ITBO20120518A1 - CUTTING MACHINE FOR WOODEN PANELS OR THE LIKE - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

â € œMACHINE FOR CUTTING WOODEN OR SIMILAR PANELSâ €

The present invention relates to a machine for cutting wooden panels or the like.

In the field of processing wooden panels, it is known to provide a cutting machine comprising a support structure defining a substantially horizontal support plane for at least one wooden panel or the like; a cutting station; at least one advancing device for advancing the panels along the supporting surface and through the cutting station in a first determined direction; and a cutting device mounted in the cutting station for moving in a second direction and along a cutting plane perpendicular to the first direction and for cutting the panels.

The cutting machine also comprises a pressure device mounted in the cutting station to move perpendicularly to the support plane between a clamping position of the panels against the support surface and a release position; and a security system to control the access of personnel assigned to the cutting station.

Generally, the safety system includes an emergency bar, which extends above the support surface in the second direction, is arranged downstream of the cutting surface in the first direction, and is hooked to the pressure device so as to be positioned at a distance determined by the panels when the pressure device is in its clamping position.

The emergency bar is also coupled to the pressure device to move, with respect to the pressure device itself, between a lowered rest position and a raised operating position. The emergency bar is moved to its operating position raised by the hand of an operator caught between the panels and the pressure device so as to command at least the stopping of the cutting device and the lifting of the pressure device itself.

The safety system also comprises a plurality of substantially flat oscillating flaps, which define a safety curtain, are mounted downstream of the cutting plane in the first direction, are distributed above the support plane in the second direction, and are mounted to oscillate around a fulcrum axis parallel to the second direction itself.

The fins are normally arranged in respective lowered positions, in which the fins are arranged substantially in contact with the support surface to prevent access to each free area between the support surface and the pressure device, i.e. not occupied by the panels, and are inclined so as to selectively move into respective raised positions under the thrust of the panels fed through the cutting station.

Known safety systems of the type described above have some drawbacks.

The emergency bar is relatively long and, therefore, is subject to bending and requires frequent and numerous interventions to adjust its position with respect to the pressure device. Furthermore, the emergency bar, generally made of an extruded aluminum extending for the entire width of the support surface, can come into contact with the anatomical parts of the operator possibly present in the cutting station, causing injury. Finally, the emergency bars must be produced in a number of models corresponding to the different widths of the cutting machine.

The oscillating flaps can be lifted voluntarily by the staff or they can be removed and not replaced in case of breakage, thus allowing access to each free area between the support surface and the pressure device and not occupied by the panels.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for cutting wooden panels or the like which is free from the drawbacks described above and which is simple and economical to implement.

According to the present invention, a machine for cutting wooden panels or the like is realized as claimed in the attached claims.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the cutting machine of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of the cutting machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic front view, with parts removed for clarity, of the detail of Figure 2; and figure 4 is a schematic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of the detail of figure 2.

With reference to Figure 1, 1 indicates, as a whole, a cutting machine for cutting 2-plane panels of wood or the like of substantially rectangular shape.

The machine 1 has a support structure 3 comprising two parallel portal frames 4, each of which extends in a horizontal direction 5, and comprises two vertical uprights 6, 7 parallel to each other, which extend in a transverse direction 8 in direction 5, they are aligned with the corresponding uprights 6, 7 of the other frame 4 in a horizontal direction 9 orthogonal to directions 5 and 8, and are connected to each other at their upper ends by a horizontal parallel longitudinal member 10 to management 5 itself.

The two frames 4 are connected to each other by two crosspieces 11 parallel to each other, which extend between the uprights 6 parallel to the direction 9, and by a crosspiece 12, which extends between the uprights 7 parallel to the direction 9 itself. .

The structure 3 also comprises two support devices 13, which are arranged on opposite bands of the crosspiece 12 in the direction 5, define, together with the upper face of the crosspiece 12, a substantially horizontal support plane P for the panels 2, and they comprise one (hereinafter indicated with 13a) a plurality of bars 14 with wheels parallel to each other and to the direction 5 and the other (hereinafter indicated with 13b) four pallets 15 parallel to each other and to the direction 5 itself.

In this regard, it is appropriate to specify that the device 13a defines a station for loading the panels 2 into the machine 1 and the device 13b defines a station for unloading the panels 2 from the machine 1 itself.

The machine 1 also comprises a cutting station 16, which is obtained in correspondence with the uprights 7, and is provided with a cutting device 17 comprising a motorized carriage 18 coupled in a known way to a guide 19 fixed to the uprights 7 parallel to the direction 9 to perform, with respect to the structure 3 and under the thrust of a known and not illustrated actuation device, rectilinear displacements in the direction 9 itself.

The carriage 18 supports a blade 20 and an engraver 21 mounted to rotate around respective longitudinal axes parallel to each other and to the direction 5 and to perform rectilinear movements in the direction 8 between relative lowered rest positions, in which the blade 20 and the scoring device 21 are arranged below the plane P to allow the advancement of the panels 2 along the plane P, and relative raised operating positions, in which the blade 20 and the scoring device 21 protrude through the crosspiece 12 above the plane P same to cut the panels 2.

The blade 20 and the engraver 21 are also moved by the carriage 18 along a cutting plane 22 parallel to the direction 9 with an alternative rectilinear motion comprising a forward stroke, in which the engraver 21, arranged in front of the blade 20 in the direction 9 of advancement of the carriage 18, performs the incision of the panel 2 arranged on the plane P and the blade 20 performs the cutting of the panels 2, and a return stroke.

The device 17 cooperates with a pressure device 23 comprising two plates 24, which extend above the plane P in the direction 9, are arranged on opposite bands of the plane 22 in the direction 5, and are slidingly coupled to the uprights 7 to perform , with respect to the uprights 7 and under the thrust of a known and not illustrated actuation device, rectilinear displacements in the direction 8 from and towards a lowered operating position, in which the panels 2 are blocked on the plane P and are cut by the device 17 parallel to the direction 9.

The machine 1 also comprises a gripping and transport unit 25 for advancing the panels 2 along the plane P and through the station 16 in both directions of the direction 5.

The unit 25 comprises a motorized support cross member 26, which extends between the two side members 10 in direction 9, is coupled in a sliding manner to the two side members 10 to perform, with respect to the side members 10 themselves and under the thrust of a known and not illustrated actuation device, rectilinear displacements in direction 5, and supports a plurality of gripping members 27 distributed along the crosspiece 26 in the same direction 9.

Each member 27 is arranged between two bars 14 adjacent to each other, is movable, with respect to the crosspiece 26, between a raised rest position and a lowered operating position, and comprises two jaws movable one with respect to the other between a position of tightening and a release position of at least one panel 2.

According to a variant not shown, the unit 25 is eliminated and the panels 2 are advanced manually along the plane P and through the station 16.

The machine 1 also comprises a safety system 28 for controlling the access of the personnel assigned to the cutting station 16.

The system 28 comprises, in this case, an optical device 29, which is mounted on the opposite side of the device 13a with respect to the cutting plane 22 in the direction 5, and is coupled to the pressure device 23 to move in the direction 8 with the same. plate motion law 24.

The device 29 comprises, in this case, an emitter 30 of a laser beam 31 and a receiver 32 of the laser beam 31 generated by the emitter 30 itself.

The emitter 30 and the receiver 32 are arranged on opposite bands of the plane P in the direction 9, are connected to the plates 24 by means of respective support brackets 33, and are housed in respective channels 34, which are obtained inside the uprights 7 in direction 8, and communicate with the outside through respective slots 35 made through uprights 7 themselves in direction 9.

It should also be specified that the emitter 30 and the receiver 32 are coupled to the plates 24 in such a way that, when the pressure device 23 is moved to its lowered operating position, the laser beam 31 is arranged at a distance from the panels 2 such as to allow to detect the presence of an operator's hand wedged between the panels 2 and the device 23.

According to some variants not illustrated, the device 29 is eliminated and replaced, for example, with an optical camera, a photocell, a thermal sensor, a thermal camera, or an ultrasound device.

The system 28 also comprises a control unit 36 suitable for detecting the presence of foreign bodies in each free zone between the plane P and the device 23 and not occupied by the panels 2.

In this regard, it should be noted that the term `` free zone '' indicates each zone, which is not occupied by panels 2, is limited in direction 8 by the plane P and by a plane parallel to the plane P and tangent to the ends of the plates 24, and extends downstream and / or upstream of the plane 22 in direction 5.

In the case illustrated in figures 2 and 3, the unit 25 advances through station 16 two stacks of panels 2 defining two free zones 37a, 37b, of which zone 37a is defined between the two stacks of panels 2 and the zone 37b is defined between one of the stacks of panels 2 and the adjacent upright 7.

The unit 36 comprises, for each zone 37a, 37b, a respective optical vision device, in this case a camera 38 fixed to a relative upright 7 above the plane P to detect the presence of foreign bodies in the relative zone 37a, 37b .

The camera 38 is mounted on the opposite side of the device 13a with respect to the cutting plane 22 in the 5 direction, and is hooked to the relative upright 7 outside the plates 24 in the 5 direction or, alternatively, between the plates 24 themselves .

Obviously, the cameras 38 must have a range of action limited to the related areas 37a, 37b to avoid mistaking the presence of the panels 2 with the presence of foreign bodies.

According to variants not illustrated, the cameras 38 are eliminated and replaced, for example, with a laser scanner or a photocell barrier.

The safety system 28 has some advantages mainly deriving from the fact that:

the device 29 does not require particular adjustment interventions, it is mounted entirely outside the support plane P and is therefore scarcely affected by the shavings and / or processing scraps produced during the cutting of the panels 2, it is used in a single model regardless of the different widths of the machine 1, and finally allows the processing of corrugated panels 2; And

the control unit 36 allows to accurately detect the presence of foreign bodies in the free zones 37a, 37b, that is to say in the zones not occupied by the panels 2, and to stop the machine 1 safely.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1.- Machine for cutting panels (2) of wood or the like, the machine comprising a support structure (3) defining a support surface (P) for the panels (2); a cutting station (16), the panels (2) being advanced along the support plane (P) and through the cutting station (16) in a first direction (5); a cutting device (17) mounted in the cutting station (16) to move in a second direction (9) transverse to the first direction (5) and to cut the panels (2); a pressure device (23) mounted in the cutting station (16) to move in a third direction (8) orthogonal to said first and second directions (5, 9) between a clamping position of the panels (2) against the support surface (P) and a release position; and a safety system (28) to control the access of the personnel assigned to the cutting station (16), the safety system (28) including at least one safety barrier (31), which extends above the floor support (P) in the second direction (9) to detect the presence of foreign bodies above the panels (2), and is hooked to the pressure device (23) so as to move in the third direction (8) with a law of motion identical to a motion law of the pressure device (23); and being characterized in that the safety system (28) comprises an optical or thermal or ultrasonic device (29) suitable for generating said safety barrier (31). 2.- Machine according to Claim 1, wherein the cutting device (17) is movable along a cutting plane (22) in the second direction (9); the safety barriers (31) being arranged upstream and / or downstream of the cutting plane (22) of the panels (2) in the first direction (5). 3.- Machine according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the optical or thermal or ultrasonic device (29) is coupled to the pressure device (23) in such a way that the safety barrier (31) is arranged at a distance determined by the panels (2) when the pressure device (23) is in its clamping position. 4.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cutting station (16) has two vertical uprights (7) mounted on opposite bands of the supporting surface (P) in the second direction (9) to support the cutting device (17); the optical or thermal or ultrasonic device (29) being engaged in a sliding manner inside at least one channel (34) obtained through at least one of the uprights (7) in the third direction (8). 5.- Machine according to Claim 4, in which each channel (34) is made inside the relative upright (7) and communicates with the external environment through a slot (35) obtained through the upright (7) same in the second direction (9). 6.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the optical device (29) comprises a camera or an emitter (30) and a receiver (31) arranged on opposite bands of the supporting surface (P) in the second direction (9 ) and aligned with each other in the second direction (9) itself. 7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the thermal device comprises a thermal camera or a thermal sensor. 8.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the safety system (28) further comprises a control unit (36) for detecting the presence of foreign bodies in each free zone (37a, 37b) between the support surface (P) and the pressure device (23) and, therefore, not occupied by the panels (2). 9.- Machine according to Claim 8, wherein the cutting device (17) is movable along a cutting plane (22) in the second direction (9); each free zone (37a, 37b) extending upstream and / or downstream of the cutting plane (22) of the panels (2) in the first direction (5). 10.- Machine according to Claim 9, in which the control unit (36) is mounted upstream and / or downstream of the cutting plane (22) of the panels (2) in the first direction (5). 11.- Machine according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein the pressing device (23) comprises two plates (24) mounted on opposite sides of the cutting plane (22) in the first direction (5); the control unit (36) being mounted outside the plates (24) in the first direction (5) or between the plates (24) themselves. 12.- Machine according to any one of claims 8 to 11, in which the control unit (36) comprises, for each free zone (37a, 37b), a respective optical or thermal device (38) for detecting the presence of foreign bodies in the free zone (37a, 37b) itself. 13.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims and further comprising at least one feed device (25) movable along the support structure (3) to move at least one panel (2) along the supporting surface (P) and through the cutting station (16) in the first direction (5).