Patent ID: 7237309

Claim:
A machine intended for the machining of longitudinal profiled elements ( 10 ), of the type comprising a longitudinal frame ( 1 ) provided with holding dollies ( 11 , 13 ) for holding the profiled element to be machined ( 10 ) and provided with at least one machining head ( 9 ) which can be moved relative to the profiled element ( 10 ) according to displacement components which are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (yy′) of said profiled element, which machine comprises: at least two of the holding dollies ( 11 , 13 ) disposed close to and one on either side of the at least one machining head ( 9 ), which are capable, in the machining, of securing the slide-holding of the profiled element ( 10 ), at least two drive dollies ( 15 , 17 ) capable of moving longitudinally relative to the frame, disposed one on either side of the holding dollies ( 11 , 13 ), each drive dolly ( 15 , 17 ) being provided with a chuck by which, according to requirement, a sliding clamping of the profiled element ( 10 ) or a locking of this profiled element can be alternately secured such that the relative displacement of the latter relative to the machining head ( 9 ) in the longitudinal direction (yy′) is secured, at least in part, by the displacement of a drive dolly ( 15 , 17 ) of the at least two drive dollies, control means ( 16 ) for operating the displacements of the drive dollies ( 15 , 17 ) and of the chucks, these control means ( 16 ) being capable, as a function of various machining phases to be realized, of securing the driving of the profiled element ( 10 ) with the aid of one or more of the drive dollies ( 15 , 17 ) and of synchronizing the movements of the drive dollies, wherein the control means ( 16 ) are designed to operate, in a machining operation, a fixed-connection fastening onto the profiled element ( 10 ) of a first dolly of the at least two drive dollies ( 17 ) in an end position and a slide-fastening of a second drive dolly of the at least two drive dollies ( 15 ), and to secure longitudinal displacement of the profiled element ( 10 ) by operating displacement of the profiled element through that of the drive dolly ( 17 ) to which it is fixedly connected and which then forms a “dominant” dolly, and when the “dominant” dolly ( 17 ) arrives close to one of the holding dollies ( 13 ), the control means ( 16 ) operating separation of the dominant dolly ( 17 ) from the profiled element ( 10 ) and a fixed connection of the second drive dolly ( 15 ), which second drive dolly then becomes the “dominant” dolly, to the profiled element ( 10 ) and which secures the longitudinal displacement of the profiled element ( 10 ), while the first drive dolly ( 17 ) is returned to a preselected position ready to become subsequently “dominant” again.