Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6220494
-
Patent Number
6,220,494
-
Date Filed
Friday, January 7, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 24, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
- Modiano; Guido
- Josif; Albert
- O'Byrne; Daniel
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 227 2
- 227 3
- 227 4
- 227 5
- 227 6
- 227 7
- 227 152
- 227 154
- 227 110
- 227 111
- 227 140
- 227 145
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
An apparatus for inserting, in the molding of picture-frames, metal staples adapted to retain laminar backing elements for pictures, photographs and the like, comprising a beam which is arranged horizontally above the surface that supports the molding, two fixing tools which are guided on the beam transversely to two opposite sides of the molding, an actuation for adjusting the distance between the fixing tools along the beam as a function of the distance between the sides, and a further actuation for vertically actuating the fixing tools into the position for applying metallic staples in the sides.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for inserting, in the molding of frames, metal staples adapted to retain laminar supporting elements for pictures, photographs and the like.
It is known that in order to frame pictures there are commercially available frames which comprise a rectangular molding formed by assembled strips which are internally provided with a flange which acts as abutment for the glass plate designed to protect the picture to be framed and for a panel of cardboard or the like adapted to support the picture at the rear. In order to retain the panel and the glass plate within the frame, flexible metal staples are inserted behind the panel by means of a mechanical or pneumatic fixing tool which is usually of the manual type.
The staples are inserted only partially, so as to have an end which protrudes toward the inside of the frame so that it can be folded back when the panel is to be removed or folded forward again in order to reposition the panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the cardboard and the glass plate can be fixed automatically within a picture-frame molding.
This aim is achieved with an apparatus for inserting, in the molding of picture-frames, metal staples adapted to retain laminar backing elements for pictures, photographs and the like, characterized in that it comprises a beam which is arranged horizontally above the surface that supports said molding, two fixing tools which are guided on said beam transversely to two opposite sides of said molding, means for adjusting the distance between said fixing tools along said beam as a function of the distance between said sides, and means for vertically actuating said fixing tools into the position for applying metallic staples in said sides.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1 and 2
are perspective views of the apparatus;
FIG. 3
is a front view of the apparatus of
FIGS. 1 and 2
;
FIG. 4
is a view of the head of the fixing tool in the position for inserting the staples in the molding;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of an apparatus provided by combining in an in-line configuration two apparatuses according to
FIGS. 1-4
for automatically preparing frames;
FIG. 6
is an enlarged-scale view of a detail of the apparatus of
FIG. 5
;
FIG. 7
is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to
FIGS. 1-6
, the apparatus is generally designated by the reference numeral
1
and comprises a conveyor for supporting and conveying the frames which is constituted by a belt
2
which is closed in a loop around two rollers
3
and
4
; the roller
4
is actuated in order to drive the belt with a continuous motion in the direction A. The rollers
3
and
4
are rotatably supported in sides
5
and
6
which rest on the footing
7
by means of spacers
8
.
Two vertical posts
9
rise from the side
6
and blocks
10
can slide thereon. Respective stems
11
are guided in the blocks
10
at right angles to the direction A, and a guiding edge
12
is fixed thereto.
In this manner, by moving and fixing the blocks
10
on the posts
9
and the stems
11
in the blocks
10
it is possible to adjust the edge
12
vertically and laterally.
On the opposite side of the belt
2
with respect to the guiding edge
12
there is another guiding edge
13
which is parallel to the edge
12
.
The guiding edge
13
is fixed, in a downward region, to a carriage
14
which is guided on a beam
15
running horizontally and at right angles to the direction A above the belt
2
.
The beam
15
cantilevers out from the top of a column
16
which rises from the footing
7
externally with respect to the side
5
.
The carriage
14
can be positioned on the beam
15
by means of a drive which comprises a reversible motor
17
which is supported in a cantilevered arrangement by the column
16
and actuates a threaded rod
18
which is engaged in the carriage
14
below the beam
15
. By actuating the rod
18
in one direction or the other it is possible to move the edge
13
closer or further away with respect to the edge
12
, depending on the width of the frame to be prepared.
In
FIGS. 1-3
, the frame comprises a conventional rectangular molding
19
made of wood or other similar material, which is composed by joining at right angles two transverse strips
20
and two longitudinal strips
21
. The strips
20
,
21
have a cross-section which forms a flange
22
(see
FIG. 4
) which lies inside the molding
19
and whereon there rest, for example, a glass plate
23
and a rear panel
24
, between which the picture to be framed is to be interposed. The glass plate may of course be omitted and the panel may have any kind of structure. In
FIGS. 1-3
, the panel that closes the frame to the rear is not shown for the sake of clarity.
In addition to the carriage
14
, two sliding blocks
25
,
26
are slidingly supported on the beam
15
.
The sliding block
25
can move along the beam through a transmission system which comprises a threaded stem
27
which lies within a seat of the beam
15
and is actuated by a reversible motor
28
. The stem
27
is rotatably engaged in the sliding block
25
, so that by actuating the motor
28
the sliding block
25
can be moved along the beam
15
in one direction or the other.
Two brackets protrude laterally to the beam
15
from the sliding block
25
and two parallel and vertical guiding rods
29
are fixed between them. A slider
30
is slidingly guided on the rods
29
, and a fixing tool
31
of the conventional type is rigidly fixed on said slider. The fixing tool
31
comprises an insertion head
32
(see
FIG. 4
) which has a nozzle
33
for firing the metal staples to be driven into the molding, said staples being joined so as to form a pack which is accommodated in the magazine
34
.
The slider
30
can be raised and lowered along the guiding rods
29
of the sliding block
25
by means of a transmission system which is composed of a reversible motor
35
which actuates a threaded stem
36
which is parallel to the guiding rods
29
and is rotatably engaged in the slider
30
.
The sliding block
26
is actuated along the beam
15
exactly like the sliding block
25
by means of a reversible motor
37
and a threaded stem (not shown in the drawing) which is actuated by the motor
37
and engages the sliding block
26
with a screw-type coupling.
The sliding block
26
also supports a fixing tool
38
which is fitted on a slider which can be positioned vertically by means of a transmission system which is fully identical to the transmission system that actuates the slider
30
and is actuated by a reversible motor
39
. Only the motor
39
of said transmission system is shown in the drawing; said motor actuates, by means of the threaded stem, the lifting of the slider on which the fixing tool
38
is fitted.
The fixing tools
31
,
38
are orientated so that by descending from a raised position by means of the motors
35
,
39
the nozzles of said fixing tools are directed toward the internal face
40
of the longitudinal strips
21
of the molding, above the rear panel
24
.
The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows.
Assume an initial position in which the guiding edge
13
is already arranged, with respect to the opposite guiding edge
12
, at a distance which allows to guide the molding
19
between them without appreciable transverse plays with respect to the advancement direction A. Assume, furthermore, that the nozzles of the fixing tools
31
,
38
are vertically aligned on the internal flanges
22
of the longitudinal strips
21
and are raised with respect to the level of the belt
2
, so as to allow the molding
19
to pass below them.
In this situation, when a molding
19
has been conveyed by the belt
2
until it reaches the position in which the fixing tools
31
are arranged inside the molding, the motors
35
and
39
are activated so as to lower the sliders
30
to a level at which the nozzles
33
of the fixing tools
31
,
38
are engaged in the corner formed by the panel
24
and by the internal face
40
for containing the panel
24
on the flange
22
.
At this point, the fixing tools
31
,
38
are activated and drive the staples into the longitudinal strips
21
, thus locking said panels
24
against the flange
22
with the glass plate
23
interposed. Once this step for the insertion of the metal staples has been completed, the fixing tools
31
,
38
are again raised above the molding
19
, so as to allow it to continue further. A prerogative of the present invention is the fact that the arrangement of the fixing tools
31
,
38
at the level for inserting the staples can be achieved by means of adapted sensors which, after detecting the presence of the molding
19
on the belt
2
, actuate the gearmotors
35
,
39
so as to lower the fixing tools
31
,
38
.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, conceived in order to adapt the apparatus to the width of the moldings, particularly when it is necessary to work with molding of different sizes, provisions are made for the use of additional sensors which are capable of detecting the transverse dimensions of the moldings
19
conveyed by the belt
20
and to accordingly actuate the gearmotors
17
,
28
,
37
so as to adapt the distance between the guiding edges
13
and
12
to the width of the molding as detected by the sensors and move the sliding blocks
25
,
26
so as to achieve the vertical alignment of the nozzles of the fixing units
31
,
38
on the flanges
22
at the longitudinal strips
21
.
The above-described apparatus can be operatively associated with another identical one in order to produce a unit which allows to insert metal staples on all the sides of the molding.
For this purpose, as shown in
FIG. 5
, at the outlet of the belt
2
of a first apparatus
1
there is a turntable
41
which is capable of turning through 90° the moldings transferred onto it by the belt
2
. Advantageously, the turntable
41
is constituted by a plurality of belts
42
(see
FIG. 6
) which are closed in a loop around corresponding pulleys and whose upper portion forms a supporting surface for the moldings
19
that arrive from the belt
2
. The belts are actuated with a decreasing motion from one side to the other, so as to turn through 90° the molding that rests temporarily on them, so that the longitudinal strips
21
arrange themselves transversely to the advancement direction A. Downstream of the turntable
41
there is a second apparatus
1
′ which inserts the metal staples on the transverse strips
20
, which are now longitudinal. At the output of the second apparatus
1
there is a conveyor
43
which removes the completed moldings. Optionally, instead of the conveyor
43
it is possible to provide an additional turntable in order to return the moldings to the initial arrangement.
FIG. 7
is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention, in which the lifting and lowering of the slider
30
by means of the threaded stem
36
is combined with the movement actuated by a pneumatic cylinder
42
a.
For this purpose, the threaded stem
36
is screwed into a tube
43
which is guided axially, but retained rotationally, through a cylindrical cavity
44
formed in the slider
30
. A piston
45
is rigidly coupled on the tube
43
and divides the cavity
44
into two chambers. By feeding compressed air to the upper or lower chamber, the slider
30
is made to rise or descend, respectively. This allows to use the motors
35
,
39
for molding size changes and the pneumatic cylinders for raising and lowering the fixing tools during normal working conditions.
In practice, the turntable
41
is provided with guiding edges in order to facilitate and improve the precision of the rotation of the moldings in transit.
Advantageously, the speed at which the frames move on the turntable is at least twice the speed with which the frames advance on the conveyor of the apparatuses for inserting the fixing elements, in order to allow correct mutual spacing of the frames and their rotation through 90°.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO99A000013 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
- 1. An apparatus for inserting, in moldings of picture-frames, metal backing element retaining staples comprising: a surface for supporting a molding; a beam arranged horizontally above said supporting surface; two fixing tools guided on said beam transversely to two opposite sides of said molding; first actuation means for adjusting a distance between said fixing tools along said beam as a function of a distance between said sides; and second actuation means for vertically actuating said fixing tools into a position for applying metallic staples in said molding sides.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: sliding blocks movable along said beam; sliders on which said fixing tools are fixed and which are vertically guided on respective ones of sliding blocks; said second actuation means moving said sliders on said sliding blocks between a raised position, which allows passage of said molding below said fixing tools, and a lowered position for applying said metal staples to the opposite sides of said molding.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a carriage guided on said beam, and driving means for driving said carriage along said beam, said supporting surface being constituted by a belt for transferring the molding below said fixing tools, said belt being delimited on one side by a first edge which forms a lateral reference guide for said molding and, on the other side, by a second edge which is supported by said carriage.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising sensors for controlling said first and second actuation means and said driving means while moving said sliding blocks, said sliders and said carriage respectively, said sensors being adapted to detect both presence and dimensional data of said molding, on said belt.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each one of said first and second actuation and driving means is constituted by a threaded stem which engages said carriage, said sliding blocks and said sliders, respectively, said threaded stems being actuated each by a motor controlled by said sensors.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising a fluid-driven cylinder; a tube guided axially, but retained rotationally, through a cylindrical cavity which is formed in said slider; said threaded stem being screwed into said tube; a piston being rigidly coupled on said tube so as to divide said cavity into two chambers which can be connected to a source of compressed air, and wherein lifting and lowering of said slider by way of said threaded stem is combined with a movement which is actuated by said fluid-driven cylinder.
- 7. An apparatus for inserting, in moldings of picture-frames, metal backing element retention staples comprising: two in-line apparatuses as claimed in claim 1; a turntable being interposed between said apparatuses, said turntable rotating through a 90° angle, the moldings that arrive from a first apparatus and to transfer the moldings to a second downstream apparatus of said two in-line apparatuses.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
BO99A0013 |
Jan 1999 |
IT |
|
US Referenced Citations (5)