EP2046545B1 - Apparatus for producing and/or processing panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing and/or machining panels. The apparatus includes a transport device for transporting a panel along a transport path and a machining device for machining the panel as it moves via the transport device. The transport device includes a plurality of positioning devices arranged one behind the other and spaced apart by a distance along the transport path. Each positioning device includes upper and lower abutment mechanisms arranged opposite one another and on opposite sides of a panel plane, and being spaced apart by a distance. An adjusting device is used for setting the distance between the upper and lower abutment mechanisms. An actuating arrangement is structured and arranged to actuate the adjusting device of at least two of the plurality of positioning devices. An arrangement is used for independently adjusting each of the upper and lower abutment mechanisms of at least one of the plurality of positioning devices.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for producing or / and processing panels, comprising a transport device for transporting a panel along a transport path as well as a processing device for processing the panel, during which movement by the transport device according to the preamble of claim 1 is such a device from the DE 198 11 242-A known.

Devices of this type are known in the field of manufacturing or processing of panels and generally comprise an upper and a lower revolving endless belt whose transporting strands are guided parallel to one another at a distance from one another. Between the transporting strands of endless belts to be transported panels are frictionally received and moved in the transport direction. Along the transport path of the endless belts usually processing facilities are arranged, which subject the lateral edges of the panels of a machining. In particular, milling tools of various types are used as machining devices which form a groove on one longitudinal side or one transverse side of the panel and form a corresponding spring on the opposite longitudinal side. Panels of this type can be joined in the known tongue and groove joint, for example, to a floor surface of a room.

For a processing of the panels with consistent quality, it is necessary to achieve the most accurate relative positioning between the processing device and the panel to be machined. Thus, in particular in the event that the processing device on the longitudinal side or transverse side of the panel to mill a groove or a spring, crucial to the height position of the groove or spring below the visible surface of the panels to a flat overall view of the joined together To allow panels. The known devices of the type mentioned above therefore comprise said positioning means with upper and lower abutment means and with the adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the abutment means. Depending on the number of processing devices and the length of the panels to be processed, a correspondingly large number of positioning devices along the transport device is required. In order to set the distance between the attachment means according to a certain panel type, all positioning means of the transport means must be adjusted individually. The conventional panel devices which are used for various panel types with varying panel thicknesses in the range of between about 6 and about 12 mm, thus requiring a high adjustment effort by the operator with a change of the panel type to be machined, associated with corresponding downtime of the device.

Object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned above, which reduces the associated with a change of the panel type to be machined adjustment of the device and increases the efficiency of the device.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides an apparatus according to claim 1.

In such a device, not only can the distance between the abutment means be tuned to the plate thickness of a particular type of panel, but the absolute height of the panel positioned by the positioning means per se, ie the vertical position of the panel with respect to the processing means , change.

When general positional information such as "top", "bottom", "side" or "behind", etc. are used in the present specification and claims, that information refers to the construction and structure of a device which the panels are transported substantially horizontally, ie such that their viewing surfaces lie substantially in a horizontal plane. Of course, the subject matter of the invention also includes devices in which panels are transported in a different orientation, wherein the above-mentioned position information then refer to the visible surface of the panels to be transported as imaginary horizontal plane.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator assembly comprises a drive rod assembly. Such a drive rod arrangement offers the possibility of a structurally simple, but reliable mechanical movement coupling of the adjustment movements of the individual associated positioning devices. It is particularly advantageous then possible to connect all of the actuating arrangement associated adjustment via a common drive rod together, so then only a single drive rod is required for multiple positioning. In this case, each of the adjustment devices preferably has a drive rod coupling for coupling to the common drive rod.

In an advantageous development of the embodiment using the drive rod arrangement, it can be provided that the drive rod is a threaded rod which has threads at least in the adjustment devices and that the drive rod couplings have mating threads that engage the threaded rod. By using a threaded rod in cooperation with a mating thread of the drive rod couplings, a Dreheinstellbewegung the threaded rod, which is carried out by an operator or an actuator in a simple manner to be implemented in a translational adjustment movement of the associated adjustment. In particular, the reduction effect of the threaded engagement can be exploited in order to reduce the force required for the adjustment effort and to perform an adjustment of the distance between the investment means with high precision. According to such requirements, the pitch of the threads used can be selected.

In order to be able to bridge a greater distance through the drive rod assembly along the transport path of the transport device, or to connect a desired number of positioning with a common drive rod in a structurally simple manner, is proposed in a further embodiment of the invention further that the drive rod in Is substantially parallel to the transport path and that each of the actuating arrangement associated adjustment means comprises a motion conversion device which converts the transport path substantially parallel adjustment movement of the drive rod coupling in an orthogonal to the panel plane adjustment movement for displacement of at least one of the abutment means.

It can be provided that only one of the two adjustment means can be actuated via the common drive rod. For example, the common actuator assembly may be used to adjust the position of the upper abutment means to accommodate a desired panel type of particular panel thickness, while the lower abutment means may be individually adjusted on each positioner for the less frequent change in vertical position of the panel. Alternatively, however, only the lower adjusting means can be adjusted by the common actuating arrangement or the common actuating arrangement is adapted to move both bearing means simultaneously.

In an advantageous development, each of the abovementioned embodiments can be configured such that at least one of the adjustment devices associated with the actuating arrangement further comprises a Einzeljustiereinrichtung with which the distance between the means of this adjuster is independent of the distances between the means of adjustment of other adjustment devices adjustable. In this way it is possible, due to manufacturing tolerances or due to wear occurring differences between the common actuator assembly associated positioning compensate accordingly. Furthermore, certain differences between the operating characteristics of the respective movement conversion devices of the positioning devices and between the individual drive rod couplings of the positioning devices can not be ruled out, so that said individual adjustment device is also advantageous in this case can be used to improve the positioning accuracy of the device.

The addressed Einzeljustiereinrichtungen can be designed in a structurally simple, but very reliable manner so that at least one of the actuator assembly associated adjustment has a substantially orthogonal to the panel plane movable first slide, which is connected to the motion conversion device, and a substantially orthogonal to the panel plane movable second Carriage has, to which the at least one of the abutment means is coupled or formed, wherein a distance between the first carriage and the second carriage in orthogonal direction to the panel plane by the Einzeljustiereinrichtung is adjustable.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that at least one of the adjusting arrangement associated adjusting device further comprises a biasing device, in particular a spring arrangement, by means of which the upper and / or the lower abutment means in the direction of a reduction of the distance between the attachment means with a certain Biasing biasing force is elastically biased, in which case the biasing force of the biasing means can be adjusted by a Vorspannungseinstelleinrichtung the adjustment. In this embodiment, a panel to be transported and positioned with a defined biasing force can be frictionally held between the abutment means, wherein the preload force can optionally be adapted to different panel types or to a desired positioning accuracy.

With regard to the technical realization of the embodiments described above, it is particularly contemplated that the motion conversion device and / or optionally the Einzeljustiereinrichtung or / and optionally the Vorspannungseinstelleinrichtung a cam mechanism, in particular a wedge-shifter mechanism or a gate mechanism. Such cam mechanisms work particularly reliably and can be easily designed and manufactured according to the requirements in terms of power transmission and direction of movement.

Fig. 1

ist eine Prinzipdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform in Seitenansicht.

Fig. 2

zeigt eine Vorderansicht einer Positioniereinrichtung der in Fig. 1 gezeigten Transporteinrichtung.

Fig. 3

zeigt eine Rückansicht der in Fig. 2 dargestellten Positioniereinrichtung.

Fig. 4

zeigt eine Seitenansicht der in Fig. 2 dargestellten Positioniereinrichtung.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

is a schematic diagram of a device according to the invention according to a first embodiment in side view.

Fig. 2

shows a front view of a positioning of the in Fig. 1 shown transport device.

Fig. 3

shows a rear view of the in Fig. 2 shown positioning.

Fig. 4

shows a side view of in Fig. 2 shown positioning.

In Fig. 1 For example, an apparatus for processing panels is generally indicated at 10. As a processing device, the device 10 comprises three milling tools 12, which in Fig. 1 only schematically shown as rectangles. By means of the milling tools 12, the panels are to be processed so that at its one longitudinal side a groove and on its opposite longitudinal side of the geometry of the groove corresponding spring is formed.

In order to supply the panels to be processed to the milling tools 12, the apparatus 10 has a transport device with an upper conveyor belt 14 and a lower conveyor belt 16. Both conveyor belts 14, 16 each have an endless belt 18, which in each case arranged at the ends of the conveyor belts 14, 16 guide rollers 20 revolve. About brackets 22, the guide rollers 20 are each rotatably mounted on a frame 24, wherein the two frames 24 of the upper and lower conveyor belt 14 and 16 are attached to a common support structure 26 which supports the device 10 fixed to the ground B.

By the support structure 26, the two conveyor belts 14, 16 are held in a fixed relative position to each other, in which they are substantially parallel to each other, in such a way that a formed by a lower run 28 of the upper conveyor belt 14 Transporttrum 28 at one by an upper Trum 30 of the lower conveyor belt 16 formed Transporttrum 30 is applied or has a uniform distance from this, which corresponds approximately to the plate thickness of a panel or less.

Upper conveyor belt 14 and lower conveyor belt 16 are thus on both sides of a horizontal panel plane P opposite and thus can pick up a panel between the Transporttrum 28 of the upper conveyor belt 14 and the Transporttrum 30 of the lower conveyor belt 16 and transport in a transport direction T, wherein the panel during a entire transport through the device 10 is substantially aligned in the panel plane P.

Although a certain positioning of the transported panels already takes place by the above-described receiving the panels between the upper conveyor belt 14 and the lower conveyor belt 16, however, a more precise positioning of the panels, in particular in the vertical direction is necessary for the processing of the panels on the milling tools 12. This vertical positioning will be in the in Fig. 1 embodiment shown by three along the transport direction T successively arranged positioning means 32, which in Fig. 1 are also shown only schematically. The positioning devices 32 each have an upper abutment means 34 and a lower abutment means 36 which are spaced apart from each other to receive a panel between them.

In order to use the device 10 for use with panel types of different plate thickness, the distance between the abutment means 34, 36 via an in Fig. 1 also only indicated adjustment 38 adjustable.

Above the positioning means 32, a threaded rod 40 extends parallel to the transporting direction T and extends over the regions of all positioning means 32 along a large part of the length of the upper conveyor belt 14. At its ends, the threaded rod 30 is in each case on the frame 24 of the upper conveyor belt fourteenth mounted bearing portions 42 rotatably, but axially immovable, stored. On the threaded rod 40 further engages an actuator 44 for rotational actuation of the threaded shaft 40, which in Fig. 1 is schematically illustrated by a attached to one end of the threaded rod 14 crank 44.

As in Fig. 1 As can be seen, the adjustment means 38 of all three positioning devices 32 are each coupled to the threaded rod 40 such that a rotational movement of the threaded rod 40 by the actuating device 44 in each of the positioning devices 32 is converted into an adjustment movement of the adjustment devices 38 to be described below.

The Fig. 2 . 3 and 4 show more detailed views of one of the three positioning means 32. Dashed lines indicate a partial section of the threaded rod 40, the rotational movement of which is converted into an adjusting movement of the adjusting device 38 for changing a distance h between the upper abutment means 34 and the lower abutment means 36. In the embodiment shown, the adjustment device 38 converts the rotational movement of the threaded rod 40 into a vertical displacement movement of the upper abutment means 34.

For this purpose, a threaded rod 46 is placed on the threaded rod 40, which has an external thread of the threaded rod 40 corresponding internal thread, so that it performs a shift in the transport direction T or in the opposite direction upon rotation of the non-displaceably mounted in the axial direction of the threaded rod 40.

A pin 48 of the threaded rod 46 is slidably inserted into an elongated recess 52 of a rocker 50, which is rotatably mounted on a fixed frame 54 of the positioning device 32. The rocker 50 has at its opposite end a second elongated recess 56 into which a pin 58 of a slider 60 is inserted. The slider 60 is mounted on the frame 54 at two displacement bearings 61 so that it can only reciprocate parallel to the transport direction T and forth.

On the slider 60, two further pins 62 are formed or fixed, which engage in inclined to the horizontal plane slots 64 of a first carriage 66. The first carriage 66 is guided on the frame 54 so that it can move up or down only in the vertical direction. With a displacement of the slider 60 parallel to the transport direction T, therefore, the pins 62 of the slider 60 run along the oblique slots 64 and thus move the first carriage 66 in the vertical direction.

In a recess 68 of the first carriage 66 in the lower region of the first carriage 66, a second carriage 70 is guided vertically displaceable. A distance between the first carriage 66 and the second carriage 70 in the vertical direction is defined by a Justierkeil 72 which is arranged in the vertical direction between the first and the second carriage 66, 70. The Justierkeil 72 has on its underside inclined to the horizontal plane extending wedge surfaces 74 which abut corresponding wedge surfaces 76 on the upper side of the second carriage 70. An adjusting screw 78 mounted on the frame 54 moves the adjusting wedge 72 in parallel to the transport direction T back or forth, so that the wedge surfaces 74, 76 slide against each other and in this way the distance between the first carriage 66 and the second carriage 70 is adjusted.

Similar to the first carriage 66, the second carriage 70 also has a recess 80 in its lower region, wherein the recess 80 has an inwardly projecting flange 82 at its lower end. At this inner flange 82, an outer flange 84 of an approximately T-shaped coupling portion 86 can be supported, which is integrally connected to the upper abutment means 34. An abutment between the outer flange 84 of the coupling portion 86 and the inner flange 82 of the second carriage 70 defines a maximum distance between the second carriage 70 and the upper abutment means 34 vertically slidably supported thereto.

The vertical displacement of the coupling portion 86 of the upper abutment means 34 in the second carriage 70 is under the influence of a bias by a tensioning device 88, which in Fig. 2 symbolized by two springs 88. The clamping device 88 is supported on the one hand on the coupling portion 86 and on the other hand on a third carriage 90 and biases the coupling portion 86 in the direction of abutment between the outer flange 84 of the coupling portion 86 and the inner flange 82 of the second carriage 70.

The third carriage 90 is also guided vertically displaceable in the recess 80 of the second carriage 70 in order to change the bias of the clamping device 88 can. For this Vorspannungseinstellbewegung a Vorspannungseinstellkeil 92 is disposed between the third carriage 90 and the second carriage 70, which is similar to the operating principle of the Justierkeils 72 described above parallel to the transport direction T displaceable and by means of abgewinkling oblique wedge surfaces at the top of the third carriage 90 and Bottom of Vorspannungseinstellkeils 92 makes the vertical distance between the second carriage 70 and third slide 90 adjustable.

The movement of the preload adjusting wedge 92 required for bias adjustment is accomplished using a preload adjustment screw 94 mounted on the frame 54.

In addition to the adjustment of the height or biasing force of the upper investment means offers in Fig. 2 positioning device shown also the ability to adjust the vertical position of the lower abutment means 36 and set in this way the absolute vertical position of a positioned in the positioning device 32 panel. For this purpose, the lower adjustment means 36 is vertically slidably guided on the frame 54, wherein a vertical distance between the second abutment means 36 and a lower portion 55 of the frame 54 is determined by a Einstellkeil 96. The Einstellkeil 96 is disposed between the lower abutment means 36 and the lower portion 55 of the frame 54 and has at its top obliquely to the horizontal plane extending wedge surfaces 98 which bear against corresponding oblique wedge surfaces 100 on the underside of the lower abutment means 36. Upon a displacement of the adjusting wedge 96 by an adjusting screw 102 in a direction parallel to the transport direction T, the wedge surfaces 98, 100 slide against each other and move the lower abutment means 36 accordingly in the vertical direction.

Subsequently, the operation of the device 10 will be briefly discussed. In order to prepare the apparatus 10 for processing panels of a given panel thickness, the actuator 44 is activated, which rotates the threaded rod 40 by a certain amount. By way of example, consider the case where the device 10 is to be adjusted from machining a thicker panel type to processing a thinner panel type. Depending on the pitch of the thread of the threaded rod 40, the threaded rod 40 is then rotated so that the threaded rod 46 a certain distance in Fig. 2 moves to the right. The rightward movement of the threaded stem 46 is converted by the rocker 50 in a displacement of the slider 60 to the left and caused by the left shift of the pins 62 caused thereby This downward movement of the carriage 66 is then transmitted via the second carriage 70, the third carriage 90, the tensioning device 88 and the coupling portion 86 finally to the upper abutment means 34, which then also to moves the desired amount down.

It is assumed that the upper abutment means 34 is in the unloaded state, i. no panel is inserted between the abutment means 34, 36, so that the tensioning device 88 holds the outer flange 84 of the coupling portion 86 in abutment with the inner flange 82 of the second carriage 70. The set in this way in the unloaded state distance h between the attachment means 34, 36 will be set slightly smaller in practice than the plate thickness of the panels to be positioned, so that the clamping device 88 can generate a predetermined contact pressure, with which the upper abutment means 34 against the panel is pressed.

In the manner described, the adjustment means 38 of all the positioning means 32 of the device 10 can be adjusted simultaneously by turning the common threaded rod 40 to a new panel type with a smaller plate thickness. The corresponding reverse adjustment by rotation of the threaded rod 40 in the opposite direction can be carried out when the device 10 is to be prepared for processing thicker panels.

If it should come between the individual positioning means 32 to deviations of the respective distance h by manufacturing tolerances, temperature differences, wear or the like, from time to time each of the adjusters can also be readjusted individually by the adjusting screw 78 in the manner described. Likewise, for each positioning device 32, the biasing force of the clamping device 88 by adjusting the Vorspannungseinstellschraube 94, for example, to special requirements of arranged in this area processing device 12, vote.

The possibility of adjusting the bias of the clamping device 88 also has the advantage that in the case of wear of the endless belt 18 of the upper conveyor belt 14, the positioning device 32 can be adjusted by adjusting the biasing force according to this wear, without causing it to an adjustment of the first carriage 66 or the second carriage 70 and thus to an adjustment of the distance h between the attachment means 34, 36 comes in the unloaded state. Thus, the disadvantage occurring in conventional devices can be avoided that also changes the adjustment of the distance h in an adjustment of the device to the wear of the upper belt, so that there is a change in pressure on the material through the upper investment means, resulting in these Prior art devices can lead to scratches or damage to the panels.

Claims (11)

1. An apparatus (10) for producing and/or processing panels, comprising a transporting device for transporting a panel along a transporting path and a processing device (12) for processing the panel as it is moved by the transporting device,
   wherein the transporting device has a plurality of positioning devices (32) which are spaced apart one behind the other along the transporting path and which each comprise:

   - an upper and lower abutment means (34,36) which are spaced apart opposite one another on either side of a panel plane (P), and

   - an adjusting device (38) which enables the spacing (h) between the two abutment means (34,36) to be adjusted,
   and wherein
   the adjusting devices (38) of at least two positioning devices (32) can be actuated simultaneously by means of a common actuating assembly (40),

   characterised in
   that in at least one of the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) each of the two abutment means (34,36) has its own adjusting means (78,102), wherein the two adjusting means can be actuated independently of one another.
2. An apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the actuating assembly (40) comprises a connecting-rod assembly (40).
3. An apparatus (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that all the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) are connected to one another via a common connecting rod (40), and in that each of the adjusting devices (38) has a connecting-rod coupling (46) for coupling to the common connecting rod (40).
4. An apparatus (10) according to Claim 3, characterised in that the connecting rod (40) is a threaded rod (40) which at least in portions associated with the adjusting devices (38) has a screw-thread, and in that the connecting-rod couplings (46) have mating threads which are in engagement with the threaded rod (40).
5. An apparatus (10) according to Claim 3, characterised in that the connecting rod (40) extends substantially parallel to the transporting path, and in that each of the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) has a motion-converting device (62,64) which converts the adjusting motion of the connecting-rod coupling (46), which is substantially parallel to the transporting path, into an adjusting motion orthogonal to the panel plane (P) so as to displace at least one of the abutment means (34,36).
6. An apparatus (10) according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterised in that only one of the two adjusting means can be actuated via the common connecting rod (40).
7. An apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that at least one of the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) also has an individual adjusting device (72) which enables the spacing (h) between the abutment means (34,36) of this adjusting device (38) to be adjusted independently of the spacings (h) between the abutment means of the other adjusting devices (38).
8. An apparatus (10) according to Claims 5 and 7, characterised in that at least one of the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) has a first carriage (66) which can move substantially orthogonal to the panel plane (P) and which is connected to the motion-converting device (62,64), and has a second carriage (70) which can move substantially orthogonal to the panel plane (P) and to which or on which the at least one (34) abutment means (34,36) is coupled or formed, wherein a spacing between the first carriage (66) and the second first carriage (70) can be adjusted in a direction orthogonal to the panel plane (P) by the individual adjusting device (72).
9. An apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that at least one of the adjusting devices (38) associated with the actuating assembly (40) also has a pretensioning device (88), in particular a spring assembly (88), by means of which the upper and/or lower abutment means (34,36) can be elastically pretensioned with a given pretensioning force towards a diminution in the spacing (h) between the abutment means (34,36).
10. An apparatus (10) according to Claim 9, characterised in that the pretensioning force of the pretensioning device (88) can be adjusted by a pretension-adjusting device (90,92) of the adjusting device (38).
11. An apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the motion-converting device (62,64) and/or optionally the individual-adjusting device (72) and/or optionally the pretension-adjusting device (90,92) comprises a control cam mechanism, in particular a tapered slide mechanism or a link mechanism.

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