Woodworking machine having a plurality of sequentially operative multiple tool units

A multiple station woodworking apparatus, comprising a conveyor unit having work support means for supporting parts and moving parts through a trim station and a plurality of cope tool stations spaced along a work path,

• each of said cope tool stations including a tool unit including a vertical stack of cutting tools, each stack of cutting tools including a common support shaft and a plurality of tools secured in parallel axially spaced relation to said common support, each of said tool units including a fixed support member, a first movable member coupled to said support member and moving along a first axis, a second movable member movably attached to said first movable member and movable along a second axis at an angle to said first axis, first motor means connected to said fixed support member and said first movable member and positioning said first movable member on said fixed support member, second motor means connected to said first movable member and to said second movable member and positioning said second movable member along said second axis,
• said cope stations including a first cope station and at least one second cope stations downstream of said first cope station, said tools of each of said cope stations having cutting tools with a cutting edge related to and oriented to form predetermined extensions of the cuts of tools from others of said cope tools station whereby the cutting edge of at least some of said tools of said second cope stations are operably located in overlapping relations to the cut surface established by tools of said first cope station to form extended surfaces and whereby combinations of said tools form a plurality of different profiles.

A woodworking apparatus adapted to produce a line of edge worked wood products having edge profiles including a line of different profiles with interrelated recessed and projecting surfaces, comprising a frame structure, means for successive transport of product along a fixed work path, a first work station and a second work station adjacent said work path,

• each of said work stations including a tool unit comprising a plurality of rotating cutting tools secured to a drive spindle, a tool unit support structure mounted to said frame structure for positioning said tool unit in said work path, said support structure having a first slide unit having an axis parallel to the axis of the spindle for aligning of an individual tool in said work path and a second slide unit having a lateral axis of movement for positioning of a tool unit relative to the edge of the work path, first motor means secured to said support structure and said first slide unit for moving said too unit along said first axis, second motor means connected to said support structure and coupled to said second slide unit for positioning of said spindle along said second axis of movement, first and second position sensing means secured to said support structure for sensing the corresponding position along the first and second axii, each of said sensing means including a movable member moving in the direction of first axis and a relatively fixed member with respect to the axis, said position sensing means establishing an absolute position output signal corresponding precisely to the position of said movable member and thereby the position of said tool unit and an individual tool of the tool unit relative to said work path,
• said tools of said second stack of said second work station having cutting tools with a cutting edge related to and oriented to form predetermined extensions of the surface of said first cutting tools of said first work station whereby the cutting edge of at least some of said tools of said second station can be located in overlapping relation to the cut surface established by said first cutting tools to form extended surfaces and whereby combinations of said tools forming said plurality of profiles, and
• a control means including a position demand signal means and a position feedback input means, means receiving a command signal connecting each of said tool unit position sensing means to said input means and establishing a position signal, and said control means energizing said motor means to position said tool unit on said corresponding axii to establish a match between said command signals and said position signals and thereby position said tools in successive stations to form selected profiles.