EP1123758A1 - Bending device for a press - Google Patents

Abstract

A folding station is part of a tool to follow and allows to fold, on press and in a single descent of the slide, simultaneously the lateral branches of a U-profile to make this profile adopt an isosceles triangle shape open at the top. The station comprises, under the main body (6) of the punch (4), two hanging blades (11, 12), these blades being integral with at least one pair of end links (15, 16). A conjugated side table (20) is part of the matrix (5) and forces the links (11, 12) to move apart from one another in an inverted V. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a station which is part of a tool for follow intended to perform the folding, on press, of a thin metal plate, precut and preformed, for the production of a folded profile and closed by recovery.

State of the art

It is known to perform this kind of folding using a tool to follow which comprises inter alia at least one folding station intended to obtain a profile U-shaped section. This station is followed by a large number of folding stations successive to very gradually fold one of the two branches of the U, then the other side branch of the U, until finally reaching the shape we want achieve.

This has the disadvantage of requiring a total of ten successive posts, which is penalizing as well from the point of view of the size of the tool to be monitored as its cost in production and use.

We also know from patent FR-2,739,580 a post of folding comprising a punch whose lower end carries two blades transverse, fixed by means of two parallel axes. On each of these two blades is hinged a flat-faced shoe, which is also placed on the plate to fold up. A matrix is fixed on the sole of the press and comprises on the one hand articulated means, which face the flat faces of the hooves carried by the punch, and which are used to close these two blades at an angle given opening, and on the other hand a movable table mounted on a elastic repulsion. This table sinks telescopically into a cavity of the matrix and under the pressure of the two hooves and articulated means corresponding.

This folding station is specifically used to ensure folding laminates, and furthermore it only allows for V-shaped bends at tip pointing down.

Summary of the invention

The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks, and proposes for this a single position, which is part of a tool to follow, and in which is carried out a single descent of the press slide, partial folding and simultaneous of the two lateral branches of the U-profile towards each other to form a substantially isosceles triangle but open at its end superior.

It relates for this purpose to a folding station which is part of a tool to follow for folding a metal plate on a press thin, precut and preformed, for the production of a folded profile and closed by covering, this plate having already been folded according to a U-section profile in one or more previous posts of the tool to follow.

• un poinçon fixé au coulisseau de la presse et dont l'extrémité inférieure porte deux lames transversales qui sont fixées de manière pendulaire sur celui-ci au moyen de deux axes parallèles,
• une matrice fixée sur la semelle de la presse et comprenant d'une part des moyens, qui se combinent avec des moyens conjugués portés par le poinçon, pour ouvrir ces deux lames selon un angle d'ouverture donné qui correspond à l'angle au sommet dudit triangle, et comprenant d'autre part une table mobile montée sur un organe de répulsion élastique, cette table s'enfonçant, de manière télescopique et sous la pression des deux lames alors ouvertes, dans une cavité correspondante de la matrice, cette cavité étant de longueur inférieure à celle hors-tout de la branche horizontale du profilé en U d'une valeur sensiblement égale à deux fois l'épaisseur de la plaque à replier, forçant alors les deux branches latérales du profilé en U à continuer à se replier l'une vers l'autre pour venir se plaquer contre ces lames,

   de sorte que, lorsque le coulisseau remonte ensuite, les lames se libèrent d'elles-mêmes desdits moyens d'ouverture et reviennent pendre sous le poinçon, ce qui leur permet de passer alors par l'ouverture restante au sommet dudit triangle et donc de se dégager de la plaque ainsi partiellement repliée.According to the present invention, the folding station is characterized in that it comprises, in order to effect, in a single descent of the press slide, a partial and simultaneous folding of the two lateral branches of the U-shaped profile l 'towards each other to form a substantially isosceles triangle open at its top:

• a punch fixed to the press slide and the lower end of which carries two transverse blades which are fixed pendularly thereon by means of two parallel axes,
• a matrix fixed on the sole of the press and comprising on the one hand means, which combine with conjugate means carried by the punch, to open these two blades at a given opening angle which corresponds to the angle at the top of said triangle, and further comprising a movable table mounted on an elastic repelling member, this table sinking, telescopically and under the pressure of the two blades then open, into a corresponding cavity in the matrix, this cavity being of length less than that overall of the horizontal branch of the U-shaped section of a value substantially equal to twice the thickness of the plate to be folded, thus forcing the two lateral branches of the U-shaped section to continue to fold back l 'towards each other to come and press themselves against these blades,

so that, when the slide then rises, the blades free themselves from said opening means and return to hang under the punch, which allows them to then pass through the remaining opening at the top of said triangle and therefore disengage from the partially folded plate.

The invention allows the number of tool posts to follow.

• sur le poinçon, au moins un couple de biellettes qui sont respectivement placées en bout de chacune des lames, dans leur prolongement, et qui sont solidarisées à ces lames,
• sur la matrice, au moins une table latérale placée au droit de ces deux biellettes, cette table étant mobile verticalement et montée sur un organe de répulsion élastique, la surface supérieure de cette table étant conformée pour obliger, lorsqu'elles viennent appuyer sur cette table, les deux biellettes conjuguées à s'écarter l'une de l'autre jusqu'au dit angle d'écartement déterminé.

More particularly, the invention relates to a folding station as defined above, characterized in that said means for opening these blades from a given angle comprise:

• on the punch, at least a pair of links which are respectively placed at the end of each of the blades, in their extension, and which are secured to these blades,
• on the matrix, at least one side table placed in line with these two links, this table being vertically movable and mounted on an elastic repulsion member, the upper surface of this table being shaped to force, when they come to press on this table , the two links combined to move apart from each other up to said determined angle of separation.

Advantageously, the links are longer than the blades whose they are respectively united and their conjugate table is dimensioned and positioned so that the rods come to rest on it, and therefore move away, before the blades rest on the U-shaped plate.

Description of the drawings

• la Figure 1 est une vue en perspective partiellement éclatée de ce poste de pliage pour outil à suivre,
• la Figure 2 est une vue en coupe transversale de ce même poste, selon un plan vertical passant par un des deux axes d'articulation des lames et biellettes,
• les Figures 3A et 3B, 4A et 4B, 5A et 5B, 6, montrent, en coupes longitudinales simplifiées, les phases successives de fonctionnement, lors de la descente du coulisseau de la presse, de ce poste de pliage, la Figure 6 faisant aussi comprendre comment les lames se dégagent lorsque le coulisseau remonte.

The invention will be clearly understood, and its advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended schematic drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of this folding station for the tool to be followed,
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of this same station, along a vertical plane passing through one of the two axes of articulation of the blades and links,
• Figures 3A and 3B, 4A and 4B, 5A and 5B, 6, show, in simplified longitudinal sections, the successive phases of operation, during the descent of the press slide, of this folding station, Figure 6 also making understand how the blades are released when the slide goes up.

Detailed description of the invention

A punch and die station is part of a tracking tool that performs folding, on a press, a relatively thin metal plate 1, for the purpose to obtain at the press outlet a folded profile closed by overlap. Typically, the plate 1 is of a relatively thin thickness. In posts precedents of the tool to follow, the plate 1 was cut and preformed from of a metal strip.

As seen in Figure 3A, plate 1 has already been folded so as to form a profile whose cross section is U-shaped. Then, half and simultaneously the two right and left branches 2, 3 of the U, one towards the other, in a single descent of the press slide. We pass here, for this plate 1, from the U-shaped section of Figure 3A to the triangle section substantially isosceles, but with an open top, visible in Figure 6.

This post has a punch 4 which is fixed on the slide of the press, and which therefore goes down and back up with the latter, and a matrix 5 which is fixed on the sole of the press. The means of connection between the punch 4 and the slide on the one hand, and between the matrix 5 and the sole on the other hand, are conventional and have therefore not been shown in the drawing.

The punch 4 consists of a main body 6 which is bordered on the side and others at each end by two side cheeks 7 and 8. This body-cheek assembly 6, 7, 8 forms a yoke provided, on both sides, and towards its base, with two transverse axes, for example axes 9 and 10 adjoining the lateral cheek 7.

These axes maintain, in a freely articulated manner, two blades transverse 11, 12 which are parallel and which without constraints hang freely under the main body 4, as shown in Figure 3A. These two blades have, in transverse direction, the same width L as the body 4. They frolic, under the body 4, in two transverse grooves 13, 14 which allow them to deviate freely from each other, in the form of an inverted V as we have illustrated in Figure 1.

The axes 9, 10 penetrate with gentle friction into cavities conjugates of the lower body 3, and they also maintain the cheeks 7, 8 against this body 3, in combination, on each side, with a fixing conventional upper 140 by screw (not shown).

At each lateral end of each blade 11, 12 are moreover fixed respective rods 15, 16 which extend them. These rods 15, 16 are fixed to their respective blades 11, 12 by conventional screw connections 17, 18. They are crossed by the axes of articulation of the blades 9, 10, so that they can frolic freely with the blade 11, 12 to which they are secured. These rods 15, 16 are also thicker in the longitudinal direction of the tool to follow than their associated blades 11, 12. They are also a little more longer (in the vertical direction of Figures 3A and 3B) than these blades. They each also has a rounded free end.

The matrix 5 consists, on the one hand of a main part 19 which is positioned substantially in line with the main body 6 of the punch 4, and other part of two pieces or side tables 20, 21, of reduced transverse width, which are fixed to this main part 19, on either side thereof, by screws 22.

The main part 19 has substantially the same transverse dimension L as the body 6 of the punch 4. It comprises a transverse housing 23 under the form of a central hollow which is intended to receive, and therefore to position and maintain in position, the plate 1 in the form of a U-shaped profile (Figure 3A). This housing 23 also comprises a cavity 24 in which slides, against the elastic repulsive force of a spring 26, a support piston or table 25. The aforementioned side pieces 20, 21 are fixed, by the aforementioned screws 22, to this piston support or table 25.

At rest, that is to say when, according to Figure 3A for example, the punch 4 is in the high position, the spring 26 is adjusted so that the surface upper part of the piston 25 reaches flush with the bottom 27 of the housing 23.

As shown in Figure 3A, and to allow the implementation work of the invention as will be explained below, the length L1 of the cavity 24 is slightly less than the overall length L2 of the horizontal branch 39 of the U-shaped profile formed by the plate 1. More precisely, the difference between these lengths L1 and L2 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of this plate metallic 1.

The side pieces 20 and 21 are positioned to the right of each pair 15, 16 of conjugate links. Their upper surface 28 forms two curved and symmetrical housings 29, 30, each suitable for receiving a link respectively 15, 16. These two housings meet to form a line of point 31 for separating and spacing the two links 15, 16 (see the Figure 4B). They present, opposite and symmetrically on either side of this tip line 31, a respective rounding 32, 33 pronounced enough to stop the spacing of these links (see Figure 58).

These side pieces 20 and 21 are mounted on the same system of spring 26 that the piston 25, to which they are therefore secured by the screw connections respective 22.

Folding station operation

Referring to Figures 3A and 3B, when the punch 4 is, with the press slide, in the high position, the blades 11, 12 (Figure 3A) as well as the rods 15, 16 (Figure 3B) hang freely, parallel to each other, under the hallmark 4.

Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, when the punch 4 descends with the press slide, the blades 11, 12 are inserted inside the profile 1 in U. The rods 15, 16, which are a little longer, arrive in contact with the upper surface 28 of their conjugate part, 20 for the torque of left links 15, 16 and 21 for the pair of right links 15, 16.

At this stage, the tip line 31 is already introduced between the two rods 15 and 16, and is therefore ready to separate them from each other during the descent of the punch.

The descent of the punch 4 continues, referring to FIG. 5B, the links 15 and 16 move away from each other in an inverted V, until block at maximum opening with maximum spacing when they arrive in the respective end of travel rounds 32 and 33.

As is clearly visible in FIG. 5A, the blades 11, 12, which are respectively secured to the rods 15, 16, move apart in the same way, and the respective dimensions of the rods 15, 16 and the curved housings 29 and 30 are adjusted so that, in the position of maximum spacing of the rods, in referring to Figure 5B, the blades 11 and 12 come to bear on the corners respective internal sections 34 and 35 of the U-shaped profile formed by the plate 1.

As can be seen in Figure 6, the punch 4 goes down again, and as a result the U-shaped profile 1 is forced inside the cavity 24, the bottom of which constituted by the support piston 25 descends against the repulsion force of the spring 26. The side pieces 20, 21 descend in the same way.

As the U-profile has its overall length L2 (Figure 3A) which is slightly larger than the length L1 of the cavity 24, the two lateral branches right and left 2, 3 of this U-shaped profile are then forced together to continue the folding having already generated the U-shaped section. They therefore come closer one from the other until it presses against the two fully open blades set aside 11 and 12.

The plate 1 then adopted the form shown in Figure 6, that is to say has a section substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle 40 open at its Mountain peak.

At this point, the press slide has reached its lowest point.

When then the slide goes up, we attend the operations reverse with regard to the movements of the blades 11, 12 and their links 15, 16 associated.

These blades and links, being in fact no longer pushed down by the hallmark 4, again hang freely under this hallmark by simply effect of gravity. They therefore come close together, which allows the pair of blades 11, 12 to pass easily through the upper opening 36 of the triangle 40 now formed by the section of the plate 1, and as a result of free themselves from this triangle 40, while continuing their race towards the high accompanying that of the slide.

The triangle profile 40 can now undergo other operations of folding in other subsequent positions of the tool to be followed, until a profile fully folded on itself and closed by overlap.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described. For example, matrix 5 could include a single side piece 20, on one side, instead of two side pieces 20 and 21, one on each side. In such a case, the punch 4 would not include consequence that a single pair of rods 15, 16. This is also how the rods 15, 16, and / or the blades 10 and 11, could include a small spring recall to their starting position where they are parallel.

Claims (6)

Folding station forming part of a tool to be followed intended for folding on the press a thin metal plate (1), precut and preformed, for the production of a folded profile and closed by overlap, this plate having already been folded according to a U-shaped section in one or more previous positions of the tool to be followed,
characterized in that it comprises, in order to effect, in a single descent of the press slide, a partial and simultaneous folding of the two lateral branches (2, 3) of the U-profile towards one another to form a substantially isosceles triangle (40) open at its top (36): a punch (4) fixed to the press slide and the lower end of which carries two transverse blades (11, 12) which are fixed pendularly thereon by means of two parallel axes (9, 10), a matrix (5) fixed on the sole of the press and comprising on the one hand means (20), which are combined with conjugate means (15, 16) carried by the punch (4), to open these two blades ( 11, 12) according to a given opening angle which corresponds to the angle at the top of said triangle (40), and further comprising a movable table (25) mounted on an elastic repulsion member (26), this table sinking, telescopically and under the pressure of the two blades (11, 12) then open, into a cavity (24) corresponding to the matrix, this cavity being of length (L1) less than that overall (L2) of the horizontal branch (39) of the U-profile of a value substantially equal to twice the thickness of the plate (1) to be folded, then forcing the two lateral branches (2, 3) of the U-profile (1) to continue to fold towards each other to come and press against these blades (11, 12), so that, when the slide then rises, the s blades (11, 12) release themselves from said opening means (15, 16, 20) and return to hang under the punch (4), which allows them to then pass through the remaining opening (36 ) at the top of said triangle (40) and therefore to disengage from the plate (1) thus partially folded. Folding station according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for opening these blades (11, 12) from a given angle comprise: on the punch (4), at least a pair of links (15, 16) which are respectively placed at the end of each of the blades (11, 12), in their extension, and which are secured to these blades, on the matrix (5), at least one lateral table (20) placed in line with these two links, this table (20) being vertically movable and mounted on an elastic repulsion member (26), the upper surface (28) of this table (20) being shaped (29, 30, 31) to force, when they come to press on this table (20), the two conjugate links (15, 16) to move away from each other until 'at said determined spacing angle. Folding station according to claim 2, characterized in that said table lateral (20) is integral with the movable table (25) of the matrix (19). Folding station according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the rods (15, 16) are longer than the blades (11, 12) of which they are respectively united, and in that their conjugate table (20) is dimensioned and positioned so that these rods (15, 16) come lean on it, and therefore move away, before these blades (11, 12) do are supported on the U-shaped profile (1). Folding station according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper surface (28) of said side table (20) forms two curved and symmetrical housings (29, 30), each suitable for receiving a respective link (15, 16), these two housings (29, 30) meeting to form a point line (31) for separation and separation of two rods (15, 16), and having, opposite this point line (31), a respective rounding (32, 33) strong enough to stop the spacing of these links. Folding station according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said movable table (25) of the matrix (19) is part of a housing (23) for receiving and positioning said U-shaped profile (1).

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