Abstract:
Method and device for making a relief surface to improve surface quality. The method is that, simultaneously with the main element&#39;s movement in two mutually perpendicular directions, it is being moved in horizontal and vertical planes along various paths. The device contains horizontal and vertical supports installed on a motionless chassis and a program controlled mechanisms with a position regulating drive to set the stock width.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
         [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of PCT/RU 02/00309, filed Jun. 26, 2002, entitled METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MAKING A RELIEF SURFACE”, which claims priority from Russian patent application No. RU 2001117990 filed Jul. 2, 2001, now Russian Patent No. 2,181,669.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention pertains to ornamental art and in particular to a method of decorating articles to create relief images.  
           [0003]    There is an existing method of creating relief surfaces where stock is supplied lengthwise and its surface is processed by a driven cutting element that simultaneously moves by means of a set program in two mutually perpendicular directions along the stock surface.  
           [0004]    The device for making a relief surface described there has an installed on the motionless foundation: mobile frame and a drive mechanism to supply stock that are program controlled, and main element including cutters installed on the mobile frame (see RU patent 2094238, B 44 B 3/00, 27.10.1997—analog and prototype).  
           [0005]    A disadvantage of the existing method is that the device, in which the method of plane-parallel motion of the working element is used, has low productivity and low processing speed because of the complexity and the weight of the moving parts. The sluggishness and the heavy load on the actuator&#39;s elements results in poor quality of an achieved relief.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The technical achievement of the invention is the improved quality of the relief surface and the possibility of creating an infinite number of pictures and patterns.  
           [0007]    In this method it is accomplished by a simultaneous movement of the driven cutting element in two mutually perpendicular directions and by its movement in horizontal and vertical planes along curves with various trajectories and by making free oscillating and arc-like movements while being constantly balanced and steadied against the vertical and horizontal axes.  
           [0008]    The device accomplishes this by means of:  
           [0009]    Horizontal and vertical supports installed on a motionless chassis and a program controlled mechanism that forms the width of the stock and a drive to regulate its position,  
           [0010]    a mechanism to form the shape of stock edges with a drive to regulate its position,  
           [0011]    hold-down mechanisms,  
           [0012]    a chain driven spring-loaded controlled mechanism, kinematically connected to spring-loaded feeding rollers to move stock,  
           [0013]    a device installed on a horizontal support to move the mobile frame horizontally,  
           [0014]    a device installed on a vertical support to move the mobile frame vertically and a device to move horizontal and vertical support pillars at an angle around the vertical axis for five-axis processing of the stock where the main element, or cutting tool installed on the free end of the mobile frame is a cutter shaft connected to the electric motor by (for example) a belt transmission, or an end mill, or a laser,  
           [0015]    a holder with cutters to form the width of the stock connected to the electric motor that can adjust and lock position,  
           [0016]    figure cutters to form the shape of the stock edges that contain a holder connected to the electric motor that can adjust and lock position,  
           [0017]    hold-down mechanisms installed before and after the cutting tool that contain spring-loaded rollers, mounted so that they can self adjust to move stock of various thicknesses,  
           [0018]    spring-loaded feeding rollers to move the stock that contain top and bottom bearing support pillars, holding shafts with chain sprockets of the chain mechanism and leading and holding-down rollers located on them that can provide stable hold-down for the surface of stock of various thicknesses, where bottom bearing supports pillars can adjust and lock position in relation to the top bearing support pillars,  
           [0019]    a device for horizontal movement of the mobile frame that contains a ball-and-screw connected to the motor by a pivot ball-jointed link at the free end that has the ability to affect the mobile frame in the horizontal plane,  
           [0020]    a device for vertical movement of the mobile frame that contains a ball-and-screw connected to the motor by a pivot ball jointed link at the free end that has the ability to affect the mobile frame in the vertical plane where the mobile frame is installed on a motionless chassis on separate vertical and horizontal axes to provide for the movement of the cutting tool in the horizontal and vertical planes along curves with various trajectories and to provide oscillating arc-like movements of various patterns and to provide for the frame&#39;s active balanced state in relation to the vertical and horizontal axes where the drive of the mechanism to feed the stock is made so that it can regulate the speed of stock feeding to apply infinite numbers of patterns.  
           [0021]    The shape of the stock cross-section can be elliptical, circular, hexagonal, square, octagonal, rectangular, etc.  
           [0022]    Stock can be flat or disk shaped and secured on a rotary table. In this case a stock feeding is a revolving of the stock on its axis.  
           [0023]    The cutting edge of the figure cutters to form stock edges can be (for example):  
           [0024]    a rectilinear section, opposing arc-like sections and a rectilinear section with the smaller dimension lengthwise width that are smoothly linked, or  
           [0025]    arc-like sections and a linear section with the reduced lengthwise width that are smoothly linked, or  
           [0026]    linear terraced sections that are smoothly linked, or  
           [0027]    symmetrically located linear sections along the longitudinal axis with alternating pits.  
           [0028]    The cutting edge of the one-piece figure cutters installed on the cutter shaft contains (for example):  
           [0029]    linear and serrated sections on one side and linked lengthwise arc-like, linear and serrated sections on the opposite side, or  
           [0030]    linked sinusoidal sections on one side and linked linear and arc-like sections on the opposite side.  
           [0031]    The cutting edge of the sectional figure cutters installed on the cutter shaft contain (for example):  
           [0032]    a convex section with an overhang on the face plane, or  
           [0033]    a shifted convex section, or  
           [0034]    a triangular section with the teeth at the top, or  
           [0035]    a convex slanted section, or  
           [0036]    a sinusoidal section with concave and linear sections.  
           [0037]    Wood, stone, metal, plastic, foam, and other materials can be used as stock material. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0038]    The essence of the invention is explained in the drawings where:  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 1 shows a mounted device ready to make a relief surface, side view,  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 2—feeding spring-loaded rollers to move stock,  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3—view A at FIG. 2,  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 4—view B at FIG. 1,  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 5—a partial device from FIG. 1,  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 6—the mechanism to form the shape of stock edges,  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 7—horizontal movement of the cutting tool,  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 8—vertical movement of the cutting tool,  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 9—vertical movement of the cutting tool—an end mill,  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 10—the device for vertical movement of the mobile frame,  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 11—the device for horizontal movement of the mobile frame,  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 12—a diagram of the cutting tool&#39;s movement in the active balanced state,  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 13—the mechanism to form the stock width,  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 14—view B at FIG. 13,  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 15—cutting edge of the figure cutters to form the stock edges,  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 16—cutting edge of the one-piece figure cutters installed on the cutter shaft,  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 17—cutting edge of the sectional figure cutters installed on the cutter shaft,  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 18—view from the top of the device to process circular flat stock,  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 19—cross-section shapes of the stock,  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 20—relief made on cylindrical bar-shaped stock,  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 21—same as FIG. 20, using five-axis process.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 22—is a perspective view of the device of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0061]    While the above-identified drawing figures set forth a preferred embodiment, other embodiments of the present invention are also contemplated, some of which are noted in the discussion. In all cases, this disclosure presents the illustrated embodiments of the present invention by way of representation and not limitation. Numerous other minor modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this invention.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0062]    The device to make relief surface contains installed on the motionless chassis  1  and a program controlled driven mobile frame  2 , a drive  3  of the mechanism to feed the stock  4  installed on the mobile frame  2  of the driven cutting tool  6  that includes a cutter shaft  19  and figure cutters  28 .  
         [0063]    The device consists of:  
         [0064]    installed on the motionless chassis  1  horizontal  8  and vertical  9  support pillars and a program controlled mechanism  10  to form the width of the stock  4  with the drive  11  to adjust its position,  
         [0065]    a mechanism  12  to form the shape of the stock edges  4  with the drive  13  to adjust its position,  
         [0066]    hold-down mechanisms  14 ,  
         [0067]    regulated spring-loaded chain mechanism  15 , kinematically connected with mechanisms  16  of the spring-loaded feeding rollers to move stock  4 ,  
         [0068]    an actuator  17  installed on the horizontal  8  support pillar to move the mobile frame  2  horizontally  
         [0069]    and a device  18  installed on the vertical  9  support pillar to move the mobile frame  2  vertically.  
         [0070]    Cutting tool  6  is installed on the free end of the mobile frame  2  and can be a cutter shaft  19  connected to the electric motor  20  by means of (for example) a transmission belt  21 , or an end mill  22 , or a laser (not shown).  
         [0071]    Mechanism  10  to form the stock  4  width contains a connected to the electric motor  23  a holder  24  of the cutters providing for the possibility to adjust and lock position.  
         [0072]    Mechanism  12  to form the shape of the stock  4  edges contains a holder  27  of the figure cutters  25  connected to the electric motor  26  providing for the possibility to adjust and lock position.  
         [0073]    Hold-down mechanisms  14  installed before and after the cutting tool  6  and contain spring-loaded rollers  29  that have the ability for self-adjustment for the movement of stock  4  of various thicknesses.  
         [0074]    Mechanisms  16  of the spring-loaded feeding rollers to move stock  4  contain spring-loaded  30  bottom  31  and top  32  mounts with constant tension, bearing support axles  33  with chain sprockets  34  of the chain mechanism  15  and located on them leading  35  and holding down  36  rollers installed to provide for stable hold-down to the stock  4  surface of various stock thicknesses. Bottom support pillars  31  are built so that they can adjust and lock position relating to the top support pillars  32 .  
         [0075]    Actuator  17  for horizontal movement of the mobile frame  2  contains a ball-joint  38  and a ball-and-screw  39  with the link  40  connected to the servo-motor  37  that carries element  42  on the free end via a ball-joint  41  to affect the mobile frame  2  in the horizontal plane. The computer controlled actuator  17  controls pivoting of the support arm  2  about the second pivot axis  49 . Thus, the support arm  2  is further pivotable about a generally vertical axis  49  for lateral positioning.  
         [0076]    Actuator  18  for vertical movement of the mobile frame  2  contains a ball-joint  44  and a ball-and-screw  45  with the link  46  connected to the servo-motor  43  that carries element  48  at the free end via a ball-joint  47  to affect the mobile frame  2  in the vertical plane. The actuator  18  has a computer controlled motor  43  which controllably rotates a shaft. A couple  45  is threadedly received on the shaft for linear movement along the shaft, and a link  46  connects the couple to the support arm  2  for vertical positioning of the cutting tool  6 .  
         [0077]    Mobile frame  2  is installed on a motionless chassis  1  on separated vertical  49  and horizontal  50  axes to allow the cutting tool  6  to move in horizontal and vertical planes along the curves with various trajectories to provide for multi-axis oscillating arc-like movements and to allow mobile frame  2  to remain in the active balanced state in relation to the vertical  49  and horizontal  50  axes.  
         [0078]    The drive of mechanism  3  to supply stock  4  is constructed so that it can adjust the speed of stock supply to apply an unlimited number of patterns. The cross-section of the stock can be elliptical  51 , circular  52 , hexagonal  53 , square  54 , octagonal  55 , rectangular  56  or others. Stock  4  can be flat  57  or disk  58  shaped and secured on a rotary table.  
         [0079]    Generally, the powered contour shaping machine has cutting tool  6  which is movable for material removal. A motor  20  is coupled to the cutting tool  6  for powering the cutting tool  6  for material removal. A support arm  2  supports the cutting tool  6  and the motor  20 . The motor  20  is coupled to the cutting tool  6  with a belt  21  or chain.  
         [0080]    The support arm  2  is pivotable about a generally horizontal pivot axis  50  and about a generally vertical axis  49 . The cutting tool  6  on the support arm  2  has a cutting tool moment arm on a first side of the pivot axis  50 . The motor  20  on support arm  2  has a motor moment arm on a second, opposing side of the pivot axis  50 . The cutting tool moment arm and the motor moment arm are selected on  30  the support arm  2  so the motor  20  gravitationally balances and offsets the cutting tool.  
         [0081]    The powered contour shaping machine has a cutting tool  6  for material removal, a pivoting support arm  2 , a first and a second computer controlled actuator  17  and  18 , and a powered stock feed apparatus  3 . The support arm  2  pivots about a first pivot axis  50  and about a second pivot axis  49  that is generally perpendicular to the first pivot axis  50 . The support arm  2  supports a counterweight  20  on a second, opposing side of the first pivot axis  50  so the counterweight  20  gravitationally offsets the cutting tool  6 . The first computer controlled actuator controls pivoting of the support arm  2  about the first pivot axis  50 . The second computer controlled actuator controls pivoting of the support arm  2  about the second pivot axis  49 . A powered stock feed apparatus  3  moves stock  4  relative to the cutting tool  6 . In one embodiment, the cutting tool  6  is a laser.  
         [0082]    The cutting edge of the figure cutters  25  to form stock edges of the stock  4  is (for example):  
         [0083]    a rectilinear section  59 , opposing arc-like  60  sections and a rectilinear  61  section with the smaller dimension lengthwise width that are smoothly linked, or  
         [0084]    arc-like  62  section and a linear  63  section with the reduced lengthwise width that are smoothly linked, or  
         [0085]    linear  64  terraced sections smoothly linked, or  
         [0086]    symmetrically located linear  65  section along the longitudinal axis with alternating pits  66 .  
         [0087]    Cutting edge of the one-piece figure cutters  28  installed on the cutter shaft  19  contains (for example):  
         [0088]    linear  67  and serrated sections  68  on one side and linked lengthwise arc-like  69 , linear  70  and serrated  71  sections on the opposite side, or  
         [0089]    linked sinusoidal sections  72  on one side and linked linear  73  and arc-like  74  sections on the opposite side.  
         [0090]    Cutting edge of the sectional figure cutters  28  installed on the cutter shaft  19  contains (for example):  
         [0091]    a convex  75  section with an overhang  76  on the face plane, or  
         [0092]    a shifted convex section  78 , or a triangular  79  section with the teeth  80  at the top, or  
         [0093]    a convex  81  slanted  82  section, or a sinusoidal  83  section with concave  84  and linear  85  sections.  
         [0094]    Wood, stone, metal, plastic, foam, and other materials can be used as stock  4 .  
         [0095]    Feeding mechanism to move stock contains spring-loaded rollers  35  and  36 , a nut  86 , bolts  87 , nuts  88 ,  89 , washer  90 , bolts  91 , anchor angles  92 , bolts  93 , and springs  94 . The feeding mechanism or powered stock feed apparatus  3  moves stock  4  relative to the cutting tool  6 .  
         [0096]    There is a rotating mechanism  95 , spindle  96 , center  97 , clamps  98  for the stock, motor  99  and device  100  for angular rotation of the horizontal and vertical pillars around the vertical axis for 5-axis processing, that contains a ball-screw and the link with a ball-joint connected to the servo-motor. As an example, it can be used to make spiral patterns on the cylindrical surface.  
         [0097]    [0097]FIGS. 1, 8 and  9  show movement of the cutting tool  6  or end mill  22  along the arc “a-a” with the radius “n”.  
         [0098]    [0098]FIG. 7 shows movement of the cutting tool  6  or end mill  22  along the arc “a-a” with the radius “m”.  
         [0099]    [0099]FIG. 12 shows the balanced state of the cutting tool  6  when torques are equal M1=M2.  
         [0100]    With respect to FIG. 21, in order to make, for instance, a spiral pattern on the cylindrical surface, the material has to move in a longitudinal direction and simultaneously rotate around its axis. Thus the cutter shaft should be revolved with an angle of the spiral. Therefore that there are two additional degrees of freedom (axis)-rotation of a material around its axis and revolving of the cutter shaft around a vertical axis. With such capabilities the machine can make spiral patterns with any angle of inclination.  
         [0101]    The device and method to make relief surface works in the following way: Processed by means of the drive of the feeding mechanism  3  and mechanism  16  of the feeding rollers, stock  4  is fed to the working zone to the driven cutting tool  6 .  
         [0102]    The drive motor  20  rotates the cutter shaft  19  of the cutting tool  6  by means of the belt transmission  21 , or an end mill rotates, or a laser head turns on. The cutter shaft  19  rotates at a high angular speed (several thousand rotations per minute).  
         [0103]    The actuators of the horizontal, vertical and angular movements of the cutting tool  6  receive control signals from, for example, the programmable logic controller (PLC), or Computer Numerical Controller (CNC), or Industrial PC, (not shown) and constantly move the cutting tool  6  according to the program in horizontal, vertical and angular directions. The computer controls the stock feeding drive  3  that effects the stock  4  feeding speed.  
         [0104]    Thus the invention improves the quality of the relief surface and produces an infinite number of pictures and patterns.  
         [0105]    Industrial application.  
         [0106]    The invention can be used to make relief patterns. Specifically, the invention pertains to ornamental art and can be used to create relief patterns on various surfaces, wooden surfaces in particular. The device consists of the horizontal shaft with cutting blades sharpened in the figure profile. The shaft rotates with high speed and simultaneously moves in the horizontal and vertical planes according to the preset order. Material is fed horizontally.  
         [0107]    The diagram of the device is shown in FIG. 22. It contains a motionless platform and a mobile chassis with a cutter shaft located on the chassis. During the operation the material moves in the direction “Z” and the mobile chassis together with the cutter shaft moves in the planes “X” and “Y”. The material is processed along the entire width. The cutter shaft rotates with high angular speed, which provides fast processing.  
         [0108]    The device consists of the motionless foundation  1  where the feeding mechanism  35 ,  36  is mounted for longitudinal motion of the material  4 . The pattern is applied by means of the cutting blades sharpened in the figure profile. The cutting blades are mounted on the cutter shaft  19 . The cutter shaft  19  is mounted on the end of the mobile chassis  2  that can move in two mutually perpendicular directions a-a and b-b. Movement of the chassis  2  in the given directions is accomplished by means of two actuators  17  and  18  controlled by the programmable controller or a computer. The mobile chassis  2  is oriented in the same direction as the fed material  4 . The mobile chassis  2  is connected to the motionless foundation  1  by means of two hinged joints that have vertical  49  and horizontal  50  axes located in the same plane. The cutter shaft  19  and the driving motor  20  are located on opposing ends of the mobile chassis  2 , i.e. on opposite sides from the hinged joints and are connected together by the mechanical transmission.  
         [0109]    The allocation of the cutter shaft and driving motor on the mobile chassis at the opposite sides from the hinged joints provides for the static balance of the cutter shaft and driving motor and allows decreasing sluggishness (i.e. lag effect, lag, or response time) of the executive device (cutter shaft) and increasing the processing speed of the device.  
         [0110]    The device works in the following manner: By means of the longitudinal feeding mechanism  35 ,  36  the processed material  4  is fed to the working zone of the cutter shaft  19 . The driving motor  20  rotates the cutter shaft at a high angular speed. The drives  8  and  9  move the mobile chassis  2  along the preset path in the directions a-a and b-b.  
         [0111]    Decorative relief pattern on the material surface is created by the figure profile of the cutter shaft and the complex path of its movement during the simultaneous feeding of the material through the working zone.  
         [0112]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.