Cutting machine, particularly for cutting profiled elements

Abstract: The omnidirectional cropping machine, particularly for cutting profiled elements, comprises at least one machining head (1) composed of: a first box-like frame (2), which is slideably mounted along mutually parallel horizontal guides (3) supported by a base (4); a second frame (6), which is articulated to the first frame (2) about a first axis (5) which is arranged at right angles to the guides (3) and can oscillate, when actuated, about the first axis (5) inside the first frame (2); a third frame (9) which is articulated along one edge to the second frame (6) about a second axis (8) which is at right angles to the first axis (5). The third frame (9) can oscillate, when actuated, about the second axis (8), and a cutting assembly is mounted on the third frame (9), is provided with a rotating cutting blade (12) and is movable, when actuated, with respect to the third frame (9) to pass from an inactive position to a cutting position in which the cutting blade (12) interferes with a part to be cut which is positioned outside the second frame (6).

Description: The present invention relates to an omnidirectional cropping machine, particularly for cutting profiled elements according to the precharacterising portion of claim 1. Machines equipped with a circular cutting blade arranged, together with the various components for its operation, in a base or on a machining head lying above the base of the machine, have been in use for a long time for the multi-directional cutting of profiled elements. In a first case, the blade moves upwards in order to work, whereas the reverse occurs in a second case. Known machines have shown problems in machining parts of very short length; in fact, due to the unavoidable bulk of known machines, if two mutually coupled machining units are used, as normally occurs in any case, to machine the front and rear ends of a segment of a profiled element, the machining surfaces on which said profiled element can be rested cannot be moved mutually closer more than allowed by said bulks. A machine having the problems set forth above, is known from the document: SOVIET ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH, Vol 11, no 4, 1991, New York, US, pages 118-119 (V. DOTSENKO - "Installation for blank cutting") Furthermore, known machines, especially if provided with a box-like casing in which the motors are enclosed, suffer from motor overheating problems, and there is no possibility of reducing this problem. The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above by providing an omnidirectional cropping machine, particularly for cutting profiled elements, provided with a machining head which, paired with a similar one, allows to machine, over minimal distances, the parts to be cut. Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a machine which effectively avoids the overheating of the motors which actuate the cutting blades. Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which is structurally simple and is highly reliable in operation. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an omnidirectional cropping machine, according to the present invention and having the features set forth in Claim 1. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the machine according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic partially sectional front view of the machine according to the invention, in a first embodiment; figure 2 is a schematic partially sectional front view of the machine according to the invention, in a second embodiment; figure 3 is a schematic front view, taken similarly to figures 1 and 2, of the machine according to the invention in a third embodiment; figures 4 and 5 are views of a machine according to the invention equipped with two machining heads in two different operating conditions; figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of two embodiments of the motor assembly for the actuation of the cutting blade. With particular reference to figure 1, the machine according to the invention comprises at least one machining head, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, which comprises a first box-like frame 2 which is slideably mounted, in one direction and in the opposite direction, by means of rollers 3a, on horizontal guides 3 which are mutually parallel and supported by a base 4. As an alternative to what is illustrated, the guides 3 could also be contained within the base 4. A second frame 6 is articulated inside the first frame 2 about a first axis 5 which is arranged substantially at right angles to the extension of the guides 3; said second frame is preferably rectangular and in turn supports a third frame 9 inside it. The third frame 9 is articulated to the second frame 6 about a second axis 8 which is preferably parallel to one of the sides of the second frame 6 and is perpendicular to the first axis 5. The third frame 9 supports a cutting assembly comprising a motor assembly 10 which actuates, by means of known transmissions 11, a circular cutting blade 12 which can move, when actuated, together with the motor assembly 10, from an inactive position to a machining position in which it protrudes with a portion from the third frame 9 and from a slot 13 which is provided for this purpose in one of the sides of the second frame 6, so as to interfere with a part P to be cut arranged on a machining surface 14 which is fixed to the first frame 2 laterally to the second frame 6. The third frame 9 is substantially L-shaped, and its two sides are arranged on a same plane; the cutting assembly is supported by the third frame by means of an arm 9a which is pivoted to the third frame with one of its ends in the region where the two sides of said third frame join. The arm 9a has a curved portion in an intermediate region, and the blade 12 is pivoted at said curved portion. More particularly, in the first embodiment of the machine according to the invention, illustrated in figure 1, the first axis 5 is arranged horizontally and is at right angles to two of the sides of the second frame 6, and the second axis 8 is parallel to one of the sides of the third frame 9. To allow the passage of the blade 12 through the slot 13 defined in one of the sides of the second frame 6, the second axis 8 is parallel and proximate to the side of the second frame 6 in which said slot is defined and is arranged proximate to said side. The machine according to the invention comprises first actuation means 7 to cause the oscillation of the second frame 6 with respect to the first frame 2 about the axis 5; said means are preferably constituted by a fluid activated cylinder 16 which has one end articulated at an end 17 of a vertical support 18 which extends from the first frame 2 and the other end in turn articulated to a pivot 19 which is fixed to the corresponding side of the second frame 6. The oscillation of the third frame 9 about the axis 8 with respect to the second frame 6 can also be obtained by means of a further fluid activated cylinder 120 interposed between the second frame 6 and the third frame 9. The blade 12 is partially contained within a box-like housing 15, except for a portion 12a which is meant to protrude from the slot 13 when the blade is moved into the cutting position. The housing 15 has a flattened shape with a front cross-section which tapers toward the motor assembly 10. As shown in figures 6 and 7, the housing 15 can be connected directly to the lateral surface of the motor assembly 10 or can affect said lateral surface and protrude below said motor assembly. As shown in figure 2, the machine according to the invention in the second embodiment, generally designated by the reference numeral 1a, has the second frame 6 articulated to the first frame 2 about a first axis 5a which is arranged vertically and is at right angles to the plane of arrangement of the guides 3. The same reference numerals used to designate the same elements shown in figure 1 have been used to designate the elements of the machining head shown in figure 2, except for the first axis, which has been designated by the reference numeral 5a. Both in the first embodiment illustrated in figure 1 and in the second embodiment illustrated in figure 2, the transfer of the blade 12 from the inactive position to the cutting position is obtained by means of the oscillation of the entire cutting assembly about the axis 20, which is the axis about which the arm 9a is pivoted to the third frame 9. The axis 20 is at right angles to the plane of arrangement of the third frame 9, so that the oscillation of the blade in passing from the inactive position to the cutting position or vice versa, which can be obtained by virtue of known actuation means, for example a fluid activated cylinder, occurs on a plane which is parallel to the plane on which said third frame 9 is arranged. Furthermore, the axis 20 is located proximate to the corner of the third frame 9 which is in the immediate vicinity of the side of the second frame 6 in which the slot 13 is defined. In the third embodiment of the machine according to the invention, shown in figure 3 and generally designated by the reference numeral 1b, the machining head is composed, similarly to what has already been described with reference to the previous embodiments, of a first frame 2 to which a second frame 6 is articulated about a first axis 5; said second frame, which is preferably rectangular, in turn oscillably supports a third frame 9 about a second axis 8; the cutting assembly is mounted on said third frame. The actuation means which cause the oscillation of the second frame 6 with respect to the first frame 2, as well as the actuation means which cause the oscillation of the third frame 9 with respect to the second frame 6, are similar to those already described with reference to the preceding embodiments and therefore will not be described again. The elements of the machining head shown in figure 3, which correspond to the elements shown in figures 1 and 2, have been designated by the same reference numerals. Differently from the embodiments illustrated in figures 1 and 2, in the third embodiment the third frame 9 is substantially rectangular and the movement of the cutting assembly to transfer the blade 12 from the inactive position to the cutting position is achieved by means of a translatory motion of the cutting assembly along a guide 26 which is fixed to two opposite sides of the third frame 9. Said guide 26 is preferably arranged at right angles to the second axis 8, but it might also be parallel thereto. The movement of the cutting assembly along the guide 26 can be obtained for example by means of a fluid activated cylinder 27 which is fixed to the third frame 9 with one of its ends and acts on the cutting assembly with its other end. In this third embodiment, too, the blade 12 rotates inside a box-like housing 15 which conveys the air toward the motor assembly 10 to cool it. In all of the described embodiments, the fluid activated cylinders 120, 16 and 27 might be in any case replaced with other technically equivalent actuation means, such as for example screw-and-nut assemblies or other known actuation means. Preferably, the machine according to the invention, as shown particularly in figures 4 and 5, comprises two machining heads, such as those described with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3, which are mounted on the guides 3 and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane which is transverse to said guides 3. Said machining heads can move, when actuated, toward or away from each other along the guides 3 from a minimum mutual distance, which depends on the minimum distance "b" between the respective axes 5 about which the second frames 6 are articulated to the first frames, to a maximum mutual distance, which depends on the length of the guides 3. The operation of the machine according to the invention is as follows. If the machine has two machining heads, as usually occurs, the profiled elements P to be cut are placed on the working surfaces 14 each time; the inclinations of the cutting blades 12, which must correspond to the inclination of the cuts to be made, are preset by imparting the necessary combined rotations both of the second frames 6 with respect to the first frames 2, by means of the intervention of the cylinders 16, and of the third frames 9 with respect to the second frames 6, with the intervention of the cylinders 120. The active portions 12a of the cutting blades 12 are thus already orientated when they protrude from the related slots 13, due to the movement of the related cutting assemblies within the third frame 9, by an amount which is sufficient to completely cut the profiled element arranged on the machining surface 14. The machining heads 1 are arranged, as mentioned, at a preset mutual distance so as to obtain, after cutting, a segment of the profiled element P having the required length. The machine according to the invention is in any case capable of operating even with a single machining head. In this case, after cutting one end, the second frame 6 is rotated by an angle which is symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane which passes through the axis 5, and the profiled element P is made to slide on the working surface 14 until the section to be cut is positioned at the cutting blade 12. In practice it has been observed that the cropping machine according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since it is capable of performing very precise omnidirectional cuts even on extremely short profiled element segments. Furthermore, in the machine according to the invention, effective motor cooling is achieved by virtue of the housing which conveys air flow generated by the rotation of the cutting blade onto the motor which actuates said blade. The machine thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept as claimed. In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Omnidirectional cropping machine, particularly for cutting profiled elements, comprising at least one machining head (1, 1a, 1b) composed of: a first box-like frame (2) supported by a base (4); a second frame (6) which is articulated to said first frame (2) about a first axis (5, 5a) for being oscillatable, when actuated, about said first axis (5, 5a) inside said first frame (2); a third frame (9) which is articulated along one edge to said second frame (6) about a second axis (8) which is at right angles to said first axis (5, 5a), said third frame (9) being able to oscillate, when actuated, about said second axis (8), a cutting assembly (10, 11, 12) being mounted on said third frame (9), said cutting assembly being provided with a rotating cutting blade (12) and being movable, when actuated, with respect to said third frame (9) to pass from an inactive position to a cutting position in which said cutting blade (12) interferes with a part to be cut (P) which is positioned on a machining surface (14) outside said second frame (6), characterized in that said first frame (2) is slideably mounted along mutually parallel horizontal guides (3), said first axis (5, 5a) being arranged at right angles to said guides (3) and being defined by opposite articulation points located on opposite perimetric sides of said second frame (6), said sides of the second frame (6) defining a substantially confined space therebetween, said cutter assembly (10, 11, 12) being accommodated in said confined space in said inactive position while, in said active position, the cutter assembly is movable so that a portion (12a) of said cutting blade (12) protrudes from said confined space for interfering with the part to be cut (P). Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said cutting assembly comprises a motor assembly (10) for actuating said cutting blade (12), a box-like housing (15) being arranged around said cutting blade (12), said housing being connected to said motor assembly (10) to convey onto said motor assembly (10) a flow of air generated by the rotation of said cutting blade (12), said cutting blade (12) protruding with one of its portions from said housing (15) and from a slot (13) which is defined in said second frame (6) and opens onto a machining surface (14) which is substantially horizontal and rigidly coupled to said first frame. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two machining heads (1, 1a, 1b) which are mounted on said guides (3) and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane which is transverse to said guides (3), said machining heads (1, 1a, 1b) being movable, when actuated, toward or away from each other along said guides (3) from a minimum mutual distance, which depends on the minimum distance (b) between the respective axes (5, 5a) for the articulation of the second frames (6) to the first frames (2), to a maximum mutual distance, which is defined by the length of said guides (3). Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said second frame (6) is substantially rectangular with two sides arranged substantially at right angles to said first axis (5, 5a) and in that said second axis (8) for the articulation of the third frame (9) to the second frame (6) is substantially parallel and proximate to the side of said second frame (6) in which said slot (13) is defined. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises first means for actuating the oscillation of said second frame (6) with respect to said first frame (2) about said first axis (5, 5a), said first actuation means comprising at least one first fluid activated cylinder (16) which is articulated with one of its ends to a support (18) which is rigidly coupled to said first frame (2) and with its other end articulated to a pivot (19) which is connected to the corresponding side of said second frame (6). Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises second means for actuating the oscillation of said third frame (9) about said second axis (8) with respect to said second frame (6), said second actuation means being constituted by a further fluid activated cylinder (120) which is mounted on a side of said second frame (6) which is at right angles to said second axis (8) and acts on said third frame (9) with one of its ends. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first axis (5) is arranged horizontally. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims 1-6, characterized in that said first axis (5a) is arranged vertically. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cutting assembly is mounted on an arm (9a) which is arranged inside said third frame (9) and is articulated thereto about a third axis (20) which is substantially at right angles to the plane of arrangement of said third frame (9), said arm (9a) having a curved region at an intermediate portion, the cutting blade (12) being pivoted at said curved region, third actuation means being provided which act on said arm (9a) for the oscillation of said cutting assembly about said third axis (20) for the transfer of the blade (12) from the inactive position to the cutting position or vice versa. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said arm (9a) is pivoted to said third frame (9) in the region where two sides of said third frame (9) join, proximate to said second axis (8). Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims 1-8, characterized in that said cutting assembly is slideably mounted on a sliding guide (26) which is rigidly coupled to said third frame (9) and arranged inside it, said sliding guide (26) extending along a direction which is substantially perpendicular to said second axis (8), third actuation means (27) being provided which act on said cutting assembly to move it along said sliding guide (26) for the transfer of the blade (12) from said inactive position to said cutting position or vice versa. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said box-like housing (15) has a flattened shape with a front cross-section which tapers toward said motor assembly (10). Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower portion of said box-like housing (15) extends perimetrically with respect to said motor assembly (10). Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third actuation means comprise a fluid activated cylinder (27) which is interposed between said cutting assembly and said third frame (9). Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said actuation means are constituted by screw-and-nut assemblies. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first frame (2) is mounted on said guides (3) with rollers (3a) interposed. Machine, of the type set forth in claim 1, having a cutter assembly comprising : a motor assembly (10) for actuating a cutting blade (12), and a box-like housing (15) being arranged around said cutting blade (12), said cutter assembly being characterized in that said housing has a front cross section which tapers towards said motor assembly (10) to which the housing (15) is connected so as to convey onto said motor assembly (10) a flow of air generated by the rotation of said cutting blade (12).

Inventors: CAIUMI GIUSEPPE, CAIUMI, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: EMMEGI SRL, EMMEGI S.R.L.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B23D45
IPC codes: B23D45