GB2406304A

GB2406304A - Cutting an elongate metal article

Info

Publication number: GB2406304A
Application number: GB0313211A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rossano Capuzza; Roger Beard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-09
Filing date: 2003-06-09
Publication date: 2005-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2023-06-09
Also published as: GB2406304B; GB0313211D0

Abstract

A method of cutting an elongate metal article, comprising the steps of:- ```positioning two rotary cutting elements 14,16, each having a periphery adapted to cut the article, spaced from one another and lying substantially in the same plane as one another; and ```effecting relative movement between the two rotary cutting elements 14,16 and the article to be cut, such that the article engages with the rotary elements, along a plane which intersects both rotary cutting elements 14,16, between the respective centres of rotation thereof, so that the cutting of the article is shared between the two rotary cutting elements.

Description

PATENTS ACT 1977 A10904GB Title: Method of Cutting an Elongate Metal

Article and Apparatus therefor

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, cutting an elongate metal article, particularly, but not exclusively, a non-ferrous metal article, into a shorter lengths.

The invention has been devised in relation to cutting an elongate bar or billet of an aluminium alloy (which is commonly referred to as a "log") into shorter lengths suitable for extrusion into required sections by an extrusion press.

Devices for cutting "logs" conventionally comprise a single rotary ë cutting disc mounted on a support structure and driven by an electric motor. .e

The support structure includes a support for the log and has at least one en.

: 15 clamping element to hold the log in a desired position prior to and during ..

cutting.

To cut a length from the log, the disc is rotated at high speed and moved towards the log until a cut has been made through the entire thickness thereof (in some devices the log is moved towards to the cutting disc, instead of moving the cutting disc itself, thus achieving the same result). The length which has been cut from the log is then removed from the support structure.

This process can be repeated until the required number of lengths have been cut from the log, or until the log is too short to cut further.

For the device to function, the cutting disc must have a radius greater than the diameter of the log to be cut and typically has a thickness of 81 Omm at its cutting edge. Such a large thickness creates a high volume of waste metal chips or swarf during cutting, which must be collected and recycled. Such a large volume of waste metal for each cut means that, potentially, fewer lengths can be cut from a specified length of log. It would therefore be highly beneficial, and provide substantial cost savings, to reduce the volume of waste material or swarfper cut.

It is necessary, in some applications, to cut logs with a diameter of up to 0.5 metros. This, in turn, means that the diameter of the cutting disc must be in the region of 1.5 metros. To achieve a high enough torque at the cutting edge of such a large disc, it is necessary for the electric motor driving the disc to be very powerful and consequently have a high electrical power consumption.

This is inefficient and inconvenient.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to substantially overcome one or more of the above problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of cutting an elongate metal article, comprising the steps of: ...

providing two rotary cutting elements, each having a periphery adapted 3.

to cut the article, spaced from one another and lying substantially in the same 3.

plane as one another; and ..

effecting relative movement between the two rotary cutting elements and the article to be cut, such that the article engages with the rotary elements, along a plane which intersects both rotary cutting elements, between the respective centres of rotation thereof, so that the cutting of the article is shared between the two rotary cutting elements.

Cutting of the article may be shared between both rotary cutting elements such that one rotary cutting element cuts substantially half the thickness of the article and the other rotary element cuts substantially the other half of the thickness of the elongate metal article.

The plane along which the relative movement is effected may be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the two rotary cutting elements, thereby providing a cut which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article.

The plane along which the relative movement is effected may be substantially horizontal and the two rotary cutting elements may be spaced vertically from one another. Thus, when viewed along a horizontal plane, the two cutting elements overlap.

The rotary cutting elements may be rotated in opposite directions, or may be rotated in the same direction.

The article may be a metal bar, such as, for example, a metal "log" to be cut into a plurality of lengths for use in an extrusion process. Preferably the metal bar is a non-ferrous metal bar.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the first aspect of the invention, comprising: ë a frame; .

two rotary cutting elements mounted on the frame, the rotary elements I. having a periphery adapted to cut the article, spaced from one another and lying - . substantially in the same plane as one another; driving means to drive the rotary cutting elements; holding means for the article to be cut; and means for effecting relative movement between the rotary cutting elements and the article to be cut along a plane which intersects both rotary cutting elements, between the respective centres of rotation thereof, so that the cutting of the article is shared between the two rotary cutting elements.

The two rotary cutting elements may be mounted on a first part of the frame and the holding means may be provided on a second part of the frame.

The first and second parts of the frame may be movable relative to one another.

The first part of the frame may be connected to the second part of the frame by carriage means movable along a guide part.

Relative movement of the first part of the frame may be effected by a further driving means.

The apparatus may include support means to support the article to be cut.

The holding means may include at least one clamp element, such as a pneumatic clamp, to hold the article in fixed relation to the second frame part.

The support means may be arranged such that the article is supported substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the two rotary cutting elements.

The rotary cutting elements may be rotary cutting discs, which may have, for example, a thickness of 3mm.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of an apparatus according .

to the second aspect of the invention, and .

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 from ë 15 the opposite side thereof, shown in the process of cutting a metal bar. .

Referring to the drawings there is a shown an apparatus 10 for cutting a metal bar or "log" 12. Figure 1 shows the apparatus 10 in a non- operative position, whereas Figure 2 shows the apparatus 10 being used to cut the bar 12.

The apparatus 10 comprises a two rotary cutting elements in the form of two rotary cutting discs 14, 16 each having peripheral cutting formations, such as, for example, tungsten carbide tipped inserts. The cutting discs 14, 16 are carried by respective spindles mounted on a first frame part 18 and driven through the intermediary of drive belts by respective electric motors 20, 22. The first frame part 18 is mounted on a second frame part 24, which can be fixed to a ground surface to support the apparatus. The first frame part 18 is moveable relative to the second frame part 24, the first frame part 18 having a carriage part 25 with spaced formations 28 movable along a guide bar 26 provided on the second frame part 24. Movement of the first frame part 18 is effected by a driving unit in the form of an electric motor 19 in geared relation to the first frame part 18 and thus providing for travel of the first frame part 18 along a plane substantially parallel to a plane X-X. The plane X- X intersects both rotary cutting discs 14, 16, between the respective centres of rotation thereof.

The cutting discs 14, 16 are positioned on the first frame part 18 such that they lie substantially in the same plane as one another, which in this example is substantially vertical, and are vertically spaced such that when viewed along a plane substantially parallel to the ground surface, i.e. the plane X-X, the peripheral cutting portions of the two cutting discs overlap.

Shown generally at 30 is a clamping means in the form of a pair of lO clamping members 32, 33, which are actuated by respective pneumatic rams 34, 35. The clamp 30 supports and holds the metal bar 12 in situ on the apparatus lO during the cutting process (as can be seen in Figure 2). A further support ë A 40, which is also fixed to the ground surface, provides additional support for ë the weight of the bar 12 during the cutting process. A.

- 15 To cut the metal bar 12, firstly the two rotary cutting discs 14, 16 are e.

positioned such that they are spaced from one another and lie in substantially the same plane (in this example, for providing a cut substantially perpendicular to the axis of the bar 12, the cutting discs 14, 16 should be positioned in a substantially vertical plane). It must also be ensured that, as above described, the edges of the cutting discs 14, 16 overlap when viewed along the plane X-X.

The metal bar 12 is then positioned on the second frame part 24, between the clamping members 32, 33, and on the support 40, such that the desired length of material, which is to be cut from the bar 12 extends beyond the plane of the two cutting discs 14, 16. The clamping members 32, 33 are then actuated by their respective pneumatic rams 34, 35 to clamp the bar 12 relative to the second frame part 24.

The cutting discs 14, 16 are then rotated at high speed, in for example, opposite directions, by their respective motors 20, 22. The motor 19 actuates the carriage part 25 to move the first frame part 18 relative to the second frame part 24 (i.e. towards the bar 12) along a plane substantially parallel to the plane X-X, until the cutting disc 16 engages the surface of the bar 12. Movement of the first frame part 18 is continued until a cut has been made by the cutting discs 14, 16 through the whole ofthe thickness of the bar 12.

As the bar 12 is moved along a plane substantially parallel to the plane X-X and lying between the centres of rotation of the cutting discs 14, 16, cutting of the bar 12 is shared between both cutting discs 14, 16.

In the above example the metal bar 12 is a non-ferrous bar, such as, for example, an aluminium alloy, although the apparatus 10 could be used to cut other metal materials. The orientation of the cutting discs 14, 16 could be altered to cut through the bar 12 at an angle inclined to the axis of the bar 12.

The clamping members 32, 33 could be actuated by means other than : a pneumatic rams 34, 35, such as, for example, hydraulic rams and means for aces imparting rotation to the cutting discs 14, 16 could be provided by devices other ee.

: 15 than the electric motors 20, 22. Similarly, other types of driving units could be ..

utilised instead of the motor 19.

In the present specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of" and "comprising" means "including or consisting of".

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A method of cutting an elongate metal article, comprising the steps of:- positioning two rotary cutting elements, each having a periphery adapted to cut the article, spaced from one another and lying substantially in the same plane as one another; and effecting relative movement between the two rotary cutting elements and the article to be cut, such that the article engages with the rotary elements, along a plane which intersects both rotary cutting elements, between the respective centres of rotation thereof, so that the cutting of the article is shared between the two rotary cutting elements. :e r.

i

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein cutting of the article is shared 1.e between both rotary cutting elements such that one rotary cutting element cuts 1.

substantially half the thickness of the article and the other rotary element cuts ë substantially the other half of the thickness of the article.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the plane along which the relative movement is effected is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the two rotary cutting elements.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the plane along which the relative movement is effected is substantially horizontal and the two rotary cutting elements are spaced vertically from one another.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the rotary cutting elements are rotated in opposite directions.

6. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the elongate metal article is a metal bar.

7. A method according to claim 7 wherein the metal bar is a non-ferrous metal bar.

8. An apparatus for carrying out the method according any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising:- a frame; two rotary cutting elements mounted on the frame, the rotary elements having a periphery adapted to cut the article, spaced from one another and lying substantially in the same plane as one another; driving means to drive the rotary cutting elements; holding means for the article to be cut; and #...

: 15 means for effecting relative movement between the rotary cutting elements and the article to be cut along a plane which intersects both rotary cutting elements between the respective centres of rotation thereof, so that the cutting of the article is shared between the two rotary cutting elements.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the two rotary cutting elements are mounted on a first part of the frame and the holding means is provided on a second part of the frame, the first and second parts of the frame being movable relative to one another.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first part of the frame is connected to the second part of the frame by carriage means movable along a guide part.

11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 10 wherein relative movement of the first part of the frame is effected by a further driving means.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the apparatus includes support means to support the article to be cut.

13. An apparatus according to any one of claim 8 to 12 wherein the holding means includes at least one clamp element.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the support means is arranged such that the article is supported substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the two rotary cutting elements. i...

15. A method and apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with . 15 reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. :e

16. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein ;;. and/or in the accompanying drawings.