Wood processing related equipment

Abstract

To provide a lumber processing relating device allowing wood chips remaining on a plurality of lumbers to be preferably removed.SOLUTION: A wood chip collecting device 40 is provided with: conveying mechanisms 14a, 14b allowing lumber M to be conveyed; a rolling mechanism 41 allowing the lumber M to be rolled over so as to make an upper side down while moving it to a horizontal side; and a lumber chip collecting mechanism 43, wherein conveyors 43a, 43b allowing wood chips to be conveyed is arranged below a specific position where the rolled-over lumber M by the rolling mechanism 41 is positioned, and the wood chips remaining on a part of the lumber M processed in a hole shape or a groove shape is to be conveyed to a discharge direction side by the conveyors 43a, 43b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device related to wood processing.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique has been proposed for manufacturing processed materials (products) such as horizontal beams, columns, and rafter materials used in houses by cutting them through precut processing. According to this technique for manufacturing processed materials by precut processing, a large number of processed materials corresponding to processing data generated by drawing using CAD can be efficiently manufactured (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the process of manufacturing a large number of processed materials, there may be room for improvement regarding the configuration for removing wood chips from the processed materials when cutting is performed.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a wood processing-related device capable of suitably removing wood chips remaining on a large number of processed materials.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the wood processing related apparatus according to claim 1 is a wood processing related apparatus comprising: a workpiece moving means capable of conveying a workpiece processed by a processing machine capable of performing a hole-shaped or groove-shaped processing with the vertical side of the workpiece as the depth direction downward, along a predetermined path toward a predetermined accumulation area; and a sawdust collecting means capable of collecting sawdust of the workpiece conveyed by the workpiece moving means, wherein the predetermined path is provided with an inversion means capable of inverting the workpiece so that it moves horizontally while its up and down directions are reversed, and the sawdust collecting means is provided below a predetermined position where the workpiece inverted by the inversion means is disposed, and has a sawdust conveying means capable of supporting sawdust remaining in a portion of the workpiece processed in the hole-shaped or groove-shaped manner and conveying the sawdust toward a predetermined discharge direction side, with an upper surface portion configured to be movable in a predetermined direction side.

[0007] According to the wood processing related apparatus described in claim 1, even if some sawdust remains in a part of the workpiece conveyed by the workpiece moving means, the sawdust can be easily dropped downward by inverting the workpiece by the inversion means. The sawdust dropped downward is conveyed toward a predetermined discharge direction side by the sawdust conveying means. Therefore, it is easy to remove the sawdust that may remain in the workpiece and improve the quality of the workpiece as a product, and the removed sawdust can be efficiently collected at a predetermined location by the sawdust collecting means and discarded.

[0008] The wood processing related apparatus according to claim 2 is the wood processing related apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a return means capable of moving the workpiece inverted by the inversion means to a position before inversion or a position close to the position before inversion while inverting it so as to return to the original orientation before being inverted by the inversion means.

[0009] The wood processing related apparatus according to claim 3 is the wood processing related apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the workpiece moving means includes: a first conveying means for conveying a workpiece disposed at the position before inversion or a position close to the position before inversion by the returning means along the predetermined path; and a second conveying means for conveying the workpiece inverted by the inverting means to another direction side deviated from the predetermined path without inverting it by the returning means.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the wood processing related apparatus of the present invention, there is an effect that chips remaining on a large number of workpieces can be suitably removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a precut processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention, showing the precut processing apparatus 10 in a plan view. In FIG. 1, electrical wiring connecting the processing machine 13 and the control device 15 is omitted. Also, the direction in which the input material (raw material) and the processed material proceed is indicated by the direction of the arrow, and different types of arrows are used to facilitate understanding of the functional parts. Specifically, the white arrow indicates the input position (input section 21) of the input material into the precut processing apparatus 10 and the discharge position (discharge section 22) of the processed material and the input material from the precut processing apparatus 10. The black dots indicate the branch points where the moving directions of the input material and the processed material branch into multiple directions. The black arrow indicates the main progress direction of the processed material, and the arrow with slashes indicates the part where the processed material is conveyed in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the processed material. In addition, the processing machine 13 for processing the input material and the processed material, the arrangement position of the input device 11 are shown by thick solid lines, the conveying device 14 for conveying the input material and the processed material and the control device 15 are shown by thin solid lines, and the loading and packing section 23 and the sawdust processing section 24, which are characteristic functional parts, are shown by thick dashed lines.

[0013] The pre-cut processing device 10 is a device for processing processed materials (products) such as columns, horizontal members, beams, and rafter materials used in houses, and includes a feeding device 11, a printing device 12, a processing machine 13, a conveying device 14, and a control device 15. The control device 15 controls the operation of the conveying device 14 to convey the input material and the processed material along the path (conveying path) formed by the conveying device 14. The input material input into the input unit 21 is conveyed by the conveying device 14 to the printing device 12 and the processing machine 13. Further, the control device 15 controls the printing device 12 and the processing machine 13 to perform, with the processing machine 13, the processing necessary to make the input material into a processed material as a product, and also perform, with the printing device 12, the printing necessary for the processed material. The processed material completed as a product is discharged from the discharge unit 22 suitable for each processed material by the control device 15 controlling the operation of the conveying device 14. In the following, the configurations related to the input unit 21, the processing machine 13, and the discharge unit 22 will be described in order, and then the characteristic configurations will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and later.

[0014] The input unit 21 is a part where the input material before the processed material is processed is input, and is provided on the most upstream side (the lower right side in FIG. 1) of the conveying path corresponding to the most upstream part of the pre-cut processing device 10. Separately from the input unit 21, an input unit 25 capable of inputting the input material to be processed by the special processing machine 13d is provided in the middle part of the conveying path (the upper left side in FIG. 1). The input units 21 and 25 are provided with a conveying mechanism 14b that supports the lower side of the input material and transfers it in the conveying direction, arranges the longitudinal direction of the input material so as to be orthogonal to the conveying direction, and arranges it in the input order for processing so that the operator can input the input material. It should be noted that it is not always necessary to provide a separate input unit 25 from the input unit 21. It may be provided at only one place, the input unit 21, or three or more input units may be provided, such as installing an input unit near another processing machine 13 such as a short material dedicated machine 13e.

[0015] The input unit 21 is provided with an output device (not shown) that outputs the input order of the input materials and the like. By outputting and presenting information regarding the input, such as the type of the input material (such as size and material), the number of input pieces, and the input order, to the operator by the output device (hereinafter referred to as "input information"), the operator can, based on the input information, input appropriate types of input materials into the input unit 21 in accordance with the appropriate number of input pieces and the input order. Note that the output device of the input unit 21 may be configured by a display device that displays input information using characters and graphics on a display screen capable of displaying images, or may be configured by a printing device that prints and outputs the input information on paper, or may be configured by an information transmission device that enables the operator to confirm the input information by wirelessly transmitting the input information to a portable terminal such as a mobile phone or a smartphone held by the operator, or may be configured by combining a plurality of the above-described devices. Further, the output device may be configured using the control device 15, for example, by a personal computer that configures the control device 15.

[0016] The input unit 21 is provided with an input device 11 that performs processing on the input materials. The input device 11 includes a measuring instrument capable of measuring the magnitude of the warp of the input material and an input material rotating mechanism capable of rotating the input material about the longitudinal direction of the input material, and is configured such that the control device 15 can change the direction in which the input material is input. When a warp of a certain amount or more is detected by the measuring instrument of the input device 11, the direction of the warp is changed according to the part (type of the processed material) where the processed material is used. For example, when the processed material is arranged in a state where the lower part, such as a base, is supported by the foundation, the central part with the warp is positioned downward during construction, and when being input into the processing machine 13, the direction of the input material is changed to a direction in which the central part with the warp is positioned high upward. Further, when the processed material is arranged in a state where both end parts, such as a beam girder, are supported by other processed materials, the central part with the warp is positioned upward during construction, and when being input into the processing machine 13, the direction of the input material is changed to a direction in which the central part with the warp is positioned downward.

[0017] Here, as for the direction in which the input material is fed into the processing machine 13, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the lower surface on which the input material is supported (for example, the surface supported by a rotating roller for conveyance) faces upward as a reference surface during construction at the construction site and is fed into the processing machine 13. Thereby, by printing on the lower surface whose height position does not fluctuate by the printing device 12, the printing position does not fluctuate even if there are fluctuations in the material formation, and it is possible to easily check the printing during construction.

[0018] In addition, when the cross-sectional shape of the input material is rectangular instead of a square square bar, at least a warp determination may be performed regarding the vertical direction (the direction of the material formation) in a processed material such as a horizontal cross-member arranged in the horizontal direction, and a configuration may be adopted in which the direction in which the input material is fed is determined.

[0019] Further, the input device 11 is provided with an upright mechanism for uprighting the input material having a rectangular cross-sectional shape so that the vertical direction is the long side. The upright mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that uprights the input material by placing the input material on an L-shaped portion spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and rotating it by 90 degrees. Also, as the upright mechanism, a conveyor capable of descending by the size corresponding to the length and width of the cross-sectional shape of the input material may be provided for a part of the conveyance mechanism 14b, and the input material may be rotated so as to ride on the conveyor while gradually rotating as the conveyor descends with a part of the input material on the conveyor. After being made to stand by the upright mechanism, by configuring the input material to be conveyed to the processing machine 13, even when processing a processed material with a large variation in material formation, the necessary path width in plan view can be reduced, and it is possible to convey processed materials of various sizes by the narrow-width conveyance device 14. Thereby, the degree of freedom in arrangement can be increased, such as installing a large number of processing machines 13 in a limited factory space.

[0020] In addition, an input device may be provided in the input unit 21 that can identify the types of various input materials and select and input an input material corresponding to the input order, and the input material may be selected and input by an input device that can move the input material instead of manual input. For example, individual information (such as barcodes or QR codes (registered trademarks)) recording the cross-sectional shape, length, material, etc. is added to the input material as an identification seal, and the information of the identification seal is obtained by a multifunctional robot with a suction pad and a photographing device added to the tip of an arm that can move in three-dimensional directions, and the input material may be configured to be selected and input into the precutting processing device 10. This multifunctional robot may be controlled by the control device 15, and may be configured to operate the multifunctional robot based on the individual information of the input material.

[0021] Also, it is preferable to provide an identification function for identifying the correctness of the input material input from the input unit 21 in the vicinity of the input unit 21. For example, for the processing machine 13 that performs the first processing on the input material input from the input unit 21, at least one of a length detection mechanism for detecting the length of the input material and a cross-section detection mechanism for detecting the size of the cross-section (for example, the lengths in two orthogonal directions, specifically, the length in the vertical direction (material thickness or material height) and the length in the horizontal direction (material width)) is provided, and an identification function for identifying whether the input material is suitable for the processing order of the processing machine 13 by the control device 15 may be added. In this embodiment, when the input material input from the input unit 21 is correct, the first length-changing cutting process by the cutting processing machine 13a is performed, and if the input material is incorrect, the cutting process by the cutting processing machine 13a is not performed, and a process corresponding to an abnormal situation is configured to be performed.

[0022] For example, when the input materials are fed in the wrong order, the progress of subsequent input materials from the input unit 21 stops, and the control device 15 may be provided with control to temporarily stop the cutting machine 13a so that the incorrect input materials are not processed. Or, even if the input materials are fed in the wrong order, if the input material scheduled to be fed next is fed first, etc., in the case of an input material scheduled to be fed as a subsequent input material, the control device 15 may be provided with control to change the processing order and implement a change in the order of the workpieces to be processed.

[0023] Also, the detection mechanism constituting the identification function may be configured such that, as the processing machine 13, at least a part thereof is provided in a parallel section where a plurality of the same type of processing machines 13 are arranged in parallel (for example, a section where four end processing machines 13c are provided in parallel). For example, the confirmation of the length of the material height may be carried out in the parallel section. In this case, as the detection mechanism, the burden in the case of taking a long time can be shared by enabling parallel processing, and it becomes easier to manufacture a large amount of workpieces in a short time. Also, as the detection mechanism constituting the identification function, at least one length detection such as the material height may be carried out at two or more locations, and multiple positive / negative identifications may be carried out for one workpiece.

[0024] The processing machine 13 is a device that performs processing on the input materials and the workpieces on which part of the processing has been carried out. In the present embodiment, the case where the pre-cut processing device 10 is configured using five types of processing machines 13 is illustrated. The five types of processing machines 13 include a cutting machine 13a, a side surface processing machine 13b, an end processing machine 13c, a special processing machine 13d, and a dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces.

[0025] The cutting machine 13a is a model capable of performing a process of shortening the length of the input material in the longitudinal direction, and is configured by a device using a blade such as a circular saw whose length can be changed. In the present embodiment, the cutting machine 13a is installed at the uppermost upstream position closest to the input section 21 among the installation locations of a large number of processing machines 13, and the cutting process by the cutting machine 13a is first performed on the input material whose length has been confirmed as correct by the identification function. By providing the cutting machine 13a, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of large-sized residual materials generated individually by the side surface processing machine 13b and the like located on the downstream side, and the large-sized residual materials can be discharged in a concentrated manner to the discharge section 22 (unprocessed material discharge section 22c) close to the cutting machine 13a.

[0026] The side surface processing machine 13b is a model capable of performing a process of making concave holes (for example, keyway holes) on the four side surfaces of the upper, lower, left, and right of the processed material, or forming through holes penetrating from one surface to the opposite surface, and is configured by a device using blades such as saws, chisels, and cutters. The end processing machine 13c is a model capable of performing a process of forming keyways, joints, etc. formed at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the processed material, and is configured by a device using blades such as saws and cutters.

[0027] The special processing machine 13d is a model capable of performing various processes on the processed material. For example, the blades such as saws and cutters attached to the tip portion can be exchanged for 10 or more types, and it is configured by an articulated robot capable of performing processing from any direction of the front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right of the processed material. Processed materials for performing special processes (for example, climbing beams, narrow slit processing, large insert processing with few usage locations, etc.) required only for some processed materials are carried into the special processing machine 13d. By installing the special processing machine 13d, it is not necessary to add various functions to other side surface processing machines 13b and end processing machines 13c, so that it is possible to provide a pre-cut processing device 10 corresponding to various processes while reducing the overall cost of the pre-cut processing device 10.

[0028] The short-length material dedicated machine 13e is a model used when manufacturing workpieces with a length below a certain length, and is configured by a device capable of manufacturing short-length workpieces by setting a short interval for clamping the workpieces. By providing the short-length material dedicated machine 13e, other side processing machines 13b and end processing machines 13c can limit the manufacturing target to only workpieces with a length exceeding a certain length, thereby suppressing the manufacturing cost. Also, by installing the short-length material dedicated machine 13e at the farthest downstream part from the input unit 21, the conveying device 14 can also target workpieces with a length exceeding a certain length, and the cost of the conveying device 14 can also be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to provide a precut processing device 10 that reduces the overall cost of the precut processing device 10 and can manufacture workpieces with a very short length.

[0029] Here, the types and numbers of the above-described processing machines 13 are examples, and the types and numbers of the processing machines 13 may be determined according to the scale of the factory and the types and quantities of the workpieces planned to be manufactured. For this reason, some of the above-described types of processing machines may be omitted and the types of processing machines may be set to 4 or less, or another type may be added and the precut processing device 10 may be configured using 6 or more types of processing machines. For example, a pin punching machine that punches pins for attaching hardware (metal parts) to enable joining with other workpieces may be added as a processing machine to configure the precut processing device 10.

[0030] Also, the installation numbers of the side processing machine 13b and the end processing machine 13c are determined according to the types and quantities of the workpieces planned to be manufactured. Specifically, taking as an example the case where a plurality of side processing machines 13b and a plurality of end processing machines 13c are provided as the same type of processing machine so that the waiting time for processing in each processing machine 13 is reduced. The installation numbers of the side processing machine 13b and the end processing machine 13c are exemplified as a combination of 4 and 3, but other numbers may also be used. Also, the case where there is one special processing machine 13d and one short-length material dedicated machine 13e is exemplified, but either or both may be set to 2 or more, and other numbers may be used.

[0031] Also, as an example, a plurality of the same type of processing machines 13 are arranged in a path where they are lined up in parallel, and are configured such that processing on the input material can be performed by any one of the side processing machines 13b and any one of the end processing machines 13c. Note that it is not necessarily required to arrange the same type of processing machines 13 in parallel, and a configuration including a part where at least some of the same type of processing machines 13 are arranged in series may be used, or a configuration including a part where all of the same type of processing machines 13 are arranged in series may be used.

[0032] Also, as an example, for the short-length material dedicated machine 13e, a case is illustrated where the side processing machine 13b, the end processing machine 13c, and the special processing machine 13d are arranged on the upstream side closer to the input unit 21. For this reason, even in a situation where a short-length material having a length equal to or less than a certain length (for example, 720 millimeters or less) is manufactured using the short-length material dedicated machine 13e, it is preferable that processing on a part of the side surfaces may be performed by the side processing machine 13b arranged on the upstream side, or processing on one-sided portions corresponding to the ends of one processed material may be performed by the end processing machine 13c. As a result, the short-length material dedicated machine 13e can be configured such that a processed material (hereinafter also referred to as a "semi-processed material") with only a part of the necessary processing remaining is carried in. Thereby, the processing required for manufacturing the short-length material can be performed using the waiting time for processing of the side processing machines 13b and the end processing machines 13c arranged in parallel, and it becomes easy to use a small number of installation units such as one short-length material dedicated machine 13e.

[0033] It is preferable that the workpiece to be processed until it reaches the dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces is configured to be conveyed at a length equal to or greater than a certain length (for example, a length exceeding 720 millimeters) that is sufficiently longer than the length as a short workpiece. As a method of forming a longer length, an extra remaining material portion may be combined with the workpiece to be a product, or workpieces to be a plurality of products may be conveyed to the dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces as one connected workpiece, and the control device 15 preferably determines the order of processing of the workpiece and the allocation of the workpiece to the input material so that the dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces divides the one workpiece to manufacture a plurality of workpieces. For example, a workpiece in the middle of processing corresponding to the length obtained by connecting two workpieces is set to be conveyed to the dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces, the end processing machine 13c performs processing on both ends of the workpiece in the middle of processing, and the dedicated machine 13e for short workpieces may be configured to perform only the processing of one end on the side to be divided located on the center side.

[0034] Also, in the processing machine 13, for the vise mechanism that sandwiches the input material or the workpiece from both horizontal sides, it is preferable to install a detection sensor that detects that the movable parts on both sides of the workpiece are located at the initial position before clamping, and configure the control device 15 to be able to detect a situation where any of the movable parts has not reached the initial position. This can easily avoid a situation where the movable part starts the clamping operation on the workpiece from a state where the movable part of the vise mechanism is not located at the initial position, and the center position for clamping the workpiece is displaced, making it impossible to perform high-precision processing. For example, a situation where wood chips remain on the direction side where the movable part of the vise mechanism moves to the initial position may occur in the processing machine 13 that performs cutting processing. In this case, if the configuration is such that the position of the movable part of the vise mechanism is always detected, the detection sensor tends to be expensive, and the control of the control device 15 also tends to be complicated. On the other hand, if the configuration is such that a detection sensor for detecting that it is arranged at the initial position is added, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost required for detecting the movable part, enable correct operation from the initial position of the vise mechanism, and easily realize high-precision processing.

[0035] The conveying device 14 is a device that conveys the input material and the workpiece in the process of machining to the machining position where it can be machined by the processing machine 13, and conveys (moves) the machined workpiece after the cutting process is completed to the discharge position such as the discharge section. The conveying device 14 includes a conveying table composed of a number of rotating rollers, a clamp that grips the input material and the workpiece placed on the conveying table, a driving roller and a motor (not shown) that move the input material and the workpiece. The input material is conveyed so as to be positioned at the location to be machined by the processing machine 13, and the machined workpiece after the machining of the input material is completed is conveyed (moved) by the conveying device 14 to the discharge section 22 suitable for each machined workpiece.

[0036] The conveying device 14 is configured by combining a plurality of mechanisms. Specifically, a plurality of sets of a conveying mechanism 14a that conveys the input material and the like along the longitudinal direction of the input material, the workpiece, and the workpiece in the process of machining (hereinafter also referred to as "input material and the like"), and a conveying mechanism 14b that conveys the input material and the like in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the input material and the like are combined. Further, three sets of a loading device 14c that can stack the machined workpieces in multiple stages and make them in a state where they can be packaged (see Fig. 3(b)) are combined to form the conveying device 14. Note that it is not necessarily required to configure the conveying device 14 with all of the conveying mechanisms 14a and 14b and the loading device 14c. Some configurations (for example, a part of the loading device 14c) may be omitted, or the conveying device 14 may be configured by combining other types of conveying mechanisms, such as combining a conveying mechanism that classifies and places the machined workpieces on a plurality of component placement parts.

[0037] The discharge unit 22 is a part that discharges the input materials and processed materials discharged from the precutting processing apparatus 10. As the discharge unit 22, there are provided a product discharge unit 22a, 22b that discharges the processed materials that have completed processing as products, an unprocessed material and the like discharge unit 22c that discharges the input materials that are determined to be unprocessed and discharged as input materials or the residual materials after cutting processing, a shortened material discharge unit 22d that discharges the processed materials in a state where the length is shortened, a special processed material discharge unit 22e that discharges the processed materials processed by the special processing machine 13d, and a short-length material discharge unit 22f that discharges the processed materials (short-length materials) processed by the short-length material dedicated machine 13e. As the product discharge units 22a, 22b, there are provided an individual product discharge unit 22a that discharges the processed materials one by one in order, and a packaged product discharge unit 22b that discharges the plurality of processed materials in a state where they can be packaged (packaging possible state). In many of the discharge units 22 that discharge the processed materials one by one, a transport mechanism 14b is provided, and the processed materials are placed on the transport table in a state where a plurality of them are arranged side by side in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, and are configured such that an operator can manually transport the necessary processed materials.

[0038] As the packaged product discharge unit 22b, three packaged product discharge units 22b1 to 22b3 are provided corresponding to each of the three loading devices 14c. Note that it is not always necessary to provide all of these various discharge units 22, and some of them may be omitted, or other types of discharge units may be further provided, and the number of each of the discharge units 22 is not limited to the above, and other numbers may be set. Further, in at least a part of the discharge units 22 where the loading device 14c is not provided in the present embodiment, the loading device 14c may be provided, or at least a part of the loading devices 14c of the discharge units 22 where the loading device 14c is provided may be omitted.

[0039] At the branch points P1 to P9, the control device 15 determines to which branch destination the processed material is to be transported, and performs control to transport the processed material to an appropriate transport destination. Specifically, at the branch points P1 and P2, it is determined whether the input material or the processed material after cutting processing is a material necessary for manufacturing the product, and the necessary material is advanced to the side of the side processing machine 13b, and control is performed to transport the input materials, processed materials, and residual materials that need to be discharged to the side of the unprocessed material and the like discharge unit 22c or the shortened material discharge unit 22d.

[0040] The branch points P3 and P4 are each provided in two places, and control is carried out to select and convey the required input materials and processed materials for a plurality of parallel processing machines 13. At the branch point P5, control is carried out to select whether to convey to the side of the special processing machine 13d or to the downstream side where an unloading device 14c or the like is provided without passing through the special processing machine 13d, and to convey the processed material.

[0041] At the branch point P6, control is carried out to select whether to discharge the processed material processed by the special processing machine 13d from the special processed material discharge part 22e or to convey it to the downstream side where an unloading device 14c or the like is provided, and to convey it. At the branch point P7, control is carried out to select whether to convey to the side of the short material dedicated machine 13e or to the side where an unloading device 14c or the like is provided, and to convey the processed material. At the branch point P8, it is selected whether to discharge the processed material to the individual product discharge part 22a or to convey the processed material to the downstream side where the unloading device 14c is provided. At the branch point P9, it is selected to which unloading device 14c to convey the processed material, and control is carried out to convey the processed material to an appropriate conveying destination.

[0042] The control device 15 is composed of a device including an arithmetic processing device that performs various operations, a storage device that stores various programs and drive control information or stores information necessary for program execution, an input / output device that transfers data with the processing machine 13 and the conveying device 14 as external devices, an operation device such as a mouse or a keyboard through which an operator can input the processing order of the processed material, and a display device that displays progress information such as the processing order and processing result of the processed material. For example, it is configured using a personal computer. The processing data (pre-cut processing data) necessary for processing the processed material is input to the control device 15 by a part of the input / output device (for example, a device capable of reading data from an external storage device as a storage medium), and the operations of the processing machine 13, the conveying device 14, etc. are controlled based on the input processing data of the wood.

[0043] Next, the function of loading and packing the processed materials in the loading and packing section 23 will be described. In the precut processing apparatus 10, loading and packing is performed in the loading and packing section 23 such that a plurality of processed materials are stacked in multiple stages in a state where packing is easy. Loading and packing is a function realized by combining the control device 15 and the conveying device 14 (loading device 14c) of the precut processing apparatus 10. In the following, with reference to FIG. 1, a control example of loading and packing that enables packing while reducing the burden on the operator will be described for the control device 15, and then specific control will be described using FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0044] The loading device 14c is a device that makes a plurality of processed materials in a state where they can be packed at the packing product discharge section 22b, and is composed of a device that can stack other processed materials on top of one processed material. For example, the loading device 14c is configured using a mechanism that generates a negative pressure on the lower surface portion of a suction pad 34 (see FIG. 3(a)) movable in the horizontal and vertical directions, contacts the upper surface of the processed material, and can lift and move the processed material. Note that it is not always necessary to use a mechanism that lifts and moves the processed material upward as the loading device 14c. Instead of this, or in addition to this, the height position of the processed material located on the lower side may be made movable downward, and the loading device 14c may be configured by a mechanism that horizontally moves and stacks the processed material toward the height position corresponding to the upper stage.

[0045] In addition, a plurality of loading devices 14c are provided side by side along the moving path of the workpiece by the conveying device 14. In each loading device 14c, a bundle of workpieces corresponding to one package can be stacked at a plurality of locations. In the present embodiment, it is configured to be able to generate three packages in parallel at three locations. The processing machine 13 of the present embodiment has a large number of paths, such as a plurality of parallel paths arranged side by side, a path passing through the special processing machine 13d, and a path not passing through the special processing machine 13d. There may be a case where the input order of the input materials and the discharge order of the processed workpieces as products are interchanged. In addition, there may be a situation where a plurality of different workpieces are processed simultaneously, such as when the cross-sectional shapes and materials of the input materials are different. In such a situation, by adopting a configuration that enables packages to be generated at a plurality of locations, it is easier to enable continuous operation of the precutting device 10 and efficiently manufacture a large amount of workpieces.

[0046] The setting of making a large number of workpieces into two or more packages can be realized by inputting the package setting information into the control program of the control device 15. In the present embodiment, as conditions for separating the packages, packages are generated based on the length of one side (material width) of the square or rectangular cross-sectional shape of the input material, and when there is a certain amount or more of short workpieces with a length below a certain length, the short workpieces are grouped into one or more packages, and other conditions are set.

[0047] As a specific aspect of the package, the state in which it is set which workpiece is arranged at each stage (hereinafter, also referred to as "loading state") may be set one by one in order by the operator, but it is preferable that candidates for the loading state are selected by the control program of the control device 15. In the following, a preferable setting example as the setting of the control device 15 for determining candidates for the loading state will be first described.

[0048] In order to determine the loading posture, first, the processed materials to be packed are separated from the processed materials not to be packed, and the loading posture is selected for the processed materials to be packed. As the processed materials not to be packed, there are processed materials with a length below a certain level (for example, less than 720 millimeters) (such as large battens or bundles of small houses that support joists), processed materials with a length above a certain level (for example, a length exceeding 4 meters), processed materials (decorative materials) whose commercial value is affected if scratches or the like occur on the surface, processed materials that require post-processing such as attaching metal parts to the joint part later for using metalworking methods, etc. Some processed materials are discharged to the individual product discharge section 22a without being packed. Thereby, it becomes easier to limit the processed materials to be packed to those that are easy to pack, and it becomes easier to determine the candidates for the loading posture. Note that the conditions for the processed materials not to be packed are not limited to the above, and instead of this, or in addition to this, other conditions may be included in the setting. For example, the conditions may be set so that the processed materials processed by the special processing machine 13d are not packed.

[0049] The control device 15 has a control function related to packing. By having it read the processing data for one building structure (building), it determines a group in which the processed materials to be stacked in the same packing become a single unit, and classifies all the processed materials so that they belong to one of the plurality of groups. In each group, those with common processing contents and conditions are grouped together. For example, those with a certain material width are grouped into one group. Here, it is preferable that each group includes those not to be packed as described above. Thereby, it becomes possible to easily include a large number of processed materials with different lengths as the processed materials set as a common group, and it becomes possible to efficiently manufacture processed materials, such as making it easy to allocate a plurality of processed materials with good yields from one input material.

[0050] As a condition for this group, it is preferable that all processed timber to be loaded in the same package is grouped together. For example, when materials with a certain timber width are grouped together in one group, materials with different other types may also be grouped together in the same group. For example, materials with different types of materials to be used for processed timber (foundation, joists, beams, ridgepole, etc.) may be grouped together in one group, materials with different timber species (tree species) of input materials (e.g., Douglas fir, Dry Beam (registered trademark), laminated timber) may be grouped together in one group, and processed timber with different stories in a two-story or higher structure may be grouped together in one group. In this way, when the condition for belonging to one group (e.g., timber width) is satisfied, by grouping processed timber with different types (e.g., stories) into one group, the number of processed timber belonging to one group can be increased, and processing with a high degree of freedom in packaging and high yield can be achieved. Note that, as a condition for belonging to one group, other conditions than those mentioned above may be set as necessary conditions, and two or more conditions may be set to form a group. It is also preferable that the operator is allowed to perform an input operation on the control device 15 to select conditions that belong to one group.

[0051] When the control device 15 classifies the materials to be processed for one building into groups, a screen for accepting reservation operations is displayed to the worker, and the worker is allowed to reserve the order of processing of the groups. Note that the order of processing of the groups does not necessarily have to be selected by a selection operation, and the control device 15 may be configured to control so that a processing order previously selected by the control device 15 is displayed, processing can be started in that order, and a change operation is accepted if a different order is desired.

[0052] When a reservation for processing a group is accepted, the control device 15 selects a packaging style from the processed materials belonging to the group, excluding those that are not to be packaged. The selection of the packaging style is preferably made using the following conditions.

[0053] The stacking state is determined to prioritize positions where the order of loading (arrangement order) of efficient workpieces becomes an order close to each other when continuous processing is performed. The loading order is based on the workpieces being arranged side by side in order from one of the bottommost rows, and then new workpieces are arranged on the upper row (the row above) of the arranged workpieces. Also, the stacking state is determined so that, within the same row, it is preferentially arranged at a closer position, and when it cannot be arranged in the same row, it is preferentially arranged at a position closer in the loading order in the adjacent upper or lower row. Examples of efficient workpieces when continuous processing is performed include those with a common material, and also those with a common cross-sectional size (width and height) of the input workpieces.

[0054] Also, the stacking state is determined so that workpieces with a longer length as workpieces are preferentially positioned lower than those with a shorter length. Also, when there are a plurality of beams, girders, etc. with a common material, the stacking state is determined so that beams and girders with the same hierarchy are likely to be arranged closer to each other.

[0055] For determining the stacking state, it is preferable to perform control to estimate the number of packages in advance based on the workpieces belonging to one group and select the stacking state for the estimated number of packages. For example, the number of packages can be estimated based on the length, cross-sectional shape, and number of workpieces, and by estimating the number of packages in advance, it becomes easier to surely arrange the long workpieces at the bottommost row and easier to generate a package that is likely to be stable during movement. For example, when it seems necessary to have three numbers of packages, it is preferable to select in advance the long workpieces to be arranged at the bottommost row of the three packages, and then arrange the workpieces located above in order to determine the stacking state.

[0056] Also, when determining the loading configuration, if it is possible to make one or more packages even when the material width (height in packaging) in one group is set to only one dimension, it is preferable to form one group with the material width of one dimension. Even if the material composition varies, by determining the loading configuration so that the material composition direction is horizontal and the processed materials are stacked, the material width in the height direction can be made constant. Therefore, it is possible to easily create a package that is less likely to tilt, and even if the placement position of the processed materials is changed in another stage, the height can be prevented from fluctuating, making it easier to generate a stable package. Note that it is not always necessary to have only one material width in one group, and control including two or more material widths belonging to one group may be included. In this case, it is preferable to form each stage (stages with the same height) with processed materials of the same material width, and control the processed materials with different material widths to be arranged in separate stages.

[0057] Also, when determining the loading configuration, when there are a certain number or more of processed materials with a length of a certain length or less in one group, the control device 15 may be configured to include control for generating one or more short packages that group only the short-length processed materials. For example, when there are a certain number or more of processed materials with a length from 720 millimeters to 1799 millimeters, short packages may be preferentially generated, and packages with many long processed materials (long packages) may be generated with the remaining processed materials. That is, it is also possible to generate only long packages with a mixture of long and short processed materials regardless of length, but by including short packages, short processed materials can be grouped as short packages, and the remaining processed materials can be made into a stable package with many longer ones, and the degree of freedom in generating packages is reduced, making it easier to determine the loading configuration in a short time.

[0058] Also, when generating a plurality of packages including short packages, it may be a control to preferentially generate packages from long packages rather than short packages. It is preferable to preferentially perform control (normal packaging control) to preferentially arrange long workpieces and generate long packages including control to arrange short-length workpieces that satisfy the conditions of short packages in the gap portions, and to control to generate short packages when short packages can be generated by the remaining workpieces. Also, it may be a control including a case of generating a long package before and after generating one or more short packages, or a control including a case of generating a short package before and after generating one or more long packages.

[0059] Also, when determining the loading state, it is preferable to configure the control device 15 to include control to determine the loading state by selecting the length of the workpiece so that the workpiece is surely present at a position where the band that bundles the package from the outside contacts both end portions at a height position of the second stage or higher corresponding to above the lowermost stage. In this case, if the workpiece is located at the position where the band is arranged, the loading state may be determined such that two workpieces are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction.

[0060] Also, when determining the loading state, it is preferable to configure the control device 15 to include control to preferentially arrange workpieces that can be manufactured from the remainder of what was used in the first stage in the second stage corresponding to above the lowermost stage, which can reduce the situation of temporary placement. Also, it is preferable to configure the control device 15 to include control to preferentially arrange short workpieces at the uppermost stage, which can simplify the control for determining the loading state and make it easier to form a stable package.

[0061] Also, the lateral width of one package is preferably set to a width that is easy to adapt to the truck bed. For example, since the lateral width of a 4-ton truck is about 2 meters, the control device 15 may include control to generate packages with a length of about 1 meter (for example, 960 millimeters) so that two packages are arranged side by side, or the control device 15 may be configured to include control to select the lateral width of the package and make it inputtable.

[0062] Also, when multiple packages can be made by one group, if the height of any package is less than a certain height or more (for example, more than a certain ratio (for example, 50%) with respect to the upper limit height (for example, 960 millimeters)), the control device 15 may be configured to include control for reducing the processed materials set for other packages to make the heights of the packages closer to being uniform. Also, for the last package, a setting may be made to allow a small number, and the control device 15 may be configured to include control to consider a package using a small number of processed materials as one package.

[0063] In addition, when it is not possible to make the last package and finally there are processed materials that are individually discharged, it is preferable to add an output function to the precut processing device 10 that outputs information (individual discharge information) corresponding to the situation where the package form could not be created. For example, individual discharge information such as "There are 3 remaining processed materials that could not be included in the package because the quantity was insufficient" may be displayed on the display screen of the control device 15, the remaining processed materials that are the subject may be made viewable, or the reason why one package could not be made may be output as individual discharge information. The output of the reason why the package could not be made includes output of the reason based on the condition of the quantity of processed materials such as "The quantity of the remaining processed materials does not satisfy the condition of the minimum quantity of the package (for example, 5 pieces)", and output of the reason based on the condition of the number of stages of the package such as "The number of stages does not satisfy the condition of the minimum number of stages (for example, 1.7 stages, that is, the first stage has processed materials arranged throughout, and the second stage is filled with processed materials up to 70%)".

[0064] When the loading state is determined by the control device 15, the processing order is determined such that the workpieces are manufactured upward in order from the lower stage of the loading state. When determining this processing order, it is preferable to include in the control device 15 control that enables efficient processing by manufacturing a plurality of workpieces from a single input material, and determine the processing order. As this processing order, it may match the order in which the loading state was determined, but even if the loading state is determined with priority given to short bundles, the control device 15 may be configured to include control in which the processing order is different from the order in which the loading state was determined, such as performing processing with priority given to long bundles.

[0065] Here, in the present embodiment, the loading device 14c is provided at three locations and is configured to be able to generate short bundles and long bundles in parallel. Therefore, even if long workpieces and short workpieces are manufactured from a single input material, two workpieces can be conveyed to the two loading devices 14c that generate the two bundles at the same time, enabling the generation of separate bundles. Thus, the temporary storage time can be reduced, and it becomes easier to perform efficient processing.

[0066] When the control device 15 determines the processing order of the workpieces, the order in which the input materials are to be input is determined. As a result, the type and quantity of the input materials for one group are determined, and the operator can be instructed to input the input materials to the input unit 21, and the processing of the workpieces can be performed according to the order in which the input materials are input.

[0067] Here, during the processing of the processed materials after the packaging is determined, if the processing of some of the processed materials is significantly delayed, then subsequently, all the processed materials that should be arranged in sequence may not be able to be arranged, and a situation may occur where the generation of the packaging does not proceed. In this case, the processed materials will be temporarily placed in the temporary placement section 32 set in each loading device 14c to handle this situation, but there is a possibility that the temporary placement section 32 will also become full. It is preferable to provide the control device 15 with control to reduce the possibility of this situation occurring. For example, in order to reduce the possibility that the temporary placement section 32 becomes full, when there is another processed material (earlier-completed different processed material) that has been completed earlier than the processed material scheduled to be loaded (scheduled-loading processed material), a control (placement change control) for changing the loading state including arranging the earlier-completed different processed material at the scheduled placement position of the scheduled-loading processed material may be configured to be implementable.

[0068] As the placement change control, if conditions (for example, conditions where the difference in the length of the processed materials and the dimensional difference in the cross-sectional shape are within a certain range) that allow the replacement of the placement positions can be satisfied by comparing the scheduled-loading processed material and the earlier-completed different processed material, it may be a control for changing the placement positions of these processed materials. Instead of this, or in addition to this, it may also be a control for changing the placement positions by re-determining (re-determination) the loading state including the placement positions of the scheduled-loading processed material, the earlier-completed different processed material, and other processed materials. Also, this placement change control may be implemented every time an earlier-completed different processed material is completed earlier than the scheduled-loading processed material and can be loaded. Additionally, when the placement position cannot be changed by re-determination, the control may proceed in the order of temporarily placing the processed materials in the temporary placement section 32. In this case, the quantity of processed materials temporarily placed in the temporary placement section 32 can be reduced, and the temporary placement section 32 can be used for the processed materials that want to be arranged at both ends of the packaging or the processed materials for which the absolute placement location is determined.

[0069] Note that as control when the temporary placement area becomes full, the control device 15 may be configured to include control for determining the remaining space in the temporary placement section 32 by the control device 15 on the upstream side of the location where the loading device 14c is installed, which is separate from the loading device 14c, and removing it from the packaging target without advancing it to the side of the loading device 14c.

[0070] In the precutting device 10 of the present embodiment, at the branch point P8, it is determined whether or not to advance toward the side of the loading device 14c, and the workpiece is advanced from the branch point P8 toward the side of the loading device 14c only when it is a situation where it is possible to advance toward the side of the loading device 14c. On the other hand, if it is a situation where the workpiece cannot be placed on the temporary placement portion 32 even if it advances toward the side of the loading device 14c, the workpiece is advanced toward the side of the individual product discharge portion 22a to exclude the workpiece from the packaging target, and in order to generate a package with the remaining workpieces, the control device 15 is configured to include control for determining the loading state again. Thereby, it is possible to easily perform processing with the maximum capacity without delaying the processing of the upstream processing machine 13, and it is possible to easily make the precutting device 10 with improved manufacturing efficiency. Note that the process of determining the advancing direction at the branch point P8 does not necessarily have to be after reaching the branch point P8, and it may be configured to execute a process of determining the advancing direction upstream of reaching the branch point P8.

[0071] Next, with reference mainly to FIG. 2, a process for determining the loading state (loading state determination process) in the precutting device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the loading state determination process executed by the control device 15. The control device 15 is configured by a personal computer installed in the precutting factory, and the loading state determination process is stored in the control device 15 as part of a program.

[0072] The loading configuration determination process is a process that is executed when the workpieces for one building are classified into each group and the group to be processed is reserved by an operator. The loading configuration determination process is performed with the specifications of the basic precutting device 10, such as the number of loading devices 14c and the size of the package, input, and selects a loading configuration suitable for the precutting device 10 whose operation is controlled by the control device 15. In the present embodiment, since three loading devices 14c are provided and three packages can be generated simultaneously, the three loading devices 14c are configured to be used efficiently. Among the three loading devices 14c, the loading device 14c (packaged product discharge unit 22b1) located on the upstream side is preferentially used. When the upstream loading device 14c cannot be used, it is preferable that the loading device 14c to be used is selected in the order of arrangement of the loading devices 14c (packaged product discharge units 22b2, 22b3) located on the downstream side. Thereby, the length of the conveyance path can be shortened, and the packaging can be completed in a short time.

[0073] When the loading configuration determination process is started, products (workpieces) having a short length that can be used as short packages are extracted from the group to be processed (S11). Here, the workpieces for which processing has been completed are conveyed to the construction site as products used for building construction, and the workpieces as finished products conveyed to the loading device 14c can be used as products. Note that the workpieces as products for which processing has been completed do not necessarily have to be only the workpieces as finished products that do not require any post-processing at the construction site, and may be workpieces for which processing has been completed including products that require post-processing at the construction site.

[0074] After the process of S11, it is determined whether a short package can be generated from the extracted products (S12). If it is determined that a short package can be generated (S12: Y), the arrangement position of the products for which it is determined that a short package can be generated is determined (S13). By the process of S13, the arrangement order numbered from one end side of the lowermost stage is determined according to the arrangement position.

[0075] For the products whose arrangement order has been determined by the process of S13, packing information and arrangement data are set (S14). The packing information is information for associating the location where packing is performed with the processing data of the parts that are pre-cut processed as the processed material. For example, it is composed of the group name targeted for processing and the packing number within the group. Specifically, as the group name, the group name of "material width 100" is given, and as the packing number, "3" corresponding to the total number of packings constituting the group and "1" corresponding to the number within the packing are combined to attach the packing information of "material width 100 - 1 / 3".

[0076] The arrangement data is data that can identify the position where the product is arranged within one packing. As the arrangement data, for example, data (such as "1b" or "3c", etc.) combining values representing heights such as "1" for the bottommost layer, gradually "2", "3", etc., and alphabets such as "a", "b", etc. in order from the edge of one packing as the arrangement number for each height is exemplified (see Fig. 3(b)).

[0077] By associating the packing information and the arrangement data with the product through the process of S14, the control device 15 can identify which loading device 14c the processed product needs to be transported to. Thereby, the control device 15 can control the transport device 14 to transport the product to a transport destination suitable for packing generation.

[0078] In the process of S15, among the products extracted in the process of S11, it is determined whether another short packing can be further generated for the remaining products excluding the products whose arrangement positions have been determined by the processes of S13 and S14 (S15). If another short packing can be generated (S15: Y), the process from S13 is repeated again to execute control for generating another short packing.

[0079] In the process of S12, when it is determined that short bundles cannot be generated for the extracted products (S12: N), and in the process of S15, when it is determined that no other short bundles can be generated (S15: N), the process proceeds to S21. The determination of the case where short bundles cannot be generated can be set in advance in the control device 15 as a condition for not generating bundles. For example, it is exemplified that the extracted products do not satisfy the conditions based on the threshold values set as the minimum number of books or the minimum number of tiers of the bundles (for example, 5 or less, 2 tiers or less, etc.).

[0080] In the process of S21, it is determined whether long bundles can be generated for the products that have not yet had packing information set from the group targeted for processing (S21). When it is determined that long bundles can be generated (S21: Y), the arrangement positions of the products determined to be able to generate long bundles are determined (S22), and packing information and arrangement data are set (S23). A long bundle is a bundle in a stacked state including processed materials exceeding a predetermined length (for example, 1799 millimeters) that are not included as short bundles, and is a bundle including longer processed materials compared to short bundles.

[0081] After the process of S23, the process returns to S21 to determine whether another long bundle can be generated (S21). When it is determined that no other long bundle can be generated (S21: N), data corresponding to the discharge destination (discharge destination data) is set for the remaining products for which packing information has not been set (S24). Examples of the discharge destination data include the individual product discharge unit 22a and the shortened material discharge unit 22d, and settings are made to associate information (material width 100 - a) that can identify the discharge destination (for example, the individual product discharge unit 22a) with the product information. For products that are not the target of packing (for example, products with a length exceeding 4 meters), discharge destination data is set using the process of S24. Note that the setting of the discharge destination data may be determined by referring to a data group associating the discharge destination with the type and length of the products stored in advance in the control device 15.

[0082] By executing the load configuration determination process, among the workpieces processed by the processing machine 13, a plurality of workpieces to be packed are conveyed by the control device 15 controlling the conveying device 14 toward the accumulation area (accumulation unit 33) where the loading device 14c is provided. The workpieces conveyed to the loading device 14c are arranged in a horizontal row in the order determined by the load configuration determination process, and are also stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction, completing the preparation for packing the workpieces that make up each group.

[0083] In this way, the control device 15 controls a large number of workpieces that make up one building structure to be stacked in a state where multiple packings are possible. Only workpieces with a length equal to or less than a predetermined length (for example, 1799 mm or less) are controlled for short packing in a stacked state in the order determined by the load configuration determination process, and long packing is controlled in a stacked state in the order determined by the load configuration determination process including at least workpieces with a length exceeding the predetermined length. It is configured to be able to execute both, and a large number of workpieces that make up one building structure can be grouped into a state where multiple packings including short packing and long packing are possible. Therefore, by grouping short workpieces into short packs, it becomes easy to extract the products required at the construction site, and by including a large number of longer products in long packs, it becomes easier to achieve stable packing.

[0084] In addition, the precutting processing apparatus 10 is provided with a plurality of loading apparatuses 14c (accumulating units 33) as accumulation areas where products are conveyed, and is configured such that a plurality of packages can be generated in parallel. That is, while a short package is generated by one loading apparatus 14c, a long package is generated by another loading apparatus 14c, so that the processed materials can be stacked in a state parallel to the accumulation areas at a plurality of locations. For this reason, one input material is divided to manufacture a long product (processed material) that cannot be included in the short package and a short product that can be included in the short package, and the short package and the long package generated by the two loading apparatuses 14c can be added simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of targets for manufacturing processed materials by dividing one input material, perform processing with a good yield, and convey the processed products to the final position where they are quickly stacked. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of products that need to be temporarily placed, effectively utilize the limited factory space, and facilitate the implementation of processing with a good yield.

[0085] Note that the length limited as the upper limit of the short package (short package upper limit length) is preferably set to be half or less of the length set as the upper limit of the long package (long package upper limit length), and is preferably set to approximately half the length. Specifically, it is good to set the short package upper limit length to a predetermined length within a range where the length differs by approximately 15% or less with respect to half of the long package upper limit length, and it is preferable to set the short package upper limit length to a predetermined length within a range where the length differs by approximately 10% or less. Thereby, on the loading part of a truck or the like, the length obtained by arranging two short packages can be made substantially the same as the length of one long package, and the packaged products (processed materials) can be efficiently arranged within a limited range with less wasted space.

[0086] Next, with reference mainly to FIGS. 3 and 4, a configuration for making the processed material in a state where it can be packaged by the loading apparatus 14c and a control example for conveying the processed material to the packaged product discharge part 22b will be described.

[0087] A plurality of loading devices 14c are provided in the precutting device 10. In each loading device 14c, a state in which bundling is possible (bundling - possible state) can be generated one by one. FIG. 1 illustrates a case where three bundling - possible states can be generated in parallel by three loading devices 14c. Note that it is not necessarily required that one loading device 14c generates a bundling - possible state corresponding to one bundle. A control may be included in which one loading device 14c generates bundling - possible states corresponding to a plurality (for example, two) of bundles separately at two locations. For example, for short bundles, the control device 15 may control the loading device 14c such that the short bundles are generated side by side at two locations in one loading device 14c, and one long bundle is generated over the area where the two short bundles are generated.

[0088] FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram for explaining the process in which the workpiece moves from the transport path L to the accumulation area (accumulation unit 33) of the loading device 14c, and illustrates the configuration of one loading device 14c that constitutes the loading and bundling unit 23. Also, in FIG. 3(a), the transport mechanism 14a (transport path L), the preparation unit 31, and the temporary placement unit 32 are indicated by thin dashed - dotted lines, and the moving mechanism for moving the suction pad 34 is omitted.

[0089] The loading device 14c is installed so as to be located in the width direction (lateral direction) of the workpiece with respect to the transport path L that transports the workpiece along the longitudinal direction of the workpiece by the transport mechanism 14a. The loading device 14c includes a preparation unit 31 that supports the workpiece at the preparation position before lifting and moving the workpiece, a temporary placement unit 32 that temporarily places the workpiece, and an accumulation unit 33 that forms an accumulation area where the workpiece is loaded in a state where bundling is possible.

[0090] The preparation unit 31 includes a positioning mechanism 14e (see FIG. 5) for positioning the position of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction and a rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the workpiece. The description of the positioning mechanism 14e will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. When packing the workpiece, the rotation mechanism rotates the workpiece so that the vertical direction (material forming direction) during the construction of the horizontal member becomes the horizontal direction as an orientation that facilitates packing, or so that the printed information such as the arrangement position of the printed workpiece and the name of the building structure is in an easily visible orientation (other than the downward direction). The workpiece is printed on the lower surface by the printing device 12 and conveyed, rotated in the preparation unit 31 so that the printed surface faces the horizontal side or the upper side, and then conveyed to the stacking unit 33. Note that various mechanisms such as a configuration in which the lower side is lifted and rotated by an L-shaped rotating tool or a configuration in which rotation is performed using a cloth can be adopted for the rotation mechanism.

[0091] The loading device 14c includes a crane-type moving mechanism (not shown) that is movable along a rail continuously arranged horizontally above the stacking unit 33 and a suction pad 34 that is suspended by the moving mechanism and is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions. The suction pad 34 contacts the workpiece closest to the temporary placement unit 32 in the preparation unit 31 from above, and after the lower surface of the suction pad 34 is set to a negative pressure and the workpiece is adsorbed to the suction pad 34, the workpiece is conveyed to the stacking unit 33 or the temporary placement unit 32 by the moving mechanism.

[0092] Note that the loading device 14c is not limited to the above-described configuration, and any configuration that can lift and move the workpiece may be used. It may be configured using an articulated robot that can rotate an arm connected by a plurality of axes and move the suction pad 34 attached to the tip, or may be configured by a device including other mechanisms such as a mechanism that moves the workpiece in a state where both side portions in the horizontal direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the workpiece are sandwiched.

[0093] Here, as the configuration of the suction pad 34 used in the loading device 14c, a state in which a plurality of suction pads 34 divided (into three parts in this embodiment) are arranged side by side is used. The divided suction pads 34 are in contact with the upper surface of the workpiece with their longitudinal directions aligned with the longitudinal direction of the workpiece. Among the workpieces, there are cross members and the like whose material composition varies greatly. These workpieces are transported in a direction (sideways) such that their material widths are in the vertical direction and their horizontal widths vary in the direction of the material composition, and are arranged in the preparation section 31 in a sideways orientation.

[0094] For the suction pad 34, it is selected by the control of the control device 15 whether to operate only one at the outermost end, two including the central side, or all three. For a workpiece with a large material composition (for example, a workpiece with a material composition of 800 millimeters), all three suction pads 34 are operated to move the workpiece. The size of the material composition can be identified by the control device 15 based on the processing data of the workpiece, and based on the processing data, the number of suction pads 34 to be operated is varied.

[0095] Regarding the control of the operation of the suction pad 34, it is preferable that one end of the suction pad 34 corresponding to the side where the stacking section 33 is provided (the left end in Fig. 3(a)) coincides with one end of the workpiece (the left end in Fig. 3(a)), or the workpiece protrudes slightly toward the stacking section 33 side from the suction pad 34, so that the workpiece is adsorbed by the suction pad 34 and moved. Thereby, the workpieces can be arranged side by side in order from the back side (the left side in Fig. 3(a)) of the stacking section 33 with respect to the stacking section 33, and the workpieces can be arranged side by side or stacked on the upper layer in a state where the suction pad 34 does not contact the adjacent workpiece.

[0096] Also, as control of the operation of the suction pad 34, when it is detected that an area portion equal to or greater than a certain ratio is covered by the workpiece in contact with the lower surface and suction is performed within a certain range or more, it is preferable that the control device 15 performs control to raise the workpiece. For example, when the entire range of the suction area (the lower surface of the suction pad 34) is set to 100, the state in which the workpiece is suctioned within a range equal to or greater than a certain ratio (for example, 50% or more) may be detected by measuring the pressure of the fluid passage generating negative pressure. In this case, when the pressure value of the negative pressure before suction is set as the initial value and the pressure value when the entire range of the suction area is covered by the workpiece is set as the maximum value, it may be determined that suction is performed within a certain range or more by detecting that the change amount of the pressure value from the initial value to the maximum value is equal to or greater than a certain ratio (for example, 50% or more).

[0097] Also, when operating two suction pads 34, it may be determined that the moving operation is possible by detecting that the workpiece is suctioned in a portion equal to or greater than a certain amount (for example, 50% or more) with respect to the entire range of the two suction areas, and then control may be performed. Also, the determination of whether to operate several suction pads 34 may be made according to the amount of the ratio (range) to which the workpiece is positioned under the suction pad 34. For example, based on the case where a range equal to or greater than half of the lower surface of the suction pad 34 is covered by the workpiece, the suction pad 34 with the workpiece positioned on the lower surface side may be configured to operate.

[0098] Also, the moving operation of the suction pad 34 may be changed according to the weight of the workpiece. For heavier products than lighter products, even when moving the same distance, it takes longer time, and it is preferable that the control device 15 controls the movement of the suction pad 34 including control to slowly vary the speed more for heavier products. Also, in this case, it is preferable to set a larger time ratio to distance in the movement control of the horizontal movement than in the vertical movement, which can reduce the influence of the inertial force generated by the self-weight of the workpiece.

[0099] The integrated section 33 illustrates a case where two support bases are spaced apart in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the workpiece. Each support base is constituted by a conveyor whose upper surface is movable in the conveying direction (the left - right direction in Fig. 3(a)) when the workpiece is loaded, and it is preferably set to have a length such that two or more packages can be generated on the upper surface in the conveying direction. Thereby, at the timing when the preparation of one package is completed, the conveyor is once operated to move the workpiece for which the preparation of the package is completed to the back side in the conveying direction, and a space where a new package can be started can be generated early on the side closer to the conveying path L in the integrated section 33. Also, the number of support bases is not limited to two, and it may be constituted by a wide single support base, or three or more support bases may be provided in one loading device 14c. Further, in the integrated section 33, a guide member and a drive mechanism capable of moving operations may be provided and controlled by the control device 15 so that a wall - like guide member can be arranged as needed on the tip side in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece. In particular, it is preferable that the guide member can be arranged so as to be positioned on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece in the case of short packages.

[0100] Fig. 3(b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the integrated section 33. Fig. 3(b) illustrates a state where a long package is generated across two support bases, and characters corresponding to the arrangement data are shown for reference. As for the long package, only those with the same material width (the up - down direction in Fig. 3(b)) are targeted as one group, and a case where the height of the upper surface of each stage does not vary is illustrated. On the lower side, workpieces with a large material composition and a long length in the longitudinal direction are preferentially arranged, and as going upward, the material composition becomes smaller and the workpieces with a shorter length are arranged, which is illustrated. Also, on the uppermost stage, a case where the remaining workpieces that cannot be made into short packages are arranged is illustrated.

[0101] FIG. 3(c) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the integrated unit 33 when the arrangement change control is executed by the control device 15. In FIG. 3(c), as an example of the packing posture, a case where the position of the workpiece indicated by the arrow is different from the posture in FIG. 3(b) (when the packing order is switched) is illustrated, and as arrangement data, characters corresponding to the arrangement data updated by the order switch are displayed for reference. As shown in FIG. 1, the precutting processing apparatus 10 has a number of paths, such as a plurality of parallel paths as the conveyance path of the workpiece by the conveyance device 14, and a path passing through the special processing machine 13d and a path not passing through it. There may be a case where the input order of the input material does not match the processing completion order when the processing is completed and the workpiece reaches the loading device 14c. In this case, the control device 15 is configured to be able to perform arrangement change control for changing the packing posture as necessary.

[0102] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the conveyance process executed by the control device 15. The conveyance process is stored in the control device 15 as part of a program. The conveyance process is a process that functions as arrangement change control for changing the packing posture when the processing of the workpiece is completed in an order different from the arrangement order constituting the packing.

[0103] The conveyance process is a process executed as the control of the control device 15 at the timing when the workpiece approaches the branch point. The control device 15 can always identify the timing when the workpiece approaches the branch point by the control of the processing by the processing machine 13 and the operation control of the conveyance device 14, and the control device 15 always manages the position where each workpiece is being conveyed.

[0104] When the conveying process is started, it is determined whether any product has approached the short-length material branch point (branch point P7 in FIG. 1) (S31). When it is determined that one product has approached the short-length material branch point (S32: Y), it is determined whether the approaching product is a short-length material that needs to be conveyed to the short-length material dedicated machine 13e (S32). If it is determined in the process of S32 that it is not a short-length material (S32: N), control is performed to convey the product to the side where the loading device 14c is located (S33). If it is determined in the process of S32 that it is a short-length material (S32: Y), control is performed to convey the product to the side of the short-length material dedicated machine 13e (S34).

[0105] If it is determined in the process of S31 that the product has not approached the short-length material branch point (branch point P7 in FIG. 1), and after the process of S33 or S34 is performed, the process of S41 is implemented. In the process of S41, it is determined whether any product has approached the non-loading branch point (branch point P8 in FIG. 1) (S41). When it is determined that one product has approached the non-loading branch point (S41: Y), it is determined whether the approaching product is a product (non-loaded product) that is the target of loading (packing) by the loading device 14c (S42). If it is determined in the process of S42 that it is a non-loaded product (S42: Y), control is performed to convey the product to the individual product discharge unit 22a that discharges the non-loaded product.

[0106] If it is determined in the process of S42 that it is not a non-loaded product (S42: N), it is determined whether it is a product in the loading order (S43). If it is determined that it is a product in the loading order, the control to change the arrangement of the processed material from S44 to S47 is skipped, and the process proceeds to S48.

[0107] In the process of S48, it is determined whether it is a product for short packing (S48). If it is a product for short packing, control is performed to convey the product to the short-packing integrated unit 33 (loading device 14c) (S49). On the other hand, if it is not a product for short packing, control is performed to convey the product to the integrated unit 33 (loading device 14c) for long packing that is not short packing (S50).

[0108] If it is determined in the process of S43 that the loading order is not in accordance with the specified order (S43: N), it is determined whether the product can have its packing order swapped (S44). The determination in S44 checks whether there is a product among the products that are scheduled to proceed to the side of the loading device 14c earlier than the said product and have not yet reached the non-loading branch point (delayed workpieces) that can have its packing order swapped. This check determines whether there are delayed workpieces that satisfy a plurality of swapping conditions, such as whether the cross-sectional dimensions are the same or within a certain range where they hardly change, whether the length is the same or within a certain range where it hardly changes, whether they belong to the same group, or whether the materials are the same.

[0109] If it is determined that the packing order can be swapped (S44: Y), a change process is performed to swap the packing order of the said product and the delayed workpiece (S45), and the packing posture is changed. As a result, even if the completion order of processing changes from the originally planned posture for determining the loading posture, the delayed workpiece can delay the packing order and speed up the preparation for packing the products that have been completed earlier.

[0110] In the process of S44, if it is determined that the product cannot have its packing order swapped (S44: N), it is determined whether there is space in the temporary placement section 32 where temporary placement is possible. If temporary placement is possible, the conveyance destination is set to the temporary placement section 32 and the said product is conveyed (S47).

[0111] If it is determined in the process of S46 that temporary placement is not possible (S46: N), the said product is conveyed to the individual product discharge section 22a (S51), and the process proceeds to the process of S52.

[0112] In the process of S52, as other processes, after processes such as the process when a product reaches other branch points are executed, the conveyance process ends. When the product targeted for packing is conveyed to the individual product discharge section 22a, processes such as excluding the said product from the packing target and reconstructing the loading posture are implemented.

[0113] Here, preferred control examples other than those described above will be explained.

[0114] In the process of S46, if it is determined that temporary placement is not possible, since a large number of products are in a situation of being temporarily placed in the temporary placement section 32, control for re-determining the loading configuration may be implemented. In this case, it is preferable to include control for excluding the delayed processed material from the packing target or changing its position to a place with a later order such as the upper stage. Also, it is preferable to determine the loading configuration by preferentially loading the products that have arrived at the temporary placement section 32 in an early order.

[0115] In the process of S44, when performing control to swap the packing order, in a situation where the loading configuration as shown in Fig. 3(b) is set, if the part to be loaded fourth from the back on the third row from the bottom corresponding to "3d" is the delayed processed material, and if the part originally scheduled to be placed at "4a" in Fig. 3(b) arrives first, the packing order is changed by the process of S45 and the loading configuration is updated.

[0116] In this case, when swapping those with different lengths, there is a possibility that the length relationship with the products located above them will be different afterwards. Also, as the loading configuration for packing, Fig. 3(b) etc. illustrate the case where only one product is arranged in the longitudinal direction, but the loading configuration may also be determined by arranging multiple products side by side. In this case, since there is also a possibility that the balance will be disrupted when changing the packing order, it is preferable to include control for checking the balance considering the weight of the products when determining the loading configuration or when changing the loading configuration. For example, it is preferable to determine the loading configuration including control for determining stability such as implementing a simulation of the packing balance using a physical operation engine as a control program and performing the swap when the balance is not disrupted even when a certain weight is placed on the end in the longitudinal direction of the product.

[0117] Also, as the loading order, it is not necessarily required to perform the control of loading the upper stage after the loading of each stage is completed one by one. Instead, positions where loading is possible may be provided at multiple locations. Before the completion of loading of the stage where one or more workpieces are in the middle of loading, it is determined whether loading is possible for the upper stage of that stage. If the situation allows loading on the upper stage of that stage, loading is also started on the upper stage. The control of loading may be implemented, including the control in which the situation of loading in progress occurs for the upper and lower two stages. For example, in FIG. 3(c), when the loading up to the second product '3b' from the back side at the third stage from the bottom is completed, although '3c' is the next target as the packing order, for '4a', since it is possible to load it above the third stage, it may be determined as a packable product. In this case, it is determined that loading is possible until the product placed on top completely enters the back side (the left side in FIG. 3(c)) from the side surface on the front side (the right side in FIG. 3(c)) of the product located on the lower side, or until the side surfaces on the front side match. It is preferable to determine that products larger than that (for example, '3b' protrudes to the front side with respect to the product '2a') are not loadable.

[0118] Also, it is preferable that the loading state can be visually confirmed from before the start of processing in the factory where the precut processing device 10 is installed. It can be made visible on the display screen of the control device 15, or the set loading state can be output to a paper medium by performing a printing operation, or the data of the loading state can be output to a portable operation terminal such as a smartphone so that the operator can confirm it. Further, the data of the loading state preferably includes outputting the final loading state in a paper medium or controlling the information output as the loading state data so that the construction worker who unpacks the package and performs construction at the construction site can easily understand it. Also, the data of the loading state is output in a data format that can display the loading state in a three-dimensional virtual space, and products retrieved by character information are displayed in different colors. The control device 15 may be configured to output the data of the loading state including information such as the arrangement position of the products in the package, the length, and the cross-sectional shape of the products so that the products to be retrieved can be easily retrieved. By enabling the construction worker to confirm the three-dimensionally represented data as needed, even at a construction site where a large number of products (processed materials) are required for a large building structure, the construction worker can easily confirm which package and at which position the required products are arranged.

[0119] Thus, in the arrangement change control of the control device 15 using the conveyance process, it is determined whether one workpiece and another workpiece satisfy a predetermined replacement condition. When it is determined that the replacement condition is satisfied, control is performed to arrange another workpiece instead of the one workpiece at the position where the one workpiece is scheduled to be arranged by the process of S45 as the change control means. For this reason, in the stacking unit 33 of the loading device 14c, not only can workpieces be stacked in a packable manner in a predetermined order using the loading device 14c, but also the workpieces can be stacked in an order different from the said order using the change control means. Therefore, when the order of the workpieces reaching the stacking unit 33 of the loading device 14c is the predetermined order, the loading device 14c can be used as it is, and when the reaching order is different from the predetermined order, the change control means can be used to set a different order. That is, by enabling packing in an order according to the situation, the time until the packable state is achieved can be shortened, the expansion of the space required for loading can be suppressed, and it becomes easier to perform processing on each workpiece in the processing machine in the shortest time possible.

[0120] Further, the precut processing device 10 is configured to be able to convey the processed material processed by the processing machine 13 to an accumulation unit 33, a temporary placement unit 32, and a discharge area (individual product discharge unit 22a) where the processed material can be conveyed in different directions at a branch point P8 (see FIG. 1) far upstream from the accumulation unit 33 with respect to the temporary placement unit 32. It is determined whether or not the pre-determined replacement condition is satisfied in a situation where the processed material can be advanced toward the individual product discharge unit 22a. When it is determined that the replacement condition is satisfied, another processed material is arranged at a predetermined position where one processed material is to be stacked. When the processed material that was originally planned to be arranged in the accumulation unit 33 cannot be arranged in the accumulation unit 33 and the temporary placement unit 32, the control device 15 executes control to advance the processed material toward the individual product discharge unit 22a by the processes of S44, S46, and S51 as discharge control means. For this reason, it is easy to avoid a situation where the placement space for the product is lost only by changing the load configuration due to replacement, and it is easy to prioritize the processing by the processing machine 13, and a precut processing device 10 with high manufacturing capacity can be obtained.

[0121] In addition, the precut processing device 10 includes a loading unit 21 into which a processed material (input material) before processing is loaded, and a plurality of processing machines 13 (identical processing machines) as the processing machine 13 that can perform the same processing on the processed material loaded from the loading unit 21, including a side processing machine 13b and an end processing machine 13c (see FIG. 1). A plurality of paths are provided as the path from the loading unit 21 to the accumulation unit 33 via the plurality of identical processing machines. The change control means (the process of S45 in FIG. 4) is configured such that when one processed material is conveyed along one path and another processed material is conveyed along a path different from the path along which the one processed material is conveyed, another processed material can be arranged at a predetermined position where the one processed material is to be stacked. Although multiple identical processing machines are installed, late processed materials are likely to occur depending on the content of the processing, and overtaking of other processed materials is likely to occur. However, by executing the arrangement change control, the load configuration for packing can be updated to a suitable arrangement order according to the situation.

[0122] In addition, the precut processing apparatus 10 is provided with a plurality of paths having different path lengths from the input unit 21 to the stacking unit 33 via a plurality of identical processing machines. The change control means (the process of S45 in FIG. 4) is configured such that when one workpiece is conveyed along one path and another workpiece is conveyed along another path having a shorter path length than the one path, the other workpiece can be arranged at a predetermined position where the one workpiece is scheduled to be stacked. If the workpiece moves too fast, there is a possibility that dents may occur on the surface of the wood or the portion that has become narrow due to processing may be damaged. For this reason, due to the difference in the path lengths, it is easy for another workpiece to overtake, and the more the number of the same processing machines, the more likely the difference in the path lengths becomes. However, by executing the arrangement change control, the loading posture of the package can be updated to a suitable arrangement order according to the situation.

[0123] Further, the precut processing apparatus 10 includes a conveying device 14 as a workpiece moving device, an input unit 21 into which the workpiece before processing is input, and a predetermined processing machine (special processing machine 13d) that can process a part of the workpiece input from the input unit 21 as the processing machine 13. A plurality of paths having different path lengths from the input unit 21 to the stacking unit 33 are provided depending on whether or not the special processing machine 13d is passed through. The change control means (the process of S45 in FIG. 4) is configured such that when one workpiece is conveyed along one path and another workpiece is conveyed along another path having a shorter path length than the one path, the other workpiece can be arranged at a predetermined position where the one workpiece is scheduled to be stacked. Although it is easy for another workpiece to overtake when only a part of the workpiece is processed by the special processing machine 13d, the loading posture of the package can be updated to a suitable arrangement order according to the situation by executing the arrangement change control.

[0124] Next, with reference mainly to FIG. 5, a configuration for suitably moving the workpiece from the conveyance path L to the loading device 14c will be described. FIG. 5(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the process until the movement of the workpiece stops in the conveyance path L, FIG. 5(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the workpiece has moved from the pre-movement position S2 to the movement position S3 in the conveyance path L, and FIG. 5(c) is a schematic diagram showing a state where the workpiece has moved from the movement position S3 to the preparation position S4. In FIG. 5, the conveyance mechanism 14a (conveyance path L) and the preparation unit 31 are shown by thin dashed lines, the detection sensor F for detecting the tip position of the workpiece in the conveyance path L is shown by a black circle, and the movement direction of the workpiece, the movement direction of the movable part (extrusion operation part 14d1) of the extrusion mechanism 14d, and the movement direction of the movable part (positioning operation part 14e1) of the positioning mechanism 14e are shown by arrows.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 1, the precut processing device 10 is provided with three loading devices 14c. The loading device 14c located on the most upstream side (the left loading device 14c in FIG. 1) reaches the loading device 14c by traveling a short distance along the conveyance path L, and the loading device 14c located on the most downstream side (the right loading device 14c in FIG. 1) is configured to reach the loading device 14c by moving the longest distance. The conveyance path L reaching the most upstream loading device 14c is shared by all the loading devices 14c. When the conveyance path L is used to convey the workpiece in the most upstream loading device 14c, the conveyance path L cannot be used even if the workpiece to be conveyed downstream is waiting next. On the other hand, the conveyance device 14 of the present embodiment enables the use of the conveyance path L shared with the downstream side to be short, and enables the movement for loading to be performed based on the accurate position of the workpiece in each loading device 14c. Hereinafter, the configuration regarding the use of the conveyance path L in a short time and the movement control based on the accurate position of the workpiece will be specifically described.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 14 functions as a moving device that can move a workpiece processed by a processing machine 13, which is a processing means capable of performing various processes, and a feedstock before the workpiece is processed by the processing machine 13, along a predetermined path as moving target materials. A detection sensor F, which is a position detection means capable of detecting the arrangement position of the moving target material, is provided as part of the conveying device 14 in the middle of the movement of the moving target material by the conveying device 14. Examples of the detection sensor F include a reflective photoelectric sensor and a transmissive photoelectric sensor, and a sensor constituted by a contact switch having a movable piece that moves by contacting the workpiece is also exemplified. When the workpiece is detected by the detection sensor F, the detection result is input to the control device 15, and control is executed to operate a power source such as a drive motor of the conveying device 14 corresponding to the detection result.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the conveying device 14 includes, in a portion close to the loading device 14c, a conveying mechanism 14a that moves the workpiece from the upstream side to the downstream side (from the left side to the right side in FIG. 5(a)) of the conveying path L along the longitudinal direction of the workpiece, an extrusion mechanism 14d, and a positioning mechanism 14e.

[0128] The conveying mechanism 14a is a mechanism that moves the workpiece along a path (first path) continuous with the traveling direction side (right direction side in FIG. 5(a)) along the conveying path L, and is constituted by a conveying roller and a drive motor or the like that drives the conveying roller. The workpiece is supported on the lower side by the conveying roller, and by controlling the rotation of the drive motor by the control device 15, it is configured to be able to control the workpiece to stop after moving the required amount in the conveying path L.

[0129] As part of the conveying mechanism 14a, two detection sensors F are provided above the conveying path L. When the detection sensor F (detection sensor F1) installed on the upstream side in the conveying path L detects a workpiece targeted to move toward the loading device 14c in the conveying path L, deceleration control of the conveying mechanism 14a is started, and control is executed to stop the workpiece after it has moved a certain amount. The downstream detection sensor F (detection sensor F2) detects that the workpiece has reached the detection range after being decelerated at the deceleration start position S1 where deceleration starts, and control is executed to stop the workpiece at the pre-movement position S2 corresponding to a certain range near that position.

[0130] The extrusion mechanism 14d is a mechanism that moves the workpiece from the pre-movement position S2 on the conveying path L to the movement position S3 outside the conveying path L along a path (second path) formed by branching to the second direction side (the upward direction side in Fig. 5(a)) that intersects the traveling direction side along the conveying path L. It includes an extrusion operation part 14d1 formed elongated along the conveying path L and a drive source (for example, a combination of an air cylinder and a pump or a motor that operates pneumatically) that operates the extrusion operation part 14d1 in the moving direction (the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5(b)). By operating the drive motor of the extrusion mechanism 14d by the control device 15, control is executed to move the workpiece from the pre-movement position S2 to the movement position S3. The movement control of the workpiece by the extrusion mechanism 14d is executed triggered by the downstream detection sensor F2 detecting the workpiece.

[0131] The positioning mechanism 14e is a mechanism that contacts the workpiece moved to the movement position S3 by the extrusion operation part 14d1 and moves the workpiece in the direction along the conveying path L and in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the workpiece in the conveying path L. It is a mechanism capable of moving and positioning the workpiece at the preparation position S4 that serves as a reference for starting movement in the loading device 14c. The positioning mechanism 14e includes a positioning operation part 14e1 that is located on the advancing direction side of the movement direction of the workpiece along the conveying path L and contacts the workpiece, and a drive source (for example, a combination of an air cylinder and a pump) that operates the positioning operation part 14e1 in the arrow direction.

[0132] As shown in Fig. 5(c), the positioning operation unit 14e1 contacts the tip portion of the workpiece and moves the workpiece in such a manner that it returns slightly in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the workpiece. The positioning operation unit 14e1 moves at a slow speed such that the workpiece is not thrown off by the momentum of the operation, and at the position where the positioning operation unit 14e1 stops, the operation control of the positioning operation unit 14e1 is performed at the speed at which the workpiece stops while being in contact with the positioning operation unit 14e1. As a result, the tip position of the workpiece coincides with the operation position where the positioning operation unit 14e1 has operated, and the control device 15 identifies the center position in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece from the processing data of the workpiece based on this operation position, and can lift the workpiece with the suction pad 34 of the loading device 14c so as to contact this center position.

[0133] By moving the suction pad 34 in this way and performing control to load the workpiece so as to form a packaged load shape, it is possible to easily arrange the arrangement position of the workpiece when the loading device 14c moves the workpiece to the accumulation unit 33 at an accurate position, and since the workpiece can be moved in a stable state, it is possible to easily set a high-speed movement. Note that Fig. 5(c) exemplifies a case where after moving the workpiece to the lifting position S5 while rotating the workpiece with respect to the preparation position S4, the suction pad 34 contacts the workpiece at the lifting position S5 and the workpiece is lifted.

[0134] Here, by adopting a configuration in which the conveyance mechanism 14a, the loading device 14c, and the extrusion mechanism 14d are provided, some of the workpieces that have moved to the pre-movement position S2 can be further advanced so as to go straight ahead in the advancing direction side (the right side in Fig. 5(a)) along the conveyance path L by the conveyance mechanism 14a as the first moving means. Also, some of the workpieces that have moved to the pre-movement position S2 are moved to the movement position S3 by changing the course to the direction intersecting from the conveyance path L by the extrusion mechanism 14d as the second moving means, positioned at the preparation position S4 by the positioning mechanism 14e, and then can be moved to the accumulation unit 33 as another position by the loading device 14c as a device installed in the subsequent process.

[0135] In this case, after the extrusion mechanism 14d moves the workpiece to the movement position S3 set in the direction away from the transport path L, a positioning operation to the preparation position S4 is performed on the workpiece. Therefore, even during the execution of the positioning operation of one workpiece, a space where another workpiece can move can be secured in the transport path L, and the movement of another workpiece in the transport path L can be executed at an early timing. The control device 15 can be set to control the start of the transport of another workpiece at the timing when the transport path L becomes empty, to control the transport of another workpiece to the pre-movement position S2 during the operation of the positioning operation unit 14e1, and to control the transport of another workpiece toward the loading device 14c located on the downstream side. By these controls, a large number of workpieces can be efficiently moved, and it is possible to easily set a relatively long time for the positioning operation and perform highly accurate positioning.

[0136] Note that the device (post-process device) installed in the subsequent process after positioning is not limited to the loading device 14c, and instead of or in addition to this, it may be configured to include processing means for performing cutting processing on the workpiece or the input material. For example, the processing machine 13 (for example, a short-length material processing machine) may be provided as the post-process device.

[0137] Also, it is not always necessary to provide the detection sensor F at two locations, and control may be performed so that the workpiece decelerates to a stop based on the detection result of one side. Even in this case, by performing separate positioning, it is possible to perform processing based on an accurate position in a later process. Also, it is not always necessary to decelerate the workpiece until it stops in the transport path L when the tip of the workpiece is detected by the detection sensor F, and the extrusion mechanism 14d may be operated in a situation where the workpiece is moving slowly to move the workpiece to a position outside the transport path L.

[0138] Also, the detection sensor F does not necessarily have to be configured to detect the tip side in the moving direction along the conveyance path L of the workpiece. Instead of this, or in addition to this, it may be configured to detect the rear end of the workpiece and perform control to decelerate or stop the workpiece. In this case, the positioning operation unit contacts the rear end portion of the workpiece (the left end portion in Fig. 5(a)), and the positioning mechanism 14e may be configured to position the workpiece such that the positioning operation unit advances in the direction that coincides with the moving direction in the conveyance path L (the right direction in Fig. 5(a)).

[0139] Also, as for the arrangement of the conveyance mechanism 14a, the extrusion mechanism 14d, and the positioning mechanism 14e, it is not necessarily required that the positioning mechanism 14e positions the workpiece at a position deviated from the conveyance path L of the conveyance mechanism 14a. The positioning mechanism 14e may be provided ahead along the conveyance path L of the conveyance mechanism 14a from the branch point P8 for positioning, and the post-process device may perform processing on the workpiece, and the extrusion mechanism 14d may convey the workpiece to another direction side deviated from the conveyance path L.

[0140] Also, the positioning mechanism 14e does not necessarily have to be configured to position the workpiece by contacting the end portion of the workpiece and moving the workpiece. As long as the workpiece can be positioned, it may be configured using other mechanisms. For example, as the positioning mechanism 14e, a mechanism for operating the positioning operation unit is not provided, and the workpiece is configured to be positioned at a position corresponding to the initial position before the positioning operation unit operates, and the workpiece is positioned (aligned) by moving and contacting the workpiece toward the initial position. In this case, the positioning portion may be fixedly provided, and a moving means for applying a moving force to the workpiece may be provided so that the workpiece slowly moves toward this portion. This moving means may be configured using a roller (conveying roller) that contacts the lower side of the workpiece and applies a moving force to the workpiece, or may be configured using a roller (feeding roller) that contacts the upper surface of the workpiece and applies a moving force to the workpiece.

[0141] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the configuration of the wood chip processing unit 24 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a wood chip collection device 40 as a wood processing related device. FIG. 6(a) is a plan view of the wood chip collection device 40, and FIG. 6(b) is a side view of the wood chip collection device 40. Further, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process in which wood chips are discharged from the recessed hole 42 of the workpiece M by the rotation mechanism 41. FIG. 7(a) shows the initial state in which the workpiece M is positioned on the transport mechanism 14a, FIG. 7(b) shows the state in which the workpiece M is in the middle of being inverted, and FIG. 7(c) shows the state in which the workpiece M has been inverted completely. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the transport mechanism 14a (transport path L) is shown by a thin dashed line, and in FIG. 6, the transport mechanism 14b is also shown by a thin dashed line.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 1, the wood chip processing unit 24 is provided at a branch point P8 corresponding to a part of the transport path L along which the workpiece M as a processed product is transported toward the loading and packing unit 23 (loading device 14c). A wood chip collection device 40 is provided in the wood chip processing unit 24, and the wood chip collection device 40 is configured by a device capable of discharging the wood chips remaining in the recessed hole 42 of the workpiece M for which processing has been completed and collecting the discharged wood chips. Examples of the recessed hole 42 include a recessed hole 42 formed by a chisel and a recessed hole 42 formed by a saw. Examples of the use of the recessed hole 42 include a box hole for inserting a nut and a keyway for inserting a key.

[0143] The wood chip collection device 40 is a device configured by combining a part of the transport device 14 and the wood chip collection mechanism 43. Specifically, it includes transport mechanisms 14a, 14b for transporting the workpiece M, a rotation mechanism 41 for the workpiece M, and a wood chip collection mechanism 43. With respect to the workpiece M, processing including cutting such as forming a recessed hole or groove-shaped keyway that is recessed downward with the vertical side as the depth direction is performed by the processing machine 13, and the wood chips remaining in the recessed hole 42 formed on the upper side of the workpiece by the cutting process are removed by the wood chip collection device 40.

[0144] Most of the processed materials M that have been processed by the processing machine 13 are conveyed along the conveying path L toward the loading and packing section 23 where the integrating section 33 of the loading device 14c is provided by the conveying mechanism 14a. The wood chips remaining on the processed material M are discharged from the processed material M by the rotating mechanism 41 of the processed material M in the wood chip processing section 24 located upstream of the loading and packing section 23, and are conveyed by the conveyors 43a and 43b of the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 capable of collecting the discharged wood chips and are gathered at the wood chip collecting location. A collecting box 46 with an open upper part is installed at the wood chip collecting location, and the operator can easily discard the wood chips gathered in the collecting box 46.

[0145] At the branch point P8, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a rotating body 44 is provided such that a part of it enters below the processed material M that can be conveyed along the conveying path L by the conveying mechanism 14a. The rotating body 44 is provided so as to be rotatable 180 degrees about the rotation axis 45 from the initial state shown in FIG. 7(a) to the state of completion of inversion shown in FIG. 7(c). The rotating body 44 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape including a first support portion 44a located below the processed material M in the initial state, a second support portion 44b located above the first support portion 44a at a distance longer than the height (material thickness) of the processed material M, and a third support portion 44c located on the side of the processed material M.

[0146] When the rotating body 44 rotates from the initial state, the first support portion 44a located below the processed material M in the initial state rotates so as to lift the processed material M. When the processed material M rotates, the processed material M passes through a process of contacting the third support portion 44c and being supported from below, and then the processed material M moves so as to contact the second support portion 44b and is inverted so that the top and bottom are reversed.

[0147] In the rotating mechanism 41, the rotating bodies 44 are provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the processed material M. The arrangement intervals of the rotating bodies 44 are set to gradually increase on both sides based on the shortest interval. Thereby, even a short processed material can be easily supported using the short arrangement interval, and it is possible to easily support the positions near both ends of a long processed material with the rotating bodies 44.

[0148] Here, when a recessed hole 42 recessed downward from the upper side is provided as the workpiece, there is a possibility that the workpiece is conveyed with wood chips remaining in the hole, and the wood chips may become an obstacle when manufacturing a building structure or make fitting impossible. For this reason, in the precut processing apparatus 10, even if the workpiece can proceed toward the loading device 14c, it is once inverted up and down by the rotating mechanism 41 so as to control the falling of the wood chips, thereby reducing the possibility of wood chips remaining in the workpiece including the workpiece packed by the loading device 14c.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 6, the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 is provided such that the upper surfaces of the conveyors 43a and 43b as the upper surface portions are located below the arrangement position where the workpiece M inverted by the rotating mechanism 41 as the inverting means is arranged. In FIG. 6(b), the arrangement position of the workpiece M rotated by the rotating body 44 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0150] The wood chip collecting mechanism 43 includes two conveyors 43a and 43b whose upper surface portions are movable in one direction (the direction of arrow G in FIG. 6(b)) by rotating operation, a drive motor (not shown) for driving the conveyors 43a and 43b, and a collecting box 46. The wood chips remaining in the portion of the workpiece M processed into a hole shape or a groove shape fall onto and are supported by the upper surfaces of the conveyors 43a and 43b, and the conveyors 43a and 43b are configured to be able to convey the wood chips to the discharge direction side where the upper surface portion moves as the conveyors 43a and 43b operate.

[0151] Among the workpieces M inverted by the rotating mechanism 41 and conveyed to the loading and packing section 23, the workpieces M move to a position close to the position before inversion while being inverted so as to return to the original orientation before being inverted again by the rotating mechanism 41. Note that the mechanism for inverting the workpiece M and the mechanism for returning it to the position before inversion do not necessarily have to use the same rotating mechanism 41, and they may be configured by providing separate rotating mechanisms.

[0152] The conveying device 14 is provided with a conveying mechanism 14a that conveys the workpiece M disposed at a position close to the position before inversion by the rotating mechanism 41 to the loading and packing section 23. Further, the conveying device 14 is provided with a conveying mechanism 14b (see FIG. 1) that conveys the workpiece M inverted by the rotating mechanism 41 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6(b) to a separate product discharge section 22a set in another direction deviating from the conveying path L without reversing it by the rotating mechanism 41. For this reason, for some workpieces M, the return operation after removing the wood chips can be omitted and they can be discharged from the precutting device 10. That is, the precutting device 10 can be configured to efficiently convey the workpiece M to the separate product discharge section 22a and to perform the wood chip removal process on a large number of workpieces M.

[0153] Here, as shown in FIG. 7(b), as a state during the rotation of the workpiece M by the rotating mechanism 41, even when the workpiece M supported on the lower side by the third support portion 44c of the rotating body 44 is in a state where the second support portion 44b is located lower than the first support portion 44a, until it reaches a predetermined inclination angle, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the workpiece M remains in contact with the first support portion 44a. That is, until the state where the workpiece M is supported obliquely by the third support portion 44c reaches a certain angle or more close to the inversion of the workpiece M (for example, a rotation angle of 135 degrees or more), the workpiece M remains in contact with the first support portion 44a, and when it exceeds that angle, the workpiece M moves (falls) obliquely downward and is supported by the second support portion 44b of the rotating body 44. This makes it easy to prevent the workpiece M from falling from the rotating body 44, and since the workpiece M moves a certain amount and gains momentum and then suddenly stops while being supported by the rotating body 44, it becomes easy to discharge the wood chips from the recessed holes 42.

[0154] Incidentally, the angle at which the workpiece M starts to move may be adjusted by controlling the rotational speed of the rotating body 44 by the control device 15. Further, the angle at which the workpiece M starts to move can also be adjusted according to the material, shape, and size of the portion of the rotating body 44 that contacts the workpiece M, and at least a part of the portion of the rotating body 44 that contacts the workpiece M may be constituted by an elastic material such as an elastomer.

[0155] As described above, the wood chip collecting device 40 includes conveying mechanisms 14a and 14b as workpiece moving means capable of conveying the workpiece M, a rotating mechanism 41 capable of inverting the workpiece M so that it moves horizontally while the up and down directions are reversed, and a wood chip collecting mechanism 43. Below the predetermined position where the workpiece M inverted by the rotating mechanism 41 is disposed, conveyors 43a and 43b as part of the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 capable of conveying wood chips are provided. Wood chips remaining in the portion of the workpiece M processed in a hole shape or a groove shape can be supported on the upper surface portion of the conveyors 43a and 43b, and the wood chips are conveyed by the conveyors 43a and 43b toward the discharge direction side. Therefore, it is easy to remove the wood chips that may remain on the workpiece M and improve the quality of the workpiece M as a product, and the removed wood chips can be efficiently collected in the collection box 46 by the conveyors 43a and 43b of the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 and can be discarded.

[0156] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, it may be modified and implemented as described below. In this case, each of the configurations described below may be applied to the above-described embodiment, or a combination of a plurality of the configurations described below may be applied to the above-described embodiment.

[0157] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the plurality of conveyors 43a and 43b constituting the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 are linearly arranged has been exemplified. However, instead of this, or in addition to this, a section in which the conveyors are arranged in a broken line shape may be included, a section in which a plurality are arranged in parallel may be included, or it may be configured to include a curved section. Further, the case where the collecting box 46 as the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 is arranged at one location has been exemplified, but the wood chips may be collected at two or more collecting locations. Further, as a part of the wood chip collecting mechanism 43, a guide means for guiding the wood chips toward the upper surfaces of the conveyors 43a and 43b may be added to a part including at least a part of the height section from the position corresponding to the lower side of the processed material M after rotation to the upper surfaces of the conveyors 43a and 43b. For example, as the guide means, a configuration in which two metal plates are arranged so as to be inclined along the conveying direction of the conveyors 43a and 43b and the upper side is wide and spaced apart is exemplified, whereby the wood chips can be guided so as to be easily placed on the conveyors 43a and 43b. Further, the wood chip collecting mechanism 43 does not necessarily have to be configured to collect only the wood chips falling from the processed material rotated by the rotating mechanism 41. Instead of this, or in addition to this, the wood chips may be collected so as to include a wood chip collecting mechanism using another conveyor installed at the position where the wood chips generated from at least a part of the processing machine 13 fall.

[0158] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the precut processing apparatus 10 includes the loading and packing section 23, the wood chip processing section 24, and the positioning mechanism 14e of the conveying apparatus 14 has been described. However, any of the functional sections may be omitted.

[0159] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the control device 15 is provided at one location has been described. However, the control device may be provided at two or more locations, and the operation of the precut processing device 10 may be controlled using a plurality of control devices. Further, the control device may be configured to include a computer installed at a location other than the precut factory. For example, a computer of the precut processing device manufacturer and a computer of the precut factory may be connected by a network such as the Internet, and the precut processing device 10 may be controlled including the control device on the manufacturer side.

Industrial Applicability

[0160] As described above, the present invention is suitable for wood processing-related devices.

Explanation of Signs

[0161] 10: Precutter, 13: Processing machine, 14: Conveyor (part of wood processing-related device, processing material moving means), 14a: Conveyor mechanism (first conveying means), 14b: Conveyor mechanism (second conveying means), 15: Control device (part of reversing means, part of returning means), 40: Wood chip collection device (wood processing-related device), 41: Rotating mechanism (part of reversing means, part of returning means), 43: Wood chip collection mechanism (wood chip collecting means, wood processing-related device), 43a, 43b: Conveyor (wood chip conveying means), 46: Collection box

Claims

1. A wood processing related device comprising a workpiece moving means capable of conveying a workpiece processed by a processing machine capable of performing a hole-shaped or groove-shaped processing that is recessed downward with the vertical side of the workpiece as the depth direction, along a predetermined path towards a predetermined accumulation area, and a sawdust collecting means capable of collecting sawdust of the workpiece conveyed by the workpiece moving means, which is provided on the predetermined path and has an inversion means capable of inverting the workpiece so that it moves horizontally while the up and down directions are reversed, wherein the sawdust collecting means is provided below a predetermined position where the workpiece inverted by the inversion means is disposed, and has a sawdust conveying means configured such that the upper surface portion is movable in a predetermined direction side so as to be able to support the sawdust remaining in the portion processed in the hole shape or groove shape with respect to the workpiece and convey the sawdust towards a predetermined discharge direction side. The wood processing related device is characterized by this.

2. The wood processing related device according to claim 1, further comprising a return means for moving the workpiece inverted by the inversion means to a position before inversion or a position close to the position before inversion while inverting it so as to return to the original orientation before being inverted by the inversion means.

3. The workpiece moving means includes a first conveying means for conveying the workpiece disposed at a position before inversion or a position close to the position before inversion by the return means along the predetermined path, and a second conveying means for conveying the workpiece inverted by the inversion means to another direction side deviating from the predetermined path without inverting it by the return means. The wood processing related device according to claim 2 is characterized by this.

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