APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WORKPIECES

Abstract

Apparatus for separating workpieces which preferably consist at least in sections of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like, having a workpiece magazine with a magazine area for holding a plurality of workpieces, in particular a stack of workpieces, a discharge device for discharging a workpiece out of the workpiece magazine, characterised in that the apparatus has a feed device which is set up to feed at least one workpiece held in the workpiece magazine to the discharge device.

Claims

1. Apparatus (1) for separating workpieces (2) which preferably consist at least in sections of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like, having: a workpiece magazine (10) with a magazine area (12) for holding a plurality of workpieces (2), in particular a stack of workpieces, a discharge device (20) for discharging a workpiece (2) out of the workpiece magazine (10), characterised in that the apparatus has a feed device (30) which is set up to feed at least one workpiece (2) held in the workpiece magazine (10) to the discharge device (20).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the feed device (30) has first feed elements (32), which are arranged at least in sections in the region of edges (14) of the magazine area (12).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the feed device (30) has at least one second feed element (34), which is arranged at least in sections at a distance from edges (14) of the magazine area (12), in particular between first feed elements (32).

4. Apparatus according to claims 2 and 3, characterised in that the first feed elements (32) and the second feed element (34) are mechanically and/or electronically connected to each other.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the second feed element (34) is bolt-shaped or strip-shaped at least in sections.

6. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the discharge device (20) has at least one discharge element (22) for discharging a workpiece (2) out of the workpiece magazine (10), said discharge element preferably having a circulating endless conveyor (22).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the discharge device (20) has two discharge elements (22), in particular circulating endless conveyors (22), it being preferable that the second feed element (34) of the feed device (30) is arranged between said discharge elements (22).

8. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has a suction device (40) for drawing a workpiece (2) to be discharged to the discharge device (20).

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the suction device (40) has at least one suction opening (42) which ends in the region of the discharge device (20).

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the suction device (40) has a negative pressure line (46) with a closing device (44) by means of which the negative pressure supply in the negative pressure line (46) can be at least partially interrupted.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that the closing device (44) is synchronised with the feed device (30), preferably is operated by said feed device (30).

12. Machining device for machining workpieces which preferably consist at least in sections of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like, having: a separating apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, a machining unit for performing the workpiece machining.

13. Method for separating workpieces (2), in particular using the apparatus according to one of claims 1-11 or the machining device according to claim 12, which workpieces (2) preferably consist at least in sections of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like, comprising the steps: holding a plurality of workpieces (2), in particular a stack of workpieces, in a magazine area (12) of a workpiece magazine (10), feeding at least one workpiece (2) held in the workpiece magazine (10) to a discharge device (20), discharging the at least one workpiece (2).

14. Method according to claim 13, characterised in that a first and/or second feed element (32, 34) is/are at least partially lowered during feeding.

15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the workpiece, preferably the lowest workpiece (2) of a workpiece stack, is drawn in, it being preferable that the workpiece (2) is further brought into contact with one or a plurality of discharge elements (22).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 shows schematically a frontal sectional view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows schematically a lateral sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a first operating state;

[0045] FIG. 3 shows schematically a lateral sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a second operating state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in the following with reference to the associated drawings.

[0047] An apparatus 1 for separating workpieces according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated schematically in various sectional views in FIGS. 1 to 3. The apparatus 1 is used to separate workpieces 2 which can consist, for example, of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like. The apparatus 1 is particularly suitable for comparatively flexible workpieces, such as panels for covering floors or walls in particular. However, in principle any workpieces can be separated.

[0048] Although not shown in the figures, the separating apparatus 1 can advantageously be part of a machining device for machining workpieces, said machining device having, for example, a milling unit, drilling unit, sawing unit or a variety of other machining units.

[0049] The separating apparatus 1 initially has a workpiece magazine 10, a stack of workpieces 2 being arranged in the magazine area 12 thereof. A discharge device 20 for discharging a workpiece 2 out of the workpiece magazine 10 is provided underneath the workpiece stack. In the present embodiment, the discharge device 20 has two conveyor belts 22 (cf. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).

[0050] The separating apparatus 1 further has a feed device 30 which is used to feed the respective workpiece 2 to be discharged from the workpiece magazine 10 to the discharge device 20 or to keep the remaining workpiece stack separate from the discharge device 20. For this purpose, the feed device 30 initially has first feed elements 32. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first feed elements 32 are arranged in the region of edges 14 of the magazine area 12 so that they support the edges of the respective workpieces 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the edges of the magazine area 12 are formed by walls. However, it is not necessary for a physical boundary to be provided at the edges 14 of the magazine area 12.

[0051] In addition, in the present embodiment, the feed device 30 has second feed elements in the form of lifting bolts 34 which are located between the first feed elements 32. The second feed element, however, can also be configured in a variety of ways, for example as one or a plurality of strips.

[0052] The first and second feed elements can be moved (in particular vertically) in a feed direction which extends between the workpiece magazine 10 and the discharge device 20 in order to perform the feeding and lifting movement of each of the workpieces.

[0053] In the embodiment shown, the first feed elements 32, which are strip-shaped, and the plurality of second feed elements are connected to each other via a common base 35 of the feed device 30. The base 35, when viewed in cross-section (FIG. 1), is U-shaped. A drive (not shown) leads to a movement of the base 35, and thus to an adjustment of the feed elements 32, 34.

[0054] In the region of the discharge device 20, the separating apparatus 1 in the present embodiment further has a suction device 40 for drawing the respective workpiece 2 to be discharged to the discharge device 20. In the present embodiment, the suction device 40 has a plurality of suction openings 42 which are arranged in each case in the region of the second feed elements 34. A negative pressure line 46 leads to the suction openings 43. In order to be able to interrupt the supply of negative pressure or vacuum to the suction openings 42 at least partially or temporarily, a closing device 44 is also provided, which in the present embodiment is formed by a circulating shoulder on the lifting elements 34. The result is a synchronised actuation of closing device 44 and feed device 30.

[0055] Operation of the separating apparatus 1 is performed, for example, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 as follows. In the starting position shown schematically in FIG. 2, the first and second feed elements 32 and 34 of the feed device 30 are extended so that the workpieces 2 of the workpiece stack in the workpiece magazine 10 are at a distance from the discharge device 20. In addition, in this state the supply of negative pressure to the suction openings 42 is at least partially interrupted by the closing device 44. In this state, the discharge device 20 will already be in a continuous conveying mode, although the discharge device 20 can also be stopped as needed or during longer work breaks.

[0056] As soon as a workpiece 2 is to be separated, the first and second feed elements 32 and 34 of the feed device 30 are lowered selectively. As a result, the suction openings 42 are brought into fluid communication with the negative pressure in the negative pressure line 46, so that the lowest workpiece 2 of the workpiece stack is drawn to the discharge device 20. In the course of lowering the first and second feed elements 32 and 34, the lowest workpiece 2 comes into contact with the conveyor belts 22 of the discharge device 20, and an increasingly high frictional force builds up which is reinforced by the suction force of the suction device 40.

[0057] As soon as the frictional force exceeds the force friction between the lowest workpiece 2 and the workpiece 2 lying directly above it, the lowest workpiece 2 is discharged, as can be seen in FIG. 3. Immediately thereafter, the first and second feed elements 32 and 34 are moved into the starting position again according to FIG. 2, so that a new separation process can be started.