GB1569358A

GB1569358A - Wire feeding and bending device

Info

Publication number: GB1569358A
Application number: GB720877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: STARTRITE DESIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: STARTRITE DESIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 1977-02-21
Filing date: 1977-02-21
Publication date: 1980-06-11

Description

(54) A WIRE FEEDING AND BENDING DEVICE (71) We, STARTRITE DESIGNS LIMITED, a Body Corporate organised under the Laws of Great Britain, of Courmey Road, Hoath Way, Gillingham, Kent, MES ORZ, England, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be described in and by the following statenent: - This invention relates to a wire feeding and being device.

There are instances where it is desired to impart, to a stiff but resilient and deformable wire, a constant and predetermined radius of ciirvattire as it is fed from a bulk source.

One such instance is the method and apparatus for welding of the end of tubular workpieees, as set forth in our co-pending United Kingdom Patent Application No.

7207/77 (Serial No. 1,569,357) filed 21st February 1977. In brief, to permit the feeding of a welding wire to a circular recess in which a weld deposit is to be formed, it is necessary to preform the welding wire to a radius of curvature which bears a known relationship to the radius of curvature of the weld recess.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a wire feeding and bending device which can receive a stiff but resilient and deformable wire, possibly including kinks, from a bulk supply and deliver the wire with an adjustable uniform desired longitudinal radius of curvature.

According to the present invention a wire feeding and bending device, for feeding a wire to which it imparts a desired radius of curvature in a plane, comprises: (i) a first pair of abutments spaced in that plane and between which the wire passes along a feed path; (ii) a bending abutment situated downstream of the first abutments and contacted by the wire, said bending abutment being disposed in said plane relative to said first abutments so as to impart to the wire a degree of bending having a smaller radius of curvature than said desired radius of curvature; (ffi) a relieving abutment situated downstream of the bending abutment and contacted by the wire, said relieving abutment being disposed in said plane relative to the bending abutment so as to deform the wire in the direction opposite to the desired curvature, and (iv) a second pair of abutments situated downstream of the relieving abutment and between which the wire passes, said second pair of abutments being disposed in said plane such that the wire follows a substantially linear path between the relieving abutment and the second pair of abutments, the wire emerging from said second pair of abutments with an inherent tendency to adopt said desired radius of curvature.

Preferably, provision is made for adjustment of the individual abutments of the first and/ or second pairs one towards and away from the other, and if desired also for adjustment in said plane of the position of the bending abut merit relative to the first pair of abutments and the relieving abutment.

The first and/or second abutments may advantageously be rollers, and in a convenient construction the first and/or the second abutment rollers are adapted to drive the wire along said path. For example, the wire may be carried in grooves in the rollers, and one or both pairs of rollers may be coupled by gearing to a common drive motor.

The bending abutment is preferably a roller, and may have a peripheral groove to receive the wire. The relieving abutment is likewise preferably a roller and likewise may have a peripheral groove to receive the wire.

The device may further comprise a feed tube disposed in said plane downstream of the second pair of abutments and receiving the wire therefrom, said feed tube having a longitudinal radius of curvature corresponding to the desired radius of curvature imparted to the wire.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of wire feeding and bending device in accordance with the invention is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device, with a cover removed to show internal details; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 11-I I of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III--III ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view to show motor and drive means.

The device comprises a casing 1 into which a welding wire 2 is fed, from a bulk suply reel (not shown) in the direction of the arrow 3. It will be known to those skilled in the welding art that welding wire is usually stiff but resilient and deformable, and can also be deformed permanently, and commonly contains kinks and other non-uniformities.

The wire passes between a first pair of drive rollers 4 and 5 each of which has a peripheral groove 6 (see Fig. 3). The roller 4 is adjustable radially towards and away from the roller 5 by means which are described below in relation to Fig. 3. The wire then passes partially about a bending roller 7 having a peripheral groove 8, (see Fig. 2). The bending roller 7 is adjustable radially in the manner described below in relation to Fig. 2. The wire then passes partially about a relieving idler roller 9 having a peripheral groove 10 (see Fig. 4). From there the wire passes between a second pair of drive rollers 11 and 12 with a peripheral groove and similar to the rollers 4 and 5. The roller 11 is adjustable radially towards and away from the roller 12 (Fig. 3). The wire then passes through a sleeve 13 which can be adjusted by means of a spherical bearing, and which can be clamped at a desired relative position in the casing 1. The wire then passes from the sleeve through a feed tube 14 which is longitudinally arcuate and which has the radius of curvature which is to be imparted to the wire. Because the wire already possesses the correct radius of curvature by the time it is fed into the feed tube 14 it can pass easily and substantially without friction through the feed tube, and although it is being fed from upstream, i.e. is being pushed through the tube 14 rather than being pulled through it, the wire can pass through the feed tube substantially without judder or sticking.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the adjustable roller 7 is mounted on a journal 15 carried by a slide 16 movable through a block 17 secured on the casing 1. The slide 16 is internally threaded to receive a threaded stem 18 coupled to a cap 19 having a flange 20 retained in a collar 21 and under presure from a spring 22. Manual rotation of a knob 23 coupled to the cap causes axial adjustment of the slide 16 and thus radial adjustment of the roller 7.

Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown a manner of adjusment which applies to both of the drive rollers 4 and 11, but is described as for the roller 11. The roller is mounted on an axle 24 carried by bearing races 25 in a slide block 26 coupled to a stem 27 having a head 28 which is abutted by a compression spring 29 contacting a cap 30 threaded onto a sleeve 31 secured in the casing 1. Manual rotation of the cap 30 causes adjustment of the spring pressure urging the roller 11 towards its associated drive roller 12.

Referring now to Fig. 4 there is shown a drive arrangement for the rollers. A motor 32, incorporating a suitable speed reduction gearing, has a slow-speed output shaft 33 coupled by a dog clutch to the axle 34 of the nonadjustable drive roller 12. The axle 34 has keyed on it a pinion 35 meshed with an idler pinion 36 which is freely rotatable on an axle 37 by means of a bearing race 38. The pinion 36 is also meshed with a pinion 39 keyed to an axle 40 on which is keyed the nonadjustable drive roller 5. The idler roller 9 is not coupled to the drive mechanism, and rotates solely under the frictional drive of the wire passing about it.

In operation, the roller 4 is adjusted for tighmess so that the wire is firmly gripped for drive purposes between rollers 4 and 5.

Passage of the wire from rollers 4, 5 to roller 7 imparts a considerable bend to the wire, i.e.

a smaller radius of curvature than will eventually be required, and there is thus an "over-bend." The extent of this over-bend is determined by the radial adjustment of the bending roller 7. This over-bending simultaneously serves for the removal of kinks and other irregularities in the incoming wire. The wire then passes from the bending roller to the relieving idler roller 9, and a slight degree of bending in the reverse direction is experienced, thus partially relieving the overbend previously applied. The wire then passes in a straight line, but with an inherent tendency to pass into a curved state, to the pair of drive rollers 11 and 12. These rollers are likewise adjusted, by radial movement of roller 11, to give a required degree of tighmess of contact with the wire. As the wire leaves the rollers 11 and 12 it passes in a substantially straight line to the sleeve 13, but still retaining its inherent tendency to adopt the correct radius of curvature. As the wire enters the feed tube 14 it can spring into its inherently curved shape, which corresponds exactly to that of the feed tube.

By variation of the adjustments, the wire emerging through the feed tube can be made to conform to any desired longitudinal radius of curvature, within limits, to correspond to a respective curvature of the tube 14.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A wire feeding and bending device, for feeding a wire to which it imparts a desired radius of curvature in a plane, comprising a first pair of abutments spaced in that plane and between which the wire passes along a feed path, a bending abutment situated downstream of the first abutments and contacted by the wire, said bending abutment being dis

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a cover removed to show internal details; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 11-I I of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III--III ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view to show motor and drive means. The device comprises a casing 1 into which a welding wire 2 is fed, from a bulk suply reel (not shown) in the direction of the arrow 3. It will be known to those skilled in the welding art that welding wire is usually stiff but resilient and deformable, and can also be deformed permanently, and commonly contains kinks and other non-uniformities. The wire passes between a first pair of drive rollers 4 and 5 each of which has a peripheral groove 6 (see Fig. 3). The roller 4 is adjustable radially towards and away from the roller 5 by means which are described below in relation to Fig. 3. The wire then passes partially about a bending roller 7 having a peripheral groove 8, (see Fig. 2). The bending roller 7 is adjustable radially in the manner described below in relation to Fig. 2. The wire then passes partially about a relieving idler roller 9 having a peripheral groove 10 (see Fig. 4). From there the wire passes between a second pair of drive rollers 11 and 12 with a peripheral groove and similar to the rollers 4 and 5. The roller 11 is adjustable radially towards and away from the roller 12 (Fig. 3). The wire then passes through a sleeve 13 which can be adjusted by means of a spherical bearing, and which can be clamped at a desired relative position in the casing 1. The wire then passes from the sleeve through a feed tube 14 which is longitudinally arcuate and which has the radius of curvature which is to be imparted to the wire. Because the wire already possesses the correct radius of curvature by the time it is fed into the feed tube 14 it can pass easily and substantially without friction through the feed tube, and although it is being fed from upstream, i.e. is being pushed through the tube 14 rather than being pulled through it, the wire can pass through the feed tube substantially without judder or sticking. Referring now to Fig. 2, the adjustable roller 7 is mounted on a journal 15 carried by a slide 16 movable through a block 17 secured on the casing 1. The slide 16 is internally threaded to receive a threaded stem 18 coupled to a cap 19 having a flange 20 retained in a collar 21 and under presure from a spring 22. Manual rotation of a knob 23 coupled to the cap causes axial adjustment of the slide 16 and thus radial adjustment of the roller 7. Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown a manner of adjusment which applies to both of the drive rollers 4 and 11, but is described as for the roller 11. The roller is mounted on an axle 24 carried by bearing races 25 in a slide block 26 coupled to a stem 27 having a head 28 which is abutted by a compression spring 29 contacting a cap 30 threaded onto a sleeve 31 secured in the casing 1. Manual rotation of the cap 30 causes adjustment of the spring pressure urging the roller 11 towards its associated drive roller 12. Referring now to Fig. 4 there is shown a drive arrangement for the rollers. A motor 32, incorporating a suitable speed reduction gearing, has a slow-speed output shaft 33 coupled by a dog clutch to the axle 34 of the nonadjustable drive roller 12. The axle 34 has keyed on it a pinion 35 meshed with an idler pinion 36 which is freely rotatable on an axle 37 by means of a bearing race 38. The pinion 36 is also meshed with a pinion 39 keyed to an axle 40 on which is keyed the nonadjustable drive roller 5. The idler roller 9 is not coupled to the drive mechanism, and rotates solely under the frictional drive of the wire passing about it. In operation, the roller 4 is adjusted for tighmess so that the wire is firmly gripped for drive purposes between rollers 4 and 5. Passage of the wire from rollers 4, 5 to roller 7 imparts a considerable bend to the wire, i.e. a smaller radius of curvature than will eventually be required, and there is thus an "over-bend." The extent of this over-bend is determined by the radial adjustment of the bending roller 7. This over-bending simultaneously serves for the removal of kinks and other irregularities in the incoming wire. The wire then passes from the bending roller to the relieving idler roller 9, and a slight degree of bending in the reverse direction is experienced, thus partially relieving the overbend previously applied. The wire then passes in a straight line, but with an inherent tendency to pass into a curved state, to the pair of drive rollers 11 and 12. These rollers are likewise adjusted, by radial movement of roller 11, to give a required degree of tighmess of contact with the wire. As the wire leaves the rollers 11 and 12 it passes in a substantially straight line to the sleeve 13, but still retaining its inherent tendency to adopt the correct radius of curvature. As the wire enters the feed tube 14 it can spring into its inherently curved shape, which corresponds exactly to that of the feed tube. By variation of the adjustments, the wire emerging through the feed tube can be made to conform to any desired longitudinal radius of curvature, within limits, to correspond to a respective curvature of the tube 14. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A wire feeding and bending device, for feeding a wire to which it imparts a desired radius of curvature in a plane, comprising a first pair of abutments spaced in that plane and between which the wire passes along a feed path, a bending abutment situated downstream of the first abutments and contacted by the wire, said bending abutment being dis

posed in said plane relative to said first abutments so as to impart to the wire a degree of bend having a smaller radius of curvature than said desired radius of curvature, a relieving abutment situated downstream of the bending abutment and contacted by the wire, said re Iieviag abutment being disposed in said plane relative to the bending abutment so as to deform the wire in the direction opposite to the desired curvature, a second pair of abutments situated downstream of the relieving abutment and between which the wire passes, said second pair of abutments being disposed in said plane such that the wire follows a substantially linear path between the relieving abutment and the second pair of abutments.

2. A wire feeding and bending device, as calmed in claim 1, wherein the abutments of said first and/or said second pair are relatively adjustable one towards and away from the other.

3. A wire feeding and bending device, as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, wherein the position in said plane of the bending abutment relative to said first pair of abutments and to said relieving abutment is adjustable.

4. A wire feeding and bending device, as chimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and/or said second abutments are rollers.

5. A wire feeding and bending device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and/or said second abutment rollers are adapted to drive the wire along said path.

6. A wire feeding and bending device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bending abutment is a roller.

7. A wire feeding and bending device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said relieving abutment is a roller.

8. A wire feeding and bending device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a feed tube disposed in said plane downstream of said second pair of abutments and receiving the wire therefrom, said feed tube having a longitudinal radius of curvature corresponding to the desired radius of curvature imparted to the wire.

9. A wire feeding and bending machine substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.