain (22) and that the number of pusher dogs (21) in all transverse sets on the endless chains (22) is the same.
The press according to Claim 1 is characterised by the fact that the pusher dogs (21) are constructed as a monobloc body (24) with a pair of bearing wheels (25), the monobloc body (24) forming a pusher dog base (31) and a pusher dog shoulder (32) being perpendicularly to said pusher dog base (31).
The press according to Claim 1 or 6 is characterised by the fact that support laths (27) run parallel to the endless chains (22), above which transverse pressing laths (26) are located.
A method of continuous positioning, pressing and gluing of wooden lamellas using the device of claim 1 is characterised by the fact
- that before pressing and gluing in the press (3), wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) are machined respectively calibrated to the same width and thickness, whereby the wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) can be of various lengths, their side longitudinal edges are being machined at the same time;

- that wooden lamellas (5) and/or (5.1) and/or (5.2), which were pushed by transverse shifters (15) towards the entrance into the press (3), travel in a transverse position for pressing towards the pressing area, into which they are pushed by the segments of the segment pusher (17) with their own drive via hydraulic cylinder (16), whereby the wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) are centrally aligned;

- that wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) arrive to the press (3) by means of drive wheels (10) with servo electric drives (9) located at the entrance of the press (3), whereby the drive wheels (10) with servo electric drives (9) position one or more wooden lamellas (5) or (5.1) or (5.2) in a set to the exactly defined position for pressing;

- that when positioning and pressing wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) of various lengths, the pusher dogs (21) on endless chains (22) move closer towards the ends of the wooden lamellas (5) and/or (5.1) and/or (5.2) and they either push them, in the direction (A) or (B), into the press (3) or they hold them before the entrance of the press (3), which depends on the length of individual wooden lamellas (5) and/or (5.1) and/or (5.2);

- that pusher dogs (21) push the ends of wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) of various lengths into the press (3), in the direction (A), if the current wooden lamella (5.1) is shorter than the previous wooden lamella (5.2), and they hold them if the current wooden lamella (5) is longer than the previous wooden lamella (5.1), whereby in such a case they are pushing them in the direction opposite to the direction (A) until the end of the longer wooden lamella (5) is aligned with the end of the shorter wooden lamella (5.1);

- that the previously mentioned alignment of the ends of the wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) of various lengths within a production cycle is carried out continuously and without interruptions of the pressing procedure, whereby it is ensured that all the longitudinal joints between the pressed wooden lamellas (5, 5.1, 5.2) are glued optimally along their entire length;

- that the method based on the alignment of the ends of wooden lamellas (5) and (5.1) enables their positioning, pressing and gluing and, at the same time, also forming intermediate openings (37) and/or (38) in laminated panels (30), which, after pressing, can be used as walls of buildings with prefabricated openings (37) and/or (38), intended for later installation of windows and doors;

- that positioning of the wooden lamellas (5) and (5.1) before the entry into the press (3) is a precondition for pressing laminated panels (30) with openings (37) and/or (38), whereby the positioning is carried out by the infeed conveyor (1) that makes it possible that wooden lamellas (5, 5.1) stop at optional positions, whereby the wooden lamellas (5) and (5.1) are positioned by intermediate interruptions or distances corresponding to the desired size of the openings (37) and/or (38);

- that when being pressed to laminated panels (30) with openings (37) and/or (38), wooden lamellas (5) and (5.1) travel through the press (3) in direction (B), whereby the pusher dogs (21) direct the pressing force within the opening (37) and/or the opening (38) in such a way that one set of pusher dogs (21) pushes the wooden lamellas (5, 5.1) in the direction of their movement (B), whereas the opposite set of pusher dogs (21) pushes them in the direction opposite to their movement;

- that the pusher dogs (21) on the endless chains (22) with drives (29) in combination with positioning wheels at the entrance into the press (3) enable the change in the length of the laminated panels (30) and in the dimensions of their openings (37, 38) when pressing;

- that the pusher dogs (21) are activated also during each first feeding of the press (3) with wooden lamellas (5) and/or (5.1) and/or (5.2), whereby they hold the first fed wooden lamella (5) or (5.1) or (5.2) and all the others that follow as long as the pressing area is not full, afterwards the pusher dogs (21) move back and the press (3) functions automatically;

- that the said pusher dogs (21) are activated again when, after the last fed wooden lamella (5) or (5.1) or 5.2), the press (3) is emptied in such a way that they push the pressed and glued laminated panel (30), with or without intermediate openings (37) and/or (38), from its pressing area;

- that the pusher dogs (21) are at standstill when exclusively wooden lamellas (5) or (5.1) or (5.2) of the same length are positioned, pressed and glued in the press (3).