Nailing machine for assembling wood pallets or the like

Abstract

A nailing machine for assembling wood pallets includes a nailing station and an advancement and guiding component which form a substantially horizontal resting surface at the nailing station configured for the assembly of at least two superimposed wood pieces to be assembled by nailing to provide a pallet. The nailing station includes at least one nailing head, each of which is associated with at least one nailing stem, which can move along a substantially vertical direction with respect to the resting surface between an inactive position, in which the lower end of the nailing stem is spaced from the upper surface of the superimposed wood pieces, and an active position, in which the lower end of the nailing stem is moved closer to, or made to penetrate, the upper surface of the superimposed wood pieces.

Claims

1. A nailing machine for assembling wood pallets comprising: at least one nailing station and advancement and guiding means which form a substantially horizontal resting surface at said nailing station, said nailing station being configured for the assembly of at least two superimposed wood pieces to be assembled by nailing to provide a pallet, said nailing station comprising at least one nailing head associated with at least one nailing stem, which can move along a substantially vertical direction with respect to said resting surface between an inactive position, in which the lower end of said at least one nailing stem is spaced from the upper surface of said at least two superimposed wood pieces, and an active position, in which the lower end of said nailing stem is moved closer to said upper surface of said at least two superimposed wood pieces, said at least one nailing head being feedable with the nails to be used for nailing, further comprising elevation variation means configured for varying the elevation of said upper surface of said two superimposed wood pieces at said nailing station, said means for varying the elevation of the upper surface being actuatable on command in order to move said upper surface to a predetermined elevation, wherein said elevation variation means comprise at least one upper abutment body for a portion of the upper surface of said two superimposed wood pieces, and at least one device for moving said resting surface configured to move on command said resting surface between a lowered position, in which the upper surface of said two superimposed wood pieces is spaced and located below said upper abutment body, and a raised position, in which said upper surface rests against said upper abutment body.

2. The nailing machine according to claim 1, wherein said device for moving said resting surface comprises at least one pneumatic actuation device.

3. The nailing machine according to claim 2, wherein said nailing station comprises at least one base structure, said at least one pneumatic actuation device being interposed between said resting surface and said base structure.

4. The nailing machine according to claim 1, wherein said at least one upper abutment body is connected kinematically to said at least one nailing stem during movement from the inactive position to the active position and from the active position to the inactive position.

5. The nailing machine according to claim 1, wherein said at least one upper abutment body is integral with said at least one nailing stem during movement from the inactive position to the active position and from the active position to the inactive position.

6. The nailing machine according to claim 1, wherein said upper abutment body comprises a fixed presser body.

7. The nailing machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the force applied by said movement device during the transition from the lowered position toward the raised position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will become better apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the nailing machine for assembling wood pallets or the like according to the disclosure, illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a partially sectional schematic side view of a nailing station with the nailing stems in the inactive position;

(3) FIG. 2 is a partially sectional schematic side view of a nailing station with the nailing stems in the active position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the nailing station, taken along the plane of arrangement defined by the line III-III of FIG. 1 with the nailing stems in the inactive position; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the nailing station, taken along the plane of arrangement defined by the line III-III of FIG. 1 with the nailing stems in the active position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the nailing machine for assembling wood pallets or the like according to the disclosure, designated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprises at least one nailing station 2 and advancement and guiding means 3 which define a substantially horizontal resting surface 10 at the nailing station 2.

(7) The nailing station 2 in particular is designed for the assembly of at least two superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b to be assembled by nailing in order to provide a pallet.

(8) The nailing station 2 comprises at least one nailing head 4 which is associated with at least one nailing stem 7.

(9) Each nailing stem 7 can move along a substantially vertical direction 100 with respect to the resting surface 10 between an inactive position (shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 3), in which the lower end 7a of each nailing stem 7 is spaced from the upper surface 5c of the superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b, and an active position (shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 4), in which the lower end 7a of the nailing stem 7 is moved closer to the upper surface 5c of the superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b.

(10) Of course, in the active position the lower end 7a of the nailing stem 7 can be made to abut against or slightly penetrate into the upper surface 5c of the superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b.

(11) In particular, the nailing head 4 can be supplied with the nails to be used for nailing.

(12) According to the present disclosure, the nailing machine 1 comprises means for varying the elevation of the upper surface 5c of the two superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b at the nailing station 2.

(13) The means for varying the elevation of the upper surface 5c can be actuated on command in order to move said upper surface to a predetermined elevation.

(14) According to a preferred embodiment, the elevation variation means comprise at least one upper abutment body 6 for a portion of the upper surface 5c of the two superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b, and at least one device 11 for moving the resting surface 10.

(15) The movement device 11 is designed to move on command the resting surface 10 between a lowered position, in which the upper surface 5c of the two superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b is spaced and arranged below the upper abutment body 6, and a raised position, in which the upper surface 5c rests against the upper abutment body 6.

(16) In this regard, the resting surface 10 is connected kinematically to the movement device 11 in order to pass between the lowered position (shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 3), and the raised position (shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 4).

(17) According to a preferred embodiment, the movement means 11 comprise at least one pneumatic actuation device 12.

(18) As an alternative, it is possible to provide different movement device 11, which has a kinematic connection element of the mechanical type (for example a motor associated with a linkage-crank assembly), associated with an elastically flexible compensation element such as for example a spring, a fluid or a gas or a compressible solid.

(19) Moreover, as an alternative, it is possible to provide different types of movement device 11 adapted in general to stop the lifting movement of the resting surface 10 once the upper surface 5c abuts against the upper abutment body 6.

(20) If the movement device 11 is associated with an electric actuation device, it is possible to provide for the interruption of movement upon reaching a predetermined level of electrical absorption of the respective electrical actuation device.

(21) The actuation device 12 can also be of the hydraulically actuated type.

(22) With reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the nailing station 2 comprises at least one base structure 13.

(23) In this case, the pneumatic actuation device 12 is interposed between the resting surface 10 and the base structure 13.

(24) Conveniently, the or each upper abutment body 6 is connected kinematically to at least one nailing stem 7 during movement from the inactive position to the active position and vice versa.

(25) Advantageously, the upper abutment body 6 is integral with the nailing stem or stems 7 during movement from the inactive position to the active position and vice versa.

(26) In this manner, the upper abutment body 6 moves to a lowered position, providing an upper abutment which is capable of keeping the resting surface 10 locked in the raised position during the lowering of the nailing stems 7 and therefore during the operations for inserting the nails within the superimposed wood pieces 5a, 5b.

(27) Nothing forbids the use of different types of upper abutment body 6, in some cases, even fixed with respect to the base structure 13 in an extreme case.

(28) In fact, nothing forbids the upper abutment bodies 6 from being provided by fixed presser bodies 9 which can also perform a guiding function.

(29) The nailing machine 1 conveniently comprises means for adjusting the force applied by the movement device 11 during transition from the lowered position toward the raised position.

(30) The proposed solution allows to always obtain correct nailing since, by virtue of the movement device 11, the upper surface 5c is always moved into the correct nailing position with respect to the (constant) stroke of the nailing stems 7.

(31) The presence of the upper abutment body 6, be it fixed or movable, allows to always move to the same elevation the upper surface 5c, regardless of the thicknesses and height of the wood pieces to be assembled 5a, 5b.

(32) The use of pneumatic actuation devices 12, or of movement device 11 of another type (hydraulic, electrical, etc.) allows to adjust the thrust force on the resting surface 10, so as to contrast the force applied by the nails during their insertion in the wood pieces 5a, 5b.

(33) In practice it has been found that the disclosure achieves the intended advantages by providing a nailing machine which is capable of adapting very simply and rapidly to different heights of the wood pieces to be assembled.

(34) The disclosure thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

(35) In practice, the materials used so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.