GB2075901A

GB2075901A - Rotatary cropping cutter

Info

Publication number: GB2075901A
Application number: GB8114448A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Schwermaschinenbau Kombinat Ernst Thalmann VEB
Current assignee: Schwermaschinenbau Kombinat Ernst Thalmann VEB
Priority date: 1980-05-16
Filing date: 1981-05-12
Publication date: 1981-11-25
Also published as: IT8121756A0; IT1135829B; DD157854A3; SU1458112A1; SE441248B; GB2075901B; DE3113037A1; SE8103006L; DE3113037C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary cropping cutter for cutting fast moving rolled material, e.g. wire, wherein the rolled wire is conveyed through a swingable pipe 6 positively to within range of the cutter blades 4 of overhung cutter heads 3 and (5) provided with helical grooves 13, and is severed normal to its longitudinal axis by the revolving blades. Good quality crop- cutting at high wire speed is achieved through synchronous transverse speed of movement of the swingable pipe with the transverse speed of the helical groove in the cutter head. This is achieved in that a coaxial guide member 12, provided with helical jig groove 13, is arranged on and in axial alignment with the upper cutter head 3, and that an entrainment member 11 which is spaced from, parallel with and fixed to the swingable pipe 6, can be engaged into the jig groove 13 of the guide member 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rotating cropping cutter The invention relates to a rotatable cropping cutter for cutting moving rolled material preferablyfor rolled wire of small diameter wherein the rolled wire is passed through a swingable pipe to within range of the cutter blades of cutter heads provided with helical grooves, and is severed normal to the longitudinal axis of the rolled material by the revolving blades, and wherein the cut off end and the strand of material are led into tracks which are separated from one another.

A rotating cropping cutter is already known which is said to be capable of removing the tops from fast moving rolled material with a good quality cut. The known topping cutter substantially comprises two disengageable blade shafts with the cutter heads fixed on them, a swingable pipe arranged in front of them and, at the discharge side of the cutter heads, a multiple track discharge portion to receive and carry away the cut off ends and the strand of material. The swinging movement of the guide pipe is provided by working cylinders arranged laterally on the casing of the cutter.

However, it has been found that the necessary synchronisation of the transverse movement of the helical grooves in the cutter head with the movement of the swingable pipe by means of working cylinders cannot be achieved within the requisite period of time. As a result the wire has become caught up several times in the groove boundaries of the upper and lower cutter head, and the rolled wire has veered off course in the wire guides in front of the cutter.

The result is that, with the rolled wire speeds required nowadays, of about 50 metres per second for a wire diameter of 5.5 mm, removal of tops with a good quality cut is not possible or would unquestionably lead to damage, leading to the elimination of the whole strand of rolled material.

A cutter of the invention aims to remove tops without any damage and with a good quality cut, at high rolled wire speeds.

The cutter of the invention synchronises the requisite transverse speed of the swingable pipe with the predetermined transverse speed of the helical groove in the cutter head.

According to the present invention there is provided a rotatable cropping cutter for cutting moving rolled material, comprising a pair of rotatable cutter heads provided with helical grooves in which cutter blades are located, a swingable pipe through which the material to be cut is fed to the cutter lades the cutter heads to be severed normal to its longitudinal by the revolving cutter blades, a discharge member having guideways for receiving the cut off end and the strand of material, said guideways being separated from one another, a coaxial rotatable guide member provided with a helical groove being provided on and in axial alignment with one of said cutter heads, and an entrainment member engageable in the groove of the guide member, said entrainment member being spaced from, parallel with and fixed to the swingable pipe, means for moving the entrainment member into the groove of the guide member to enable the entrainment member to swing the pipe to guide the material towards the cutter blades.

The entrainment member is fixed on a lever system which is mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the swingable pipe. The lever system is connected to a working cylinder which is fixed to the casing of the cutter. A groove for the entrainment member is provided between the upper cutter head and the guide member. The swingable pipe may be guided in a gate located at the end where the wire emerges, or a runner may be provided below the swingable pipe and in turn take over the guiding of the pipe along a track bound by stops. A working cylinder engaging a link plate or e.g. a restoring spring can be provided to return the swingable pipe to the starting position after the cut has been made.

The discharge member provided at the discharge side of the cutter head may have a laterally movable, spring mounted wedge shaped divider member, which divides the discharge member into two guideways.

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a cropping cutter according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section taken along the line A-A shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a cutter, the cross section being through the cutter heads, and Figure 5 is a cross-section taken along the line B-B shown in Figure 4.

In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the cutting machine 1 has a drive means 2 and cutter heads 3 and 5 provided with cutting blades 4. A swingable pipe 6 is arranged in front of the cutter heads 3 and 5. At one end the pipe 6 is mounted in a cardan joint 7, which can pivot in two planes, and its other end is guided by a gate 8 arranged stationary in front of the cutter heads 3 and 5. A cranked lever system 9 is provided at the front end, i.e. at the wire discharge end of the swingable pipe 6, and mounted so as to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the swingable pipe 6. One arm of the lever system 9 is connected to the piston rod of a working cylinder 10, which is fixed to the casing of the cutting machine 1, and the other arm of the lever system 9 carries a stationary-mounted entrainment member 11.The upper cutter head 3 has a helical groove and is provided with a coaxial guide member 12 in axial alignment therewith. The guide member 12 has a helical jig groove 13 in which the entrainment member 11 can be received. A groove 14 is provided between the cutter head 3 and the guide member 12.

Behind the cutter heads 3 and 5 a discharge portion with juxtaposed guideways 15 and 16, formed by the provision of a wedge shaped divider member 17.

The divider member 17 is extende machine 1 operates as follows. If the wire passing through the swingable pipe 6 is to be severed, the working cylinder 10, which is controlled by a rolling material indicator, is actuated. The lever system 9 is thereby acted on, bringing the entrainment member 11 into the helical jig groove 13 of the guide member 12.

There is thus produced a transverse movement of the pipe 6, aided by the working cylinder 10, and this movement runs synchronously with the jig grooves of the upper head 3.

The function of the gate 8 is to support and guide the swingable pip 6. The wire being rolled, which is engaged in the grooves of the cutter head 3, 5, comes within cutting range of the blades 4 as a result of the transverse movement of the pipe 6, and is cut normal to the direction of movement. When the cut has been made, the cut off end is directed into the right hand guideway 15 of the discharge portion, and the bar of material into the left hand guideway 16, by the summoned divider 17. Being sprung, the divider 17 separates the cut off end from the strand of material gently and reliably. To make the machine ready for cutting, the swingable pipe 6 is moved into the starting position once the strand of wire has passed through, by actuating the working cylinder 10 in the opposite direction.The resultant synchrn- nous transverse movement between the swingable pipe 6 and the helical jig grooves 13 of the head 3 gives a trouble-free, good quality cut in fast moving rolled material.

The second embodiment shown in Figure 3, shows anotherway of actuating the pipe 6 without using a gate guide.

The lever system 9 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is replaced by a link plate 22 fixed to the swing pipe 6.

Working cylinders 23 and 24 effect the swinging movement of the pipe 6. Otherwise the cutting machine 1 is constructed as in the first example.

Operation is as follows: To make the cut the working cylinder 23 is first actuated by appropriate pulses dependent on the input of rolled material. It guides the entrainment member 11 into the jig groove 13 of the guide member 12. at this stage the cylinder 24 is actuated and aids the initiated transverse movement of the pipe 6 which - here again, as in the first example - runs synchronously with the transverse movement of the groove in the head 3. To return the swingable pipe 6 to the starting position, the working cylinders 23,24 are actuated the other way around, with the cylinder 23 first and then the cylinder 24.

In the third embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5 a construction of the swingable pipe 6 is provided where a guide roller 25 is provided as the entrainment member. The roller 25 is arranged at a spacing from the axis of the pipe 6, on a link plate 30 which is fixed to the pipe 6. A runner 26, arranged below and fixed to the pipe 6, slides along a roll track 28 provided with end stops 27. The link plate 30 is connected to the piston rod of a working cylinder 29 which is fixed flexibly to a stationary base. A restoring spring 31, effective in the transverse movement of the swingable pipe 6, is connected to the link plate 30.

Operation is as follows. As in the second example, the guide roller 25 is swung in and engages in the groove 13 in the guide head 12, by actuation of the working cylinder 29. There is a synchronous transverse movement of the swingable pipe 6, until the runner 26, arranged below the pipe 6, reaches the left hand stop 27 and the wire has been cut. The guide roller 25 is now in the groove 14. By actuating the cylinder 29 in the opposite direction the guide roller is made to swing out of the groove 14. The restoring spring 31 pulls the pipe 6 back to the starting position, by means of the link plate 30, thus putting the machine in readiness to cut again.

Claims

1. A rotatable cropping cutter for cutting moving rolled material, comprising a pair of rotatable cutter heads provided with helical grooves in which cutter blades are located, a swingable pipe through which the material to be cut is fed to the cutter lades the cutter heads to be severed normal to its longitudinal by the revolving cutter blades, a discharge member having guideways for receiving the cut off end and the strand of material, said guideways being separated from one another, a coaxial rotatable guide member provided with a helical groove being provided on and in axial alignment with one of said cutter heads, and an entrainment member engageable in the groove of the guide member, said entrainment member being spaced from, parallel with and fixed to the swingable pipe, means for moving the entrainment member into the groove of the guide member to enable the entrainment member to swing the pipe to guide the material towards the cutter blades.

2. A cutter as claimed in claim 1, in which the entrainment member is fixed on a lever system which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the swingable pipe.

3. A cutter as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which a radial groove is provided between the guide member and associated cutter head.

4. A cutter as claimed in claim 2, in which the lever system is connected to a working cylinder which is fixed to a casing of the cutter.

5. A cutter as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the swingable pipe is arranged in a stationary guiding gate at the end where the wire is discharged from the pipe.

6. A cutter as claimed in claims 1 and 5, in which a runner is provided below the swingable pipe and which can be moved along a track bounded by stops.

7. A cutter as claimed in claim 5, in which a link plate carries the entrainment member and said link plate is engaged either by a working cylinder or a restoring spring for effecting the return stroke of the swingable pipe.

8. A cutter as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a movable and spring mounted wedge shaped divider member is arranged in the discharge member to separate the guideways.

9. A rotatable cropping cutter for cutting moving rolled material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.