Patent ID: 9720401
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: G05B,G06F,G06Q,Y02P

Claim:
1. An integrated system for fabricating components for a customer's selected wood-based project, said system comprising: at least one computer for providing an interface with a consumer to input inquiries and design choices directed to a project having at least one component to be machined in a tandem machine system in which a wood-based project component can be fabricated, regardless whether the component is based on dimensional stock or on sheet material stock, said customer interacting with either a database showing previously-designed projects for implementation using said tandem machine or a CAD (Computer Aided Design) module to develop a new project or a modification of a project in said database; and said tandem machine system, as comprising: a first machine for executing machining requirements for wood-based sheet stock; and a second machine for executing machining requirements for dimensional wood stock, wherein, upon a final selection by the customer of an existing previously-designed project, a new project, or a modification of an existing project in said database, said system further selectively provides a set of instructions via the CAD module; wherein the first machine and the second machine are selectively controlled via the set of instructions for cutting, shaping, and forming of wooden components for said tandem machine system to fabricate the customer's final selection, thereby providing an end-to-end integrated system that is completely integrated to selectively permit the customer to consider different options for an intended project and to have all wood-based components of the intended project fabricated and ready to be picked up at a specific location, and wherein said first machine comprises: a support frame; a plurality of backing plates supported by said support frame, said plurality of backing plates being supported to be slightly backward leaning; a plurality of rollers along a base of said first machine, upon which a sheet of material can slide substantially along a longitudinal axis of said first machine; a plurality of clamping rollers along a top of said first machine, for clamping said sheet of material firmly to said plurality of rollers along the base; at least two rotating yoke assemblies that can be selectively rotated into a position to hold said sheet of material against said backing plates; an upper horizontal guide rail and a lower horizontal guide rail, each mounted on said support frame substantially along said longitudinal axis; at least two vertical guide rails, interconnected together and movably attached between said upper and lower horizontal guide rails; and a moveable tooling platform movably attached to said at least two vertical guide rails, wherein each of said rotating yoke assemblies comprises servo-controlled manipulator rollers for selectively moving said sheet material along said plurality of rollers in either a forward direction or a reverse direction, wherein said moveable tooling platform is selectively movable in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, along said at least two vertical guide rails, using servo-controlled actuators, and wherein said at least two vertical guide rails is selectively movable as a unit along said longitudinal axis, along said upper and lower horizontal guide rails, using servo-controlled actuators.