CA1287785C - Bending machine - Google Patents
Bending machineInfo
- Publication number
- CA1287785C CA1287785C CA000536341A CA536341A CA1287785C CA 1287785 C CA1287785 C CA 1287785C CA 000536341 A CA000536341 A CA 000536341A CA 536341 A CA536341 A CA 536341A CA 1287785 C CA1287785 C CA 1287785C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- fixed member
- rotary component
- bending
- shaft
- bore
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D7/00—Bending rods, profiles, or tubes
- B21D7/02—Bending rods, profiles, or tubes over a stationary forming member; by use of a swinging forming member or abutment
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21D7/00—Bending rods, profiles, or tubes
- B21D7/12—Bending rods, profiles, or tubes with programme control
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F1/00—Bending wire other than coiling; Straightening wire
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F1/00—Bending wire other than coiling; Straightening wire
- B21F1/006—Bending wire other than coiling; Straightening wire in 3D with means to rotate the tools about the wire axis
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21F—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE
- B21F35/00—Making springs from wire
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/08—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe
- F16L27/087—Joints with radial fluid passages
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L39/00—Joints or fittings for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
- F16L39/04—Joints or fittings for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies allowing adjustment or movement
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/8593—Systems
- Y10T137/86268—With running joint between movable parts of system
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A bending machine having a rotary bending head to which fluid pressure is transmitted via a fluid flow of fluid pressure transmission device comprising a fixed block and a rotary shaft mounted in relation to the fixed block so as to be rotatable relative thereto. The fixed block has at least one passageway through it extending to the rotary shaft, and the rotary shaft has at least one annular groove in registration with the fixed block passageway and at least one axially extending passageway in communication with the annular groove. As a result, the axial passageway is in communication with the fixed block passageway independently of the angular position of the rotary shaft relative to the fixed block.
A bending machine having a rotary bending head to which fluid pressure is transmitted via a fluid flow of fluid pressure transmission device comprising a fixed block and a rotary shaft mounted in relation to the fixed block so as to be rotatable relative thereto. The fixed block has at least one passageway through it extending to the rotary shaft, and the rotary shaft has at least one annular groove in registration with the fixed block passageway and at least one axially extending passageway in communication with the annular groove. As a result, the axial passageway is in communication with the fixed block passageway independently of the angular position of the rotary shaft relative to the fixed block.
Description
77~g 'l'he pLesent :lnven~:loln re:lates to a bencllng machine.
A prol)lem arises when one part o:f a ma-h~ e :rot~cl~es relative to another, and flui.d flow or pressure has to be transmitted from one of the par~.s to -the other independently of their relative positioni.ng or relative movement, especially ~althougll not exclusively) when there is more than one flow o pressure that has tv be transmitted.
The present invention seeks to overcome this problem.
Accordingly, the present invention is cdirected to a bendiny machine for bending elongate material, comprising:
a support structure; feecd means which are supported by ~he support structure and which serve to feed such material along a feed axis of the machine; a fixed member fixed to khe support structure and having a cylinclrical bore which extends along the feed axis; a generally cylindrical rotary component which extends within the cylindrical bore so as to be ro-tatable about the feed axis; a bending head supported by the support structure ancl connected to the rotary component for rotary movement rela-tive to the support structure about the feed axis, to enable the bending head to bend such material in any selected imaginary plane which passes through the feed axis; working-fluid-operated parts of the bending head; an axial through-bore -through the rotary component to enable such material to be fed to the bending head along the feed axis; at least one further bore in the rotary component ~hich extends in an axial direction along the rotary component, generally parallel w:ith the axial through-bore~ which $~
5 ~
~8~77~
~lrt;~ x~s ~s c~ t l:o.~ or)~ i.c~ n the benCIillq ht~acl; at. least c)ne duct :Ln ~,he ~::lxecl member ~./hich also serves as a cluct ~or such ~orklncl fluid; clnd a~ least one annular duc~., betweell the fixecl~nember and the rotary component, which connects ,he saicl at leas~. one duc~ in the fixed member to sald at Lea.c.~t one further bore in the rotary componen-t:, irrespective of the angul.ar posi-tion of the rotary compone.n-t with respec-t to the fixed rnember.
A par-ticularly useful embodiment of such a device has the rotary component constituted by a shaft, a plurality of passageways in the fixed component, respective annular grooves or other recesses, o~le for each passageway of the fixed component, spaced apart along the shaft, and a corresponding plurality of axially extendillg passageways th:rough the ~shaft, so that each and every passageway of the fixed component is in communication with its respective axially ex-tenciing passaget~7ay throucJh the shaft independently of the axial position of the shaft re].ative to the fixed component.
Such a construction enables the pressure or flow of an hydraulic or pneumatic work:Lng f:Luid in the differellt passageways of the shaft to be controlled by control means on the fixed par-t.
Preferab:Ly, there is an annula:r sea:L between each annular groove or recess, to form a seal between the fixed 7~-5 ~ ~ 7~
component and the sha~t, and so i.nhib:lt the pressure or :flow o~ fluid in one groove or recess affect:lrlg that :Ln another.
An e~ample of a machine which incorpora-te.s a device made in accordance with the presen-t inventlon is ill.us-tra-ted in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine from above and to one side thereof;
Figure 2 is a side view of par-ts of a bending head of the machine;
Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of a fluid flow or pressure transmission devi.ce of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the device shown in Figure 3 taken along the line IV-IV thereof.
Figure 1 shows a bending machine for bending wire, tubing or other elongate material. It comprises a support structure 10 on which is mounted, in spacial sequence from right to left in that Figure, a s-traightener 12, a feed unit 14, a clamp 15, a bending head mounting wheel 16, a bending head mounting arm 18, a bending head 20, and a crop unit 22.
In Fig~res 1 and 2, these units are all dimensioned and constructed for bending a wire 24. However, the units may be adjusted or replaced by parts which are suitable for bending other dimensions and forms of elongate material, such as tubing.
The straightener 12 comprises a first set of nine rollers 26 arranged in a first line of five rollers on one side of an a.~is of the machine on which the wlre 24 lies, and a second line of fo~lr rollers on the other s-Lde of thLs a~is. Adjuster means 28 are prov-Lcled to enable the separation of the two lines of rollers to be adJusted so that all the rollers engage the wire 24. A second set of nine rollers 30 is also provided adjacent -to the firs-t set, also extending along the axis of the machine bu-t having the plane in which the rollers lie at right angles to -the plane in which the first set of rollers 26 lies.
The clamp 15 comprises two blocks 40 and 42 disposed adjacent to and on opposite sides of the machine axis. The two blocks are moveable towards and away from one another to clamp and release the wire 24 respectively.
The wheel 16 is mounted for rotation about the machine axis up to 360 degrees in both senses of rotation.
It is formed with a hole 44 through i-ts centre to allow the wire 24 or other elongate material to pass through it. The arm 18 is mounted on this wheel so that it extends along and adjacent to the machine axis. A counterbalancing weight 46 may be provided on the wheel 16 on the opposi-te side thereof to the arm 18. The arm 18 is provided on -that side thereof which faces the machine axis, with a straigh-t guide 48 through which the wire 24 passes, to keep that section of the wire 24 which is immediately ups-tream of the bending head, straight and true.
The bending head 20 comprises a mounting block 50 at the end of the mounting arm 18 which is furthest from the ~ ~37~35 wheel 16. The block 50 has a face 52 wh:ich :L:les :I.n the salne plane as that of the face of the arm 1.8 on wh:Lch the straight guide 48 :is mountecl. Bending components mollnted on that face S2 are shown in greater detail in Figure 2. They comprise an extension 54 of the straight gu:Lde 48 so -that the wire exits the guide at an end 56 of the extension 54.
This end is close to the centre of the bending rotor 58.
Two fixed pins or rollers 60 and 62 are positioned adjacent to the axis of the rotor 58 and are fixed relative to the guide extension 54. They are positioned on opposite sides of the wire 24 where it leaves the guide extension 54. A
bending roller 64 projects outwardly from the rotor 58 and is mounted thereon so that the roller axis can be selectively positioned, by rotation of the rotor 58, on any point which lies on a near complete circle centred on the axis of the rotor 58.
The crop unit 22 comprises a parallelogram linkage 66 mounted on a frame 68 which is part of the support structure 10. The linkage 66 is moveable by means of a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 70 to rock the linkage to and fro about its lower fixed end 72. On the top of the linkage 74 there is mounted a cutter 76 -the blades 78 of which are close to the machine axis, and can be moved into a position in which they are on opposite sides of the axis, to cut the wire 24, by means of the piston and cylinder arrangements 70 acting on the parallelogram linkage 66. The cutter 76 is provided with a power drive 80 to force the blades 78 -toge-ther to effect cuttLng of the wlre 7~.
All the power clrives for -the machlne, LncludLng those for the feed uni-t 14, the clamp 15, the mounting wheel 16, the bending head 20, the cutter 76, and the hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 70 operate au-toma-tically, under the command of electrical signals issued by a programmable computer.
Operation of the machine is as follows: a wire 24 is threaded through the straightener 12, the feed unit 14, the clamp 15, the wheel 16, the guide 48 and the extension guide 54. Once the end of the wire 24 has reached the -feed unit 14, the latter may assist in this operation. With -the wire 24 so threaded, the machine may be put into automatic action in accordance with a programme which has been keyed into the computer. A wire 24 is fed through the machine by means of the feed rollers 32 and 34, and the distances by which the wire is so fed is simultaneously measured by the metering roller 36. If the wire is stopped during the bending operation, by stopping the feed rollers 32 and 34, the clamp 15 is automatically operated to ensure that the wire cannot be shifted axially or twisted during a bending operation. To provide a straight section of wire in the finished article, the wire is simply fed through the machine by the feed rollers 32 and 34 for the required distance measured by the metering roller 36. To bend the wire through a given angle in the plane of the face 52 of the 78~
bending head 20, the feecl rollers 32 and 34 are stoppeci, the clamp 15 closes on to the wire 34, and the wire at the bending head 20 is ben-t by the bending roller 64 as it is rotated by the roller 58 through the requirecl angle in rela-tion to the fixed rollers 60 and 62.
If the wire is to be bent upwards as viewed in Figure 2, the roller 64 is retracted into the rotor 58 which can now be rotated in a clockwise sense until the roller 64 passes completely underneath the guide extension 54, whereafter the roller 64 is released to its projecting position and rotation of the rotor 58 is continued until the roller 64 is brought into contact with the wire 24. Rotation of the rotor 58 beyond this position now bends the wire around the upper fixed roller 62 through the required angle as determined by the computer programme. The wire 24 may be bent in the other direction in the plane 52 by the reverse action in which the wire is bent around the lower of the fixed rollers 60. Alternatively, this reverse action can be effected by rotation of the whole bending wheel, arm and head assembly through 180 degrees. This avoids the need to retract the roller 64. A steady curve in the wire can be obtained by positioning the bending roller 64 at the required position in relation to the fixed rollers 60 and 62, and, with the bending rollers so positioned, feeding the wire 24 in the forward direction in the machine by means of the feed rollers 32 and 34.
The wire may be ben-t in any other plane by being ~37~8~
held agains-t twistin~ by the clamp l5, and by rotatLon o~
the mounting wheel L6. This changes the p:Lane of l;he face 5~ without mo~ing the wire. The wheel 16 Ls rotatable in this way through 360 degrees from i-ts s-tarting position in a clockwise sense and also through 360 degrees ~rom that s-tarting position in an anticlockwise sense. This enables any given rotational position of the bending head 20 to be reached by rotation of the wheel 16 in either one o-f the two senses. As a result, a particular setting of the bending head may be accessed by rotation of the wheel 16 in one sense which may be inaccessible by rotation in the other sense owing to obstruction by a particular configuration of wire that has already been bent.
When the various bending operations have been completed i~or a given article of wire, the la-tter is fed through the machine until the desired end of the article is positioned immediately adjacent to the crop unit 22. The piston and cylinder arrangement 70 is then operated by the computer to move the parallelogram linkage 66 and so -to bring the blades 78 to opposite sides of -the wire 24 at that desired end. The cutter 76 then cuts the wire a-t that point to free the finished article from the rest of the wire 24.
If necessary, the wire 24 is then reverse-fed to bring the cut end back to the centre of the bending ro-tor 58.
Because the bending head, rather than the wire, is rotated rela-tive to the machine, the wire does not have to be rotated to be bent into a three-dimensional shape. An 778~
advantage `s thereby obtainecl that the~ wire 24 may be i'ed direc-tly from a large coil of the materLal. ~lowever, thLs raises problems w:ith power -transmission frorn the main support structure 10 of the machine -to the bending head 20.
Rota-tion of the ro-tor S8 and extension and retraction of the bending roller 64 is performed hydraulically. In some machines there may be a number of further operations that the bending head performs hydraulically, independently of rotation of the rotor 58 and extension and retraction of the bending roller 64. One way of achieving such transmission is by way of the device shown in Figures 3 and 4. This is not shown in Figure 1, but is positioned immediately to the rear of the wheel 16 in -that Figure.
The device comprises a housing 90 within which is provided a bearing 92 which supports a shaft 94 in a manner which allows rotation of the shaft about its axis relative to the housing 90. Drive means (not shown) are arranged to rotate the shaft intermittently or continuously. A number of axially extending passageways in the form of bores 98, corresponding to the required number of hydraulic transmission lines, are drilled through the shaft 94.
Respective annular grooves 100 are machined around the shaft 94. The grooves are spaced apart axially along the shaft 94. Respective -through drillings 102 connect each annular groove to its associated axially extending bore 98.
A manifold block 103 is fitted around the shaft 94, and is fixed relative to the housing 90 by an anchor block ~03 104. The block ~* ls providecl with respective holes 1l.0, one for each transm:ission line, and the grooves lOO are respectively in register with these holes :llO. Thus the holes 110 e~tend all the way to the shaf-t 94, so that each groove 100 brings a hole 110 into communication with an associated axially extending bore 98.
To prevent hydraulic fluid from passing from one annular groove to the next, thus making the device ineffective, annular hydraulic seals 112 are fitted around the shaft 94 between each pair of adjacen-t annular grooves 100. In order to prevent wear between the seals 112 and the manifold block 103, bearing strips 114 are fitted at each end of the grooved section of the shaft 94.
It will therefore be seen that if an hydraulic power medium is applied to one of the holes 110, it will be in communication with a specific annular groove 100 and from there to a specific bore 98 in the shaft 94, and in turn to the left-hand end of the shaft 94 as viewed in Figure ~.
The associa-ted hydraulically operated component, such as the rotor 58, is connected -to be operated by the hydraulic medium at that end of the shaf-t 94. Operation can therefore be effected independently to the rotational position of the shaft 94 which may be changed continuously or intermit-tently.
The same device may be used -to transmit power pneumatically instead of hydraulically.
It will be appreciated tha-t the wire, -tubing or 3778~
other elongate materlal which is bent by the mach:lrle pas,.ses axially through the centre of the sha:~t 9~ wh:Lch L5 hollow for this purpose ancl l:les on t:he ax.Ls of` the bencl:Lng machine.
A prol)lem arises when one part o:f a ma-h~ e :rot~cl~es relative to another, and flui.d flow or pressure has to be transmitted from one of the par~.s to -the other independently of their relative positioni.ng or relative movement, especially ~althougll not exclusively) when there is more than one flow o pressure that has tv be transmitted.
The present invention seeks to overcome this problem.
Accordingly, the present invention is cdirected to a bendiny machine for bending elongate material, comprising:
a support structure; feecd means which are supported by ~he support structure and which serve to feed such material along a feed axis of the machine; a fixed member fixed to khe support structure and having a cylinclrical bore which extends along the feed axis; a generally cylindrical rotary component which extends within the cylindrical bore so as to be ro-tatable about the feed axis; a bending head supported by the support structure ancl connected to the rotary component for rotary movement rela-tive to the support structure about the feed axis, to enable the bending head to bend such material in any selected imaginary plane which passes through the feed axis; working-fluid-operated parts of the bending head; an axial through-bore -through the rotary component to enable such material to be fed to the bending head along the feed axis; at least one further bore in the rotary component ~hich extends in an axial direction along the rotary component, generally parallel w:ith the axial through-bore~ which $~
5 ~
~8~77~
~lrt;~ x~s ~s c~ t l:o.~ or)~ i.c~ n the benCIillq ht~acl; at. least c)ne duct :Ln ~,he ~::lxecl member ~./hich also serves as a cluct ~or such ~orklncl fluid; clnd a~ least one annular duc~., betweell the fixecl~nember and the rotary component, which connects ,he saicl at leas~. one duc~ in the fixed member to sald at Lea.c.~t one further bore in the rotary componen-t:, irrespective of the angul.ar posi-tion of the rotary compone.n-t with respec-t to the fixed rnember.
A par-ticularly useful embodiment of such a device has the rotary component constituted by a shaft, a plurality of passageways in the fixed component, respective annular grooves or other recesses, o~le for each passageway of the fixed component, spaced apart along the shaft, and a corresponding plurality of axially extendillg passageways th:rough the ~shaft, so that each and every passageway of the fixed component is in communication with its respective axially ex-tenciing passaget~7ay throucJh the shaft independently of the axial position of the shaft re].ative to the fixed component.
Such a construction enables the pressure or flow of an hydraulic or pneumatic work:Lng f:Luid in the differellt passageways of the shaft to be controlled by control means on the fixed par-t.
Preferab:Ly, there is an annula:r sea:L between each annular groove or recess, to form a seal between the fixed 7~-5 ~ ~ 7~
component and the sha~t, and so i.nhib:lt the pressure or :flow o~ fluid in one groove or recess affect:lrlg that :Ln another.
An e~ample of a machine which incorpora-te.s a device made in accordance with the presen-t inventlon is ill.us-tra-ted in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine from above and to one side thereof;
Figure 2 is a side view of par-ts of a bending head of the machine;
Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of a fluid flow or pressure transmission devi.ce of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the device shown in Figure 3 taken along the line IV-IV thereof.
Figure 1 shows a bending machine for bending wire, tubing or other elongate material. It comprises a support structure 10 on which is mounted, in spacial sequence from right to left in that Figure, a s-traightener 12, a feed unit 14, a clamp 15, a bending head mounting wheel 16, a bending head mounting arm 18, a bending head 20, and a crop unit 22.
In Fig~res 1 and 2, these units are all dimensioned and constructed for bending a wire 24. However, the units may be adjusted or replaced by parts which are suitable for bending other dimensions and forms of elongate material, such as tubing.
The straightener 12 comprises a first set of nine rollers 26 arranged in a first line of five rollers on one side of an a.~is of the machine on which the wlre 24 lies, and a second line of fo~lr rollers on the other s-Lde of thLs a~is. Adjuster means 28 are prov-Lcled to enable the separation of the two lines of rollers to be adJusted so that all the rollers engage the wire 24. A second set of nine rollers 30 is also provided adjacent -to the firs-t set, also extending along the axis of the machine bu-t having the plane in which the rollers lie at right angles to -the plane in which the first set of rollers 26 lies.
The clamp 15 comprises two blocks 40 and 42 disposed adjacent to and on opposite sides of the machine axis. The two blocks are moveable towards and away from one another to clamp and release the wire 24 respectively.
The wheel 16 is mounted for rotation about the machine axis up to 360 degrees in both senses of rotation.
It is formed with a hole 44 through i-ts centre to allow the wire 24 or other elongate material to pass through it. The arm 18 is mounted on this wheel so that it extends along and adjacent to the machine axis. A counterbalancing weight 46 may be provided on the wheel 16 on the opposi-te side thereof to the arm 18. The arm 18 is provided on -that side thereof which faces the machine axis, with a straigh-t guide 48 through which the wire 24 passes, to keep that section of the wire 24 which is immediately ups-tream of the bending head, straight and true.
The bending head 20 comprises a mounting block 50 at the end of the mounting arm 18 which is furthest from the ~ ~37~35 wheel 16. The block 50 has a face 52 wh:ich :L:les :I.n the salne plane as that of the face of the arm 1.8 on wh:Lch the straight guide 48 :is mountecl. Bending components mollnted on that face S2 are shown in greater detail in Figure 2. They comprise an extension 54 of the straight gu:Lde 48 so -that the wire exits the guide at an end 56 of the extension 54.
This end is close to the centre of the bending rotor 58.
Two fixed pins or rollers 60 and 62 are positioned adjacent to the axis of the rotor 58 and are fixed relative to the guide extension 54. They are positioned on opposite sides of the wire 24 where it leaves the guide extension 54. A
bending roller 64 projects outwardly from the rotor 58 and is mounted thereon so that the roller axis can be selectively positioned, by rotation of the rotor 58, on any point which lies on a near complete circle centred on the axis of the rotor 58.
The crop unit 22 comprises a parallelogram linkage 66 mounted on a frame 68 which is part of the support structure 10. The linkage 66 is moveable by means of a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 70 to rock the linkage to and fro about its lower fixed end 72. On the top of the linkage 74 there is mounted a cutter 76 -the blades 78 of which are close to the machine axis, and can be moved into a position in which they are on opposite sides of the axis, to cut the wire 24, by means of the piston and cylinder arrangements 70 acting on the parallelogram linkage 66. The cutter 76 is provided with a power drive 80 to force the blades 78 -toge-ther to effect cuttLng of the wlre 7~.
All the power clrives for -the machlne, LncludLng those for the feed uni-t 14, the clamp 15, the mounting wheel 16, the bending head 20, the cutter 76, and the hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 70 operate au-toma-tically, under the command of electrical signals issued by a programmable computer.
Operation of the machine is as follows: a wire 24 is threaded through the straightener 12, the feed unit 14, the clamp 15, the wheel 16, the guide 48 and the extension guide 54. Once the end of the wire 24 has reached the -feed unit 14, the latter may assist in this operation. With -the wire 24 so threaded, the machine may be put into automatic action in accordance with a programme which has been keyed into the computer. A wire 24 is fed through the machine by means of the feed rollers 32 and 34, and the distances by which the wire is so fed is simultaneously measured by the metering roller 36. If the wire is stopped during the bending operation, by stopping the feed rollers 32 and 34, the clamp 15 is automatically operated to ensure that the wire cannot be shifted axially or twisted during a bending operation. To provide a straight section of wire in the finished article, the wire is simply fed through the machine by the feed rollers 32 and 34 for the required distance measured by the metering roller 36. To bend the wire through a given angle in the plane of the face 52 of the 78~
bending head 20, the feecl rollers 32 and 34 are stoppeci, the clamp 15 closes on to the wire 34, and the wire at the bending head 20 is ben-t by the bending roller 64 as it is rotated by the roller 58 through the requirecl angle in rela-tion to the fixed rollers 60 and 62.
If the wire is to be bent upwards as viewed in Figure 2, the roller 64 is retracted into the rotor 58 which can now be rotated in a clockwise sense until the roller 64 passes completely underneath the guide extension 54, whereafter the roller 64 is released to its projecting position and rotation of the rotor 58 is continued until the roller 64 is brought into contact with the wire 24. Rotation of the rotor 58 beyond this position now bends the wire around the upper fixed roller 62 through the required angle as determined by the computer programme. The wire 24 may be bent in the other direction in the plane 52 by the reverse action in which the wire is bent around the lower of the fixed rollers 60. Alternatively, this reverse action can be effected by rotation of the whole bending wheel, arm and head assembly through 180 degrees. This avoids the need to retract the roller 64. A steady curve in the wire can be obtained by positioning the bending roller 64 at the required position in relation to the fixed rollers 60 and 62, and, with the bending rollers so positioned, feeding the wire 24 in the forward direction in the machine by means of the feed rollers 32 and 34.
The wire may be ben-t in any other plane by being ~37~8~
held agains-t twistin~ by the clamp l5, and by rotatLon o~
the mounting wheel L6. This changes the p:Lane of l;he face 5~ without mo~ing the wire. The wheel 16 Ls rotatable in this way through 360 degrees from i-ts s-tarting position in a clockwise sense and also through 360 degrees ~rom that s-tarting position in an anticlockwise sense. This enables any given rotational position of the bending head 20 to be reached by rotation of the wheel 16 in either one o-f the two senses. As a result, a particular setting of the bending head may be accessed by rotation of the wheel 16 in one sense which may be inaccessible by rotation in the other sense owing to obstruction by a particular configuration of wire that has already been bent.
When the various bending operations have been completed i~or a given article of wire, the la-tter is fed through the machine until the desired end of the article is positioned immediately adjacent to the crop unit 22. The piston and cylinder arrangement 70 is then operated by the computer to move the parallelogram linkage 66 and so -to bring the blades 78 to opposite sides of -the wire 24 at that desired end. The cutter 76 then cuts the wire a-t that point to free the finished article from the rest of the wire 24.
If necessary, the wire 24 is then reverse-fed to bring the cut end back to the centre of the bending ro-tor 58.
Because the bending head, rather than the wire, is rotated rela-tive to the machine, the wire does not have to be rotated to be bent into a three-dimensional shape. An 778~
advantage `s thereby obtainecl that the~ wire 24 may be i'ed direc-tly from a large coil of the materLal. ~lowever, thLs raises problems w:ith power -transmission frorn the main support structure 10 of the machine -to the bending head 20.
Rota-tion of the ro-tor S8 and extension and retraction of the bending roller 64 is performed hydraulically. In some machines there may be a number of further operations that the bending head performs hydraulically, independently of rotation of the rotor 58 and extension and retraction of the bending roller 64. One way of achieving such transmission is by way of the device shown in Figures 3 and 4. This is not shown in Figure 1, but is positioned immediately to the rear of the wheel 16 in -that Figure.
The device comprises a housing 90 within which is provided a bearing 92 which supports a shaft 94 in a manner which allows rotation of the shaft about its axis relative to the housing 90. Drive means (not shown) are arranged to rotate the shaft intermittently or continuously. A number of axially extending passageways in the form of bores 98, corresponding to the required number of hydraulic transmission lines, are drilled through the shaft 94.
Respective annular grooves 100 are machined around the shaft 94. The grooves are spaced apart axially along the shaft 94. Respective -through drillings 102 connect each annular groove to its associated axially extending bore 98.
A manifold block 103 is fitted around the shaft 94, and is fixed relative to the housing 90 by an anchor block ~03 104. The block ~* ls providecl with respective holes 1l.0, one for each transm:ission line, and the grooves lOO are respectively in register with these holes :llO. Thus the holes 110 e~tend all the way to the shaf-t 94, so that each groove 100 brings a hole 110 into communication with an associated axially extending bore 98.
To prevent hydraulic fluid from passing from one annular groove to the next, thus making the device ineffective, annular hydraulic seals 112 are fitted around the shaft 94 between each pair of adjacen-t annular grooves 100. In order to prevent wear between the seals 112 and the manifold block 103, bearing strips 114 are fitted at each end of the grooved section of the shaft 94.
It will therefore be seen that if an hydraulic power medium is applied to one of the holes 110, it will be in communication with a specific annular groove 100 and from there to a specific bore 98 in the shaft 94, and in turn to the left-hand end of the shaft 94 as viewed in Figure ~.
The associa-ted hydraulically operated component, such as the rotor 58, is connected -to be operated by the hydraulic medium at that end of the shaf-t 94. Operation can therefore be effected independently to the rotational position of the shaft 94 which may be changed continuously or intermit-tently.
The same device may be used -to transmit power pneumatically instead of hydraulically.
It will be appreciated tha-t the wire, -tubing or 3778~
other elongate materlal which is bent by the mach:lrle pas,.ses axially through the centre of the sha:~t 9~ wh:Lch L5 hollow for this purpose ancl l:les on t:he ax.Ls of` the bencl:Lng machine.
Claims (3)
1. A bending machine for bending elongate material, comprising:
(a) a support structure;
(b) feed means which are supported by the support structure and which serve to feed such material along a feed axis of the machine;
(c) a fixed member fixed to said support structure and having a cylindrical bore which extends along said feed axis;
(d) a generally cylindrical rotary component which extends within said cylindrical bore so as to be rotatable about said feed axis;
(e) a bending head supported by said support structure and connected to said rotary component for rotary movement relative to said support structure about said feed axis, to enable the bending head to bend such material in any selected imaginary plane which passes through said feed axis;
(f) working-fluid-operated parts of said bending head;
(g) an axial through-bore through said rotary component to enable such material to be fed to said bending head along said feed axis;
(h) at least one further bore in said rotary component which extends in an axial direction along the rotary component, generally parallel with said axial through-bore, which further bore serves as a duct for working fluid which acts on said bending head;
(i) at least one duct in said fixed member which also serves as a duct for such working fluid; and (j)) at least one annular duct, between said fixed member and said rotary component, which connects the said at least one duct in said fixed member to said at least one further bore in said rotary component, irrespective of the angular position of said rotary component with respect to said fixed member.
(a) a support structure;
(b) feed means which are supported by the support structure and which serve to feed such material along a feed axis of the machine;
(c) a fixed member fixed to said support structure and having a cylindrical bore which extends along said feed axis;
(d) a generally cylindrical rotary component which extends within said cylindrical bore so as to be rotatable about said feed axis;
(e) a bending head supported by said support structure and connected to said rotary component for rotary movement relative to said support structure about said feed axis, to enable the bending head to bend such material in any selected imaginary plane which passes through said feed axis;
(f) working-fluid-operated parts of said bending head;
(g) an axial through-bore through said rotary component to enable such material to be fed to said bending head along said feed axis;
(h) at least one further bore in said rotary component which extends in an axial direction along the rotary component, generally parallel with said axial through-bore, which further bore serves as a duct for working fluid which acts on said bending head;
(i) at least one duct in said fixed member which also serves as a duct for such working fluid; and (j)) at least one annular duct, between said fixed member and said rotary component, which connects the said at least one duct in said fixed member to said at least one further bore in said rotary component, irrespective of the angular position of said rotary component with respect to said fixed member.
2. A bending machine according to claim 1, in which the generally cylindrical rotary component comprises a shaft, in which there are a plurality of ducts in said fixed member, in which respective annular grooves, one for each duct in the fixed member, are spaced apart along the shaft, and in which there are a corresponding plurality of axially extending bores for working fluid through the shaft, so that each and every duct of the fixed member is in communication with its respective axially extending bore through the shaft irrespective of the angular position of the shaft relative to the fixed member.
3. A bending machine according to claim 2, in which there is an annular seal between each annular groove, to form a seal between the fixed member and the shaft, and so inhibit working fluid in one groove affecting that in another.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB86.11153 | 1986-05-07 | ||
| GB8611153A GB2190161B (en) | 1986-05-07 | 1986-05-07 | Fluid flow or pressure transmission device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1287785C true CA1287785C (en) | 1991-08-20 |
Family
ID=10597468
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000536341A Expired - Lifetime CA1287785C (en) | 1986-05-07 | 1987-05-04 | Bending machine |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4782684A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0245036B1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU592511B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1287785C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3772836D1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2190161B (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2232451A (en) * | 1989-05-25 | 1990-12-12 | Coal Ind | Rotary gland for feeding fluid and cable to a drill pipe |
| AT393640B (en) * | 1989-09-20 | 1991-11-25 | Evg Entwicklung Verwert Ges | DEVICE FOR BENDING ROD-SHAPED MATERIAL TO CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT ELEMENTS |
| IT1236362B (en) * | 1989-10-20 | 1993-02-25 | Fabro Giorgio Del | INDEPENDENT CONTROLLED AND INDEPENDENT TILTING DEVICE |
| DE3939128A1 (en) * | 1989-11-27 | 1991-05-29 | Ruhl Heinz | DEVICE FOR BENDING ROD-SHAPED RADIAL NON-ROTATABLE MATERIAL |
| KR0182069B1 (en) * | 1995-06-22 | 1999-04-01 | 송병준 | Bent-up system of cutting blade |
| US5617754A (en) * | 1995-12-21 | 1997-04-08 | Kenneth A. Kauffman | Single stage two plane coiled reinforcing bar stock straightener |
| AT516371B1 (en) * | 2014-12-02 | 2016-05-15 | Stonawski Rudolf | Device for bending a profile workpiece |
| IT201600119591A1 (en) * | 2016-11-25 | 2018-05-25 | Crippa Spa | Machine for bending filiform material such as a pipe with a system for the simultaneous loading of the pipe to be bent and discharge of the curved pipe |
| CN108273887A (en) * | 2017-12-29 | 2018-07-13 | 黎敏华 | A kind of fitness equipment processing machine |
| US11953126B1 (en) * | 2023-04-21 | 2024-04-09 | Princetel, Inc. | Fluid rotary joint assembly suitable for high rotational speed |
Family Cites Families (19)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2254192A (en) * | 1940-02-10 | 1941-08-26 | Osgood Company | Portable excavator |
| US2313438A (en) * | 1940-07-18 | 1943-03-09 | American Tool Works Co | Fluid operated gear shifting mechanism |
| GB759098A (en) * | 1954-06-29 | 1956-10-10 | Taylor & Sons Manchester Ltd F | Improvements in or relating to rotary fluid-supply couplings |
| FR1204772A (en) * | 1958-08-04 | 1960-01-28 | Pompes Soc D Expl De | Rotary distributor seal |
| US3367789A (en) * | 1964-10-21 | 1968-02-06 | Possis Machine Corp | Method for mounting and masking a workpiece |
| US3477746A (en) | 1967-10-03 | 1969-11-11 | Watson Mfg Co | Multiline swivel and mounting system |
| GB1330144A (en) * | 1970-02-27 | 1973-09-12 | Int Research & Dev Co Ltd | Fluid transfer means |
| CH520275A (en) * | 1970-08-17 | 1972-03-15 | Heberlein & Co Ag | Device for the transmission of control signals by means of liquid or gaseous media |
| DE2141730A1 (en) * | 1971-08-20 | 1973-03-01 | Karl Steiner | PIPE CONNECTION FOR ROTATION, WITH MULTIPLE CHANNELS |
| US3908695A (en) * | 1973-12-28 | 1975-09-30 | Glenn G Dunbar | Hydraulic rotator mechanism |
| DE2734214C2 (en) * | 1977-07-29 | 1982-10-21 | O & K Orenstein & Koppel Ag, 1000 Berlin | Rotary slide valve for directional control of the pressure medium for a double-acting hydraulic servomotor |
| SU781474A1 (en) * | 1978-09-08 | 1980-11-23 | Киевское Специальное Конструкторское Бюро Многошпиндельных Автоматов | Multiposition distributing cock |
| FR2437512A1 (en) * | 1978-09-28 | 1980-04-25 | Ppm Sa | Rotatable joint for multiple hydraulic circuits - has parallel holes in inner cylinder connected to grooves in outer sleeve |
| DE2854456C2 (en) * | 1978-12-16 | 1980-09-11 | Suedhydraulik Marktoberdorf Kork Steinbach Gmbh & Co Kg, 8952 Marktoberdorf | Sealing arrangement |
| JPS5675133A (en) * | 1979-11-22 | 1981-06-22 | Olympus Optical Co | Light source apparatus for endoscope |
| LU82942A1 (en) * | 1980-11-17 | 1982-06-30 | Wurth Anciens Ets Paul | SYSTEM OF MODULAR ELEMENTS FOR PROVIDING PIVOTING CONNECTIONS ARTICULATED ARM CONSISTING OF SUCH ELEMENTS AND APPLICATION TO A TAPER DRILLER OF A TANK OVEN |
| US4422676A (en) * | 1980-11-21 | 1983-12-27 | Eaton Corporation | Multi-passage rotor coupling |
| FR2535629A1 (en) * | 1982-11-08 | 1984-05-11 | Autocoussin Sa | AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR CAMBRING ACCORDING TO A SPATIAL CONFIGURATION, THIN METALLIC AND RECTILINE ELEMENTS, IN PARTICULAR METALLIC WIRES |
| JPS61245928A (en) * | 1985-04-23 | 1986-11-01 | Shinsei Kogyo Kk | Bending device |
-
1986
- 1986-05-07 GB GB8611153A patent/GB2190161B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1987
- 1987-04-30 DE DE8787303887T patent/DE3772836D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-04-30 EP EP87303887A patent/EP0245036B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-05-01 US US07/045,391 patent/US4782684A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1987-05-04 CA CA000536341A patent/CA1287785C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-05-07 AU AU72586/87A patent/AU592511B2/en not_active Ceased
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2190161A (en) | 1987-11-11 |
| EP0245036B1 (en) | 1991-09-11 |
| GB2190161B (en) | 1990-09-19 |
| DE3772836D1 (en) | 1991-10-17 |
| EP0245036A1 (en) | 1987-11-11 |
| US4782684A (en) | 1988-11-08 |
| AU7258687A (en) | 1987-11-12 |
| AU592511B2 (en) | 1990-01-11 |
| GB8611153D0 (en) | 1986-06-11 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |