Device and method for adhering brick slips to a panel

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for adhering brick slips to a panel, which device comprises: a horizontal transport surface with an infeed side and an outfeed side for transporting the panel from the infeed side, over the transport surface and to the outfeed side; a buffer arranged adjacently of the transport surface for buffering at least one row of brick slips; dispensing means for dispensing a layer of adhesive onto the panel; and engaging means displaceable between a position above the buffer and a position above the transport surface for picking up from the buffer the at least one row of brick slips and placing the row of brick slips on the panel.

Claims

1. A device for adhering brick slips to a panel, wherein the device comprises: a horizontal transport surface with an infeed side and an outfeed side for transporting the panel from the infeed side, over the transport surface and to the outfeed side, the transport surface having a longitudinal dimension extending along a direction of transporting from the infeed side to the outfeed side and having a transverse dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension; a buffer arranged adjacently of the transport surface for buffering at least one row of brick slips; and engaging means displaceable between a position above the buffer and a position above the transport surface capable of picking up from the buffer the at least one row of brick slips and placing the row of brick slips on the panel, wherein the engaging means 1) comprise a plurality of brick slip grippers, wherein a brick slip gripper is a gripper capable of holding a brick slip; 2) are displaceable above the horizontal transport surface in the transverse dimension of the horizontal transport surface so that the device is capable of placing a first row of brick slips on the panel and also capable of placing at least a second row of brick slips on the panel, wherein the second row is adjacent to the first row; wherein the device comprises means for adjusting joint widths of the brick slips in a row of brick slips from a first joint width to a second joint width.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a gantry guide which extends over the buffer and the transport surface and wherein the engaging means are arranged on the gantry guide.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brick slip grippers comprise suction nozzles for holding a brick slip by means of suction.

4. The device as claimed claim 1, wherein the transverse dimension is at least one meter.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, which is capable of placing at least ten adjacent rows of brick slips on the panel.

6. The device in claim 1, wherein the engaging means comprise a driven adjusting mechanism capable of displacing the brick slip grippers independently of each other, so that a distance between the brick slip grippers can be adjusted.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the driven adjusting mechanism comprises a multi-scissor construction comprising a plurality of pivot points, wherein the brick slip grippers are mounted on the pivot points, so that the distance between brick slip grippers can be adjusted by driving the multi-scissor construction.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buffer has at least an infeed zone for infeed of individual brick slips and a pick-up a zone for placing a row of brick slips ready for use.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the butter comprises at least one mould displaceable between the infeed zone and the pick-up zone, wherein the mould comprises a number of compartments for receiving one brick slip at a time and wherein a desired distance corresponding to a desired joint width between the brick slips is provided between the adjacent compartments.

10. The device as claimed claim 1, further comprising extraction means for extracting dust.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising dispensing means for dispensing a layer of adhesive onto the panel.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device, in particular the buffer or the engaging means, comprises measuring means for measuring dimensions of the individual brick slips.

13. A method for adhering brick slips to a panel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: positioning a panel horizontally on a horizontal surface and adjacently of a buffer zone, the panel comprising an adhesive layer to at least a part of a surface of the panel; providing a row of brick slips in the buffer zone; picking up the row of brick slips, transporting the row to a position above the panel comprising the adhesive layer and placing the row of brick slips in the adhesive layer on the panel; providing a subsequent row of brick slips in the buffer zone; picking up the subsequent row of brick slips, transporting the subsequent row to a position above the panel and placing the subsequent row of brick slips in the adhesive layer on the panel adjacent to the first row; repeating the steps of 1) providing a subsequent row of brick slips and 2) picking up, transporting and placing the subsequent row of brick slips, wherein each subsequent row of brick slips is placed adjacent to a previous row in order to cover a part or the whole surface of the panel with brick slips, wherein joint widths of the brick slips in the rows of brick slips are adjusted from a first joint width to a second joint width before the rows are placed in the adhesive layer on the panel.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein during the adjustment of the joint width of the brick slips occurs in the buffer zone or during the transporting of the row to a position above the panel.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the joint widths of the brick slips in the row are substantially the same upon placement on the panel, or wherein the centre-to-centre distances of the brick slips in the row are substantially the same upon placement on the panel.

Description

(1) These and other features of the invention are further elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a mould for the buffer of the device according to FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the device according to FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the engaging means for a device according to FIG. 1.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a device 1 according to the invention. Device 1 has a transport surface which is formed by roller tracks 2. A panel 3 is transported on this transport surface 2 from an infeed side, on the front side in the figure, to the centre of transport surface 2.

(7) Two gantries 4, 5 from which are suspended two guide rails 6, 7 are placed at the position of the centre of transport surface 2. Engaging means 8 are guided and displaceable along these guide rails 6, 7. Engaging means 8 are provided with a large number of suction cups 9 with which brick slips can be picked up.

(8) Provided adjacently of transport surface 2 is a buffer which has a buffer table 19. Provided on this buffer table 19 are three tracks 10, 11, 12 along which moulds 13 can be slid.

(9) FIG. 1 shows mould 13 in infeed zone 14. When mould 13 is filled with brick slips, mould 13 can be slid via a track 11 to pick-up zone 15 where engaging means 8, 9 can pick up the brick slips from mould 13.

(10) FIG. 2 shows mould 13 in perspective view. Mould 13 is an elongate body with a number of compartments 16, arranged one behind the other, in which one brick slip at a time can be received. Because compartments 16 are mutually separated by walls 17 the correct spacing of the brick slips placed therein, which corresponds to the desired joint width, is obtained at the same time.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a side view of device 1. Provided on buffer table 19 are two moulds 13 which are filled with brick slips 18. Engaging means 8, 9 take the brick slips 18 with the correct pitch distance out of moulds 13 from the position above buffer table 19 and displace these brick slips 18 along guide rail 7 to a position above panel 3. A separate adhesive dispenser 20 is also displaceable along guide rails 6, 7. A layer of adhesive 21 can be applied to panel 3 with this adhesive dispenser 20 before engaging means 8, 9 press the picked-up row of brick slips 18 into adhesive layer 21 on panel 3.

(12) A panel 3 can in this way be provided with rows of brick slips 18 in simple, rapid and reliable manner in order to thus wholly cover panel 3 therewith.

(13) FIG. 4 shows an alternative 30 to the engaging means for device 1 according to FIG. 1. Engaging means 30 are provided with a multi-scissor construction 31. Mounted on pivot points 32 are suction cups 9, so that the distance between brick slips 18 can be adjusted by driving multi-scissor construction 31. Moulds 13 can hereby be omitted and brick slips 18 can be placed in the buffer lying against each other