IES20060413A2 - A balustrade assembly manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

Rough wooden baluster blanks of oversize square section are prepared (10). The wooden blanks are delivered through a planing station (12), each side being planed in turn to remove any curvature and reduce the blanks to square section of a desired size. At a moulding station (30) an intermediate portion of each blank has a desired design profile cut into the blank to form a baluster. Each baluster is delivered through a sanding station (50) for sanding the intermediate portion of the baluster. Downstream of the sanding station (50) a set of balusters is assembled in a bundle at a packing station (60) and secured together. Two part newell posts having a base portion and a complimentary upper portion are prepared. To form the base portion a square section timber blank is delivered through a machining station (76) for simultaneously boring a socket at a top end of the blank and forming a chamfered edge around the top end. The upper portion is formed by machining (86) a desired decorative profile in a wooden blank, and forming a spigot at a bottom of the upper portion to engage the socket in the base portion. A handrail is formed by machining (91) an elongate wooden blank to a desired design. A balustrade assembly kit (95) is formed including the bundle of balusters, a pair of newell posts and the handrail. <Figure 1>

Description

OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION I UNDER SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL No. of saisb?6' “A Balustrade Assembly Manufacture ” Introduction This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wooden balustrade assembly for a stairway. -.-...................— TCKisU10 Statements of Invention |l/i8 According to the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a wooden balustrade assembly, including the steps: preparing a plurality of rough wooden baluster blanks of oversize square section to a pre-set desired length; delivering each rough baluster blank through a planing station; at an inlet of the planing station aligning each rough baluster blank with a horizontal bed and an associated upright guide fence at a rear of the bed which is perpendicular to the bed, engaging concave faces of each rough baluster blank with said bed and said fence, feeding the rough baluster blank in engagement with the bed and fence to a first plane and planing a bottom face of the rough baluster blank flat, feeding the rough baluster blank past a second plane which is perpendicular to the first plane and planing an inside face of the rough baluster blank flat and perpendicular to the bottom face, delivering the rough baluster blank past a third plane for planing a top face of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the bottom face and spaced a pre-set desired distance from the bottom face, delivering the rough baluster blank past a fourth plane for planing an outside face of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the inside face and spaced a pre-set distance from the inside face, loading a plurality of the planed baluster blanks in a magazine at a moulding IE ο 6 Ο 4 1 3 -2station; delivering each planed baluster blank from the magazine onto a support, moulding a desired profile on an intermediate portion of the planed baluster blank between square section end portions of the planed baluster blank to form a baluster having a pre-set desired profile, delivering the baluster to a sanding station and sanding an exterior of the intermediate portion of the baluster; stacking twenty-five balusters in an arrangement of five juxtaposed rows of five balusters, mounting end plates at opposite ends of the stack to secure all twenty-five balusters together in a stacked bundle; preparing a pair of two-part newell posts having a base portion and upper portion which are interengageable; forming the base portion by machining a timber base blank to provide a square section blank with planed faces of a pre-set desirable length; feeding opposite edges of the blank between two spaced-apart right angle guide heads, advancing the blank onto a boring tool to engage and bore a socket of a desired width and depth in a top of the blank and simultaneously engaging a chamfering tool with a periphery of the top for machining a chamfered top edge in the blank, forming the upper portion of the newell post by machining a square section blank to a desired profile with a spigot at a lower end of the blank for complementary engagement in the socket at the top of the base portion; and optionally preparing a profiled rail for mounting between the newell posts with the balusters therebetween.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of forming a desired design profile ΙΕ ο 6 Ο 4 1 3 -3οη the intermediate portion of each baluster by rotating the planed baluster blank slowly and engaging the intermediate portion of the planed baluster blank with a shaped cutter corresponding to the desired design profile, rotating said cutter at high speed and delivering it in a controlled manner transversely relative to the planed baluster blank into engagement with the baluster blank for cutting away excess material from the planed baluster blank.

In a further embodiment the method includes the step of sanding each baluster by rotating the baluster on a support, engaging an exterior surface of the intermediate portion of the baluster with a sanding belt which is driven around support rollers on a carriage, moving the carriage parallel to the axis of the baluster between opposite ends of the intermediate portion of the baluster while moving the sanding belt radially on the carriage for following the exterior profile of the baluster.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic flow chart illustrating the method of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a planing station used in the method of the invention; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing portion of the planing station; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing another portion of the planing station; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a moulding station used in the method of the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another moulding station used in the IE 0 6 0 4 1 3 -4process of the invention; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a sanding station used in the method of the invention; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of apparatus for forming a bundle of stacked balusters according to the method of the invention; Fig. 9 is a perceptive view of a number of stacked balusters; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of apparatus for machining portion of a newel post according to the method of the invention; Fig. 11 is a sectional elevational view of portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing the apparatus in another position of use; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a baluster manufactured according to the method of the invention; Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a newell post formed according to the method of the invention; Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a half newel post; and Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view showing portion of a handrail of the balustrade assembly.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a method and apparatus for manufacturing a wooden balustrade assembly, the method being illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. The balustrade assembly comprises a number of balusters 1 (Fig. 13), a pair of newell posts 2 (Fig. 14) and optionally an associated handrail 3 ΙΕ ο 6 0 4 1 3 -5(Fig. 16) for mounting between the newell posts 2 above the balusters 1.

At a preparation station 10 rough wooden baluster blanks are prepared. Rough timber having a moisture content in the region 12-13% is delivered through rip saws to reduce the raw timber material to oversize square section material which is then delivered through cross-cut saws for cutting the material into rough wooden baluster blanks of a pre-set desired length.

These rough wooden baluster blanks are then delivered to a planing station 12. Typically each rough baluster blank 14 will have some curvature between ends of the rough baluster blank 14. Each rough baluster blank 14 is sighted by an operator feeding the rough baluster blanks 14 into the planing station 12. The operator engages concave faces 15, 16 of each rough baluster blank with a bed 17 and an associated upright guide fence 18 at an inlet of the planing station 12. Faces of the bed 17 and fence 18 are mutually perpendicular. Each rough baluster blank is fed through the planing station 12 in engagement with the bed 17 and fence 18. The rough baluster blank 14 is delivered to a first plane 20 for planing a bottom face 15 of the rough baluster blank flat. The rough baluster blank 14 is then delivered past a second plane 22 at the fence 18 which is perpendicular to the first plane 20 for planing the inside face 16 of the rough baluster blank flat and perpendicular to the bottom face 15. The rough baluster blank is then delivered past a third plane 24 for planing a top face 25 of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the bottom face 15 and spaced a pre-set desired distance from the bottom face 15. Next the rough baluster blank is delivered past a fourth plane 26 for planing an outside face 27 of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the inside face 16 and spaced a pre-set distance from the inside face 16. Thus a planed baluster blank of squared section to desired dimensions is formed.

Planed baluster blanks are delivered to a moulding station 30. At the moulding station 30 a plurality of planed baluster blanks 31 are mounted in a magazine 32. Each planed baluster blank 31 is delivered from the magazine 32 to a support 34 at which it is held between its ends and rotated. A tool 35 mounted on a carriage 36 engages and shapes a desired profile on an intermediate portion of the planed baluster blank 31 as the tool 35 is moved by the carriage 36 along the blank 31. ΙΕ ο 6 0 4 1 3 -6Cutter heads 38 are also operable by means of rams to engage and cut specific design profiles at selected points along the blank 31. Thus, as can be seen in Fig. 13 each baluster 1 has an intermediate profiled portion 40 shaped to any desired design between square section end portions 41, 42.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative apparatus for shaping the planed baluster blanks 31. Each planed baluster blank 31 is fed by a conveyor 44 to a support 45 which grips the blank 31 at both ends. A cutter tool 46 shaped to the desired profile for the intermediate portion of the baluster 1 is rotated at high speed and brought into engagement with the planed baluster blank 31 to shape the intermediate portion 40 of the blank.

The balusters 1 are delivered to a sanding station 50. At the sanding station 50 the balusters 1 are mounted on an in-feed conveyor 51 which delivers the balusters 1 to a carousel 52. On the carousel 52 each baluster 1 is gripped at each end by supports 53 which rotate the baluster 1. Each baluster 1 is brought to a belt sander 55 having sanding belts 56 which are driven around rollers 57 which in turn are mounted on a carriage which is movable in an axial direction to progress the sanding belts along each baluster 1. The sanding belts 56 are movable radially on the carriage to follow the profile of the intermediate portion of the baluster 1. The carousel 52 is then incrementally rotated to bring the baluster 1 to a sheet sander 58 at which scored sheets of sandpaper 59 loosely lie against the intermediate portion of each baluster 1. The scored sandpaper sheets 59 will bend to accommodate the profile of the intermediate portion of the baluster 1.

A plurality of the balusters 1 is delivered to a packing station 60 having a stacking apparatus 61. The stacking apparatus 61 has a table 62 with two pairs of upstanding guides 63, between which twenty-five balusters 1 can be stacked in five rows of five balusters 1 to form a square bundle 65. End plates 66 are positioned at each end of the bundle 65 and are fastened to the outermost balusters 1 by nails or staples or the like. Thus, the plates 66 retain the balusters 1 in the bundle 65.

Referring to Fig. 14, it will be noted that each newell post 2 is of two-part construction having a base portion 70 of square section and an associated upper portion 71 which ΙΕ ο β ο 4 1 3 -7is shaped to a desired profile or design. A spigot 72 at a lower end of the upper portion 71 is engageable within an associated socket 73 at an upper end of the base portion 70 to join the two parts 70, 71 together to form the newel post 2.

The base portion 70 is formed by machining a timber base blank to provide a square section blank with planed faces of a pre-set desirable length. This blank 75 is delivered to a machining station 76 (Fig. 10). At the machining station 76, the blank 75 is engaged and slid between a pair of right angle guides 77 which engage opposite corners of the blank 75 which sit into the V channel of the guides 77. The blank 75 is slid longitudinally between the guides 77 as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 until it meets a rotating boring tool 78 which bores centrally into the top of the blank 75 to form the socket 73. As the boring tool 75 advances into the blank 75 a rotating chamfering tool 79 which is coaxial with the boring tool 78 engages and cuts an outer periphery at the top end of the blank 75 to form a chamfered edge 80 at a top of the blank 75.

The upper portion 71 of the newell post 2 is formed by preparing 85 a square section blank of a desired length. The blank is delivered to a machining station 86 at which a desired decorative profile is machined in the blank and the spigot 72 is formed at the lower end of the upper portion 71 of the newell post 2. It is then subsequently sanded at a sanding station 87.

If required a handrail 3 is formed by preparing a blank 90 of rectangular section to a desired length. This is then delivered through a routing machine 91 for forming a desired profile design as shown in Fig. 16 with a slot 92 in the underside to receive the tops of the balusters 1.

A kit 95 can be prepared comprising a bundle 65 of the balusters 1, a pair of the newell posts 2 and optionally a handrail 3.

It will be appreciated that the accurate aligning and orientation of the blanks in the planing machine 12 advantageously will minimise waste in the formation of the balusters. The bundle 65 of the twenty-five balusters conveniently provides a complete set of balusters for a stairway with one to spare. It also greatly facilitates ΙΕ ο 6 Ο 4 1 3 -8the handling of the balusters and minimises damage during handling. It will also be noted that the two-part newell post 2 construction is advantageous in that the base portions 70 of the newell posts 2 can be installed with a stairway at an early stage of construction to provide access to upper floors in the building in which the stairway is mounted. After construction has been completed the upper portions 71 of the newell posts 2 can be mounted in the base portion 70 and the set of balusters 1 and handrail 3 mounted between the newell posts 2. By not finishing the balustrade assembly until after construction the decorative portions of the balustrade assembly are not damaged during constructions which is often the case if the whole balustrade assembly is mounted on the stairway when it is installed. Conveniently both machining operations to form the socket 72 and the chamfer 80 in the base 70 of the newell post 2 are carried out simultaneously for improved accuracy and speed.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. A method for manufacturing a wooden balustrade assembly, including the steps: preparing a plurality of rough wooden baluster blanks of oversize square section to a pre-set desired length; delivering each rough baluster blank through a planing station; at an inlet of the planing station aligning each rough baluster blank with a horizontal bed and an associated upright guide fence at a rear of the bed which is perpendicular to the bed, engaging concave faces of each rough baluster blank with said bed and said fence, feeding the rough baluster blank in engagement with the bed and fence to a first plane and planing a bottom face of the rough baluster blank flat, feeding the rough baluster blank past a second plane which is perpendicular to the first plane and planing an inside face of the rough baluster blank flat and perpendicular to the bottom face, delivering the rough baluster blank past a third plane for planing a top face of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the bottom face and spaced a pre-set desired distance from the bottom face, delivering the rough baluster blank past a fourth plane for planing an outside face of the rough baluster blank flat and parallel to the inside face and spaced a pre-set distance from the inside face, loading a plurality of the planed baluster blanks in a magazine at a moulding station; delivering each planed baluster blank from the magazine onto a support, moulding a desired profile on an intermediate portion of the planed baluster blank between square section end portions of the planed baluster blank to form a baluster having a pre-set desired profile, delivering the baluster to a sanding station and sanding an exterior of the IE 0 60 4 1 J -10intermediate portion of the baluster; stacking twenty-five balusters in an arrangement of five juxtaposed rows of five balusters, mounting end plates at opposite ends of the stack to secure all twenty-five balusters together in a stacked bundle; preparing a pair of two-part newell posts having a base portion and upper portion which are interengageable; forming the base portion by machining a timber base blank to provide a square section blank with planed faces of a pre-set desirable length; feeding opposite edges of the blank between two spaced-apart right angle guide heads, advancing the blank onto a boring tool to engage and bore a socket of a desired width and depth in a top of the blank and simultaneously engaging a chamfering tool with a periphery of the top for machining a chamfered top edge in the blank, forming the upper portion of the newell post by machining a square section blank to a desired profile with a spigot at a lower end of the blank for complementary engagement in the socket at the top of the base portion; and optionally preparing a profiled rail for mounting between the newell posts with the balusters therebetween.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of forming a desired design profile on the intermediate portion of each baluster by rotating the planed baluster blank slowly and engaging the intermediate portion of the planed baluster blank with a shaped cutter corresponding to the desired design profile, rotating said cutter at high speed and delivering it in a controlled manner transversely relative to the planed baluster blank into engagement with the baluster blank for cutting away excess material from the planed baluster blank. ΙΕ ο 6 Ο 4 1

3 -11 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 including the step of sanding each baluster by rotating the baluster on a support, engaging an exterior surface of the intermediate portion of the baluster with a sanding belt which is driven around support rollers on a carriage, moving the carriage parallel to the axis of the baluster between opposite ends of the intermediate portion of the baluster while moving the sanding belt radially on the carriage for following the exterior profile of the baluster.

4. A method for manufacturing a wooden balustrade assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A wood balustrade assembly whenever manufactured according to the method as claimed in any preceding claim.