Abstract: A plant for the automatic stacking and orderly arrangement of different sized panels. The plant causes the packs of panels coming from the dividing machine to reach a first transport runway, arranged either side by side or in end-to-end sequence depending upon their size and stacking requirements. Ranged on a line beside the runway are lifting platforms to which the packs are supplied and onto which are stacked packs of panels of the same size. The stacks are then transferred to stations adjacent the lifting platforms, where they are arranged in order either end to end or, if desired, side by side to form parallelepiped assemblies which are then transferred to a discharge station after being, optionally, arranged on a pallet or other support.

Abstract: A device for shifting packs (P) of panels along the workpiece support table (L) of a sawing machine. The top surface of a stack of panels (P') comprises a pair of levers (1, 2) hingedly mounted on a motorized carriage (C). The first lower lever (1) frontally contacts the side of the pack (P) by its forward end defining a vertical pushing front (13) and has a lower jaw (17) acting on the underside of the edge of the pack (P), while a second, upper lever (2) forms, with its forward end (20, 21), the upper jaw acting on the top side of the edge of the pack (P). The second lever is actuated for gripping the edge of the pack between the two jaws (17, 20, 21).

Abstract: A method of cutting panels with or stacks of panels a circular cutting saw to effect extremely neat and rapid cuts with no splintering. The saw cuts a panel in two steps, first by acting thereon through a portion of its thickness during a horizontal stroke, and then through the remaining portion of its thickness during the reverse stroke, while the direction of rotation of the saw remains unchanged and is such that the teeth thereof act successively on the two faces of the panel and press them inwardly of said panel. The saw is precisely adjustable both horizontally and vertically. Before being positioned for the first cutting step, it is displaced both vertically and horizontally to effect on the side of the panel where the cutting stroke is initiated and terminated one or more incisions compressing the panel material inwardly thereby, avoiding splintering during the subsequent cutting operations.

Abstract: A lifting platform for feeding stacks of panels to a machining line, in synchronism with the operation of a composite pusher (12) which skims the top side of a stack on the platform, and has transverse beams (5-5') for locally lifting the stack. The pusher has fingers in the same vertical ideal planes as the transverse beams. Above the stack are dimension feelers (14), one for each beam and vertically aligned therewith. At the beginning of each feeding cycle, the lifting platform is in its lowest position, the feelers (14) are completely lowered and the platform is then lifted by a predetermined amount (X) which is detected and evaluated by the feeler(s) first engaging the top of the stack, whereupon the feeler(s) causes the platform to stop. Thereafter, the feelers that had not reached the predetermined dimension are also raised to the same plane by selectively actuating the underlying beams (5-5') which lift the interposed portion of stack by an appropriate amount.

Abstract: Panel packs, made available cyclically at the outlet of a dividing machine and arranged side by side, are transferred to a station from which they are discharged simultaneously, either into a conventional stacking unit of the wedge and lifting platform type, or, after a 90.degree. rotation, into a composite transport runway where the packs are arranged either side by side or in sequence. Laterally of the runway are parallel rows of lifting platforms on which are stacked the packs of panels coming from the transport runway, so that panels of the same size will be stacked on each platform. Finally, the stacks of panels are discharged from the various lifting platforms and transferred to conveyors and sorters.

Abstract: A grooving device for making a groove or incision in the edge of panels (P) supported on a horizontal table for cutting by a said circular saw (S). The grooving device comprises a rotary grooving tool (30) mounted on the same carriage (C) as the main circular saw (S), on a movable side (12) of an articulated parallelogram structure (1,13, 11,12 to 9,10,14,15) mounted on the carriage (C) by means of another side (1) rigidly secured thereto. An air operated jack (17) moves the articulated parallelogram structure between a rest position in which the grooving tool (30) is inactive and a working position in which the grooving tool (30) engages the panels (P).

Abstract: Apparatus for the automatic discharge of wood panels from the workpiece support (A) of a machining line onto lifting and lowering supports (8, 9) so as to form stacks of superposed panels, comprising a tilting table (1) which can be tilted around a fulcrum axis (2) so as to bring its discharge edge (101) in close proximity with the upper supporting surface of the lifting and lowering support (8, 9). Transverse abutment means (10, 14) cooperate with the supporting surface of the tilting table in such a manner that, whenever the inclined tilting table is horizontally moved transversally to the abutment means, the panels lying thereon are discharged onto the underlying lifting and lowering support, since they are prevented by the abutment means from following the movement of the tilting table.

Abstract: A saw-carrying carriage consists of a supporting frame movable along horizontal guides, onto which frame there is vertically movably mounted a structure which carries the circular saw and the electric motor for driving it. The vertically movable structure comprises a pair of vertical rods slidable within vertical tubular guides secured to the supporting frame. The top ends of the vertical rods are conically shaped, and the top ends of the vertical tubular guides have downwardly directed hollow conical seats. The bottom ends of the vertical rods of the movable structure are connected to a bar to which are also secured the stems of two piston-and-cylinder units, the cylinders of each unit being secured to the supporting frame of the carriage. In this manner, retraction of the stems inside the cylinders will promote lifting of the movable unit which carries the saw.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sawing machine of the type comprising a horizontal workpiece support table (1) presenting a straight longitudinal slot (2) defining a cutting line, a sawing tool (4) mounted on a carriage (6) reciprocably movable along a path parallel to and beneath the cutting line, and a longitudinal pressure bar (3) arranged above the workpiece support table (1) which pressure bar (3) extends along the whole length of the cutting line and can be raised and lowered with respect to the said workpiece support table (1) so as to be capable of blocking thereon the workpiece (P) to be sawed. In the sawing machine there is provided a first safety device, consisting of a protective apron extending along both sides of the cutting line, the protective apron being formed by a plurality of slats (10) hingedly mounted, swinging movement through a predetermined angle of oscillation, on longitudinal apron rods (7).

Abstract: The device for the longitudinal trimming of a panel or stack of panels to be fed to a panel cutting machine comprises an elevating table onto which there is loaded a pile of panels. The elevating table is raised a predetermined distance so as to bring to the level of the panel support table of the cutting machine a stack of a predetermined number of panels. The stack of panels is transversely and longitudinally aligned, by means of transversal and lateral abutment or reference members, is then pushed a predetermined distance in the transverse direction and is then subjected to the action of a longitudinal trimming saw which cuts one or more strips from the side of the stack of panels. The thus reduced stack of panels is then fed to a crosscut saw on the panel support table to be subjected to transverse cutting and other panel sizing operations.

Abstract: The device for making a groove in the edge of a panel or a stack of panels consists of a grooving saw supported by a structure which is movable from a rest position above the panel and remote from the edge to be grooved, to a starting position below the panel, to a subsequent working stroke directed upwardly, during which the groove is made, and again to the rest position. In order to exactly follow the contour of the edge, which may be rounded, the grooving saw is guided in its working stroke by a feeler roller which feels the outer contour of the edge.

Abstract: A trim discharging device, for discharging the trim or scrap resulting from the trimming of the leading edge and of the trailing edge of a stack of panels fed to a cutting line on a panel support table, comprises two tiltable table portions, which by two adjacent edges define between them the cutting line. Each tiltable table portion is hinged along an axis which is parallel to the cutting line, and can be tilted so as to slope in the direction of a trim discharge zone, located below the cutting line.

Abstract: The strips to be fed to a cutting line are positioned side by side on a supporting table. Above the table there is arranged a structure which is movable transversally with respect to the feeding direction of the strips. On the underside of the structure there are provided two pusher carriers, in the form of elongated bars carrying a plurality of pushers intended to engage the strips on the table. Each pusher carrier is movable, independently with respect to the other one, towards and away from the cutting line. The pusher carriers can be moved transversally with respect to the feeding direction, so that each one of the pusher carriers can selectively engage a predetermined number of strips. Thereafter, the pusher carriers are moved towards the cutting line independently the one from the other, with consequent variations of the amount of feed of the strips, which will eventually result into obtaining panels of different sizes from the different strips.