Patent ID: 11890776
Assignee: nan
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An automated cutting for scenic flats construction system for cutting wide and deep dadoes across a workpiece set of boards in one pass, the automated cutting for scenic flats construction system comprising:
(i) a controller adapted to control operation according to changeable parameters of operation;
(ii) a main unit having a support stand adapted to support a main-unit shell having a front and back and sides and a substantially open top and bottom;
(iii) a fence mounted at the bottom of said main-unit shell, adapted to guide movement of the workpiece through said main unit;
(iv) adjustment screw jacks mounted on said support stand adapted to adjust the height of said main-unit shell above said support stand;
(v) a sled unit having a sled base plate mounted within said main-unit shell on linear-bearing tracks adapted to allow movement only along a front-to-back axis;
(vi) a motor mounted on said sled unit, adapted to provide rotational force under control of said controller;
(vii) a power transmission subsystem mounted on said sled unit, adapted to transmit rotational power from said motor;
(viii) a wide one-pass dado blade assembly mounted on said power transmission subsystem and extending below said sled base plate with an axis of rotation perpendicular to the front-to-back axis;
(ix) at least one sled actuator mounted between said main-unit shell and said sled unit, adapted to move said sled unit along said linear-bearing tracks along the front-to-back axis under control of said controller;
(x) an infeed table removably mounted to said support stand and extending to a first side of said main unit, adapted to support the workpiece before movement through said main unit;
(xi) two hold-down clamps mounted on said main-unit shell at the sides and above said fence, adapted to clamp and to release the workpiece under control of said controller;
(xii) a drive chain mounted on said infeed table;
(xiii) a chain sprocket mounted on said infeed table, adapted to drive said drive chain;
(xiv) a drive dog adapted to be driven by said drive chain and to move the workpiece along said infeed table toward said main unit;
(xv) a chain-drive motor mounted on said infeed table, adapted to drive said chain sprocket, said drive chain, and said drive dog along said infeed table under control of said controller;
(xvi) a receiving table removably mounted to said support stand and extending to a second side of said main unit, adapted to support the workpiece after movement through said main unit; and
(xvii) a positioning stop movably mounted on said receiving table, adapted to define an initial position for placement of the workpiece;
where, in use, upon command, said controller causes said hold-down clamps to engage, said motor to rotate said wide one-pass dado blade assembly, said sled actuator to move said sled unit along the front-to-back axis from an extended position to a retracted position, thereby moving said wide one-pass dado blade assembly across the workpiece and cutting a dado in one pass, said sled actuator to move said sled unit back to an extended position, said hold-down clamps to disengage, said chain-drive motor to move said drive dog along said infeed table thereby pushing the workpiece into position for subsequent cutting, repeating the process for a defined number of subsequent cuttings.