GB2187418A

GB2187418A - Wedge cutting

Info

Publication number: GB2187418A
Application number: GB08605748A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Riley
Original assignee: RYBURN WOODWORKING MACHINERY L
Current assignee: RYBURN WOODWORKING MACHINERY L
Priority date: 1986-03-07
Filing date: 1986-03-07
Publication date: 1987-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2006-03-07
Also published as: GB8605748D0; GB2187418B

Abstract

A pivotally mounted cutter 14 is moved in a first direction 29 to cut a wooden block 12. The wedge formed by that cut then falls through an opening 28. The cutter 14 is then returned to the position shown, and the block 12 is advanced until it abuts a stop 24. The cutter 14 is then pivotted and advanced in the direction shown by arrow 26 to cut the next wedge from the block 12. The blocks 12 are supplied from a hopper 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wedge cutting The present invention relates to a machine for, and a method of cutting wedges such as are used, for example, in the securing of steps to side members in which the wedges are driven home in one side of a trench in the side member to clamp the step against the other side of the trench .

Previously wedges have been cut using a circular saw which is able to move to and fro, and wedges are sawn off a pieceofwood by suitably manoeuvring the angle of the wood relative to the saw and repeatedly cutting the wood. However, such a method of producing wedges is time consuming, and requires the manual manipulation ofthewood in order to position the wood appropriately priorto each cut being made.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a wedge cutting machine includes a cutting means arranged to move to and fro, the cutting means being arranged to move alternately in two directions at an angle to each other. With such a machine, the required angle between successive cuts in a piece of wood, in orderto achieve the wedge shape, need not be provided manually, by tilting the wood, but is instead provided by altering the angle of the cutting thus simplifying and speeding up the production of the wedges.

The machine may include monitoring means arranged to determine the position of the wood prior to each cut being made. The monitoring means may be arranged to cooperate with a central region of an advancing piece of wood whereby, regardles ofthe angle being cut across the wood, the sensing means is unaffected by the differences in dimensions resulting from a cut being made at an angle to the perpendiculartothe direction in which the wood is arranged to be advanced. The monitoring means may be adjustable whereby the extent to which the wood advances between cuts may be adjusted.

The angle between the two directions in which the cutting means may be moved to and fro may be adjustable and may be in the general region of between 5 and 25" orapproximately 15".

The machine may include a hopper arranged to hold a plurality of pieces to be cut into wedges, the machine being adapted to supply successive pieces to the cutting means. The machine may include means for automatically removing pieces from the hopper and may also include means for automatically advancing a piece to the cutting means.

The movement of the cutting means may be arranged to be automatically effected, as may the change in direction ofthe cutting means.

The cutting means may include a rotary cutting memberwhich may be adapted to cut when advancing in one direction only relative to the rotational axis ofthe cutting member.

The cutting means may be pivotally mounted in order to enable the direction in which the cutting means moves to be altered.

Control means may be provided to initiate, control or synchronise any of the operations of the machine.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of cutting wedges comprises moving cutting means in a first direction to cut an article from which a wedge isto be formed and subsequently moving the cutting means in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to further cut the article from which the wedge is to be formed.

The method mayfurther comprise moving the article between the cuts being made in the first and second directions. The method may also include moving the cutting means in a first direction to cut the article, then returning the cutting means priorto moving the cutting means in the second direction to further cut the article. The method may include moving the piece after the cutting means has been returned from making the cut in the first direction and before moving the cutting means in the second direction to make the cut in the second direction.

The method may comprise repeatedly making cuts alternately in thefirst and second direction.

The present invention includes a method of cutting wedges using a wedge cutting machine.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described byway of example and with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a wedge cutting machine, and Figure2 is a plan view of a piece of wood showing the lines along which cuts are made in order to make the wedges.

As shown in Figure 1, a hopper 10 containing a stack of square wooden blocks 12 is arranged to feed the blocks towards a rotary cutter 14.

The cutter 14 is able to be moved across the blocks to cutthrough the blocks upon actuation of a pneumatic cylinder 16. The cylinder 16 is a two-way cylinder to enable the cutter to be returned to the position shown.

In use, a further two-way pneumatic cylinder 18 pushesthe lower block 1 2 from the stack with an abutment 20 until the forward edge 22 of that block contacts a stop 24 at the centre oftheforward edge.

The cutter 14, which is rotating in a clockwise direction then moves across the block in the direction shown by the line 26 to cut off that section of the block located between the cutter and the stop which falls through an opening 28 in the worktop 30.

The cutter is then retracted into the position shown and the cylinder 18 advances the block again until the newforward edge created by the cut abuts the stop.

The cutter 14 is then moved about a pivot 32 until the cutter extends in the direction shown by line 29. The cutter is then advanced in the direction of line 29to make a further cut across the block, at an angle to the previous cut. The portion between the stop and the cutterthen comprises a wedge which fallsthrough the opening 28. The cutter is then returned to the position shown and pivoted back until itfacesthe previous direction. The block is again advanced and a further cut is made.

The above described sequence of operations is then repeated until the complete block has been made into wedges, with the last portion of the block comprising the wedge 34 (shown in Figure 2) falling through the opening 28 before it is able to be advanced past the cutter.

The cylinder 18 then retracts the abutment 20 until afurther blockis abletofall from the hopperto be located in front of the abutment 20, and the abutment then pushes that blockforwards until it contacts the stop 24.

A control box 36 is provided in order to control the operation ofthe pneumatic cylinders andthe pivotal movement of the cutter.

The angle between the two directions indicated by lines 26 and 29 is adjustable by stop means indicated diagrammatically at 38.

The position of the stop 24 relativeto the lines 26 and 29 is adjustable in orderthatthe width ofthe wedges can be altered. As shown in Figure 2, the central region 40 of each wedge 42 is constant regardless of which way the wedge is orientated across the block.

Accordingly, each block is able to have the maximum number of identical wedges automatically cuttherefrom, with successive blocks being ableto be supplied and cut automatically.

Although the above sequence of operation has been described as commencing with a cut extending generally perpendicular to the side of the block it will be appreciated that the first cut made to each block will be at an angle to that perpendicular in orderto achieve the maximum number of wedges, just as the last cut made to each block will also be at an angle to the perpendicular, as can be seen in Figure 2.

Claims

1. Awedge cutting machine including cutting means arranged to move to and fro, the cutting means being arranged to move alternately in two directions at an angle to each other.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 inwhichthe relative directions in which the cutting means may be moved to and fro are adjustable.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the angle between the two directions is between 5 and 25%

4. A machine as claimed in Claim 3 in which the angle between the two directions in which the cutting means may be moved to and fro is approximately 15%

5. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim including a hopper arranged to hold a plurality of pieces to be cut into wedges, the machine being adapted to supply successive pieces to the cutting means.

6. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 including means for automatically removing pieces from a hopper.

7. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 or 6 including means for automatically advancing a piece to the cutting means.

8. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the movement of the cutting means is arranged to be effected automatically.

9. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the change in direction of the cutting means is arranged to be effected automatically.

10. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cutting means includes a rotary cutting member which is arranged to cut when advancing in one direction only relative to the rotational axis of the cutting member.

11. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cutting means are pivotally mounted.

12. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim including control means arranged to initiate, control orsynchronise any ofthe operations ofthe machine.

13. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim including monitoring means arranged to determine the position of a piece to be cut into a wedge priorto each cut being made.

14. A machine as claimed in Claim 13 in which the monitoring means are arranged to co-operate with a central region of an advancing piece to be cut into a wedge whereby, regardless of an angle being cut across the piece, the position of the piece determined by the monitoring means is unaffected bythe differences in dimensions resulting from a cut being made at an angle to the the perpendicularto the direction in which the piece is arranged to be advanced.

15. A machine as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13 in which the monitoring means are adjustable whereby the extent of the portion of the piece to be cut by the cutting means to the monitoring means may be adjusted.

16. Awedge cutting machine substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in Figure 1 ofthe accompanying drawings.

17. A method of cutting wedges comprising moving cutting means in a first direction to cut an article from which a wedge is to be formed, and subsequently moving the cutting means in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to further cut the article.

18. A method as claimed in Ciaim 17 comprising moving the article between the cuts being made in the first and second directions.

19. A method as claimed in Claim 17 or 18 including moving the cutting means in a first direction to cut the article, then returning the cutting means priorto moving the cutting means in a second direction to further cut the article.

20. A method as claimed in Claim 19 comprising moving a piece after the cutting means has been returned from making the cut in the first direction and before moving the cutting means in the second direction to make the cut in the second direction.

21. A method as claimed in any of Claims 16 to 19 comprising repeatedly making cuts alternatively in the first and second directions.

22. A method of cutting wedges substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.

23. A method as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 22 using a wedge cutting machine as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 16.