Apparatus and method for bending / folding laminated flooring materials

Abstract

The automated flooring system includes a sharpening device 10 for shaping the edges into a sharp-edged form, and a rounding device 200 for shaping the edges into a rounded form. The sharpening device features a frame 11 having a molding panel 12 including three molding plates 14, 16, and 18 (39, 41) rotatably coupled to each other to receive and correspond to a flat flooring material 70. Multiple actuators 20, 22, and 24 facilitate the rotation of each section of the flooring material at right angles to achieve the sharp-edged shape. The rounding device 200 includes a frame 201, a rotor plate 202, rollers 204, 206, and a clamp bar 212, as well as an actuator 216, to engage with the flooring material and shape the flooring material into a rounded-edged form. The destacker 302 removes the flooring material from the machine, and the conveyor system 304 transports the flooring material to station 106, where it grooves, applies adhesive, heats, and discharges. This system streamlines the production of flooring material with angular and rounded ends, thereby increasing the efficiency of the flooring material manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application is a non - provisional of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 456,024, filed on March 31, 2023, titled "DEVICE AND METHODS FOR MAKING LAMINATE FLOORING", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention generally relates to laminate flooring, and more particularly, to an apparatus for bending a flooring material into a form with a squared tip and an apparatus for bending a flooring material into a form with a rounded tip. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to laminate flooring, and more particularly, to an apparatus for bending a flooring material into a form with a squared tip and an apparatus for bending a flooring material into a form with a rounded tip.

Background Art

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to apparatuses and methods for forming laminate flooring, and more particularly, to forming mold staircase treads (e.g., those with squared tips and those with rounded tips).

[0005] Laminate flooring is often used in various applications in residential and light commercial environments. Laminate flooring offers a good balance of affordability, durability, and aesthetics. Laminate flooring may adopt forms with squared (e.g., right - angled) tips and forms with rounded (e.g., curved) tips. Both forms result in a neat finish at the edges of the thick board, particularly at the transition between the floor board and other surfaces such as walls, baseboards, or doorways.

[0006] Conventional systems for shaping laminated flooring into angular and rounded-edge forms for molded stair treads require that nearly flat pieces of flooring be manipulated to precisely shape them into angular or rounded edges. Such manipulation typically requires several manual steps to shape the flooring into the desired form. These manual steps present several challenges, such as cost, time, and inconsistencies in the flooring prepared for multiple stair treads. Furthermore, such manual methods are difficult to scale for commercial production. An automated system that eliminates the need for such manual steps would be advantageous. Therefore, in this field, there has long been a demand for equipment for laminated flooring that can achieve angular and rounded edges. What is needed is an improvement in the equipment and methods for shaping laminated flooring.

[0007] One possibility of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for forming laminated flooring materials, which has a simple yet effective structure for conveniently, automatically, and efficiently folding and bending laminated flooring materials. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This "Summary of the Invention" is provided to introduce several concepts in a simplified form, which will be described in detail later in the "Modes for Carrying Out the Invention." This summary is not intended to specify important or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in defining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus for forming flooring material with angular edges is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame that stabilizes and supports the apparatus. A forming panel is arranged and operationally connected to the frame, and the forming panel includes a first forming plate, a second forming plate, and a third forming plate. The first forming plate is rotatably coupled to the second forming plate by a first plate joint. The first plate joint is located between the first and second forming plates. The second forming plate is rotatably coupled to the third forming plate by a second plate joint, and the second plate joint is located between the second and third forming plates. The forming plates are sized and configured to receive and correspond to a flat flooring material on which it is laid. The first forming plate supports a first section of the flooring material, the second forming plate may correspond to a radius plate and support a second section of the flooring material, and the third forming plate supports a third section of the flooring material. The system also includes a clamping device that can accommodate the radius plate, which has a clamp bar positioned on the frame to support the flooring material. A first actuator is operationally connected to a first plate joint to rotate a first molded panel about the first plate joint, thereby rotating a first section of the flooring material perpendicular to a second section of the flooring material. A second actuator is operationally connected to a second plate joint to rotate a third molded panel about the second plate joint, thereby rotating a third section of the flooring material perpendicular to a second section of the flooring material. A third actuator is configured to rotate the clamp bar, thereby engaging the clamp bar with the second molded plate.

[0010] In one embodiment, an automated edge-shaping system is disclosed for shaping flooring material into an edge-shaped form. The edge-shaping device includes a frame and a shaping panel, the shaping panel including a first shaping plate, a second shaping plate, and a third shaping plate. A first actuator is operationally connected to a first plate joint to rotate the first shaping panel about the first plate joint, thereby rotating a first section of flooring material perpendicular to a second section of flooring material. A second actuator is operationally connected to a second plate joint to rotate a third shaping panel about the second plate joint, thereby rotating a third section of flooring material perpendicular to a second section of flooring material. A destacker is configured to remove flooring material from a stack, a router station is configured to cut grooves into the surface of flooring material, a heater / glue station is configured to apply adhesive to the grooves and heat the flooring material, and a conveyor system is configured to move the flooring material through the router station and heater station.

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is a tip-shaping device configured to receive a piece of laminated flooring material and bend the flooring material to form a shape with an angular tip. The tip-shaping device fixes a portion of the flooring material to a panel and bends the remaining portion of the flooring material relative to the fixed portion in order to shape the flooring material to have an angular tip.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an automated edge-shaping system, which may include an edge-shaping device. The automated edge-shaping system may include a destacker, a router station, a heater / glue station, and an edge-shaping device. Pieces of laminated flooring may move through the automated edge-shaping system, which will groove the flooring, heat the flooring, apply adhesive to the grooves, and pass the flooring to an edge-shaping device that shapes the flooring into an edge-shaping form.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a rounding device configured to receive a piece of laminated flooring material and bend the flooring material to a rounded end. The rounding device may be configured to fix the flooring material to a rotor plate and between a pair of rollers. The rotor plate may be configured to rotate relative to the pair of rollers to bend the flooring material to a rounded end.

[0014] A further aspect of this disclosure is an automated tip-rounding system, which may include a tip-rounding device. The automated tip-rounding system may include a destacker, a conveyor system, a heater oven, and a tip-rounding device. Pieces of flooring material may move through the automated tip-rounding system, which heats the flooring material and passes it to a tip-rounding device that shapes the flooring material into a rounded shape.

[0015] In another embodiment, an automated system for rounding the tip of a flooring material is disclosed. The system includes a rounding device, which includes a frame and a rotor plate positioned on the frame and operationally connected to the frame, the rotor plate configured to receive and fix a piece of flooring material in place, a first roller and a second roller positioned adjacent to the rotor plate, the first and second rollers configured to hold one end of a portion of the flooring material between them, a clamp bar positioned on the frame, a first actuator operationally connected to the clamp bar and configured to rotate the clamp bar to engage with the flooring material, a second actuator operationally connected to the rotor plate and configured to rotate the rotor plate to form a rounded shape on the flooring material, a swing arm and ejector device configured to unbow and discharge the flooring material from the rounding device, a destacker configured to remove the formed flooring material from the rounding device, and a conveyor system configured to move the formed flooring material through a heating station and then discharge it from the automatic rounding system.

[0016] Those skilled in the art will readily realize various other purposes, advantages, and features of this disclosure by examining the following drawings and descriptions of preferred embodiments.

[0017] To achieve the objectives described above and related objectives, this specification describes several exemplary embodiments of the innovations of this disclosure with respect to the following description and accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments represent only a fraction of the various ways in which the principles of the disclosure can be applied herein, and which are intended to encompass all such embodiments and their equivalents. Further advantages and novel features will become apparent when the following detailed description is examined in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus for forming laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus for forming laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus for forming laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, as described herein, with the laminated flooring material placed on the apparatus. [Figure 4] This is a side perspective view showing one step of the molding process of an embodiment of the apparatus for molding laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, as disclosed in this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view showing one step of the molding process of an embodiment of the apparatus for molding laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, as disclosed in this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic side view showing one step of the molding process of an embodiment of the apparatus for molding laminated flooring material into a shape with angular ends, as disclosed in this disclosure. [Figure 7]A side schematic view showing one step of the forming process of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a pointed tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] A side schematic view showing various steps of the forming process of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a pointed tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] A side schematic view showing various steps of the forming process of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a pointed tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] A rear schematic view of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a pointed tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] A side schematic view of an embodiment of an automatic system for forming a laminated floor material into a pointed tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] A side schematic view showing one step of the forming process of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 13] A side schematic view showing one step of the forming process of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 14] A rear schematic view of an embodiment of an apparatus for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 15] A side schematic view of an embodiment of an automatic system for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 16] A close-up view of an embodiment for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure. [Figure 17] to [Figure 18] A side schematic view of an embodiment for forming a laminated floor material into a rounded tip form according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The following details the creation and use of various embodiments of the present invention, but naturally, the present invention provides a number of applicable inventive concepts that can be implemented in a variety of specific situations. The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of specific ways of creating and using the present invention and do not define the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that there are various equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of the present invention and are encompassed by the claims.

[0020] For clarity, not all reference numerals are included in every drawing. Furthermore, terms indicating location, such as "upper," "lower," "side," "top," and "bottom," refer to the device located in the orientation indicated in the drawing (or as otherwise specified). As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the device may be in a different orientation during use.

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail, with examples of these shown in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, where the same reference numerals are used in each drawing, their descriptions refer to the same or similar elements.

[0022] The following describes an apparatus and method for forming laminated flooring, with general reference to the drawings. For example, the edge-shaping apparatus 10 may be configured to receive a piece of laminated flooring (flooring material) 70 in a substantially flat shape and shape the flooring material 70 into a shape with a sharpened edge (e.g., by bending, shaping, constructing, molding, etc.). The edge-shaping apparatus 10 may be included in an automated edge-shaping system 100 that shapes the flooring material 70 into a shape with a sharpened edge, which will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. As another example, the edge-rounding apparatus 200 may be configured to receive a flooring material 270 in a substantially flat shape and shape the flooring material 270 into a shape with a rounded edge. The edge-rounding apparatus 200 may be included in an automated edge-rounding system 300 that shapes the flooring material 270 into a shape with a rounded edge, which will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. Once the flooring material 70 or 270 has been molded as described herein, it may be applied to the surface of the tread and, advantageously, can conform as desired to the precise contour of the angular or curved tread.

[0023] First, referring to Figures 1-2, exemplary implementations of the tip sharpening device 10 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The tip sharpening device 10 may include a first frame 11 configured to support one or more of the components of the tip sharpening device 10. The first frame 11 stably positions and supports the tip sharpening device 10. The tip sharpening device 10 may further include a molding panel 12, which is operationally connected and positioned on the first frame 11 and consists of a plurality of molding plates. The molding panel 12 includes a first molding plate 14, a second molding plate 16, and a third molding plate 18. In some embodiments, the first, second, and third molding plates 14, 16, and 18 are connected by pivot rotation joints between them, which allow the first, second, and third molding plates 14, 16, and 18 to rotate relative to each other. In this preferred embodiment, the first and second molding plates 14 and 16 may be rotatably connected by a first plate joint 39, and the second and third molding plates 16 and 18 may be rotatably connected by a second plate joint 41. The molding plates 14, 16 and 18 are all substantially the same length, and molding plate 16 is positioned between the molding plates 14 and 18 to accommodate radius plates as needed. In some embodiments, the first molding plate 14 and the second molding plate 16 are detachably connected by a first plate joint 39, and the second molding plate 16 and the third molding plate 18 are detachably connected by a second plate joint 41.

[0024] Next, referring to Figure 3, and further to Figures 1-2, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a flooring material, shown as an exemplary flat flooring material 70, is placed on a molded panel 12. For example, as will be detailed later with reference to Figure 11, the flooring material 70 may be placed on the molded panel 12 in order to be molded into a shape with angular ends. The flooring material 70 placed on the molded panel 12 may have pre-cut first grooves 78 and second grooves 79 on the surface of the flooring material 70, thereby forming a first section 72, a second section 74, and a third section 76 of the flooring material 70. In this preferred embodiment, the flooring material 70 may be placed on the molded panel 12 such that the first section 72 is placed on a first molded plate 14, the second section 74 is placed on a second molded plate 16, and the third section 76 is placed on a third molded plate 18. The flooring material 70 may be of any length not exceeding the length of the molded panel 12.

[0025] Referring next to Figure 4, and further to Figures 1-3, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flooring material 70 is secured to the molded panel 12 by a clamping device 26, as shown. Specifically, once the flooring material 70 is placed on the molded panel 12, as shown with reference to Figure 3, a first clamping bar 28 of the clamping device 26 may move to secure a second section 74 of the flooring material 70 to a second molded plate 16 of the molded panel 12. For example, the clamping device 26 may include a plurality of swing arms 30, each having one end 29 fixed to the first clamping bar 28. The plurality of swing arms 30 may be configured to rotate about a pivot bar 31, which may be held in place relative to a first frame 11 by several pivot bases 36. Thus, the swing arms 30 may rotate about the pivot bar 31 so that the first clamping bar 28 can engage with the flooring material 70. Specifically, the first clamp bar 28 may engage with the second section 74 of the flooring material 70 to secure the second section 74 to the second molding plate 16. Both the clamp bar 28 and the second molding plate 16 can accommodate radius bar clamps as needed to mold various types of flooring materials.

[0026] Referring together to Figures 1-4, the tip-shaping device 10 may further include a first actuator 20, a second actuator 22, and a third actuator 24. Preferably, actuators 20, 22, and 24 are pneumatic actuators. As shown with reference to Figures 1 and 10, the multiple first, second, and third actuators 20, 22, and 24 are arranged as shown along the length of the molding panel 12 of the tip-shaping device 10. As will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 1, 3, and 4, the first actuator 20 may be operable to rotate the first molding plate 14 relative to the second molding plate 16, the second actuator 22 may be operable to rotate the third molding plate 18 relative to the second molding plate 16, and the third actuator 20 may be operable to rotate the swing arm 30 relative to the molding panel 12 (as described above). Accordingly, the first actuator 20 may be rotatably coupled to the first molding plate 14 by a first pivot member 38 at its actuateable end, the second actuator 22 may be rotatably coupled to the third molding plate 16 by a second pivot member 40 at its actuateable end, and the third actuator 24 may be rotatably coupled to a third pivot member 34 on the swing arm 30 by a third pivot member 34 coupled to an actuator bar 32 which is rotatably coupled to each swing arm 30.

[0027] Referring together to Figures 5-7, several embodiments of the present disclosure show the process of operating the tip-shaping device 10 to shape the flooring material 70 into a shape with a sharpened tip. This process may include a first step of placing the flooring material 70 on a molding panel 12, a second step of fixing a second section 74 of the flooring material 70 to a second molding plate 16, and a third step of shaping the flooring material 70 into a shape with a sharpened tip.

[0028] Referring first to Figure 5, in the first step, the flooring material 70 is placed on the molded panel 12 as shown in the figure, as described above in Figure 3. As described above, the flooring material 70 may be placed on the molded panel 12 such that the first section 72 aligns with the first molded plate 14, the second section 74 aligns with the second molded plate 16, and the third section 76 aligns with the third molded plate 18. In some embodiments, the second molded plate 16 may be configured to accommodate various widths of the second section 74 of the flooring material 70, in order to accommodate various given dimensional alignments in the case of a form where the front end of the flooring material 70 is angular. For example, the second molded plate 16 may include a first base 52 and a second base 54 extending downward therefrom. The first base 52 and the second base 54 are adapted so that their upper ends move closer together or further apart in order to narrow or widen the width of the second molding plate 16. Such adjustments can be achieved by the first mechanical adjuster 56 and the second mechanical adjuster 58. The mechanical adjusters 56 and 58 can widen the width of the second molding plate 16 by moving them apart from each other, and can narrow the width of the second molding plate 16 by moving them closer together.

[0029] Next, referring to Figure 6, in the second step, the first clamp bar 28 secures the second section 74 of the flooring material 70 to the second molded plate 16 of the molded panel 12, as shown in the figure, as described above in Figure 4. For example, as described above, various swing arms 30 (and thus the first clamp bar 28) may be configured to rotate around a pivot bar 31 in order to rotate the position of the first clamp bar 28. In this way, the first clamp bar 28 moves using the pivot bar 31 to a position for securing the second section 74 to the second molded plate 16. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the first clamp bar 28 may have three open faces 42, 43, and 44, with a fourth face 45 engaged with the swing bar 30. The first face 43 of the first clamp bar 28 may engage with the second section 74 in order to secure the second section 74 to the second molded plate 16.

[0030] Next, referring to Figure 7, in the third step, the first molding plate 14 and the third molding plate 18 are rotated relative to the second molding plate 16 as shown in the figure, thereby molding the flooring material 70 into a shape with an angular tip, as described above. For example, the first surface 43 of the first clamp bar 28 may fix the second section 74 to the second molding plate 16, as described above in the second step. The first molding plate 14 may then rotate relative to the second molding plate 16 (about the first plate joint 39) so that the first section 72 of the flooring material 70 is fixed to the second surface 42 of the first clamp bar 28, thereby forming a right angle between the first section 72 and the second section 74 along the first groove 78. Similarly, the third molding plate 18 may rotate relative to the second molding plate 16 (about the second plate joint 41) so that the third section 76 of the flooring material 70 is fixed to the third surface 44 of the first clamp bar 28, thereby forming a right angle between the third section 76 and the second section 74 along the second groove 79. In this way, the flooring material 70 can be configured with an angular tip.

[0031] Next, referring to Figures 8-9, various movement paths of each component of the tip-angling device 10 according to the steps described above with reference to Figures 5-7 are shown. As a first example, according to the first step described above with reference to Figure 6, the first clamp bar 28 (by the swing arm 30) may rotate along the first curved path 80 about the pivot bar 31 (by the third actuator 24 and third pivot 34 which are engaged with the actuator bar 32). In this way, the second section 74 of the flooring material 70 can be fixed to the second molding plate 16. As a second example, according to the third step described above with reference to Figure 7, the first molding plate 14 may rotate along the second curved path 82 about the first plate joint 39 (by the first actuator 20 and first pivot 38). In this way, the first section 72 of the flooring material 70 can be perpendicular to the second section 74. As a third example, in the third step described above with reference to Figure 7, the third molded plate 18 may rotate along the third curved path 84 about the second plate joint 41 (by means of the second actuator 22 and the second pivot 40). In this way, the third section 76 of the flooring material 70 can be perpendicular to the second section 74. To facilitate the various movements of the first, second, and third actuators 20, 22, 24 relative to the first frame 11, each of the first, second, and third actuators 20, 22, 24 may be rotatably coupled to the first frame 11 by a fourth pivot 21, a fifth pivot 23, and a sixth pivot 25.

[0032] Referring next to Figure 10, a longitudinal view of a tip-angling device 10 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As described above, the tip-angling device 10 may include several first, second, and third actuators 20, 22, 24. As shown, there are three third actuators 24, and the number of actuators may vary depending on the size of the tip-angling device 10. Referring to Figures 1-4 and 10, the third actuators 24 may be rotatably coupled at their actuable ends to a third pivot member 34 of a swing arm 30, and the third pivot member 34 is coupled to an actuator bar 32 which is rotatably coupled to each swing arm 30.

[0033] Referring next to Figure 11, an automated tip-shaping system 100 is shown, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure, for shaping flooring material 70 into a tip-shaping form. The automated tip-shaping system 100 may include a tip-shaping device 10 as described above. Furthermore, the automated tip-shaping system 100 may include a first destacker 102, a router station 104, and a heater / glue station 106. One or more of the first destacker 102, router station 104, and heater / glue station 106 may be fixed in place relative to each other by a second frame 116, the second frame 116 may be operationally fixed to the first frame 11 of the tip-shaping device 10. In this preferred embodiment, the automated tip-shaping system 100 of this embodiment can facilitate a four-step process for automatically shaping flooring material 70 into a tip-shaping form.

[0034] For example, in the first step, a first moving arm 108, which may be in the form of a suction cup, a mechanical hand, a magnet, or the like, picks up flooring material 70 from a stack of flooring material by the vertical movement of the first moving arm 108 (in the direction of 114). The first moving arm 108 is also adapted to move laterally 112 to move the flooring material 70 to a router station 104, which in the second step may carve first and second grooves 78, 79 into the surface of the flooring material 70. The repeated movement of the first moving arm 108 in the directions of 114 and 112 may be facilitated by a third frame 110 fixed on a second frame 116. The first moving arm 108 is operationally connected to the third frame 110, which helps to facilitate the smooth movement of the first moving arm 108. Next, the first moving arm 108 may move the flooring material 70 to the heater / glue station 106, which in the third step may prepare to shape the flooring material 70 into a pointed shape by applying adhesive to the first and second grooves 78, 79 and heating the flooring material 70. Next, the first moving arm 108 may move the flooring material 70 to the pointed-shaping device 10, which in the fourth step may operate as described above. The relative movement of the first, second, and third sections 72, 74, 76 can be facilitated by the heating temperature of the flooring material 70 (by the heater / glue station 106), which makes the flooring material 70 more pliable. When the flooring material 70 is shaped into a pointed shape by the pointed-edge device 10, the adhesive applied to the first and second grooves 78 and 79 in the heater / glue station 106 can solidify, causing the flooring material 70 to cool and solidify, resulting in the pointed shape formed by the pointed-edge device 10. Furthermore, as the flooring material 70 cools from the heated temperature (by the heater / glue station 106), it can harden firmly into the pointed shape formed by the pointed-edge device 10.

[0035] Referring now to Figure 12, exemplary implementations of the tip rounding device 200 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Various components of the tip rounding device 200 may be fixed to a fourth frame 201. As will be detailed later, the tip rounding device 200 may be configured to receive a flooring material 270 and fix the flooring material 270 to a rotor plate 202, thereby positioning the flooring material 270 between the first roller 204 and the second roller 206. When the flooring material 270 is positioned in this manner, a portion 271 of the flooring material 270 is fixed to the rotor plate 202, while another portion 273 of the flooring material 270 is free from the rotor plate 202 (for example, not fixed to the rotor plate 202). In some embodiments, to facilitate this, the flooring material 270 is fed over the rotor plate 202 and between the first roller 204 and the second roller 206 until it reaches the retainer 210, where it stops in a position for shaping by the tip-rounding device 200. The flooring material 270 stopped by the retainer 210 may be secured to the rotor plate 202 by a second clamp bar 212. The retainer 210, together with the second clamp bar 212, secures the flooring material 270 in a substantially flat position relative to the rotor plate 202.

[0036] Subsequently, the flooring material 270 may be rotated using a rounding device 200 to bend the flooring material 270 and give it a rounded tip. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the first roller 204 and the second roller 206 maintain their respective positions during such rotation. The first and second rollers 204 and 206 are fitted to hold one end 275 of the free portion 273 of the flooring material 270 between them. Preferably, the first roller 204 is positioned above the free portion 273 of the flooring material 270, and the second roller 206 is positioned below the free portion 273 of the flooring material 270. The rotor plate 202 may rotate simultaneously with the second roller 206 together with the flooring material 270 to which it is fixed. While the rotor plate 202 is rotating, the second roller 206 is capable of rotating (for example, in the direction of "A"), which facilitates holding the portion of the flooring material 270 located between the first roller 204 and the second roller 206 in contact with the surfaces of the first and second rollers 204 and 206. In some embodiments, the first roller 204 also rotates to facilitate such holding. The rotation of the rotor plate 202 can follow a curved path 208, thereby facilitating the shaping of the curved portion 272 and the first straight portion 274 of the flooring material 270, which are in the free portion of the flooring material 270. At the same time, the remaining portion of the flooring material 270 (for example, the portion 271 of the flooring material 270 fixed to the rotor plate 202) remains straight as initially given to the tip-rounding device 200, thereby obtaining the second straight portion 276 of the flooring material 270. In this way, the flooring material 270 can be molded into a shape with a rounded tip.

[0037] Referring next to Figure 13, once the flooring material 270 has been formed into a rounded shape as described above, the ejector device 214 may be operable to eject the flooring material 270 from the rounding device 200. The ejector device 214 may include an actuateable end 218 that can be extended by an actuator 216. The actuateable end 218 may be located within an aperture (e.g., a keyway) 220 that extends through the second roller 206. The ejector device 214 may be fixed to the rotor plate 202 so that it maintains its position relative to the flooring material 270 from the beginning to the end of the rotation of the rotor plate 202. As described above, the second roller 206 is rotatable while the rotor plate 202 is rotating. The second roller 206 is capable of rotating at a pace that matches the rotation of the ejector device 214, thereby allowing the actuateable end 218 of the ejector device 214 to remain consistently within the aperture 220.

[0038] Once the rotor plate 202 has rotated (for example, along the curved path 208) and the flooring material 270 has been formed into a rounded shape, the second clamp bar 212 may be configured to release the flooring material 270 from the rotor plate 202. Simultaneously, the actuateable end 218 may be extended by the actuator 216 so that it extends (for example, in the direction of 222) outside the aperture 220 of the second roller 206, strikes the curved portion 272 of the flooring material 270, and discharges the flooring material 270 from the rounded-edge device 200. Once the flooring material 270 has been discharged from the tip-rounding device 200, the actuateable end 218 may retract into the aperture 220 (for example, in the direction of 222), and the rotor plate 202 may rotate back to its initial position, thereby preparing to receive the new piece of flooring material 270 (by the second clamp bar 212) and to shape the flooring material 270 into a rounded-end form.

[0039] Referring next to Figure 14, a rear view of a tip-rounding device 200 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, a plurality of ejector devices 214 may be used to eject flooring material 270 from the tip-rounding device 200. In some embodiments, the plurality of ejector devices 214 may be fixed to a single rotor plate 202 as described above and may rotate together with the rotor plate 202. In some embodiments, such rotation of the rotor plate 202 is facilitated by one or more actuators 224.

[0040] Referring next to Figure 15, an automated tip-rounding system 300 is shown, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure, for shaping flooring material 270 into a rounded-edge form. The automated tip-rounding system 300 may include a tip-rounding device 200 as described above. Furthermore, the automated tip-rounding system 300 may include a second destacker 302, a conveyor system (e.g., a conveyor belt) 304, and a heater oven 306. One or more of the second destacker 302, the conveyor system 304, and the heater oven 306 may be fixed in place relative to each other by a fifth frame 316, the fifth frame 316 may be fixed to a fourth frame 201 of the tip-rounding device 200. Depending on the implementation, the automated tip-rounding system 300 can facilitate a three-step process for shaping flooring material 270 into a rounded-edge form as follows:

[0041] For example, in the first step, the second moving arm 308 may pick up the flooring material 270 from the stack of flooring material (by moving up and down in the direction of 314). The second moving arm 308 may move back and forth in the direction of 312 to move the flooring material 270 to the conveyor system 304, the conveyor system 304 may receive the flooring material 270 and move it into the heater oven 306, the heater oven 306 may heat the flooring material 270 in the second step so that it is ready to be formed into a rounded shape in the third step. The conveyor system 304 may move the flooring material 270 to the rounded-edge device 200, the device 200 may operate as described above. Bending the flooring material 270 into a first straight section 274, a curved section 272, and a second straight section 276 can be facilitated by the fact that the flooring material 270 becomes more pliable due to the heated temperature (by the heater oven 306). Once the flooring material 270 cools from the heated temperature (by the heater oven 306), it can harden firmly into a rounded shape, as formed by the rounded-end device 200. Once the flooring material 270 has been formed into a rounded shape as described above, it may be discharged from the rounded-end device 200 (and thus from the automatic rounded-end system 300).

[0042] Next, referring to Figure 16, the flooring material 70 is placed on the molding plate 12 of the tip-rounding device 200. As already described in this disclosure, the clamp bar 212 assists in bending the flooring material 70 by supporting and securing it.

[0043] With respect to the tip-rounding device 200, referring now to Figures 17 and 18, the swing arms 1702 and 1704 have adjustable bow plates that remove all bow generated by the second roller 206, and rotate to a predetermined position in the direction of 1706 to strike and fix against the second roller 206. When the clamp bar 212 is released, during the first stage of release, the aperture 220 extends into the swing arms 1702 and 1704 to strike and fix the flooring material 70 against the adjustable bow plate 1704. During the second stage of release, the swing arms 1702 and 1704 rotate downward away from the direction of 1706, allowing the aperture 220 to complete the removal of the flooring material 70. The actuateable end 218 retracts into the aperture 220, as described in Figure 13.

[0044] Up to this point, we have described a specific embodiment of the present invention, a novel and useful "apparatus and method for bending / folding laminated flooring materials." However, such references to specific embodiments should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0045] Since various modifications, variations, and alterations of the details may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein, all matters shown in the above description and accompanying drawings should be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the accompanying claims and their legal equivalents.

[0046] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is natural that those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various modifications, changes, and adaptations to those embodiments while still achieving some or all of the advantages of the present invention. For example, in various embodiments, one component may be replaced by multiple components, or multiple components may be replaced by one component, in order to perform one or more given functions. Accordingly, this application shall encompass all such modifications, changes, and adaptations, provided that they do not deviate from the scope and spirit of the invention of this disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for forming flooring material with angular edges, Frame and, A molded panel arranged and operationally connected to the frame, the molded panel comprising a first molded plate, a second molded plate, and a third molded plate, wherein the first molded plate is rotatably coupled to the second molded plate by a first plate joint, the first plate joint is positioned between the first molded plate and the second molded plate, the second molded plate is rotatably coupled to the third molded plate by a second plate joint, the second plate joint is positioned between the second molded plate and the third molded plate, The molding plate is sized and configured to receive a flat flooring material on it, the first molding plate supports a first section of the flooring material, the second molding plate supports a second section of the flooring material, and the third molding plate supports a third section of the flooring material, the molding panel and A clamping device including a clamp bar arranged on the frame, A first actuator is operationally connected to the first plate joint and rotates the first molded panel about the first plate joint, thereby rotating the first section of the flooring material at a right angle to the second section of the flooring material. A second actuator is operationally connected to the second plate joint and rotates the third molded panel about the second plate joint, thereby rotating the third section of the flooring material at a right angle to the second section of the flooring material. A third actuator is connected to the clamp bar and is movable to clamp the flooring material to the second molding plate, A device that includes this.

2. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping device includes a plurality of swing arms, each swing arm configured to rotate about a pivot bar.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of each swing arm is fixed to the clamp bar.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third actuator is rotatably coupled to each of the plurality of swing arms by a third pivot member coupled to an actuator bar, and the third actuator is operable to rotate the plurality of swing arms relative to the molded panel in order to engage the clamping device with the flooring material.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator are pneumatic actuators.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second molding plate includes a first base and a second base, the first base having a first mechanical adjuster at its bottom end, the second base having a second mechanical adjuster at its bottom end, and the first base and the second base are adapted to narrow or widen the width of the second molding plate by moving the first mechanical adjuster and the second mechanical adjuster.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second molding plate capable of accommodating an adjustable bow plate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clamp bar having an adjustable bow plate positioned on the frame.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a radius plate.

10. A device for forming flooring material with a rounded tip, Frame and, A first roller arranged on the frame, A second roller disposed on the frame, the second roller including an aperture extending through the second roller, A rotor plate is disposed on the frame, wherein the rotor plate is configured to receive a floor material piece, and the floor material piece is positioned between the first roller and the second roller, and the rotor plate and A second clamp bar configured to fix the floor material piece to the rotor plate, An actuator configured to rotate the rotor plate relative to the first and second rollers, wherein the rotation of the rotor plate forms a curved portion, a first straight portion, and a second straight portion in the floor material, A device that includes this.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the flooring material is placed on the rotor plate, the first roller is located above the flooring material and the second roller is located below the flooring material.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a clamp bar having an adjustable bow plate positioned on the frame.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a swing arm including the adjustable bow plate.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a retainer configured to hold the flooring material in place for shaping by the device for rounding the tip.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, including an ejector device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the ejector device includes an actuateable end disposed within an aperture extending through the second roller, the actuateable end being capable of extending to discharge the flooring material from the device that rounds the tip.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the actuable end retracts into the aperture once the flooring material is discharged from the device for rounding the tip.

18. A device for forming flooring material with angular edges, Frame and, A molded panel arranged and operationally connected to the frame, the molded panel comprising a first molded plate, a second molded plate, and a third molded plate, wherein the first molded plate is rotatably coupled to the second molded plate by a first plate joint, the first plate joint is positioned between the first molded plate and the second molded plate, the second molded plate is rotatably coupled to the third molded plate by a second plate joint, the second plate joint is positioned between the second molded plate and the third molded plate, The molding plate is sized and configured to receive a flat flooring material on it, the first molding plate supports a first section of the flooring material, the second molding plate supports a second section of the flooring material, and the third molding plate supports a third section of the flooring material, the molding panel and A clamping device including a clamp bar arranged on the frame, A first actuator is operationally connected to the first plate joint and rotates the first molded panel about the first plate joint, thereby rotating the first section of the flooring material at a right angle to the second section of the flooring material. A second actuator is operationally connected to the second plate joint and rotates the third molded panel about the second plate joint, thereby rotating the third section of the flooring material at a right angle to the second section of the flooring material. A conveyor system that functions as a clamp bar and is movable to clamp the flooring material to the second molding plate, A device that includes this.

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