JP7474978B2 - Column end processing device, column end processing method using the same, and bead processing machine applied to the column end processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is directed to a method for simultaneously processing the ends of steel columns, which are often used as structural materials for buildings, by processing the edges of the columns and removing the inner bead. It also relates to a column end processing device, a column end processing method using the same, and a bead processing machine that is applied to the column end processing device.

For example, columns, which are an example of heavy steel frames used as structural materials for buildings, are processed by welding diaphragms and the like to rigidly connect beams and the like to their ends (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For this reason, for example, columns with rectangular cross sections are cut to a certain length, and then grooves are applied to the cut edges to chamfer them into a square shape. Furthermore, due to the processing method used, such column materials have a weld bead that is generated during the formation of a rectangular column and is raised on one of the inner sides, and it is necessary to also perform processing to remove this.
Incidentally, the need to remove such inner weld beads is due to the need to fit a square frame-shaped backing metal into the end of the column so that no gaps are created between the column and other components such as the diaphragm mentioned above and so that the weld metal can sufficiently fill the gaps.

Incidentally, such groove preparation and bead removal have conventionally been recognized as separate processes, and generally, the workpiece (column) that has already been subjected to groove preparation is transported separately to a work table or the like away from the groove preparation machine, where the removal work is carried out manually using a disc grinder (a so-called sander).
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 as an example, a workpiece W cut into a desired length dimension from a long material is first subjected to groove processing by a groove processing machine (FIG. 10(a)), then moved from the groove processing machine, lifted by a crane device C, and turned upside down in cross section (FIG. 10(b)). Here, the purpose of turning the workpiece W upside down will be explained. As described above, the welded surface of the workpiece W is not completely smooth (flat), so when performing groove processing, the surface on which the bead part Wb is generated is set to be the upper surface (or the bead part Wb is not set to the lower surface) in order to stably support the workpiece W. On the other hand, since the bead removal work is performed manually by the worker, the workpiece W had to be turned over so that the bead part Wb on the inner surface is located at the bottom.

After the workpiece W is turned over in this manner, the bead portion Wb is manually removed using a disk grinder G (FIG. 10(c)). Then, the inner surface of the end of the workpiece W is smoothed, and a square frame-shaped backing metal U is fitted and attached thereto (FIG. 10(d)), and the backing metal U and the workpiece W are fixed by welding (FIG. 10(e)).
Then, the diaphragm DP is temporarily attached to the end of the workpiece on which the backing metal U is thus provided (Figure 10(f)), and then the diaphragm DP and the workpiece W are welded together to fill the gap (Figure 10(g)).
In such conventional methods, the two different processes of groove preparation and bead removal at the end of the workpiece were performed separately, and this required the workpiece W to be turned upside down using a crane. In addition, the bead removal process was performed manually, which limited the efficiency of the process.

Of course, there have been attempts to reduce the labor required to perform such bead removal work using a dedicated bead processing machine (bead removal machine). For example, the applicant of the present application has already filed a patent application (JP 2008-93758 A, “Cutting device for inner bead portion of column material”) (see Patent Document 2).
However, at the concept stage, groove preparation and bead removal were considered to be separate processes, and no effort was made to organically combine the two. In other words, the premise was that the bead removal device would be used alone, and no concrete consideration was given to combining the device with other processes besides bead removal, such as groove preparation, and continuous transport of workpieces.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-118446 JP 2008-93758 A

The present invention was made in consideration of such conventional work methods, and the technical objective was to develop a new column end processing method that can perform bead removal by machining in one go during groove preparation, eliminating setup work such as work reversal and manual work in bead removal processing, which had hindered the efficiency of conventional work.

That is, the column end processing device according to claim 1 is
The apparatus includes a frame, a groove processing machine supported by the frame, and a clamping device for holding a workpiece to be processed.
The groove processing machine is configured to include a rotating frame having a work passage opening in the center, and a pair of groove cutter units supported by the rotating frame opposite each other across the work passage opening,
A column end processing device that performs groove processing on the entire circumference of the end of a workpiece by passing a workpiece supported by a conveying device through a work passage port in the center of a rotating frame, and holding the workpiece with the clamping device, and acting a groove cutter body in a groove cutter unit against the edge of the workpiece and rotating the rotating frame.
This device includes a bead processing machine provided in tandem with the groove processing machine, and the bead processing machine includes a bead cutter body, and the bead cutter body is caused to act on a bead portion on an inner surface of a workpiece to remove the bead portion.
Furthermore, this bead processing machine comprises an adapter frame fixedly attached to a clamp device frame supporting the clamp device, a base frame movably supported on the adapter frame, an intermediate frame movably supported on the base frame, and a cutter frame movably supported on the intermediate frame, and a bead removal unit having a bead cutter body is mounted on the cutter frame,
The column end processing device is characterized in that the bead removal unit is movable in three dimensions by these three movable frame members .

The column end processing device according to claim 2 has, in addition to the requirements of claim 1,
The column end processing device is characterized in that a pair of first column end processing devices and second column end processing devices of the same specifications are arranged opposite each other in the workpiece transport direction, and in actual processing of the workpiece, groove processing by a groove processing machine and bead removal processing by a bead processing machine can be performed sequentially on both the front and rear ends of the workpiece while moving the workpiece in one direction.

The column end processing device according to claim 3 has, in addition to the requirements of claim 1 ,
The base frame is supported on the adapter frame so as to be movable up and down.
The intermediate frame is supported on the base frame so as to be movable forward and backward along the workpiece conveying direction,
Furthermore, the cutter frame is supported on the relay frame so as to be movable laterally in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction, and the bead removing unit is configured to be movable in three dimensional directions.
Furthermore, the cutter frame is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate frame, and is characterized in that the bead cutter body and its spindle case in the bead removing unit mounted on the cutter frame are configured so as not to have any interfering member below.

The column end processing device according to claim 4 has, in addition to the requirements of any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The bead processing machine is characterized in that it is provided with a bead sensor probe in the vicinity of the bead cutter body for detecting the portion of the workpiece from which the bead is to be removed.

The column end processing device according to claim 5 has, in addition to the requirements of claim 4 ,
The bead processing machine is characterized in that the movement path of the bead cutter body is set so as to keep the wall thickness of the workpiece constant during bead removal processing.

The column end processing device according to claim 6 has, in addition to the requirements of any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A work clamping device is provided between the groove processing machine and the bead processing machine,
This clamping device is characterized by its configuration that it can clamp a workpiece during both groove preparation by a groove preparation machine and bead removal by a bead preparation machine.

The column end processing method according to claim 7 further comprises the steps of:
A method for machining an end of a workpiece using the column end machining device according to any one of claims 2 to 6 , comprising the steps of:
In this method, a workpiece is introduced into a column end processing device by a conveying device, and in a first step, a groove processing machine in a first column end processing device is operated on a front tip portion on the side where the workpiece enters, to perform groove processing on the periphery of the tip of the workpiece,
Next, the workpiece is moved further forward by the conveying device to perform the second and third steps, in which the end of the workpiece that first reaches one of the bead processing machines in each of the first and second column end processing devices is operated by the bead processing machine to perform the bead removal processing, which is the second step, and then the workpiece is moved further forward by the conveying device to bring the other end of the workpiece into contact with the other bead processing machine to perform the bead removal processing, which is the third step;
Next, in the fourth step, the workpiece is moved further forward by the conveying device, and the groove processing machine in the second column end processing device is applied to the rear end of the workpiece to perform groove processing on the periphery of the rear end of the workpiece.

The column end processing method according to claim 8 further comprises the following requirements in addition to those described in claim 7 :
When the length dimension of the workpiece is shorter than the installation distance of a pair of front and rear bead processing machines,
In the second step, the bead portion on the rear end side of the workpiece is removed by a bead processing machine in the first column end processing device, and in the third step, the bead portion on the front end side of the workpiece is removed by a bead processing machine in the second column end processing device.

The column end processing method according to claim 9 further comprises the following requirements in addition to those described in claim 7 :
When the length dimension of the workpiece is longer than the installation distance of a pair of front and rear bead processing machines,
In the second step, the bead portion on the front end side of the workpiece is removed by the bead processing machine in the second column end processing device, and in the third step, the bead portion on the rear end side of the workpiece is removed by the bead processing machine in the first column end processing device.

The column end processing method according to claim 10 further comprises, in addition to the requirements of any one of claims 7 to 9 ,
The bead removal process using the bead processing machine is characterized in that the movement path of the bead cutter body is set so as to make the wall thickness of the workpiece constant.

The column end processing method according to claim 11 further comprises, in addition to the requirements of any one of claims 7 to 10 ,
In the first column end processing device, the workpiece is held during the groove processing and the bead removal processing by the same clamping device in common,
Furthermore, in the groove processing and bead removal processing in the second column end processing device, the workpiece is held during processing by a common clamping device.

The bead processing machine according to claim 12 further comprises:
A bead processing machine that is applied to the column end processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and is used to remove an inner bead at an end of a workpiece held by a clamp device , the bead processing machine comprising: an adapter frame that is fixedly attached to a clamp device frame that supports the clamp device; a base frame that is movably supported on the adapter frame; an intermediate frame that is movably supported on the base frame; and a cutter frame that is movably supported on the intermediate frame, and a bead removal unit having a bead cutter body is mounted on the cutter frame;
The bead removing unit can be moved in three dimensions by these three movable frame members ,
A bead sensor probe for detecting a bead removal portion on the workpiece is provided near the bead cutter body in the bead removal unit,
Furthermore, the bead processing machine is characterized in that the movement path of the bead cutter body is set so as to make the wall thickness of the workpiece constant during bead removal processing .

The bead processing machine according to claim 13 has, in addition to the requirements of claim 12 ,
The base frame is supported on the adapter frame so as to be movable up and down.
The intermediate frame is supported on the base frame so as to be movable forward and backward along the workpiece conveying direction,
Furthermore, the cutter frame is supported on the relay frame so as to be movable laterally in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction, and the bead removing unit is configured to be movable in three dimensional directions.
Furthermore, the cutter frame is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate frame, and the bead cutter body and its spindle case in the bead removing unit mounted on the cutter frame are characterized in that they are configured without any interfering member below.
The above problems are solved by the configurations of the inventions described in each of these claims.

First, according to the invention described in claim 1, the groove processing at the end of the workpiece such as a column and the necessary bead removal processing are organically related, and both processing can be performed at the same time. In addition, the bead removal work can be performed smoothly using a bead processing machine.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in any one of claims 2, 7, 8, and 9 , when actually machining the workpiece, the workpiece can be moved forward in one direction within the column end machining device while groove machining of both ends of the workpiece and bead removal machining of both ends are performed sequentially, thereby achieving efficient machining operations.

According to the invention as set forth in any one of claims 3, 4 and 13 , the bead removal operation can be smoothly carried out by the bead processing machine.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in any one of claims 5, 10, and 12, even if the outer surface of the workpiece (weld joint) is formed in a concave state during bead removal processing, the thickness of the workpiece can be kept constant, so that the strength of the workpiece is not deteriorated in that portion.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 6 or 11 , clamping of the workpiece is essential in both groove processing and bead removal processing, but the clamping device for these processes can be shared, resulting in a rational clamping method.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a column end processing device of the present invention. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a bead processing machine constituting the column end processing device. 2 is a projection view (front view) of the bead processing machine as viewed from the workpiece conveying direction. FIG. FIG. 1A to 1C are plan and side views showing step-by-step processing of a workpiece by a column end processing device. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing in stages how a groove is processed at the end of a workpiece by a groove processing machine constituting a column end processing device. FIG. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing how a bead portion on the inside of a workpiece is removed by a bead processing machine that constitutes a column end processing device, and are also explanatory diagrams showing various shapes of the outer surface of the workpiece. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of how the processing sequence for bead removal is changed depending on the length of the workpiece. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing a conventional method for removing a bead portion on the inside of a workpiece in stages.

The present invention is as described in the following examples, but various modifications to these examples are possible within the technical concept of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 as an example, the column end processing device M of the present invention comprises a frame 1, a groove processing machine 2 supported by this frame 1, and a clamping device 4 that holds a workpiece W such as a column to be processed.
The groove processing machine 2 is supported so as to be freely rotatable relative to the frame 1, and is composed of a rotating frame 24 having a work passage opening 25 in the center, and a pair of groove cutter units 3 supported on the rotating frame 24 opposite each other across this work passage opening 25.
Then, the workpiece W supported by the conveying device 6 is passed through the workpiece passage opening 25 in the center of the rotating frame 24, and the groove cutter body 32 (see Figures 6 and 7) in the groove cutter unit 3 is acted on the edge of the workpiece in an opposing manner, and the rotating frame 24 is rotated to perform groove processing on the entire outer periphery of the end portion of the workpiece.

The column end processing device M further includes a bead processing machine 5 that is installed next to the groove processing machine 2. This bead processing machine 5 includes a bead cutter body 56 that is configured so that the bead cutter body 56 can be moved freely back and forth from the end of the workpiece to the rear side of the workpiece, and the rotating bead cutter body 56 acts on the bead portion Wb (inner bead portion) of the workpiece W to remove this bead portion Wb.

Below, each component of the column end processing device M will be described.
First, frame 1 will be described.
The frame 1 is roughly divided into a groove processing machine frame 11, a clamping device frame 12, a connecting frame 13, and an adapter frame 15. As shown in FIG. 1, the groove processing machine frame 11 and the clamping device frame 12 are configured as a rectangular frame or a gate-shaped frame, and are connected in the front-rear direction by the connecting frame 13 to form a three-dimensional lattice shape as a whole.
An adapter frame 15 constituting a frame member of the bead processing machine 5 is connected to the clamp device frame 12 , and this adapter frame 15 will be described in detail in the explanation of the bead processing machine 5 .

The groove preparation machine 2 is supported on the groove preparation machine frame 11. That is, the groove preparation machine 2 is provided with a lifting frame 21 that is freely movable up and down relative to the groove preparation machine frame 11, and this is guided by a post member of the groove preparation machine frame 11 and is lifted and shifted up and down by a lifting shift cylinder 22. The lifting frame 21 also has a circular ring-shaped rotating guide frame 23 with a large opening in the center, and a rotating frame 24 is supported on the lifting frame 23 so that it can rotate freely.

The rotating frame 24 itself also has a work passage opening 25 in its center, and is configured to be able to rotate back and forth by, for example, 180 degrees by a rotating shift mechanism 26. This rotating shift mechanism 26 attaches a rotating shift motor 26M to the lifting frame 21, and engages the output pinion of the rotating shift motor 26M with the ring gear of the rotating frame 24 to effect the rotational shift.

The rotating frame 24 supports and mounts the groove cutter unit 3 across the work passage opening 25. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, a pair of cutter unit brackets 27 are provided on the rotating frame 24, one on each side, so as to protrude toward the center. Each of the pair of cutter unit brackets 27 on the left and right sides is provided with a pair of guide rails 27a facing each other vertically. A cutter mount 28 is attached via a linear guide 28a that slides on the guide rails 27a, and the pair of groove cutter units 3 are configured to move toward and away from each other toward the center of the work passage opening 25.

The groove cutter units 3 themselves are provided as a pair facing each other across the work passage opening 25, so the guide rails 27a are slightly offset in the front-to-rear direction so that they do not interfere with each other (see Figure 2). In addition, an expansion/contraction shift cylinder 29 is connected to the cutter mount 28, so that the groove cutter unit 3 mounted on the cutter mount 28 can be moved freely, that is, moved toward and away from the center of the work passage opening 25.

Next, the groove cutter unit 3 will be further described.
The reference symbol "3M" in the figure is a cutter motor, and a transmission member is appropriately arranged in the unit casing 31 for the cutter mount 28 of the groove cutter unit 3, and the groove cutter body 32 is driven via these transmission members. This groove cutter body 32 is provided closer to the work passage port 25 than the cutter motor 3M. The shape of the groove cutter body 32 is a truncated cone shape with a narrowed free end side, and a copy roller 33 is provided at its tip (see the enlarged view of FIG. 6-1 (a)).

Next, the clamp device 4 will be described.
As shown in Fig. 5 as an example, the clamp device 4 is supported by the clamp device frame 12, and first includes a pair of left and right side clamps 41. The pair of side clamps 41 are configured such that clamp bodies 42 can slide laterally (left and right) by linear guides 43, and are driven by a side clamp shifter (not shown). Of course, when fixing the workpiece W, the side clamp shifter is operated to bring the left and right clamp bodies 42 closer to each other, so that the workpiece W is sandwiched between the side clamps 41.
Furthermore, the clamping device 4 is provided with an upper clamp 45 that holds down the upper part of the workpiece W. This upper clamp 45 has a clamp piece 46 at its lower end, which is shifted up and down by a shift cylinder (not shown). When attempting to fix the workpiece W, the shift cylinder is operated to lower the upper clamp 45 so that the clamp piece 46 holds down the upper part of the workpiece W.

Next, the bead processing machine 5 will be described.
The bead processing machine 5 has an adapter frame 15 as a support member, and the adapter frame 15 will be first described.
2 to 5, the adapter frame 15 is configured with a base frame 15a at the bottom and a housing frame 15b capable of housing various control devices and the like, stacked above the base frame 15a. The base frame 15a further includes a base connection frame 15c extending toward the clamp device frame 12 so as to be fixed to the clamp device frame 12. Similarly, the housing frame 15b also includes an upper connection frame 15d at its upper end. Such an adapter frame 15 is the basic support member for the bead processing machine 5.

The housing frame 15b is provided with a pair of upper and lower guide rails 15e extending vertically facing the side where the workpiece W passes, as shown in Figs. 5 and 4, and supports the lift frame 51, which is the base frame of the bead processing machine 5, so that it can be raised and lowered. That is, the lift frame 51 is provided with a lift slide block 51a that slidably fits into the upper and lower guide rails 15e, and on the side where the workpiece W passes of the lift frame 51, a pair of upper and lower front and rear guide rails 51b extending horizontally from front to back are provided. A lift shift motor 5M is provided above the housing frame 15b in the adapter frame 15 to lift and shift the lift frame 51, which is the base frame. A screw shaft 50s extending from this lift shift motor 5M engages with a female thread block 50b in the lift frame 51, and the lift frame 51 is lifted and shifted by driving the lift shift motor 5M.

The relay frame 52 is supported on the lift frame 51 so that it can move forward and backward. That is, the relay frame 52 is equipped with a front-rear slide block 52a and is configured to be guided by a front-rear guide rail 51b provided on the lift frame 51 to move forward and backward, that is, along the conveying direction of the work W. This movement in the front-rear direction is achieved by attaching a front-rear shift cylinder 53 to the lift frame 51 and attaching the cylinder rod to the relay frame 52, thereby moving the relay frame 52 forward and backward. The relay frame 52 further has a horizontal guide rail 52b on its lower surface and rear surface (see FIG. 3). That is, the horizontal guide rail 52b is composed of two parallel horizontal guide rails 52b provided on the lower surface of the relay frame 52 so as to be perpendicular to the conveying direction of the work W, and one horizontal guide rail 52b provided parallel to the rear surface rising from the lower surface.

The cutter frame 54 is supported so that it can slide laterally, using the lateral guide rails 52b as support members. That is, the cutter frame 54 has lateral slide blocks 54a provided on its upper portion, etc., and more specifically, in correspondence with the three lateral guide rails 52b, for example, two sets of lateral slide blocks 54a are provided on the front and rear of the cutter frame 54, and one set is provided corresponding to the lateral guide rail 52b on the rear surface, for a total of three sets of lateral slide blocks 54a. And, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, the cutter frame 54 has a screw shaft 54s, which is the output shaft of the lateral shift motor 54M provided on the relay frame 52, screwed into the female thread block 54b provided on the cutter frame 54, so that the cutter frame 54 can be shifted laterally.

This cutter frame 54 supports the bead removal unit 55, and is characterized by the fact that no other parts are present below the bead cutter body 56 and the spindle case 56b that houses the parts that drive it, meaning that no cushioning parts are present. In short, sufficient space is secured below the bead cutter body 56. This ensures that there is sufficient space below the bead removal unit 55 of the workpiece W that does not interfere with the transport of the workpiece W, not only during groove processing of the end of the column, which is the workpiece W, but also during bead removal processing.

The bead removal unit 55 is further explained below. The reference symbol "55M" in the figure denotes a bead removal motor, and a bead cutter body 56 is provided below the pulley case 56a. The drive of the bead removal motor 55M is transmitted to the bead cutter body 56 via a spindle bearing (not shown). Furthermore, a bead sensor probe 57 is disposed near the bead cutter body 56, and is used to detect the bead shape, etc. Additionally, a work end sensor 58 is provided near the bead sensor probe 57.

Moreover, such a column end processing device M further includes a transport device 6 for transporting the workpiece W. This transport device 6 includes a connection transport conveyor 61 for feeding the workpiece W from outside the column end processing device M, a clamp conveyor 62 permanently installed on the clamp device 4 so as to be further connected to the connection transport conveyor 61, and an intermediate exit conveyor 63 supported by the groove processing machine 2.
In this embodiment, the connecting conveyor 61 is formed to be wide, while the clamp conveyor 62 and the intermediate exit conveyor 63 are formed to be narrow.
Here, the connecting transport conveyor 61 is divided into a conveyor that sends the workpiece W before its end is processed to the column end processing device M, and a conveyor that sends the workpiece W after its end is processed from the column end processing device M to the next process. When distinguishing between these, the former is referred to as the input side conveyor 61A and the latter is referred to as the output side conveyor 61B.
6, one end of the intermediate exit conveyor 63 is supported rotatably relative to an exit guide frame 64, and is configured to be able to exit from the work transport posture during processing in the groove processing machine 2 so as not to interfere with the actual processing, i.e., the turning around operation of the groove cutter unit 3. This exit shift is performed by an exit shift cylinder 65 in FIG. 2. When the intermediate exit conveyor 63 is to be distinguished between the carry-in side and the carry-out side, the carry-in side is called the intermediate exit conveyor 63A, and the carry-out side is called the intermediate exit conveyor 63B.

The column end processing devices M described above are preferably installed in a pair, one at the front and one at the rear, facing each other in the transport direction of the workpiece W, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 above. When distinguishing between these, the one on the load side (upstream side in the transport direction) where the workpiece W is first fed in will be referred to as the first column end processing device MA, and the one on the unload side (downstream side in the transport direction) where the workpiece W is subsequently fed in will be referred to as the second column end processing device MB.
In addition, when distinguishing between the pair of front and rear groove processing machines 2 in the conveying direction of the workpiece W, the groove processing machine in the first column end processing device MA is designated as 2A, and the groove processing machine in the second column end processing device MB is designated as 2B. Similarly, when distinguishing between the pair of front and rear bead processing machines 5, the bead processing machine in the first column end processing device MA is designated as 5A, and the bead processing machine in the second column end processing device MB is designated as 5B. In addition, two clamping devices 4 are provided, one provided in the first column end processing device MA and one provided in the second column end processing device MB, and when distinguishing between these, they are distinguished by attaching the symbols 4A and 4B, respectively. Incidentally, the clamping device 4A is a device that fixes the workpiece W in common in the bead processing machine 5A and the groove processing machine 2A in the first column end processing device MA. In addition, the clamping device 4B is a device that fixes the workpiece W in common in the bead processing machine 5B and the groove processing machine 2B in the second column end processing device MB.

The column end processing device M of the present invention has a basic structure as described above, and its operating mode will be explained below based on an embodiment in which the first and second column end processing devices MA, MB are combined.
In the explanation, we will first explain the case where a workpiece W (sometimes referred to as a short material) whose length L is shorter than the installation distance D of the first bead processing machine 5A to the second bead processing machine 5B is processed (L<D), and then we will explain the case where a workpiece W (sometimes referred to as a long material) whose length L is longer than the installation distance D of the pair of bead processing machines 5 is processed (L>D).
Incidentally, when the workpiece W is a short piece (L<D), as shown in FIG. 9, the first step is bevel processing of the front end of the workpiece, and the second step is bead removal processing on the rear end side of the workpiece. The third step is bead removal processing on the front end side of the workpiece, and the fourth step is bevel processing on the rear end side of the workpiece. These first to fourth steps are the actual processing steps for processing the end of the workpiece (sometimes called actual processing), and during this actual processing, the workpiece W is sent between each step so that it moves forward. Conversely, in the preparation steps other than the actual processing, the workpiece W may be temporarily moved backward in order to perform the actual processing smoothly and reliably.

1. Preparation (1) Regarding the Workpiece An example of a column, which is the workpiece W, is a steel structural component for architecture and construction, having a rectangular cross section. When it is transported to the column end processing device M, it is supplied in a state in which it has already been cut to a length according to a specified design.
The workpiece W is transported to the column end processing device M with the bead portion Wb facing upward on the connecting transport conveyor 61 (the input conveyor 61A). The upward bead portion Wb position is maintained throughout the entire column end processing process.

(2) Initial state of the device (standby state)
Next, the initial state of the column end processing device M will be described.
First, the intermediate exit conveyor 63 has an initial position (basic position) in a state where it is bounced up almost vertically, as shown in Fig. 6-1(a), for example, and is supported by the exit guide frame 64 with a rotation center at a position below the conveying surface of the workpieces W and toward the center. In this way, the intermediate exit conveyor 63 is configured as a bounce-up type with the carry-in side end (or the carry-out side end) being the free rotation end.
In addition, the rotating frame 24, which can be raised and lowered, has an initial basic position, for example, a state in which it is waiting at the bottom dead center position, and in this initial position, the center of the rotating frame 24 (work passage opening 25) is set to a position lower than the center of the work W placed on the conveying device 6.

In addition, both the bead processing machine 5 and the groove processing machine 2 are set in a state where they can accept the workpiece W, and care is taken so as not to interfere with the workpiece W transported on the transport device 6.
Specifically, for example, in the bead processing machine 5, the bead removing unit 55 is raised to the maximum extent so that there are no members below it that would prevent the workpiece W from being carried in.
Further, the groove processing machine 2 is set so that the groove cutter body 32 waits in a state where it is farthest from the center, and the work passage opening 25 waits in a state where it is opened to the maximum extent.
In addition, the clamping device 4 is also set so that the side clamps 41 are fully opened and the upper clamps 45 are fully retracted upward so as not to impede the delivery of the workpiece W.
In addition, when a column end processing device M capable of performing only existing groove processing is applied without providing a bead processing machine 5 as the column end processing device M, preparations are also required to set the bead processing machine 5 in a retrofit state. Incidentally, in the present invention, it is possible to retrofit the bead processing machine 5 to the existing column end processing device M in this way, which reduces the burden on the user of introducing the device.

2. Preparation for the first step (1) Aligning the center of the workpiece First, the workpiece W is sent to the column end processing device M by the connection transport conveyor 61 (inlet side conveyor 61A). During this sending, the workpiece W is stopped once on the inlet side conveyor 61A, and the workpiece W is sandwiched from the left and right by the center alignment device 611, and the center of the workpiece W is aligned with the center of the column end processing device M (particularly the groove processing machine 2A) (see FIG. 6-1 (a)).

(2) Raising the rotating frame (aligning with the workpiece)
The rotating frame 24 is raised from the bottom dead center position, and the center of the rotating frame 24 is aligned with the center position of the workpiece W on the transport device 6 when viewed from the workpiece traveling direction.

(3) Advancement of the Workpiece After such settings, the workpiece W is transported so that its front end reaches the clamp conveyor 62 from the carry-in conveyor 61A. Since the transport heights of both conveyors are set to the same height, the workpiece W is smoothly transferred to the clamp conveyor 62 (see FIG. 6-1(a)). The workpiece W is also fed in until its front end reaches the standby position of the groove cutter body 32 of the groove processing machine 2A.

(4) Stopping the conveyance of the workpiece When the front end of the workpiece W reaches the standby position of the first groove processing machine 2A in this way, the conveyance of the workpiece W is temporarily stopped. In order to stop the forward movement of the workpiece W, for example, a stopper is protruded from the conveyance surface of the clamp conveyor 62 and the front end of the workpiece W is stopped by abutting the stopper against the stopper, so that the front end of the workpiece W can always be stopped at the same position.

(5) Clamping the Workpiece Once the forward movement of the workpiece W has been stopped, the first clamping device 4A is used to fix the workpiece W. Specifically, the side clamps 41, which have been opened, are moved from the left and right toward the center to sandwich the workpiece W from both the left and right sides, and the upper clamp 45, which has been moved upward, is lowered to clamp the workpiece W by pressing it down from above.

3. First process (bevel preparation at the front end of the workpiece)
(1) Approach of the groove cutter body (first cut)
After such a preparation process, the first step, that is, the first groove processing of the front end of the workpiece, is performed. At this time, the pair of groove cutter units 3 wait in horizontally opposed positions as shown in FIG. 7-1(a) as an example, and as a result, the groove cutter body 32 of the groove cutter unit 3 acts on both sides of the square tubular workpiece W, and the groove processing is performed from there.
That is, at the front end of the workpiece W, the groove cutter body 32 separated to the left and right sides of the workpiece W approaches the center side by the action of the expansion/contraction shift cylinder 29 and abuts against the side of the workpiece W, as shown in FIG. 7-1(b) as an example. After that, the groove cutter body 32 approaches each other further and cuts the workpiece W to the groove processing depth. This cutting limit is reached when the tracing roller 33 provided at the tip of the groove cutter body 32 comes into contact with the side of the workpiece W, and the cutting does not proceed any further (see the enlarged view of FIG. 6-1(a)).

(2) Groove cutter body wrap (groove processing around the workpiece)
When the groove cutter body 32 approaches the cutting limit in this way, while continuing to rotate the groove cutter body 32, as shown in FIG. 7-1(c) to FIG. 7-2(g) as an example, the rotating frame 24 is rotated 180 degrees overall, and the groove cutter body 32 is moved sequentially around the front edge of the workpiece W, and the front edge of the workpiece W is cut in a facing manner. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7-1(c) above, the dimensions between the center of the workpiece W and the processing part initially show a tendency to gradually expand, and become maximum when each groove cutter body 32 reaches the apex of the workpiece W, and the groove cutter unit 3 retracts and approaches accordingly by the action of the expansion/contraction shift cylinder 29 and the rotating frame 24. When the rotating frame 24 rotates approximately 180 degrees in this way, a pair of groove cutter bodies 32 arranged opposite to each other cuts the entire periphery of the workpiece W.

In this type of groove processing, the pair of groove cutter units 3 reach around to the bottom of the rear end of the workpiece W, but since the intermediate exit conveyor 63A on the loading side is in a flipped-up state as described above, the groove cutter units 3 can reach around to the bottom of the front end of the workpiece W without interfering with the intermediate exit conveyor 63A.
Thereafter, the opposing groove cutter bodies 32 are moved away from each other, thereby releasing the pressure contact (bite) of the groove cutter bodies 32 against the workpiece W.

4. Preparation process for performing the second process (1) Clamp release First, the clamping device 4A that has been used to hold down the workpiece W is released in preparation for the first process. Specifically, the upper clamp 45 that had been holding down the workpiece W from above is moved upward to release the hold down of the workpiece W. In addition, the side clamps 41 that had been holding the workpiece W from both the left and right sides are moved away from each side to release the clamping of the workpiece W.

(2) Retraction of the Workpiece Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6-1(b) as an example, the workpiece W is temporarily retracted to the carry-in side, and the front end of the workpiece is positioned on the clamp conveyor 62. In other words, the front end of the workpiece is prevented from protruding from the tip of the clamp conveyor 62. The reason for returning the workpiece W to the carry-in side here is that after this, the workpiece W is moved forward again (sent to the carry-out side), but in order to do this, as shown in FIG. 6-2(c) as an example, it is first necessary to rotate the intermediate exit conveyor 63A on the carry-in side (front side) horizontally, and if the workpiece W is not returned, the tip of the intermediate exit conveyor 63A that is rotated to a horizontal position will hit the workpiece W.
Conversely, by incorporating such a retraction operation, the intermediate exit conveyor 63A is prevented from interfering with the front end of the work when it is tilted horizontally.

(3) Lifting the rotating frame (up to the top dead point) and returning it by 90 degrees. In addition, the intermediate exit conveyor 63A in the raised state is rotated to the horizontal state, and the rotating frame 24 is raised (for example, raised to the top dead point). This prevents the tip of the intermediate exit conveyor 63A, which is lowered to the horizontal position, from hitting the inner opening edge of the rotating frame 24 (work passage opening 25).
The pivot frame 24 is then rotated back 90 degrees.

(4) Rotating the intermediate exit conveyor 63 horizontally After such settings, the intermediate exit conveyor 63 that was waiting in a raised state is rotated to a horizontal state, as shown in Fig. 6-2(c) as an example. At this time, since the front end of the work W is in a state of being withdrawn to the carry-in side as described above, the free rotating end of the intermediate exit conveyor 63 does not interfere with the work W, nor does it hit the inner opening edge of the rotating frame 24 (work passage opening 25). Then, by tilting the intermediate exit conveyor 63 to a horizontal position, the transport path of the work W is connected, and the work W can be advanced to the carry-out side.

(5) Advancement of the Workpiece Next, the conveying device 6 is driven to advance the workpiece W. This advancement is stopped when the rear end of the workpiece W reaches the waiting position of the bead processing machine 5A, as shown in FIG. 6-2 (d) as an example.
Furthermore, if this forward movement causes the tip of the work W to reach the intermediate exit conveyor 63B, it is preferable that the intermediate exit conveyor 63B also be changed to a horizontal position by this time, so that the work W can be held and transported stably and reliably by the two intermediate exit conveyors 63A and 63B.
Of course, when the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is lowered to a horizontal position, the rotating frame 24 of the groove processing machine 2B must be raised in advance (for example, raised to the top dead center) to reliably prevent the intermediate exit conveyor 63B, which is lowered to a horizontal position, from hitting the inner opening edge of the rotating frame 24 (work passage opening 25). This operation is the same as that of the intermediate exit conveyor 63A, and the above FIG. 6-2 is illustrated assuming this state.

(6) Clamping the Workpiece Once the forward movement of the workpiece W has been stopped as described above, the clamping device 4A is used to fix the workpiece W. Specifically, the side clamps 41, which have been opened, are moved from the left and right toward the center to sandwich the workpiece W from both the left and right sides, and the upper clamp 45, which has been moved upward, is lowered to clamp the workpiece W by pressing it down from above.
In addition, when performing bead removal processing by the first bead processing machine 5A, the same clamp device 4A as that used in groove processing by the first groove processing machine 2A is applied. By using the clamp device 4A in common, the overall device configuration is simplified, and the cost and space of the entire device are reduced.

4. Second process (removal of bead at rear end of workpiece)
(1) Moving the bead removal unit to the rear end of the workpiece In this second step, bead removal processing is performed on the rear end of the workpiece as described above. For this purpose, the bead cutter body 56 in the first bead processing machine 5A is moved appropriately so that it can act on the bead portion Wb on the rear end side of the workpiece. Specifically, the bead cutter body 56 of the bead removal unit 55 is positioned at a desired position by appropriately combining the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting frame 51, which is a base frame, the forward and backward movement of the relay frame 52, and the lateral movement of the cutter frame 54, so that the bead cutter body 56 of the bead removal unit 55 faces the bead portion Wb from the rear end opening of the workpiece W, which is clamped as described above.

(2) Bead removal (inner and outer surface detection of workpiece)
When removing the bead portion Wb, first, prior to the removal operation, the shape of the processing area is measured in order to set the range in which the bead cutter body 56 acts on the workpiece W, i.e., the positional relationship of the bead cutter body 56 with respect to the workpiece W. The reason why such a measurement is necessary is as follows.
When looking at the shape around the bead portion Wb in an actual workpiece W, as an example shown in an exaggerated manner in Figure 8-1, the bead portion Wb has a gently sloping protrusion on the inside at the welded joint of the workpiece W, and the outer surface of the workpiece may have a shape in which the welded joint (center) is somewhat recessed.
If all of the raised portions of the bead portion Wb were to be removed flat in this state, the thickness of the workpiece W would become thinner in some areas, mostly at the welded joints, and naturally a deterioration in strength would be unavoidable in those areas.
For this reason, it is preferable to prioritize the bead removal process on ensuring the original thickness of the workpiece W. Specifically, in the recessed portion of the upper surface of the workpiece, the movement trajectory of the bead cutter body 56 is set so that the cutting is performed to follow the recessed shape of the outer surface of the workpiece, even when removing the bead on the inside of the workpiece.

In order to set an appropriate movement trajectory of the bead cutter body 56, a non-contact sensor (bead sensor probe 57) such as a laser sensor is first moved to detect the positions of the two left and right protrusion start points of the bead portion Wb and the state of the recess on the top surface of the workpiece. Fig. 8-1 shows a schematic diagram of the operation of the sensor, and one bead sensor probe 57 may be changed in position to detect both the inside and outside of the workpiece W, or two sensor probes, one for detecting the inside and one for detecting the outside, may be used to detect the inside and the outside of the workpiece W separately.
In addition, when detecting, for example, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 8-1, the sensor first detects one point of the starting point of the protrusion of the bead portion Wb (for example, "P1" in the figure), then detects the concave state in the center of the top surface of the workpiece W (for example, "Z" in the figure), and finally detects the other point of the starting point of the protrusion of the bead portion Wb (for example, "P2" in the figure).

In addition, in the above FIG. 8-1, the workpiece W with a concave outer surface is illustrated in an exaggerated manner, but the workpiece W itself is not necessarily limited to such a shape. That is, the workpiece W may have an upwardly convex outer surface as shown in an exaggerated manner in FIG. 8-2(a), or may have an inclined outer surface as shown in an exaggerated manner in FIG. 8-2(b). In this way, various shapes are assumed for the outer surface shape (top surface shape) of the workpiece W, but regardless of the shape of the workpiece outer surface, when removing the bead portion Wb, it is preferable to move the bead cutter body 56 so as to maintain the original thickness of the workpiece W. Incidentally, in the above FIG. 8-2(b), the workpiece W is illustrated in an inclined state with an upward slope from the left side to the right side, but the same applies to the workpiece W in the opposite inclination, that is, the inclination with a downward slope from the left side to the right side.

(3) Entry of the bead cutter body into the rear of the workpiece In bead removal processing, as shown in Fig. 6-2(d) and Fig. 8-1 above as an example, the bead cutter body 56 is advanced so as to enter the rear side of the workpiece W from the rear end opening of the workpiece W. Note that Fig. 6-2(d) above illustrates a state in which the bead cutter body 56 has already entered the rear side of the workpiece W.

(4) Ascending of the bead cutter body The bead cutter body 56 that has entered the back side of the workpiece then ascends within the workpiece until it abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece (non-bead portion), as shown in Fig. 8-1 above as an example. Then, when the abutment with the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece is detected, the ascending of the bead cutter body 56 is controlled to stop.
Here, the position where the bead cutter body 56 abuts against the inner surface of the workpiece is set so as not to fall below the lower limit of the plate thickness of the workpiece W. Incidentally, the "α value" in Fig. 8-1 indicates the excess thickness dimension that is set so as not to fall below the lower limit of the plate thickness of the workpiece W.

(5) Lateral Movement of Bead Cutter Body After that, as shown in Fig. 8-1, the bead cutter body 56 is moved left and right (lateral movement) to remove the bead portion Wb on the inner surface of the workpiece. Of course, the lateral movement of the bead cutter body 56 is achieved by the lateral movement of the cutter frame 54.
However, as described above, the removal of the bead portion Wb is performed with priority given to maintaining a constant thickness of the workpiece W. Therefore, for example, if the top surface of the workpiece W is in a concave state, the lateral movement of the bead cutter body 56 is not simply performed horizontally, but is also moved somewhat in the vertical direction, as shown by the thick dashed line in the enlarged view of Figure 8-1, so that the lateral movement (movement trajectory) follows the concave state of the top surface of the workpiece.
Of course, the end position of the lateral movement of the bead cutter body 56 is the end point of the bead removal process.
In addition, when performing such bead removal processing, the work end sensor 58 of the bead removal unit 55 is brought into contact with the end of the workpiece W and processing is performed.

(6) Removal of the bead cutter body after bead removal After the bead removal process, the bead cutter body 56 first descends somewhat from the inner surface of the workpiece and moves away from the inner surface of the workpiece W. Thereafter, the bead cutter body 56 is pulled out so as to retract from the rear end opening of the workpiece W to the outside of the workpiece W, and finally returns to a position (for example, the initial retraction position) that does not interfere with the loading of the next workpiece W.

5. Preparation Steps for Performing the Third Step (1) The Third Step and the State of the Second Bead Processing Machine 5B Since the third step is a step for removing the bead portion Wb on the front end side of the workpiece, preparation steps are performed in advance, such as releasing the clamping of the workpiece W performed in the second step and moving the workpiece W forward to a position where the third step is performed.
In addition, the bead removal processing on the front end of the workpiece is performed by the second bead processing machine 5B, but the bead removal unit 55 of the bead processing machine 5B is also set in advance (standby) at a position sufficiently removed (raised) from the transport surface so as not to interfere with the feeding (transportation) of the workpiece W.

(2) Clamp release The clamp release operation performed for the second step, i.e., the operation for releasing the clamping of the workpiece W performed by the clamping device 4A, is the same as that described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. After the clamping is released, the workpiece W is moved forward.

(3) Advancement of the Workpiece When advancing the workpiece W, the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is set to a horizontal state as shown in FIG. 6-3(e) as an example, so that the rotating frame 24 of the second groove processing machine 2B is also made to wait in advance at a raised position (for example, the top dead center position). Of course, if the intermediate exit conveyor 63 is set to a horizontal state, the transport path of the workpiece W is connected, so that the workpiece W can be advanced as it is toward the third process.
The workpiece W continues to advance until the front end of the workpiece reaches the second bead processing machine 5B, at which point the transport of the workpiece W is temporarily stopped.

(4) Clamping the Workpiece Once the advancement of the workpiece W has been stopped as described above, the second clamping device 4B is used to fix the workpiece W. Specifically, similar to the fixing operation of the first clamping device 4A, the side clamps 41 that have been opened are moved from the left and right toward the center to clamp the workpiece W from both the left and right sides, and further the upper clamp 45 that has been moved upward is lowered to hold down the workpiece W from above and fix the workpiece W.

6. Third process (removal of bead on the front end of the workpiece)
(1) Moving the bead removal unit to the front end of the workpiece. As in the second step described above, the bead cutter body 56 in the second bead processing machine 5B is moved appropriately so that it can act on the bead portion Wb on the front end side of the workpiece.

(2) Bead Removal Processing by Bead Cutter Body When performing bead removal processing, as shown in FIG. 6-3(e) and FIG. 8-1 above as an example, the bead cutter body 56 is inserted from the front end opening of the workpiece W into the rear side of the workpiece.
In addition, the shape detection when removing the bead portion Wb, the operation (manipulation) of the bead cutter body 56, and the operation of returning the bead cutter body 56 to its initial position after processing are similar to those in the second step described above, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

7. Preparation process for the fourth step (1) The fourth step and the state of the second groove processing machine 2B Since the fourth step is a step for processing the groove of the rear end of the workpiece, a preparation process is performed in advance, such as releasing the clamp of the workpiece W performed in the third step and moving the workpiece W forward to perform the fourth step.
In addition, the groove processing of the rear end of the workpiece is performed by the second groove processing machine 2B, but the pair of groove cutter bodies 32 in the groove processing machine 2B are also set in advance to a state where they are sufficiently separated from the center (standby) so as not to interfere with the acceptance (transportation) of the workpiece W.

(2) Advancement of the Workpiece: Lifting of the Intermediate Exit Conveyor 63A After the clamp device 4B is released, the workpiece W is advanced. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6-3(f) as an example, when the rear end of the workpiece W passes over the intermediate exit conveyor 63A on the carry-in side as the workpiece W advances, it is preferable to lift up the intermediate exit conveyor 63A so that the workpiece W can receive the next workpiece W to be processed, that is, the state shown in FIG. 6-1(a) above.

(3) Advancement of the workpiece: Lifting up the intermediate exit conveyor 63B When the rear end of the workpiece W being advanced toward the fourth step passes over the intermediate exit conveyor 63B on the discharge side, the advancement of the workpiece W is stopped once, and then the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is lifted up as shown in FIG. 6-4(g) as an example. Of course, when the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is lifted up, the rotating frame 24 (workpiece passage opening 25) in the second groove processing machine 2B is raised in advance (for example, raised to the top dead center) so that the free rotating end of the lifted intermediate exit conveyor 63B does not interfere with the rotating frame 24.
The reason why the intermediate exit conveyor 63B on the discharge side is flipped up at this stage is that the workpiece W is then retracted to perform groove processing on the rear end of the workpiece, but unless the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is flipped up, the groove cutter body 32 cannot reach below the workpiece W. In other words, by flipping up the intermediate exit conveyor 63B, the groove cutter body 32 can reach below the workpiece W without interfering with the intermediate exit conveyor 63B.

(4) Returning the work (retraction)
After the intermediate exit conveyor 63B is lifted up, the rotating frame 24 is lowered to the bottom dead center, and in this state, the workpiece W is temporarily retreated, as shown in FIG. 6-4(h) as an example. This retreat is performed until the rear end of the workpiece W reaches the processing position of the second groove processing machine 2B, and when it reaches this position, the retreating transport of the workpiece W is stopped. In addition, in this state, the rear end of the workpiece W protrudes from the rear end of the clamp conveyor 62, and there is nothing below the protruding rear end of the workpiece W. In other words, in this state, a space is secured for the groove cutter body 32 to wrap around below the workpiece W.
Next, the workpiece W is clamped, and then the rotating frame 24 is raised appropriately to set the height so that the center of the rotating frame coincides with the center of the workpiece.

Here, the workpiece W is clamped and fixed by the second clamp device 4B, and the specific clamping and fixing operation is the same as that described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.
Also, here, when performing groove processing by the second groove processing machine 2B, the same clamp device 4B as used in bead removal processing by the second bead processing machine 5B is applied. By using such a clamp device 4B in common, the overall configuration of the device is simplified, and the cost and space of the entire device are reduced.

8. Fourth process (bevel processing at rear end of workpiece)
(1) Groove preparation by the groove cutter body After going through such preparation steps, the fourth step, groove preparation of the rear end of the workpiece, is carried out. Note that the operation (manipulation) mode of the pair of groove cutter units 3 is the same as that of the first step, groove preparation of the front end of the workpiece, described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
Incidentally, in this type of groove processing, a pair of groove cutter units 3 reach around to the bottom of the rear end of the workpiece W, but since the intermediate exit conveyor 63B on the discharge side is in a flipped-up state as described above, even if the groove cutter units 3 reach around to the bottom of the rear end of the workpiece W, they do not interfere with the intermediate exit conveyor 63B.
In addition, in this fourth step, the work W waiting on the input conveyor 61A, i.e., the work W shown in phantom in Figure 6-3 (f) above, is moved forward, and the first step, which is to perform bevel processing on the front end of the work W, is performed.

9. Removal of the workpiece after end processing (1) Release of clamping The workpiece W after the rear end processing is completed as described above has both front and rear end groove processing and bead removal processing completed, so after the clamp is released, it is removed to the next process.
In the above description, the initial posture of the two intermediate exit conveyors 63A and 63B is in a raised state, but it can also be set to a horizontal state. Also, the initial position (vertical height position) of the rotating frame 24 is set to a position where the center of the rotating frame 24 is lower than the center position of the workpiece W on the transport device 6 (bottom dead center position), but this can also be set to an appropriate height, and furthermore, the top dead center position of the rotating frame 24 can also be set appropriately. Naturally, the operating conditions of each component can be changed appropriately depending on these initial position settings.

As described above, the above description is for a short workpiece (L<D) in which the length L of the workpiece W is shorter than the installation interval D of the pair of front and rear bead processing machines 5A and 5B, but a long workpiece (L>D) in which the length L of the workpiece W is longer than the installation interval D of the pair of front and rear bead processing machines 5A and 5B can also be processed by the column end processing device M. However, in the case of a long workpiece, the second and third steps for the short workpiece are interchanged, as shown in FIG. 9 as an example. That is, the second step for the long workpiece is bead removal processing on the front end side of the workpiece (third step for the short workpiece), and the third step for the long workpiece is bead removal processing on the rear end side of the workpiece (second step for the short workpiece).
This is because, in the case of a long workpiece W (L>D), as shown in Fig. 9, the workpiece W that has completed the first process is long, so that the front end of the workpiece reaches the second bead processing machine 5B before the rear end of the workpiece reaches the first bead processing machine 5A. In other words, the rear end of the workpiece reaches the first bead processing machine 5A after the front end of the workpiece reaches the second bead processing machine 5B, so that in the case of a long workpiece, the second process and the third process for a short workpiece are interchanged.
However, the processing mode itself is the same as that described above. In addition, in the case of a long workpiece W (L>D), the same clamp device 4A is applied in the first step of performing the groove processing of the front end of the workpiece by the first groove processing machine 2A and the third step of performing the bead removal processing on the rear end side of the workpiece by the first bead processing machine 5A. In addition, the same clamp device 4B is applied in the second step of performing the bead removal processing on the front end side of the workpiece by the second bead processing machine 5B and the fourth step of performing the groove processing on the rear end of the workpiece by the second groove processing machine 2B, and the clamp device 4 is used in common in the same way.

In addition, the above-mentioned working mode combines two column end processing devices M facing each other in the front-to-back direction (the direction in which the work W is transported) so that both ends of the column, which is the work W, can be processed at once, but it is not necessary to combine two column end processing devices M. In other words, it is also possible to use one column end processing device M alone, and in this case, depending on the setting of the transport path of the work W, that is, by setting a return path equipped with a turntable or the like in the middle that allows the work W to be reversed front to back, it is possible to change the direction of the work W, which has only one end processed, and pass it through the column end processing device M again to complete the process on both ends.

M: column end processing device MA: first column end processing device MB: second column end processing device

C Crane device G Disc grinder U Backing metal DP Diaphragm

W Workpiece Wb Bead part L Length of workpiece D Installation distance between a pair of bead processing machines P1 One of the protuberance starting points P2 The other of the protuberance starting points Z Depression state (range) of the workpiece top surface

1 Frame 2 Bevel processing machine 2A Bevel processing machine (first)
2B Bevel processing machine (2nd)
3 Groove cutter unit 4 Clamping device 4A Clamping device (first)
4B Clamp device (second)
5 Bead processing machine 5A Bead processing machine (first)
5B Bead processing machine (2nd)
6. Conveyor device

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11: Bevel processing machine frame 12: Clamping device frame 13: Connection frame 15: Adapter frame 15a: Base frame 15b: Housing frame 15c: Base connection frame 15d: Upper connection frame 15e: Upper and lower guide rails

21 Lift frame 22 Lift shift cylinder 23 Rotation guide frame 24 Rotation frame 25 Work passage opening 26 Rotation shift mechanism 26M Rotation shift motor 27 Cutter unit bracket 27a Guide rail 28 Cutter mount 28a Linear guide 29 Expanding/contracting shift cylinder

3M cutter motor 31 unit casing 32 groove cutter body 33 copy roller

41 Side clamp 42 Clamp body 43 Linear guide 45 Upper clamp 46 Clamp piece

5M Lift/lower shift motor 50s Screw shaft 50b Female thread block 51 Lift/lower frame (base frame)
51a Lifting slide block 51b Front and rear guide rail 52 Intermediate frame 52a Front and rear slide block 52b Traverse guide rail 53 Front and rear shift cylinder 54 Cutter frame 54a Traverse slide block 54M Traverse shift motor 54s Screw shaft 54b Female thread block 55 Bead removal unit 55M Bead removal motor 56 Bead cutter body 56a Pulley case 56b Spindle case 57 Bead sensor probe 58 Work end sensor

61 Connection conveyor 61A Carry-in side conveyor 61B Carry-out side conveyor 611 Centering device 62 Clamp conveyor 63 Intermediate exit conveyor 63A Intermediate exit conveyor (carry-in side)
63B Intermediate exit conveyor (discharge side)
64 Exit guide frame 65 Exit shift cylinder

Claims (13)

The apparatus includes a frame, a groove processing machine supported by the frame, and a clamping device for holding a workpiece to be processed.
The groove processing machine is configured to include a rotating frame having a work passage opening in the center, and a pair of groove cutter units supported by the rotating frame opposite each other across the work passage opening,
A column end processing device that performs groove processing on the entire circumference of the end of a workpiece by passing a workpiece supported by a conveying device through a work passage port in the center of a rotating frame, and holding the workpiece with the clamping device, and acting a groove cutter body in a groove cutter unit against the edge of the workpiece and rotating the rotating frame.
This device includes a bead processing machine that is provided in tandem with the groove processing machine, and the bead processing machine includes a bead cutter body that is caused to act on a bead portion on an inner surface of a workpiece to remove the bead portion .
Furthermore, this bead processing machine comprises an adapter frame fixedly attached to a clamp device frame supporting the clamp device, a base frame movably supported on the adapter frame, an intermediate frame movably supported on the base frame, and a cutter frame movably supported on the intermediate frame, and a bead removal unit having a bead cutter body is mounted on the cutter frame,
The column end processing device is characterized in that the bead removal unit is movable in three dimensions by these three movable frame members .
The column end processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the column end processing device is a pair of first column end processing devices and a second column end processing device, each having the same specifications, which are combined opposite each other in the workpiece transport direction, and in actual processing of the workpiece, groove processing by a groove processing machine and bead removal processing by a bead processing machine can be performed sequentially on both front and rear ends of the workpiece while moving the workpiece in one direction.
The base frame is supported on the adapter frame so as to be movable up and down.
The intermediate frame is supported on the base frame so as to be movable forward and backward along the workpiece conveying direction,
Furthermore, the cutter frame is supported on the relay frame so as to be movable laterally in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction, and the bead removing unit is configured to be movable in three dimensional directions.
The column end processing device according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the cutter frame is provided on the underside of the relay frame, and the bead cutter body and its spindle case in the bead removal unit mounted on the cutter frame are configured so as not to have any interference member below.
4. The column end processing device according to claim 1, wherein the bead processing machine is provided with a bead sensor probe in the vicinity of a bead cutter body for detecting a bead removal portion in the workpiece.
5. The column end processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the bead processing machine has a movement locus of a bead cutter body set so as to make the wall thickness of the workpiece constant during bead removal processing. A work clamping device is provided between the groove processing machine and the bead processing machine,
The column end processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the clamping device is configured to clamp a workpiece during both groove processing by a groove processing machine and bead removal processing by a bead processing machine.

A method for machining an end of a workpiece using the column end machining device according to any one of claims 2 to 6 , comprising the steps of:
In this method, a workpiece is introduced into a column end processing device by a conveying device, and in a first step, a groove processing machine in a first column end processing device is operated on a front tip portion on the side where the workpiece enters, to perform groove processing on the periphery of the tip of the workpiece,
Next, the workpiece is moved further forward by the conveying device to perform the second and third steps, in which the end of the workpiece that first reaches one of the bead processing machines in each of the first and second column end processing devices is operated by the bead processing machine to perform the bead removal processing, which is the second step, and then the workpiece is moved further forward by the conveying device to bring the other end of the workpiece into contact with the other bead processing machine to perform the bead removal processing, which is the third step;
Next, in a fourth step, the workpiece is further moved forward by the conveying device, and the groove processing machine in the second column end processing device is applied to the rear end of the workpiece to perform groove processing on the periphery of the rear end of the workpiece. A column end processing method.
When the length dimension of the workpiece is shorter than the installation distance of a pair of front and rear bead processing machines,
8. The column end processing method according to claim 7, characterized in that in the second step, the bead portion on the rear end side of the workpiece is removed by a bead processing machine in the first column end processing device, and in the third step, the bead portion on the front end side of the workpiece is removed by a bead processing machine in the second column end processing device.
When the length dimension of the workpiece is longer than the installation distance of a pair of front and rear bead processing machines,
8. The column end processing method according to claim 7, characterized in that in the second step, the bead portion on the front end side of the workpiece is removed by the bead processing machine in the second column end processing device, and in the third step, the bead portion on the rear end side of the workpiece is removed by the bead processing machine in the first column end processing device.
10. The column end processing method according to claim 7, wherein in the bead removal processing by the bead processing machine, a movement trajectory of the bead cutter body is set so as to make the thickness of the workpiece constant.
In the first column end processing device, the workpiece is held during the groove processing and the bead removal processing by the same clamping device in common,
The column end processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 10 , characterized in that in the groove processing and bead removal processing in the second column end processing device, the workpiece is held in common by another clamping device during processing.

A bead processing machine that is applied to the column end processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and is used to remove an inner bead at an end of a workpiece held by a clamp device , the bead processing machine comprising: an adapter frame that is fixedly attached to a clamp device frame that supports the clamp device; a base frame that is movably supported on the adapter frame; an intermediate frame that is movably supported on the base frame; and a cutter frame that is movably supported on the intermediate frame, and a bead removal unit having a bead cutter body is mounted on the cutter frame;
The bead removing unit can be moved in three dimensions by these three movable frame members ,
A bead sensor probe for detecting a bead removal portion on the workpiece is provided near the bead cutter body in the bead removal unit,
Furthermore, the bead processing machine is characterized in that the movement trajectory of the bead cutter body is set so as to make the wall thickness of the workpiece constant during bead removal processing .
The base frame is supported on the adapter frame so as to be movable up and down.
The intermediate frame is supported on the base frame so as to be movable forward and backward along the workpiece conveying direction,
Furthermore, the cutter frame is supported on the relay frame so as to be movable laterally in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction, and the bead removing unit is configured to be movable in three dimensional directions.
The bead processing machine according to claim 12 , further characterized in that the cutter frame is provided on the underside of the relay frame, and the bead cutter body and its spindle case in the bead removal unit mounted on the cutter frame are configured so as not to have any interfering member therebelow.

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