JPS6347429Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Prior Art The present invention relates to a ribbon-shaped or band-shaped rail device, and particularly to a rail device that is highly flexible and can follow the contour of a base surface against which the rail device comes into contact. .

There are numerous devices in the metalworking industry that require guided drive tracks that follow the contours of the workpiece to be machined.

Typical such devices include track or rail devices used to guide and hold cutting and/or welding equipment relative to selected work surfaces. The surfaces to be machined to which the rail device is applied may be horizontal surfaces, vertical surfaces, overhead surfaces, surfaces forming arbitrary angles, such as internal or external surfaces in shipbuilding, curved surfaces, and straight surfaces.
This situation is found in all fields of industry, such as steel processing, manufacturing and repair of processing machines, shipbuilding and ship repair, piping, wiring, etc. In some cases rigid tracks or rails are used, but in many cases flexible rails must be used, and the degree of this flexibility often determines the efficiency and cost of the work. . In the case of workpieces of iron-containing metals, the rail arrangement can carry a magnet which holds the rail arrangement on the work surface. This magnet is preferably covered with plastic. If the workpiece is non-magnetic, the rail device may consist of a plurality of suitably shaped vacuum cups or a vacuum cup having a series of chambers adapted to the mating surface so as to strongly adhere to the surface to which the rail device is mated. can be held in place by A representative prior art device of this type is described in US Pat. No. 3,226,027. Furthermore, there is a method described in US Pat. No. 4,241,664 that solves the problems of the prior art.
Although the structures of these patents are quite satisfactory, problems arise in maintaining the rack tooth profile properly when the rail bends, and the rack teeth must be molded into the body of the rail device. Problems arise in moldability during manufacturing and durability during use.

Purpose of the invention Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a structure in which the tooth profile of the rack has a closed trapezoidal shape with high strength, and this trapezoidal outline can be easily maintained. There is a rail device with which to obtain. According to the rail device of the present invention, it is possible to support a large load, and at the same time, the tooth profile can maintain a state in which it properly meshes with the drive gear.

Structure and Effects of the Invention In order to achieve this object, the present invention includes a toothed driving gear that is driven and engaged with the rail device, and a support means that engages with a part of the edge of the rail device to support the processing device. An elongated deformable rail device for carrying a processing device, comprising: a holding means for holding the rail device to the workpiece; an elongated strip-shaped substrate made of metal of a width selected to carry the processing device; a metal strip extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip substrate at an intermediate portion between the opposite edges of the strip substrate, and having a series of regular wave shapes and having a width narrower than the strip substrate; The shape and width of the peaks of the waveform viewed in cross section along the center line of the strip should approximately correspond to the tooth profile of the toothed drive gear of the processing device, and the bottom of each valley of the waveform should be It is characterized in that, by being firmly attached to one side, the strip is constructed as a drive rack in which a toothed drive gear of a processing device can engage. In a preferred embodiment, the strip substrate and strip are formed of stainless steel, and the strip is secured to the strip substrate by metallurgical bonding. This metallurgical connection may be resistance welding, brazing, or the like. The steel plate used to form the corrugated shape must be thick enough for the tooth surfaces to be strong enough to withstand the drive and formable enough to allow deformation as the rail bends around the curved surface or contour of the workpiece. I will take it as my own. Preferably, the strip base of the rail system is made of austenitic stainless steel and is a substantially thicker plate than the corrugated strip to which it is attached. More preferably, magnetic holding means or vacuum holding means is provided on one side of the rail device depending on the purpose of the abutment of the rail device. The rail devices can be connected in sequence by joining bar members having threaded holes for receiving retaining screws.
Furthermore, the corrugated shape of the strip is preferably in the form of a low-tooth involute gear.

The corrugated rail of the present invention provides the necessary stiffness or stiffness in the cross-section to carry any anticipated equipment, while providing great flexibility over the entire length of the rail, yet being lightweight; Easy to handle.

Example Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Illustrated track or rail device 10 according to the invention
1 shows its use in conjunction with a movable frame cutting/welding device 11 as a processing device. The track or rail system 10 includes longitudinally spaced
A laterally extending cross member 12 is provided which is attached to the underside of the rail arrangement 10 and carries a plurality of spaced apart permanent magnets 13 at the outer ends of the cross member. The frame cutting/welding device 11 is a driven power actuated device that engages the rail device 10 and, for example, as shown in FIG. to be able to run. If the workpiece is a non-magnetic material, a vacuum cup is used instead of the permanent magnet 13. These magnets or vacuum cups provide the holding means for the rail device.

The track or rail device 10 is further provided with a strip-shaped base plate 18 made of an elongated sheet metal, and the side edges 20, 21 on both sides of this strip-shaped base plate are engaged with guide wheels 30 as supporting means for the frame cutting/welding device. Let it be the orbit. In the center or middle part of this strip-shaped substrate, a separately formed strip 19 is carried;
This strip 19 has a series of undulating peaks 22;
The strip 19 is metallurgically joined to the strip substrate 18 by successive corrugated troughs 23 . The width of the mountain portion 22 is
It shall be approximately equal to or greater than the width of the drive gear 24 of the frame cutting/welding device 11 and shall have a profile corresponding to the tooth profile of the drive gear 24, preferably a standard 20° low tooth involute. The shape is a low tooth involute tooth profile as shown in FIG.

The frame cutting/welding device 11 is provided with an inclined grooved wheel 30 mounted on a pivot arm 32;
These pivot arms 32 are attached to the corners of the frame cutting/welding device 11 and engage the beveled grooved wheels on the side edges of the rail device 10.
In this way, the frame cutting/welding device can be held on the rail device 10 regardless of the other track conditions, i.e. horizontally, or even vertically or overhead, in which case the drive gear 24 can be moved uniformly on the rail device by the motor 33 and drive gear of the frame cutting/welding device 11 while engaged with the middle portion of the corrugated peak portion 22. The motor 33 can be controlled by a power source (not shown) and by known electronic means (not shown). The frame cutting/welding device 11 is provided with a torch holder 40 and a torch 41 rigidly held at a selected position on the holder at a selected angle.
1 moves along the rail arrangement 10, the torch cuts and/or welds the work surface 15.

The torch 41 should be positioned so that its centerline lies on the same vertical plane as the centerline of the drive gear.

As shown, the rail system 10 is highly flexible so that it can bend about a transverse axis and can twist and accommodate complex curved surfaces.

The strip substrate 18 is considerably thicker than the corrugated strip 19, i.e. it is a thick plate. In addition, the strip-shaped substrate has strips 1
The successive troughs 23 of the corrugations 9 are reinforced by ribs resulting from the metallurgical joining and the lateral direction created by the action of the beveled grooved wheels 30, independent of the dimensions and weight of the frame cutting/welding device 11. Can withstand bending. Furthermore, with this configuration, the peaks of the corrugated strip, which is a thin plate, can move in the direction of the gap between the peaks,
Even when the rail bends longitudinally (bends about a transverse axis), the gear teeth can move into and out of the gaps between the ridges without excessive jamming or frictional resistance. In this way, the strip substrate can be optimized for stiffness, providing sufficient flexibility to accommodate the required minimum radius, yet sufficient stiffness to support the loads of the frame cutting/welding equipment. I can do it. In this case, the thickness of the strips 19 or corrugated racks is selected separately to optimize the formability of the strips 19 to provide sufficient strength to support the load of the drive gear. As shown in the drawings, the strip 19, or bottom surface of the valley of the rack, is secured to the strip substrate, preferably by resistance welding. This makes it possible to form a closed trapezoidal shape at the bottom of each trough of the rack, thereby reinforcing each tooth or peak of the rack. As a result, each tooth of the wavy rack is
They can withstand considerably greater loads than unsupported free teeth, yet still maintain a profile that properly aligns with the drive gear. Further, the welds on the bottom surfaces of the valleys of the racks provide lateral stiffness to the substrate strip without adversely affecting its flexibility.

If the corrugated strip or rack is wide, the rack should be welded at at least two points across the base of the valley to provide the required strength and stiffness.

What has been described above is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rail device according to the invention for use in a movable frame cutting/welding device;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is an end view showing the state in which the movable frame cutting/welding device is arranged on the rail device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the rail device shown in the figure, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the rail device shown in FIG. 10...Rail device, 11...Frame cutting/
Welding device, 12... Cross member, 13... Permanent magnet, 15... Machining surface, 18... Band-shaped substrate, 19
... Strip (rack), 20, 21 ... Side edge of strip, 22 ... Waveform peak, 23 ... Waveform trough, 24 ... Drive gear, 30 ... With inclined groove Wheel, 32...Swivel arm, 33...Motor, 4
0...Torch holder, 41...Torch.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. To carry a processing device that has a toothed driving gear that is driven and engaged with a rail device, and a support means that engages with a part of the edge of the rail device to support the processing device. an elongated deformable rail device comprising: a holding means for holding the rail device to a workpiece; an elongated metal strip-shaped substrate of a width selected to carry the processing device; and both side edges of the strip-shaped substrate. a metal strip extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip substrate at an intermediate portion between the strips and having a series of regular wavy shapes and narrower in width than the strip substrate; The shape and width of the ridges of the waveform shape as seen in a cross section along the surface approximately correspond to the tooth profile of the toothed drive gear of the processing device, and the bottom of each valley of the waveform shape is firmly attached to one side of the strip-shaped substrate. Rail device, characterized in that it is fixed and the strip is configured as a drive rack in which a toothed drive gear of a processing device can engage. 2. The rail device according to claim 1, wherein the band-shaped substrate and the strip are made of stainless steel. 3. The rail device according to claim 1, wherein the strip is fixed to a strip-shaped substrate by metallurgical bonding. 4. The rail device according to claim 3, characterized in that the metallurgical joining is resistance welding. 5. Any one of claims 1 to 4 of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holding means is a plurality of holding magnets separated from each other that engage the ferromagnetic workpiece on one side of the rail device. The rail device described in Section. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 4 of registered utility model claims, characterized in that the holding means is a plurality of vacuum cups separated from each other that engage the workpiece on one side of the rail device. The rail device described in . 7. The rail device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the waveform shape of the strip is the shape of a low-tooth involute gear. 8. The rail device according to claim 5, wherein the waveform shape of the strip is the shape of a low-tooth involute gear. 9. The rail device according to claim 6, wherein the waveform shape of the strip is the shape of a low-tooth involute gear.