BE1021817B9 - MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for the production of brushes with various processing stations (14, 16, ...), where different work steps can be carried out, at least one guide (26) as well as several slides (12), which can pass along the guide (26) be adjusted such that they can be moved past the processing stations (14, 16, ...), the carriages (12) being independently programmable with respect to the processing stations (14, 16, ...) being adjustable. The invention also relates to a method for processing brush base bodies at processing stations, wherein a brush base body (32) is moved along a predefined adjustment path (V) between different processing stations (14, 16, ...) in that a carriage (12) is guided along a guide (26) is set, the adjusting movement (V) of the carriage (12) being used for the brush base body (32), viewed in the adjustment direction (V) of the carriage (12), with respect to the corresponding processing station (14) , 16, ...).

Description

THE CLERCQ Ann, Ed. Gevaertdreef 10a, 9830, ST MARTENS LATEM;

a Belgian invention patent with a duration of 20 years granted, subject to payment of the annual fees as referred to in Article XI.48, § 1 of the Economic Law Code, for: BRUSH MACHINE MANUFACTURE.

INVENTOR (S):

BOUCHERIE Bart Gerard, Ambachtenstraat 84.8870, IZEGEM;

PRIORITY :

DIVISION:

Split from basic application:

Submission date of the basic application:

Article 2. - This patent is granted without prior research into the patentability of the invention, without guarantee of the merit of the invention or of the accuracy of its description and at the risk of the applicant (s).

Brussels, 20/01/2016,

With special authorization:

2013/0221

Machine for the production of brushes

The invention relates to a machine for the production of brushes with various processing stations. The invention further relates to a method for processing brush base bodies at processing stations.

In the manufacture of brushes, for example toothbrushes, household brushes or also brushes, it is usual for a brush base body to be successively guided to different processing stations, where each time a specific processing step is carried out. For example, at one processing station, several holes can be drilled into the brush base body and at a subsequent workstation brush bundles are inserted into the holes (filled). For adjusting the brush base bodies, slides are usually used which circulate in a predetermined way such that the brush base bodies arranged thereon are successively presented to the various stations for processing. In a simple example, the brush-making machine has a loading station, a drilling station, a filling station and a removal station. Four slides can then be used, which are further adjusted one station further in each cycle of the brush-making machine. The slides are usually mounted on a drive element such as a common carrier or a chain, which further adjusts all slides together.

A disadvantage of the known machines is that a further time elapses when the slides are further adjusted from one processing station to the next, which has an adverse effect on the productivity of the brush manufacturing machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for the production of brushes, which allows very short cycle times and, consequently, high productivity.

In order to achieve this objective, a machine for producing brushes with various processing stations is provided according to the invention, where different work steps can be carried out, with at least one guide and several slides, which can be adjusted along the guide, so that they pass beyond the guide. processing stations can be moved, wherein the carriages can be adjusted independently of each other freely programmable with respect to the processing stations. The invention is based on the rationale, the non-productive time required for adjusting the brush base bodies between successive processing stations, by shortening that all slides are no longer adjusted simultaneously according to the cycle speed of the machine, but separately and independently from each other. This makes it

2013/0221 makes it possible to move a certain carriage from its position assigned to a processing station and to bring it up to a maximum at the subsequent processing station, while the preceding brush base body is still being machined there. As soon as this brush base body has been processed and is leaving its station, the next brush base body can move, whereby for this shifting the full path from the previous to the current processing station no longer has to be traversed, but only a very short remaining distance.

With optimum construction of a brush manufacturing machine and with appropriate geometric proportions of the brush to be produced, the corresponding processing station should not be stopped when changing from one brush base body to the next brush base body, but can be done without complete stopping or depending on the production to be produced brush with a very short standstill of the processing station or with an acceptable reduction of the processing speed are kept in operation, since, for example at a filling station, the path of movement between the last hole to be filled from a preceding brush base body to the first hole to be filled from the subsequent brush base body is only minimally longer than the path of movement between two successive holes of the same brush base body. Optionally, work can also be continued at an unchanged speed in the processing station when changing from a brush base body to the next. In any case, however, the cycle speed is clearly higher than in the case of brush-making machines.

As already explained, the processing stations of the brush-making machine may in particular be a drilling station and a filling station. In addition, other processing stations are also an additional or alternative possible, for example a loading station, a removal or ejecting station, the value of brush base bodies equipped with the brushes are removed or ejected, and / or a trimming station in which the brushes of the equipped brush base body are up to a desired length. and / or a desired profile is cut and / or incised and / or ground. The charging station can be designed such that the carriages are equipped with the brush base bodies manually or fully automatically. Alternatively, the carriages equipped with brush base bodies outside the loading station can also be placed in the machine for producing brushes in the loading station. An additional variant consists of coupling the loading station with an adjacent injection molding station, optionally fully automatically, so that the brush bodies manufactured in the injection molding station are transported, possibly fully automatically, to the loading station and placed in slides. The integration of such additional processing stations leads to a

2013/0221 integrated manufacturing process, whereby the number of the total required intermediate transport steps is reduced. This leads in total to a higher efficiency.

Preferably, the carriage is provided with at least one clamping device for a brush base body. A clamping device makes it possible to attach the brush base bodies to the slides with low insertion, so that they can be presented to the corresponding processing station.

A height adjustment is preferably provided with which the clamping device can be adjusted in a direction perpendicular to the adjusting device of the carriages with respect to the processing stations. This makes it possible to arrange the tool of the processing station processing the brush base body in the vertical direction, so that only the brush base body must be suitably positioned in the vertical direction during processing.

Preferably, a pivoting device is provided with which the clamping device can be pivoted about an axis which is aligned parallel to the support of the slides. In addition or alternatively, a tilting device can also be provided with which the clamping device can be tilted about an axis which is perpendicular to the adjusting device of the slides. The pivoting device and / or the tilting device make it possible to align the brush base bodies obliquely with respect to the corresponding tool of the processing station, so that, for example, hair bundles can be applied to the hair base body, which are oriented differently. In the case of a round brush, all hair bundles can thus be radially aligned, and in the case of a broom, for example, the hair bundles arranged at the axial ends can be disposed obliquely outwards from the basic body.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the invention, a method is also provided for processing of hair base bodies at processing stations, wherein a brush base body is moved along a predefined adjustment path between different processing stations by adjusting a carriage along a guide, the adjustment movement of the carriage is used to position the brush base body, viewed in the carriage direction, with respect to the corresponding processing station. The method according to the invention is based on the knowledge that the adjusting movement of the carriage can be used not only for transporting the brush base body from one processing station to the next, but also for carrying out the minimum adjustment movements of the brush base body at the same processing station. For example, when the machining station is a drilling station, the carriage is used to further advance the brush base body in the carriage direction of the carriage with the hole spacing.

2013/0221. It is therefore not necessary to provide a device for length adjustment for the hair base body with the carriage.

Preferably, it is provided that the brush base body is pre-positioned before it is presented from the corresponding carriage to the next processing station, "prepositioning" means that before the brush base body reaches the next processing station, it is positioned relative to the processing station such that after being pre-positioned, it only needs to be adjusted longitudinally to be machined by the tool of the next processing station. For example, if the next processing station is a filling station and the first hair bundle is to be inserted into an obliquely drilled hole in the brush base body, the brush base body is pre-positioned such that the longitudinal axis of the first bore to be filled in the brush base body is parallel to the filling device of the brush base body. filling tool is aligned. As soon as the last bore of the preceding brush base body has been filled, the next brush base body only has to be transported a little further in the direction of adjustment of the carriage and the filling tool can immediately start filling, without the brush base body having to be further aligned.

This prepositioning can be effected by the corresponding carriage with the brush base body or brush base bodies remaining in front of the next processing station and being pre-positioned. However, as an alternative to this, it is also possible to perform this prepositioning during the feed movement from a processing station to the subsequent processing station. That is, there is no downtime of the carriage before the prepositioning itself. As soon as the carriage is guided from the preceding processing station, the movement for obtaining the pre-prepositioning can commence, which is then closed until it enters the next processing station.

For brush-making machines currently in use, the drilling stations and the subsequent filling stations were always switched simultaneously, which also meant, for example, that drilling and filling were carried out simultaneously (also during the same period of time). Furthermore, the adjusting movement of the brush bodies took place simultaneously and in the same order of the holes to be produced or to be filled. That is, in the processing station, for example, the front left hole was drilled, while in the subsequent filling station this front hole of the previously manufactured brush body was filled simultaneously. The invention provides that this simultaneous processing can be omitted, which is possible on the basis of the separate slide movements. That is, the movements in the drilling station and in the subsequent filling station must not take place simultaneously. The movements and operations can be done with time difference

2013/0221 and / or take a different length of time, for example, drilling can now take place at maximum speed, independent of the filling movement.

A variant provides for the complete disconnection of the movements of the carriages.

This uncoupling of the movements in the drilling station and the subsequent filling station form the basis for this, that according to an additional embodiment of the invention, different brushes with different hole patterns and / or different brush body shapes are produced simultaneously. This means that in the same machine for the production of brushes a brush is manufactured in one processing station, for example the holes are drilled here, while in another processing station a brush body with a completely different hole pattern and / or a completely different brush body shape (e.g. on the one hand) a shoe brush and, on the other hand, a household broom) are simultaneously manufactured or filled and alternately different brushes are ejected from the machine. The term "different hole patterns" refers to the state of a finished brush. The invention is described below with reference to an embodiment which is represented in the accompanying drawings. Show in it:

Figure 1 shows a machine for the production of brushes in a schematic top view;

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a section along the line 11-11 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a processing station with a currently processed brush base body and a pre-positioned, subsequently to be processed brush base body.

In the figures, a brush-making machine is shown, which has a guide block 10, along which several slides 12 can be adjusted in a circular manner.

Various processing stations 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 are arranged around the guide block 10. When the slides 12 are adjusted around the guide block 10, they move past the processing stations.

The guide block 10 is provided with a guide 26, the function of which is to arrange the slides 12 movably on the guide block 10. The guide 26 must in particular ensure that the carriages 12 are guided accurately and as free as possible from tolerance.

The guide 26 can be designed, for example, as a guide rail on which the slides 12 are guided with rollers, roller bearings or similar elements.

2013/0221

For adjusting the slides 12, a drive device 28 is provided, with which each slide can be moved individually and individually around the guide block 10. The sole limitation of the individual movability of the carriages consists in that no carriage can overtake the other carriages. For the rest, each carriage can be moved individually and independently of the other carriages with respect to movement path and movement speed.

The drive device 28 can be formed, for example, by a drive motor on each carriage 12, which is coupled to a drive element, for example a drive wheel or a gear wheel, which in turn cooperates with a corresponding counter element of the central guide block 10, for example a track or a toothed bar. The drive device 28 can also be in the form of a linear motor which is combined with the carriage and adjusts it contact-free with respect to the guide block 10. The drive device 28 can also be formed by various belt drives, with which the slides can be individually adjusted. Hereby it is possible by suitable combination of the belt drives with the processing stations to come out with fewer belt drives than slides that are present, since it is sufficient for a minimized cycle time to separate the slides in the area of some processing stations individually and independently of each other. for example in the area of the drilling and filling station, while the carriages can be adjusted synchronously (and therefore by means of the same belt drives) from a removal to a loading station, without this negatively affecting the cycle time.

Both of the aforementioned drive devices are only examples and not a definitive list.

At each carriage 12, at least one clamping device 30 is provided for a brush base body 32. In the exemplary embodiment shown, two clamping devices 30 are used per slide. More clamping devices may also be provided if required.

Each clamping device 30 is pivotable or tiltable about two axes. On the one hand, a pivoting device 36 is provided, with which any clamping device 30 can be pivoted around a pivot axis S. The pivot axis S is aligned parallel to the slider adjustment device.

Furthermore, a tilting device 38 is provided with which the clamping device 30 can be tilted around a tilting axis K. The tilting axis K is perpendicular to the adjustment direction V of the slides 12.

2013/0221

Furthermore, a height adjustment 40 is provided, with which the support 34 can be adjusted vertically with respect to the slide 12, i.e. in the direction of the double arrow H.

With regard to the orientation of the brush-making machine, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the height adjustment 40 tells the carrier 34 in the vertical direction, i.e. up and down. The tilting device 38 can tilt the clamping device 30, combined with its combined clamping device 30, clockwise and counterclockwise about the tilt axis K (see also the double arrow K in Figure 1). The pivotal device 36 can pivot the combined clamping device 30, based on Figure 1, clockwise and counterclockwise about the pivot axis S (see also the double arrow Is in Figure 2).

Tasks such as "above" or the like are only meant here as a reference to the figures. The machine for making brushes can also be arranged differently later, since the guide 26 must not be located in a horizontally extending plane, as shown in the drawings.

For accelerating the slides 12 along the guide 26, a control device 48 schematically shown here is provided, which can be freely programmed in the desired manner. Depending on the desired processing steps, the control device 48 controls the speed and the steps at which the slides 12 adjust along the guide 26.

The processing stations can perform various processing steps. In one example, the processing station 14 can be a loading station, wherein empty clamping devices 30 are provided with brush base bodies 32 for processing.

The processing station 16 may be a drilling station, a drilling device 50 being used to drill holes in the brush base body 32 with a reciprocating movement along the direction of the double arrow B. The required length adjustment of the brush base body 32, i.e. along the adjustment direction V of the slides 12 on the guide 26, takes place in this way that the slider 12 is set by the drive device 28 in small steps with respect to the processing station 16, and for each column of holes to be drilled with the hole distance. In the vertical direction, the brush base bodies 32 are adjusted by means of the height adjustment 40, namely for each row of holes to be drilled with the hole spacing. If the holes in the brush base body 32 are to be drilled in directions that are not parallel to each other, the brush base body 32 is pivoted and / or tilted appropriately by means of the pivoting device 36 and the tilting device 38.

2013/0221

The processing station 18 can be a filling station, in which a filling tool 52 with a reciprocating movement along the double arrow P bundles of its 60, which are kept available in a supply cabinet 54, stops in the holes of the brush base body 32. Here too, the brush base body 32 is positioned by suitable driving of the driving device 28, the height adjustment 40, the pivoting device 36 and the tilting device 38 with respect to the filling tool 52.

The processing station 20 may be a removal station in which the brush base body 32 provided with hair bundles is taken out of the clamping device 30 or is also only ejected.

Depending on the processing steps to be carried out by means of the brush-making machine, additional processing stations can be used. For example, a trimming station may be provided in which the hair 60 applied to the brush base body 32 is cut and / or ground to obtain a desired length and / or a desired profile. In this case, the removal station 20, viewed in the direction of adjustment V, will of course be arranged behind the trimming station.

The machine for producing brushes can be coupled to an injection molding station, so that in an adjacent injection molding station the brush bodies are first subjected to injection molding or additional parts are sprayed onto previously manufactured brush bodies. From the injection molding station, these brush bodies are then transported manually or, preferably fully automatically, to the machine for producing brushes and coupled into the loading station in the machine for manufacturing brushes. This can take place in various ways. If the carriers do not leave the brush-making machine, the brush bodies in the brush-making machine are placed in the carriers. Moreover, the carriers could also be used in a loaded state even at the loading station in the manufacturing machine. In the embodiment shown, however, it is the case that the carriers circulate in the machine for producing brushes and therefore do not leave them.

It is also possible to equip the brush-making machine "double", i.e. in one half a loading station, different processing stations and a removal station, and subsequently in the second half again a loading station, various processing stations and a removal station. In this way the number of brushes produced per cycle can be doubled.

An essential characteristic of the described brush-making machine is that a brush base body is pre-positioned before it is presented to the next processing station. This is explained with reference to Figure 3. In

2013/0221 Figure 3 shows the filling tool 52, which just fills the last holes of the breast base body 32A with hair bundles. As the brushes 60, viewed in the plan view of Figure 3, are arranged box-like, the brush base body 32 must be tilted clockwise about the tilt axis K as it is passed from left to right along the filling tool 52.

The next hair base body 32B to be processed is adequately pre-positioned, tilting it anticlockwise from the neutral position to the position shown before the carriage carrying it 12B reaches the processing station 18. In this position, the longitudinal axis L of the first hole to be filled of the breast base body B is aligned parallel to the filling device P of the filling tool 52.

This prepositioning can on the one hand take place during the feed movement of a processing station in the subsequent processing station or by a short stop immediately before the following processing station. This is in the first place dependent on how far apart the processing stations are and how much time it takes for prepositioning, which in turn also depends on the geometry of the brushes to be manufactured.

When all the holes of the breast base body 32A are filled with hair, the slide 12A is further adjusted in the direction of adjustment V, and at the same time the slide 12B is also further adjusted in the direction of adjustment V. Since the breast base body 32B is already "correctly" aligned, the filling tool 52 can continue to operate without time delay. In practice, in the pre-positioned state, the breast base body 32B can be guided very much closer to the currently processed brush base bodies 32A than is shown in Figure 3. Then, as the processing progresses from the breast base body 32A to the breast base body 32B, the breast base body 32B must be adjusted only minimally in the longitudinal direction (also in the adjustment direction V). In the optimum case, the necessary adjustment movement is so small that the filling tool can continue to operate without interruption and the adjustment does not differ, or in any case not appreciably, from the adjustment which is necessary during filling (stopping) of the same hair base body from hole to hole.

It is not necessary to preposition the brush base bodies before each of the processing stations. It is obvious to do this where it is advantageous with regard to the cycle time, in particular before the drilling station and before the filling station. The charging station and the removal station are rather not critical in this respect, since comparatively much time is available there; the cycle speed is usually determined by the time required at the drilling station or the filling station for processing the entire breast base body 32.

2013/0221

It is also essential for the described machine for producing brushes that no length adjustment device is present between the carriage 12 and the combined clamping device 30, since the length adjustment of the brush base body 32 with respect to the corresponding processing station, i.e. in the direction of the adjustment direction V takes place by individually adjusting the slides 12 with respect to the guide block 10.

It can be seen that not all sleds must always be moved differently relative to each other. Separate adjustment of the slides is required where it is advantageous for optimizing cycle times and with a view to prepositioning, for example from the loading station to the drilling station and from the drilling station to the filling station. The carriages currently in the loading station and the removal station can also be adjusted synchronously simultaneously.

Because the adjusting movements of brush bodies to be processed in the drilling station and the subsequent filling station do not take place simultaneously and moreover independently of and disconnected from each other, it is possible to simultaneously continue brush bodies with different hole geometries and / or different brush body shapes in a machine for manufacturing brushes. to bring. This can be made possible without a standstill of the machine, i.e. without manual conversion.

Claims (14)

Conclusions A machine for the production of brushes with several processing stations (14, 16, ...), where different work steps can be carried out, at least one guide (26) as well as several slides (12), which can pass along the guide (26) be adjusted such that they can be moved beyond the processing stations (14, 16, ...), the slides (12) being independently programmable with respect to the processing stations (14, 16, ...) . A brush-making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the processing stations is a drilling station (16). Brush-making machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one of the processing stations is a filling station (18). Brushing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriage (12) is provided with at least one clamping device (30) for a brush base body (32). Brushing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a height adjustment (40) is provided with which the clamping device (30) in a direction perpendicular to the adjustment direction (V) of the slides (12) with with respect to the processing stations (14, 16, ...) can be adjusted. Brushing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pivoting device (36) is provided with which the clamping device (30) can be pivoted about an axis (S) which is parallel to the adjusting device (V) ) of the slides (12) is aligned. Brushing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a tilting device (38) is provided with which the clamping device (30) can be tilted about an axis (K) which is perpendicular to the adjusting direction (V ) of the slides (12). Brush-making machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in addition, a loading station and / or a removal station and / or a trimming station are provided. A method for the processing of brush base bodies at processing stations, wherein a brush base body (32) is moved along a predefined adjustment path (V) between different processing stations (14, 16, ...) by a slide (12) along a guide ( 26) is adjusted, the adjustment movement (V) of the carriage (12) in front 2013/0221 is used to position the brush base body (32), viewed in the direction of adjustment (V) of the carriage (12), with respect to the corresponding processing station (14, 16, ...). A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the brush base body (32) is pre-positioned before it is passed through the corresponding carriage (12) to the following 5 workstation (14, 16, ...) is offered. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the brush base body (32) is pre-positioned during the feeding movement of a processing station in the following. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the 10 adjustment movements of brush bodies to be processed in a drilling station and a subsequent filling station do not take place simultaneously. A method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that the adjusting movements of brush bodies to be processed take place in a drilling station and a subsequent filling station disconnected from each other. 14. Method as claimed in any of the claims 9-13, characterized in that in a machine for producing brushes simultaneously in one processing station a brush body with a hole pattern and / or a brush body shape and in another processing stations a brush body with a different hole pattern and / or another brush body shape.