An apparatus and a method for assembling panels and locking elements
AssigneeSpanolux N.V.-Div. Balterio
InventorsBruno Paul Louis Vermeulen, Jan Eddy De Rick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for assembling panels and locking elements comprises a feeding conveyor for substantially continuously supplying a panel, a processing assembly including a magazine for receiving the continuously supplied panels, the processing assembly being provided with an indexing system for taking the panels from the magazine in a substantially discontinuous manner to a plurality of processing stations, including a machining station for making a recess into a panel, an inserting station for inserting a locking element into a recess of a panel, and a discharge station for discharging the assembled panel.
Claims15
An apparatus for assembling panels and locking elements, comprising
- a feeding station configured to supply a panel,
- a machining station configured to make a recess into a panel,
- an inserting station configured to insert a locking element into a recess of a panel,
- a discharge station configured to discharge the assembled panel,
- at least three movable engaging members, wherein each engaging member is configured to engage and convey a panel, which engaging members are configured such that
- a first panel is conveyed from the feeding station to the machining station,
- a second panel can is conveyed from the machining station to the inserting station, and
- a third panel is conveyed from the inserting station to the discharge station
- simultaneously during subsequent finite time periods.
A method of assembling panels and locking elements, comprising the subsequent steps of
- simultaneously machining a recess into a first panel at a machining station and inserting a locking element into a recess of a second panel at an inserting station,
- simultaneously supplying a third panel to the machining station, conveying the first panel from the machining station to the inserting station and conveying the second panel from the inserting station to a discharge station for discharging the assembled second panel,
- simultaneously machining a recess into the third panel at the machining station and inserting a locking element into the recess of the first panel at the inserting station.
An apparatus for treating panels, comprising
- a feeding conveyor configured to supply a panel substantially and continuously,
- a processing assembly including a magazine configured to receive the continuously supplied panels, the processing assembly being provided with an indexing system configured to take the panels from or by the magazine in a substantially discontinuous manner to a plurality of processing stations, including
- a treatment station for treating the panel, and
- a discharge station for discharging the treated panel.
A method of assembling panels and locking elements, comprising:
- supplying panels in a substantially continuous manner to a magazine for temporarily taking up the panels, and
- feeding the panels from or by the magazine in a discontinuous manner to subsequent processing stations where the panels are machined and supplied with locking elements and discharged to a discharge conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.