The present invention concerns a combination machine for woodworking. A combination machine is one that associates the functions of two or more separate machines into a single unit; combining such functions as carving and smoothing or others. More particularly the present invention concerns a combined planer and moulder having an improved system of moving and affixing the cutterhead of the device relative to the material to be worked to aid in preparing wood worked pieces.
Existing planers and moulders on the market use round columns to support and guide the cutterhead of the device as it is moved up or down relative to the position of the material to be planed and/or moulded. Typically four columns are used such that the columns are placed on each of the four corners of the cutting plane of the device. Some planer moulders of the prior art include: Grizzly Industrial, Inc. of Bellingham Wash. models G1017 12″ Planer, G1021 15″ Planer, G1033 20″ Planer, G3616 Milling Machine, G9732 Metal Cutting Lathe: Woodstock International Inc. of Bellingham, Wash. model W1739 Planer/Moulder; and Williams & Hussey Machine Co., Inc. of Milford, N.H. Planer/Moulder. Typically these machines comprise a platform for placement of the material to be worked serviced by a cutterhead that can be adjusted relative to these materials. The cutterhead typically rides along four cylindrical columns, placed at the perimeter of the work area, with various rods and screws, positioned generally perpendicular to the columns, used to lock the cutterhead in place. The cutting knives, within the cutterhead, can be brought and held against the material to be worked. The cylindrical columns typically are paired with cooperative mating surfaces on stops associated with the rods and screws such that when pressure is applied by the stops on the columns, the cutterhead is held at the appropriate position relative to the work table and can subsequently be adjusted up and down relative to the table as needed.
The use of rounded surfaces such as the columns, rods, screws and stops used in the above noted prior art generally provide inadequate holding power for a cutterhead system. Further, with time and usage, such systems are known to wear, causing slippage of the cutterhead relative to the table surfaces. It is known that the mating surfaces of the round columns and cooperative support casting or table eventually wear away due to the friction caused by continually adjusting and readjusting their relative positions as required by the machine's use. This causes looseness or “play” to develop in the system for which, as a result of the configurations, there is no ultimate adjustment; the machines must be overhauled with replacement of many parts. This “play” affects the locking ability, accuracy and safe operation of the machine. Further, it is costly to remedy this as replacement of the round columns and upper support casting is usually eventually necessary. Such a procedure requires replacement parts and technician time and is costly and time consuming, keeping a working machine away from work.
Generally in the past, woodworking, including planning, molding and shaping for which such devices have been used has not been exacting as the locking mechanisms used with the round column system of support are by their nature only able to apply pressure in a very small area on the columns. In some wood working machines, the clamping device and column have very little area of contact. Consequently, the actual clamping force available to secure the cutterhead assembly is small and often inadequate to the task; allowing slippage of the cutterhead assembly and consequently continual re-tightening. Such continual adjustments take away from actual work time as well. As machines wear this effect becomes progressively worse and rather than replace parts or get new machines, lesser quality work has become acceptable up to the point of the potential failure of the machines of the past. However, it is desirable, particularly with costly materials to be able to provide shaped materials of high quality, design and fit.
In some large scale metal shaping machines, due to the extreme weights developed by the working elements of those devices, columns having a rectilinear wall and a locking mechanism that apply pressure to the column vertical surface have been developed. However, such mechanisms have not been used in woodworking machines because of the significant differences in these devices, including the added weight in a metal working machine, the costs of redesigning accepted machinery and the generally diametric differences in the developments and evolution of wood and metal working machines.
Further, wood working machines of the past have also suffered in that once the cutterhead is put into position and locked into place and the subject wood is fed into the device, the user can not see the results of the work until the material emerges from the machine. If the machine is incorrectly set, or if the adjustments of the height and position have been compromised as a result of slippage, as described above, or if material chips or waste products are interdicting the cutting knives, or for other reasons, a poorly shaped piece of moulding would emerge and would comprise a lost or wasted piece of material. With the increased costs of materials such waste is unconscionable and can be the difference in a profit or loss in a project. Further, the wasting of natural resources has become disfavored, especially as conservation is now sought in projects and is popular. It would be desirable to have a means to visually check the settings of device and check if the knives or other cutting members are hindered, prior to wasting valuable materials.
In accordance with the present invention a wood working device is provided. The device, a planer/moulder for such uses as creating moldings used in construction, includes a table for the placement of the material to be shaped and an adjustment system for adjusting the cutterhead of the device relative to the table, and materials, to be worked. Materials, such as wood, are placed on a table or platform and the cutterhead, having knives therein, is adjusted to a desired position proximate to the materials. Locking means are provided to secure the cutterhead at the desired position so that work on the materials can be completed accurately. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment system includes at least one column, having a dovetail-shaped cross-section acting as a rail, or way, with rectilinear walls onto which the cutterhead can be raised and lowered. By using a rail having a dovetail shaped cross-section with a rectilinear wall, when the cutterhead is placed at an elevation and pressure is placed against the wall effectively locking the cutterhead height to the column, the cutterhead remains in a material shaping position until moved, or unlocked manually.
In embodiments of the present invention the casting table, on which the cutterhead is attached, includes openings having a dovetail shaped cross-section, for cooperative engagement with a rectilinear wall of the dovetail shaped cross-section of the columns. It will be understood that the dovetail shaped cross sections are preferred as they tend to prevent the relative lateral movements of the column and cutterhead. However, it will be understood by persons having ordinary skill in the art that other cross-sectional shapes having a rectilinear wall can be used without departing from the novel scope of the present invention.
Further, in some embodiments, the locking means of the present invention includes an enlarged opening in the casting table for the fitment of a gib. A gib is placed within the opening such that the locking means can press the gib against the rectilinear wall of the column; in this way the gib adds surfaces to accept the wear associated with such locking means. The gib, as it wears, can be easily replaced to keep the locking means of the device working well such that the placement of the cutterhead is maintained through compression of the gib by the locking means against the dovetail-shaped columns until released.
In a preferred embodiment, the elevation system includes two dovetail shaped rails, so as to provide a more stable platform on which the work of planning, moulding or other processes may proceed. Further, in some embodiments the gib is wedge shaped so as to provide a positive lock of the cutterhead to the rails when the gib and column are compressed together by the lock.
It will be understood that the device of the present invention provides a method of accurately planing or moulding materials. The method includes the steps of providing a table, a stand and a cutterhead, the cutterhead configured to either plane or mould materials and providing an adjustment system having at least one column attached to the stand, the at least one column having at least one rectilinear wall that acts as a rail onto which the cutterhead can be raised and lowered relative to the table. As described above, a locking means is also provided and by engaging the locking means the cutterhead is pressed against the column fixing the cutterhead at a desired elevation on the column. The desired location, as understood by persons having skill in the art, is to place the cutterhead in planing or moulding contact with the material to be planed or moulded such that engaging the cutterhead causes accurate planing or moulding of the material. As noted above, in a preferred embodiment of the method of using the device, a gib is placed in the device in association with the cutterhead such that when the locking means is engaged the gib is pressed against a rectilinear wall of the column, thereby holding the device in place for planing and moulding. The locking means includes a rod and threaded knob, the rod and knob being joined together, the knob being in threaded engagement with the cutterhead and the rod being in contact with the gib, at the distal end of the rod, such that when the knob is threaded into the cutterhead, the rod presses the gib against the column.
Advantageously, the device of the present invention further includes a transparent window, preferably made of plastic materials such as Plexiglas®, such that the user may place the cutterhead in the desired position, to provide the desired shaping, while being able to view the materials and/or the cutterhead. It has been determined that hand-eye coordination in, moulding operations provides the best results. Further, the window permits the user to view and then clear any chaff from the cutterhead prior to working.
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following description and claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
a is a perspective view of the device of
a is a plan view of the locking mechanism's relationship to the columns of a device made in accordance with the prior art, as shown in
b is an enlarged partial plan view of the interface between the locking mechanism and the columns, of a device made in accordance with the prior art, as shown in
a is an exploded perspective view showing elements of the locking system of the device of
b is a perspective view, enlarged for detail, of the elements shown in
a is a plan view of the device of
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings a number of presently preferred embodiments that are discussed in greater detail hereafter. It should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. It should be further understood that the title of this section of this application (“Detailed Description of an Illustrative Embodiment”) relates to a requirement of the United States Patent Office, and should not be found to limit the subject matter disclosed herein.
Referring now to the drawings,
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The prior art, shown in
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In
In summary therefore, the device 10, 110 of the present invention uses dovetail ways 18w, 118w as guides, machined into the surface of a cast iron rectangular shaped support structure 20, 120 and the upper assembly support 12. A tapered or straight gib 28, 128 is positioned between the support structure's dovetail 14, 114 and the upper assembly support's dovetail way 18w, 118w. The upper assembly 12, 112, i.e. the cutterhead casting 14, 114, cutterhead 16, 116, drive mechanisms, belts, pulleys and motor 22, is supported in the vertical axis by the dovetail ways 18w, 118w. The dovetail ways 18w, 118w ensure straight and accurate motion along this vertical axis. During use, the upper assembly 12, 112 can be adjusted to a desired height and the assembly can be locked in place by way of a locking mechanism 26, 126. The locking mechanism is comprised of a threaded stud 26a, 126a attached to a knob or handle 26b, 126b and when turned, the end of the threaded stud presses against a gib 28, 128.
As is shown, dovetail ways 18w, 118w have several advantages over round columns 30. First, the mating surfaces of the round columns 30 and support casting or table 32 eventually wear away due to the friction caused by adjusting their height. This causes looseness or “play” to develop in the system for which there is no adjustment. This affects the locking ability, accuracy and safe operation of the machine. It has been found that it is costly to remedy this as replacement of the round columns 30 and upper support casting or table 32 is necessary to the remedy. However, in the present invention using dovetail shaped ways as disclosed, a gib provides adjustment for wear as shown and described. Further a tapered gib 128 can be adjusted deeper into the space 114s between the male and female mating parts of the support structure and upper assembly support. In another embodiment, a device of the present invention can use a straight gib 28 along with adjusting screws 130, positioned along the length of the gib 28, such that as wear develops the screws 130 can be tightened to make up for wear. Either type of gib can be replaced, if needed, at a greatly reduced cost and downtime for the device, compared with the replacement of the round column system of support.
A locking mechanism, of the type used with the round column system of support of the prior art, tends to apply pressure in a very small area on the columns 30. In some devices, the clamping means 34 and column 30 have very little area of contact 30s (
In embodiments of the present invention, along with the accuracy provided by the movement and locking of the present device, a clear polycarbonate or Plexiglas® window 24, located in the cutterhead cover is included. Advantageously, this provides a means by which the user can simplify setting up the guide fences for molding work. As is known by persons having ordinary skill in the art, guide fences force the workpiece through the critical portion of the molding knives. Having a window in the cutterhead cover will facilitate the alignment of the guide fences by allowing the operator to directly view their placement, thus accelerating set-up and improving quality of the finished product. Further, a window in this location provides the operator a view to see the chip flow as the workpiece is being milled. Persons having skill in the art will understand that chips that are not removed immediately from the cutterhead area can be drawn back into the path of the workpiece. These chips can then be inadvertently recut causing the dulling of the knives. Further, the chips can be inadvertently crushed into the workpiece, spoiling the finish. When the operator sees poor chip flow through the provided window he can make adjustments to his dust collection system, depth of cut, feed rate or choose lumber with less moisture content, improving production and quality.
Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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877422 | Herman | Jan 1908 | A |
927776 | DeLeeuw | Jul 1909 | A |
971885 | Grohmann | Oct 1910 | A |
5042542 | Purviance | Aug 1991 | A |
5662441 | Wang | Sep 1997 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090151818 A1 | Jun 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61014652 | Dec 2007 | US |