EP2265397B1

EP2265397B1 - Support device for bars in machines for manufacturing metal cages; use of said support

Info

Publication number: EP2265397B1
Application number: EP09711680A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emilio Corsini
Original assignee: Schnell Impianti SRL
Current assignee: Schnell Impianti SRL
Priority date: 2008-02-21
Filing date: 2009-02-19
Publication date: 2011-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2029-02-19
Also published as: EP2265397A1; WO2009104157A1; ATE522298T1; ITBO20080118A1

Abstract

The support device in machines for manufacturing metal cages, of the type consisting of a series of longitudinal bars made integral through a metal wire spiral wound onto the same bars, comprises a support member (1) suitable to hold the longitudinal bars in the fixing positions for the formation of the cage. The support member (1) comprises a cross member (2) equipped with slots (5) radial to the axis of the cage in formation. On the cross member (2) a series of supports (6) are selectively fixed, having different dimensions and equipped with at least one slot (8) basically circumferential. A plurality of sleeve couplings (9) suitable to receive said longitudinal bars are fixed in adjustable positions in correspondence with anchorage areas (5) of the cross member (2) and of the circumferential slot (8) of said supports (6).

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a support device for the longitudinal bars in machines for manufacturing metal cages, in particular of reinforced concrete (see e.g. WO 02/070 169 on which the preamble of claim 1 is based).

Background Art

It is known that, to build the framework of foundation piles, reinforced-concrete columns and similar, metal cages are used, especially of cylindrical shape, consisting of a series of longitudinal iron bars, on whose outer part is placed a rod spiral wound onto the same bars, according to a suitably preset pitch. The longitudinal bars are distributed according to a suitable geometrical profile, usually cylindrical; there are also examples of piles and pillars with different geometry, for instance asymmetrical, elliptical, prismatic and similar.
At present, to realize such metal cages some machines are used, which allow to weld the spiral onto the longitudinal bars, arranged according to the desired geometric profile. Patent EP 00035477 , for instance, illustrates a machine to realize cages with spiral winding, comprising an operating flange and a flange freely swivelling borne by a carriage that can move frontally to the operating head, both flanges being prearranged to support the longitudinal bars in preset positions. To form the cage, the bars are rotated by the above-mentioned flanges, while the metal wire, unwound by a lateral reel and borne in longitudinal motion, gradually spiral winds around the same bars.
In the machines of the cited type the need to realize metal cages with different shapes and size, according to the required features, arises. With this aim, various solutions have been proposed to support the bars on the rotating members, which allow to arrange the bars in various positions and, in particular, at different radial distances with respect to the formation axis of the cage.
Patent IT 1216960 , for instance, illustrates the use of swivelling members consisting of disks equipped with holes arranged at different radial distances from the longitudinal axis of formation of the cage, coinciding with the rotation axis of the machine, to insert the longitudinal bars. The longitudinal bars are associated with the above-mentioned holes of the swivelling members through suitable sleeve couplings.
Patent US 3,579,259 illustrates a similar support system of the bars, in which the swivelling members consist of disks having a series of radial slots, regularly spaced, suitable to be engaged by the longitudinal bars. The bars are fixed in the desired position through suitable blocking members. The support system of the bars illustrated in the Italian patent ITUD20040095 belongs to the same typology.
The Italian patent ITPS20010012 illustrates a different support mode of the longitudinal bars in which the swivelling members are equipped with an interchangeable ring on which the insertion sleeves of the bars can be applied, in various positions.
The described devices for the support in rotation of the longitudinal bars have the limit not to allow a complete freedom in choosing the shape of the cage. The arrangement of the longitudinal bars onto the swivelling members is, in fact, variable only within a predetermined number of positions, depending on the mounting positions of the insertion sleeve couplings of the bars. In other words, it is possible to vary the diametric dimensions of the cage and the number and distribution of bars engaged only for finite intervals and, often, not with the needed freedom.
Furthermore, the known support devices often do not allow easily realizing metal cages having geometry different from the cylindrical one.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the cited drawbacks by devising a device that allows to operate optimally the support of the longitudinal bars in machines for manufacturing metal cages of various dimensions.
Within this scope it is a further aim of the claimed invention to provide a device which allows the formation of metal cages of any shape.
A further aim of the present invention is to devise a support device of the bars of simple conception, equipped with a certainly reliable functioning and of versatile use, and also relatively economic cost-wise.
The cited aims are reached, according to the claimed invention, by the device for the swivelling support of the bars in machines for manufacturing metal cages according to claim 1.

Description of Drawings

Description details of the invention will be further evident in the illustrations of preferred embodiments of the support device of the bars in machines for manufacturing metal cages according to the invention, illustrated in the guidelines drawings attached, wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of the device for the swivelling support of the bars according to the claimed invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the claimed device;
Fig. 3 illustrates a view of a detail of the claimed invention;
Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a different embodiment of the device for the swivelling support of the bars according to the present invention;
Fig. 5 illustrates its corresponding view according to an axial plane;
Fig. 6 and 7 respectively illustrate a perspective view and an axial section view of the same device in assembling position on a rotating member of the machine for manufacturing metal cages.

Best Mode

With reference to such figures, 1 refers to the device for supporting metal bars in a machine for manufacturing metal cages, in particular for the framework of foundation piles, reinforced-concrete columns and similar.
As described and illustrated in patent application BO2007A000828, the metal cage to realize consists of a series of longitudinal bars arranged parallel and made integral, according to a given geometry, through a metal wire, spiral wound onto the same bars, according to an adequately preset pitch. In particular, it is provided for the bars suitable to form the metal cage, to be arranged according to a circular transversal profile, in order to determine the realization of a cylindrical pile. It is clearly possible to provide for realizing cages having a different transversal profile, for instance elliptical, polygonal, with asymmetrical distribution of the bars or similar.
The support device 1 has a swivelling member suitable to support the longitudinal bars in the fixing positions to form the cage. Such swivelling member is suitable to be put in rotation by a suitable mover, according to the axis of the cage in formation, to bring the longitudinal bars in rotation during the forming of the cage.
The swivelling member comprises a cross support 2 basically consisting of one or more crossbars 3, which are arranged on a plane orthogonal to the cited axis of the cage in formation. More specifically, as illustrated, the cross support 2 consists of a pair of crossbars 3 arranged perpendicular one to the other and reciprocally coupled, in central position, through a suitable junction member 4. The orthogonal arms defined by the crossbars 3 have respective areas of anchorage consisting of longitudinal slots 5. Therefore, the slots 5 are, in working configuration, radial to the axis of the cage in formation.
A series of supports 6, preferably having circular shape, for instance the shape of a ring, having different diametric sizes, are suitable to be selectively fastened to the cross support 2. The circular supports 6 are concentrically fixed to the cross support 2, at said radial slots 5, through suitable screw members 7. The circular supports 6 are respectively equipped with a basically circumferential slot 8. In practice, the circumferential slot 8 preferably consists of a series of circular sectors, interposed by small solid portions suitable to carry the screw members 7 for fixing to the cross support 2.
In fig. 2 an entire series of circular supports 6 with different diametric sizes is represented as example. Clearly, one or more supports can be mounted, as long as they do not interfere one with the other.
The circular support 6 fixed to the cross support is suitable to bear a plurality of sleeve couplings 9 suitable to receive, in known way, the longitudinal bars. The couplings 9 are suitable to be fixed in adjustable positions in correspondence with the circumferential slot 8 of the circular support 6, through respective fixing members 10. The couplings 9 are also suitable to be fixed, as better explained below, in correspondence with the radial slots 5 of the cross support 2.
As illustrated in detail in fig. 3, the fixing members 10 consist of a plate with elongated shape having a hole 11 for the insertion of the coupling 9 and equipped with a slot 12, in use arranged radial to the axis of the cage in formation, suitable to allow the adjustment of the radial positioning of the longitudinal bars on the rotating member. The coupling 9 is inserted in the hole 11 through a bushing 19. The fixing members 10 are fixed to the circular support 6 through suitable screw members 13, which cross the respective slots 12. In particular, the screw members 13 have a prismatic portion 14 through which they are suitable to engage the slots 12 in order to prevent an undesired rotation of the whole fixing member 10 due to the stresses deriving from the manufacturing.
It must be pointed out that the screw members 13 are shaped so that they can be mounted either towards the outside and towards the inside of the swivelling support 6, thus increasing the flexibility of use since it is possible to cover two ranges of diameters, using the adjustment along the slots 12 both towards the inside and towards the outside of the swivelling support 6.
The functioning of the support device is easily understandable from the description above.
According to the diametric dimensions of the metal cage to realize, the most suitable circular support 6 within the series of available supports (see fig. 2) is selected. Such support 6 is fixed concentric to the cross support 2, through the suitable screw members 7 which engage the crossbars 3 of the cross support 2. In fact, the support 6 can have any geometry according to the typology of handwork to realize, not only circular.
Then, the couplings 9 are fastened to the circular support 6 through the respective fixing members 10. In particular the fixing members 10 of the couplings 9 are fastened in preset positions spaced along the circumferential slot 8 of the circular support 6, through the corresponding screw members 13. The slot 12 of the fixing members 10, in use arranged radial to the swivelling member, that is radial to the axis of the cage in formation, allows to precisely adjust the radial position of the longitudinal bars on the swivelling member.
It must be pointed out that in order to realize the continuity of the angular distribution of the couplings 9 it is suitably provided for fastening respective sleeves directly on the radial slots 5 of the cross device 2, in correspondence with the solid portions of the circular support 6, in which the interruption of continuity of the circular slot 8 does not allow mounting the fixing member 10 (see fig. 2).
The fixing members 10 of the couplings 9 can be manually mounted by the operator in the preset positions for the longitudinal bars along the preset geometric profile. This could, though, lead to an inaccurate result, especially in the case of metal cages equipped with a high number of bars or with a particular geometric profile. In fact, each bar could have an inaccurate circumferential position, so that the bars would result placed at irregular distances, and also an inaccurate radial position, so that the cage would result completely or partly decentralized.
Therefore, to operate the correct positioning of the longitudinal bars, it is usefully provided for determining through electronic control means the positions of the longitudinal bars to be arranged according to the preset geometric profile, according to the number of the same longitudinal bars, and to mount in ordered sequence along the circumferential slot 8 of the supports 6, in the above-mentioned positions determined by the electronic control means, the fixing members 10 of the couplings 9. This allows to obtain an optimum precision for the circumferential positioning of the couplings 9, which are placed respectively in the radial slot 12 of the fixing members 10. To obtain the same precision in radial direction, also the radial position of the sleeves 9 is optimally adjusted with respect to the axis of the cage in formation, with reference to a simple stop or to a metrical reference.
The described device reaches the aim to realize in optimum way the support of longitudinal bars in the machines to manufacture metal cages for reinforced concrete and similar of different sizes, in particular allowing the formation of metal cages of any shape.
Thanks to the radial slots 5, 12 and to the circumferential slot 8, it is, in fact, possible to adjust precisely and in continuous way the radial distance of the couplings 9 for supporting the longitudinal bars with respect to the axis of formation of the cage, and also the amount and circumferential distribution of the said couplings 9 onto the swivelling member. In particular, differently from the technique known at present, the couplings 9 are suitable to be fixed onto the support device 1 in position adjustable both circumferentially and radially.
A prerogative of the claimed device consists, furthermore, of the fact that it also allows the formation of cages having geometry different from the cylindrical one, for instance elliptical, prismatic and similar. The couplings 9 can, in fact, be arranged at different radial distances from the axis of the cage in formation and basically in any suitable position, thanks to the wide range of adjustment allowed by the above-mentioned slots 5, 8 and 12 of the support members.
Finally, it must be pointed out that the claimed device has a very simple and of smooth use structure, advantageously to the productivity of the machine.
In fig. 4, 5, 6 and 7 a different embodiment of the support device according to the present invention is illustrated, in which the cross support element 2 consists of a plurality of arms 30 stiffly fixed to each circular support 6 and protruding outwardly from the same circular support 6. It is preferably provided the use of four arms 30 arranged according to two perpendicular axis passing through the geometry centre of the circular support 6. The arms 30 consist of prismatic battens equipped at an end with a connection head 31 to the circular support 6 and suitable to be removably fastened, for instance through suitable screw means, to the inner surface of the swivelling member 20 to the machine for manufacturing metal cages. The battens are hardened by longitudinal ribs 32.
The arms 30 have different lengths according to the diametric dimension of the circular support 6, in order to have, in mounting position onto the circular support 6, a predetermined diametric extension, according to the dimensions of the swivelling member 20 of the machine. Practically, when the diametric dimensions of the circular support 6 increase, the length of the arms 30 proportionally decreases, so that the circumferential distribution of the bars perfectly corresponds to the project requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the fixing members 10 in the position which is most similar to the theoretic position, due to the obstruction which could result with the crossbars 3 of the cross support 2.
The circular support 6, in its turn, preferably consists of a pair of concentric rings 61, suitable to define an uninterrupted circumferential slot 8. With this aim, the connection head 31 of the arms 30 is adequately bridge-shaped, in order to define a channel in correspondence with the above-mentioned uninterrupted slot 8. This allows to mount the fixing members 10 of the couplings 9 in any position along the circumference of the circular support 6, in particular also in correspondence with the connection areas of the arms 30 of the cross element 2. The head of the screw members 13 for blocking the fixing members 10 of the couplings 9 can, in fact, be housed inside the above-mentioned channel of the bridge-shaped head 31 (see in particular fig. 7).
According to the diametric dimensions of the metal cage to realize, also in this case, it is provided for selecting the most suitable circular support 6 in the series of available supports. Such support 6 is fixed concentrically to the swivelling member 20 of the machine, through the arms 30 of the cross member 2 externally protruding from the same support 6. It is then provided for fastening the couplings 9 to the circular support 6 through respective fixing members 10, as previously described.
Such different embodiment of the claimed support device has the advantage of releasing the central area of the swivelling member of the machine from the encumbrance of the intersection of the arms 3 of the cross member 2 previously described.
Materials adopted for the actual realisation of the invention, as well as their shapes and sizes, can be various, depending on the requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claims are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

Device for supporting longitudinal bars in fixing positions, adapted to be used in machines for manufacturing metal cages from longitudinal bars arranged according to a preset geometric profile and made integral through at least one metal wire, spirally wound onto said bars through the combination of a rotational movement around an axis coinciding with the axis of the cage in formation and a translational movement, , said device comprising:
- a cross member (2) suitable to be removably fastened to a swivelling member (20) of the machine;

- a support (6) equipped with at least one basically circumferential profile (8), said support (6) being associated with said cross member (2); characterized in that said circumferential profile (8) of the support (6) is a basically circumferential slot (8);

- said device further comprises a plurality of sleeve couplings (9) suitable to receive said longitudinal bars and to be fixed in adjustable positions in correspondence with said circumferential slot (8) of said support (6).
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said support (6) has a circular shape.
Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said circular support (6) is shaped by a pair of concentric rings (61), suitable to define an uninterrupted circumferential slot (8).
Device according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises a series of said supports (6) having different diametric dimensions and suitable to be selectively fastened concentric to said swivelling member (20) of the machine through said cross member (2).
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said cross member (2) consists of at least one crossbar (3, 30) to connect said support (6) on a plan orthogonal to the axis of the cage in formation.
Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said cross member (2) consists of a plurality of arms (30) stiffly fixed to each circular support (6), onto a plane orthogonal to the axis of the cage in formation, and protruding outwardly from the same circular support (6).
Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said arms (30) have different lengths according to the diametric dimensions of said circular support (6), so that the outer diameter of said support device (1) is constant.
Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said arms (30) are equipped on one end with a bridge-shaped connection head (31) to said circular support (6), in order to define a channel in correspondence with said circumferential slot (8) of said circular support (6), to allow mounting the fixing members (10) of said sleeve couplings (9) also in correspondence with the connection areas of said arms (30) of the cross member (2).
Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said sleeve couplings (9) are suitable to be fixed onto it in position adjustable both circumferentially and radially.
Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said sleeve couplings (9) are suitable to be fixed to said circumferential slot (8) of said supports (6) through respective fixing members (10) equipped with a slot (12) radial, in use, to said axis of the cage in formation, to allow the adjustment of the radial positioning of said longitudinal bars on said support device (1).
Device according to claim 10, characterized in that said fixing members (10) are suitable to be fixed to said supports (6) through screw members (13) having a prismatic portion (14) through which they are suitable to engage said slots (12) in order to prevent the rotation of the same fixing members (10).
Device according to claim 11, characterized in that said fixing members (10) are suitable to be mounted radially either towards the outside and towards the inside of said supports (6).
Method of use of the support device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by:
a. determining with the aid of electronic control means the circumferential positions of the longitudinal bars to be arranged according to the preset geometric profile, according to the number of the said longitudinal bars;

b. mounting one by one in sequence ordered along said circumferential slot (8) of said supports (6), bearing each time the matrix in said positions determined by said electronic control means with respect to a fixed reference point, a series of fixing members (10) of said sleeve couplings (9) equipped with a slot (12), radial in use to said axis of the cage in formation;

c. positioning respectively said sleeve couplings (9) in said radial slot (12) of said fixing members (10).
Method according to claim 13, characterized by the further phase of:
d. adjusting the radial position of said sleeve couplings (9) with respect to said axis of the cage in formation thanks to the aid of a stop or a metrical reference.
Method according to claim 13, characterized by
the further phase of:
d. adjusting the radial position of of said coupling (9) with respect to said axis of the cage in formation thanks to the aid of a stop or a metrical reference placed in said fixed reference point.