EP0249946B2 - Method and device for the fabrication of a spacing frame for insulating glass panes - Google Patents

Abstract

A process is disclosed in which a rectangular spacer frame (16) for insulating glass is automatically manufactured in that a tubular bar is repeatedly bent in a common bending plane (5) and its free ends (19, 20) are joined. One or both end portions of the tubular bar are deflected out of the bending plane (5) during the final bending operation so that the free ends (19, 20) are moved to such positions that said extremities are laterally spaced apart and extend alongside each other. The end portions (17, 18) of the tubular bar are then gripped and moved to positions in which they are axially aligned and spaced apart. The free ends of said end portions are subsequently joined to each other to form the spacer frame (16), which is subsequently transferred to an overhead conveyor (69) in an automatic operation.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for producing a spacer frame for insulating glass with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1 and in the preamble of claim 6. Such a method and such a device are known from DE-PS-3 223 881.

The known device has a plate inclined by 10 ° to 15 °, on the upper edge of which two bending tools which can be displaced along this edge and a holder for the hollow profile rod to be bent are provided. The holder is located between the bending tools and includes a few support angles on which the hollow profile bar can be placed, and a pair of clamping jaws for fixing the hollow profile rod. The bending tools essentially consist of an abutment which guides and supports the hollow profile rod and of a cooperating pressure roller actuated by a toggle lever arrangement, which acts on the hollow profile rod and bends it around a bending edge of the abutment. The swivel axis of the pressure roller runs at right angles to the plate, the top of which coincides with the bending plane; during the bending process, the bent legs slide over the plate that supports them.

The two bending tools are used at the same time: First, by simultaneously bending at two bending points, the hollow profile bar is formed into a U, and then the hollow profile bar is bent twice so that a rectangular frame is created, the third and fourth bending point between the first and second Bending point. Accordingly, the two bending tools are moved towards each other between the two double bending processes.

After all four corners of the spacer frame are bent, the free ends of the hollow profile strip touch, but are still not connected. The semi-finished spacer frame is lifted out of the bending tools and the holder located between them by a mechanical ejector after the bending processes and slides down along the plate. There it is picked up by hand and closed by inserting a rod-shaped connecting element into the two free ends of the hollow profile strips and fed to its further use.

A disadvantage of the known device is that it only allows the bending processes to be carried out automatically, but the frames must be closed by hand or can only be carried out after being transferred by hand to a separate locking device, but in any case takes place outside the bending device. A further disadvantage is that the two free ends of the bent but not yet closed spacer frame spring back elastically after loosening the bending tools, so that the two frame legs, on which the free ends of the hollow profile strip are located, no longer align, but form an angle with one another . As a result, there is a constant tension in the spacer frame after it is closed. In addition, the angled position which the free ends of the hollow profile rod assume after the bending tools have been released is a very unfavorable prerequisite for the desired automatic closing of the spacer frame.

The invention has for its object to provide a method which is particularly suitable for the automatic bending and closing of spacer frames in one and the same device. Furthermore, such a device for performing this method is to be specified, which largely eliminates manual tasks.

This object is achieved by a method with the features specified in claim 1 and by a device with the features specified in independent claim 2. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the two ends of the hollow profile rod are guided by deflecting one or both ends from the bending plane, preferably in the course of the last bending process, into a position in which they lie laterally offset next to one another. This makes it possible to overbend the hollow profile rod at the intended bending points to compensate for an elastic spring back of the bent hollow profile rod to such an extent that all four corner angles of the spacer frame after the elastic spring back are exactly 90 ° without the two free ends of the spacer frame therefore being last bending process and collide when springing back. If, as usual, the two ends of the hollow profile rod were only guided in the bending plane during the bending process, they would meet and possibly deform undesirably. The effect of a lateral offset of the ends of the hollow profile rod is particularly advantageous if, from the beginning of the bending process, a connector is inserted in one of the two ends of the hollow profile rod, with which the finished bent spacer frame is finally closed by the protruding end of the connector is also inserted into the opposite end of the hollow profile rod. Because of the outstanding connector, it would not be possible without a lateral offset to bend the hollow profile rod by a full 90 ° during the last bending process, let alone to bend it beyond 90 °.

Due to the provided lateral offset of the two ends of the hollow profile rod, however, overbending is easily possible even if a connector is already inserted into one of its ends. If after graduation of the bending process, the bending tools detach themselves from the hollow profile bar, therefore their two ends remain side by side and are thus in an ideal starting position, in which they are gripped by machine, positioned flush opposite one another and can then be connected to one another. The plug connector is then inserted into the opposite end of the hollow profile rod after completing the bending processes. In this workflow, the machine handling required for automation is particularly easy to implement.

Since the lateral offset of the two ends of the hollow profile rod is only required at the end of the last bending process, it is preferably also produced only in the last phase of the last bending process. In this way, even if spacer frames of different sizes follow one another, the easiest way to achieve a consistently large lateral offset, and in the phases of the bending process preceding the deflection of one end, one can in the bending plane for the relatively unstable hollow profile bars by one with the bending plane collapsing support wall realize a lateral guide that prevents unwanted flutter of the hollow profile bars during the bending processes.

The device according to the invention has a horizontally or inclined support wall, which can be formed by one or more plates. The plates can have recesses. At the edge of the support wall there is a holder for the hollow profile bars to be bent. With this bracket it can be, for. B. can be a contact strip or a series of contact fingers to which the hollow profile bars are individually applied by hand or by a machine insertion device prior to bending. The holder further expediently comprises an end stop which can be displaced along the holder for positioning the hollow profile bars in their longitudinal direction and a clamping device for clamping the hollow profile bars positioned in this way.

The support wall serves to support the hollow profile bars during the bending process. The bending tools are therefore arranged relative to the supporting wall in such a way that the bending plane (this is the plane in which the bent legs of the hollow profile rod move during the bending process) coincides with the top of the supporting wall. When the support wall is arranged at an incline, the holder for the hollow profile bars is preferably arranged along its lower edge. In principle, the holder could also be arranged elsewhere, in particular along the upper edge of the support wall, as described in DE-PS-3 223 881; the arrangement of the holder along the lower edge of the support wall, however, facilitates automatic removal of the spacer frame from the device (development of the invention according to claim 12).

The device has at least one, preferably two, bending tools. With only one tool, the four corners of the spacer frame are bent successively and the bending tool must be longitudinally displaceable along the holder of the hollow profile rod or the hollow profile rod, for example by means of the abovementioned stop, in order to bring the bending tool to the intended bending points of the hollow profile rod can. In the preferred use of two bending tools, these are expediently allowed to work simultaneously by first forming the hollow profile strip into a U by bending twice, then bringing the two bending tools closer to one another (for which at least one must be arranged displaceably, but preferably both can be moved along the holder ) and then bends the hollow profile again twice, so that a rectangular spacer frame is created, which can then be closed by connecting its two ends.

To close the frame, a frame locking tool is provided according to the invention which can be displaced parallel to the supporting wall and thereby changed in its distance from the holder and the bending tools, which has means for deflecting one end of the hollow professional rod from the bending plane while the two ends of the hollow profile rod are approaching each other. By deflecting one end, the hollow profile bar can be bent to compensate for the elastic springback so that the two free legs of the finished bent spacer frame after loosening the bending tools i. w. lie parallel to each other.

The fact that the means for deflecting the hollow profile rod end are arranged in the frame closing tool means that the hollow profile rod end in question is deflected only in the last phase of the last bending process affecting it, so that, moreover, the supporting wall provided for guiding and supporting the frame legs pivoted during bending can also perform their support and management functions. In order to adapt to spacer frames of different sizes, the distance of the frame closing tool from the holder for the hollow profile rods provided on the supporting wall can be changed by moving the frame closing tool parallel to the supporting wall; the displacement is advantageously carried out at right angles to the bracket mentioned or to the edge of the support wall on which this bracket is located. If two bending tools are provided, their connecting line runs perpendicular to the path of movement of the frame closing tool, the two bending tools being on different sides of the path of movement of the frame closing tool, preferably maintaining the same distances from one another.

The frame closing tool is moved into the appropriate spacing position before or during the bending of a spacer frame. After completing the bending processes, the two legs of the spacer frame to be connected to one another lie with the provided lateral offset in a common plane parallel to the mounting of the hollow profile bars. At this level, the frame closing tool is best equipped with one or more stops, against which the frame legs to be connected lie against the inside of the frame after completing the bending processes (the inside of the frame is understood to mean the side that points into the interior of the curved frame). These stops are a means for positioning the ends of the hollow profile rod, which takes place before these ends are connected to each other. The overbending made possible by the lateral offset of the two ends of the hollow profile rod leads to the fact that the two frame legs to be connected usually do not lift off their stop again after the bending tools have been released; nevertheless, it is advisable to provide hold-down devices, in particular hold-down rollers, on the closing tool, which can be swiveled out of an ineffective end position behind the bending plane against the stop or stops and press the two frame legs to be connected against their stop during the further positioning steps.

To deflect a hollow profile rod end from the bending plane, a deflector, which can be retracted behind the bending plane, is preferably provided on the frame closing tool, with a sliding surface onto which the relevant frame leg slides during the bending process; the sliding surface is oriented obliquely to the bending plane in such a way that it lifts the sliding frame leg from the supporting wall in the course of its sliding movement and thus deflects it out of the bending plane. The other free end of the hollow profile rod does not require any deflection, rather it should be supported and guided through the supporting wall during the entire bending process. However, since accidental deflections during bending cannot be ruled out, a guide with a sliding surface is preferably provided for the second end of the hollow profile rod on the closing tool, onto which the relevant frame leg slides during the bending process; the guide's sliding surface is oriented obliquely to the bending plane in such a way that it guides the sliding frame leg against the supporting wall. The guide and the deflector as well as the stops on the frame closing tool which limit the pivoting movement of the free frame legs force together a predetermined position of the two ends of the hollow profile rod at the end of the bending processes.

For further positioning of the ends of the hollow profile bar, the closing tool is equipped with a positioning device which transfers the ends of the hollow profile bar into a position in which they lie opposite one another in alignment. For this purpose, two distance-adjustable end stops for the two ends of the hollow profile rod are preferably provided on the closing tool. It is best to form the two end stops on the deflector and on or next to the deflector, in such a way that the two end stops face each other and the end stop for the first end of the hollow profile rod on or next to the deflector for the second end and the End stop for the second end is formed on the guide for the first end of the hollow profile rod. By actuating the two distance-adjustable end stops, the not yet closed spacer frame can be spread, the hold-down rollers preferably provided preventing the two ends from pivoting. The two ends of the not yet closed spacer frame are spread until they no longer overlap; the spacer frame is closed by a plug connector which is inserted into one of the ends of the hollow profile rod before the bending processes begin; The spacer frame must be spread until there is no longer any overlap even with the inserted connector. The two ends are now in a position in which they can be moved laterally into a position in which they face each other in alignment. To make this possible, the deflector can be moved back into an ineffective position lying behind the bending plane; the deflection of one hollow profile rod end that is forced during bending can now be reversed. A plunger could be provided for this purpose. However, this is preferably done by closing a gripper which has a first clamping jaw coinciding with the bending plane and a second clamping jaw which can be moved from the front against the bending plane and which presses and clamps the frame leg deflected up to that point from the bending plane against the first clamping jaw. For the opposite end of the hollow profile rod, a further gripper is provided, which likewise has a first clamping jaw, the clamping surface of which coincides with the bending plane, and a second clamping jaw, which can be moved from a position in front of the support wall against the first clamping jaw. Preferably, the movable clamping jaw, when viewed from the closing tool against the edge of the support wall on which the bending tools are located, is arranged behind the guide, so that the guide instructs the relevant frame leg in the gripper. In the movable jaws, it can z. B. act on the guide himself, which is movable and with a corresponding, parallel to the support wall clamping surface.

If the two grippers have firmly gripped the two free frame legs, they are moved towards one another, the piece of the connector protruding from one end of the hollow profile rod being inserted into the other end of the hollow profile rod. To fix the connector in the hollow profile rod, the latter is advantageously notched over a recess provided in the connector.

For this purpose, a notching tool is preferably provided on the closing tool between the grippers and can be pivoted out of an ineffective end position lying behind the bending plane against the hollow profile rod held by the grippers.

The finished spacer frame can be removed from the device after opening the two grippers and after swiveling up the hold-down rollers that are preferably provided. The removal could be done by hand. However, the removal is preferably carried out mechanically; the frame closing tool according to the invention has the advantage that it can be easily designed as a transfer tool for transferring the spacer frame to a conveyor which conveys the spacer frame out of the device. The necessary further development of the device according to the invention is expediently carried out in an embodiment in which the support wall is inclined, in particular only a few degrees from the vertical, and the holder for the hollow profile bar to be bent and the bending tools are located at the lower edge of the support wall. In such a device, it is best to arrange the conveyor on the opposite, that is to say at the upper edge of the support wall and to form it as an overhead conveyor which conveys the spacer frames in a hanging manner. Since the closing tool can be moved up and down to change its distance from the lower edge of the support wall, all you have to do is make the path of movement of the closing tool so long that it can be moved into the area of action of the overhead conveyor, where in a predetermined end position of the closing tool The spacer frame is transferred to the overhead conveyor. The closing tool could in principle be arranged in front of the support wall, but the movement path of the closing tool preferably runs in a cutout of the support wall that runs from bottom to top, so that the locking tool only partially protrudes into the area in front of the support wall, as a result of which the spacer frames can be conveyed unhindered is easier possible. It is best if the movement path of the closing tool is not arranged in a stationary manner, but rather is designed to be movable, so that it and the closing tool can be moved behind the bending plane. This makes it possible to remove the spacer frames after handing them over to the overhead conveyor, not only in a completely unobstructed manner, not only transversely to their own plane, but even in their plane (parallel to the support wall), which is particularly advantageous because then access to the device as a whole and from the front to the bending tools in particular is possible at any time without hindrance.

The overhead conveyor conveniently has hooks as a supporting element for the spacer frames, into which hooks the spacer frames are hung. In order to make hanging the spacer frames particularly easy, the hooks are preferably suspended with their tips swinging directly in front of the bending plane. The advantage of such hooks is that they are deflected by the upper leg of the spacer frame that moves up with the locking tool and then pivot automatically under the upper frame leg. The frame locking tool can then be lowered, placing the spacer frame on the hook.

Figur 1

zeigt die Vorrichtung in der Vorderansicht,

Figur 2

zeigt die Vorrichtung in der Seitenansicht gemäß Pfeil II in Fig. 1,

Figur 3

zeigt die Vorrichtung in der Draufsicht,

Figur 4

zeigt als Detail das Rahmenschließwerkzeug der Vorrichtung in einer Schrägansicht,

Figur 5

zeigt eine Draufsicht auf den vorderen Teil des Rahmenschließwerkzeuges bei abgenommener Verkleidung, und zwar zu einem Zeitpunkt, zu dem der Biegevorgang zur Herstellung eines Abstandhalterrahmens abgeschlossen ist,

Figur 6

zeigt eine Draufsicht auf das Rahmenschließwerkzeug wie in Fig. 5, jedoch mit bereits gespreiztem Abstandhalterrahmen.

Figur 7

zeigt eine Draufsicht auf das Rahmenschließwerkzeug wie in Fig. 5, jedoch mit bereits geschlossenem Abstandhalterrahmen,

Figur 8

zeigt als Detail aus dem Rahmenschließwerkzeug die Anordnung und Einwirkung eines Kerbwerkzeuges, und

Figur 9

zeigt als Detail die Ausbildung und Anordnung von pendelnd aufgehängten Haken eines Überkopfförderers am oberen Rand der Vorrichtung.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1

shows the device in front view,

Figure 2

shows the device in side view according to arrow II in Fig. 1,

Figure 3

shows the device in plan view,

Figure 4

shows as a detail the frame locking tool of the device in an oblique view,

Figure 5

shows a plan view of the front part of the frame closing tool with the panel removed, at a time when the bending process for producing a spacer frame has been completed,

Figure 6

shows a plan view of the frame closing tool as in Fig. 5, but with the spacer frame already spread.

Figure 7

5 shows a plan view of the frame closing tool as in FIG. 5, but with the spacer frame already closed,

Figure 8

shows the arrangement and action as a detail from the frame locking tool a notching tool, and

Figure 9

shows as a detail the design and arrangement of pendulum suspended hooks of an overhead conveyor at the top of the device.

The device has a base frame 1 and on the rear side a centrally arranged column 2 rigidly connected thereto. The base frame 1 has a support wall 3 formed by two plates, which is arranged inclined a few degrees backwards from the vertical and with its front side the bending plane 5 of the device defined. Along the lower horizontal edge of the plate 3, a holder 4 with a support surface 6 running at right angles to the bending plane 5 is provided. The holder 4 is used for receiving hollow profile bars 7, which are to be bent to form spacer frames, and for guiding the hollow profile bars to two bending tools 8 and 9, which are arranged horizontally displaceably along the lower edge of the plates 3 and are mounted on two slides 10 for this purpose . The type and structure of the bending tools are not the subject of the present invention, but rather state of the art and therefore not shown in detail. It can e.g. B. bending tools are used, as described in DE-PS-3 223 881. In the example shown, two bending webs 11 are shown, which can be pivoted up about a little more than 90 ° about axes 12 running at right angles to the bending plane 5 from a horizontal starting position and thereby bend a hollow profile rod lying on the holder 4. To secure against slipping in its longitudinal direction, the hollow profile bar can be additionally clamped in the middle between the bending tools 8 and 9, for. B. by means of a jaw working from above against the holder 4, which is not shown in the drawing. The swivel angle of the bending cheeks 11 is slightly more than 90 ° in order to be able to compensate for their elastic springback by overbending the hollow profile bars.

The two plates 3 are arranged side by side with some distance. In the cutout 13 of the support wall that runs from bottom to top, two mutually parallel running rails 14 are arranged, which run behind the bending plane 5, parallel to the latter, from bottom to top. On these rails 14, a closing tool 15 is mounted movable up and down. When bending a spacer frame, the closing tool is moved to such a height that the ends 19 and 20 of the two free legs 17 and 18 of the spacer frame which are to be connected to one another pivot into the closing tool 15. The two bending tools 8 and 9 are therefore arranged on both sides of the cutout 13 for the closing tool 15; the bending tools 8, 9 are preferably arranged and formed in mirror symmetry with respect to the vertical center plane 21 of the closing tool 15. This then leads to the bending points being symmetrical to the center of the hollow profile rod 7 and the two free legs 17 and 18 pivoting into the closing tool 15 being of equal length.

The two bending tools 8 and 9 expediently work simultaneously, as was explained in the general description part.

The frame closing tool 15 consists essentially of tools for positioning, gripping and connecting the two free legs 17 and 18 of a hollow profile rod and the associated actuating devices, which are accommodated in a housing 22 which has a stem 23 (FIG. 4). In the flat, front housing wall 24, cutouts 25 and 26 are provided above the stem 23, through which various machine elements can be led out of the housing 22 and moved back again.

On the stem 23, two stops 27 and 27a are provided with a stop surface running at right angles to the bending plane 5 and parallel to the holder 4 at a distance from one another. The stop surfaces of the two stops 27 and 27a are aligned with one another. Above the stop 27 there is a guide 28 with a flat sliding surface 29 which faces the bending plane 5 and forms an acute angle α therewith, the distance between the guide 28 and the bending plane 5 increasing from bottom to top. Above the stop 27a there is a deflector 31 which also has a flat sliding surface 32 which, however, in contrast to the sliding surface 29 of the deflector, faces away from the bending plane 5. In its effective position shown in FIG. 4, the sliding surface 32 extends at an acute angle β to the bending plane 5, the angle β opening from top to bottom in contrast to the angle α. Preferably, as shown, the sliding plane 32 is also inclined by an angle α running in a plane perpendicular to the bending plane 5 and intersecting it in a horizontal line; the acute angle α opens in the direction of the guide 28. The inclined sliding surface 32 intersects the bending plane 5. From the effective position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the deflector 31 can be inserted into the housing by means of a pneumatic cylinder 33 arranged in the housing 22 22 be brought in (swiveled).

A vertical stop surface 34 extending perpendicular to the bending plane 5 is formed in front of the side of the deflector 28 adjacent to the deflector 31, and a further stop 35 with a stop surface parallel to the stop surface 34 is provided directly in front of the opposite side of the deflector 31. The stop 35 can be seen in Fig. 5, in Fig. 4 it is covered.

Near the deflector 31, a free-running roller 36 is provided, which by means of a Pneumatic cylinder 37 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis 38 and can be pivoted out of an inactive position in the housing 22 through the cutout 25. The roller 36 serves as a hold-down device, which can press the one free leg 18 of a spacer frame against the stop 27a, but displacement movements in the longitudinal direction of the leg 18 are still easily possible because of the free-running roller 36. Another roller 39 serving as a hold-down device is provided close to the guide 28. The roller 39 can also be pivoted out of an inactive position in the housing 22 by means of a pneumatic cylinder 40 about a horizontal axis 41. It serves to press the other free leg 17 of the spacer frame against the stop 27.

The two stops 27 and 27a are part of two mutually parallel clamping carriages 42 and 43, which can be displaced horizontally in the housing 22 by pneumatic cylinders 85 and 86 to change their mutual distance. The clamping carriage 42 carries the stop 27 on its protruding into the stem 23 forming part of a arranged under the guide 28 clamping jaws 44. The clamping carriage 42 with the clamping jaw 44 can also be approximated to the front housing wall 24 by means of a pneumatic cylinder 46, which takes part in the displacement of the clamping carriage 42 caused by the pneumatic cylinder 85, and can be removed therefrom. The clamping jaws 44, which can be displaced perpendicularly to the bending plane 5 in this way, cooperates with a clamping jaws 47 located opposite it and fixedly arranged in the housing 22. In the clamping slide 42 there is a guide rod 49, which extends perpendicular to the bending plane 5, in an elongated hole 48, which is guided through a slide bearing in the fixed jaw 47 and thus ensures parallel guidance of the movable clamping jaw 44 relative to the fixed clamping jaw 47. The clamping surface of the fixed clamping jaw 47 lies in the working position of the closing tool 15 in the alignment of the bending plane 5. In the alignment of the bending plane 5 or slightly behind it, the front housing wall 24 of the closing tool 15 is also located , part of the other clamping slide 43 forming the stop 27a, a clamping jaw 50 is formed which, by actuating a pneumatic cylinder 52, which takes part in the displacement of the clamping slide 43 caused by the pneumatic cylinder 86, can be approximated and removed from the front housing wall 24 together with the clamping slide 43 . The clamping jaws 50, which can be displaced perpendicular to the bending plane 5 in this way, works together with a clamping jaw 53 arranged in the region of the front housing wall 24 behind the deflector 31, the clamping surface of which is always in the bending plane 5 and which is accessible after the deflector 31 by actuating its pneumatic cylinder 33 was pivoted into the housing 22. Also provided in the carriage 43 is an elongated hole 54 and in this a guide rod 55 running perpendicular to the bending plane 5, which is guided in a slide bearing formed on the fixed clamping jaws 53.

Above the clamping jaw 56, which is displaceable parallel to the bending plane 5, there is also an inclined surface 57 which, in the same way as the sliding surface 29 of the guide, faces the bending plane 5 and also serves as a guide; however, it is set steeper than the sliding surface 29.

A notching tool 60 is also provided between the two clamping carriages 42 and 43, which for reasons of clarity is not shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, but only as a detail in FIG. 8. The notching tool 60 is located at the tip of a pivot lever 61, whose pivot axis 62 is located at the end of a guide rod 63 running perpendicular to the bending plane 5, which is guided in a guide block 64 and is always moved with the movable clamping jaw 44 as a result of a connection, not shown, with the clamping slide 42, but only by half from its displacement, which ensures that when bending hollow profile bars 7 with varying widths, the notching tool is automatically fed to the center of the hollow profile bar 7. The lever 61 is pivoted by means of a pneumatic cylinder 65 via a further guide rod 66 guided in the same guide block 64, which is connected to the pivotable lever 61 via a link 67.

To remove the spacer frame 16, an overhead conveyor 69 is mounted along the upper edge of the two plates 3. The overhead conveyor consists of a horizontal frame 70 which is arranged along the upper edge of the plates 3, is supported thereon and on the central column 2 and projects beyond the outer end of one of the two plates 3. A running rail 71 is formed on the frame 70, which supports an endless roller chain 72, which is deflected and tensioned via toothed wheels 77 to 82 with a vertical axis. One of these gearwheels, for example the gearwheel 82, is driven, at regular intervals bearing blocks 73, in particular those made of plastic, are attached to chain bolts which are extended beyond the upper link plates. A hook 75 is suspended in an oscillating manner in each of these bearing blocks, the oscillating axis 74 being oriented horizontally in the running direction of the chain 72. The hooks 75 are suspended in such a way that their tips 76 abut the plates 3 in the front chain hoist and slide along them.

The device works as follows. A hollow protil rod 7 placed on the holder 4 at the lower edge of the plates 3 and preferably clamped there is initially at two outer bending points by the two bending tools 8 and 9 bent by 90 ° and thereby formed into a U. Then the two bending tools 8 and 9 are moved towards each other and then the hollow section rod 7 is bent again at the two inner bending points by 90 °. When the last two corners are bent, which is preferably carried out simultaneously, the two legs 17 and 18 of the spacer frame 16 to be connected pivot with their ends 19 and 20 into the area of action of the closing tool 15 previously moved to the appropriate height. One limb 17 is brought close to the bending plane 5 coinciding with the front of the tarpaulin 3 by the guide 28, provided that it is not already in contact with the supporting wall formed by the tarpaulin. The front housing wall 24 of the closing tool is in alignment with the bending plane 5 or slightly behind during the entire bending process.

The other free leg 18 of the spacer frame, on the other hand, slides onto the deflector 31 and is thereby removed from the front of the support wall 3 at the end of the bending process. This ensures that the two free ends 19 and 20 do not meet at the end of the bending process, although a connector 58 is already inserted in one of the two ends 19. Figure 5 shows a typical arrangement of the two ends 19 and 20 at the end of the bending process. In this position, the two legs 17 and 18 are pressed by the Niederhaterollen 36 and 39 against the two stops 27a and 27, respectively.

Now the clamping carriage 42 is moved towards the clamping carriage 43 and the clamping carriage 43 is simultaneously moved towards the clamping carriage 42. The guide 27 acts with the stop surface formed on it on the end 20 and the stop 35 attached to the clamping slide 43, initially lying next to the deflector 31, on the end of the connector 58, the spacer frame 16 being spread until its end 20 and the connector 58 no longer overlap each other. This position is shown in Fig. 6. Simultaneously or subsequently, the deflector 31 is pivoted into the housing 22 by actuating the pneumatic cylinder 33. The way is now clear to bring the leg 18 of the spacer frame into alignment with the other leg 17. This is done by closing the gripper formed by the jaws 50 and 53 by actuating the pneumatic cylinder 52. At the same time, the gripper formed by the jaws 44 and 47 is closed by actuating the pneumatic cylinder 46 and clamps the leg 17. The two legs 17 and 18 are now flush with one another. Now the further protruding end of the connector 58 can be inserted into the one end 20 of the hollow profile rod by further bringing the two clamping slides 42 and 43 closer to one another, thereby closing the spacer frame. In principle, it does not matter whether only one clamping carriage or both clamping carriages 42 and 43 are moved. Preferably, only one clamping slide is moved, for example the clamping slide 43, the displacement path of which is expediently chosen to be somewhat larger than the insertion length of the connector 58, so that the connector is pushed in as far as it will go, which is usually provided in its lead. The displacement path of the clamping slide 43 which extends beyond the insertion length manifests itself in a slip which is expediently made possible by the clamping surfaces of the clamping jaws 50 and 53 being made sufficiently smooth. In the case of the other two clamping jaws 44 and 47, on the other hand, slip is not desired, where it is expediently avoided by corrugating the clamping surfaces. After plugging its two legs 19 and 20 together, the spacer frame 16 has the position shown in FIG. 7. In this position, the notching tool 60 is pivoted onto the upper side of the spacer frame by actuating the pneumatic cylinder 65, pressing it in on both sides of the joint 59 formed between the two ends 19 and 20. To make this possible, the plug connector 58 has a corresponding recess at this point.

As soon as the bending tools 8 and 9 have released the finished, but not yet closed spacer frame 16, and as soon as the hold-down rollers 36 and 39 press the legs 17 and 18 against the stops 27 and 27a, the closing tool 15 can begin as a whole, on the running rails 14 drive up along. The operations of positioning and closing the spacer frame can occur during this trip. Shortly before the closing tool 15 reaches its intended upper end position, the upper side of the spacer frame 16 meets the inclined surfaces 76a of the hooks 75 of the overhead conveyor 69. The hooks 75 automatically avoid the upwardly moving spacer frame 16 and fall when they reach the top 76 the hook has moved past, again against the support wall formed by the tarpaulin 3. The hold-down rollers 36 and 38 can now lift off the spacer frame 16 which has been put together and pivot back into the housing 22. At the same time, the jaws 44 and 47 and 50 and 53 can open and release the spacer frame 16. The transfer of the spacer frame to the overhead conveyor 69 takes place in that the closing tool 15 is moved down a piece, whereby the hooks 75 lift the spacer frame 16 out of the area of action of the closing tool. By actuating a pressure medium cylinder 83 acting in the upper region on the running rails 14, the two running rails are now 14 pivoted so far backwards about a lower horizontal axis 84 that the stem 23 of the closing tool completely disappears behind the bending plane 5. The spacer frame 16 can now be conveyed away without hindrance by the closing tool 15 in the direction parallel to the bending plane 5. As soon as the spacer frame 16 has moved out of the area of the closing tool, it can be swiveled forward again into its working position and moved into the appropriate height position for the next spacer frame to be produced.

Claims (17)

1. A process of manufacturing a rectangular spacer frame for insulating glass, in which

   a) a plug connector is inserted into one end of the tubular bar;

   b) the tubular bar is bent four times in a bending plane whereby during the final bending phase the frame bars are over-bended and one of the ends or both of the ends of the bent tubular bar are deflected out of the bending plane thus forming a lateral offset;

   c) the bent tubular bar (frame) is spread so that the ends of the frame do no longer overlap;

   d) the ends of the frame are gripped and moved into axial alignment with each other;

   e) the ends of the frame are connected by inserting the plug connector into the opposite end of the frame,

   and in which all the afore-mentioned steps are mechanically carried out in the same machine.
2. An apparatus for manufacturing a rectangular spacer frame for insulating glass in that a tubular bar is bent four times in a common bending plane and its ends are joined to each other by the process according to any of the following processes:

   a) Process of manufacturing such a spacer frame, in which only one or two of the end portions of the tubular bar is or are deflected out of the bending plane so that said end portions are laterally spaced apart, and said end portions are then gripped, moved into axial alignment with each other, and joined to each other;

   b) process according to a) in which only one of the two ends is deflected,

   c) process according to a) in which the end or the two ends of the tubular bar is or are deflected during the last bending operation,

   d) process according to c) in which the end or the two ends of the tubular bar is or are deflected during the final phase of the last bending operation,

   e) process according to a) in which the ends are joined by means of a plug connector, which is inserted into one end and is inserted into the opposite end of the tubular bar after the bending operation and the positioning,

   comprising a horizontal or inclined backing wall having an edge at which a holder for a tubular bar to be bent and one or more bending tools having a bending plane which coincides with the top side of the backing wall are disposed,
   characterised in that a frame-closing tool (15) is provided, which is displaceable parallel to the backing wall (3) to vary the distance of the closing tool from the holder (4) and the bending tools (8, 9) and which comprises means (31) for deflecting one end (20) of the tubular bar (7) out of the bending plane (5) as the two ends (19,20) of the tubular bar approach each other,

   the closing tool (15) comprises positioning means (27, 27a; 34, 35; 44, 47; 50, 53) for positioning the ends (19,20) of the tubular bars so that said ends are opposite to and aligned with each other,

   and two grippers (44, 47; 50, 53), which are movable towards each other parallel to the bending plane (5) and are adapted to approach the thus positioned ends (19, 20) of the tubular bar to each other.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that one or more stops (27, 27a) are provided on the same level on the closing tool (15) and are engaged on the inside surface of the frame by the frame bars (17, 18) which are to be joined.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that two holding-down rollers (36, 39) are provided on the closing tool (15) and serve to force the two frame bars (17, 18) which are to be joined to the stop or stops (27, 27a) and said holding-down rollers are pivotally movable from an ineffective end position behind the bending plane (5) against the frame bars (17, 18) which lie on the stops (27, 27a).
5. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that an indenting tool (60) is provided on the closing tool (15) between the grippers (44, 47; 50, 53) and is pivotally movable against the stop or stops (27, 27a) from an ineffective end position behind the bending plane (5).
6. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that a deflector (31) for deflecting one end (20) of the tubular bar (7) is provided and is retractable behind the bending plane (5) and has a sliding surface (32), that frame bar (18), which comprises the end (20) to be deflected, slides up on that sliding surface (32) during the bending operation, and the sliding surface (32) is so oblique to the bending plane (5) that the sliding surface will lift the frame bar (18) from the backing wall (3) as that frame bar slides on the sliding surface.
7. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the closing tool (15) is provided with an inguiding member (28), which has a sliding surface (29), that frame bar (17) which comprises the other end (19) of the tubular bar (7) slides up on said guiding surface (29) during the bending operation, and the sliding surface (29) is so oblique to the bending plane (5) that the sliding surface (29) guides the frame bar (17) against the backing wall (3) as said frame bar (17) slides up on the sliding surface (29).
8. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the closing tool (15) is provided with two limit stops (34, 35) for the two ends (19, 20) of the tubular bar (7), which limit stops (34, 35) are spaced a variable distance from each other.
9. An apparatus according to claims 6 , 7 , and 8 , characterized in that one limit stop (34) is provided on that side of the inguiding member (28) which is adjacent to the deflector (31) and the other limit stop (35) is arranged in front of that side of the deflector (31) which is adjacent to the inguiding member (28).
10. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the two grippers (44, 47; 50, 53) consists of two pairs of gripping jaws, one jaw (47, 53) of each pair has a clamping surface lying in the bending plane (5) and the opposite jaw (44, 50) of each pair disposed in front of the bending plane (5) at a variable distance therefrom.
11. An apparatus according to claims 7 and 10, characterized in that the deflector is the movable gripping jaw or is disposed in front of the movable gripping jaw when viewed in the direction from the closing tool (15) to the holder (4).
12. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the backing wall (3) is inclined and the holder (4) for the tubular bar (7) to be bent extends along the bottom edge of the backing wall (3),

    an overhead conveyor (69) for carrying off the joined spacer frames (16) extends along the opposite edge of the backing wall (3),

    and the path of movement (14) for the closing tool (15) extends to the level of the path of conveyance of the overhead conveyor (69) so that the closing tool can transfer the spacer frames (16) to the overhead conveyor (69).
13. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the path of movement (14) of the closing tool (15) extends in an aperture (13), which is formed in the backing wall (3) and extends from bottom to top.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the path of movement (14) of the closing tool (15) is displaceable behind the bending plane (5).
15. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the overhead conveyor (69) comprises hooks (75), which are suspended like a pendulum and constitute carrying elements for the spacer frames (16) and have a tip (76) in contact with the backing wall (3).
16. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the backing wall (3) is inclined only a few degrees toward the vertical.
17. An apparatus according to claims 10 and 14, characterized in that the path of conveyance of the overhead conveyor (69) is parallel to the backing wall (3).

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