Apparatus and method for perforating beams

A cutting apparatus for perforating a wooden beam with an I-shape cross-section, said beam having two longitudinal flanges interconnected by a central web, said cutting apparatus comprising:

• a main longitudinal support structure for supporting the beam;
• a cutting zone located along the main longitudinal support structure;
• controllable translating means for translating the beam longitudinally in the cutting zone at a translation speed;
• a detector to detect a presence of the beam in the cutting zone and generate a detecting signal accordingly;
• pressing means for pressing the flanges of the beam against the support structure while allowing a translation of the beam;
• a controllable router, the router being located in the cutting zone, said router being controllably movable substantially orthogonally and transversally with respect to the beam;
• and
• a controller including storing means for storing a predetermined perforation pattern, the controller being operatively connected to the translating means, the pressing means, the detector and the router, the controller having an input for receiving the detecting signal and outputs for sending control signals to:
• the translating means, to control the translation speed;
• the pressing means, to press or free the flanges of the beam;
• the router, to move the router closer or away from the beam, or to transversally translate the router;
• and thereby perforate the web of the beam following the predetermined perforation pattern.

A method for perforating a beam, said beam having two longitudinal edges delimiting a body portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) controllably translating the beam longitudinally along a main longitudinal support structure, at a translation speed;
• b) detecting a presence of the beam in a cutting zone located along the main longitudinal support structure at a detecting time;
• c) pressing the longitudinal edges of the beam against the support structure while allowing a translation of the beam;
• d) based on the detecting time and on the translation speed, and while longitudinal edges of the beam are being pressed, controllably moving a router provided with a rotatable cutter substantially orthogonally to the beam until the cutter perforates the body portion of the beam, the router being then in a cutting position;
• e) while maintaining the router in the cutting position, controllably translating the router transversally with respect to the beam and controllably translating the beam, thereby perforating the body portion of the beam following a predetermined perforation pattern;
• f) once the body portion of the beam is perforated as per the predetermined perforation pattern, moving the router substantially orthogonally and away from the beam in a un-cutting position;
• and
• g) translating the perforated beam away from the cutting zone.

A method for perforating a wooden beam having an I-shape cross-section, said beam having two longitudinal flanges interconnected by a central web, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) controllably translating the beam longitudinally along a main longitudinal support structure, at a translation speed;
• b) detecting a presence of the beam in a cutting zone located along the main longitudinal support structure at a detecting time;
• c) pressing the flanges of the beam against the support structure while allowing a translation of the beam;
• d) based on the detecting time and on the translation speed, while the flanges of the beam are being pressed, controllably moving a router provided with a rotatable cutter substantially orthogonally to the beam until the cutter perforates the web of the beam, the router being then in a cutting position;
• e) while maintaining the router in the cutting position, controllably translating the router transversally with respect to the beam and controllably translating the beam, thereby perforating the web of the beam following the predetermined perforation pattern;
• f) once the web of the beam is perforated as per the predetermined perforation pattern, moving the router substantially orthogonally and away from the beam in a un-cutting position;
• and
• g) translating the perforated beam away from the cutting zone.