Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
  • B21F23/00—Feeding wire in wire-working machines or apparatus
  • B21F23/002—Feeding means specially adapted for handling various diameters of wire or rod
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D43/00—Feeding, positioning or storing devices combined with, or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, apparatus for working or processing sheet metal, metal tubes or metal profiles; Associations therewith of cutting devices
  • B21D43/006—Feeding elongated articles, such as tubes, bars, or profiles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D43/00—Feeding, positioning or storing devices combined with, or arranged in, or specially adapted for use in connection with, apparatus for working or processing sheet metal, metal tubes or metal profiles; Associations therewith of cutting devices
  • B21D43/02—Advancing work in relation to the stroke of the die or tool
  • B21D43/04—Advancing work in relation to the stroke of the die or tool by means in mechanical engagement with the work
  • B21D43/08—Advancing work in relation to the stroke of the die or tool by means in mechanical engagement with the work by rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
  • B21F23/00—Feeding wire in wire-working machines or apparatus
  • B21F23/005—Feeding discrete lengths of wire or rod

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a drawing unit to feed a machine for working oblong metal products, for example of the type usable for the production of reinforcements for the building trade.
• the drawing unit according to the present invention is applied, preferably but not restrictively, to machines that simultaneously work at least two bars, round pieces or metal wires at a time, carrying out a substantially uniform, coordinated and simultaneous feed.
• Work machines are known, which are fed with oblong metal products, such as roll wires, round pieces, or pre-cut bars, to create, by way of example but not restrictively, reinforcement brackets for the building trade.
• These machines can be bending/shaping machines, also called stirrup-making machines, and are generally fed with two or more metal products at a time, in order to optimize their productivity.
• a drawing unit is positioned upstream of the work machines in order to feed the metal products to be worked.
• the drawing units known in the state of the art consist of a plurality of rollers, opposite each other with respect to the axis of feed of the metal products, in order to draw them.
• rollers Normally one or more rollers of these rollers are motorized, while the others can be disposed in a position opposite to the metal products, acting as contrast rollers.
• a pair of contrast rollers facing each other and not constrained to each other, can be positioned opposite one motorized roller, where each of them exerts a certain pressure on a metal product in the direction of the motorized roller.
• This contrasting action is intended to ensure sufficient friction, between the metal product and the motorized roller, to obtain a uniform drawing action.
• One disadvantage of known drawing units is that in some cases the compression action of the contrast rollers may fail, causing problems of slippage of the metal product or products being worked, thus generating waste or other inefficiencies. For example, in the case where two metal products are drawn, it may happen that one of them interferes with both the contrast rollers opposite to one of the motorized rollers, thus limiting the friction necessary for the coordinated drawing of both metal products.
• the metal products are generally obtained at the end of a hot rolling cycle and have a plurality of ribs on the outside. Since the metal products are made by rolling, together with the presence of the ribs, this makes the section of the metal products not perfectly circular, giving them an oval section characterized by a bigger axis, in correspondence with the ribs, and a smaller axis angularly offset by about 90° from the bigger axis, and reduced by a few millimeters. The disposition of the metal products during drawing can therefore accentuate this interference.
• a first metal product disposed with the bigger axis oriented perpendicular to the axis of feed and the axes of rotation of the rollers can interfere with both the contrast rollers, limiting the pressure applied to a second metal product, for example oriented offset by about 90° with respect to the first.
• the optimal alignment is that which provides the metal product in the center of the lateral profile of the contrast roller.
• Document EP0065736A2 is also known, which describes a drawing device for metal bars comprising a group of first rollers and a group of second rollers, in which each first roller is individually opposite to a corresponding second roller.
• the group of first rollers and the group of second rollers are mobile in diverging directions to regulate the passage channel that is created between a first roller and a second roller that are opposite each other.
• one purpose of the present invention is to provide such a drawing unit which can limit the slippage of the metal products that it has to draw.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a drawing unit able to guarantee adequate pressure on the metal products, even when their diameter varies.
• Another purpose is to provide a drawing unit which allows correct positioning of the metal products with respect to the motorized rollers and the contrast rollers.
• the Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.
• the drawing unit comprises at least one motorized roller configured to move at least one metal product along an axis of feed, and at least two contrast rollers configured to rotate idly about respective axes of rotation and disposed opposite the at least one motorized roller.
• the at least one motorized roller and the contrast rollers are selectively mobile, with respect to each other, along an axis of transverse movement substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the contrast rollers.
• the at least two contrast rollers are substantially facing each other and substantially coaxial.
• the at least two contrast rollers are opposite the same motorized roller.
• the at least two contrast rollers are selectively mobile with respect to the at least one motorized roller along the axis of transverse movement.
• this solution allows to adjust the reciprocal position between the contrast rollers and the at least one motorized roller, in the transverse direction.
• This adjustment can be carried out, for example, as a function of the nominal diameter of the metal products to be worked, in such a way as to achieve the correct alignment between the metal product and the respective contrast roller in every situation.
• This allows to prevent a same metal product from interfering with both the contrast rollers which form a pair opposite the at least one motorized roller.
• contrast rollers can be able to be selectively moved toward the at least one motorized roller along an axis of movement that is orthogonal to the axis of feed and to the axis of transverse movement.
• the present invention also concerns a method to draw metal products which comprises a drawing step in which at least one oblong metal product is moved, that is, drawn, along an axis of feed.
• the drawing step as above occurs by means of at least one motorized roller to which there are opposed at least two contrast rollers rotating idly about respective axes of rotation.
• the method comprises at least one step of adjusting the reciprocal position between the contrast rollers and the at least one motorized roller along an axis of transverse movement that is parallel to the axes of rotation of the contrast rollers.
• the drawing step as above at least two metal products are drawn simultaneously, and a first contrast roller of the at least two contrast rollers acts only on a first metal product and a second contrast roller of the at least two contrast rollers acts only on a second metal product different from the first metal product as above.
• the adjustment step provides to move the contrast rollers with respect to the at least one motorized roller along the axis of transverse movement.
• Preferred embodiments provide that the step of adjusting the reciprocal position between the contrast rollers and the at least one motorized roller along the axis of transverse movement occurs as a function of the nominal diameter of the metal products to be worked.
• - fig. 1 is a front view of a unit for drawing metal products according to embodiments described here;
• - figs. 2, 3 and 4 are lateral views of the drawing unit of fig. 1, in different conditions of use.
• the number 10 indicates a drawing unit configured to feed a machine (not shown) for working oblong metal products Pl, P2 such as bars, round pieces or roll wires having a diameter that can even reach a few tens of millimeters.
• the drawing unit 10 can be disposed upstream of the work machine and downstream of a feeding unit (also not shown) configured to supply, at entry, the metal products Pl, P2 to the drawing unit 10.
• the work machine can be a bracket bending machine preferentially used to produce reinforcement brackets for the building trade.
• the drawing unit 10 can comprise a base 11 with which one or more motorized rollers 12, 13 can be operatively associated, the motorized rollers 12, 13 being made to rotate about respective axes of rotation Ml, M2 by means of drive members of the known type.
• the drawing unit 10 can comprise two motorized rollers 12, 13 disposed in succession, adjacent along the axis of feed X and having the respective axes of rotation Ml, M2 parallel.
• the two motorized rollers 12, 13 are configured to rotate, during use, in a corresponding sense.
• the drawing unit 10 can also comprise one or more contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 opposite the motorized rollers 12, 13 with respect to the axis of feed X.
• the one or more contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 are configured to rotate, during use, in a sense that does not correspond to the motorized rollers 12, 13.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 can be hinged to the drawing unit 10 in an idle manner, in order to rotate freely about respective axes of rotation Fl, F2, F3, F4.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 are configured to apply a pressure on the metal products Pl, P2 in the direction of the motorized rollers 12, 13 in order to guarantee the correct friction between the motorized roller 12, 13 and the metal product Pl, P2, required to draw the latter.
• both the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 as well as the motorized rollers 12, 13 have a lateral profile of contact with the metal products Pl, P2 which is substantially smooth.
• the lateral profile of the motorized rollers 12, 13 can have gripping zones 14 configured to increase the friction with the metal products Pl, P2, see figs. 2-4.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 can be associated with a first support 21 of the drawing unit 10, mobile in the direction of the motorized rollers 12, 13 along a first axis of movement A orthogonal with respect to the axes of rotation Fl, F2, F3, F4 of the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.
• the first support 21 can be connected, by means of a sliding slider, to a second support 22 of the drawing unit 10, operatively associated with the base 11, and it can be moved along the slider by means of movement means of the known type.
• one or more motorized rollers 12, 13 there can be opposed at least one pair 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 substantially facing each other, unconstrained from each other and independent of each other.
• each motorized roller 12, 13 there can be opposed, with respect to the axis of feed X, a respective pair 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18.
• Each pair 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 comprises two contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 substantially facing each other, substantially coaxial, unconstrained from each other and independent of each other.
• two contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 of the same pair 19, 20 are disposed in succession in a direction substantially parallel to their axes of rotation Fl, F2 and F3, F4.
• the drawing unit 10 comprises two pairs 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18, each pair being opposite a respective motorized roller 12, 13.
• This configuration is particularly suitable in the event the work machine downstream has to operate on two metal products Pl, P2 at a time.
• the two pairs 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 are disposed adjacent to each other in a direction parallel to the axis of feed X.
• two homologous contrast rollers 15, 17 and 16, 18 of different pairs 19, 20 can be hinged to a single contrast support 23, 24 which is operatively associated with the first support 21.
• the drawing unit 10 can comprise two contrast supports 23, 24 to which respectively two contrast rollers 15, 17 and 16, 18 are hinged, adjacent in succession along the axis of feed X.
• the two contrast supports 23, 24 can be disposed substantially facing each other so as to form the pairs 19, 20 of contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 between them.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 can be selectively mobile with respect to the first support 21 in directions substantially parallel to the first axis of movement A. This movement can be independent for each contrast roller 15, 16, 17, 18.
• the contrast supports 23, 24 that can be selectively moved with respect to the first support 21 in directions substantially parallel to the first axis of movement A.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 which respectively form the pairs 19, 20 can be moved in directions that are substantially parallel to the first axis of movement A and independently of each other.
• This configuration allows to carry out a first movement that takes the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 close to each other by moving the first support 21, and a second adjustment movement by independently moving each contrast roller 15,
• the motorized rollers 12, 13 and the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 can be selectively mobile with respect to each other along an axis of transverse movement T substantially parallel to the axes of rotation Fl, F2, F3, F4 of the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.
• the second support 22, with which the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 are operatively associated can be selectively moved with respect to the base 11 along the axis of transverse movement T.
• the second support 22 can be coupled to the base 11 by means of at least one sliding slider 27 and it can be selectively moved by means of movement means 25 of a known type.
• the second support 22 can comprise a screw 28 connected to a motor, and a nut-thread element 29 configured to accommodate the screw 28 can be integrally connected to the base 11. It is therefore clear that a translation of the second support 22 along the slider 27 corresponds to a rotation of the screw 28. The sense of the rotation defines the sense of the translation. In some cases, the extent of the translation may depend on the nominal diameter d> b d> 2 , d> 3 of the metal products Pl, P2.
• this configuration allows to adjust, along the axis of transverse movement T, the relative position between the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the motorized rollers 12, 13 in such a way as to always guarantee the optimal alignment between contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18, metal products Pl, P2 and motorized rollers 12, 13. In this way, it is possible to prevent the interference between a metal product Pl, P2 and both contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 of a pair 19, 20.
• the metal products Pl, P2 have a first nominal diameter ⁇ I>i and the contrast rollers 15, 16 of the pair 19 are positioned along the axis of transverse movement T in such a way as to prevent one of the two metal products Pl, P2 from interfering with both contrast rollers 15, 16. In this way, the correct alignment and drawing of the metal products Pl, P2 is guaranteed. Subsequently, with reference to fig.
• the type of metal products Pl, P2 to be worked may be different, for example due to a format change, and may have a second diameter d> 2 , larger than the first diameter > b
• the drawing unit 10 of the present invention can move the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 along the axis of transverse movement T in such a way as to restore the correct alignment with the metal products Pl, P2.
• the drawing unit 10 can be fed with a metal product Pl that has a third diameter d> 3 larger than the second diameter ⁇ J> 2 .
• the contrast rollers 15, 16 can be moved once again along the axis of transverse movement T in order to align the contrast roller 15 with the metal product Pl.
• the drawing unit 10 can also comprise a transducer device 26 configured to monitor the translation, that is, the distance of the second support 22 with respect to the base 11.
• the transducer device 26 can be configured to generate an electrical signal that is proportional to the distance between the second support 22 and the base 11.
• the present invention also concerns a method to draw metal products Pl, P2 comprising a drawing step, in which oblong metal products Pl, P2 are drawn, along an axis of feed X, by means of motorized rollers 12, 13 to which there are opposed, with respect to the axis of feed X, contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.
• the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 are configured to rotate idly about respective axes of rotation Fl, F2, F3, F4.
• At least two metal products Pl, P2 are drawn at the same time and a first contrast roller 15 of a first pair 19 of contrast rollers 15, 16 acts only on a first metal product Pl, and a second contrast roller 16 of the first pair 19 acts only on a second metal product P2. Furthermore, a first contrast roller 17 of a second pair 20 of contrast rollers 17, 18 acts only on the first metal product Pl, and a second contrast roller 18 of the second pair 20 acts only on the second metal product P2.
• the method also comprises at least one adjustment step in which the reciprocal position between the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the motorized rollers 12, 13 is adjusted along an axis of transverse movement T substantially parallel to the axes of rotation Fl, F2, F3, F4 of the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.
• the adjustment step provides to move the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 with respect to the motorized rollers 12, 13 along the axis of transverse movement T.
• the above adjustment of the reciprocal position between the motorized rollers 12, 13 and the contrast rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 occurs, on each occasion, as a function of the respective nominal diameters of the metal products P 1 , P2, as described previously by way of example.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Metal Rolling (AREA)
• Wire Processing (AREA)
• Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
• Coating With Molten Metal (AREA)
• Adornments (AREA)
• Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Superconductors And Manufacturing Methods Therefor (AREA)
• Forwarding And Storing Of Filamentary Material (AREA)

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