EP0659497B1 - Device for debulging the edges of gas cylinders - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a novel design for a device for aligning the base rings of gas cylinders. The device comprises at least two tool parts, which act in the manner of clamping jaws and between which the base ring is arranged during the aligning process. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for aligning foot rings for gas cylinders.

Gas bottles, which are made of steel and hold a gas under pressure, are used in particular in the commercial sector for a wide variety of purposes. Since such gas bottles have a domed bottom, they are provided with a foot ring which protrudes above the bottom, which enables the gas bottle in question to be set up. These foot rings are often damaged or deformed, for example, during transportation or when parking the gas bottles. If the foot ring is deformed, however, it is no longer possible to park the gas bottle in a safe place.

It is therefore common today for damaged foot rings to be separated from the respective gas bottle and replaced by welding on a new foot ring. This work is complex and expensive. In addition, there is also the risk that the heat developed during welding changes the structure of the material of the gas bottle.

A device for aligning foot rings of gas bottles according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from EP-A-0546478.

The object of the invention is to provide a device with which the alignment of damaged or deformed foot rings of gas cylinders is possible with the required precision in a simple and rational manner.

To solve this problem, a device is designed according to claim 1.

Basically, in a device according to the invention, the alignment of a foot ring takes place in one or more work steps such that in a first step the gas bottle with a damaged part of the foot ring is inserted into the opened tool, ie into the gap between the tool parts in the starting position is that the tool is then closed in a second step, so that the Foot ring is clamped at its damaged area between the tool parts, the outer tool surface resting against the outer surface of the foot ring and the inner tool surface against the inner surface of the foot ring, namely initially against a partial area of this inner surface that is spaced from the lower edge area of the foot ring located. In a third step, the at least one inner tool part is then moved in the direction of the device axis and thus also in the direction of the axis of the foot ring from an initial position into an end position, so that the inner tool surface in the axial direction on the inner surface of the foot ring slides and thereby aligns the damaged area of the foot ring over the entire axial length.

It is essential in the device according to the invention that the tool parts are not only movable like jaws relative to each other for opening and closing the tool formed by the tool parts radially to the device axis, but at the same time actuating means are also provided to move the inner tool part in the direction of the tool axis between a starting position and To move end position. Only in this way can bent foot rings of gas cylinders be aligned or restored, in particular also with regard to the inwardly shaped edge provided for these foot rings.

In a preferred embodiment, the nose or the shaped surface which is provided on that side of the inner tool surface which leads during the lifting movement from the starting position into the end position in a radial plane including the device axis has a curvature which is equal to the curvature of the Inside of the lower edge area of the foot ring. This convexly curved nose is then assigned a concavely curved shaped surface on the outer tool surface, so that the In the third working step, the shape of the lower, inwardly curved edge area of the foot ring is restored.

Developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

in vereinfachter Teildarstellung das untere Ende einer Gasflasche;

Fig. 2

in vereinfachter Darstellung und in Draufsicht eine Vorrichtung gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 3

in vereinfachter Darstellung einen Schnitt entsprechend der Linie I - I der Figur 2;

Fig. 4

in vergrößerter Darstellung die den Fußring einer Gasflasche ausrichtenden Werkzeugteile der Vorrichtung der Figuren 2 und 3 bei geschlossenen Werkzeugteilen und bei zwischen diesen angeordneten, ausgerichteten Fußring;

Fig. 5

in vereinfachter Darstellung und in Draufsicht eine weitere mögliche Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 6

einen Schnitt entsprechend der Linie II - II der Figur 5.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures using exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a simplified partial representation the lower end of a gas bottle;

Fig. 2

in a simplified representation and in plan view a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3

in a simplified representation a section along the line I - I of Figure 2;

Fig. 4

in an enlarged view the tool parts of the device of FIGS. 2 and 3 aligning the foot ring of a gas bottle with closed tool parts and with an aligned foot ring arranged between them;

Fig. 5

in a simplified representation and in plan view a further possible embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 6

a section along the line II - II of Figure 5.

In the figures, 1 is a gas bottle of conventional and known design, which is used to hold a gas under pressure and is provided on the underside, ie in the area of the curved bottom 2, with a foot ring 3, which is used to place the gas bottle 1 on a surface serves. The essentially circular or hollow cylindrical foot ring 3 is in a known manner at its upper Edge connected to the gas bottle 1 by welding and forms on its underside an edge area 4, on which the foot ring 3 is formed or bent inwards with a certain radius.

For example, when using and / or when parking and / or transporting a gas bottle 1, it may happen that the foot ring 3 is damaged at its lower edge, e.g. is bent radially inwards, as is indicated in FIG. 1 by the broken line 3 '. By bending the foot ring 3 in this way, it loses its function as a foot or stand element for the gas bottle 1, i.e. the latter can no longer or no longer be set up with the required security without the risk of tipping over.

FIGS. 2-4 show a device with which it is possible to align a bent foot ring 3 in such a way that it in turn has its original shape.

The device 5 consists essentially of a device frame 6 with an upper, horizontal plate-shaped table 7. In the table in the region of a vertical device axis V, a circular opening 8 is provided, through which a tool holder 9 with an inner, jaw-like tool part 10 over the top of the Table 7 protrudes. The tool holder 9 is essentially cup-shaped, with a bottom section 9 'which lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis V and with a circular-cylindrical edge 9''from which the tool part 10 is machined, in such a way that this edge 9 '' only protrudes upwards above the bottom 9 'where the tool part 10 is formed. In a plan view of the device 5, the tool part 10 accordingly has a ring segment-like shape, in the embodiment shown in such a way that the angular length of the tool part is 90 ° or less with respect to the axis V.

The tool carrier 9 is guided in a guide 11 which is provided on the underside of the table 7 and, in the embodiment shown, consists of a pipe section arranged coaxially with the axis V.

On the side lying on the outside with respect to the axis V, the tool part 10 has a convex curvature, specifically in accordance with the cylinder surface of a circular cylinder enclosing the axis V with the same axis. Furthermore, the tool part 10 has a likewise cylindrical inner surface 13 facing the axis V, which is supported against a plate-like guide piece 14 fastened to the table 7.

On the outer surface 12, the workpiece part 10 is further provided with a recess 15, the shape of which is shown in particular in FIGS. 3 and 4, i.e. the recess 15 has an inclined surface or conical surface 16 which is formed by the surface of an imaginary cone which is arranged coaxially with the axis V and tapers upwards. Furthermore, the recess 15 is shaped or undercut so that in the upper region of this recess 15 a strip-like nose 17 protruding into it is formed, which is arranged on an imaginary annular surface which also concentrically surrounds the axis V and, on the one hand, in one to the nose 17 merges with the circular-cylindrical partial region of the outer surface 12 (tool surface 12 ') and in the region of the recess into an oblique or annular surface 18, which is also formed by the surface of an imaginary truncated cone which is arranged coaxially with the axis V. The radius which the nose 17 has in the vertical section including the axis V according to FIG. 3 corresponds to that radius of curvature which the properly shaped edge region 4 has on its inner surface.

With the help of a hydraulic cylinder 22 arranged below the table 7 in the guide 11, the tool carrier 9 is in the direction of the axis V by a predetermined stroke from the raised position shown in FIG. 3, in which the Nose 17 has a greater distance from the plane of the top of the table 7, movable into a lower stroke position in which the distance between the nose 17 and the plane of the top of the table 7 is approximately the material thickness of the material used for the foot ring 3 (sheet steel ) corresponds to or is slightly less than this material thickness.

The radius of curvature that the tool part 10 has on its outer surface 12 or on the partial region 12 ′ corresponds approximately to half the inner diameter of the foot ring 3.

At the top of the table 7, an outer tool part 19 is slidably guided radially to the axis V, which lies opposite the inner tool part 10 radially to the axis V and forms a convexly curved tool surface 20 on its side facing the tool part 10, which surface is coaxial with the surface Axis V or circular cylinder arranged parallel to this axis corresponds to a radius which is approximately half the outer diameter of the foot ring 3. In the lower area, the tool surface 20 is also convexly curved in a vertical sectional plane, which includes the axis V, as indicated at 21 in FIGS. 3 and 4. The radius of curvature of the curvature 21 corresponds to the radius of curvature which the edge region 4 has on its outer surface in the proper state. The tool parts 10 and 19 form a tool.

By means of a hydraulic actuating cylinder 23, the tool part 19 can be moved from a first position, in which this tool part has a greater distance from the tool part 10, into a working position in which the tool surface 20 in the tool part 10 or the tool surface 12 'located there is directly adjacent .

A further tool part 19 'is provided in the tool part 19 with respect to the axis V diametrically opposite on the table 7. This is firmly connected to the table 7, has the same shape as the tool part 19 and is facing the tool surface 20 of the axis V at a distance that is equal to or approximately equal to half the outer diameter of the foot ring 3.

To align a bent foot ring 3, this is bent with its bent region 3 'into the open tool or into the open, i.e. spaced-apart tool parts 10 and 19 and inserted into the gap formed between these tool parts. The tool carrier 9 is in its upper stroke position. The tool is then closed, i.e. the tool part 19 is moved radially towards the tool part 10 with the aid of the cylinder 22, so that the foot ring 3 or the bent region 3 'is increasingly clamped between the jaw-like tool parts 10 and 19 and the cylinder shape of the foot ring 3 at least in the upper part of the foot ring again will be produced. When the tool is completely closed, these tool parts 10 and 19 are then approximated to such an extent that the foot ring 3 is firmly clamped between them. The axis of the foot ring 3 is coaxial with the axis V.

In a next step, the tool carrier 9 and, with this, the tool part 10 are moved into the lower stroke position by actuating the cylinder 22, with the tool part 19 which is still in contact with the force of the lifting cylinder 23 against the outer surface of the foot ring 3 through the tool surfaces 12 'and 20 the circular cylindrical shape of the foot ring 3 is also restored in the lower part of this foot ring and by the nose 17 and the curvature 21, which in the lower lifting position of the tool carrier 9 also against the inner surface (nose 17) or outer surface (curvature 21) of the foot ring 3 rest, the curved edge region 4 is restored in its shape. In this process step, the sloping surface 16 also presses the lower part of the foot ring 3 radially outward with respect to the axis of the gas bottle 1, but in particular also a possibly deformed or rolled up edge area 4 is rolled back into the original shape by rolling it in.

In the manner described, a bent foot ring 3 can be used in a single operation if the bent area 3 'only makes up a part of the circumference of this foot ring, or if the bent area of the foot ring 3 makes up a larger part of the circumference, in be aligned again in several successive work steps.

It is understood that when the tool part 19 is in the working position, the distance that the tool surface 20 has from the axis V is approximately equal to half the outer diameter of the foot ring 3.

Figures 5 and 6 show a device 5a, which essentially differs from the device 6 only in that instead of a circular segment-like outer tool part 19, an axis V to an angular range of 360 ^o enclosing annular tool part 19a with the axis V also fully enclosing annular tool surface 20a is fixedly provided on the table 7, and that instead of a single inner tool part 10 several, ie a total of three inner tool parts 10a are provided in the special embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, which are distributed at uniform angular intervals around the axis V. and have on the radially outer side the tool surface 12 'with the recess 15 forming the nose 17. It goes without saying that the tool part 19a has a curvature 21a at the lower region of the tool surface 20a, which corresponds to the curvature 21, but is designed as a closed ring surface enclosing the axis V.

The inner tool parts 10a can each be moved radially to the axis V on a tool carrier 24, which can be moved up and down by the lifting cylinder 22 and guided in a guide 25 in the direction of the axis V, from a starting position in that the tool surface 12 'of each tool part 10a is at a greater distance from the tool surface 20a in a working position in which each tool part 10a with its tool surface 12 'pressed against the inner surface of a foot ring 3 to be aligned.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide 25 is a tube-like housing which is arranged with its axis coaxially with the axis V and with its upper region projecting above the top of the table 7 also forms the outer, annular tool part 19a .

The tool parts 10a are further designed such that they each engage with a section 27 behind the tool carrier 24, which also serves as a guide piece for the tool parts 10 in the radial direction.

The cylinders 26 are screwed into the housing or into the guide 25 with their cylinder housing in such a way that their axis is radial to the axis V. The piston rods of the cylinders 26 engage vertical sections 28 of the respective tool part 19a, specifically on guides which, despite the arrangement of the cylinders 26 on the guide 25 or on the housing, enable the vertical stroke of the tool carrier 24 with the tool parts 19a. In the simplest case, these guides are elongated holes in the vertical sections 28.

The device 5a makes it possible to align a deformed or bent foot ring 3 over the entire circumference in one work step, this work step again comprising essentially three work steps, namely the insertion of the foot ring 3 into the tool, the moving of the tool parts 10a towards the tool part 19a and thereby aligning the respective foot ring 10 in the upper area, if this is necessary. In the third step, the tool parts 10a are then moved downwards from their upper position in the vertical direction, again with tool parts 10a still pressed against the inner surface of the foot ring 3, so that the foot ring 3 is over its the entire axial length is shaped back into the shape of a circular cylinder, the edge region 4 then being shaped or aligned again at the end of the vertical lifting movement by the lugs 17 and the curvature 21a.

Common to the aforementioned embodiments is that the axial width of the tool surface 12 ', i.e. the width of this tool surface in the direction of the axis V is substantially smaller than the axial width of the tool surface 20 or 20a. Furthermore, the axial width of the tool surface 20 or 20a is chosen to be approximately the same or slightly smaller than the axial length of the foot ring 3.

Furthermore, the described embodiments have in common that, in the upper stroke position of the tool parts 10 and 10a, the respective tool surface 12 'lies opposite in the upper part of the tool surface 20 and 20a.

It is understood that in the device 5a, the inner tool parts 10a are movable radially to the axis V by a stroke which is greater than the radial distance between the inner, free edge line 4 'of the edge region 4 and the outer surface of the foot ring 3, so that in the starting position, the tool surfaces 12 'of the tool parts 10a have a radial distance from the axis V which is smaller than the corresponding radial distance of the inner free edge 4', so that when the tool is open, the foot ring 3 in the between the tool parts 10a and 19a formed tool gap easily introduced and in particular can be easily removed from the opened tool even after alignment.

It is further understood that in devices 5 and 5a the gas bottle 1 is aligned with the axis V when the foot ring 3 is aligned with its axis.

In principle, it may be necessary for the deformed foot ring 3 to be pre-aligned in the device 5a, for example in a device 5 corresponding to the device Device in which, however, the curvature or the shape region 21 is not provided on the tool parts 19 and 19 '.

Reference list

1

gas bottle

2nd

ground

3rd

anklet

3 '

damaged area

4th

Edge area

4 '

Borderline

5

contraption

5a

contraption

6

Fixture rack

7

table

8th

opening

9

Tool carrier

10, 10a

Tool

11

guide

12th

Outside surface

12 '

Tool surface

13

Inner surface

14

Guide piece

15

Recess

16

Cone surface

17th

nose

18th

Undercut area

19, 19 ', 19a

Tool part

20, 20a

Tool surface

21, 21a

curvature

22, 23

cylinder

24th

Tool carrier

25th

guide

26

cylinder

27, 28

section

Claims (10)

1. Device for aligning the base rings (3) of gas bottles (1), which has at least two tools parts (10, 10a; 19, 19a) fitted to a machine frame (6), of which tool parts at least one first tool part (10, 10a) forms an inner tool part with an inner tool face (12') and at least one tool part (19, 91a) forms an outer tool part with an outer tool face (20, 20a) which is formed convex in relation to the device axis (V), this outer tool face facing the inner tool face (12'), by means of at least one activating element (23, 26) with which the inner and outer tool parts (10, 10a; 19, 19a) are movable relative to one another in the manner of chucking jaws, for the purpose of closing and opening the tool formed by the tool parts, with the tool parts forming between their tool faces (12', 20, 20a) an operating gap which is open at one top or front face of the tool for the insertion of the base ring (3), the inner tool part forming an inner tool face (12') which is formed convex relative to a device axis (V), the tool parts forming between themselves a ring-shaped operating gap, and with a further activating element (22) being provided in order to move the at least one inner tool part (10, 10a) in the direction of the device axis (V) between a starting position and an end position,
   characterised by the fact that
   the at least one inner tool part (10, 10a) has, on an outer side (12) forming the inner tool face (12'), a recess (15) which, undercut, is formed in such a way that the inner tool face (12'), at its edge which leads, during the stroke movement, from the starting position to the end position, changes into a nose or a nose-like shaping zone (17) to effect shaping of an inwards-bent edge zone (4) of the base ring (3).
2. Device in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the fact that the at least one activating element for opening and closing the tool and/or the at least one activating element for the stroke movement is a hydraulic cylinder (22, 23, 26).
3. Device in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact that the device axis is a vertical axis (V).
4. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised by the fact that the recess (15), on its side opposite to the nose (17), forms a slanting or conical surface (16), which, in the direction of the stroke movement of the inner tool part (10, 10a) from the starting position to the end position, has an increasing distance from the device axis (V).
5. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that the inner tool face (12') has, in the direction of the stroke, a width which is smaller than the corresponding width of the outer tool face (20, 20a).
6. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised by the fact that on the outer tool face (20, 20a) a bend or a bent section (21, 21a) is provided for, which is bent concave in radial planes including the device axis (V), and directly opposite which lies the nose (17) in the end position of the stroke movement of the inner tool part (10, 10a).
7. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised by the fact that the at least one inner tool part (10, 10a) and/or the at least one outer tool part (19, 19a), are shaped like a ring segment at least in the area of the tool faces (12', 20).
8. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised by the fact that several inner tool parts (10a) are envisaged, distributed around the device axis (V).
9. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised by the fact that the outer tool part (19a) forms a closed, ring-shaped tool face (20).
10. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised by the fact that the inner tool part (10, 10a) has a nose-like shaping zone which, in a cross-section plane including the device axis (V), has a convex cross section curved in the shape of an arc of a circle.

Images