EP0295224A2

EP0295224A2 - Electrically operated pliers, particularly designed for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like

Info

Publication number: EP0295224A2
Application number: EP88830254A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Nunzio Auletta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-11
Filing date: 1988-06-09
Publication date: 1988-12-14
Also published as: EP0295224A3; IT8720883A0; IT1205140B

Abstract

The present invention relates to electrically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, which comprise a driving assembly (1) which can be selectively operated for advancing an iron wire length and rotating a pair of jaws (22) for holding and cutting the iron wire length (14).

The jaw (22) pair is rotatably supported by a pliers body (21), provided with driving means for opening and closing the jaws (22).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to electrically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like.
As is known, in many industrial fields one has to twist and cut iron wire lengths in order to carry out binding and the like operations.
Presently this operation is performed by conventional means which practically consist of pliers and a cutter by means of which the operator cuts the desired iron wire length in order to subsequently carry out the binding operation, by twisting the iron wire length about the elements to be bound.
This operation is mainly carried out for making cages and the like, for making reinforced concrete frames where a great number of iron rods must be bound so as to form the reinforcing cage having the desired size and arrangement.
As it should be apparent, the successive repetition of these operations, even if they are rather simple, is very fatiguing for the operator and, moreover, a comparatively long time is required thereby causing the making cost to remarkably increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the task of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks by providing electrically operated pliers, for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, which afford the possibility of carrying out iron wire length binding and twisting operations, in a very quick and simple way and by a succession of substantially automatic operations.
Within the scope of the above mentioned task, a main object of the present invention is to provide electrically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, which afford the possibily of carrying out all of the binding operations with a very small physical effort and which, moreover, are able of remarkably reduce the binding operation times.
Another object of the present invention is to provide electrically operated pliers which can be easily handled and having a very small weight and size, in each case much smaller than those of conventional tools.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide electrically operated pliers, for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like which are very reliable and safe in operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide electrically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, which can be easily made starting from easily commercially available elements and materials and which, moreover, are very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned task and object, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by electrically operated pliers, for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, characterized in that said pliers comprise a driving assembly, which can be selectively actuated for advancing an iron wire length and rotating a pair of jaws for holding and cutting said iron wire length, said jaw pair being rotatably supported by a pliers body, provided with driving means for opening and closing said jaws.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description of a preferred though not exclusive embodiment of elec trically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view illustrating the pliers body according to the invention;
Figure 2 illustrates the pliers body as partially sectioned;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of that same pliers body which has been shown coupled to the driving assembly;
Figure 4 shows the pliers body with the driving assembly coupled thereto, during the step of twisting an iron wire length;
Figure 5 is a top plan view illustrating that same pliers body;
Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating the manner for using the subject pliers, and showing in detail the supporting assembly which supports the iron wire supplying bobbin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the above mentioned Figures, the electrically operated pliers for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, accord ing to the invention, comprise a driving assembly, which is overally indicated at the reference number 1, which substantially comprises a box-like envelope or casing 2, in the inside of which there is housed an electrically battery 3 for supplying an electric motor 4.
This electric motor 4 operates an output shaft 5 therein a biconical gear is keyed. In particular, the output shaft 5 can be axially displaced under the control of a relay 7, in such a way that it can be selectively coupled to a mechanism for advancing the iron wire length or to a mechanism for rotating gripping jaws as it will become more apparent thereinafter.
More specifically, the mechanism for advancing said iron wire length comprises a bevel or conical pignon 10 which meshes with the bottom portion 6a of the biconical gear 6 as the shaft 5 is arranged at its bottom or lower position.
A worm screw 11 is rotatively rigid with said bevel pignon 10, said worm screw 11 meshing with a worm gear 12 which, in turn, is coupled to an entraining roller 13 adapted to cause said iron wire length 14 to advance, the iron wire length 14 being supplied by a supplying bobbin or roll which, advantageously, can be housed within a casing 14 having means for coupling to the operator belt.
The iron wire length 14 is introduced into a flexible portion 20 which is coupled to a pliers body 21, in order to arrive at a region affected by an opposite jaw pair 22.
The jaws 22 consist of lever elements, pivoted at 23 at their intermediate portion, to a fixed sleeve 24 which forms the front portion of the pliers body 21.
At their operating ends, the jaws 22 are provided with cutting blades 25 which, advantageously, are of the interexchangeable type.
The driving assembly 1 is adapted to rotate said jaws, through a bevel gear 30 adapted to be coupled to the top portion 6b of the biconical gear 6, by means of an axial displacement of the shaft 5.
More specifically, the gear 30 is rigid with the flexible portion or duct 20 which, in turn, is coupled to said jaw 22 pair, said jaws 22 being caused to rotate about their axis as said flexible duct 20 is rotated.
The pliers body comprises, inside said fixed sleeve 24, a further axially sliding sleeve 40 and is provided, at one end thereof, with a rack tooth portion 41 engaging with a toothed sector 42 of a driving lever 43 provided on the pliers body 21.
The driving lever 43 can be operated so as to cause said sleeve 40 to axially traslate, and, more specifically, by depressing said lever 43 said sleeve 40 is displaced toward the jaws 22.
The sleeve 40 at its front end portion is provided with a pushing cone 25, acting against the inner ends 26 of the jaws 22, in such a manner as to cause said jaws to rotate towards one another.
By slightly pressing on the driving lever 43, the jaws 22 are caused to approach to one another so as to hold the iron wire therebetween.
By pressing on said lever with a greater force, the cutting blades 25 will cut the iron wire.
The driving assembly is controlled through a first push-button 50, provided on the pliers body, for advancing said wire length and through a second push-button 52 for rotating the jaws 22.
During the operation, the first push-button 50 is firstly actuated for operating the electric motor 4 so as to cause said wire length 14 to ad vance for the desired amount.
After having removed from the pliers body said wire length 14, having the desired length, said wire is caused to pass, with an eyelet form, about the elements to be bound, generally indicated at 60 in Figure 4, and the free end of said wire is introducted again between the jaws 22 which jaws are in their open condition.
After having carried out this preliminary operating step, the driving lever 43 is actuated so as to cause said jaws to hold both the free end of the wire and the wire portion which is yet coupled to the supplying bobbin.
After having closed the wire with an eyelet or loop form, with its end held by said jaws, the second push-button 52 is operated which, through the bevel gear 30 and flexible duct 20 will turn said jaws 22 about their axis and said jaws, by holding the wire, will perform the twisting step in which the iron length is twisted about the element to be bound.
After this twisting operation, it will be sufficient to stop the jaws and press with a greater force on the operating or driving lever 43 which, by further closing the jaws 42, owing to a deeper insertion of the cone 26 between the end portion 27 of said jaws, will cut said iron wire length.
After having cut the wire, the electrically operated pliers according to the invention will be ready for twisting and cutting any wire lengths.
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended task and objects.
In particular, the fact is to be pointed out that there has been provided a very useful and simple tool which affords the possibility of carrying out in a very simple and quick way all of the operations of supplying the wire length, twisting it and cutting it.
Another important feature of the invention is that the electric motor is supplied by the battery arranged inside the driving assembly, thereby obviating for the need of having dangerous electric connections.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to many modifications and variations all of which will enter within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Electrically operated pliers, for twisting and cutting iron wire lengths and the like, characterized in that said pliers comprise a driving assembly (1), which can be selectively actuated for advancing an iron wire length (14) and for rotating a pair of jaws (22) for holding and cutting said iron wire length, said jaw pair (22) being rotatably supported by a pliers body, provided with driving means for opening and closing said jaws.

2. Electrically operated pliers according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said driving assembly (1) comprises an electric motor (4), operated by a battery (3) and having an output shaft (5) thereon there is keyed a biconical gear (6) which can be selectively engaged with the wire advancing assembly and the jaw (22) rotating assembly.

3. Electrically operated pliers according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric motor shaft (5) can be axially displaced under the control of a control relay (7).

4. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wire advancing assembly comprises a bevel pignon (10) meshing with the lower portion (6a) of said biconical gear, said bevel pignon (10) being rigid in rotation with a worm screw (11) meshing with a worm gear (12), a roller (13) for advancing said wire length (14) being arranged opposite to said worm gear (12).

5. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wire length (14) is supplied by a supplying bobbin, housed inside a casing (15) adapted to be coupled to the operator belt.

6. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supplied wire length (14) is introduced into a flexible duct (20), for coupling to the pliers body (21), said flexible duct being rigid in rotation with said jaws (22).

7. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said jaws (22) are pivoted (at 23) at an intermediate portion thereof to a fixed sleeve (24) provided at the front portion of said pliers body (21).

8. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, charac terized in that said jaws (22) are provided, at their operating end portions, with interexchangeable cutting blades (25) adapted to hold and cut said wire length.

9. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said driving assembly (1) for rotating said jaws comprises a conical or bevel gear (30) meshing with the top portion (66) of said biconical gear (6), said bevel gear (30) being rigid with said flexible duct (20) for rotating it.

10. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said driving means for opening and closing said jaws (22) comprise a sliding sleeve (40), housed inside said fixed sleeve of said pliers body, said sliding sleeve being provided, at the end thereof facing said jaws, with a cone member adapted to be inserted between the inner end portion of said jaws, said sliding sleeve being adapted to axially slide in order to close said jaws.

11. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, cha racterized in that they comprise a rack portion (41) formed on said sliding sleeve (40), with said rack portion (41) a toothed sector meshing, said toothed sector being formed on an operating lever (43) associated with said pliers body (21) and being adapted to be operated by a first small pressing step in order to cause said jaws to approach to one another and hold said wire length and by a greater pressure in order to cut said wire length.

12. Electrically operated pliers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that they comprise a first push-button (50) and a second push-button (52), provided on said pliers body (21) and adapted to be operated for selectively causing said wire length (14) to advance or said jaws (22) to rotate.