IT202000005755A1 - MACHINE AND METHOD OF CUTTING SHEETS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL - Google Patents

Description

Patent application for industrial invention entitled:

? MACHINE AND METHOD OF CUTTING MATERIAL SLABS

RESILIENT?

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a machine for cutting sheets of resilient material.

In particular, the present invention relates to a machine for cutting sheets of resilient material intended for assembling mattresses.

The present invention? also relating to a method of cutting sheets of resilient material.

? known to assemble mattresses by using sheets of resilient material, such as polyurethane, natural or synthetic latex and foam materials, now also universally known as? memory foam ?.

Starting from the raw slabs supplied by the manufacturer, the mattress manufacturer must cut the slabs themselves, so? to be adapted to the specific mattress size to be produced.

For example, if a manufacturer offers a mattress that is 90 cm wide, its range of lengths can? understand both the length of 190 cm and that of 200 cm and therefore, given the width of 90 cm in another phase of processing, one will have to? take care to make an accurate cut lengthwise. Furthermore, since? the slab that defines the mattress often derives from the overlapping of multiple slabs of different materials and / or shapes, it is necessary to trim this set to eliminate the inevitable overlapping errors of the individual slabs.

Assuming, as normally happens, that the sheets advance in a processing line according to a longitudinal direction coinciding with the prevailing direction of development of the sheet itself, the cut suitable for determining the length of the sheet is indicated with a transverse cut, which will then characterize? the final length of the mattress.

? of all evidence that the machines used for the transversal cutting of the slabs must be able to guarantee the possibility? to adapt to the cutting of different sheet widths.

The transversal cutting machines of the known type certainly adapt to the different widths required by means of unit? of mobile cutting but they are not free from drawbacks.

The main of such drawbacks? constituted by the slowness of the processing, that is the time necessary to move the unit? cutting to perform the two cutting cycles necessary to remove a front portion and a rear portion of the slab.

Another drawback connected with known machines? given by the length of the units in the longitudinal direction cutting furniture which encumbrance has as a consequence the necessity? to create a transversal corridor of considerable size between the subsequent conveyor belts that deal with the advancement of the slabs.

The width of this corridor can? cause a lowering of the slab just in correspondence with the cutting phase, with what? compromising the precision of the cut itself.

Another drawback of known machines? given by their complexity? structural which also involves? a high cost of realization besides tech? not a simple use.

Purpose of the present invention? that of providing a machine for cutting sheets of resilient material capable of overcoming the drawbacks of the known art and which is at the same time simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further purpose of the present invention? that of providing a machine for cutting sheets of resilient material which is of limited size and practical use.

Still another object of the invention? that of providing a method of cutting sheets of resilient material that is effective and practical and economical to implement. According to the invention, these objects and others besides are achieved respectively by a machine and by a method of cutting sheets of resilient material comprising the technical characteristics described in the attached claims.

The technical characteristics of the invention, according to the aforementioned purposes, are clearly described in the attached claims and its advantages are evident from the detailed description that follows, with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, in which: - the Figure 1 illustrates, in a schematic perspective view from above, a preferred embodiment of the cutting machine according to the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates, in a schematic perspective view from above, with some parts removed to better highlight others, the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates, in a schematic front elevation view, a detail of the machine of the preceding figures;

- figure 4? a schematic top plan view of the detail of figure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates, in a schematic view in side elevation and with some elements removed, the detail of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the detail of Figure 4.

As illustrated in figure 1, with the reference number 1? indicated as a whole a machine for cutting sheets 100 of resilient material, made in accordance with the present invention.

The cutting machine 1 comprises a first conveyor belt 2 to which sheets 100 of resilient material to be cut are fed along a determined longitudinal direction D1 and in the direction of the arrow F1.

With the concept of sheet in resilient material we mean, for the purposes of this discussion, a sheet in natural or synthetic material, more? or less porous, suitable for use in the construction of mattresses and the like.

The aforementioned plate? possibly consisting of pi? superimposed layers, also of different materials but always compatible for use in a mattress.

The first conveyor belt 2 provides in a known way to advance the aforementioned plate 100 to be cut according to the direction of the arrow F1.

The plate 1 has, with reference to the aforementioned direction of the arrow F1, a front portion 100a and a rear portion 100b, longitudinally opposite to the front portion 100a.

The plate 1 also has, again according to the point of view given by the arrow F1, a first right lateral edge 100R and a second left lateral edge 100L.

The cutting machine 1 comprises a second conveyor belt 3 arranged adjacent to the first conveyor belt 2 and able to receive from it the sheet 100 of resilient material to advance it in turn according to the direction of the arrow F1.

The first and second conveyor belts 2, 3 define, for the cutting machine 1, a feed line L for advancing the aforementioned sheets 100 of resilient material along the determined longitudinal direction D1.

Still with reference to what is illustrated in Figure 1, the cutting machine 1 comprises a frame 4 and a plurality of elements. of containment walls 5.

The containment walls 5 are arranged in such a way as to essentially define two opposite lateral portions PL, RP of the machine 1 itself: one LP on the left and the other RP on the right of an observer who looks at the cutting machine 1 according to the direction of the arrow F1 of figure 1. According to what is illustrated in figure 2, in which the two first and second conveyor belts 2, 3 and also the containment walls 5 have been removed, the cutting machine 1 comprises an upper bridge structure 6 which is it develops in a direction D2 transversal with respect to the aforementioned determined direction D1 of advancement of the sheets of resilient material.

Still considering Figure 2, the cutting machine 1 comprises a lower connection structure 7 between its two cited portions PL, RP on the left and right. The aforementioned upper bridge structure 6 also connects the two portions PL, RP left and right of the cutting machine 1.

The two upper bridge structures 6 and the lower connecting 7 structures develop parallel to each other, one substantially overlapping the other, with the two first and second conveyor belts 2, 3 which define a sliding PS plane, interposed between the same.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 1, the sliding plane PS? defined by the substantially coplanar upper surface of the two first and second conveyor belts 2, 3.

With reference to what is illustrated in Figure 1, between the first and second conveyor belts 2, 3 there is a space defining a transverse gap G in the feed line L which gap G extends parallel to the aforementioned transverse direction D2.

Advantageously, the aforementioned transverse gap G extends, according to the determined longitudinal direction D1, for a reduced distance, so as not to create depressions in the plate 100 as it passes over it.

With reference to Figure 1, the cutting machine 1 comprises a? Unit? 8 for cutting, arranged laterally with respect to the sheet 100 of resilient material which advances along the direction D1, according to the arrow F1. As illustrated in figures 1 and 2, in its non-operative rest condition, the unit? of cutting is positioned externally to the two belts 2, 3 first and second conveyors.

In detail, with reference to the illustrated embodiment, the unit? cutting? positioned, in the aforementioned rest condition, in the vicinity? of the LP portion on the left.

With reference to what is illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the unit? 8 for cutting comprises a frame 9 having a lower portion 10 and an upright 11.

The upright 11, in its upper part, and the lower portion 10 rotatably support two pulleys 12, 13, respectively lower and upper, around which pulleys 12, 13? wound in a ring a wire saw 14 suitable for cutting the resilient material of the aforementioned plates 100 made of resilient material.

The wire saw 14 wound in a ring on the pulleys 12, 13 has two operational cutting branches 14a, 14b, arranged on opposite bands of the upright 11.

In other words, both branches 14a, 14b are operational since, how will it be? better described below, the wire saw 14? configured to make cuts on the sheets 100 of resilient material with both of these branches 14a, 14b.

The aforementioned two operating branches 14a, 14b of the wire saw 14 lie on a vertical PV plane, the trace of which on the plane of figure? represented in figure 4, that? inclined both with respect to the determined longitudinal direction D1 and with respect to the transverse direction D2. To the lower pulley 13? coaxially fixed a control wheel, not shown, on which an elastic belt 15 for transmitting the rotation motion is engaged.

The elastic transmission belt 15? moved by a relative pinion 16, keyed on the shaft of an electric motor 17.

The 20 electric motor? fixed stably on the aforementioned lower portion 10 of the frame 9.

According to not illustrated embodiments of the cutting machine 1, the drive? operated on the upper pulley 12, with what? providing for the upper arrangement of the electric motor 17, the belt 15 and the aforementioned and not illustrated drive wheel.

The unit? The cutting 8 is slidably engaged with the two upper bridge structures 6 and the lower connecting structures 7, to move along the transverse direction D2 to cut the sheet 100 of resilient material.

As illustrated by way of example in figures 3 and 5, the unit? 8 comprises guide elements 18 able to engage slidingly on respective linear cylindrical tracks 19.

As clearly illustrated in figure 4, for the purpose of a correct translation of the unit? 8, the same comprises two guide elements 18 arranged on the frame 9, suitably spaced apart, one in proximity to each other. of an? extremity? 11a at the top of the upright 11 and the other on the lower portion 10.

The cylindrical tracks 23 extend along the aforementioned transversal direction D2 substantially for the entire overall dimensions of the machine.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the cutting machine 1 comprises a flexible motion transmission member 20 extending along the transverse direction D2.

The flexible motion transmission organ 20? wound in a ring on respective transmission members, not visible in the figure, which are positioned in correspondence with the aforementioned opposite side portions PR, LP of the cutting machine 1.

One of these mentioned and not illustrated referral bodies? motorized by means of an electric gearmotor 21 of a known type, visible in figure 2.

The cutting machine 1 further comprises a plurality of of support elements 22 distributed in the transverse direction D2 and adapted to support the lower branch of the aforesaid ring to avoid undesired downward deflections of the flexible motion transmission member 20.

Advantageously, the flexible motion transmission member 20? a strap.

According to embodiments not illustrated, the flexible motion transmission member 20? a chain. By means of fastening means not shown in detail, the flexible motion transmission member 20? permanently fixed to the unit? 8 of cut to drag it in its movement along the transverse direction D2. The aforementioned guide elements 18, linear cylindrical rails 19, flexible motion transmission organ 20 define, as a whole for the cutting machine 1, respective means 23 for moving the unit? 8 cutting.

In use, in accordance with the method and the cutting machine according to the invention, sheets 100 of resilient material are advanced along the feed line L, on the first and second conveyor belts 2, 3.

When a sheet 100 of resilient material arrives with its front portion 100a in correspondence with the transverse gap G existing between the first and second conveyor belt 2, 3, the first and second belts 2, 3 are stopped and the sheet also remains stationary along the feed line L.

The exact stop position of the sheet 100 of resilient material? identified by means of known detection devices which will therefore not be further described in the course of the present discussion.

With the sheet 100 of resilient material stationary in its determined position? activated the unit? 8 for cutting said front portion 100a of the sheet 100 of resilient material.

The 14 wire saw? set in motion by rotating the relative lower pulley 13 through the electric motor 17 and at the same time the unit? 8 cutting? advanced, by means of the aforementioned handling means 23, from the right lateral edge 100R towards the left lateral edge 100L, until the complete cutting of the front portion 100a is carried out.

In this way the sheet 100 made of resilient material will present? a new front edge, not visible in the attached figures, rectilinear and substantially flat, ie with all the possible superimposed layers of resilient material equalized to each other.

With reference to what is illustrated in Figure 3, the just described cut of the front portion 100a? operated by a first operative branch 14a of the wire saw 14, with the unit? 8 of cut that moves according to the direction of the arrow F2.

Therefore, after cutting the front portion 100a, the unit? 8 cutting? kept external to the plate 100, in correspondence with the left side portion LP of the machine 1 (that is, near the left side edge 100L of the plate 100) for a determined time interval.

During this time interval, the sheet 100 made of resilient material? advanced along the longitudinal direction D1, according to the direction of the arrow F1 until its rear portion 100b reaches a determined position, suitable for carrying out the relative cut.

In analogy with what has been pointed out above in relation to the positioning of the front portion 100a, the exact stop position of the sheet 100 of resilient material? identified by means of known detection devices which will therefore not be further described in the course of the present discussion.

The advancement of the plate 100 along the longitudinal direction D1? then stopped and the plate 100 occupies a stationary position with its rear portion 100a disposed in proximity? of the unit? 8 cutting.

With the sheet 100 of resilient material stationary in the aforementioned determined position,? activated the unit? 8 for cutting to cut said rear portion 100b.

With the wire saw 14 in motion with the modes? described above, the unit? 8 cutting? at the same time advanced, by means of the movement means 23, from the left lateral edge 100L towards the right lateral edge 100R, until the complete cut of the rear portion 100b is carried out.

In this way the sheet 100 made of resilient material will present? a new rear edge, not visible in the attached figures, also rectilinear and substantially flat, ie with all the possible superimposed layers of resilient material equalized to each other. With reference to what is illustrated in Figure 3, the cut just described of the rear portion 100b? operated by a second operative branch 14b of the wire saw 14, with the unit? 8 cutting that moves according to the direction of the arrow F2, starting from a position, not shown, in which the unit? 8 cutting itself? at the end? right of the respective tracks 19.

Advantageously, according to what is illustrated in Figure 3, the unit? 8 comprises, stably fixed to the upright 11, a deflector element 24 capable of wedging into the plate 100 during the cutting stage to separate the cut portion, constituting a processing waste, from the rest of the plate 100 itself and facilitate its removal.

The measurement of the effective dimension, along the longitudinal direction D1, of the sheet 100 in cut resilient material,? adjusted through the advancement of the plate 100 itself between the two cuts described above of the front and rear portions 100a, 100b and this advancement, managed by a unit? computerized control and command not illustrated n? described,? operated on the basis of the findings of the aforementioned and not illustrated n? known detection devices are described.

Advantageously, as mentioned above, a? Unit? computerized control and command (not shown) manages the movement and the operation? of the unit? 8 cutting.

Advantageously, the transverse gap G extends, as mentioned, for a distance of less than 60 millimeters according to the longitudinal direction D1.

The unit? 8 cutting? configured to move inside the space defined by the transverse gap G between the two first and second conveyor belts 2, 3.

To this end, what? to transit inside the transversal gap G, the unit? 8 cutting? appropriately configured.

As clearly visible in figure 5, the overall dimensions of the unit? 8 cutting in its central area (where the deflector element 24 is present)? particularly limited, providing an overall thickness of the upright 11 even less than 50 mm.

Even more? reduced ? the width of the wire saw 14 which does not exceed the overall dimensions of the upright 11.

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the thickness of the upright 11, that is, its overall dimensions in the longitudinal direction D1,? about 20 mm.

Important feature? that the unit? of cutting is inclined with respect to its own direction of transversal advancement and, therefore, the wire saw (in both cutting directions) is external to the body of the machine which, therefore, will not go? never to hit the body of the mattress being processed both in the outward direction, for the front edge, and in the return, for the rear edge, with the other branch of the saw itself.

The machine 1 for cutting sheets of resilient material according to the invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and achieves important advantages.

A first advantage connected to the invention? given by the fact of allowing very quick cuts as thanks to the particular conformation of the unit? cutting the same can? cut the slab in both directions of linear movement.

In other words, the combination of a cutting means of limited overall dimensions such as a wire saw and of an upright of limited overall dimensions allow to realize a? Unit? slender and compact, which therefore does not need? to be repositioned to make the next cut but can? also? easily make cuts in both directions of movement.

Furthermore, the inclination of the PV plane allows only one operative branch to be engaged with the plate at a time, thus making the cut clean and precise, a result that could not necessarily be ensured if both operating branches simultaneously engage with the plate to be cut. In fact, even very limited positioning and parallelism inaccuracies could damage the cutting surface on the slab.

Above all, the body of the machine could hit the plate itself by displacing it from its position.

A further advantage connected to the cutting machine according to the invention? given by the small and compact dimensions of the units? which therefore can be handled with ease.

Yet another advantage of the cutting machine according to the invention? given by the extreme compactness and stability? of the unit handling system? cutting that? substantially integrated to the frame of the machine itself and therefore extremely rigid cos? to guarantee precise movements and certain and stable positions.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1. Machine for cutting sheets (100) of resilient material, comprising: - a feed line (L) for advancing said sheets (100) of resilient material to be cut, along a determined longitudinal direction (D1); - a? unit? (8) cutting adapted to cut front and / or rear portions (100a, 100b) of said plates (100) according to a direction (D2) transversal with respect to said longitudinal direction (D1) determined, - handling means (23) configured to slidingly support said unit? (8) of cutting along said transversal direction (D2) during the cutting of said front and / or rear portions (100a, 100b), characterized in that said unit? Cutting (8) comprises a wire saw (14) wound in a ring on at least two pulleys (12, 13) to define two respective operating branches (14a, 14b), and by the fact that at least one of said pulleys (12, 13 )? supported by an upright (11) extending between said two operating branches (14a, 14b). 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said two operating branches (14a, 14b) of said wire saw (14) lie on a vertical plane (P) which? inclined both with respect to said determined longitudinal direction (D1) and with respect to said transverse direction (D2). 3. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said means (23) for moving said unit? (8) cutting units are configured to move said unit? (8) of cutting along said direction (D2) transversal between ends? opposite sides of said feed line (L). 4. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said handling means (23) comprise at least one linear cylindrical track (19) extending between said ends? opposite sides of said line (L) of advancement, and guide elements (18) arranged on said unit? (8) for cutting, with said guide elements (18) configured to slidably engage on said at least one linear cylindrical track (19). 5. Machine according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said movement means (29) comprise a flexible motion transmission member (20) extending along said transverse direction (D2) and wound in a loop on respective members of transmission of which at least one is motorized, said flexible transmission member (20) being stably fixed to said unit? (8) cutting to drag it in its movement along said transversal direction (D2). 6. Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that said flexible transmission member (20)? a strap. 7. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said feed line (L)? conveyor belt and has a transverse gap (G) developing parallel to said transversal direction (D2), characterized by the fact that in said its movement along said transversal direction (D2) the unit? (8) shear moves through said transverse gap (G). 8. Method of cutting sheets (100) of resilient material, comprising the steps of: - providing a feed line (L) for advancing said sheets (100) of resilient material to be cut, along a determined longitudinal direction (D1); - prepare a? unit? (8) cutting adapted to cut front and / or rear portions of said plates according to a direction (D2) transversal with respect to said longitudinal direction (D1) determined; - advancing one of said slabs (100) of resilient material to be cut along said longitudinal direction (D1) determined and stopping its advancement when a front portion (100a) thereof? arranged in the vicinity? of this unit? (8) cutting; - cutting said front portion (100a) of said plate (100) of resilient material by advancing said unit? (8) cutting from a first lateral edge (100R) of said plate to a second lateral edge (100L) opposite to said first lateral edge (100R); - maintain this unit? (8) cutting in proximity? of said second lateral edge for a determined time interval; - advancing said plate (100) of resilient material to be cut along said determined longitudinal direction (D1) and stopping its advancement when a rear portion (100b) thereof, longitudinally opposite to said front portion (100a) thereof? arranged in the vicinity? of this unit? (8) cutting; - cutting said rear portion (100b) of said sheet (100) of resilient material by advancing said unit? (8) cutting from said second lateral edge (100L) of said plate to said first opposite lateral edge (100R). 9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said determined time interval in which said unit? (8) cutting? maintained in correspondence with said second lateral edge (100L)? equal to or greater than the time required to advance said slab (100) of resilient material to be cut along said longitudinal direction (D1) until said rear portion (100b) is brought in proximity? of this unit? (8) cutting. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 8 and 9, wherein said step of preparing a unit? (8) cutting comprises the step of arranging a wire saw (14) wound in a ring on two pulleys (12, 13) to define two respective operational branches (14a, 14b), characterized in that said step of performing the cut of said front portion (100a) of said plate (100) of resilient material? carried out by means of a first of said two operative branches (14a, 14b) while said step of carrying out the cutting of said rear portion (100b) of said plate (100) of resilient material? implemented by means of a second of said two operating branches (14a, 14b).