Plant for processing pieces of wooden or similar material, in particular boards or similar and warehouse provided in said plant

Abstract

Plant for the processing of planks made of wooden material or the like, said plant comprising : a processing station with at least one drive unit of at least one tool and support members of said at least one drive unit and / or of said at least one tool, which allow the movement of said unit and / or said tool according to one or more degrees of freedom; a loading plane for the pieces to be processed located upstream of said processing station; and an unloading plane for the processed pieces located downstream of said processing station. According to the invention, upstream of said loading plane there is provided a temporary storage warehouse for the pieces to be processed, in which said pieces are arranged in one or more horizontal layers, each of which comprises a plurality of pieces to be processed placed adjacent to each other; said storage warehouse being provided with a loading station for the pieces to be processed arranged in one or more horizontal layers stacked on top of each other and each comprising a plurality of pieces to be processed positioned side by side, at least one temporary storage cell for a group of selected pieces to be processed likewise arranged in stacked layers and comprising a predetermined number of pieces, a pick-up and deposit device for at least one piece to be processed or for a plurality of selected pieces to be processed, which device is movable alternatively to the loading station, to the temporary storage cell, and to a discharge position for the picked-up pieces on the loading plane upstream of the processing station.

Description

[0001] Plant for processing pieces of wooden or similar material , in particular boards or similar and warehouse provided in said plant .

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a plant for processing pieces , in particular made of wooden material or the like , such as planks and the like .

[0004] The plant according to the present invention comprises :

[0005] - a processing station comprising at least one motorised drive assembly of at least one processing tool ; support members of said at least one motorised drive assembly and / or said at least one processing tool , which support members allow the movement of said motorised drive assembly and / or said processing tool according to at least one degree of freedom and / or according to two or more translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom;

[0006] - upstream of said processing station , a loading plane for the pieces to be processed is provided, said loading plane having transportation elements for said pieces to be processed, preferably in succession to each other , from said loading plane to said processing station ;

[0007] - downstream of said processing station , at least one unloading plane for the processed pieces is provided; and

[0008] - optionally, a waste unloading conveyor is associated with said processing station .

[0009] A plant as described above is known in the state of the art , for example from document EP2275237 or from document EP4124407 or EP4275836.

[0010] It is also known in the state of the art to provide control units for the processing tools arranged in the processing station in order to carry out all the necessary processing operations at project-predefined positions to prepare a plurality of different pieces to be combined and coupled together to create a structure . This structure is defined upstream through a project , and currently the numerical control units of the tools and of said plants are also provided with routines which , based on the project, select the dimensions and the number of construction elements forming the structure and define the necessary processing operations to perform both cuts to size and coupling joints of said elements .

[0011] Therefore , currently, the personnel assigned to serving the processing plant are informed of the number and type of raw pieces to be processed that must be fed to the processing station according to a predefined sequence , and which are subjected to the processing operations defined by the project and specifically designed for each of the pieces to be processed . Thus , pieces to be processed having one or more dimensions conforming or compatible with the final dimensions of the construction elements are selected and placed on a loading plane of the processing station in such a way as to be automatically processed one after the other according to a predefined sequence .

[0012] In some plants , the pieces to be processed selected for a specific project are fed onto the loading plane so as to form a layer-shaped group consisting of a plurality of pieces to be processed arranged adjacent to each other in the direction of their length , and fed one after the other with a feeding movement parallel to their longitudinal axis , with each piece to be processed being brought successively against a lateral alignment and end stop guide , from where they are subsequently advanced in a direction parallel to the corresponding longitudinal axis .

[0013] The picking up of individual pieces to be processed according to the automatic project analysis and their grouping into a layer of mutually adjacent pieces in the longitudinal sense constitutes a relatively lengthy process and is left at least partly to the initiative of human personnel . This results in longer processing times and therefore higher costs , as well as reduced reliability and precision , and consequently possible scrap due to errors .

[0014] Document DE4439603 describes a device for panel division comprising a working table , a cutting saw, a loading table , a transportation device and one or more storage racks for panels .

[0015] A motorised feeding table is movable with a reciprocating motion on a guide between the loading table and the racks , in a horizontal direction , at least along the X direction , and is liftable along the Z direction . A roller conveyor with motorised rollers is arranged next to the feeding table and performs a reciprocating motion in the Y direction for transporting a stack of panels between the feeding table and the loading table or a rack .

[0016] A transfer device is arranged next to the feeding table and performs a motion in the Y direction between the feeding table and the loading table for the lateral transfer of the stack of panels onto the loading table .

[0017] Each of the racks can house ordered groups of pieces to be processed, arranged on multiple superimposed planes , with each plane comprising a predetermined number of pieces to be processed . The feeding table is configured to pick up the pieces to be processed from the bottom of a stack , such that the entire stack is transferred from the rack where it is stored to the loading table . From there , the transfer device transfers the pieces to the loading table . It is clear that the described plant is not able to directly pick up one or more pieces to be processed from different stacks starting directly from a storage rack of a predetermined stack but rather , the described plant requires the initial movement of the entire stack of pieces to be processed present in a rack . When a work order requires processing pieces with different characteristics stored divided by type in different racks , the plant described in the aforementioned document does not allow each individual piece to be processed with different characteristics to be picked up directly from the corresponding rack , but it requires a step of picking up the entire group of pieces to be processed present in one rack into an intermediate station , so that the execution of work orders requiring the processing of pieces with different characteristics becomes complex and time-consuming .

[0018] The present invention therefore aims to provide a plant of the aforementioned type which maximises the potential offered by processing planning software starting from a construction project , reducing processing times and costs and avoiding possible scrap due to human error .

[0019] According to a first , more general embodiment , the invention achieves the above objectives with a plant of the type described at the beginning and thus comprising :

[0020] - a processing station comprising at least one motorised drive assembly of at least one processing tool ;

[0021] - support members of said at least one motorised drive assembly and / or said at least one processing tool , which support members allow the movement of said motorised drive assembly and / or said processing tool according to at least one degree of freedom and / or according to two or more translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom;

[0022] - upstream of said processing station , a loading plane for the pieces to be processed is provided, said loading plane having transportation elements for said pieces to be processed, preferably in succession to each other , from said loading plane to said processing station ;

[0023] - downstream of said processing station , at least one unloading plane for the processed pieces is provided; and - optionally, a waste unloading conveyor is associated with said processing station and wherein the plant further comprises , according to the present invention ,

[0024] - upstream of said loading plane , a temporary storage warehouse for the pieces to be processed, wherein said pieces to be processed are positioned on a plurality of horizontal layers , each of said layers consisting of a plurality of adjacent pieces to be processed within a predetermined maximum number depending on the width dimension of said pieces to be processed;

[0025] - said temporary storage warehouse being provided with a loading station for the pieces to be processed grouped according to said order of horizontally stacked layers , each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed, and at least one temporary storage cell for a group of selected pieces to be processed arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers , each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed;

[0026] - at least one pick up and deposit device for at least one piece to be processed or a plurality of selected pieces to be processed, in a mutually adjacent position , said pick up and deposit device being alternatively movable to the loading station , to said at least one temporary storage cell , and to a transfer position onto the loading plane upstream of the processing station ; and wherein said at least one pick up and deposit device is mounted suspended from above on at least one translational guide and is movable above a predetermined maximum height foreseen for the groups of pieces to be processed arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers and storable at least in the temporary storage cells and / or in the loading cell , and is configured to grip one or more pieces to be processed from the top side of an ordered group of pieces to be processed . According to one feature , said at least one pick up and deposit device is suspended on a combination of at least two translational guides with a combination of motorised trolleys , said at least two guides being oriented in two nonparallel directions , of which at least one is horizontal and at least one is vertical , said pick up and deposit device being slidable along said guides by means of a respective motorised trolley and being vertically movable between a lifting position above the upper layer of an ordered group of pieces to be processed and a lowered gripping position for gripping one or more pieces of said ordered group of pieces to be processed .

[0027] In one embodiment , it comprises gripping members for one or more pieces to be processed, which are configured to grip said one or more pieces to be processed from the respective upper layer of said group of pieces to be processed arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers , each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed .

[0028] As will also be seen more clearly below, with reference to more specific embodiments , the present invention makes use of the fact that the software for managing the construction project and defining the pieces to be processed in terms of their dimensions and the processing to which they are to be subjected, provides an exact list of the dimensions of the pieces to be processed and of the processing operations to be carried out on them, said dimensions being at least one of the three spatial dimensions .

[0029] Therefore , in the case of preparing specific standard structures , which may also be scalable in one , two or all three dimensions , it is possible to reduce the number of different pieces to be processed in relation to one or more of their dimensions and to the processing operations to which they are to be subjected, to a reduced number of standard- sized pieces to be processed and to be subjected to a certain limited number of standard processing operations which are substantially repetitive .

[0030] The above enables the provision in a warehouse of groups of pieces to be processed which comprise pieces to be processed differing from each other according to one or more dimensions within a given number of different standard dimensions and / or differing from each other according to one or more processing operations within a given number of different standard processing operations .

[0031] It is thus possible to determine in advance a predetermined quantity of said different pieces to be processed, said quantity being such as to allow processing for various constructions and also , if necessary, to allow integration of available material during the processing phases of previously prepared groups of pieces to be processed by using the pieces available in the warehouse .

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present invention , for processing pieces to be processed of different types according to at least one of the following characteristics or a combination of two or more of the following characteristics : length dimensions ; width dimensions ; thickness dimensions ; types of processing envisaged for the corresponding piece ; belonging of a piece to a combination of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed belonging at least partly to the same type and / or at least partly to one or more of the different types for the construction of structures made from the assembly of said pieces to be processed; and wherein the temporary storage warehouse comprises at least two or more temporary storage cells , each of which is intended for the temporary storage of the pieces to be processed belonging to one or to a combination of two or more of the aforementioned types , and wherein said plant comprises a control unit executing a control program in which instructions are encoded for controlling said pick up and deposit devices so as to perform a selective pick-up of one or more pieces to be processed from the loading station and to selectively deposit the pieces to be processed picked up from said loading station in one of the temporary storage cells , each of said cells having previously been associated with one of said predetermined types or with a group of two or more of said predetermined types of pieces to be processed .

[0033] Said control program may be an independent program interfacing with a warehouse resource management program and / or with a design program for the structures for which one or more construction elements are to be prepared starting from one or more pieces being processed, and said program, by combining the data concerning the available raw materials to be processed and the pieces to be processed as well as the required processing for the manufacture of individual construction elements of a structure , generates a list of pieces to be processed required for production by means of predetermined processing operations on said construction elements , and then makes such instructions available to the control program of the pick up and deposit device (s) . This control program provides for storing the temporary storage cells assigned to holding respectively at least one type of piece to be processed, and thus determines the pick-up paths of said devices to reach the individual temporary storage cells from which to withdraw one or more of said different pieces to be processed and the deposit paths of said one or more picked-up pieces to be processed, as an ordered group , directly into a transfer station which is provided with at least one transfer conveyor to the loading plane of the processing machine and / or to generate said ordered group of pieces to be processed picked up in an optional preparation station which is arranged upstream of the transfer station with reference to the transfer flow of said group to said loading plane of the processing machine , said ordered group of pieces to be processed comprising pieces to be processed selected according to the type of said pieces to be processed required for the manufacture of the construction elements of the structure .

[0034] It should be considered in the above context that , as an alternative to the manufacture of construction elements for a specific structure described in a project , it is also possible to simply define a number of specific construction elements which must comply with precise dimensional and shape specifications and for the production of which it is necessary to provide specific pieces to be processed having dimensions compatible with those of the finished elements . In this case , the analysis program of a structure project , which provides the individual construction elements of the structure and the corresponding pieces to be processed for the manufacture of said construction elements , may be bypassed by directly setting the characteristics of one or more construction elements and the selection of the corresponding pieces to be processed from which said construction elements are to be obtained .

[0035] In one advantageous embodiment , the invention provides at least two temporary storage cells or a plurality of temporary storage cells , each of said cells being intended to accommodate a group of pieces to be processed arranged on at least one or more layers , each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed, and pieces to be processed being housed in each temporary storage cell having at least one common dimensional characteristic and / or a common characteristic related to the processing envisaged for them, whereas in the additional temporary storage cell or in at least some of the additional temporary storage cells , pieces to be processed are housed which respectively have at least one common dimensional characteristic and / or one processing-related characteristic , said at least one characteristic being different from said one or more characteristics provided for the pieces housed in said one or more other temporary storage cells , and the pick up and deposit device is controlled by the control unit to withdraw, from one or more of said temporary storage cells , one or more pieces to be processed and to deposit them individually or in a sequence of said pieces to be processed or to previously group said pieces to be processed into an ordered group of adjacent pieces to be processed and deposit said group on the loading plane of the processing station .

[0036] According to a non-limiting embodiment , the ordered group of pieces to be processed comprises two or more adjacent pieces to be processed, preferably in direct contact with one another along their longitudinal sides so as to form a single layer of pieces to be processed .

[0037] With reference to the above-described alternatives , in one embodiment at least one transfer station is provided for transferring to the loading plane of the processing machine either directly or by means of at least one additional conveyor , the pieces to be processed grouped together in said ordered group by means of the pick up and deposit device , said pieces to be processed having been picked up from one or more of the various temporary storage cells .

[0038] According to an advantageous embodiment , the warehouse comprises at least two or more temporary storage cells , and between each of said two temporary storage cells or each of two or more groups of temporary storage cells and at least said one transfer station , there is respectively provided a preparation station for a group of pieces to be processed, said group being formed by means of the pick up and deposit device with the pieces to be processed picked up from one or more of the various temporary storage cells of each group , and from said preparation station , said group of pieces to be processed is generated and is subsequently transferred via said transfer station to the loading plane upstream of the processing station , which serves said processing station .

[0039] In a variant embodiment of the above-described embodiment , the preparation station and the transfer station are provided aligned in succession in the transfer direction of the pieces to be processed from said one or more temporary storage cells to said preparation station and to the loading plane of the processing machine , either directly from the preparation station or with the interposition of a transfer station , said direction being transverse to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed .

[0040] In a simplified embodiment , the piece or pieces to be processed withdrawn from one or more temporary storage cells are transferred by the corresponding pick-up and deposit device directly onto a support plane of the transfer station from the warehouse to the loading plane of the processing machine .

[0041] In an alternative embodiment , which is advantageously suited to the transfer of individual pieces to be processed in succession , from said one or more temporary storage cells to the loading plane , a feeding conveyor is provided which extends parallel and alongside at least one or two or more temporary storage cells arranged in a row extending parallel to the transport direction , that is , in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed, and which terminates with its unloading end at the inlet side of said loading plane or of a transfer conveyor provided at the unloading end of said feeding conveyor and in combination with said loading plane of said processing machine , while the pick-up and deposit device or devices of the pieces to be processed are configured to perform a translation stroke along three mutually perpendicular spatial directions , one of which is in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the pieces to be processed, i . e . , in the advancing direction of the feeding conveyor , one in a direction perpendicular to said advancing direction , i . e . , parallel to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed, and one in the vertical direction between an upper level substantially corresponding to the level of the upper layer of the pieces to be processed of the ordered group present in a temporary storage cell and a lower level corresponding to a position superimposed at a predetermined unloading distance of a piece to be processed onto said feeding conveyor .

[0042] An embodiment may provide that the feeding conveyor performs a stepwise advancing motion , the stop intervals of the advancement being synchronised with the unloading of a piece to be processed onto said feeding conveyor .

[0043] An alternative variant may provide that , during the unloading step of a piece to be processed, said pick-up and deposit device performs a stroke in the advancing direction of said feeding conveyor and at a speed identical to the advancement stroke of said feeding conveyor .

[0044] In a variant of this embodiment , said feeding conveyor consists of a continuous , motorised conveyor belt which extends alongside at least one or a plurality of two or more temporary storage cells arranged in a row with each other , in the feeding direction of the pieces to be processed, i . e . , in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed .

[0045] Advantageously and in combination with any of the aforementioned embodiments and variant embodiments , a plurality of temporary storage cells may be provided, each dedicated to housing pieces to be processed that differ from cell to cell in at least one characteristic , such as said one or more dimensional characteristics and / or said one or more different processing types to which the piece to be processed must be subjected, said plurality of storage cells being divided into at least two groups of different storage cells , and a dedicated pick-up and deposit device being provided respectively for each of said at least two groups , as well as at least one transfer station with a single transfer conveyor for said pieces to be processed, directly or indirectly to the loading plane of the processing machine , and optionally a preparation station dedicated respectively to each of said at least two groups of temporary storage cells , in which the pieces to be processed withdrawn from a corresponding group of temporary storage cells are deposited for the formation of said ordered groups of pieces to be processed withdrawn from the different temporary storage cells and belonging to the type associated with the corresponding temporary storage cells .

[0046] In this way, it is possible to prepare groups of selected pieces to be processed to be fed to the loading plane of the processing machine , in parallel and during the time period in which the processing of the pieces to be processed of a previously prepared group arranged on said loading plane is carried out .

[0047] A single transfer station with a single transfer conveyor from the warehouse to the loading plane of the processing machine can thus serve two or more preparation stations , thus making it possible to use the time required for the transfer from a first and a second preparation station of a corresponding group of pieces to be processed to the loading plane of the processing machine to prepare the next group of pieces to be processed in the processing station from which group of pieces to be processed was firstly withdrawn for transfer to said loading plane .

[0048] According to a feature that may be provided in combination with any of the preceding embodiments and / or variant , the temporary storage cells of each group may be arranged in a row extending from a loading cell to said preparation station , while the rows of temporary storage cells may be provided side by side both horizontally and vertically, i . e . , arranged on multiple planes and / or on multiple rows horizontally adjacent to one another .

[0049] According to a feature that may be provided in combination with any of the preceding embodiments and / or variant embodiments , said two or more temporary storage cells are arranged on two superimposed planes , at least one pickup and deposit device being provided which operates on both planes or two pick-up and deposit devices , each for a corresponding plane , and at least one single loading station for the pieces to be processed being provided, which is common to both planes or a separate loading station respectively for each of said planes and / or optionally a single preparation station of the groups of pieces to be processed to be fed to the loading plane of the processing station and / or a preparation station respectively for each of said planes and / or optionally a transfer station from said preparation station to the loading plane of the processing station , which is common to both said planes of said warehouse , and a transfer station respectively for each of said warehouse planes .

[0050] With reference to the embodiment which provides said feeding conveyor extending parallel and alongside at least one or two or more temporary storage cells arranged in a row extending parallel to the transport direction , i . e . , in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed, a single said feeding conveyor may be associated with a plurality of rows of temporary storage cells arranged on multiple superimposed planes .

[0051] When two horizontally adjacent rows of temporary storage cells are provided, a single said feed conveyor may be associated with said rows and is arranged interposed between said two rows of temporary storage cells , while optionally at least one additional row of temporary storage cells may be vertically superimposed on one or both of said rows .

[0052] One embodiment of the plant comprises a control unit comprising at least one processor , at least one memory, a command transmission unit to at least one actuator , a humanmachine interface for data and / or command input , a humanmachine interface for data and / or command output , and wherein in said memory a program is saved in which the instructions are encoded for executing the following procedures : definition and setting of at least one predetermined processing operation and / or of a sequence of two or more predetermined processing operations on each of one or more selected pieces to be processed having predetermined dimensions ; definition of one or more types of pieces to be processed with respect to one or more dimensions ; assignment of a temporary storage cell for the storage of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed having at least one common predetermined dimension and / or intended to be subjected to the same type of processing ; loading into each of one or more temporary storage cells of said predetermined number of pieces to be processed having at least one common predetermined dimension and / or intended to be subjected to the same type of processing in accordance with said assignment step ; command of at least one pick-up and positioning device of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed from at least one or from two or more temporary storage cells and al terna ti vely grouping of said pieces to be processed on at least one layer in which said pieces are arranged adjacent to each other according to a predetermined order directly in a transfer station or in a preceding preparation station ; deposit of individual pieces to be processed on a feed conveyor in the form of a succession of said pieces to be processed provided at predetermined distances from each other ; command of transfer devices of said group directly from the transfer station to the loading plane of the processing machine and / or optionally passing through an upstream preparation station ; command of transfer devices of the individual pieces to be processed onto the feed conveyor .

[0053] The invention also relates to a storage for feeding a plurality of pieces to be processed in the form of a group of selected pieces to be processed according to one or more criteria such as one or more dimensions and / or one or more types of processing , said storage comprising : at least one loading cell , at least one temporary storage cell , preferably two or more temporary storage cells ; at least one unloading station for individual pieces to be processed in succession or of an ordered group of selected pieces to be processed; optionally at least one preparation station of a group of pieces to be processed, selected from a plurality of different types of pieces to be processed that differ in at least one or more dimensions and / or in one or more processing operations to which they are to be subjected; at least one or more pick-up and positioning devices of one or more pieces to be processed together and / or in succession , said one or more devices moving from said loading cell to one or more temporary storage cells , optionally from one to another of said temporary storage cells , to a unloading station and optionally to a preparation station in which a group of selected and predetermined pieces to be processed is positioned, said pieces being selected by type according to a dimensional criterion and / or the type of processing to which they are to be subjected, a logic control unit being provided, in which a program is stored and executed, in which the instructions are encoded to enable said control unit to command said at least one or more pick-up and positioning devices with regard to the translation strokes into one or more of said loading and temporary storage cells and / or into one or more preparation stations and with regard to the functionalities of picking up and / or positioning , i . e . release , of one or more of said pieces to be processed, and in which storage said at least one pick-up and positioning device comprises gripping organs of one or more pieces to be processed that are configured to grip said one or more pieces to be processed of the respectively upper layer of a said group of pieces to be processed arranged on one or more horizontally superimposed layers , each of which layers comprises a predetermined number of mutually adjacent pieces to be processed .

[0054] Analogously to what has been described for the combination relating to the plant , the storage may present one or more of the features described with reference to the combination with the processing plant , as the skilled person in the art is able to extract the features relating to the storage from said combination .

[0055] In particular , it is advantageous that said storage comprises a plurality of temporary storage cells distributed in multiple parallel rows that may be superimposed and / or placed side-by-side with each other , with a common loading cell being provided for said one or more rows of temporary storage cells or a separate loading cell for each of said rows or for a subgroup of said rows , and with at least two pick-up and positioning devices being provided which serve directly at least one unloading station or optionally at least one preparation station , preferably at least two preparation stations or a plurality of preparation stations provided upstream of said at least one unloading station .

[0056] An embodiment of said storage comprises two vertically superimposed and / or horizontally side-by-side rows of adjacent temporary storage cells , each of said rows being associated with a dedicated loading cell and each or more of said rows being associated with a unloading station , while optionally each of said rows or more than one of said rows being associated with a dedicated preparation station provided upstream of said one or more unloading stations , and each of said rows of storage cells with the dedicated loading cell and the unloading station (s) and / or the optional pickup stations being served by a dedicated pick-up and positioning device .

[0057] According to a further feature of the present invention , which can be provided in combination with any of the embodiments and / or variants of the plant and / or the warehouse of the present invention , the processing machine may consist of a processing machine with a processing station interposed between a loading plane and an unloading plane of the pieces to be processed, and in which the pieces to be processed are fed from the loading plane through the processing station and to the unloading plane with an advancing motion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed .

[0058] According to an embodiment , in combination with any of the embodiments and / or variants of the plant and / or the warehouse of the present invention , the processing machine may consist of a processing machine with a processing station interposed between a loading plane and an unloading plane of the pieces to be processed, and in which the pieces to be processed are fed from the loading plane through the processing station and to the unloading plane with an advancing motion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed .

[0059] In said embodiments , the processing station may provide for a succession of processing tools arranged aligned in two rows in the direction of the trajectory of movement of the pieces to be processed through said processing station , and said two rows are intended to cooperate with opposite sides of the pieces to be processed oriented substantially in said advancing direction .

[0060] With reference to said plant and to said warehouse , and in combination with one or more of the features described above , one or more or each of one or more of said pick-up and deposit devices is suspended by means of a motorized carriage on at least one translation guide which is parallel to a path extending from the loading station , along at least one or more of said temporary storage cells and up to a transfer station to the loading plane of the processing station , and said carriage carries at least one gripping unit of one or more pieces to be processed comprising gripping members , said combination of said guide , said carriage and said gripping unit being positioned at a height greater than the top layer of an ordered group of pieces to be processed located in said one or more loading cells and / or in said one or more temporary storage cells and / or in said one or more transfer stations , and said gripping unit being configured to grip one or more of said pieces to be processed from the top side of said ordered group of pieces to be processed, while moreover , said gripping unit is further movably supported by said carriage , under control of the control unit , at least in a vertical direction between a maximum lifting position above the maximum height foreseen for the groups of pieces to be processed, and a gripping position of one or more of the pieces to be processed at least of the uppermost layer of pieces to be processed of said group and / or a lowered deposit position of one or more pieces to be processed in an optional preparation station and / or in a temporary storage cell and / or in a transfer station .

[0061] When two or more temporary storage cells are arranged aligned with one another along a straight row, at one of the ends of which a cell of a loading station is provided and at the other end of which an optional preparation station of an ordered group of pieces to be processed taken from said two or more temporary storage cells or a transfer station is provided, said at least one sliding guide is oriented parallel to the longitudinal extension of said row . Said guide is fixed to the upper side of said temporary storage cells and / or the cells of the loading station and / or the optional preparation station and / or the transfer station and at a predetermined height above the maximum height foreseen for the ordered groups of pieces to be processed intended to be stored in said cells .

[0062] The invention also relates to a further feature that can be provided either alternatively or in combination with one or more of the characteristics of the aforementioned plant and / or the aforementioned warehouse and with one or more of the embodiments and / or the above-described variants .

[0063] According to this further feature , between the preparation station and the loading plane of the pieces to be processed, a vertical stacking station of two or more pieces to be processed one on top of the other is provided, said station being provided with a downward stacking device comprising a feeder of said pieces to be processed along a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof to a stacking well having a bottom wall that is vertically movable in both directions , said bottom wall being moved downward by a distance corresponding to or slightly greater than the thickness of each piece to be processed positioned on said bottom wall , while the subsequent piece to be processed is pushed into a position superposed on the piece to be processed previously positioned on said bottom wall or on the last piece to be processed of a stack of pieces to be processed loaded on said bottom wall , and while said stack of pieces to be processed is loaded entirely or partially into a transfer clamp that unloads said partial or entire stack onto the loading plane of the processing machine .

[0064] In one embodiment , said clamp comprises a vertical housing channel of said stack of pieces to be processed and is positionable with said channel in a vertically aligned position with the stacking well , the stack housed in said stacking well being transferred from the same to the housing channel of the clamp by an upward translation of said bottom wall of said stacking well , and at the lower end of the lateral delimiting walls of the vertical housing channel of said clamp removable retaining means of said stack of pieces to be processed against an unloading are provided, and said clamp is movable into a position vertically coinciding with the loading plane of the processing station and deposits said stack on said loading plane by bringing said retaining means of said stack of pieces to be processed in the vertical housing channel into an inactive position , whereby said stack is extracted from said channel .

[0065] According to a preferred embodiment , at least two stacking wells for the pieces to be processed are provided, which are arranged laterally adjacent to each other , or alternatively the bottom wall is divided into two adjacent halves that are vertically translatable separately from each other , and each of which has dimensions corresponding at least to the support side of the pieces to be processed, and in combination transport means are provided that extend at least across the width of said bottom wall or at least one or both of said two parts of the bottom wall and that are movable into a position coinciding with the opening aperture of said stacking well or wells in order to form a transfer bridge for the pieces to be processed above the corresponding stacking well and / or a part thereof , and into a position not coinciding with said aperture or part of said aperture of the stacking well or wells so that said aperture is left free for the passage of said pieces to be processed .

[0066] Typically, this mode of vertically stacked feeding of the pieces to be processed to the processing station is provided, for example but not exclusively, when trimming or cutting to length of the pieces to be processed must be performed, and especially when the pieces to be processed in a stack must be cut or trimmed in such a way as to obtain finished pieces of identical length .

[0067] From a constructional point of view, various structural solutions can be envisaged, which also depend at least in part on the structural configuration of the other parts of the plant .

[0068] A loading feeder for the pieces to be processed is provided on a loading plane for feeding the pieces to the processing station , which loading feeder comprises continuous translation means for the pieces to be processed, such as chains or the like , for the individual pieces to be processed in a direction transverse to their longitudinal extension , while the loading plane is constituted by a roller track with the rollers oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed and with at least one clamp for longitudinal translation of the pieces to be processed for transfer into the processing station , and in which in correspondence with the apertures of the stacking well or wells , according to the above-described variants , said translation means are interrupted, separate sections of said transfer means being provided, which are alternately positionable in the position coinciding with the entrance aperture of the said stacking well or wells in order to allow the passage of the pieces to be processed beyond said stacking wells when such stacking is not provided by the processing operation , and in the non-interference position , that is to say, in a position coinciding with the entrance aperture of said stacking well or wells , thus leaving said aperture free when stacking of two or more pieces to be processed is provided in at least one or in two or more stacking wells .

[0069] In this case , in correspondence with the apertures of the stacking well or wells , according to the above-described variants , said translation means are interrupted, separate sections of said transfer means being provided, which are alternately positionable in the position coinciding with the entrance aperture of the said stacking well or wells in order to allow the passage of the pieces to be processed beyond said stacking wells .

[0070] According to a further feature , said transfer clamp may be constructed in different variants .

[0071] According to one embodiment , a vertical housing channel for the stack of pieces to be processed is made vertically translatable and also translatable in a direction transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pieces to be processed, and in both directions from a vertically coincident position aligned with a stacking well to a position vertically coincident with the loading plane and aligned parallel to the feeding direction of the pieces to be processed from said loading plane to the processing station , and vice versa , while the vertical translation provides for a translation stroke of positioning of the open lower side of the vertical housing channel of said clamp with the upper opening of a stacking well in a vertically raised position by a predetermined amount with respect to said upper opening and a stroke between a position of the lower opening of the housing channel substantially flush with the support surface of the loading plane and a position vertically spaced by a predetermined amount from said loading plane .

[0072] According to a further feature , which may be provided in any combination with the preceding features , the vertical housing channel of the clamp may consist of a parallelepipedshaped rectangular frame , such as , for example , at least two or more inverted U-shaped brackets with rectangular footprint which are provided at predetermined distances from each other thanks to common support cros s -members .

[0073] For linear movement along at least the vertical axis and at least the horizontal axis , at least one vertical linear actuator or a pair of vertical linear actuators may be provided, which are arranged between a stationary frame at least for translation in a vertical direction and said housing channel , or between a stationary frame for vertical translation and a vertical slide which in turn supports said vertical housing channel , while said stationary frame for vertical translation is in turn carried by a slide translatable along horizontal guides and arranged at a certain height above the loading plane and drivable by gearmotor units . Said slide and said horizontal guides being arranged at a distance from the loading plane of the feeder to the processing station that is greater than the maximum height provided for a stack of pieces to be processed .

[0074] The invention also relates to a processing plant for pieces to be processed made of wooden material , such as planks , beams or the like , that is , having a larger dimension in one longitudinal direction , and said plant comprises :

[0075] - a processing station comprising at least one motorized drive assembly of at least one processing tool ;

[0076] - support members for said at least one motorized drive assembly and / or for said at least one processing tool , which support members allow the movement of said motorized drive assembly and / or of said tool according to at least one degree of freedom and / or according to two or more translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom;

[0077] - upstream of said processing station , a loading plane for the pieces to be processed is provided, which presents feeding devices for said pieces to be processed, preferably in succession and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pieces to be processed, from said loading plane to said processing station ;

[0078] - downstream of said processing station at least one unloading plane for the processed pieces is provided; and optionally, to said processing station a waste unloading conveyor of the processing waste may be associated; and wherein to said loading plane a vertical stacking station of two or more pieces to be processed is associated and transfer devices of a vertical stack of said pieces to be processed or at least part thereof onto said loading plane of said processing station are provided, feeding devices being provided for feeding at least one piece to be processed from said stack , or together at least part of the pieces to be processed of said stack , or all the pieces to be processed of said stack to said processing station .

[0079] In one embodiment , the feeding of the pieces to be processed and / or of said part of the stack of pieces to be processed or of the entire stack of pieces to be processed from the loading plane to the processing station takes place in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of said pieces to be processed .

[0080] In one embodiment , the stack of pieces to be processed generated in a stacking station is oriented with the longitudinal extension , i . e . with the longitudinal axis of said pieces to be processed, parallel to said feeding direction from the loading plane to the processing station , while said stacking station is laterally adjacent to said loading plane .

[0081] One embodiment provides that said stacking station comprises a downward stacking device including a feeder for a succession of said pieces to be processed in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof into a stacking well , which stacking well has a bottom wall vertically movable in both directions , and which bottom wall is movable downward in downward steps corresponding to or slightly greater than the thickness of each piece to be processed placed on said bottom wall or on a piece to be processed previously placed on said bottom wall or on underlying pieces to be processed, while the next piece to be processed is pushed into a position overlying the piece to be processed previously placed on said bottom wall or on the last piece to be processed of a partial stack of pieces to be processed loaded onto said bottom wall , and while said stack of pieces to be processed is fully or partially loaded into a transfer clamp that unloads said partial or complete stack onto the loading plane of the processing machine .

[0082] In one embodiment , said clamp comprises a vertical housing channel for said stack of pieces to be processed and is positionable with said channel in a vertically aligned position with the stacking well , the stack housed in said stacking well being transferred from the latter to the housing channel of the clamp by an upward translation of said bottom wall of said stacking well , and while at the lower end of lateral delimiting walls of the vertical housing channel of said clamp , removable retaining means of said stack of pieces to be processed are provided against unloading , and while said clamp is movable into a vertically coinciding position with the loading plane of the processing station and deposits said stack on said loading plane by bringing said retaining means of said stack of pieces to be processed within the vertical housing channel into an inactive position , whereby said stack is withdrawn from said channel .

[0083] According to a preferred embodiment , at least two stacking wells for the pieces to be processed are provided, which are arranged laterally adjacent to one another , or alternatively the bottom wall is divided into two adjacent halves vertically translatable separately from one another and each of a size corresponding at least to the support side dimensions of the pieces to be processed, and in combination transport elements are provided which extend across at least the width of said bottom wall or of at least one or both of said two parts of the bottom wall and which are movable into a position coinciding with the opening of the said stacking well or stacking wells so as to form a transfer bridge of the pieces to be processed over the corresponding stacking well and / or a part thereof , and into a position not coinciding with said opening or part of said opening of the stacking well (s) , thereby leaving said opening free for the passage of said pieces to be processed .

[0084] Typically, this vertically stacked feeding mode of the pieces to be processed to the processing station is provided, for example , but not exclusively, when cutting to size or trimming of the pieces to be processed is to be performed, especially when the pieces to be processed of a stack must be cut or trimmed to obtain finished pieces of identical length .

[0085] From a constructional point of view, several constructive solutions may be provided, depending at least in part on the structural configuration of other parts of the plant .

[0086] One solution may provide a feeder for loading the pieces to be processed onto a loading plane of the pieces to be fed to the processing station , which loading feeder has continuous type translation elements , such as chains or similar , of the individual pieces to be processed in a direction transverse to their longitudinal extension , while the loading plane consists of a roller track with rollers oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed and with at least one translation clamp in the longitudinal direction of the pieces to be processed for the transfer into the processing station .

[0087] In this case , in correspondence with the openings of the stacking well (s) , according to the above-described variants , said translation elements are interrupted, separate sections of said transfer elements being provided which are positionable alternatively in the position coinciding with the entrance opening of the stacking well (s) to allow the passage of the pieces to be processed beyond the stacking well (s) when such stacking is not required by the processing process , and in the non-interference position , i . e . coinciding with the entrance opening of the stacking well (s) and thus keeping said opening clear , when stacking of two or more pieces to be processed is required in at least one or in two or more stacking wells .

[0088] According to a further feature , said transfer clamp may be realized in different variants .

[0089] In one embodiment , a vertical housing channel for the stack of pieces to be processed is made vertically translatable and also translatable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pieces to be processed and in both directions , from a vertically coinciding and aligned position with a stacking well to a vertically coinciding position with the loading plane and aligned parallel to the feeding direction of the pieces to be processed from said loading plane to the processing station and vice versa , while the vertical translation includes respectively a positioning stroke of the open lower side of the vertical housing channel of said clamp with the upper opening of a stacking well in a vertically raised position by a predetermined amount with respect to said upper opening , and a stroke between a position of the lower opening of the housing channel substantially flush with the support side of the loading plane and a position vertically spaced by a predetermined amount from said loading plane .

[0090] According to a further feature that can be provided in any combination with the preceding features , the vertical housing channel of the clamp can be made of a rectangular parallelepiped frame , such as at least two or more inverted U-shaped brackets with a rectangular plan , which are provided at predetermined distances from each other by means of common support crossbeams .

[0091] For linear movement along at least the vertical axis and at least the horizontal axis , at least one vertical linear actuator or a pair of vertical linear actuators can be provided, interposed between a stationary frame in at least vertical translation and said housing channel , or between a stationary frame in at least vertical translation and a vertical slide that in turn carries said vertical housing channel , while said stationary frame in at least vertical direction is itself carried by a slide translatable along horizontal guides and arranged at a certain height above the loading plane and drivable by geared motor units . Said slide and said horizontal guides are provided at a distance from the loading plane of the feeder to the processing station that is greater than the maximum height provided for a stack of pieces to be processed .

[0092] In all the above-described variants , a control unit is provided in which a control program is stored and executed, said program comprising instructions for actuating the actuators for moving the bottom wall (s) of the stacking well (s) , the transfer elements of individual pieces to be processed to the stacking well (s) and / or the removable sections of the transfer elements that allow the passage of the pieces to be processed above the entrance openings of the stacking well (s) , for moving the transfer clamp of the stacks of pieces to be processed and / or for the retaining means of said stacks in the housing compartment of said clamp , as well as for the feeders of the pieces to be processed and / or of the stacks of pieces to be processed to the processing station , for actuators driving one or more processing tools and processing tool changers , and also for one or more unloading conveyors of the processed pieces and / or of the processing waste from the processing station , all these actuators being commanded in accordance with the processing steps provided and described above , and in a synchronized manner with any further actuators of possible further operating units .

[0093] According to a further feature that can be provided in combination with one or more of the above-described embodiments , it is possible to provide a combination of sensors that detect the correct positioning of the various operating units and / or of the pieces to be processed relative to the same , as well as parameters of functional status of the various operating units and / or optionally also the dimensions of the pieces to be processed and / or of the processed pieces .

[0094] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description of some embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings , in which :

[0095] Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of an embodiment of the plant according to the present invention , which provides in combination a machine for the processing of wooden pieces to be processed, such as planks , beams or the like , and a warehouse for the preparation of groups of selected pieces to be processed, selected according to one or more dimensional characteristics and / or related to the processing type , which plant provides two rows of temporary storage cells for groups of selected pieces to be processed arranged on two vertically stacked planes and serving a processing machine ;

[0096] Figure 2 shows a top plan view of an enlarged detail of the plant according to Figure 1 ;

[0097] Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail of the plant according to Figure 2 ;

[0098] Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the plant according to the previous figures , in which preparation stations for the ordered groups of selected pieces to be processed are not provided, but the pick-up and deposit devices place the pieces to be processed for the generation of a respective ordered group of pieces to be processed directly on the plane of a transfer conveyor of the transfer station ;

[0099] Figure 5 shows a further alternative embodiment of a plant according to the present invention , in which the transfer station consists of a feeding conveyor for a succession of individual pieces to be processed, which is arranged alongside the side transverse to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed, of at least one row of temporary storage cells ;

[0100] Figure 6 shows the alternative embodiment of Figure 5 in combination with a processing machine , in which the pieces to be processed are fed to the processing station in a direction transverse to their longitudinal extension ;

[0101] Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the plant according to the present invention , which further allows the feeding not only of groups of pieces to be processed in the form of one layer of adjacent pieces to be processed, but also in the form of vertical stacks of two or more pieces to be processed stacked vertically on each other ;

[0102] Figure 8 is a top plan view of the embodiment of Figure 4 , in which the transfer clamp for the stacks of pieces to be processed is shown in different working positions with dashed lines , respectively in coincidence with a stacking well for the pick-up of the stack of pieces to be processed formed therein and in a vertically aligned and vertically approached position with the loading plane of the processing station for unloading from said clamp onto said loading plane of a stack of pieces to be processed or part thereof ;

[0103] Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment , in which the stacking station of the pieces to be processed and the transfer clamp of the stacks of pieces to be processed are provided in combination with a processing machine without any warehouse according to the previous alternative embodiments of the invention being provided .

[0104] With reference to Figure 1 , a plant for the processing of pieces to be processed made of wooden material or the like , and in particular such as beams , planks or the like , comprises a machine for the processing of said planks , referenced as 1 , and a warehouse for the temporary and organized storage of a plurality of pieces to be processed arranged according to various criteria that differentiate the various pieces to be processed from each other , said warehouse being referenced as 2 .

[0105] The processing machine 1 may be of a known type and comprises a loading plane 101 for a succession of planks or beams , which are fed to said plane in such a way that the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed is substantially parallel to a feeding direction of the same to a processing station 102 , with transportation elements being provided for the movement of the pieces to be processed in said longitudinal direction of the pieces to be processed P .

[0106] In the processing station , a motorized drive assembly is provided for actuating at least one processing tool , said motorized drive assembly in turn being supported in a movable manner according to at least one degree of freedom or according to multiple degrees of freedom, for example along at least one axis , preferably along two or more axes , for example five movement axes .

[0107] It is also possible for the drive assembly to be provided in combination with a plurality of different processing tools and to be configured so as to be capable of performing automated tool change operations .

[0108] Possible but non-limiting embodiments of such a processing station are described for example in patents EP2275237 and / or EP4124407 and / or EP4275836.

[0109] With reference to the illustrated embodiment , in particular in Figures 1 and 2 , the processing machine further comprises , in addition to the loading plane 101 , also an unloading plane 103. The loading plane and / or the unloading plane are constituted, for example , by a roller track or the like , whereas the transport of the piece to be processed for the feeding to the processing station 102 may take place by means of one or more clamps mounted translatable in the longitudinal direction of the piece to be processed along a parallel guide not shown in detail in the figure .

[0110] The feeding of the pieces to be processed to said loading plane 101 takes place by means of a transversal translator globally indicated as 104 , which is configured to transport the pieces to be processed along a translation direction that is perpendicular to their longitudinal extension and / or to the feeding direction thereof to the processing station along the loading plane 101 .

[0111] The loading plane 101 features a lateral stop at the end of the transverse transfer stroke of said pieces to be processed . The transversal translator 104 can be constructed in various ways , and in the embodiment illustrated by way of non-limiting example , said translator is constituted by at least two traction devices 114 shaped as closed loops , such as two belts or two chains , or as similar elements closed upon themselves and looped around end pulleys , at least one of which is motorized . In one embodiment , said traction devices 114 are provided at predetermined distances from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the pieces to be processed, and the distances are defined according to the mechanical strength required to support the pieces to be processed positioned thereon .

[0112] Analogous devices 123 for the removal of the processed pieces exiting from the processing station 201 are provided for unloading said processed pieces from the unloading plane 103.

[0113] Still with reference to Figures 1 and 2 , the warehouse for the pieces to be processed provided upstream of the transversal translator 104 of the processing machine 1 comprises a plurality of temporary storage cells indicated as 201 . 1 to 201 . n for the lower plane and as 202 . 1 to 202 . n (with n being a natural number) for the upper plane of two planes 10 , 20 on which said temporary storage cells 201 . 1 , 202 . 1 , 201 . n , 202 . n are distributed, at least along two rows of adjacent temporary storage cells , said rows extending with their longitudinal axis in a direction parallel to the dragging direction of the pieces to be processed P along the transversal translator 104 of the processing machine 1 and / or in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed P .

[0114] Upstream of each row of temporary storage cells respectively of the lower plane 10 and the upper plane 20 , a loading cell 203 is provided for each plane , whereas at the end of the rows of temporary storage cells facing the processing machine 1 , a preparation station 204 is provided, referred to as a preparation cell , in which pieces to be processed selected from the various temporary storage cells 201 . 1 , 202 . 1 , 201 . n , 2O2 . n are grouped with one or more of the particular selection methods that will be described in more detail below .

[0115] At the preparation stations 204 , a transfer elevator 205 is associated with the groups of pieces to be processed formed in the preparation stations 204, said elevator picking up from the same the corresponding group of pieces to be processed and unloading it onto the transversal translator 104.

[0116] For each row of storage cells on each plane 10 and 20, a pick-up and deposit device is provided, respectively indicated with 106 and 206, which is movable along guides 107, 207 and by means of motorized actuators (not illustrated in detail) between the individual temporary storage cells 201.1, 201. n, 202.1, and 202. n, as well as into the respective loading cell 203 and into the respective preparation station 204.

[0117] The various operational units described are provided with motorized actuators which are powered by a control unit according to different operating modes.

[0118] In one embodiment, each temporary storage cell is associated with at least one type among a plurality of different types of pieces to be processed. Said types differ from one another according to at least one dimensional parameter, such as, for example, length and / or width and / or thickness. Other distinctive characteristics of specific types may relate to one or more different types of processing to which a piece to be processed is to be subjected.

[0119] Therefore, according to one non-limiting embodiment, for instance, in temporary storage cell 201.1, pieces to be processed P.l and / or P.2 are stored, which have, for example, two different widths, but at least the same thickness and / or the same length or different lengths according to one or more predetermined length ratios. Similarly, in cell 202. n it is possible to provide pieces to be processed P.ln and P.2n which may also be identical to those provided in cell 201.1 or may belong to at least one or more different types.

[0120] In this example, two different types of pieces to be processed are assigned to the same temporary storage cell . This should not be considered limiting since it is also possible to assign to the same temporary storage cell pieces to be processed belonging to more than two different types or belonging to a single type .

[0121] This is the case for the pieces to be processed stored in storage cells 202 . 1 and 202 . n and indicated as P .3 and P .4 and P .3n , which may be constituted by pieces to be processed belonging to the same type or to different types , one or more of which are assigned to one of the cells 202 . 1 or 202 . n .

[0122] The pieces to be processed from the individual cells are picked up from a group of pieces to be processed of the corresponding type that are deposited in the loading cell 203 by means of a loading device such as , for example , a forklift 30 or similar .

[0123] Automatically, for example by reading a readable code or transmitted by an electronic label through a reading unit connected to the control unit , or manually via data entry interfaces , the control unit is provided with the indication relating to the type to which the pieces to be processed unloaded into the loading cells 203 belong , and based on a cell assignment plan for temporary storage , the pick-up and deposit device 106 or 206 of the corresponding plane 10 , 20 is activated, with which the individual pieces to be processed are picked up from the loading cell 203 and deposited in the temporary storage cell assigned for the storage of the corresponding type of piece to be processed .

[0124] According to one embodiment , the pieces to be processed are placed in the corresponding temporary storage cell according to a predetermined order that provides for the distribution of the individual pieces to be processed on multiple vertically stacked layers , in which each layer presents an identical predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed according to the corresponding one or more types assigned to said temporary storage cell .

[0125] The process is repeated for several loads deposited in the loading cell 203 and for the different temporary storage cells , in which the order of placement of the pieces to be processed is chosen similarly in multiple stacked layers , each layer being composed of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed adjacent to one another .

[0126] In the predetermined order , the pieces to be processed are positioned adjacent to one another within each layer , coming into contact with facing longitudinal lateral surfaces .

[0127] According to a non-limiting embodiment , the control unit is configured to execute a process of picking up one or more selected pieces to be processed from one or more of the temporary storage cells 201 . 1 to 201 . n or 202 . 1 to 202 . n , with n being a natural number , so as to form, in the preparation station 105 or 205 provided at the corresponding level , an ordered group GP10 or GP20 of pieces to be processed which have been picked up from the individual temporary storage cells according to a list of predetermined types of said pieces to be processed and which have been deposited in the preparation station 105 or 205 according to a predetermined order that comprises a layer of a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed that may all belong to a single type , or all belong to different types , or some to one and some to other types .

[0128] The preparation stations 105 and 205 of groups GP10 and GP20 are associated with a transfer elevator 204 which is vertically movable between the preparation station 105 of level 10 and the one 205 of level 20 and which is used to transfer the corresponding group GP10 or GP20 onto the transversal translator 104 , from which the pieces to be processed of the corresponding group GP10 or GP20 are transferred together to the loading plane 103 and then fed, for example in succession , to the processing station 102 .

[0129] The quantitative definition of the different types of pieces to be processed and the choice of which types to load into the various temporary storage cells may follow different criteria which can be , for example , industrial standards defining dimensional specifications of the raw pieces to be processed, or alternatively or in combination , a selection of types of pieces to be processed based on the most frequently required types of construction elements by the market and / or necessary for the manufacture of structures having standardized configurations and / or technical characteristics .

[0130] A further alternative may provide for the combination of a logical control program comprising the instructions for enabling the control unit to operate the various operating units according to one or more of the modes described above , with a program for analyzing construction projects from which the characteristics of construction elements and the characteristics of the types needed for the pieces to be processed are determined, in order to produce the individual construction elements .

[0131] Figure 4 shows a variant of the embodiment described in Figures 1 to 3 . In this figure , identical parts or parts with identical functions are referred to by the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 to 3 .

[0132] With reference to Figure 4 , the said variant provides that the preparation stations 105 and 205 are not present , but rather that the pieces to be processed and / or the ordered groups of pieces to be processed GP10 or GP20 are built by the corresponding pick-up and deposit devices 106 and 206 directly on a support plane of a transfer conveyor , which in the illustrated example is formed by the plane of the transfer elevator 204 that deposits the pieces to be processed or the ordered groups of said pieces to be processed G10 and G20 onto the transversal conveyor 104 . In this way, the possibility is reduced of exploiting the transfer times from the preparation stations 105 and 205 to the loading plane 101 of the processing machine 1 in order to generate a new further group of pieces to be processed in the preparation station from which a group has just been unloaded, while the transfer station , i . e . , the transfer elevator 204 , deposits the just-picked-up group of pieces to be processed onto the transversal conveyor 104 and proceeds to pick up the group of pieces to be processed from the additional second preparation station 106 or 206.

[0133] With reference to Figures 5 and 6 , these show further embodiments of the plant according to the present invention , which differ from the examples in the previous Figures 1 to 4 . Also in this case , identical parts or parts having identical functions are indicated with the same reference numerals as in the previous Figures 1 to 4 .

[0134] With reference to Figure 5 , the warehouse 2 illustrated does not include preparation stations 106 or 206 in combination with a transfer station 4 , as in the example of Figures 1 to 3 , nor only the transfer station 4 as in the example of Figure 4 , but the transfer station is constituted by a feeding conveyor indicated with reference 14 . Said feeding conveyor 14 is driven by one or more motors and comprises a conveying surface that extends parallel to the lower row 10 of level 0 of temporary storage cells 201 . 1 to 201 . n and has an inlet end corresponding to a loading cell 203 , extends along the row of temporary storage cells , and terminates with its outlet end in correspondence with a transversal conveyor 104 .

[0135] The feeding conveyor 14 may be , for example , a continuous conveyor closed on itself , such as a belt conveyor , a pair of transport belts or chains , or similar to the one shown in the figure , and is looped around end pulleys of which at least one is motorized, for instance . In this embodiment , the pick-up and deposit devices 106 and 206 are supported so as to be translatable along three spatial directions , one of which is vertical , and the other two in the horizontal plane— one parallel to the longitudinal extension of the row or to the advancing direction of the feeding conveyor 14 , and the other perpendicular to the former , i . e . , parallel to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed .

[0136] The combination of guides and slides or translation carriages and translation actuators required for the movement of the pick-up and deposit devices 106 and 206 is not illustrated in detail , as several alternative solutions are known to the skilled person , among which the latter can choose based on practical considerations .

[0137] As is evident from Figure 5 , the feeding conveyor is intended to be loaded by the pick-up and deposit devices with a succession of individual pieces to be processed, picked up from one or more storage cells and deposited thereon in a predetermined order previously defined, for example , by the logical control program based on settings defined by the user .

[0138] Furthermore , the pieces to be processed are fed to the loading plane of the processing machine analogously to what is provided in a direction substantially perpendicular to their longitudinal extension , as in the case of the previous examples .

[0139] Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the plant according to the present invention , in which the processing machine 1 comprises a different configuration of the processing station 201 .

[0140] In the case of the examples of Figures 1 to 5 and 7 to 9 , the processing station 102 is fed with the pieces to be processed in a direction parallel to their longitudinal extension .

[0141] In the example of Figure 6 , the processing station 102 ' of the processing machine 1 ' provides that the pieces to be processed are fed to the station 102 ' itself in a direction transverse to their longitudinal extension .

[0142] The machine 1 ' may be , for example , a machine with a processing station 102 ' configured to cut at one end or at both ends pieces to be processed that are fed in a side-by- side succession or also stacked on top of one another . In fact , the machine 1 ' may be provided in replacement of machine 1 also with reference to the embodiment of Figures 7 to 9 . One embodiment may provide , as shown by way of non-limiting example , a row of tools , said row extending parallel to the advancing direction of the pieces to be processed .

[0143] Figures 7 and 8 respectively show a side elevation view and a top plan view of an embodiment of the plant according to one or more of the previous examples and previous embodiments , in which , in addition to the possibility of preparing groups GP10 , GP20 of selected pieces to be processed that are fed transversely in direct succession to the loading plane of a processing machine 1 , there is also provided an operational mode that allows vertical stacks of stacked pieces to be processed to be generated, which are then transferred to the loading plane of the processing machine 1 , the processing station 102 being fed with the entire stack or with a portion of said stack for the execution of a processing operation , such as cutting or trimming to size of the pieces to be processed provided in said stack or part thereof .

[0144] As shown in Figures 7 and 8 , the closed-loop traction devices 114 of the transversal translator 104 feature an initial branch 114 ' which terminates at the access opening of a stacking well 214 , said stacking well having a bottom wall 314 vertically movable downward and upward . The pieces to be processed that are fed to the transversal translator 104 , that is to the branch 114 ' , are stacked on top of one another , it being provided that said bottom wall is lowered by approximately the amount corresponding to the thickness of the individual pieces to be processed each time a piece to be processed is brought into coincidence with the opening of said stacking well , thus forming— through a downward process— a stack of pieces to be processed stacked one over the other .

[0145] A transfer clamp 40 for transferring the stack of pieces to be processed from the stacking well to the loading plane 101 of the processing machine 1 features a vertical housing channel 41 of said vertical stack of pieces to be processed, said channel having a lower open side .

[0146] Said channel is associated with retaining means (not illustrated) of said stack of pieces to be processed in said vertical channel , which can be activated and deactivated so as to prevent the exit of the stack from said channel or to allow said exit .

[0147] The stacking well and said housing channel are made with a longitudinal extension dimensioned to accommodate pieces to be processed having a predetermined maximum length . Similarly, the stacking well and / or the housing channel of the clamp 41 have a width dimensioned to the maximum expected width of pieces to be processed, or alternatively, one of the two lateral walls of the well and / or of the channel is movable relative to the opposite wall and lockable in position , allowing the width of the well and said housing channel to be adjusted in accordance with the width of the pieces to be processed .

[0148] According to a further variant , the depth of the well and the depth of the housing channel are dimensioned so as to allow a predetermined maximum number of vertically stacked pieces to be processed, depending on the thickness of said pieces .

[0149] In one exemplary and non-exhaustive embodiment , said retaining means are provided as stop elements that are alternately movable between a position of interference with the lowermost piece to be processed of said stack in said channel and a non-interference position allowing the free passage of the stack from said lower side of said channel .

[0150] Various structural forms of the channel are possible , which may consist of a plurality of U-shaped brackets with a rectangular shape , said brackets being connected to each other at predetermined distances by a plurality of longitudinal beams .

[0151] Said clamp 40 is cantilever-supported towards the stacking well 214 and towards the loading plane 101 of the processing machine by means of a motorized vertical sliding carriage globally indicated with 42 . Furthermore , said motorized vertical slide 41 is in turn mounted on a horizontal translation slide of said clamp 41 along a horizontal guide provided on a horizontal arm 43. The housing channel 41 is oriented with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stacking well 214 , and by means of the vertical and horizontal translation , said vertical housing channel can be brought into vertical alignment of its lower opening with the upper opening of the stacking well 214 and into a vertically aligned position with the loading plane 101 of the processing machine 1 . This is illustrated in Figure 5 with dashed lines and indicated with reference numbers 41 ’ and 41 ’ ’ .

[0152] According to one operating mode , the transfer from the stacking well 214 to the vertical housing channel 41 of the clamp 40 may take place by bringing the open side of said channel 41 into a position coinciding with the upper opening of the well 214 and with the edges in adjacent position , as illustratively shown in Figure 5 with dashed line 41 ’ , and then pushing the stack of pieces to be processed formed in the stacking well 214 upward into the vertical housing channel 41 of said clamp 40 , while once said stack is fully inserted into said channel 41 , the retaining stops may be activated in order to prevent the stack of pieces to be processed from exiting .

[0153] In Figure 7 , dashed line 41 ’ ’ indicates the vertical alignment position of the clamp 40 with the loading plane 101 of the processing machine .

[0154] Also in this case , the clamp 40 is lowered until it is directly adjacent to the upper support surface of the loading plane 101 , and then the retaining devices are deactivated, such that a vertical lifting of the clamp causes the stack of pieces to be processed to exit the channel 41 .

[0155] Also in Figure 7 , 40 ’ shows the position of the clamp 40 in the vertically aligned condition with the loading plane of the processing machine 1 .

[0156] As is apparent from Figures 7 and 8 , a double stacking well may be provided, that is , two adjacent stacking wells 214 and 214 ’ , which are parallel to each other and each of which has a bottom wall 314 vertically movable in both directions .

[0157] The feeding of the pieces to be processed to the second stacking well 414 can take place by using , as a sliding plane of the pieces to be processed up to the second stacking well 414 , the stack of pieces to be processed formed in the first stacking well 214 , and by using the upper side of the last upper piece to be processed of said stack as the sliding surface of the pieces to be processed to be fed to the second stacking well 414 .

[0158] Alternatively, it is possible to provide extension branches of the initial branch 114 ' of the transversal translator , said extension branches being movable into an active position of extension of said initial branch above the housing of the first stacking well 214 up to the edge of the second stacking well 414 , allowing the pieces to be processed to reach the second stacking well by passing over the opening of the first stacking well 214 . Said extension branches are movable into an active position in which they project beyond the terminal end of the corresponding initial branch 114 ' at the edge of the first stacking well and into an inactive position in which they are retracted in such a way as not to project beyond the edge of the first stacking well 214 , as indicated with 514 in Figure 5 .

[0159] With 514 ’ , 514 ’ ’ and 514 ’ ’ ’ further active positions of said extension branches are illustrated, wherein the corresponding extension branch is shown with dashed lines .

[0160] With 514 ’ , the active position of the extension branch is indicated, in which it projects beyond the terminal end of the initial branch 114 ' and above the opening of the first stacking well 214 , ending at the longitudinal edge of the second stacking well 414 .

[0161] With 514 ’ ’ , the position of the extension branch is shown that allows the pieces to be processed to pass over the openings of both stacking wells 214 and 414 , reaching an outlet branch 114 ’ ’ of the transversal translator , which is also composed of a closed-loop traction device and ends at the loading plane 101 of the processing machine .

[0162] Thanks to this second position of the extension branch 514 ’ ’ , it is possible to bypass the stacking wells 214 and 414 , allowing the plant to operate according to what was previously described with reference to the embodiments of Figures 1 to 3 , or according to a mode in which individual pieces to be processed are fed to the machine , as in machines known in the state of the art .

[0163] With 514 ’ ’ ’ a further variant of positioning of the extension branch is shown . In this case , the extension branch extends above the upper opening of the second stacking well 414 , ending flush with the longitudinal edge of the first stacking well on the side facing the second stacking well 414 .

[0164] With regard to the control of the bottom wall (s) 314 of the stacking well (s) 214 , 414 , as well as of the transfer clamp 40 with regard to the movement actuators and also the retaining means of the stack in the housing channel 41 , and the control of the extension branches 514 , in this case too a control unit may be provided in combination with control software comprising instructions for configuring said control unit to execute the process steps described above .

[0165] A single control unit may be used for the entire plant .

[0166] Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment , in which the processing plant comprises a processing machine similar to the one previously described, which is provided in combination with only one stacking unit for the pieces to be processed and for transferring said stack to the loading plane of said processing machine .

[0167] In this case , in accordance with the above-described embodiments for the stacking well (s) and for the branches composing the transversal translator , said plant may provide for the processing of individual pieces to be processed fed in succession to the loading plane , or stacks of pieces to be processed generated in the stacking well (s) 214 and / or 414 and transferred to the loading plane of the processing machine 1 by means of said transfer clamp 40 .

[0168] In one embodiment , the transversal translator 104 , the stacking well (s) 214 , 414 and the transfer clamp 40 for the stacks are configured according to one or more of the abovedescribed embodiments , the same reference numbers being used in Figure 6 for identical parts or parts having identical functions as in the examples of Figures 4 and 5 .

[0169] As shown in Figures 1 to 9 , the plant and the warehouse according to the present invention are characterized by a specific layout which provides , as a technical effect , the accurate and fast selective pick-up of one or more pieces to be processed having at least one distinguishing feature from each other , as defined above , and which pieces to be processed are temporarily stored in a respective dedicated temporary storage cell and to fed in succession , directly or indirectly by means of an intermediate preparation process according to one or more of the above-described variants , said one or more different pieces to be processed to the processing machine .

[0170] Said layout provides that the cutting line of the operating machine is substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the row of temporary storage cells of the ordered groups of pieces to be processed having at least one distinguishing feature from each other .

[0171] A further advantageous feature , which is common to all the illustrated embodiments and results from all the Figures 1 to 9 , provides that the pick-up and deposit device 106 , 206 intended for the pick-up of one or more pieces to be processed grouped in one of said temporary storage cells and for the deposit thereof into the preparation station 204 or directly onto the loading plane 101 of the processing machine 1 comprises gripping members supported by a motorized carriage sliding in two directions along a guide parallel to the direction of the cutting line and / or perpendicular to the advancing direction of the pieces to be processed on the loading plane 101 of the processing machine and / or to the longitudinal extension of the one or more rows of temporary storage cells of ordered groups of pieces to be processed, said guide being fixed to the upper side of said temporary storage cells , which side is opposite to the lower support plane of the pieces to be processed of said temporary storage cells , and said gripping members being configured to grip one or more pieces to be processed from above , i . e . , from the upper side of said groups of pieces to be processed in the temporary storage cells .

[0172] As shown in the figures— and without this constituting a limitation to the more general concept— a gripping unit comprising gripping members intended to cooperate with one or more pieces to be processed is suspended from a carriage that is mounted to slide by means of a motor and under the command of a control unit along a guide oriented in the longitudinal direction of a corresponding row of temporary storage cells 201 . 1 , 201 . n , 202 . 1 , 202 . n , and which also extends into a cell of a loading station 203. When a preparation station such as that designated 205 in the illustrated example is provided, said straight guide also extends into the cell of said preparation station , whereas in the absence of this preparation station , said guide may extend up to the transfer station , for example , the station 4 with the plane 204 illustrated in the figures .

[0173] The alternating vertical movement of distancing the gripping unit above and at a predetermined distance from the upper layer of the group of pieces to be processed, and of lowering the gripping members of said gripping unit into a pick-up position of one or more pieces to be processed, at least of the upper layer of said pieces to be processed of an ordered group consisting of a plurality of said mutually stacked layers , may take place by means of further combinations of guides and motorized carriages or slides .

[0174] Various embodiments are possible , one of which provides that the carriage sliding along the longitudinal translation guide carries at least one further guide , in particular a vertical translation guide , on which a further motorized vertical translation carriage carrying the gripping unit is mounted .

[0175] Similarly, with the provision of a further guide supported, for example , by the vertical translation carriage and oriented in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and along which guide a transverse translation carriage is slidingly mounted which in turn carries the gripping unit , said gripping unit can be further translated in said transverse direction .

[0176] An alternative embodiment provides that the system of guides and carriages for movement in the at least further vertical direction and also in said further transverse direction is an internal system of the gripping unit .

[0177] By providing additional support members , degrees of freedom for the movement of the gripping unit may be added, such as rotation around the vertical axis and / or around one or more further axes .

[0178] Obviously, all the movements of the gripping unit according to one or more of the above-described degrees of freedom are controlled by the control unit executing said control program.

[0179] As for the gripping unit and the gripping members , these units are known in the state of the art and the skilled person may refer to the gripping units and members available in the prior art . It is possible to use gripping units that comprise mechanical gripping members , such as jaws or the like , or also , for example , suction gripping members , such as one or more suction cups .

[0180] List of reference numbers

Claims

CLAIMS1. Plant for processing planks of wooden material or the like, the plant comprising:• a processing station (102, 102') comprising at least one motorised drive unit of at least one processing tool ;• support members of said at least one motorised drive unit and / or said at least one processing tool, which support members allowing the movement of said motorised drive unit and / or said processing tool according to at least one degree of freedom and / or according to two or more translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom;• upstream of said processing station (102, 102') a loading plane (101) for the pieces to be processed being provided, said loading plane having transportation elements for said pieces to be processed, preferably in succession to each other, from said loading plane (101) to said processing station (102, 102') ;• downstream of said processing station (102, 102') at least one unloading plane (103) for the processed pieces being provided, and• while optionally, a waste unloading conveyor being associated with said processing station (102, 102') , characterised in that it further comprises, upstream of said loading plane (101) , a temporary storage warehouse (2) for the pieces to be processed (P) wherein said pieces to be processed are positioned on a plurality of horizontal layers, each of said layers consisting of a plurality of adjacent pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n)within a predetermined maximum number depending on the width dimension of said pieces to be processed;• said temporary storage warehouse (2) being provided with a loading station (203) of the pieces to be processed grouped according to said order of horizontal layers stacked on one another, each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) adjacent to each other, and with at least one temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) for a group of selected pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) which are arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers, each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed,• at least one pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) for at least one piece to be processed or for a plurality of selected pieces to be processed, in a mutually adjacent position, said pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) being alternatively movable to the loading station (203) , to said at least one temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and to a unloading position for the pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) picked up on the loading plane (101) upstream of the processing station (102, 102') , and wherein• said at least one pick-up and deposit device (106,206) is mounted suspended from above on at least one translational guide and is movable above a predetermined maximum height foreseen for the groups of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers and storable at least in the temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and / or inthe loading cell (203) , and is configured to grip one or more pieces to be processed from the top side of an ordered group of pieces to be processed.

2. Plant according to claim 1, for processing working pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) of different types according to at least one of the following characteristics or a combination of two or more of the following characteristics: length dimensions; width dimensions; thickness dimensions; types of processing envisaged for the corresponding piece; belonging of a piece to a combination of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed belonging at least partly to the same type and / or at least partly to one or more of the different types for the construction of structures constituted by the assembly of said pieces to be processed; wherein the temporary storage warehouse (2) comprises at least two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , each of which is intended for the temporary storage of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) belonging to one or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned types, and wherein said plant comprises a control unit executing a control program in which instructions are encoded for controlling said pick-up and deposit devices (106, 206) so as to perform a selective pick-up of one or more pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) from the loading station (203) and to selectively deposit the pieces to be processed picked up from said loading station (203) into one of the temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , each of which cells has previously been associated with one of said predetermined types or a group of two or more of saidpredetermined types of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) .

3. Plant according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) or a plurality of temporary storage cells are provided, each cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) being intended to accommodate a group of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) arranged on at least one or more layers, each of said layers comprising a predetermined number of adjacent pieces to be processed, and being housed, in each temporary storage cell (201.1,201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) having at least one common dimensional characteristic and / or a common characteristic related to the processing envisaged for them, while in the additional temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) or in at least some of the additional temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1,202. n) pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) are housed which respectively have at least one common dimensional characteristic and / or a common characteristic related to the processing, which at least one characteristic is different from said one or more characteristics provided for the pieces (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) housed in said one or more additional temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , and wherein the pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) is controlled by the control unit to withdraw from one or more of said temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) one or more pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) and to group (GP10, GP20) them on a layer of pieces to be processed positioned directly adjacent to each other and to depositsaid grouped pieces to be processed (GP10, GP20) in said layer on the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102) .

4. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein a transfer station (4) is provided for said pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) individually or grouped together in an ordered group (GP10, GP20) of two or more pieces to be processed adjacent to each other, which ordered group is formed by the pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) with the pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) withdrawn from one or more of the different temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , and which is transferred directly or by means of further intermediate conveyors (104, 204; 14; 40) from said transfer station (4) to said loading plane (101) of the processing machine (102, 102' ) .

5. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein, for at least one or for a group of two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , at least one preparation station (205) is provided upstream of said transfer station (4) for said at least one group (GP10, GP20) of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P-2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) formed by the pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) with the pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) withdrawn from one or more of the different temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , and from which preparation station (205) said group (GP10, GP20) of pieces to be processed is transferred by means of said transfer station (4, 104, 204, 14, 40) to the loading plane (101) upstream ofthe processing station (102, 102') and which serves said processing station (102, 102') .

6. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein at least part of said temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) is arranged in a row, at one end of which a loading cell of the loading station (203) is provided, and at the opposite end of which row the transfer station (4) is provided and / or optionally at least one preparation station (205) between the last temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) of said row and said transfer station (4) , while the pickup and deposit device or devices (106, 206) are movable at least vertically in two directions, namely upward and downward, and in the longitudinal direction of said row between said loading cell (203) , said one or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , optionally said preparation station (205) if provided, and said transfer station (4) .

7. Plant according to one or more of claims 1 to 5 , wherein at least part of said temporary storage cells (201.1,201. n, 202.1, 202. n) is arranged in a row, at one end of which a loading cell (203) is provided, while a feeding conveyor (14) is provided extending parallel alongside said row of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1,202. n) , said feeding conveyor (14) terminating with its unloading end corresponding to the input side of said loading plane (101) or of a transfer conveyor (104) provided at said unloading end of said feeding conveyor (14) and in combination with said loading plane (101) of said processing machine (102, 102') , while the pick-up and deposit device or devices (106, 206) for the pieces to be processed are configured to perform a translational stroke according to three mutually perpendicular spatialdirections, one in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction of the pieces to be processed, namely in the advancing direction of the feeding conveyor (14) , one in a direction perpendicular to said advancing direction, namely parallel to the longitudinal extension of the pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) , and one in a vertical direction between an upper level substantially corresponding to the level of the upper layer of the ordered group of pieces to be processed present in a temporary storage cell (201.1,201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and a lower level corresponding to a position overlapping a predetermined unloading distance of a piece to be processed (201.1, 201. n, 202.1,202. n) onto said feeding conveyor (14) .

8. Plant according to claim 7, wherein the feeding conveyor is controlled to alternately perform:- a stepwise forward motion, the intervals of the advancement stops being synchronized with the unloading of a piece to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) onto said feeding conveyor (14) and / or- a motion in which during the unloading step of a piece to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) , said pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) performs a motion in the advancing direction of said feeding conveyor (14) at a speed identical to the advancement speed of said feeding conveyor (14) .

9. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein said two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) are arranged on two or more vertically stacked planes and / or on two or more rowslaterally adjacent to each other, at least one pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) being provided which operates on both planes and / or on each laterally adjacent row, or one pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) being provided for each row of temporary storage cells (201.1,201. n, 202.1, 202. n) on each of the vertically stacked planes or for each of the rows (201.1, 201. n, 202.1,202. n) laterally adjacent to each other, and wherein at least one single loading station (203) for the pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) is provided which is common to said rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) or a separate loading station (203) respectively for each of said rows of temporary storage cells and / or optionally a single preparation station (205) for the groups (GP10, GP20) of pieces to be processed to be fed to the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102, 102') and / or one preparation station (205) respectively for each of said rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and / or a transfer station (4) or a feeding conveyor (14, 40) to the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102, 102') which is common to said rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) or a transfer station (4) or a feeding conveyor (14, 40) dedicated for each of said rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) .

10. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a control unit comprising at least one processor, at least one memory, a command transmission unit to at least one actuator, a human-machine interface for data and / or command input, a human-machine interface for data and / or command output, and wherein in said memory a program is saved inwhich instructions are encoded to execute the following procedures :- definition and setting of at least one predetermined processing and / or of a sequence of two or more predetermined processing operations on each of one or more selected pieces to be processed having predetermined dimensions ;- definition of one or more types of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) with respect to one or more dimensions ;- assignment of a temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) for the storage of a predetermined number of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) having at least one predetermined common dimension and / or intended to undergo the same type of processing;- loading into each of one or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) of said predetermined number of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) having at least one predetermined common dimension and / or intended to undergo the same type of processing according to said assignment step;- command of at least one pick-up and deposit device(106, 206) for withdrawing a predetermined number of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) from at least one or from two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and grouping (GP10, GP20) said pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) onto at least one layer in which said pieces are positioned adjacent to each other in a predetermined order directly at said transfer station (4) or in an optional preceding preparation station (205) ;- command of the transfer of said group (GP10, GP20) from the transfer station (4) directly or indirectly (104, 14) to the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102, 102') , or optionally from the preparation station (205) to the transfer station (4, 14, 40) and from there directly or indirectly to the loading plane (101) ; or alternatively:- command of at least one pick-up and deposit device(106, 206) for withdrawing a predetermined number of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) from at least one or from two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and positioning them in the form of a succession of single pieces to be processed on a feeding conveyor (14) positioned laterally adjacent to a row of said temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) ; and- command of said feeding conveyor (14) for feeding said succession of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) directly or indirectly to the loading plane (101) of the processing machine (102, 102' ) .

11. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein each of said at least one pick-up and deposit devices (106, 206) is suspended by means of a motorised carriage on at least one translational guide which is parallel to a path extending from the loading station (203) , along at least one or more of said temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and up to a transfer station (4) at the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102, 102') , said carriage carrying at least one gripping unit for one or more pieces to be processed comprising gripping elements, said combinationof said guide, said carriage and said gripping unit being positioned at a height higher than the upper layer of an ordered group of pieces to be processed provided in said loading cell (203) and / or in said one or more temporary storage cells and / or in said transfer station (201.1,201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , said gripping unit being configured to grip one or more of said pieces to be processed by operating from the top side of said ordered group of pieces to be processed, while said gripping unit is further movably supported by said carriage, under the control of the control unit, at least in the vertical direction between a maximum lifting position above the maximum height foreseen for the groups of pieces to be processed and a gripping position of one or more of the pieces to be processed at least from the first upper layer of pieces to be processed of said group and / or a lowered depositing position of one or more pieces to be processed in an optional preparation station (205) and / or in a temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1,202. n) and / or in a transfer station (4, 14) .

12. Warehouse for feeding a plurality of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) in the form of a group of selected pieces to be processed according to one or more criteria such as one or more dimensions and / or one or more types of processing, the warehouse comprising:- at least one loading cell (203) , at least one temporary storage cell (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , preferably two or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) ,- at least one preparation station (205) for a group (GP10, GP20) of pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) , selected from a plurality ofdifferent types of pieces to be processed that differ in at least one or more dimensions and / or one or more processing to which they are to be subjected,- at least one pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) for one or more pieces to be processed together and / or in succession, said device (106, 206) being supported movably from said loading cell (203) to one or more temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , optionally from one to another of said temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , to a transfer station (4, 14, 40) and optionally to a preparation station (205) provided upstream of said transfer station (4, 40) , in which stations a group (GP10, GP20) of selected and predetermined pieces to be processed is positioned, said pieces being selected by type according to a dimensional criterion and / or the type of processing to which they must be subjected,- a logic control unit being provided, in which a program is stored and executed in which instructions are encoded to make said control unit able to control said one or more pick-up and deposit devices (106, 206) with respect to positioning movements into one or more of said loading and temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and / or into one or more optional preparation stations (205) and into a transfer station (4) and with respect to the pick-up and / or depositing functionalities, i.e. , the release of one or more of said pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) , and wherein said at least one pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) is mounted suspended from above on at least one translational guide and is movable above a predetermined maximum height foreseen for the groups of pieces to beprocessed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) arranged on one or more horizontally stacked layers and storable at least in the temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) and / or in the loading cell (203) , and is configured to grip one or more pieces to be processed from the top side of an ordered group of pieces to be processed.

13. Warehouse according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) are provided, distributed over multiple parallel rows which may be vertically stacked and / or laterally adjacent to each other, a loading cell (203) being provided which is common to said one or more rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) , or a separate loading cell (203) for each of said rows or for a subgroup of said rows, and at least one common pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) or a pick-up and deposit device (106, 206) for each of said rows being provided, which pickup and deposit devices (106, 206) serve at least one transfer station (4, 14, 40) and optionally at least one common preparation station (205) or at least one optional preparation station (205) for each of said rows, said one or more preparation stations (205) being provided upstream of said at least one transfer station (4, 14, 40) .

14. Warehouse according to claim 13, wherein two vertically stacked rows of adjacent temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) are provided, each of said rows being associated with a dedicated loading cell (203) and each of said rows being associated with a dedicated preparation station (205) , while each of said rows of temporary storage cells (201.1, 201. n, 202.1, 202. n) ,with the dedicated loading cell (203) and the dedicated preparation station (205) , is served by a dedicated pickup and deposit device (106, 206) .

15. Warehouse according to one or more of claims 11 to 14, characterised in that it has the features provided by the combination of claims 1 to 11.

16. Plant according to one or more of claims 1 to 11, wherein between the preparation station (205) and the loading plane (101) for the pieces to be processed of the processing machine (102, 102') , a vertical stacking station (214, 314, 414) for two or more pieces to be processed (P; P.l, P.2, P.ln, P.2n, P.3, P.3n) one on top of the other is provided, said station being equipped with a descending stacking device comprising a feeder for said pieces to be processed along a direction transverse to their longitudinal axis to a stacking well (214, 414) having a bottom wall (314) movable vertically in two directions, said bottom wall (314) being lowered by a measure corresponding or slightly greater than the thickness of each piece to be processed placed on said bottom wall (314) , while the subsequent piece to be processed is pushed into a position superposed on the previously positioned piece to be processed on said bottom wall (314) or on the last piece to be processed of a stack of pieces to be processed loaded on said bottom wall (314) , and while said stack of pieces to be processed is entirely or partially loaded into a transfer clamp (40) which unloadings said partial or entire stack onto the loading plane (101) of the processing machine (102) .

17. Plant according to claim 16, wherein said clamp (40) comprises a vertical housing channel (41) for said stackof pieces to be processed and is positionable with said channel (41) vertically aligned with one of the stacking wells (214, 414) , the stack housed in said stacking well (214, 414) being transferred from the same to the housing channel (41) of the clamp (40) by an upward translation of said bottom wall (314) of said stacking well (214, 414) , and wherein at the lower end of lateral delimiting walls of the vertical housing channel (41) of said clamp (40) removable retaining members are provided for retaining said stack of pieces to be processed against discharging, and wherein said clamp (40) is movable into a vertically coincident position with the loading plane (101) of the processing station (102, 102') and deposits said stack onto said loading plane (101) by moving said retaining members of said stack of pieces to be processed in the vertical housing channel (41) into an inactive position, whereby said stack is withdrawn from said channel (41) .

18. Plant for processing pieces to be processed made of wooden material such as planks, beams, or the like, i.e. , having a larger dimension along a longitudinal direction, the plant comprising:- a processing station (102, 102') comprising at least one motorised drive assembly of at least one processing tool;- support members of said at least one motorised drive assembly and / or said at least one processing tool, which support members allow the movement of said motorised drive assembly and / or said processing tool according to at least one degree of freedom and / or according to two or more translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom;- upstream of said processing station a loading plane(101) for the pieces to be processed being provided, said loading plane having feeding elements for said pieces to be processed, preferably in succession to each other and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pieces to be processed, from said loading plane to said processing station;- downstream of said processing station at least one discharging plane (103) for the processed pieces being provided; and while optionally a waste unloading conveyor being associated with said processing station (102, 102') , and wherein to said loading plane (101) is associated a vertical stacking station (214, 314, 414) for two or more pieces to be processed and transfer members (40) for a vertical stack of said pieces to be processed or at least part of it onto said loading plane (101) of said processing station (102, 102') , feeding members (40) being provided for feeding at least one piece to be processed from said stack, or together at least part of the pieces to be processed of said stack, or all the pieces to be processed of said stack, to said processing station (102, 102' ) .

19. Plant according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 11 and 16 to 18, wherein the processing machine (1) may consist of a processing machine with a processing station (102, 102') interposed between a loading plane (101) and a discharging plane (103) for the pieces to be processed, wherein the pieces to be processed are fed from the loading plane (101) through the processing station (102, 102') to the discharging plane (103) with a advancing movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed,or alternatively, the processing machine (1) consists of a processing machine with a processing station (102, 102') interposed between a loading plane (101) and an discharging plane (103) for the pieces to be processed, wherein the pieces to be processed are fed from the loading plane (101) through the processing station (102, 102') to the discharging plane (103) with an advancing motion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said pieces to be processed and to said advancing direction of the pieces to be processed from the loading plane (101) to the discharging plane (103) through the processing station (102, 102') .

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