The present invention relates to an apparatus for milling and/or cutting wooden panels, plastic, composite material or other material . A panel-milling or cutting operation substantially provides for performing three distinct steps that consist of loading the panels onto the apparatus, milling or cutting the panels and unloading the milled or cut panels from the apparatus. From the prior art apparatuses are known for the milling or the cutting of panels consisting of a fixed frame on which a milling or cutting unit slides, generally a milling unit or circular saw intended for executing milling or cuts on the panels. The frame comprises a resting surface for the panels and guide means by means of which it is possible to slide the panels along the frame to position the panels and guide means for the milling or cutting operations and extract the panels at the end of the milling or cutting operations. Means is also provided for locking the panels on the frame during the milling or cutting operations . Known prior-art apparatuses have significant drawbacks. In particular, in the aforesaid apparatuses only a single step at a time of the panel-milling or cutting step can be performed; thus, if, for example, the apparatus is engaged in the milling or cutting step, it is not possible simultaneously to load panels thereupon or unload panels therefrom.

Consequently, the time requested by the apparatus for the entire milling or cutting operation, including loading and unloading the panels from the apparatus, is much more lengthy than the actual time of the milling or cutting step alone, which significantly reduces productivity. The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for milling and cutting panels that is devoid of the aforementioned drawbacks . According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for milling and cutting panels comprising a supporting frame, a milling or cutting unit that is movable along said supporting frame in a direction parallel to a pair of opposite sides of said supporting frame, and a resting plane for said panels, characterised in that said resting plane comprises a plurality of fixed longitudinal elements arranged parallel to said direction, that define a fixed resting surface for said panels, and a plurality of further longitudinal elements interposed between said fixed longitudinal elements and coplanar therewith, said further longitudinal elements being movable in said direction and defining a movable resting surface for said panels. Owing to the further longitudinal elements that are movable with respect to the fixed longitudinal elements, it is possible rapidly and simply to move a panel along the fixed frame to take the fixed frame from a panel-loading zone on the apparatus to a milling or cutting zone and from there to an unloading zone. This enables a panel to be loaded onto the apparatus whilst the milling or cutting operations are in progress and another panel to be unloaded, thus noticeably reducing panel machining time.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be highlighted in the following description of an embodiment of the invention that is provided merely by way of non- limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the apparatus in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective rear view of the apparatus in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an enlarged detail of the apparatus in Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are further perspective views of enlarged details of the apparatus in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a cross section of Figure 6 ;

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged details of Figure 6. An apparatus 1 according to the present invention is ideally dividable into three distinct zones: a loading zone 2, a milling or cutting zone 3 and an unloading zone 4. The apparatus 1 comprises a frame 5 with which a milling or cutting unit 15 is associated that is movable along the supporting frame 5 in a direction F that is parallel to a pair of opposite sides of the supporting frame 5. The frame 5 is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, so as to reduce significantly the plan-view overall dimensions of the apparatus 1.

On the frame 5 a resting plane 6 is obtained that is intended for supporting the panels P to be cut or milled. The milling or cutting unit 15 comprises a milling or cutting tool 16 that is movable along a crosspiece 17 of the milling or cutting unit 15 parallel to said resting plane 6 and perpendicular to said direction F.

The resting plane 6 comprises a plurality of fixed longitudinal elements 7 that are substantially flat, arranged parallel to said direction F and a plurality of further longitudinal elements 8, which are also substantially flat, which are also arranged parallel to said direction F and are movable along said direction F. Preferably, the further movable longitudinal elements 8 alternate with the fixed longitudinal elements 7. The further longitudinal elements 8 are mounted on a further frame 9, that is movable along said direction F along the entire length of the apparatus 1 and intended for conveying the panels P through the loading zone 2, the milling or cutting zone 3 and the unloading zone 4 of the apparatus 1. The fixed longitudinal elements 7 have a resting surface 10

(Figure 4) for the panels P provided with openings 11 through which air can be sucked to create a vacuum between the resting surface 10 and a panel P. This vacuum enables a panel P to be locked on the fixed longitudinal elements 7, where requested, in said loading, cutting and unloading steps. The openings 11 can also be used, as will be explained below in greater detail, to blow pressurised air through the openings 11 to minimise friction between the panel and the resting surface 10 when the panel is moved along the apparatus 1 by the movable frame 9. The further longitudinal elements 8 also comprise a substantially flat resting surface 12 provided with openings 13 through which air can be sucked to create a vacuum between the resting surface 12 and the panel P in order to lock the panel P on the movable frame 9. Both the longitudinal elements 7 and the further longitudinal elements 8 are divided longitudinally into sections 7', 8', respectively, each of which can operate independently of the other sections so that one vacuum or delivery of compressed air in one of said sections 7' , and a vacuum in one of said sections 8' can occur independently of the other sections.

This enables air sucking to be activated only in the sections 7', 8' on which a panel rests, which enables the energy consumption to be reduced that is linked to said air sucking. Further, during the movements of the panel P along the apparatus 1, it is possible to activate the delivery of pressurised air through the openings 11 of the longitudinal elements 7 only in the sections 7' of said elements above which the panel P moves, deactivating the delivery of pressurised air in a section T, when the panel has been moved beyond said section 7' . This permits a further reduction in the energy consumption of the apparatus 1. In Figure 2 the first longitudinal guides 14 are visible in section, placed, for example, in the upper part of the frame 5 on which the cutting apparatus 15 can be slided by moving means that is not shown, for example a stepping motor or a linear motor.

The frame 5 is further provided with second longitudinal guides 18 placed, for example, in the lower part of the frame 5, on which the further frame 9 can be slided by further movement means, which is not shown, for example a stepping motor or a linear motor.

Figure 4 shows , in a rear perspective view, one of the sections 7' of the longitudinal elements 7. Inside the section 7' there is defined a first channel 19, which can be supplied with pressurised air by a fan 20 (Figure 3) associated with the apparatus 1, or can be connected to a compressed-air plant outside the apparatus 1. Inside the section 7' there are further defined a second channel 21 in which a vacuum is creatable and a third channel 22 that is suppliable with compressed air coming from the first channel 19 through a first conduit 30, communicating with the first channel 19, a pressure-reducing valve 23 and a second conduit 31 communicating with the third channel 22. The second channel 21 and the third channel 22 communicate with the openings 11 made in the resting surface 10 of the longitudinal elements 7.

The first channel 19 of each section 7' communicates with the corresponding first channel 19 of the adjacent sections 7' , whilst the second channel 21 and the third channel 22 are isolated from the corresponding second channel 21 and third channel 22 of the adjacent sections 7' . A vacuum in the second channel 21 is creatable by means of a vacuum-generating device 24 that is of known type and is commercially available that exploits the compressed air circulating in the first channel 19 to generate said vacuum through a third conduit 32 communicating with the second channel 21. Also in each section 8' of the further longitudinal elements 8 (Figure 6) there is defined at least a first channel 25, preferably a pair of channels 25, supplied with compressed air, like the first channel 19 of the sections 7' of the longitudinal elements 7, and a pair of further channels 26 and 27, preferably two pairs of further channels 26 and 27, communicating with the openings 13 of the resting surface 12, in which a vacuum is creatable. The first channel 25 of each section 8' communicates with the corresponding first channels 25 of the adjacent sections 8', whilst the two further channels 26 and 27 are isolated by the corresponding further channels 26 and 27 of the adjacent sections 8'.

In Figure 7 there is shown a cross section of a further longitudinal element 8 in which an interchangeable protective layer 28 is visible, made of porous material, fixed to the resting surface 12 by fixing elements 29. The interchangeable protective layer 28 is used to protect the resting surface 12 to prevent the possibility of the resting surface 12 being damaged by the milling or cutting tool 16, during the operations of milling or cutting a panel P, but does not prevent sucking of air to create the vacuum intended to make the panels P stick to the further longitudinal elements 8.

Also the longitudinal elements 7 are provided with a similar interchangeable protective layer, made of porous material, to protect the resting surface 10 without preventing sucking of air or the delivery of compressed air through the openings 11.

Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged details of Figure 6, to highlight the fixing elements 29, which may, for example, be elastic fixing elements . The operation of an apparatus 1 according to the invention is disclosed below.

A panel P to be cut is placed in the loading zone 2 on the resting plane 6 defined by the fixed longitudinal elements 7 and sucking of the air through the openings 11 of the sections 7' of the fixed longitudinal elements 7 on which the panel rests is activated. Subsequently, the movable frame 9 is moved into the loading zone 2 so as to take the further longitudinal elements 8 below the panel P and sucking of the air through the openings 13 of the sections 8' of the further longitudinal elements 8 in contact with the panel P is activated, such that the panel can stick to the further longitudinal elements 8. The movable frame 9 is then moved to the milling or cutting zone 3, dragging with it the panel P that sticks to the further movable longitudinal elements 8. During moving of the movable frame 9, sucking of air through the openings 11 of the sections 7' of the fixed longitudinal elements 7 is interrupted and replaced by a flow of pressurised air to eliminate the friction between the panel and the fixed longitudinal elements 7 during movement of the panel P to the milling or cutting zone 3.

When the movable frame 9 has reached the milling or cutting zone 3, air sucking through the sections 7' of the fixed longitudinal elements 7 on which the panel P rests is reactivated, such that the longitudinal elements 7 cooperate with the further longitudinal elements 8 to ensure secure locking of the panel P during the milling or cutting operations .

After the milling or cutting unit 15 has performed cutting in one or more parts, or milling, of the panel P, the movable frame 9 is moved in the unloading zone 4 to take the cut panel P to the unloading position.

When the milled or cut panel P is joined in the unloading zone 4, air sucking is activated through the sections 7' of the fixed longitudinal elements 7 on which the milled or cut panel comes to rest, whilst sucking is interrupted through the further longitudinal elements 8 of the movable frame 9, such that the movable frame 9 can return to the loading zone 2 and the milled or cut panel P remains resting stably on the fixed longitudinal elements 7 in the unloading zone 4. Lastly, the milled or cut panel can be removed from the unloading zone 4 after sucking through the fixed longitudinal elements 7 has been interrupted. During milling or cutting of the panel P and moving thereof in the unloading zone 4, it is possible to load a new panel P to be milled or cut in the loading zone 2, such that the movable frame 9, after taking the preceding already milled and cut panel P to the unloading zone 4 , can move to said loading zone 2 to remove the new panel P, whilst the previously milled or cut panel P is removed from the unloading zone 4, thus enabling the interval of time to be reduced between milling or cutting of a panel and the successive interval, with a consequent increase in the productivity of the apparatus 1 according to the invention. In fact, during the steps of milling or cutting and of unloading, the loading zone 2 of the apparatus is available so that an operator loads a new panel P to be milled or cut without having to wait for the end of the milling or cutting operations and unloading of the preceding panel P. Further, whilst an already milled or cut panel P is unloaded, the movable frame 9 can move in the loading zone 2 to remove the new panel P to be milled or cut and take the panel P to the cutting zone 3.

It should be noted that, it being possible to make the sucking along said direction F partial, owing to the division into sections 7' and 8' of the fixed longitudinal elements 7 and of the further longitudinal elements 8 of the movable frame 9, it is possible to mill or cut panels P of different length, or also of a length that is equal to or greater than the length of the apparatus 1, inasmuch, in this case as it is possible to machine the panels P by successive steps, moving the panels P progressively along the apparatus 1 by the movable frame 9.