Patent Description:
In the section bar processing industry, work centres are known, which comprise an elongated base extending in a first, substantially horizontal direction; a processing station, which is obtained along the base and is provided with an operating head to process the section bars; and at least one gripping and transporting unit, which is movable along the base and through the processing station.

The gripping and transporting unit has a clamping vice provided with two jaws, which are movable relative to one another in a second direction, which is substantially horizontal and transverse to the first direction, between a clamping position and a release position to clamp and release at least one section bar.

The work centre further comprises at least one loading and/or unloading station, which is obtained along the base in order to load the section bars to be processed into the clamping vice and/or unload the section bars that were just processed from the clamping vice. Such work centres are known for example from Patent Document <CIT>, on which the preamble of appended claim <NUM> is based.

Known work centres of the type described above are affected by some drawbacks, which are mainly due to the fact that the loading/unloading of the section bars into/from the clamping vice is manually carried out by operators and, hence, is relatively time-consuming and imprecise.

The object of the invention is to provide a work centre to process section bars, in particular made of aluminium, light alloys, PVC or the like, which is designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks in a straightforward, relatively low-cost manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a work centre to process section bars, in particular made of aluminium, light alloys, PVC or the like, according to the appended claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, number <NUM> indicates, as a whole, a work centre to process section bars <NUM> made of aluminium, light alloys, PVC or the like and with an elongated shape.

The work centre <NUM> comprises an elongated base <NUM>, which extends in a horizontal direction <NUM>, is delimited by a substantially flat and vertical front face <NUM> and is further delimited by a substantially flat and horizontal upper face <NUM>.

The work centre <NUM> further comprises a processing station <NUM>, which is obtained in an intermediate point of the base <NUM> ad is provided with a gantry <NUM> comprising, in turn, a vertical upright <NUM>, which is substantially parallel to a direction <NUM> transverse to the direction <NUM>, and a horizontal cross member <NUM>, which is substantially parallel to a direction <NUM> orthogonal to the directions <NUM> and <NUM>.

The gantry <NUM> is fixed in the direction <NUM> and supports an operating head <NUM>, which is coupled to the cross member <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements along the cross member <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and is provided with an electrospindle <NUM>, which is coupled to the head <NUM> in a sliding manner <NUM> in order to move in the direction <NUM>.

The electrospindle <NUM> carries, fitted in it, a tool <NUM> to process the section bars <NUM> (for example, for milling and/or boring and/or cutting operations) and cooperates with a tool-holding store <NUM> connected to the upright <NUM>.

The work centre <NUM> further has a first guide device <NUM>, which is obtained on the face <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and extends between the free ends of the base <NUM> and, hence, substantially along the entire base <NUM>, and a second guide device <NUM>, which is obtained on the face <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and extends between the station <NUM> and a free end of the base <NUM>.

According to <FIG> and <FIG>, the work centre <NUM> further comprises a plurality of gripping and transporting units <NUM> (specifically, three gripping and transporting units <NUM>), which are mounted on the base <NUM> so as to move the section bars <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

Each unit <NUM> comprises a motor-drive slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the guide device <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to move along the base <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and has the shape of a shelf projecting from the face <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> is provided with a straight guide <NUM> fixed on an upper face of the slide <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and supports a clamping vice <NUM> comprising two gripping jaws <NUM>, <NUM> extending upwards from the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The vice <NUM> further comprises a support roller <NUM>, which extends through the jaws <NUM>, <NUM> in the direction <NUM>, is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and defines, together with the rollers <NUM> of the other vices <NUM>, a horizontal support surface P1 for a section bar <NUM>.

The jaw <NUM> is fixed in the direction <NUM> and the jaw <NUM> is coupled to the guide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements in the direction <NUM> between a clamping position and a release position to clamp and release a section bar <NUM>.

The jaw <NUM> is moved along the guide <NUM> by an operating device <NUM> comprising a rack <NUM>, which extends along the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>, is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a sliding manner and is connected to an output rod <NUM> of an actuator cylinder <NUM>, which is fixed on the slide <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM>.

The jaw <NUM> is locked on the rack <NUM> by means of an actuator cylinder <NUM>, which is mounted on the jaw <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and has an output rod (not shown), whose disengagement from the rack <NUM> allows the jaw <NUM> to be selectively moved along the rack <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The jaw <NUM> is further provided with a buffer <NUM> made of elastically deformable material, which is coupled to the jaw <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements in the direction <NUM> and is provided with a locking device <NUM> to lock the buffer <NUM> on the jaw <NUM>.

The unit <NUM> is further provided with a roller support device <NUM> comprising a horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a a sliding manner so as to move along the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and has a locking device <NUM> to lock the slide <NUM> on the slide <NUM>.

The device <NUM> further comprises a vertical slide <NUM>, which is provided with an upper roller <NUM> supporting the section bars <NUM> and is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to move in the direction <NUM> due to the thrust of an upper cylinder <NUM>, which is mounted on the slide <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the work centre <NUM> further comprises a loading/unloading station <NUM> to load/unload the section bars <NUM> into/from the gripping and transporting units <NUM>.

The station <NUM> is aligned with the guide device <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and cooperates with a feeding unit <NUM>, which extends in the direction <NUM> and comprises a support frame <NUM>, on which there are mounted a lower conveyor device <NUM> to feed the section bars <NUM> to be processed to the station <NUM> and an upper conveyor device <NUM> to remove the section bars <NUM> that were just processed from the station <NUM>.

The device <NUM> is arranged under the device <NUM> and projects from the device <NUM> towards the base <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

Each device <NUM>, <NUM> comprises a plurality of motor-driven belt conveyors <NUM>, which are parallel to one another and to the direction <NUM> and define a substantially horizontal support surface P2 for the section bars <NUM>.

The device <NUM> cooperates with a plurality of limit stop elements <NUM>, each fixed to the frame <NUM> between two adjacent conveyors <NUM>, mounted in the area of the station <NUM> and projecting upwards from the surface P2 of the device <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

Each section bar <NUM> is pushed, so as to come into contact with the elements <NUM>, by a plurality of pushing devices <NUM>, each mounted between two adjacent conveyors <NUM> and comprising a horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the frame <NUM> so as to make straight movements in the direction <NUM>, and a vertical slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the slide <NUM> so as to make straight movements in the direction <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> is provided with a pushing rod <NUM>, which extends in the direction <NUM> and is moved by the slide <NUM> between a raised operating position, in which the rod <NUM> projects above the surface P2 of the device <NUM>, and a lowered rest position, in which the rod <NUM> extends under the surface P2 of the device <NUM>.

According to <FIG> and <FIG>, the device <NUM> further cooperates with a plurality of lifting elements <NUM>, which are mounted between the elements <NUM> and the rods <NUM>.

Each element <NUM> is mounted between two adjacent conveyors <NUM>, extends in the direction <NUM> and is movable in the direction <NUM> itself between a raised operating position, in which the element <NUM> projects above the surface P2 of the device <NUM> so as to rotate - and ensure the correct positioning of - shaped section bars <NUM>, and a lowered rest position, in which the rod <NUM> extends under the surface P2 of the device <NUM>.

According to a variant which is not shown herein, the elements <NUM> are movable in direction <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the station <NUM> is provided with a transfer assembly <NUM> to transfer the section bars <NUM> between the devices <NUM>, <NUM> and the vices <NUM>.

The assembly <NUM> comprises a plurality of transfer units <NUM> (specifically, two units <NUM>) mounted on the guide device <NUM>.

Each unit <NUM> comprises an overhead crane <NUM> having a vertical upright <NUM>, which extends upwards from the base <NUM> in the direction <NUM>, is coupled to the device <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements along the base <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and carries, connected to an upper free end of its, a horizontal cross member <NUM> extending above the base <NUM> and the station <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

According to <FIG>, the unit <NUM> further comprises a first horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the cross member <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements along the cross member <NUM> in the direction <NUM>, and a first vertical slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the horizontal slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements along the horizontal slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The unit <NUM> further comprises a second horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the vertical slide <NUM> in a sliding manner through the interposition of a spring shock absorber device <NUM> so as to make straight movements along the vertical slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The unit <NUM> is further provided with a second vertical slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the horizontal slide <NUM> in a sliding manner through the interposition of a spring shock absorber device <NUM> so as to make straight movements along the horizontal slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

The vertical slide <NUM> supports a clamping vice <NUM> comprising a fixed jaw <NUM> projecting downwards from the vertical slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and a movable jaw <NUM>, which projects downwards from the vertical slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and is coupled to the vertical slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make straight movements in the direction <NUM> between a clamping position and a release position to clamp and release a section bar <NUM> due to the thrust of an actuator cylinder <NUM>, which is fixed to the vertical slide <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM>.

The devices <NUM>, <NUM> allow the vices <NUM> to correctly retrieve the section bar <NUM> from the conveyors <NUM> of the device <NUM> and to correctly release the section bar <NUM> into the vices <NUM> regardless of the actual position of the section bar <NUM> on the conveyors <NUM> of the device <NUM> and of geometric shape differences of the section bar <NUM>.

The devices <NUM>, <NUM> further allow the vices <NUM> to place the section bar <NUM> in the vices <NUM> with an insertion thrust in the directions <NUM> and <NUM>.

With regard to what discussed above, it should be pointed out that the vices <NUM> are U-shaped with a concavity facing upwards and the vices <NUM> are U-shaped with a concavity facing downwards.

The operation of the work centre <NUM> will now be described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG> and assuming that one single section bar <NUM> is processed.

The section bar <NUM> taken into account is fed by the conveyor device <NUM> to the loading/unloading station <NUM> and it comes into contact with the limit stop elements <NUM>.

At this point, the pushing rods <NUM> of the pushing devices <NUM> are lifted above the surface P2 of the device <NUM> and moved along the frame <NUM> in the direction <NUM> so as to correctly place the section bar <NUM> against the elements <NUM> and allow the clamping vices <NUM> of the transfer assembly <NUM> to correctly transfer the section bar <NUM> into the clamping vices <NUM> of the gripping and transporting units <NUM>.

When the second bar <NUM> has a shaped profile, the lifting elements <NUM> are also raised above the surface P2 of the device <NUM> so as to correctly position the section bar <NUM> and allow the pushing devices <NUM> to correctly lock it against the limit stop elements <NUM> and the clamping vices <NUM> of the transfer assembly <NUM> to correctly transfer it into the clamping vices <NUM> of the gripping and transporting units <NUM>.

Subsequently, the section bar <NUM> is moved by the unit <NUM> along the base <NUM>, at first, in order to allow the operating head <NUM> to process it and, then, in order to transfer it again to the station <NUM>.

Finally, the section bar <NUM> is transferred, by means of the assembly <NUM>, from the vices <NUM> of the units <NUM> onto the conveyor device <NUM>.

The clamping vice <NUM> of each gripping and transporting unit <NUM> is set up by means of the clamping vice <NUM> of a transfer unit <NUM> depending on the shape and on the dimensions of the section bar <NUM> and according to an automatic set-up cycle comprising the steps of:.

According to some embodiments which are not shown herein:.

According to a further variant which is not shown herein, the transfer assembly <NUM> is eliminated and replaced by a robotic manipulator comprising a plurality of articulated arms and a transfer unit mounted at the free end of the articulated arms.

The transfer unit comprises two locking vices, which are parallel to one another and are completely similar to the vices <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A work centre to process section bars (<NUM>), in particular made of aluminium, light alloys, PVC or the like, comprising an elongated base (<NUM>) extending in a first, substantially horizontal direction (<NUM>); an operating head (<NUM>) to process the section bars (<NUM>); at least one gripping unit (<NUM>) having a first clamping vice (<NUM>) provided with two jaws (<NUM>, <NUM>), which are movable relative to one another between a clamping position and a release position to clamp and release at least one section bar (<NUM>); at least one loading and/or unloading station (<NUM>), which is obtained along the base (<NUM>) in order to load the section bars (<NUM>) to be processed into the first clamping vice (<NUM>) and/or unload the section bars (<NUM>) that were just processed from the first clamping vice (<NUM>); a feeding unit (<NUM>) to feed the section bars (<NUM>) to and/or from the loading and/or unloading station (<NUM>); and a transfer assembly (<NUM>), which is arranged in the loading and/or unloading station (<NUM>) so as to transfer the section bars (<NUM>) to and/or from the first clamping vice (<NUM>); the transfer assembly (<NUM>) having at least one second clamping vice (<NUM>) provided with two jaws (<NUM>, <NUM>), which are movable between a clamping position and a release position to clamp and release at least one section bar (<NUM>); and characterized in that the jaws (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the first clamping vice (<NUM>) are movable relative to one another between their clamping position and their release position in a second direction (<NUM>), which is substantially horizontal and transverse to the first direction (<NUM>), and in that the feeding unit (<NUM>) is provided with a plurality of limit stop elements (<NUM>) mounted in the area of the loading and/or unloading station (<NUM>) so as to stop the section bars (<NUM>) in the second direction (<NUM>) and with a plurality of pushing devices (<NUM>), which are mounted in the area of the loading and/or unloading station (<NUM>) so as to lock the section bars (<NUM>) against the limit stop elements (<NUM>) in the second direction (<NUM>).