Apparatus for gripping frames

A gripping device for frames (1), comprised by a construction (2) for receiving the frames (1), by structure (3) for gripping the horizontal edges of the frames (1) and by structure (4) for gripping the vertical edges of the frames (1), characterized in that the structure (4) for gripping the vertical edges of the frames (1) is constituted by an arm movably mounted on the upper beam (5) of the construction (2) and provided with a device (6) for blocking it in operative position by bracing.

The present invention relates to the field of woodworking, particularly the 
manufacture of furniture, especially chests, and has for its object an 
apparatus for gripping frames. 
Apparatus for gripping frames now in existence are generally constituted by 
a rectangular construction at the interior of which are mounted with the 
possibility of displacement at least one vertical gripping element for the 
vertical edges of the frames to be assembled and horizontal gripping 
elements for the horizontal edges of the frames on the lower beam of the 
construction. 
These known devices are either of the manually adjustable type in which at 
least one vertical element in the form of a movable arm may be fixed in 
position on the beams of the construction by means of pins or the like, 
the horizontal element being in the form of a girder mounted at the end of 
a jack displaceable in the upper horizontal beam and the girder forming 
the horizontal element being provided with horizontally acting jacks 
mounted so as to be adjustable in height on said girder, the lower jack 
being if desired mounted fixedly, and being either of the automatically 
adjustable type which is mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic. The apparatus 
of this last type can have one or several horizontal elements displaceable 
form the upper horizontal beam in the direction of the lower horizontal 
beam of the construction by means of a Geneva mechanism or by linear drive 
means acting on the ends of the horizontal element or elements. These 
devices can moreover also be provided with gripping means for the vertical 
edges in the form of vertical elements also displaceable relative to the 
mountings of the construction by means of a Geneva mechanism or by linear 
drive means acting on the ends of these vertical elements. 
These known gripping apparatus, commonly called framers, have however the 
drawback in the case of manually adjustable apparatus, of requiring 
relatively long adjustment time which is particularly disadvantageous in 
the case of small scale production. 
The automatically adjustable gripping apparatus of course permit rapid 
adaptation of the adjustments as a function of the frames to be made but 
are however of high price which is incompatible with a small volume of 
production. 
The present invention has for its aim to overcome these drawbacks. 
It thus has for an object an apparatus for gripping frames constituted by a 
construction for receiving the frames, by means for gripping the 
horizontal edges of said frames and by gripping means for the upper edges 
of the frames, characterized in that the means for gripping the vertical 
edges of the frames is constituted by an arm movably mounted on the upper 
beam of the construction and provided with a device for being locked in 
operative position by bracing, i.e. by transon-locking. 
The invention will be better understood from the following description, 
which relates to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting 
example, and explained with reference to the accompanying schematic 
drawings, in which:

According to the invention and as shown more particularly by way of example 
in FIG. 21 of the accompanying drawings, the apparatus 1 for gripping 
frames which is constituted by a construction 2 for the reception of the 
frames 1, by means 3 for gripping the horizontal edges of said frames 1 
and by means 4 for gripping the vertical edges of the frames 1, is 
characterized in that the means 4 for gripping the vertical edges of the 
frames 1 is constituted by an arm movably mounted on the upper beam 5 of 
the construction 2 and provided with a device 6 for locking in operative 
position by bracing. 
The device 6 for blocking in operative position by bracing is preferably 
constituted by two abutments 6' and 6" mounted (6') on the side of the arm 
4 that faces the frame 1 above the upper beam 5 of the construction 2 and 
the other (6") on the opposite side of arm 4 below the upper beam 5 of the 
construction 2. 
The arm 4, comprising the gripping means for the vertical edges of the 
frames 1, is fixed to a frame rolling on the beam 5 provided with two 
grooved rollers 7 whose flanges straddle the beam 5, said frame being 
constituted, on the one hand, by a horizontal member 8 secured to the 
upper end of the arm 4 and bearing the rollers 7 and, on the other hand, 
by a brace 9 connecting the free end of the member 8 to the arm 4 
substantially at its lower portion. 
The rollers 7 of the rolling chassis are preferably mounted on the 
horizontal element 8 of this latter with the height of their axes offset, 
the axis of the roller 7 farthest from the arm 4 being disposed at a 
higher level on the element 8 than the axis of the roller 7 nearer the arm 
4 and the abutments 6' and 6" are disposed on the arm 4 with a spacing 
corresponding to the height of the beam 5, in the operative position of 
the arm 4, the roller 7 nearer the arm 4 being slightly raised from the 
beam 5 in this said operative position. Thus, in the out-of-use position 
of the arm 4, this latter is slightly inclined relative to the vertical, 
in the direction of the frame to be gripped, the two rollers 7 of its 
rolling chassis resting on the beam 5 and the abutments 6' and 6" each 
having play relative to the corresponding face of said beam 5. Thus the 
spacing between the opposite sides of the abutments 6' and 6" being equal 
to the height of the beam 5 in the gripping position of the frame 1 by 
bracing, that is to say the abutments 6' and 6" each bearing by one 
surface on said beam 5 and the roller 7 farther from the arm 4 being 
raised from the beam 5, the roller 7 nearer the arm 4 being slightly 
raised from the beam 5, during the return of the arm 4 into the non-use 
position, there takes place a pivoting of the assembly of arm 4 and the 
rolling chassis about the axis of the roller 7 nearer the arm 4, after it 
comes into contact with the beam 5, which has the effect of spacing said 
abutments 6' and 6" from their point of bearing on the beam 5. 
In known manner, the arm 4 is provided at its free end with a jack 10 
bearing on the edge of the lower portion of frame 1 to be gripped and the 
means 3 for gripping the horizontal edges of the frames 1 is constituted 
by one or several vertically acting jacks 12, whose piston rod bears by 
means of a horizontal bar 13 on the upper edges of said frames 1. 
According to a characteristic of the invention, the arm 4 can be provided 
with one or several jacks 11 which are movable vertically, for gripping 
the vertical edges of the frame 1, the displacement of these jacks 11 
being effected by means of other vertical displacement jacks, or by manual 
adjustment. Thus, it is possible to adapt these vertical gripping jacks to 
the vertical dimensions of the frames 1 to be gripped. 
Using the apparatus according to the invention is performed by a simple 
displacement of the arm 4 together with its rolling chassis along the beam 
5 of construction 2 in the direction of the frame 1 to be gripped until it 
arrives in abutment with the jack 10 provided on the free end of arm 4, 
against the lower portion of the vertical edge of the frame 1. Under the 
effect of the inertia of the assembly of arm 4 and the rolling chassis, 
there takes place a bracing of the arm 4 by the abutments 6' and 6". The 
effect of the obtained bracing is increased upon pressurizing the jack 10 
and the jack or jacks 11, the gripping force exerted by these latter 
having the result of imposing a theoretical pivoting coupled about the 
abutments 6' and 6" and accordingly increasing their bearing force on the 
corresponding faces of the beam 5. 
According to a modified form of the invention, not shown in the 
accompanying drawings, the arm 4 or its rolling frame can be provided with 
a displacement control device in the form of a jack whose stoppage is 
controlled by a feeler located adjacent jack 10 on the free end of the arm 
4. In this embodiment, the operator can control the actuation of the 
displacement jack of the arm 4, the deactuation of this jack automatically 
taking place upon the coming into abutment of the jack 10 against the 
frame 1 to be gripped. It is thus possible for the operator to effectuate 
any desired twohanded operation before the arm 4 comes into abutment. 
The device according to the invention permits rapidly and effectively 
achieving a gripping of the vertical edges of the frames to be assembled 
and instantaneous adaption of the gripping means of the vertical edges of 
the frames to the dimensions of these latter. 
Thanks to the invention, it is possible to provide apparatus for gripping 
frames, which will be of simple construction, low cost and which may be 
easily operated. 
Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and 
shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, 
particularly as to the construction of the various elements or by 
substitution of technical equivalents, without thus departing from the 
scope of protection of the invention.