EP3183075B1

EP3183075B1 - Bending head, especially for an automatic bending machine

Info

Publication number: EP3183075B1
Application number: EP15767409.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ondrej BELOHLAVEK
Original assignee: MSV Systems CZ sro
Current assignee: MSV Systems CZ sro
Priority date: 2014-08-20
Filing date: 2015-08-10
Publication date: 2018-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2035-08-10
Also published as: WO2016026472A1; CZ27405U1; EP3183075A1

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a bending head according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such a bending head is for example disclosed in JP-A-57106430 .

Background art

A number of automatic bending machines containing a bending head with a bending pin, a bending arm and a bending support have been disclosed, for example in the patent documents US 6 009 737 and US 5 495 740 . The bending arm is along with the bending pin coupled to a bending drive for joint rotation of the bending arm and the bending pin about the longitudinal axis of the bending pin. The bending arm contains a bending plate, which is adapted to move reversibly towards and away from the bending pin and which is coupled to a drive. The bending head further contains a bending support, which is provided with a support plate, which is with its drive adapted to move reversibly towards a position in front of the bending pin and the bending arm, in which the bent material is situated during the bending operation. The drives of the individual components of the automatic bending machine, i.e. the drives of the bending arm and bending support, the drives of the positioning a gripping device of the bent material, as well as the bending drive, are coupled to the control mechanism of the automatic bending machine, which coordinates their operations, thus controlling the overall operation of the automatic bending machine.
CZ PV 2006-289 describes a bending head for an automatic bending machine containing a longitudinal bed with a positioning and gripping device, whereby the bending head contains a bending support with an adjustable support plate, which is provided with a shape groove for the bent material and which is coupled to a drive coupleable to the control mechanism of the automatic bending machine. The support plate is mounted on a support mandrel, which is slidingly mounted in the body of the bending support, whereby it is coupled to an outlet member of a linear drive, which is coupled to a control mechanism of the automatic bending machine, the bending support being provided with a locking device of the bending plate.
CZ UV 24556 discloses a bending device containing a longitudinal bed with a movable positioning and gripping device, which is aligned with a bending head containing a jointly rotatable bending pin and bending arm with an adjustable bending plate. The longitudinal bed is made up of longitudinal segments, whereby at one end of the longitudinal bed is selectably mounted a linear magnetic motor coupled to the positioning and gripping device or an electric servomotor with a motion belt coupled to the positioning and gripping device, while at the other end of the longitudinal bed is located a vertically and laterally adjustable bending head, whose bending arm is selectably situated on the right or left side of the bending head, whereby the bending plate on the bending arm is selectably composed of a bending stone or a bending roll or a bending roll with defined rolling away along the bent material during the bending operation.
A common disadvantage of the bending heads known so far from the background art is the fact that without substantial rearrangements they only enable to perform bends in one direction, i.e. by rotating the bending roll either only to the right, or only to the left. If need arises to change the direction of bending, it is necessary either to use two separate bending heads with opposing rotation direction of the bending roll, which is demanding in economic terms and decreases the efficient utilization of the two bending heads, or it is necessary to rearrange the bending head for the opposite direction of rotation of the bending roll, which is economically challenging, since during the rearrangement the bending machine is blocked and out of operation, or it is necessary to turn the bent material, which places increased demands on the handling devices and the workspace around the bending machine, because a number of bent products have a relatively large length.
From JP A 57106430 is known a bending head, especially for an automatic bending machine, containing a pair of bending rolls and a bending support, whereby the bending rolls are mounted rotatably about their mutually parallel longitudinal axes on a bending stirrup, which is situated with its length perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes of the bending rolls, wherein each of the bending rolls is aligned with a means of a mutual forced rotary coupling of the two rolls and at least one of the rolls is coupled to a drive of its rotation. This solution allows bends in both directions but the design is complicated.
From JP-A-2000246347 is known solution which allows also bends in both directions and the bending stirrup is mounted rectilinearly reversibly slidingly in the direction of its length. However in this solution, the rolls are not rotary coupled and the bending stirrup is not mounted in a rotary bending carrier.
From GB A-1306344 is known solution permitting bending in both directions.
The aim of the invention is to allow selectable and fast utilization of bends in both directions on a single device without the necessity of rearrangement, while maintaining productivity, accuracy, sufficient simplicity and long service life of the device.

Principle of the invention

The goal of the invention is achieved by a bending head, especially for an automatic bending machine, whose principle consists in that each of the bending rolls is aligned with a means of mutual forced rotary coupling of both rolls and at least one of the rolls is coupled to a drive of its rotation, whereby a bending stirrup is mounted linearly reversibly slidingly in the direction of its length in a rotary bending carrier, which is rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis, which is parallel to the longitudinal axes of both rolls and is situated in a plane interlaid by the longitudinal axes of both rolls and at the same time it is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup, in a bracket, which is rectilinearly reversibly slidingly mounted on the frame the bending head in the direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of both rolls and the rotary bending carrier and parallel to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup, all in a mutual initial position "zero" during inserting and removing the bent material into and from the rolls.
The advantage of this arrangement is the fact that it is possible to perform both "left" bends and "right" bends by means of a single bending head without having to rearrange the bending head to reach a new position towards the axis of the bent material, such as tubes, etc.

Description of drawings

The invention is schematically represented in the drawings, where Fig. 1 shows an overall view of the bending head, Fig. 2a represents an overall view of the bending head as set during bending to the left, Fig. 2b shows an overall view of the bending head as set during bending to the right, Fig. 3a is a plan view of the bending head as set before the beginning of bending to the right, Fig. 3b a plan view of the bending head when bending to the right, Fig. 4a is a plan view of the bending head as set before the beginning of bending to the left and Fig. 3b is a plan view of the bending head during bending to the left.

Specific description

The invention will be set forth in the following description of an example of embodiment of a bending head for an automatic bending machine, which is provided with a gripping device and optionally also with a positioning device of the bent material, whereby the individual components of the machine, including the bending head, are provided with drives and are connected to the control mechanism of the bending machine, so that bends are formed in the desired location of the bent material, in a desired direction and at the desired angle. The bending head according to the invention is designed for performing bends in both directions, i.e. both to the right and to the left and, at the same time, it may be provided with means of carrying out bends in immediate succession or only with a minimal length of straight sections between the individual bends by means of mirror arranged lightweight sections in the lateral walls of the bending rolls, which are coupled by forced rotary motion.
Generally, at the end of the machine is located a bending head, which contains a pair of bending rolls 1 and 2 , which are mounted rotatably about their longitudinal axes 10 , 20 in a common bending stirrup 3 , which is situated with its length transversely to the longitudinal axes 10 , 20 of both rolls 1 , 2 .
Each of the bending rolls 1 , 2 is aligned with a means of mutual forced rotary coupling of both rolls 1 , 2 , which is in the illustrated example of embodiment composed of a toothed wheel 11 , 21 aligned with each of the rolls 1, 2, whereby the toothed wheels 11 , 21 are in mutual engagement.
At least one of the rolls 1 or 2 is coupled to a drive of its rotation, in the illustrated example of embodiment one of the toothed wheels 11 , 21 is coupled to the first drive of its rotation, which is in the illustrated example of embodiment composed of a controlled first linear drive 4 , whose movable part is coupled to the first toothed comb 40 , which is reversibly slidingly mounted in the frame 0 of the bending head and which is by its teeth aligned with one of the toothed wheels 11 , 21 . The first linear drive 4 is provided with a system of measuring the position of its movable part for controlled joint turning of the bending rolls 1 , 2 about their longitudinal axes 10 , 20 .
The second toothed wheel of the pair of toothed wheels 11 , 21 is aligned with a securing toothed comb 41 , which is mounted linearly reversibly slidingly towards and away from the second toothed wheel of the pair of toothed wheels 11 , 21 in the frame 0 of the bending head, whereby it is coupled to the second linear drive 42.
Both linear drives 4 , 42 are coupled to a source of energy and are connected to the control mechanism of the bending head, or, more specifically, of the bending machine.
In an unillustrated example of embodiment, the first toothed comb 40 and/or the securing toothed comb 41 , as well as their drives, have been replaced by rotary means, e.g., by toothed wheels with a rotary drive.
The bending rolls 1 , 2 are provided along their circumference with a well-known shape groove 13 , 23 for the bent material, such as a tube, a pipe, a bar etc. The bending rolls 1 , 2 are also provided with mutually axially symmetrically arranged lighweight sections 12 , 22 in its outer circumference to facilitate inserting and removing the bent material between the shape grooves 13 , 23 of the bending rolls 1 , 2 , the bending rolls 1 , 2 being turned with their lighweight sections 12 , 22 against each other. The mutual turning of the bending rolls 1 , 2 is carried out by the rectilinear motion of the first toothed comb 40 after the securing toothed comb 41 is shifted away from the second toothed wheel of the pair of toothed wheels 11 , 21.
The bending stirrup 3 is mounted rectilinearly reversibly slidingly in the direction of its length in a rotary bending carrier 5.
The rotary bending carrier 5 is mounted in the bracket 6 rotatably about its longitudinal axis 50 , which is parallel to the longitudinal axes 10 , 20 of both rolls 1 , 2 and lies in a plane interlaid by the longitudinal axes 10 , 20 of both rolls 1 , 2 and at the same time it is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup 3. For the purpose of rotating about its longitudinal axis 50 , the rotary bending carrier 5 is coupled to a bending drive 51 , e.g. through a gearbox 52 .
The bracket 6 is mounted on the frame 0 of the bending head rectilinearly reversibly slidingly in the direction X , which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 10 , 20 , 50 of both rolls 1 , 2 and the rotary bending carrier 5 and parallel to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup 3 , all in a mutual initial position "zero" during inserting and removing the bent material into and from the rolls 1 , 2 , see 0, Fig. 3a and 4a, whereby the bracket 6 is coupled to an adjustable linear drive 7 , which secures rectilinear reversible motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head. In the illustrated example of embodiment, the bracket 6 is mounted on the frame 0 of the bending head by means of a pair of parallel dovetail guides 60 , which provide sufficiently solid, firm, stable and accurate mounting of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head.
On the frame 0 of the bending head is further mounted a well-known bending support 8 , which is aligned with the bending rolls 1 , 2 and which is used to absorb and eliminate the reaction forces occurring during bending. In the illustrated example of embodiment, the bending support 8 is tiltable about the axis of rotation 80 which is parallel to the direction X of the rectilinearly reversibly sliding motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head. The bending support 8 is coupled to a drive 81 for the purpose of being tilted down.
The bending head according to the invention operates such that the bending stirrup 3 and the bending rolls 1, 2 are set in an initial position in which the bending stirrup 3 is situated with its length in the direction X of the rectilinear reversibly sliding motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head and in which the plane, interlaid by the longitudinal axes 10 20 of the bending rolls 1 , 2 is parallel to the direction X of the rectilinear reversibly sliding motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head (Fig. 1, 3a, 4a). In this setting, also the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 is situated in a plane interlaid by the longitudinal axes 10 20 of the bending rolls 1 , 2.
The securing toothed comb 41 is drawn away from the toothed wheel 21 of the second bending roll 2 and by the motion of the first toothed comb 40 both rolls 1 , 2 turn axially symmetrically about their longitudinal axes 10 , 20 with their lighweight sections 12 , 22 against each other to allow inserting the bent material between the rolls 1 , 2. After the bent material is inserted between the rolls 1, 2, both rolls 1 , 2 turn about their longitudinal axes 10 , 20 to their initial position by reversible motion of the first toothed comb 40 , by which means the bent material is fastened between the rolls 1 , 2 for the bending operation. Equivalently, the bent material is removed from the rolls 1 , 2. During the inserting and removing of the bent material it is advantageous if the bending support 8 is tilted down, and so it does not impede material handling. Subsequently, the securing toothed comb 41 returns into contact with the toothed wheel 21 of the second bending roll 2 .
Depending on which direction the motion is to be conducted, the bracket 6 is shifted in the direction X to the right or to the left to a position in which the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 lies exactly in the longitudinal axis 10 or 20 of one of the bending rolls 1 or 2 (Fig. 3a, 4a). This bending roll 1 or 2 , whose longitudinal axis 10 or 20 is set by the motion of the bracket 6 to coincide with the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 , then during the subsequent bending operation, which is performed by rotating the rotary bending carrier 5 about its longitudinal axis 50 in the corresponding direction (indicated by the thick arrow in Fig. 2a, 2b, 3b, 4b), rotates only about its longitudinal axis 10 or 20 , whereby by rotating the rotary bending carrier 5 at the same time about the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 causes also rotation of the bending stirrup 3 , while the second bending roll 2 or 1, i.e. the bending roll whose longitudinal axis 20 or 10 does not lie in the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 , revolves along the circular track about the bending roll 1 or 2 , whose longitudinal axis 10 or 20 is situated in (coincides with) the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 (Fig. 2a, 2b, 3b, 4b). Simultaneously, due to the mutual forced rotary coupling of both rolls 1 , 2 , these rolls 1 , 2 mutually continuously roll away without skidding, which is strengthened by the fact that, at the same time, the toothed wheel 11 , 21 of the roll 1 or 2, whose longitudinal axis 10 or 20 is situated in the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 , rolls away over the first toothed comb 40 or over the securing toothed comb 41 , as is shown in Fig. 3b and 4b.
When need arises to change the direction of bending, this is carried out without any manual handling activities with the bent material, which may even remain positioned between the two rolls 1 , 2 , whereby the bending stirrup 3 and the bending rolls 1, 2 are displaced to their initially set positions (Fig. 1, 3a, 4a) in which the bending stirrup 3 is located with its length in the direction X of the rectilinear reversibly sliding motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head and in which the plane, interlaid by the longitudinal axes 10 20 of the bending rolls 1 , 2 , is parallel to the direction X of the rectilinear reversibly sliding motion of the bracket 6 on the frame 0 of the bending head, the change of the direction of bending being carried out merely by rectilinear shifting the bracket 6 to a new position in which the longitudinal axis 50 of rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 is situated in the longitudinal axis 20 or 10 of the second bending roll 2 or 1 , or the rotary bending carrier 5 is set in such a manner that during the subsequent bending operation the second bending roll 2 or 1 revolves along a circular track around the first bending roll 1 or 2 (Fig. 2a, 2b, 3b, 4b) due to the rotation of the rotary bending carrier 5 about its longitudinal axis 50 .

Claims

A bending head, especially for an automatic bending machine, containing a pair of bending rolls (1, 2) and a bending support (8), whereby the bending rolls (1, 2) are mounted rotatably about their mutually parallel longitudinal axes (10, 20) on a bending stirrup (3), which is situated with its length perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes of the bending rolls (1, 2), wherein each of the bending rolls (1, 2) is aligned with a means of a mutual forced rotary coupling of the two rolls (1, 2) and at least one of the rolls (1, 2) is coupled to a drive of its rotation, characterized in that the bending stirrup (3) is mounted rectilinearly reversibly slidingly in the direction of its length in the rotary bending carrier (5), which is mounted in a bracket (6) rotatably about its longitudinal axis (50) which is parallel to the longitudinal axes (10, 20) of both rolls (1, 2) and lies in a plane interlaid by the longitudinal axes (10, 20) of both rolls (1, 2) and at the same time is perpendicular to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup (3), the bracket (6) being mounted on the frame (0) of the bending head rectilinearly reversibly slidingly in the direction (X) perpendicular to the longitudinal axes (10, 20, 50) of both rolls (1, 2) and of the rotary bending carrier (5) and parallel to the direction of the length of the bending stirrup (3), all in a mutual initial position "zero" during insertion and removal of the bent material into and from the rolls (1, 2).
The bending head according to claim 1, characterized in that the bracket (6) is coupled to an adjustable linear drive (7).
The bending head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bracket (6) is mounted on the frame (0) of the bending head in parallel dovetail guides (60).
The bending head according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the means of a mutual forced rotary coupling of both rolls (1, 2) contains a pair of toothed wheels (11, 21), each of them being aligned with one of the rolls (1, 2), whereby the toothed wheels (11, 21) are in mutual engagement, one of them being coupled to the first drive of its rotation.
The bending head according to claim 4, characterized in that the first drive of rotation of the toothed wheel (11, 21) contains the first linear drive (4), whose movable part is coupled to the first toothed comb (40), which is mounted reversibly slidingly in the frame (0) of the bending head and which is aligned with one of the toothed wheels (11, 21) by its toothing, whereby the second toothed wheel of the pair of toothed wheels (11, 21) is aligned with a securing toothed comb (41), which is mounted in the frame (0) of the bending head linearly reversibly slidingly towards and away from the second toothed wheel of the pair of toothed wheels (11, 21), whereby it is coupled to the second linear drive (42) and both linear drives (4, 42) are coupled to a source of energy and connected to a control mechanism.
The bending head according to any of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bending rolls 1, 2 are provided along their circumference with shape grooves (13, 23) for the bent material and with lightweight sections (12, 22) which are arranged mutually axially symmetrically within their outer circumference.