Abstract:
Apparatus for producing rectangular furniture boards with a glued-on edge, in which the following are arranged one after another in the passage direction: 
     a longitudinal sawing device ( 14 ), which divides a rectangular initial board ( 12 ) into a plurality of parallel longitudinal boards ( 12   a   , 12   b   , 12   c   , 12   d ), 
     a longitudinal gluing device ( 31 ), which in each case glues a longitudinal edge onto both longitudinal sides of a longitudinal board ( 12   a ) passing through and machines the edge, 
     a transverse sawing device ( 38 ), which divides a longitudinal board ( 12   a ) transversely with respect to its longitudinal direction into furniture boards ( 39 ) with a predetermined size, 
     a transverse gluing device ( 40 ), which in each case glues a transverse edge onto both transverse sides of a furniture board ( 39 ) passing through and machines this edge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an apparatus for producing rectangular furniture boards, which are sawn from an initial board and onto which an edge is glued. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In order to produce such furniture boards, production centres are known which comprise a board saw, an edge gluing machine and a CNC drilling machine. The plate saw cuts furniture boards from a large-format initial board in accordance with a preprogrammed cutting plan. After the job of the plate saw has been completed, a bar code, which contains information, is applied to the respective furniture boards. 
     After being cut to size by the board saw, the furniture boards are passed on by an operator, in an uncoordinated manner and generally manually, to the edge gluing machine, which is loaded manually. 
     In the edge gluing machine, the edges of the workpieces exposed by the dividing cut in the board saw are provided with an appropriate edge and these edges are finally machined. As a rule, all four sides are provided with edges, which are to some extent also different, so that it is necessary to pass through the edge gluing machine four times. In the worst case, therefore, the cut edges of all four sides have to be provided with appropriate bar codes. In the case of manual loading, this leads to complications and to a slowing of the sequence. Since the workpieces also have to be removed manually at the outlet of the edge gluing machine or transported back to the operator via a return system, a coordinated and automated sequence in the case of a plurality of different board sizes and edging materials is possible only with great difficulty. The known apparatus is therefore primarily suitable for machining parts which are as standard as possible. The finally edged parts are then stacked on suitable aids, such as pallets and the like. Some of these boards are then passed onto the CNC drilling machine, in which the boards are provided with holes. By means of reading bar codes on the workpiece, an appropriate program can be activated. However, inserting the workpieces into the CNC drilling machine and removing them is likewise carried out manually. 
     Furthermore, large systems for producing furniture boards are known, which likewise in principle have three machining machines, namely a board saw, an edge gluing machine and a CNC drilling machine with a high efficiency. The board saw saws workpieces of equal size from large-format initial boards, the said workpieces then being supplied via a transfer device to a double-sided edge gluing machine, which in each case carries out two edging operations in one pass. Because of the efficient processing apparatuses, it is possible to operate with a high passage speed. The processing apparatuses are set up on line by means of appropriate programmes or directly by an operator. This is tolerable in the case of large mass production. However, in the case of small batch sizes, large systems are not profitable. 
     In addition to the extremely high space requirement and the investment costs, a high outlay on set-up when changing over to other jobs primarily has a negative effect. Furthermore, automation that is flexible and provided with logistic intelligence is not provided, since these systems are aimed at large mass production from the start. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the object of providing a flexible apparatus for producing rectangular furniture boards with a glued-on edge whose operation can be automated in a straightforward manner. 
     This object is achieved by an apparatus having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention form the subject matter of claims 2 to 5. 
     The apparatus according to the invention offers the possibility of automating the operating sequence thoroughly. This encompasses the planning, the design, the job processing, the machine control, the operating sequence optimization, the data processing for recalculation and capacity calculations. By means of automatic sequence optimization within the apparatus, a very flexible production facility is achieved. Only a minimum number staff is required. In addition, the space required for the machining and the transport within the apparatus is low. 
     Particular flexibility is achieved by the transverse gluing device for gluing on and machining one of the transverse edges having a plurality of machining stations which are arranged one after another in the passage direction and can be fed in independently of one another transversely with respect to the passage direction of the final board. The individual machining stations are, for example, a joining station, a capping station, a milling station and a corner rounding station. The ability to feed them in independently makes it possible for a workpiece of a specific size to be machined in the joining station, for example, while another workpiece of a different size is being machined in the capping station. 
     The apparatus preferably has a control device, into which operating jobs for producing boards with a specific size and specific edges are entered. Stored in the control device is optimization software which, by using the operating jobs, controls the longitudinal sawing device, the longitudinal gluing device, the transverse sawing device and the transverse gluing device in such a way that the optimum machining performance is achieved with minimum consumption of material. A CNC drilling machine following the transverse gluing device can also be controlled by the control device. 
     Still greater flexibility is achieved if the longitudinal gluing device and the transverse gluing device each have a plurality of edge magazines with different edges, which are chosen by the control device as required. The longitudinal gluing device and the transverse gluing device can in each case have a plurality of gluing stations with different adhesives, which are likewise chosen by the control device as required. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below using drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an apparatus for producing furniture parts; 
     FIG. 2 shows the apparatus from FIG. 1 in the area of a longitudinal gluing device and a following transverse sawing device in the initial position; 
     FIG. 3 shows the apparatus from FIG. 1 in the area of a longitudinal gluing device and a following transverse sawing device in the sawing position; 
     FIG. 4 shows the apparatus from FIG. 1 in the area of a transverse gluing device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As FIG. 1 shows, the apparatus for producing rectangular furniture boards has a board magazine  10 , a longitudinal sawing device  14 , a longitudinal gluing device  31 , a transverse sawing device  38  and a transverse gluing device  40 , which are arranged one after another in the passage direction of a workpiece. Between the individual devices, transport apparatuses (not shown) are provided, which transport a workpiece from one device to the next. 
     In the board magazine  10 , a number of large-format rectangular initial boards, for example particle boards  12 , are stored one above another. The board magazine  10  is followed by the longitudinal sawing device  14 , in which in each case an initial board  12  from the board magazine  10  is deposited. In the longitudinal sawing device  14 , the initial board  12  is divided up in the longitudinal direction, that is to say in the passage direction, into a plurality of longitudinal boards  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ,  12   d.    
     The longitudinal sawing device  14  is followed in the passage direction by the longitudinal gluing device  31 , which comprises two longitudinal gluing units  32 ,  33  which are arranged in mirror-image fashion, in each case glue a longitudinal edge  24  and  26  onto a longitudinal side of a longitudinal board  12   a  sawn in the longitudinal sawing device  14  and machine the said longitudinal edge. In order to adapt to the width of a longitudinal board  12   a  passing through, the upper longitudinal gluing unit  32  in FIG. 1 can be adjusted perpendicular to the passage direction. 
     As FIG. 2 shows, each longitudinal unit  32 ,  33  of the longitudinal gluing device  31  has, one after another in the passage direction, a joining device  52 , a gluing device  54  with edge feed and pressure zone, a premilling device  56  and a precision milling device  58 . The gluing device  54  in each case glues an edge  24  and  26 , respectively, supplied from an edge magazine  16 ,  18 , onto a longitudinal side of a longitudinal board  12   a  passing through. The edge glued on is machined by the premilling device  56  and the precision machining device  58 . 
     After emerging from the longitudinal gluing device  31 , the longitudinal board  12   a  is transferred over a roller table  72  to a transverse sawing device  38 . The transverse sawing device  38  has two stops  68 ,  70 , which the longitudinal board  12   a  strikes in order to be machined. The stop  68  is fitted in a fixed location, while the stop  70  is adjustable at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a  in order to match the width of the longitudinal board  12   a.    
     The transverse sawing device  38  has a transverse sawing unit  60  with a three-phase motor, to whose shaft a circular saw blade  62  is fitted, the plane of the latter running transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a . The transverse sawing unit  60  can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a  by means of a longitudinal guide  66 , and transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a  by means of a transverse guide device  64 . 
     In the transverse sawing device  38 , the longitudinal board  12   a  is cut through in the transverse direction at the dividing lines  36  indicated by dashed lines in FIG.  1 . For this purpose, the transverse sawing unit  60  is moved firstly in the longitudinal direction at the height of the corresponding dividing line and then moved transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a , the longitudinal board  12   a  being divided through in the transverse direction. The severed furniture board  39  is then conveyed at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal board  12   a , over a roller table  74 , in the direction of the transverse gluing device  40 , and the remaining part of the longitudinal board  12 a is transported onward until it strikes the stops  68 ,  70 . The next saw cut along a dividing line  36  on the longitudinal board  12   a  is then carried out. 
     At the same time, the severed furniture board  39  is conveyed into the transverse gluing device  40 . As shown in particular in FIG. 4, the transverse gluing device  40  has two transverse gluing units  41 ,  43 , each of which is associated with a transverse edge (with respect to the longitudinal board  12   a ). The passage direction through the transverse gluing device  40  runs at right angles to the passage direction of the longitudinal board  12   a  through the longitudinal gluing device  31  into the transverse sawing device  38 . 
     The transverse gluing unit  41  shown on the right in FIG. 4 is arranged in a fixed location. It has, one behind another in the passage direction, a joining device  76 , a gluing device  78 , a capping device  80 , a milling device  82  and a comer rounding device  84 . The gluing device  78  is supplied with an edge  28  from an edge magazine  20 . The machining plane of the transverse gluing unit  41  is flush with the stop plane of the stops  68 ,  70  of the transverse sawing device  38 . 
     The left-hand transverse gluing unit  43  likewise has a joining device  42 , a gluing device  44 , a capping device  46 , a milling device  48  and a corner rounding device  50 , which are arranged opposite the corresponding devices belonging to the transverse gluing unit  41 . In order to match the width of a furniture board  39 , the joining device  42 , together with the gluing device  44  and the capping device  46 , the milling device  48  and the corner rounding device  50 , can be adjusted independently of one another at right angles to the passage direction. 
     During the passage of a furniture board  39  through the transverse gluing device  40 , first of all an edge  20  and  30 , respectively, is glued onto each side of the furniture board  39  by the gluing devices  78 ,  44 . Then, the edge sections projecting at the ends are capped by the capping devices  80 ,  46 . The edges are then milled by the milling devices  82 ,  48 . Finally, the corners are rounded by the comer rounding devices  84 ,  50 . 
     After leaving the transverse gluing device  40 , the furniture boards are supplied to a CNC drilling device (not shown), in which holes for the installation or for the accommodation of installed parts are provided. 
     Since the joining device  42  together with gluing device  44  and the capping device  46 , the milling device  48  and the comer rounding device  50  can be adjusted independently of one another transversely with respect to the passage direction of the furniture board  39 , it is possible to machine a furniture board  39  with a specific size by means of the joining devices  42 ,  76 , the gluing devices  44 ,  78  and the capping devices  46 ,  80 , while other furniture boards  39  with a different size can be machined by the milling devices  48 ,  82  and the comer rounding devices  50 ,  84 . This increases the flexibility. 
     All devices belonging to the apparatus according to the invention for producing rectangular furniture boards are coordinated and controlled by means of a control device (not shown), depending on the operating jobs entered into the control device. The data required for the production are stored in the control device for all the machining steps and stations, respectively. By means of dedicated optimization software, the individual sequences in the corresponding devices are activated. 
     In addition to automation and monitoring, this sequence permits a very efficient production operation with good passage speeds. This is achieved in that the parts with a standardized width dimension and provided with a standard edge are combined in terms of length, and the respective part with the total length is severed from the large-format initial board at the longitudinal cutting device  14 . Edging in the longitudinal gluing device  31  on a continuous board length of 2.8 m, for example, is significantly faster than edging, for example, seven individual parts with lengths of 0.20 to 1 m, for example, since these parts would have to be transported individually and machined with a consequent spacing between the individual parts. Only during the subsequent transverse division in the transverse sawing device  38  are these individual dimensions considered and the longitudinal boards  12   a  appropriately cut to length. As a result of the division by machine in the longitudinal gluing device  14  and transverse gluing device  40 , although in total more individual units are needed than, for example, in the case of a double-sided edge gluing machine, as a result of the lower passage speeds at the same capacity, these individual units can be designed significantly more simply, that is to say shorter and more cost-effectively. 
     Still greater flexibility is achieved if the longitudinal gluing device  14  and the transverse gluing device  40  each have a plurality of edge magazines  16 ,  18 ,  22 ,  28  with different edges, which can be chosen by the control device as required. In addition, in each case a plurality of gluing stations can be provided with different adhesives, which are likewise chosen by the control device as required.