GB2037225A - A cutting machine for forming wooden tiles from blanks - Google Patents

Abstract

A reciprocating blank receiving carriage 30 is movable along the machine frame 2 which carries two cutters 3 and 4, one of the cutters 3 being positioned to form cuts in the upper surface of the blank and the other of the cutters 4 being positioned to cut the leading edge of the blank at or near the maximum travel of the carriage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to cutting machines This invention relates to cutting machinery and has been devised particularly though not solely for cutting wooden blanks into tiles.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cutting machine which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly the invention consists in a cutting machine comprising a frame a reciprocating carriage movable on said frame and adapted to receive an article to be cut at least two cutter heads mounted on said frame, adjacent said carriage so that said carriage moves said article to be cut sequentially into engagement with said cutter heads, one said cutter head being positioned to cut at least part of one surface of said article to be cut during movement of said carriage and the other said cutter head being positioned to cut the leading edge of said article to be cut at or near the point of maximum travel of said carriage, said carriage then being withdrawn to allow removal of said article to be cut.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a cutting machine according to the invention, some parts being removed for clarity, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a cutting machine according to the invention, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of a cutting machine according to the invention, some parts being removed for clarity, Figure 4 is a transparent perspective view of carriage and support therefor forming part of a cutting machine according to the invention, and Figure 5 is a circuit diagram showing the operating circuit diagram to control the carriage moving piston and cylinder assembly of a cutting machine accord ing to the invention.

In the preferred form of the invention a cutting machine 1 substantially as shown in the figures is provided.

The cutting machine comprises a frame 2 on which are mounted at least two cutter heads and in the preferred form cutter heads 3 and 4 are provided.

The cutter head 3 is provided to form cuts in the top surface of an article to be cut, for example, a wooden blank 5 and the cutter head 4 is arranged to form a cut on the upper leading edge of the article to be cut, that is to say, to form, for example, a 45" end chamfer on the blank 5.

The cutter heads 3 and 4 are driven from a single motor 6 or alternatively may be driven by a pair of motors (not shown). The cutter head 4 is mounted by mounting and bearing tube 7 and spindle or axle 8 mounts a pulley 9. The mounting and bearing tube 7 is supported on frame 2, for example, by suitable blocks or legs 10. The cutter head 3 is mounted on spindle or axle 11 which is mounted in mounting and bearing tube 12 which is mounted on plate 13 for example by suitable blocks or legs 14. The plate 13 is able to move in a slot formed by top plate 15 of frame 2 and elongated plates 16 spaced from top plate 15 by elongated spacing blocks 17.

A slot 18 is provided in top plate 15 and a block 19 is mounted below, top plate 15. A threaded aperture 20 is provided in block 19 through which a threaded shaft extending from wheel or handle 21 extends.

Suitable bearings are provided to support the shaft or wheel 21 so that rotation of wheel 21 will cause a movement of the block 19 along the shaft so as to move plate 13 and cutter head 2.

The spindle or axle 11 mounts a pulley 22 and belts 23 are provided around pulleys 9 and 22 and a pulley 24 on motor 6. Other drive links may be used.

As movement of plate 13 will vary the path length for belts 23 means are provided to compensate for this and for example, the motor 6 may move in a track 25 so that the weight of the motor will keep belts 23 taut.

The cutter heads 3 and 4 may be fitted with any suitable knives and for example, the cutter head 3 may be fitted with a cutter bolt 26 which cuts a pair of longitudinal scallops in the upper surface of a wooden blank 5 to form a tile and the cutter head 4 may form a chamfered cut 27, for example, at 45 on the tile at the end which is to be the lower end in use.

Planers (not shown) may be provided along the sides of the frame to cut the edges of a blank 5, for example, so that a ship-lap engagement may be achieved with or without drainage grooves. Alternatively blank 5 may be pre-cut on alternative machines.

In order to pass the tiles under the cutter heads a reciprocating carriage 30 is provided which is moved backwards and forwards, for example, by piston and cylinder assembly 31 which is fixed between the frame 1 and the carriage 30 so that a reciprocating action may be obtained and control of this action may be, for example, by a foot pedal 32. The carriage 30 may have a raised part 33 to correctly position the blank 5 relative to cutting heads 3 and 4 and an end bracket 36 is provided against which blank 5 is pressed. The bracket or stop 36 is of sufficient height to locate the blank 5 in the desired position.

In order to hold the article on the carriage 30 a clamp 37 may be provided, for example, piston and cylinder assembly 38 which clamps one end of the blank 5 to be cut. Also, the frame may provide a hold-down unit comprising, for example, a set of wheels 39,40, and 41 mounted to the frame. The wheels 39,40 and 41 are preferably mounted on housings 42 which include a spring or other resilient device acting between axle 43 and the upper end of housing 42, for example. Axle 43 may be mounted on a shaft 44 threaded at its upper end so that nut 45 may be utilised to draw the axle upwardly or release the axle 43 downwardly. The wheels 39 and 40 are mounted on plate 13 by legs 46 and 50 move with the plate 13. Wheel 41 is mounted on frame 2 by legs 47.

The hold-down piston and cylinder assembly 38 may also be operated by the foot control 32.

To enable movement of carriage 30 to occur a bed 50 may be mounted on frame 2, for example, by arms 51 between bed 50 and beam 52 forming part of frame 2. The bed 50 mounts wheels 53, there being preferably four wheels 53 and the carriage 30 is made in channel form having ribs 54 which run in circumferential grooves 55 in wheels 53.

A stop such as rubber buffer 56 may be provided against which the bed 50 abuts at one end of travel of carriage 30. A drilling unit indicated diagrammatically at 59 may be provided to drill holes in the blank, the position of the drilling unit is also preferably variable using techniques such as plate 13, for example. To control movement of the carriage 30 an air system may be provided as follows.

When foot pedal 32 is pressed air supplied from valve 60 to dashpot 61, so that oil is supplied to end 62 of cylinder thus moving piston 63 to extend the carriage 30 against the cutting heads 3 and 4. Oil is exhausted through valve 64 and conduit 65 to dashpot 66. When poppet valve 67 is tripped by carriage 30 oil is re-routed by valve 64 through restricted conduit 68 and the movement of carriage 30 slows. As cutter head 4 cuts chamfer 27 poppet valve 69 is tripped to reverse the flow to and from dashpots by changing valve 60. The foot pedal is also reset. The drills 59 may also be operated by provision of a suitable air conduit path and poppet valve. Also, a stop such as pin 57 may be provided to limit travel in the opposite direction by engagement with bed 50.

The exact dimensions of the construction will depend on the size of tile to be cut, and for example, a typical roof tile may be 30mm thick, 200mm wide with a length varying between 450mm and 800mm.

It may be desirable that a flat or uncut area of 100mm be provided at one end of the tile, i.e. the end opposite the scalloped end.

In such a construction the cutter head units 3 and 4 may comprise 0.45mm open ended shafts and the motor 6 may be, for example, a 5.5 h.p. motor. The cutter heads of course are substantially the same width as the tiles being for example, 200mm long.

The head 3 is positioned in the preferred form to cut scallops along part of the length of a blank 5 and the head 4to provide an end chamfer.

Exhaust hoods may be provided over at least part of the cutter heads 3 and 4 which may be connected to a chip extraction unit to withdraw cuttings cut by the cutter heads 3 and 4, hood 70 is shown pecked in Figure 3.

In use, a blank, for example, a wooden blank 5 is placed on the carriage 30 and the piston and cylinder assembly 38 operated to clamp the blank 5 to the carriage 30. The piston and cylinder assembly 31 is then operated to move the carriage 30 so that the blank passes under the hold-down wheels 39 and 40 and ultimately wheel 41. As the blank 5 passes the cutter head 3 a surface cut is provided and the length of the stroke of the piston and cylinder assembly 31 is arranged so that the blank 5 will cease movement when it becomes positioned a little beyond the foremost part of the cutter head 4. The piston and cylinder assembly 31 then withdraws so that a tile is provided having cuts on the top surface thereof and a chamfered end.

Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a cutting machine is provided which will enable, for example, wooden blanks to be cut into roofing tiles in a simple yet effective manner.

Claims (9)

1. A cutting machine comprising a frame, a reciprocating carriage movable on said frame and adapted to receive an article to be cut at least two cutter heads mounted on said frame, adjacent said carriage so that said carriage moves said article to be cut sequentially into engagement with said cutter heads one said cutter head being positioned to cut at least part of one surface of said article to be cut during movement of said carriage and the other said cutter head being positioned to cut the leading edge of said article to be cut at or near the point of maximum travel of said carriage, said carriage then being withdrawn to allow removal of said article to be cut.

2. A cutting machine as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said surface cutting cutter head is movable relative to said edge cutting cutter head so that the length of cut made by said surface cutting cutter head may be varied.

3. A cutting machine as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said carriage is reciprocated by means of a double acting piston and cylinder assembly mounted between said frame and said carriage.

4. A cutting machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a clamp is provided on said carriage operable to clamp an article to be cut thereto.

5. A cutting machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said clamp is provided at or adjacent one end of said carriage and a hold-down unit is provided on said frame to further hold down said article during at least part of said cutting process.

6. A cutting machine as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said hold-down unit comprises one or more wheels mounted on said frame so that said article to be cut moves on said carriage and against said wheels.

7. A cutting machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein in use exhaust hoods are provided over at least a part of each cutter head, said exhaust hoods being arranged to have an air draught therethrough so that cut wood chips may be withdrawn through said exhaust hoods.

8. A cutting machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said cutter heads comprise rotating cutter heads.

9. A cutting machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.