JP3621414B2 - Feeding device and metal spraying device for materials in the form of elongated flexible elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for feeding an elongate flexible element lengthwise through a guide means from a supply station (14) to a delivery station (10), wherein respective feed means are provided at each of the stations and are operated in coordination with one another by a drive means (17) extending therebetween. The invention is applicable inter alia to the feeding of metal wires to a hand held gun of a metal spraying apparatus. The drive means extending between the supply and delivery stations may be a flexible drive cable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the feeding of material in the form of elongate flexible elements longitudinally through a guiding means from a supply station to a discharge station.
The present invention provides a spray apparatus having a feed mechanism for simultaneously feeding two metal wires or rods (referred to herein as “wires”) through a main body and a guide passage that converges forward in the wire feed direction. There is means for power connection to the wire so that the arc is established between the wires exiting the guide passage to melt the wire, and the molten metal droplets are coated from the arc in the gas stream to the metal coating. A type of metal spraying device has been devised that has a means of supplying a gas flow to the area of the arc so that it is carried away toward the surface to be applied. The spray device may be a handheld gun that can be directed by an operator to spray metal where needed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, in metal sprayers, the wires are fed on a reel where they are drawn and fed to the sprayer. Particularly with respect to hand-held spraying devices, the reel is usually mounted at a position remote from the spraying device itself and fed to the spraying device through a flexible guide sleeve extending between the spraying device and the supply station in which the reel is located. Sent.
Feeding the wire through a substantial length of flexible guide sleeve presents difficulties because the wire always tends to wrap around the guide sleeve wall. Similarly, if the guide sleeve is stiff and bends more than the minimum, it tends to wind. This tendency exists whether the wire is pushed through the guide sleeve from the supply station or pulled through the guide sleeve from the discharge station in the spray device. Therefore, a combination of both pushing and pulling the wire through the guide sleeve was utilized by providing a means for feeding the wire at both the supply station and the sprayer discharge station. The usual method employed to feed the wire is by gripping the wire in the bite between two rollers, at least one of which is driven in the appropriate direction to feed the wire. A suitable motor is provided to drive the roller, for example a fluid pressure actuated motor such as an electric motor or a pneumatic motor. In order to prevent the wire from wrapping around the guide sleeve, however, it is necessary to ensure that the amount of work of the feeding devices at the supply station and the discharge station is not different from each other, and for this reason, the supply station and the spray It has been proposed to provide a torque limiting device or drive mechanism that allows some degree of slippage of the feeding device in either or both of the devices. The requirement for providing a respective motor for each feeder in the supply station and spraying device and the need for one or more torque limiting or sliding devices are inconvenient and expensive, especially in the case of handheld spraying devices. Such provision increases the size and weight of the spray device which makes it less convenient to use.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome or reduce one or more such disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a respective feed station and a discharge station each provided with a respective feed means that are actuated in concert by a drive means extending therebetween. By engaging the material by means of feeding means, a method is provided for feeding the material in the form of a longitudinally elongated flexible element from the supply station to the discharge station through the guiding means.
Preferably, in one of the stations, the feeding means is driven by a motor provided in the one station, and in the other station, the feeding means is driven by the driving means extending from the first station and driven by the motor. The
According to another aspect of the invention, we provide the respective feeding means in each of the supply and discharge stations for engaging and feeding the material, and the drive connection between them. A flexible element elongated longitudinally through the guide means from the supply station to the discharge station for such material, which comprises drive means extending between the respective feed means, whereby the operation of each of the feed means is coordinated with the other. A material feeding device in the form of
By providing drive means providing a drive connection between the feed means in each of the supply station and the discharge station, the present invention passes through a flexible or bent guide element by being “pushed” and “pulled” through it. It is possible to feed the material, while at the same time achieving a certain coordination of the operation of the feeding means with each other in each of the supply station and the discharge station. The complexity of providing individual motors, torque limiters or similar devices for the feeding means at each station is avoided.
Preferably, the drive means is flexible, but the cable element, which is relatively rigid to torsion, has its opposite end connected to the respective rotary drive element and is arranged in a flexible casing. It consists of a structure of the type generally known as a flexible drive cable.
Preferably a drive motor is provided for driving the feed means provided on the supply station, and a flexible drive cable is connected to the motor and extends to provide a drive connection to the feed means at the discharge station.
The feeding means may comprise a known mold in which the material is gripped for feeding at the biting portion between the rollers.
According to another aspect of the invention, we comprise a spraying device and means for delivering at least one metal wire from its source to the spraying device, the means for discharging the wire to the spraying device comprising: There is provided a metal spraying device comprising a device according to the second aspect of the invention as described above, wherein the discharge station is arranged in the spraying device.
Preferably, the spraying device comprising or constituting the discharge station of the wire feeding device is a hand-held gun and the feeding means therein are arranged to be driven by driving means from a motor provided in the supply station. Is. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a respective flexible guide sleeve for at least one wire extending from the supply station to the spray station.
Therefore, in the metal spraying device according to the invention, it will be understood that the spraying device in the form of a handheld gun has such connection requirements of the handheld gun to the flexible drive means, but the spraying device is fed therewith It is relatively light and easy to use because it is not necessary to have a motor for operating the motor. However, the flexible drive cable is relatively lightweight and thus does not substantially interfere with the use of a handheld gun.
For convenience, the flexible drive cable may be connected to the handle portion of the handheld gun, and the rotary shaft element is provided within the handle portion for reduction gear means (e.g. worms) provided for driving the feed means by said rotary shaft element. To the gear unit).
The feeding means preferably consists of the conventional mold mentioned above, in which each wire is gripped by a bite between two rollers, at least one of which is driven.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the principles of the present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are somewhat simplified side and plan views, respectively, of parts of the device according to the invention;
4 and 5 are a side view and a plan view, partly in section, of a further part of the device, respectively.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Reference is first made to FIG. 1 of the drawings, which schematically shows the main elements of a metal spraying device of the type consisting of a spraying device fed by two metal wires. The metal wire is connected in a spraying device to a power source so that an electric arc is established between the wires so that the wire melts, and the flow of compressed air or other gas is caused by molten metal droplets. The metal coating is directed to the area of the arc so that it is carried away from the arc toward the surface that is to be coated.
In FIG. 1, a spray device, which is a hand-held pistol or gun, is indicated at 10. Two wires are stored on the reel 11 at the supply station. In the supply station, the wires 12, 13 are fed by the feed device 14 through respective flexible guide sleeves 15, 16 extending to the spray device 10. The spraying device 10 also ensures that the wire is “pushed” and “pulled” through the guide sleeves 15, 16 so that the wire is less or less likely to wind within the guide sleeves 15, 16. Equipped with a feeding device. It is understood that such wrapping is problematic in other ways, especially when the guide sleeve lies in a shape that deviates from a straight line. The feeding device provided in the spraying device 10 is driven by a flexible drive structure 17 extending between the two feeding devices by a motor provided in the feeding device 14 in synchronism with the feeding device 14, so that 2 As far as possible, it ensures that the two feeders operate in synchronism with each other so as to overcome the potential problems of their winding in the guide sleeve of the wire.
The motor associated with the feeder 14 can be an electric motor or a fluid pressure, for example a pneumatic motor, and means 18 are provided for controlling such a motor as required. Although not shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary and usual to have an electrical connection to the spraying device 10 and a metal drop from the arc in a predetermined manner so that the arc is established there between the wires. A connection for air or other gas to spray in the direction.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, which show an embodiment of the feeder device as shown in FIG. 1 at 14 in a somewhat simplified form. The feed device comprises a base 20 which supports a compressed air operated motor 21 whose output shaft is connected to an input shaft 23 of a worm drive gearbox 24 by a coupling 22. In the gear box 24, the shaft 23 supports a worm gear that meshes with the pinion on the horizontal shaft 25 so that the horizontal shaft 25 is driven at a higher reduction ratio than the shaft 23. The shaft 23 extends outward from the other side of the gear box 24 and is connected by a coupling 26 to the inner cable of the flexible drive cable assembly indicated at 27. The outer cable or casing of the flexible drive cable assembly is held at 28 by a support 29 extending from the base 20.
The horizontal shaft 25 constituting the output shaft of the gear box 24 extends out of the gear box on both sides thereof, and is provided with a respective drive roller 30 at each end, which drive roller can be fed by the device An annular groove 31 having a size suitable for the size is provided on the periphery thereof. Above the drive roller 30, there are arranged respective pressure rollers 32 and these are rotatably supported by a laterally extending part 33 of a member 34, which at one end is U-linked to the upper part of the housing of the gear box 24. It is spring-loaded downwardly by a compression spring 36 which is pivotally supported at 35 and located at a pin 37 which extends upward from the U-link 38 at the other end. Pin 37 extends through an opening at the end of member 34 and above such opening, spring 36 abuts a peripheral portion of member 34 and reacts against nut 39 at the upper end of the pin. The member 34 also includes a handle that can be grasped by hand to lift the member 34 by pivoting about the U-link 35 so that the pressure rollers 32 lift from their spring-pressing engagement with the drive roller 30. It is done.
It is understood that when the air motor 21 is actuated, the drive rollers 30 are rotated and the respective wires gripped in a nip between each drive roller 30 and the pressure roller 32 are advanced longitudinally between the rollers. The
The feeding device 14 further comprises a guide tube 40 extending to the feed roller in the normal wire feed direction during use, and a guide tube 41 extending away from the roller in this direction. The guide tube 41 is configured so that a flexible guide sleeve 43 extending to a spraying device as will be described later guides the insertion portion 42 connected thereto.
Although not shown, a wire supply storage reel is provided in conjunction with the apparatus shown in FIGS. Appropriate guides are provided to guide such wires to the feeder, and such guides are indicated externally at 44. Such guides are generally on average.
Finally, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, this shows a spray device in the form of a hand-held gun. The spray device comprises a body 50 having a handle portion 51. At the front end of the main body 50, there is a nozzle indicated by reference numeral 52, which is generally shaped like a moon, and between the two wires fed to the nozzle through a guide member 53 where the arc converges forward Established. An electrical connection is established by the wire in the guide member 53 so that an arc is caused between the wires in the nozzle. Compressed air or other gas is supplied to the nozzle through the connection indicated at 54 to carry molten metal droplets from the arc out of the nozzle toward the surface where metal can be applied. .
In order to feed the wire together to the nozzle, there is a feeding means consisting of a drive roller 55 and a pressure roller 56 arranged somewhat as described above in connection with FIGS. A member 57 that is pivotable relative to the body 50 of the spraying device and spring loaded by a spring 58 so that the wire is gripped in the nip between the drive roller 55 and the pressure roller 56 and thereby longitudinally advanced between the rollers. Supported on top. There is a wire guide tube 60 extending from a plug 61 provided for connection to the flexible guide sleeve 43 and extending to the nip between the pair of rollers. Still another guide tube 62 extends to the guide member 53.
The driving roller 55 includes a pinion 65 that meshes with a worm gear 66 in the main body 50 of the spraying device. The worm gear 66 is attached to a shaft 67 that is supported in a bearing 68 within the body 50. The shaft 67 extends longitudinally through the handle portion 51 and connects to a shaft 69 supported by a bearing 70, and at its end remote from the body 50, the shaft 69 is fed as shown in FIGS. A flexible drive cable assembly extending from the device is coupled to an inner cable indicated by reference numeral 72 by a shape-fitting coupling indicated by reference numeral 71. The outer cable or casing of the flexible drive cable assembly is held by the collar 73.
Thus, when the feeder motor 21 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is actuated to push the wire through respective flexible guide sleeves extending to the spraying device of FIGS. 4 and 5, the spray device. The feed means is also driven by the flexible drive cable assembly 27 so that the wire is similarly pulled through the flexible guide sleeve. Therefore, the problem of wire wrapping within the flexible guide sleeve is overcome.
It will be appreciated that the principle of feeding a wire or other elongate flexible element through a flexible or rigid non-linear guide sleeve or the like, as described above, is applicable to devices other than metal spray devices. It can be applied.
Features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the claims below, expressed in a special form or by means for performing the disclosed function, or a method for achieving a rounded result Alternatively, processes may be utilized to implement the invention in its various configurations, suitably such features individually or in any combination thereof.

Claims (6)

An apparatus for paying out the material longitudinally through the elongate flexible guidance of the material in the form of elements from the reel (11) to the discharge station sleeve in the supply station (15, 16),
The feeding device, the respective feed Ri means (30, 32) in the supply station, wherein the feed means in the discharge station and (55, 56), said eclipse set to each of the stations said respective feed means (30 , 32, 55, 56) and drive means (17) that provide a drive connection between them ,
Thereby feeding device for the Ru form near the elongate flexible element material, characterized in that said respective feed means (30,32,55,56) cooperate with each other. Each feeding means (30, 32) in the supply station, each feeding means (55, 56) in the discharge station, and each feeding means (30, 32, 55, 56) provided in each of the stations It extends between the guide from the drive means (17) and timber charges of the reel in the form of an elongate flexible element in said supply station comprises a providing pivotal coupling drive between them (11) to said discharge station a feeding device for paying out the material longitudinally through sleeves a (15, 16),
A spraying device (10) for spraying metal droplets onto the surface of at least one metal wire (12, 13) fed from the reel (11) in a feeding device for the material ;
Metal spraying apparatus for Ru form near the elongate flexible element material characterized in that it consists of. The feeding means (55, 56 ) arranged so that the spraying device (10) is driven by the driving means (17) from the handheld gun and the motor (21) provided in the supply station there. ) that consists of a in the form of an elongate flexible element of claim 2, wherein the metal spraying device for materials. Said guide sleeve (15, 16), the stretching flexible from each feeding means on and the supply station has a (30, 32) until said each feed Ri means (55, 56) in said discharge station A metal spraying device for material in the form of an elongated flexible element according to claim 3 . Said drive means (17) is arranged to drive a flexible drive cable that is connected to the handle portion (51) of the handheld gun, said feed means from which the (55, 56) form of an elongate flexible element of claim 3 or 4, wherein characterized that you consisting rotary shaft element of stretching the handle portion (51) in until the reduction gear means (65, 66) and (69) Metal spraying equipment for materials located in . Wherein the feed means (30,32,55,56) is, any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein, characterized in that it consists type for gripping to pay out the material at the nip between the B over La 1 A metal spraying device for materials in the form of elongated flexible elements according to paragraphs .

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