Patent Publication Number: US-2019168350-A1

Title: Device for machining rod-shaped workpieces such as window profiles or door profiles

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The invention relates to a device for machining rod-shaped workpieces such as window profiles or door profiles, which are movable by means of a transportation device in at least one horizontal plane and wherein a machining device having tools, which is spatially aligned in the perpendicular plane in relation to the workpiece, is provided in a plane arranged substantially perpendicularly to the movement direction of the workpieces. 
     Numerous different work procedures are to be carried out during the machining of profiles which are used for producing doors or windows. Such profiles can consist of or comprise plastic, metal, or wood. A combination of various materials is also possible. If, for example, plastic hollow profiles for windows are machined, drainage slots have to be milled diagonally into the rebate and/or on the bottom and/or in the front. Moreover, closing part position boreholes are to be placed on a fixed frame profile and/or on a transom profile. Furthermore, lock cases possibly have to be milled out. Center screws for roller blinds, guide rails, and rain guards also have to be installed. Furthermore, corner bracket boreholes are to be provided in the sash bearing cover fitting. Typical diameters for drainage and ventilation slots are, for example, 5 mm here, while the closing part boreholes and the corner bracket boreholes always have a diameter of 3 mm. To be able to produce these different boreholes and milled grooves, various machining tools are required, such as drills or milling cutters in different sizes. 
     In the case of automated machining, the possibility is lost of being able to exchange the drill bits, for example, in a single drill, because the effort for this purpose would be excessively large. It is simpler to provide drills each having different bits or different drilling and milling tools from the outset. 
     To address this machining expenditure and to provide automated machining as much as possible here, a device for machining components is known from DE 197 25 043 A1. The known device has for this purpose a machining device, having its machining units which are spatially aligned in relation to the workpiece, extending in the plane arranged substantially perpendicular to the movement direction of the components. The machining tools are located for this purpose on a carrier element, and therefore the machining tools provided on the carrier element appropriately begin machining by movement of the yoke-like carrier element in relation to the workpiece provided in the transportation direction. 
     In this known embodiment, it is considered to be disadvantageous that the machining tools provided on the carrier element are still in need of substantial improvement with respect to the flexible machining on the workpiece and also with respect to the machining speed on the workpiece. 
     It is desirable to refine a device for machining rod-shaped workpieces of the type, which ensures a higher level of processing reliability with respect to the machining of the workpiece while providing a careful surface treatment, on the one hand, wherein in particular the machining time of the workpiece is also to be substantially shortened. Moreover, it is desirable to make the machining access of the machining tool to the workpiece on the transportation device substantially more flexible. 
     The advantages achieved by aspects of the invention are that using the device according to the invention for machining, the access directions of the machining tools in the perpendicular plane in relation to the transported workpiece are made substantially more flexible, since the machining tools are arranged so they are movable on two partial circle paths in relation to the workpiece to be transported. The high level of flexibility and the reduction of the machining time is substantially achieved in that the two partial circle segments on which the machining tools are provided can be moved independently of one another, and therefore parallel machining can take place on both sides of the workpiece. For this purpose, the machining device consists of or comprises partial circle segments arranged adjustably in relation to one another, on the partial circle arcs of which the tools are movable. The individual partial circle segments are each movable independently of one another in the X, Y, and Z directions in the device framework. The possibility therefore exists that the milling or drilling tool can engage on the workpiece at an angle to the workpiece and in different angular positions here. In this case, because of the two partial circle segments movable independently of one another in the spatial position, the possibility now exists that the machining can take place on both sides at different engagement points on the workpiece, and therefore the machining time on a workpiece is thus halved. 
     In a refinement of an aspect of the invention, it is particularly advantageous that the one partial circle segment is arranged on a movable column and wherein the other partial circle segment is movably arranged on a gantry. The partial circle segments complete one another in this case to form a circular ring, wherein the individual partial circle segments are each arranged adjacent to the transportation device for the rod-shaped workpiece. Because of the design that the one partial circle segment is provided on a column, wherein the other partial circle segment is arranged on a gantry, the possibility now exists that the two partial circle segments can act on the workpiece and/or the transportation device here while pivoted by an angle amount. The partial circle segment arranged on the gantry thus overlaps the transportation device by a radian measure from above, wherein the partial circle segment arranged on the column engages below the transportation device by a radian measure from below. For the mobility of the tools on the partial circle segments, this therefore has the result that these tools can be moved up beyond the transportation device, and therefore machining of the workpiece from above is ensured. This correspondingly also results for the other partial circle segment, which engages under the workpiece from below. The partial circle segment arranged on the gantry is thus advantageously arranged on a circular arc dimension section which extends between the circle angles of approximately 135° to 315°, wherein the partial circle segment correspondingly arranged opposite on the column is arranged in completion of the circular ring, i.e., from 315° to 135°. It is also conceivable that the partial circle segments can be positioned on circular arc sections of 20° to 200° and correspondingly of 200° to 20°. 
     According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, a movable carriage is provided on each of the partial circle segments, on which a motor and the machining tools are arranged. To move the tools on the partial circle segments, a toothed belt is tensioned on the external lateral arc of the respective partial circle segment, which cooperates with a gearwheel arranged on a motor axis. Providing other means for the formfitting connection are also conceivable for this purpose, for example, a curved toothed rack in order to move the carriage along the path. 
     The motor is designed in this case as a servomotor, and therefore it can be actuated for forward or reverse running, in order to provide the movement of the carriage and thus the machining tools on the partial circle segment in this manner. The motor axis is aligned with the gearwheel perpendicular to the partial circle segment, wherein contact pressure rollers are mounted on the carriage for the toothed rack belt in each case in front of and behind the gearwheel. As a result of this design, the flexibly held toothed rack belt is guided and held by positive guiding via the gearwheel on the motor axis. This is only one example of a type of drive which can be used for the partial circle movement path. 
     In a refinement, the tools designed as milling cutters or drills are arranged on the carriage, wherein the tools are movably and/or displaceably arranged on the carriage. As a result of the control thereof, they can be moved accordingly in relation to the workpiece to execute their work steps there, wherein they can thus be moved on a fourth axis in relation to the X, Y, and Z axes, which are specified by the column or the gantry. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated solely schematically in the drawings and will be described in greater detail hereafter. In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective illustration of the machining device according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the machining device according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective illustration of the drive for the movable carriage, and 
         FIG. 4  shows a further illustration of the drive for the carriage in a further illustration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a device  1  for machining rod-shaped workpieces, for example, window profiles or door profiles (not shown in greater detail), which are movable by means of a transportation device  2  in at least one horizontal plane, the Z plane here according to the coordinate cross. The transportation device  2  can be seen better here in  FIG. 2 , where it is shown in the center of the device  1 . The transportation device  2  can be movably arranged in a horizontal plane for this purpose, and therefore the rod-shaped workpieces arranged on the transportation device  2  can be guided through and/or moved through the machining device  1 . Other transportation devices are also conceivable, for example, transportation jaws, which are not shown in greater detail here. The plane of the transportation device corresponds here to the movement direction in the Z direction, as is identified in greater detail in the coordinate system in  FIG. 1 . 
     In a plane arranged substantially perpendicularly to the movement direction of the workpieces on the transportation device  2 , the Y plane here, a machining device  3  having tools  4  is provided, which is spatially aligned in the perpendicular plane Y in relation to the workpiece. As can be seen clearly in particular from  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the machining device  3  consists of or comprises partial circle segments  5  and  6 , which are adjustable in relation to one another and are arranged on planes, and on the partial circle arcs  7  and  8  of which the tools  4  are movably arranged. The individual partial circle segments  5  and  6  are each movable on a framework  9  of the device  1  for this purpose in each case in the X, Y, and Z directions. In this case, the one partial circle segment  5  is arranged on a movable column  10  and the other partial circle segment  6  is arranged movably on a gantry  11 . The partial circle segment  5  on the column  10  is movable up or down in each case in the Y direction in this case, wherein it can be moved in the X direction on or with the column  10  on a carriage  12 . The carriage  12  in turn can be moved on the framework  9  of the device  1  in the Z direction according to the arrow. 
     The partial circle segment  6  mounted and supported in the gantry  11  is also moved in all three axes, wherein the Z axis can be seen as the upper carriage  13  in the upper region of the portal  11 . A downwardly oriented column  14 , on which the partial circle segment  6  can be moved upward and downward, i.e., in the Y direction, is provided on the carriage  13 . A corresponding horizontally movable axis in the X direction is accordingly provided on the column  14  facing downward, and therefore the partial circle segment  6  can be moved accordingly toward the center or away from the center. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 2  in particular, the partial circle segments  5  and  6  are each arranged adjacent to the transportation device  2  for the rod-shaped workpiece to complete a circular ring  16 . As can furthermore be clearly seen from  FIG. 2 , the partial circle segment  6  arranged on the gantry  11  is arranged on a circular arc section, which extends between the circle angles of approximately 135° to 315°, wherein accordingly the partial circle segment  5  arranged on the column  10  is arranged opposite in completion of the circular ring  16 . Because of this design, it is possible that the tools  4  arranged on the partial circle segments  5  and  6  can each be moved over the workpiece to be machined in one case from above and accordingly also can be moved under the workpiece from below. The tools  4  on the partial circle segment  6 , which is provided on the gantry  11 , can therefore move here beyond the 0°/360° position. This accordingly also applies for the lower partial circle, where the tools  4  can be moved here beyond a 180° position. 
     As is recognizable from each of  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 , a movable carriage  17 , on which a motor  18  and the tools  4  is arranged, is arranged on each of the partial circle segments  5 ,  6 . As can be seen clearly in particular from  FIG. 3 , a toothed belt  20 , which interacts with a gearwheel  22  arranged on the motor axis  21 , is tensioned in each case on the outer lateral arc  19  of the partial circle segments  5 ,  6 . The motor axis  21  is arranged in this case parallel to the partial circle segments  5 ,  6 , with the gearwheel  22  perpendicular. As can be seen clearly from  FIG. 3 , contact pressure rollers  23  and  24  are mounted on the carriage  17  for the toothed belt  20  in each case in front of and behind the gearwheel  22 . As a result of this arrangement, a positive guide of the toothed belt  20  results via the gearwheel  22  such that as it runs on, targeted guiding takes place on the gearwheel  22 , wherein as it runs off from the gearwheel  22 , the toothed belt  20  rests on the lateral arc  19  of the partial circle segments  5 ,  6  again. 
     As can be seen in particular from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tools  4  designed as milling cutters or drills are arranged on the carriage  17 . As can furthermore be seen, the tools  4  are movably and/or displaceably supported in relation to the center axis on the carriage  17  in this case. 
     A four-axis machining station therefore results for the degree of freedom of the individual tool  4 , wherein the three axes of the spatial coordinate system come to bear at once here, as a result of the mounting of the individual partial circle segments  5 ,  6 , whether it is on the column  10  or on the portal  11 , wherein the fourth axis is enabled in different positions in relation to the workpiece and in particular here in different angular positions in relation to the workpiece by the movement and/or the displacement of the tool  4  on the partial circle segment  5 ,  6 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           01  device 
           02  transportation device 
           03  machining device 
           04  tools 
           05  partial circle segment 
           06  partial circle segment 
           07  partial circle arc 
           08  partial circle arc 
           09  framework 
           10  column 
           11  gantry 
           12  carriage 
           13  carriage 
           14  column oriented downward 
           15  horizontal axis 
           16  circular ring 
           17  tool carriage 
           18  motor 
           19  lateral arc 
           20  toothed belt 
           21  motor axis 
           22  gearwheel 
           23  contact pressure roller 
           24  contact pressure roller