FR2587926A1 - Method and machine for cutting up and deburring tubes to be cut to size - Google Patents

Abstract

For the cutting up and deburring of a tube T to be cut to size, this tube is gripped in two adjacent vices 5 and 6 at predetermined distances from one of its ends, the tube is cut between these vices, the scrap length T' thus obtained is moved radially away from the tube T, whereas a finishing head 7 is brought up facing the tube T axially and then axially in contact with it, and the scrap length T' is disposed of. Application especially to the cutting to size of tubes which are fragile or delicate, or of curved shape.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method and a machine for cutting tubes, bent or not, and finishing the wafer of at least one section thus cut. It relates in particular to the lengthening of bent tubes from which it is a question of removing a head drop section and / or a tail drop section. It was designed and developed by the Production Research Department of the Aerospace of Toulouse with the help of the Rascol d'Albi high school.

These operations are traditionally carried out by two machines with an intermediate manual intervention, according to the following sequence
- we delimit and trace the extra lengths of the part considered using templates, that is to say that, in the case for example of a curved part, the latter being longer than what is desired , we put markers on it to distinguish sections of head and tail to be eliminated,
- the part is cut to the marked locations, either by hand or with a chainsaw,
- grab the part and move it to another machine to carry out the necessary finishing operations (deburring, surfacing, chamfering, etc.).

 We see that these various operations, necessary to obtain a finished part, are long and require many manipulations; they also require the presence and active contribution of an operator for a relatively long time.

It should also be noted that all these manipulations risk leading to degradation of the part when it is fragile (tubes of some 4/10 mm thick for example).

 The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by reducing the necessary manipulations and the risks associated with them, by simplifying the operations to be carried out, by reducing the time elapsing between each of them and by avoiding mobilizing an operator. , while respecting a high quality of work and great reliability.

 There are already known cutting and finishing systems which seem to want to meet these wishes but which only succeed in doing so. Thus, patent US-3.563.ll9 proposes, after cutting a tube into two sections, to axially separate these two sections from one another, to insert a working tool radially, to bring the two sections closer together on either side of this tool and cause relative rotation between sections and tool; However, this solution proves to be complex and delicate due to the positioning and the rotary drive of the tool between the sections. The patent US Pat. No. 3,726,603 proposes a machine suitable for cutting a rectilinear tube into sections which are, by one one, automatically transferred from one work area to another, with all the risks of damage that this presents for fragile parts. US Pat. No. 4,170,157 is also known, which proposes the fitting of curved welded tubes of very precise geometry using an automatic installation, quite bulky, suitable for a single type of part. It can be seen that these various systems are generally complex, bulky and not very adaptable.

 In contrast to these documents, the subject of the invention is a method which is simple to implement although allowing great precision and easily adaptable to various types or geometries of parts, as well as a simple, robust, precise and space-saving machine.

 The invention thus provides a method of cutting and deburring a tube to be put in the template according to which this tube is gripped in two neighboring vices, the tube is cut between these vices, so as to detach a drop section from said tube , a finishing operation is carried out on the edge of the tube thus cut, while the fall section is evacuated, characterized in that the tube is grasped at predetermined distances from one of its ends and in that after cutting, the drop section is moved transversely with respect to the axis (XX) of the tube, and a rotary finishing head is brought in axially facing said section of the cut tube.

 It will be appreciated that, according to the invention, the calibration relates to the drop section to be eliminated, without reference to the part of the tube to be preserved; the latter can be bent or not and its dimensions and geometry can vary from one time to the next. On the other hand, the finishing operations are facilitated by the fact that the corresponding tools are brought in axially opposite the tube to be treated, while allowing controlled evacuation of the drop section.

 For the implementation of this method, the invention proposes a cutting-off and deburring machine suitable for fitting to the template a tube of any shape, of the kind comprising two vices adapted to grip this tube in two neighboring zones, a unit of sectioning adapted to cut a tube gripped by the vices between them and a finishing unit suitable for deburring the edge of this tube after cutting a drop section, characterized in that one of the vices and the unit of parting off is linked to a frame while another 11 of the vices and the finishing unit are carried by a movable plate, which is provided with moving actuators, transverse to the tube, between a configuration in which the vices face each other , and a configuration in which the finishing unit is axially facing the cut-off tube, with this plate being linked at least one stop adapted to intercept the axis of the tube when the vices face each other, and the finishing unit comprising a head working e adapted to come axially into contact with the edge of the cut tube.

 Such a machine, by structure, turns out to be simple; robust and compact, easily adaptable to the treatment of a large number of types of tubes, and yet allows a great precision of work. Such a machine turns out to be particularly suitable for the production of small series with precision treatment of delicate parts.

 It will be appreciated that, according to the invention, the various operations are carried out in a continuous sequence at the same workplace, the tube remaining fixed while the various tools move successively (simply but precisely) to come into contact with it. The invention makes it possible to eliminate long and sometimes delicate manipulations liable to lead to damage, and makes the constant and active presence of an operator unnecessary.

The objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention appear moreover from the description, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cutting-off and finishing machine according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view thereof in sectioning configuration, and
- Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view in the finishing configuration.

 The machine shown by way of example in FIG. 1 mainly comprises a frame I, a fixed plate 2 integral with this frame, a cutting unit 3, a movable plate 4 which can move relative to the fixed plate 2 transversely to an axis reference XX, vices 5 and 6 respectively fixed on the fixed 2 and mobile 4 plates, a finishing unit 7 and at least one stop 8 (here two in number) linked to this mobile plate 4, a chute 9 and a corridor 10 for evacuating falls to this tank. This machine is here placed sdus the control of a remote control desk 11 which ensures synchronization and automatic control of all the operations to be carried out; this desk is advantageously programmable, allowing several operating cycles, hence great flexibility of use. A remote trigger pedal 12 is preferably provided to allow the machine to be started and stopped by an operator located a few meters away and who nevertheless retains free use of his hands.

 The cutting unit 3 comprises a circular saw 13 driven in rotation by a motor 14 and which is controlled in vertical movement by a system 15 of translation.

The fixed vice 5 is advantageously adapted to receive jaws in half-shells 16 of internal diameter chosen as a function of the diameter of the tubes T to be treated; these have, for example, a diameter between 6 and 38 mm with a thickness between 0.4 and 1.30 mm (hence sometimes a great susceptibility to being damaged during improperly controlled handling). In close configuration, these half-shells define an orifice centered on the reference axis
XX.

 Similarly, the movable vice 6 advantageously comprises jaws in half-shells 16 'defining an orifice with an axis parallel to X-X.

 The elements associated with the mobile plate 4 appear on a larger scale in FIGS. 2 and 3. This mobile plate is driven in movement, transverse to the axis XX, between the configurations of FIGS. 2 and 3, by translation members 17 of all suitable type (pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, etc.), here hydraulic cylinders.

 In Figure 2, which shows the cylinders 17 in maximum extension, the movable vice 6 is opposite the fixed vice 5, at a small distance however sufficient to allow the passage of the saw 13 between these vice. Beyond the movable vice, the axis XX intercepts one of the stops 8. The latter are in fact adjustable transversely to the axis XX, thanks to which they are retractable and one can choose the one which must be intercepted by this axis (here the first from the movable vice) by action on adjustment elements 18A (with screw for example). These stops comprise, to intercept the axis XX, a cantilever portion adapted to come overhang the evacuation corridor 10. The latter consists here of a V-shaped chute inclined in a vertical plane parallel to the axis XX and passing between the jaws of the movable vice 6.This chute extends over almost the entire width of the movable plate 4 from this movable vice 6. Its angle of inclination is here small for reasons of compactness and; to facilitate the scrolling of a portion of tube which would fall on it, air injection nozzles 18 opening from place to place along the bottom of this chute: falls of tubes can thus be evacuated on a cushion d 'air.

The finishing unit 7 comprises a drive member, such as a drill motor unit, receiving a rod parallel to the axis
XX terminated by a working head 19 provided with working tools 20, here three in number (for example an internal chamfering tool, an external chamfering tool and a straightening tool) arranged radially at 1200 one of the other around the axis of rotation of the engine block. Conventionally, said rod is adapted to exit telescopically from this engine block.

 The amplitude of the jacks 14 is at least sufficient to move the movable plate 4 from its position in FIG. 2 to the position in FIG. 3 where the axis of rotation of the motor unit of the finishing unit coincides with the 'axis XX. The chute 9 is placed near the frame 1 so as to be under the lower end of the chute 10 in this configuration of FIG. 3.

 In operation, an operator brings one end of a tube T, for example bent, between the jaws of the vice 5, in alignment with the axis X-X. This tube is moved axially until it comes to bear against a stop 8 previously chosen. The clamps 5 and 6 are then tightened by any known means (such as jacks). It will be noted that a sectioning area is thus defined on the tube, between the clamping areas by the vices, so as to obtain, after sectioning, a fall T 'of predetermined length defined by the choice of the stopper 8 put forward. . The operator can then let go of the tube T and initiate an automatic operating cycle, by pressing the pedal 12 for example.

 The annular saw 13 is then lowered. In order to improve the cutting time and limit the machine settings, the speed of advance of this cutting head (or saw) 13 is controlled by the diameter of the tube to be cut; after cutting the descent of this saw continues until a stop (not shown) provided with a sensor adapted to cause the ascent of the saw.

 After cutting the jacks 17 are controlled so as to move the movable plate 4 transversely, and therefore the drop section T ′ until bringing the finishing head 19 opposite the edge of the tube T which has just been cut. Due to the fact that this rotary head is axially facing this section of tube and that the tools 20 are distributed angularly in a regular manner, a high precision and a high quality of finishing are achieved in a simple manner. This finishing requires of course that the finishing head is moved axially towards the tube, over a distance in constant practice.

Then, or during the finishing phase, the machine loosens the jaws of the movable vice 6 so that the drop section
T 'falls into the chute 10. An injection of air through the nozzles 18 ensures evacuation into the chute 9, despite the slight inclination
The movable plate 4 is then returned to its position in FIG. 2 and the jaws of the fixed vice 5 are loosened to allow the operator to take up the tube T, for example with a view to cutting off the other end of it.

 it appeared that the invention brings a considerable time saving, being able to reduce by 4 the time which it hitherto required for the sequence of operations in manual part exposed above which was followed until now for the small manufacturing series concerning fragile or complicated-shaped tubes.

 The reliability and the quality of the work accomplished are excellent thanks to a setting of great precision although simple, while the arduous nature of the work of the operator is significantly reduced.

 It goes without saying that the above description has been offered for information only and is not limitative and that numerous variants can be proposed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. This is particularly the case for the nature of the cutting or finishing members, the structure and the number of stops, or even the constitution of the means ensuring the evacuation of the drop sections, or even the orientation of the movable plate. If necessary, one can provide on the machine, opposite the stops relative to the movable vice in its position of FIG. 3, a second finishing unit intended to deburr the fall section in the event that one would like to recycle it.

Claims (10)

 1. Method of cutting and deburring a tube to be put in the template according to which this tube is gripped in two neighboring vices, the tube is cut between these vices so as to detach a drop section from said tube, an operation is carried out of finishing on the edge of the tube thus cut, while the fall section is evacuated, characterized in that the tube is grasped at predetermined distances from one of its ends and in that after cutting, the drop section (T ') transversely with respect to the axis (XX) of the tube (T), and a rotary finishing head (19) is brought axially opposite said section of the cut tube.  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation of finishing the edge of the tube (T) consists of simultaneous operations of internal chamfering, external chamfering, and dressing of this edge.  3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that one evacuates the drop section (T ') on an air cushion (18).  4. Cutting and deburring machine suitable for fitting to the template a tube of any shape, of the type comprising two clamps (5, 6) adapted to grip this tube in two adjacent zones, a cutting unit (3) suitable for cutting a tube gripped by the clamps between them and a finishing unit (7) suitable for deburring the edge of this tube after cutting a drop section (T '), characterized in that one (5) of vices and the cutting unit (3) are linked to a frame (1) while the other (6) of the vices and the finishing unit are carried by a movable plate (4), which is provided with members (17) for maneuvering in movement, transversely to the tube, between a configuration in which the clamps (5, 6) face each other, and a configuration in which the finishing unit (7) is axially opposite the cut tube, with this plate being linked to at least one stop (8) adapted to intercept the axis of the tube (T) when the clamps (5, 6) face each other, and the finishing unit comprises both a working head (19) adapted to come axially into contact with the edge of the cut-off tube.  5. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the finishing unit (7) comprises a rotary working head (19) adapted to rotate around an axis coincident with that of the cut-off tube (T), which is provided with finishing tools of different roles regularly distributed angularly around this axis.  6. Machine according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that it comprises, carried by the movable plate (4) in the extension of the movable vice (6), in a vertical plane parallel to the tube (T) , a discharge chute (10), the bottom of which is provided with pressurized air injection nozzles (18).  7. Machine according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the vices (5, - 6), the cutting-off (3) and finishing (7) units and the operating members (17) are controlled from a remote control console (11).  8. Machine according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that it is provided with a pedal (2) for remote triggering.  9. Machine according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of retractable stops (8) adapted, as desired, to intercept the axis of the tube (T) when the clamps are made face so as to determine the length of a fall section (T ').  10. Machine according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the movable plate (4) is horizontal and is maneuvered by jacks (17).