Patent GB-635615-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the means for and the method of manufacturing articles such as doors
IPC: B65G37/00
Filed: 1947-01-23
Abstract: 635,615. Constructing doors and the like. BROUGH, R. A. Jan. 23, 1947, No. 2072. [Classes 145 (i) and 145 (ii)] Relates to a method of and apparatus for constructing doors and the like which comprise a pair of longitudinal styles or a number of cross-rails fixed thereto by dowels, the spaces between the rails and styles being occupied by panels of, e.g., wood or glass. The invention consists in assembling a pair of styles 1 in spaced parallel relationship; feeding them to lie longitudinally on a conveyor 23 which conveys them to fitting devices 96 at a fitting-station X; feeding two or more rails 2, 3 to position them in spaced parallel relationship and transversely on a second conveyer 7 which conveys the rails to locate them between the styles and present them to clamping devices at the fitting-station X; drilling dowel holes in the styles and rails; fitting dowels in an appropriate number of said holes; actuating the said clamping devices to anchor the rails at the fitting station; and actuating the said fitting devices to move the styles laterally towards the rails to fit them together by means of the dowels projecting into the remaining holes. The styles and rails are conveyed intermittently so that the operations of drilling, glueing, &c. are performed while they are stationary. At an assembly table 6 at one end of the machine rails 2, 3 are spaced transversely and panels 4 are fitted; this assembly is placed by hand in jigs on an endless belt 7 which conveys it successively to a station 48 where the rails are drilled by drills 47, a station 72 where glue is applied to the holes, a station 88 where horizontally-arranged dowel pins are inserted in said holes, and to the fitting-station X. At X the rail assembly is met by the styles 1-previously drilled at a station 58, glued at station 72 and conveyed to X by two endless belts 23-where the styles are fitted to the rail assembly. The fitted door &c. is carried by the belt 7 on to a pivoted frame 98 which overbalances, whereupon a ram 99 pushes the door on to a conveyer 100 transverse to the conveyers 7, 23. The belts 7, 23 are driven by a motor 24 provided with starting and stopping gear controlled by a rotating cam 25 on a cam-shaft 26. The sprocket 29 driven by the motor 24 is free on the shaft 31 but may be connected thereto by a clutch 32 actuated by levers 33, 34 from the cam 25, the latter being driven by a motor 35 through a gear-box 35a. Chains and sprockets 36, 37 connect the shaft 31 with the belts 23, 7 respectively to give the required intermittent drive thereto. To ensure coincidence between this intermittent motion and the arrival of styles or rail assemblies at any operating station, stops 38 on the belt 7 engage a sliding rod 39 to rock levers 40, 41 to release a detent 42 on an arm 43 from engagement with a notch 41a. When the belts are traversing, the detent 42 engages the notch while the high part of the cam 25 engages the lever 34. When the lower part of the cam 25 on its rotation comes into contact with the lever 34 the latter turns to throw out the clutch 32 through the action of the rod 44 and arm 33, only when a stop 38 engages the rod 39 to release the detent 42. To ensure no overrunning, a brake 45 is provided on the shaft 31, the brake being actuated by a solenoid energized and de-energized through contacts 46 by the arm 43. The operations of drilling &c. are carried out by pneumatically-operated devices, timed to operate at the appropriate positions by a second cam 27 on the shaft 26, through the intermediary of a main valve 27a, while pneumatically-actuated clamps such as 57 (see Fig. 7) hold the work at each operation. Glue is applied at stations 72 by means of pistons and cylinders 78, 79 (Fig. 12, not shown), which are raised pneumatically against stops 84 which then force glue from the cylinders through holes 80 therein into the adjacent holes previously drilled in the styles and rails. The final assembling at station X is also by means of a pneumatically-actuated device, the rams 95 of which force the styles into contact with the dowelled rail assembly 2-4 (see Fig. 16, not shown). The rails may be " scribed " or moulded, preferably after drilling, by associating suitable rotary cutters with the machine; preferably also a safety device comprising switches each controlling one operating mechanism and in series with a main switch for operating the conveyers, is employed.