GB2307437A

GB2307437A - Opening apparatus for closed sectional grooves

Info

Publication number: GB2307437A
Application number: GB9621532A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johann Malsam
Original assignee: MINITEC LINEAR ANTRIEBSELEMENT
Current assignee: MINITEC LINEAR ANTRIEBSELEMENT
Priority date: 1995-11-22
Filing date: 1996-10-16
Publication date: 1997-05-28
Also published as: DE19543498C1; FR2741423A1; GB9621532D0; FR2741423B1

Description

2307437 OPENING APPARATUS FOR CLOSED SECTIONAL GROOVES 1 Extruded hollow

aluminium sections, such as are commercially available in a plurality of designs (DE-P 41 27 284), are constructed in the form of a bar and on their outer peripheral sides comprise sectional grooves which are continuous in their longitudinal direction, which by way of connecting members serve to join sectional bars to each other thus forming support or carrying systems or serve to fix duct work, lighting units, fastening means or the like. Especially for use in the foodstuffs and tobacco industries, the sectional grooves of a sectional bar which are not required are covered and solely those required for the above purposes are exposed. The respective groove covering is formed from a thin aluminium strip, which is produced at the time of extrusion or at the time of another shaping method for producing the respective sectional bar, so that the finished sectional bar comprises the cover forming a type of protective skin, which closes off all sectional grooves towards the outside and is a flush part of the outer periphery of the sectional bar.

Depending on the purpose of use, the respectively required groove path is opened in situ, thus when assembling a sectional bar construction, this generally taking place by levering open, tearing open or rolling back and indeed by hand. The aforementioned levering open (Figure 1 of DE 94 08 391 U1) is very time consuming and damage to the sectional base frequently occurs. At the time of tearing-open, first of all the strip-like cover is levered open so that the projecting end can be gripped by tongs and the cover is then torn out of the sectional groove.

The time required is in this case reduced; however, this procedure is dangerous for the fitter, since tearing-off of the strip material frequently leads to accidents. In the case of rolling-up (DE 94 08 391 U1), one end of the strip is likewise levered up and, as in the case of a rolling-up can opener, which is known for example from opening sardine cans or the like, the end of the strip is rqceived in a slot, which one then winds up on the can opener by forceful turning about the slot. In addition to a force-intensive operation, Problems occur 1 2 particularly when the wound-up sheet metal strip has to be removed from the rolling-up can opener. Furthermore, in all methods, when opening the sectional groove, an outwardly directed burr is formed, which must then be removed by hand, which is once again time-consuming and involves a risk of injury for the f itter.

Based on this prior art, it is the object of the invention to make available an apparatus for opening closed sectional grooves in sectional bars, which allows the opening in situ and without danger, which carries out the opening process quickly and with low actuating forces and which avoids finishing of the opened sectional groove. Such an object is achieved by an apparatus with the features of Claim 1.

Due to the fact that the apparatus for opening closed sectional grooves in sectional bars is provided with a holding device for fixing the respective sectional bar and with a carriage able to travel along the sectional bar by means of a displacing device, which carriage at the time of displacement engages by means of at least one opening lug in the respective sectional groove to be opened, the opening process can be carried out quickly with low actuating forces by displacing the carriage, the opening lug engaging deep into the sectional groove so that the sectional cover forming the connecting webs is removed without burrs from the sectional groove and finishing of the opened sectional groove is dispensed with. Furthermore, any risk of injury for the fitter, at the time of opening the groove, is precluded. The apparatus can be readily adapted to different longitudinal regions on sectional bars to be machined and can be used very satisfactorily in situ, thus at the point of assembly of the sectional construction. Thus, in particular the setting-up and dismantling of the opening apparatus cause no problems.

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the carriage engages over the sectional bar by two legs, which are connected to each other by way of a central leg, 3 which on its side facing the sectional bar comprises the opening lug. Preferably, in this case, the displacing device comprises guide rails on both sides along a support rod of the holding device, which guide rails cooperate with a rolling device located on the carriage, which is formed in particular from rollers. In so far that the sectional bar is positioned with the side to be machined facing upwards, the opening process can be satisfactorily monitored and thanks to the displacing device, the carriage can be displaced exactly along the sectional bar for an opening process, so that the opening process takes place exactly.

In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, for receiving the sectional bar, the two legs and the centre leg def ine a receiving space, which has dimensions such that the conventional cross-sectional shapes of the section is can be received in a predetermined region. In this case, the opening lug is preferably located on the under side of the centre leg facing the sectional bar, in particular at its end face, in which case preferably byway of a feed device, the possible range of engagement of the opening lug in the sectional groove can be adjusted. Thus the apparatus may be permanently adapted either to a given cross-sectional size of the sectional bar or the receiving space has such large dimensions that in a predetermined size range, the most varied cross-sectional sizes can be received. In such a case, by way of the feed device, the respective opening lug may then be brought into a position in which whilst cutting-out the sectional cover, it engages in the sectional groove by a predetermined projecting length.

o In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, it has been found that in so far that the opening lug is formed by a roller guided to rotate, which comprises concave profiling, it is possible to achieve reliable separation of the cover on its edges at the profile webs, which define the sectional groove, in a particularly satisfactory manner, without in particular an outwardly projecting burr formation occurring in this area. However, the opening lug may also be formed by an 4 opening shoe, a pressing roller with cutting surfaces or the like.

In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the holding device is provided on its end sides with stops, of which, for clamping the respective sectional bar, at least one is longitudinally displaceable, which comprise, on their facing sides, respectively one receiving mandrel, which engages in the central channel of the sectional bar to be fixed. Due to this, the holding device can be adapted to any lengths, preferably in a range from 3 metres to 6 metres, of the sectional bar to be received, in order that the latter is then f reed of the groove covering to be removed.

The opening apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail hereafter with reference to the drawings.

is In the drawings, which are drawn diagrammatically and not to scale, Figure 1 is an end view of the opening apparatus according to Figure 2 with the fixed sectional bar, shown in section; Figure 2 is a side view of the opening apparatus, in which the carriage with its opening lug is not yet in engagement with the sectional bar.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings serves for the automatic opening of closed sectional grooves 10 in sectional bars 12 with a holding device designated generally by the reference numeral 14 for fixing the respective sectional bar 12 and with a carriage 18 able to move along the sectional bar 12 by means of a displacing device designated generally by the reference numeral 16, which in the method engages by means of an opening lug 20 in the respective sectional groove 12 to be opened. The respective sectional bar 12 forms a type of hollow aluminium section, which can be produced by extrusion or a comparable shaping method, the respective groove cover 22 for the sectional grooves 10 in the form of a thin aluminium strip being 1 produced at the same time during the production of the respective sectional bar 12. The groove cover 22 forms a type of thin protective skin and terminates outwardly flush with the respective upper side of the sectional bar 12. Particularly in the foodstuffs or tobacco-producing industries, where cleanliness is of great importance, possible harmful deposits of dirt within the sectional grooves 10, which are not required, are reliably avoided by the groove covers 22.

As shown in particular in Figure 1, the carriage 18 engages over the sectional bar 12 by two vertical legs 24, which are connected to each other by way of a horizontally extending central leg 26, which on its under side facing the sectional bar 12 comprises the opening lug 20. The two legs 24 and the central leg 26 consist of individual plates, which engage over the sectional bar 12 with the formation of a U-shaped frame in a predetermined longitudinal alignment. The displacing device 16 comprises along a support bar 28 of the holding device designated generally by the reference numeral 14, guide rails 30 on both sides, which cooperate with a rolling arrangement located on the carriage 18, which is formed from individual rollers 32.

The support bar 28, which on the side of the sectional bar 12 opposite the profiled groove 10 to be opened, supports the latter, extends at least over the entire length of the fixed sectional bar 12 and thus supports the latter. The support bar 28 is preferably likewise formed from a hollow aluminium section of a conventional blank, the respective guide rail 30 being formed from a round rod illustrated in Figure 1, which is connected by way of a clamping device 34 to the support bar 28.

The respective clamping device 34 consists of individual clamping members arranged at distances apart one behind the other along the guide 30, whereof the free opening cross-section is adapted to the diameter of the round rod, whereas its other end engages in a profiled recess of the support bar 28 in a conventional manner, which is therefore not described in detail.For the 6 longitudinal displacement of the carriage 18, the rollers 32 are arranged in pairs on the under side of each leg 24 assuming a predetermined spacing and in abutment with the outwardly facing guide surface of the respective guide rail 30.

For receiving the sectional bar 12, the two legs 24 and the central leg 26 define a receiving space 36 so that in a predetermined area, the customary commercially available cross sectional shapes of profile can be received. If the receiving space 36, in particular as regards height, has greater dimensions than as illustrated in Figure 1, with the same cross-sectional size of the sectional bar 12, a feed device 38 has to be provided for the opening lug 20, in order to be able to freely adjust the possible engagement area as regards height of the opening lug 20 into the sectional groove 10. For this purpose, the feed device is 38 may have a longitudinal guide (not shown), in which the opening lug 20 is pivoted on the end side. The opening lug 20 is located on the under side of the central leg 26, facing the sectional bar 12, on its front end 40.

If two sectional grooves 10 are to be opened simultaneously, in an embodiment of the apparatus which is not shown, a further opening lug may be located facing the sectional bar 12 on one inner side of one of the two legs 24 of the carriage 18. The respectively mentioned opening lug 20 engages far into the associated sectional groove 10 to be opened so that the sectional groove cover 22 can be removed without the formation of a burr, the engagement depth preferably lying in the size range of the actual continuous wall thickness of the respective sectional bar 12. As in the embodiment illustrated, the opening lug 20 may be formed by a roller guided in a rotary manner, which, as shown in particular in Figure 1, is provided in cross-section with a concave profile. Adapted to the width of the sectional groove 10, there then occur on the end side and thus on the edge side, on the rotatable roller, two rotating cutting edges, which carry out the separation of the groove cover 22 from the sectional bar 12.

7 The carriage 18 is provided on its upper side with a handle 42 in the form of a bracket, by which the carriage 18 can be moved to and fro by hand. However, it is also conceivable to provide a controllable linear drive, which brings about the displacement of the carriage 18 for an opening process. The holding device 14 is provided at its end sides with respectively one stop 44, whereby the stop 44 facing the carriage 18 in Figure 2 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the support bar 28 and in particular can be fixed on the latter. On their facing sides, the two stops 44 respectively comprise a receiving mandrel 46, which engages in the circular central channel 48 of the sectional bar 12 to be f ixed. When a sectional bar 12 is inserted between the stops 44, the bar 12 is held along its longitudinal direction by the receiving mandrels 46, for clamping is the sectional bar 12, the right-hand stop 44 seen in Figure 2 for example is fixed to the support bar 28 by way of a screw connection (not shown).

The carriage 18 is then moved longitudinally above the upper side of the sectional bar 12 and the roller 20 continuously opens the uppermost sectional groove 10. Depending on the length of the support bar 28, which engages in a supporting manner below the sectional bar 12 over its entire length, any lengths of sectional bars 12 may have the groove covering 22 removed. General displacement lengths and thus sectional bar lengths lie in the range from 3 to 6 metres. In order to achieve a level alignment of the hollow sectional bar in the form of the support bar 28, the latter may again be held by a support surface or individual supports (not shown).

8

Claims

1. Apparatus for opening closed sectional grooves (10) in sectional bars (12) with a holding device (14) for fixing the respective sectional bar (12) and with a carriage (18) displaceable along the sectional bar (12) by means of a displacing device (16), which at the time of displacement engages by means of at least one opening lug (20) into the respective sectional groove (12) to be opened.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that the carriage (18) engages over the sectional bar (12) by two legs (24), which are connected to each other by way of a central leg (26), which on its side facing the sectional bar (12) comprises the opening lug (20).

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that is along a support bar (28) of the holding device (14),the displacing device (16) comprises guide rails (30) on both sides, which cooperate with a rolling arrangement located on the carriage (18), which is formed in particular from rollers (32).

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised in that the rollers (32) are arranged in pairs on the under side of each leg (24) whilst adopting a predetermined spacing and that the respective guide rail (30) is formed from a round rod, which is connected by way of a clamping device (34) to the support bar (28).

5. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that for receiving the sectional bar (12), the two legs (24) and the central leg (26) define a receiving space (36), which is dimensioned so that the conventional cross-sectional shapes of the section can be received in a predetermined region.

6. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the opening lug (20) is located on the under side of the 9 central leg (26) facing the sectional bar (12), in particular on its end face and that preferably by way of a feed device (38), the possible engagement range of the opening lug (20) in the sectional groove (10) can be adjusted.

7. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that at least one further opening lug is arranged, facing the sectional bar (12), on at least one leg (24) of the carriage (18).

8. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the respective opening lug (20) engages so far in the associated sectional groove (10) that the sectional groove cover (22) can be removed without forming a burr, in particular engages in the sectional groove (10) in the size range of the wall thickness of the respective sectional bar (12).

is

9. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the opening lug (20) is formed from a roller guided in a rotary manner, which has a concave profile.

10. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the holding device (14) is provided on its end sides with stops (44), whereof, for clamping the respective sectional bar (12), at least one is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable, which comprise on their facing sides respectively one receiving mandrel (46), which engages in the central channel (48) of the sectional bar (12) to be fixed.