WO2009116104A1

WO2009116104A1 - Machine for producing blanks for the shoemaking industry

Info

Publication number: WO2009116104A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000193
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ermano Colombo
Original assignee: Newlast S.R.L. Società Unipersonale
Priority date: 2008-03-21
Filing date: 2008-03-21
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: CN101977527A; EP2254434A1; WO2009116104A8; EP2254434B1; ES2640943T3

Abstract

A machine (1) for finishing blanks (4) for the shoemaking industry. Said machine (1) comprising: means (4a) suited to grip a blank (4); and means (3, 5) suited to selectively translate the blank (4) and a rotary tool (6) along three coordinated axes (X, Y, Z) perpendicular to one another and selectively rotate said blank (4) about a first vertical axis (C1) and the rotary tool (6) about a second vertical axis (C3). The machine (1) being characterized in that it also comprises a tilting device (23) suited to move the tool (6) angularly about a hinge (17). The tilting device (23) rotates the tool (6) transversely in relation to the axis (C2) by an angle of between +30° and -30°.

Description

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING BIANKS FOR THE SHOEMAKING INDUSTRY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a machine for finishing blanks for use in the shoemaking industry.

The machine according to the present invention was conceived to meet the needs of model-shops and shoe manufacturers with regard to the construction of prototype models of shoes for eventual mass production. BACKGROUND ART

In the shoemaking industry the making of prototypes of models from which shoes are manufactured at the actual production stage is a well-known problem.

As is known, in Italy said prototypes are normally made to size 37 for women' s shoes and to size 42 for men' s .

Once a final prototype has been conceived which simultaneously meets the aesthetic requirements of the designer, the anatomical requirements of the wearer's foot and the technical and economic requirements of the manufacturer, the electronic file containing the selected shoe design can be used by the model-maker to clone the models from which to produce the shoe at the shoemaking factory. Clearly the models are produced at the model-shop in the full range of sizes required for that particular design .

Moreover said electronic file may be transmitted electronically to the model-shop. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The machine according to the present invention also provides for the production of prototypes with fully finished toe and heel ends, thus eliminating the need for subsequent finishing operations to remove undesired extra thickness which would remain if the blank were to be gripped by a gripping device acting on these two portions of the blank.

The machine according to the present invention is controlled by an electronic processor which, besides controlling the movements of the blank and of the rotary tool along the work axes, also incorporates a powerful CAM tool.

Said electronic processor: calculates the linear path of the rotary prototype machining tool, from a CAD file; - controls the prototype measuring cycle and automatically generates characteristic measurements in conformance with the specifications issued by the UNI commission responsible for defining the relative standards; and lastly - optimises the work cycle by adjusting the relative movements of the blank/rotary tool. The machine according to the present invention is a combined lathe-milling machine in that it simultaneously moves the blank from and towards a rotary tool, typical of a turning operation, and moves the rotary tool from and towards the blank, typical of a milling operation.

A machine of this kind has been described and claimed in patent EP 0 990 399 by the same applicant. Said document must be considered the state of the art closest to the present invention. Moreover, the content of patent EP 0 990 399 must be considered an integral part of the present description in every respect.

Therefore, the present invention is intended as an improvement to the characteristics of the machine described in patent EP 0 990 399 to enable machining of new-concept models.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, illustrating two non-limiting embodiments thereof, in which:

- figure 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a machine for finishing blanks for the shoemaking industry according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows a cross-section along the line A-A of the view in figure 1;

- figure 3 shows a cross-section along the line B-B of the view in figure 1;

- figure 4 is a side view of the machine shown in figures 1, 2, 3;

- figure 5 is a rear view of the machine shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 4; figures 6A, 6B, 6C show three views of means suited to move a tool of the machine along an axis (X) ; figures 7A, 7B, 7C show three views of means suited to move a tool of the machine along an axis (Z) ; - figures 8A, 8B, 8C show three views of means suited to tilt a tool of the machine about an axis (C2) ; and figure 9 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a machine for finishing blanks for the shoemaking industry according to the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As shown in the attached figures, the machine 1 according to the present invention comprises a support structure 2. Moreover, number 3 indicates a first device for moving a blank 4 (figures 3, 4) along an axis (Y) .

Incidentally, the blank 4 is made beforehand, for example by means of a moulding operation.

Number 5 indicates a second device for moving a tool 6 along an axis (X) (figure 3) and along an axis (Z) (figure 2) . By means of the first moving device 3, comprising a motor 8, a pair of horizontal guideways 7a, 7b and a recirculating ball screw 8a, a slide 9 is moved along said axis (Y) . In figure 1 two cable carriers CPl, CP2 containing many of the cables used in the device 3 are also visible .

Note also that the axis (X) is perpendicular to a plane on which said axis (Y) lies. Clearly, the slide 9 is moved along the axis (Y) in a conventional manner, by means of the recirculating ball screw 8a, made to rotate by the motor 8, engaging a nut screw (not shown) inside said slide 9.

Furthermore, the blank 4 is made to rotate in a conventional manner about an axis (Cl) by a geared motor 10 visible in greater detail in figure 3.

To enable complete machining of blanks 4 with new model designs, a clamping angle α, in relation to a device 4a for gripping said blank 4, must be between 20° and 30°, preferably ^" 25° (figure 4). In particular, as illustrated in figures 3, 4, the clamping angle α is the angle given by the intersection of the axis (Cl) and an axis (AX) essentially on the plane of longitudinal symmetry of a gripper device 4a (figure 4) . The second moving device 5 is also provided with means (figure 2) for enabling the tool 6 to translate along the axes (X) and (Z) .

As illustrated in figures 2, 3, 6A, 6B, 6C, the means for moving the tool 6 along the axis (X) comprise an electric motor 11 that makes a recirculating ball screw 12 rotate and engage a nut screw provided on a slide 13 (figure 5, 7B) for movements along the axis (Z)

(see below) .

Moreover, as illustrated in particular in figures 2, 3, 6A, 6B, 6C, the tool 6 is moved along the axis (X) by means of a slide 14 (figure 6A) suited to slide on two guideways 15 (only one visible in figure 3) integral with said slide 13 (see below) .

Attached to the slide 14 is a cable carrier (CP3) and an overhanging lever 16 at one free end of which is a hinge 17 to which an arm 18 (figure 3) supporting the tool 6 is pivotally attached. A tilting axis (C2) (figure 3) of the tool 6 passes through the hinge 17 (see below) .

As illustrated in figures 2, 8A, 8B, 8C, a connecting rod 19 is pivotally attached to the arm 18 by a pin 20.

The connecting rod 19 is, in turn, mechanically connected to a recirculating ball screw 21 (which engages a nut screw provided in the slide 14) that is made to rotate by a motor 22.

The motor 22, the recirculating ball screw 21, the connecting rod 19, the arm 18, the hinge 17 and the pin 20 are comprised in a device 23 (figure 2) .

Moreover, the cutting tool 6 is made to rotate about an axis (C3) (figure 2) by means of a motor 24 and a belt 25 (figure 3) according to a system similar to that described in patent EP 0 990 399.

Clearly, during the tilting of the tool 6 about the axis (C2) , the tilting device 23 also causes the arm 18 and the motor 24 to perform an angular movement. As regards the movement of the slide 13 along the axis (Z) reference should be made in particular to figures 5, 7A, 7B₇ 7C.

As stated above, the slide 13 carries another slide 14 suited to move along the axis (X) . As illustrated in particular in figures 5, 7B, the slide 13 slides on a pair of vertical guideways 26a, 26b, fixed to the support structure 2.

The movement along the axis (Z) (figure 5) is achieved by means of a motor 27 which rotates a recirculating ball screw 28 which, in turn, engages a nut screw element 29 fixed to the support structure 2.

The axis (Z) defines a direction perpendicular to a plane on which the axis (X) lies, and parallel to a plane on which the axis (Y) lies . Figure 5 also shows a cable carrier (CP4) housing the electric cables for the power supply to the motor 27 .

The tilting device 23 is suited to move the tool 6 at an angle according to a specific program sent by the electronic control unit . In other words, the tilting device 23 angularly tilts the tool 6 in the direction indicated by a double- pointed arrow (F) (figures 2, 3), so that said tool 6 rotates about the hinge 17 as stated above (axis (C2) ; figure 3) . The movement according to the arrow (F) is combined, during the machining of the blank 4, with the rotary movement of the tool 6 about the axis (C2) .

Using the tilting device 23, the tool 6 can be made to rotate about the axis (C2) by an angle of between +30° and -30° .

With reference to that stated above, cutting of the blank 4 to produce the finished prototype is clearly obtained due to the combined effect of the movements of the blank 4 and of the rotary tool 6. The translatory movements along said axes (X) , (Y) , (Z) , the rotation of the blank 4 about the axis (Cl) , respectively, of the rotary tool 6 about the axis (C3) , and the tilting movements of the tool 6 about the axis (C2) , enable the blank 4 to be machined, thus saving on a high-cost finishing operation to remove any extra material left on the prototype . Moreover, as stated above, using the rotary tool 6, preferably a toroidal rotary tool, with high cutting speeds, the blank 4 can be machined to obtain a finished prototype in the space of 15-20 minutes. By combining such a rotary tool 6 with an adequate number of passes, the prototypes that are obtained ensure satisfactory shaping of the specimen footwear.

All the operations, the movements along the axes (X), (Y), (Z), rotations about the axes (Cl), (C3), tilting of the tool 6 about the axis (C2) , number of passes etc. are controlled by a dedicated CAM tool, derived from a CAD file, installed in an electronic control unit (not illustrated) .

Said electronic control unit can be operator- controlled using a keypad and display unit (not shown) .

Figure 9 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a machine 100 for finishing blanks for the shoemaking industry according to the present invention.

The machine 100 is ideally divided in two by a plane (ψ) .

The machine 100 is suited to simultaneously machine two "right blanks" 44a, 44b and two "left blanks" 45a, 45b. Each blank 44a, 44b, 45a, 45b is supported by a respective gripping device 4a* . Each blank 44a, 44b, respectively, 45a, 45b and each tool 66a, 66b, respectively, 66c, 66d can be made to rotate individually or using devices in common.

By means of an electronic control unit 150 provided with a keypad TST and ^' a display unit DLP the machine 100 can be programmed to perform the same or different machining operations on the blanks 44a, 44b, 45a, 45b.

Clearly the main advantage of using a machine 150 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is that several blanks 44a, 44b, 45a, 45b can be machined at the same time, possibly using parts of the machine in common. This results in considerable savings in terms of the cost of producing the finished blank .

The advantages of the present invention are those typical of combined lathe-milling machines, in that it simultaneously moves the blank from and towards a rotary tool, typical of a turning operation, and moves the rotary tool from and towards the blank, typical of a milling operation.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A machine (1) for producing blanks (4) for the shoemaking industry; said machine (1) comprising:

- means (4a) suited to grip a blank (4) ; and

- means (3, 5) suited to selectively translate said blank (4) and a rotary tool (6) along three coordinated axes (X, Y, Z) perpendicular to one another and to selectively rotate said blank (4) about a first axis

(Cl) and said rotary tool (6) about a second axis (C3) ; ^■ said machine (1) being characterized in that it also comprises a tilting device (23) suited to move the tool (6) angularly about an axis (C2) in order to machine said blank (4) .

2. Machine (1), according to the previous claim, characterized in that a "clamping angle (α) " is between 20° and 30°, preferably 25°; where the term "clamping angle (α) " means the angle given by the intersection of said first axis (Cl) and an axis (AX) essentially on the plane of longitudinal symmetry of a gripper device (4a) .

3. Machine (1) according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the tilting device (23) rotates the tool (6) about the hinge (17) at an angle of between +30° and -30°.

4. Machine (100), according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that it simultaneously machines at least two blanks (44a, 44b, 45a, 45b) using at least two tools (66a, 66b, 66c, 66d) .