Apparatus and process for feeding panels to a panel cutting saw
OwnerErwin Jenknerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and process for feeding panels to a panel cutting saw for conveying a stack of panels to a panel cutting saw so that the edges of the panels in the stack are aligned with respect to the cutting plane of the saw. An elevator platform supports a stack of panels. A panel conveyer transfers one or more panels at a time over a transfer platform to a panel feed platform. A repositionable barrier may be positioned between the saw and the panel feed platform. An alignment device aligns the panels of the stack against the barrier to produce a stack with at least one side in which the edges of the panels are aligned, prior to feeding of the stack into the panel cutting saw.
Claims12
A panel feed device for a panel cutting saw having a cutting plane and wherein a panel feed platform is arranged adjacent the panel cutting saw, the panel feed device having an elevator platform for receiving and transiently supporting a plurality of stacked workpiece panels to be cut, a barrier member operably arranged parallel to the cutting plane, and a first conveyer device for conveying at least one of the stacked workpiece panels along a feed path from the elevator platform toward the panel feed platform, the panel feed device comprising:
- at least one panel alignment device operably positionable between the elevator platform and the panel feed platform and arranged for movement along the feed path, for aligning the panels against the barrier member;
- the barrier member being operably disposed adjacent to the feed path, for reciprocating movement at least parallel thereto, substantially adjacent to the panel feed platform, and repositionable from at least a barrier position to a release position;
- and
- means operably disposed adjacent to the feed path for reciprocating movement at least parallel to the feed path, for incrementally feeding to the panel cutting saw workpiece panels which have been aligned and stacked on the panel feed platform.
A process for feeding stacked workpiece panels to a panel cutting saw, comprising the steps of:
- propelling a first partial stack of panels from an elevator platform to a panel feed platform and depositing the partial stack onto the panel feed platform;
- aligning the first partial stack of panels against a repositionable barrier member, which is disposed in a barrier position, with at least one panel alignment device disposed between the elevator platform and the panel feed platform;
- propelling at least subsequent partial stack of panels from the elevator platform to the panel feed platform and depositing the subsequent partial stack onto the partial stack previously deposited on the panel feed platform;
- and
- aligning the subsequent partial stack against the barrier member with the at least one panel alignment device, to form an aligned stack of panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.