Patent Description:
Each panel has two main lateral faces, which are parallel to one another, two first smaller lateral faces, which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the main lateral faces, and two second smaller lateral faces, which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first smaller lateral faces.

The panel is moved in a first direction, which is parallel to the second smaller lateral faces, at first through an edgebanding station, where a finishing edge is applied onto one of the second smaller lateral faces, and then through at least one finishing station (normally a plurality of finishing stations), where an operating assembly, for example a trimming assembly, an edge scraping assembly and/or a rounding assembly, processes the finishing edge and/or the panel.

The operating assembly comprises, in particular, a support frame; a first slide, which is coupled to the support frame in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the support frame, straight movements in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction and orthogonal to a panel support surface; a first copy attachment, which is carried by the first slide and is designed, in use, to come into contact with a main lateral face of the panel; a second slide, which is coupled to the first slide in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the first slide, straight movements in a third direction, which is orthogonal to the aforesaid first and second direction and parallel to the support surface; a second copy attachment, which is carried by the second slide and is designed, in use, to come into contact with the finishing edge; and a cutting device, which is carried by the second slide in order to process the finishing edge and/or the panel.

The operating assembly further comprises a first pre-loaded pushing device, which is interposed between the support frame and the first slide in order to keep the first copy attachment in contact with the relative main lateral face; and a second pre-loaded pushing device, which is interposed between the first slide and the second slide in order to keep the second copy attachment in contact with the finishing edge.

Therefore, the two pushing devices allow the cutting device to hold the correct position based on the profile of the main lateral face in contact with the first copy attachment and on the profile of the finishing edge in contact with the second copy attachment.

The first pushing device comprises at least one first spring, which is coupled to the support frame and to the first slide and is associated with a first adjustment device, which is designed to selectively control the pre-load of the first spring so as to exert, upon the first copy attachment, a first force other than zero when the first copy attachment is disengaged from the panel and a second force other than zero and greater than the first force when the first copy attachment is engaged on the panel; and the second pushing device comprises at least one second spring, which is coupled to the first slide and to the second slide and is associated with a second adjustment device, which is designed to selectively control the pre-load of the second spring so as to exert, upon the second copy attachment, a first force other than zero when the second copy attachment is disengaged from the panel and a second force other than zero and greater than the first force when the second copy attachment is engaged on the panel.

The initial position of the first slide in the second direction and of the second slide in the third direction is selectively controlled so as to allow the copy attachments to place themselves in a panel moving path when the copy attachments are disengaged from the panel, thus interfering with the panel.

Known operating assemblies for edgebanding machines to edgeband panels made of wood or the like of the type described above suffer from some drawbacks, which are mainly due to the fact that, when the panel comes into contact with the two copy attachments, the two pushing devices do not ensure that the copy attachments always remain in contact with the main lateral face of panel and with the finishing edge, thus preventing the cutting device from correctly carrying out the processing of the finishing edge and/or of the panel.

The object of the invention is to provide an operating assembly for edgebanding machines to edgeband panels made of wood or the like, which does not suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks and can be manufactured in a simple and economic fashion.

According to the invention, there is provided an operating assembly for edgebanding machines to edgeband panels made of wood or the like as claimed in the appended claims.

With reference to <FIG>, number <NUM> indicates, as a whole, an operating assembly, for example a trimming assembly, an edge scraping assembly or a rounding assembly, for the finishing of substantially flat panels <NUM> made of wood or the like.

In particular, each panel <NUM> substantially has the shape of a parallelepiped and is delimited by two main lateral faces <NUM>, which are parallel to one another, by two smaller lateral faces <NUM>, which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the faces <NUM>, and by two smaller lateral faces <NUM>, which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the faces <NUM> and <NUM>.

The panel <NUM> is fed through the operating assembly <NUM> in a horizontal direction <NUM> and is provided with a finishing edge <NUM>, which is fixed to one of the faces <NUM>.

The operating assembly <NUM> comprises, in particular, a support frame <NUM>; a first vertical slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the frame <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the frame <NUM>, straight movements in a vertical direction <NUM>, which is transverse to the direction <NUM>; and a first horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the slide <NUM>, straight movements in a horizontal direction <NUM>, which is orthogonal to the directions <NUM> and <NUM>.

The operating assembly <NUM> further comprises a second vertical slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the slide <NUM> and during a set-up phase of the operating assembly <NUM>, straight movements in the direction <NUM>; and a second horizontal slide <NUM>, which is coupled to the slide <NUM> in a sliding manner so as to make, relative to the slide <NUM> and during a set-up phase of the operating assembly <NUM>, straight movements in the direction <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> supports a disc copy attachment <NUM>, which is hinged to the slide <NUM> so as to rotate, relative to the slide <NUM>, around a fulcrum axis <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and is delimited by a substantially cylindrical lateral surface <NUM>, which is designed, in use, to come into contact with the lower face <NUM> of the panel <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> supports a disc copy attachment <NUM>, which is hinged to the slide <NUM> so as to rotate, relative to the slide <NUM>, around a fulcrum axis (not shown) inclined relative to the directions <NUM> and <NUM> and is delimited by a lateral surface <NUM> substantially having the shape of a truncated cone, which is designed, in use, to come into contact with the edge <NUM>.

According to a variant which is not shown herein, the copy attachments <NUM>, <NUM> are fixed to the relative slides <NUM>, <NUM> so as to scrape against the face <NUM> and the edge <NUM>, respectively.

The slide <NUM> further supports a known cutting device, which is not shown herein and is designed to process the panel <NUM> and/or the edge <NUM>.

The operating assembly <NUM> is further provided with a pushing device <NUM> comprising a pre-loaded compression spring <NUM>, which is interposed between the frame <NUM> and the slide <NUM> and is designed to keep, in use, the copy attachment <NUM> in contact with the relative face <NUM>.

The device <NUM> further comprises an adjustment screw <NUM> to selectively control the pre-load of the spring <NUM> so as to allow the device <NUM> to exert, upon the copy attachment <NUM>, a first force other than zero when the copy attachment <NUM> is disengaged from the panel <NUM> and a second force other than zero and greater than the first force when the copy attachment <NUM> is engaged on the panel <NUM>.

The operating assembly <NUM> is further provided with a pushing unit <NUM>, which is interposed between the slide <NUM> and the slide <NUM> and is designed to keep, in use, the copy attachment <NUM> in contact with the edge <NUM>.

The unit <NUM> comprises a first pushing device <NUM> provided, in particular, with two extension springs <NUM>, which extend in the direction <NUM> and are aligned with one another in the direction <NUM>.

The springs <NUM> are coupled, on one side, to respective support pins <NUM> projecting from the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and, on the other side, to a plate <NUM> coupled to an adjustment screw <NUM> by means of a screw-nut screw coupling.

The screw <NUM> extends through the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and selectively controls the position of the plate <NUM> so as to pre-load the springs <NUM> and allow the device <NUM> to exert, upon the copy attachment <NUM>, a first force other than zero when the copy attachment <NUM> is disengaged from the panel <NUM> and a second force other than zero and greater than the first force when the copy attachment <NUM> is engaged on the panel <NUM>.

With reference to what described above, it should be pointed out that:.

The unit <NUM> further comprises according to the invention a second pushing device <NUM> provided, in particular, with two extension springs <NUM>, which extend in the direction <NUM> and are aligned with one another in the direction <NUM>.

The springs <NUM> are coupled, on one side, to the pins <NUM> and, on the other side, to a plate <NUM> coupled, by means of a screw-nut screw coupling, to an adjustment screw <NUM>, which extends through the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM> and allows the position of the plate <NUM> to be selectively controlled so that:.

In particular, the springs <NUM> are not pre-loaded and the first force is zero.

In other words, the slide <NUM> and, hence, the copy attachment <NUM> are subjected to the sole non-zero force of the springs <NUM> when the panel <NUM> disengages the copy attachment <NUM> and to the non-zero forces of the springs <NUM> and of the springs <NUM> when the panel <NUM> engages the copy attachment <NUM>. As a consequence, the copy attachment <NUM> always remains in contact with the edge <NUM> without ever detaching itself from it, thus ensuring a correct processing of the panel <NUM> and/or of the edge <NUM> by means of the aforesaid cutting device (which is not shown herein).

Obviously, according to some variants which are not shown herein:.

The variant of <FIG> and <FIG> differs from the one shown in the preceding figures only in that, in it, the plates <NUM>, <NUM> and the adjustment screws <NUM>, <NUM> are eliminated.

The plates <NUM>, <NUM> are replaced by one single coupling plate <NUM> for the springs <NUM>, <NUM> and the screws <NUM>, <NUM> are replaced by on single adjustment screw <NUM> extending through the slide <NUM> in the direction <NUM>.

Since the screw <NUM> is coupled, by means of a screw-nut screw coupling, to a point of the plate <NUM> arranged on the opposite side relative to the springs <NUM> with respect to a plane containing the springs <NUM> and the screw-nut screw coupling between the plate <NUM> and the screw <NUM> has a clearance due to processing tolerances, the plate <NUM> is inclined at an angle other than <NUM>° relative to the direction <NUM>.

As a consequence, the screw <NUM> allows the position of the plate <NUM> to be selectively controlled so that:.

The variant shown in <FIG> differs from the one shown in <FIG> only in that, in it, the springs <NUM> and the plate <NUM> are eliminated and replaced by an actuator cylinder <NUM>, which is fixed to the slide <NUM> parallel to the direction <NUM> and has an output rod <NUM> connected to the slide <NUM>.

The cylinder <NUM> is connected to a pressurized fluid supplying device (not shown) through the interposition of a pressure adjuster <NUM>.

The adjuster <NUM> selectively controls the pressure of the fluid supplied to the cylinder <NUM>, so that the cylinder <NUM> exerts, upon the copy attachment <NUM>, a first force other than zero when the copy attachment <NUM> is disengaged from the panel <NUM> and a second force other than zero, in particular equal to the first force, when the copy attachment <NUM> is engaged on the panel <NUM>.

The variant shown in <FIG> differs from <FIG> only in that, in it, the springs <NUM> and the plate <NUM> are eliminated and replaced by a compression spring <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An operating assembly for edgebanding machines to edgeband panels (<NUM>) made of wood or the like, each panel (<NUM>) being delimited by a first lateral face (<NUM>) and by a second lateral face (<NUM>), which is orthogonal to the first lateral face (<NUM>) and is provided with a finishing edge (<NUM>); the operating assembly comprising a support structure (<NUM>); at least one cutting tool to process the finishing edge (<NUM>) and/or the panel (<NUM>); a copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>), which is designed to be arranged in contact, in use, with the first lateral face (<NUM>) or the finishing edge (<NUM>) and is coupled to the support structure (<NUM>) so as to move, relative to the support structure (<NUM>), in a direction (<NUM>; <NUM>), which is perpendicular to the first lateral face (<NUM>) or to the finishing edge (<NUM>), depending on a profile of the first lateral face (<NUM>) or of the finishing edge (<NUM>); and a pushing unit (<NUM>), which is interposed between the support structure (<NUM>) and the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) so as to keep the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) in contact with the first lateral face (<NUM>) or with the finishing edge (<NUM>); the pushing unit (<NUM>) comprising, in turn, a first pushing device (<NUM>), which is pre-loaded so as to exert a first force other than zero upon the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) when the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) is disengaged from the panel (<NUM>); a second pushing device (<NUM>) exerting a second force, which is smaller than the first force, upon the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) when the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) is disengaged from the panel (<NUM>) and a third force other than zero, which is greater than the second force, when the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>) is engaged on the panel (<NUM>); characterized in that the first pushing device (<NUM>) comprises at least one first spring (<NUM>; <NUM>), which is interposed between the support structure (<NUM>) and the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>), or at least one actuator cylinder (<NUM>), which is mounted between the support structure (<NUM>) and the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>); and the second pushing device (<NUM>) comprises at least one second spring (<NUM>), which is interposed between the support structure (<NUM>) and the copy attachment (<NUM>; <NUM>).