EP0141745B1 - Automatic machine for bending thin and rectilinear elements, especially metal wire, into a spatial configuration - Google Patents

Automatic machine for bending thin and rectilinear elements, especially metal wire, into a spatial configuration Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0141745B1
EP0141745B1 EP84402196A EP84402196A EP0141745B1 EP 0141745 B1 EP0141745 B1 EP 0141745B1 EP 84402196 A EP84402196 A EP 84402196A EP 84402196 A EP84402196 A EP 84402196A EP 0141745 B1 EP0141745 B1 EP 0141745B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
axis
bending
machine according
rod
disk
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
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EP84402196A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0141745A1 (en
Inventor
Michel Remy
Jean-françois Delaite
Guy Woirgard
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Faurecia Sieges dAutomobile SAS
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Autocoussin Industrie SA
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Priority to AT84402196T priority Critical patent/ATE43803T1/en
Publication of EP0141745A1 publication Critical patent/EP0141745A1/en
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    • 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
    • B21F1/008—Bending wire other than coiling; Straightening wire in 3D with means to rotate the wire about its axis
    • 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
    • B21F35/00—Making springs from wire

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a machine for bending sections of thin and straight metal elements of the son, strip or tube type, this machine comprising positioning means for maintaining a section of metal element to bend on a first axis, and at least one folding member which cooperates with a folding counterpart placed on said first axis and which, on the one hand under the action of a first drive mechanism, can be driven by an angular rotation movement around a second axis perpendicular to the first at right of the folding counterpart and, on the other hand, by means of a second drive mechanism, can be moved in a reciprocating movement on a third axis parallel to the second, said folding member being further movable, together with the folding counterpart, in a direction parallel to the first axis, while said positioning means comprise a clamp which is intended to imm obilize the section of metal element to be folded on said first axis and which is also coupled to a third drive mechanism capable of imparting to it an angular rotation movement around this axis.
  • the succession of these movements makes it possible first of all to bring the folding member into lateral contact with the wire, then to make it rotate through a certain angle, in one direction or the other, so that it folds the wire around the folding counterpart, and finally to retract it before the folding member is moved with the folding counterpart.
  • the degree of bending of the wire is a function of the angle by which the bending member is rotated and the advance of the latter determines the length of the segment of bent wire.
  • the possibility of rotation of the clamp around the first axis makes it possible to modify at will the orientation of the folding member, with respect to the wire, in a plane perpendicular to the latter and consequently, the member bending can, at each of its stops along the wire, arch the latter in a different spatial direction.
  • the bending wire is, on each side of the pliers, retained between two positioning pins with fixed spacing, integral with the underside of the corresponding folding head, one of these lugs constituting the 'folding member and the other, centered on the second axis or axis of rotation mentioned above, constituting the associated folding counterpart.
  • This particular structure with fixed positioning lugs has the drawback of limiting bending to a single type of wire having a given diameter corresponding to the mutual spacing of the two lugs.
  • these positioning pins which enclose the wire to be bent may hinder the movement in translation, along the latter, of the folding head which carries them.
  • the present invention aims to remedy all these drawbacks by proposing a cambering machine of the type specified in the preamble, which is characterized in that said positioning mechanism further comprises a pair of jaws, movable in block together with the folding member. , and at least one of which can be moved laterally so as to be distant from the second jaw, under the control of an actuating mechanism which occurs during the movement of the folding member along the first axis, the beaks of these jaws constituting said folding counterpart.
  • This pair of jaws advantageously replaces the positioning pins of the prior art by eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks linked to the latter.
  • the cambering machine comprises two folding members each associated with a folding counterpart and arranged on either side of the clamp.
  • the clamp is formed by a disc provided with a radial slot opening on its periphery and mounted for rotation about its center on a support arm secured to the frame of the machine, this disc further comprising members for clamping the section of metal element to be folded.
  • the clamp opposes an extremely reduced inertia to its rotation.
  • the clamping members are constituted by tabs projecting from the edges of the slot opposite one another at the center of the disc, at least one of these tabs being movable and displaceable against the action of an elastic element which urges it towards the other cleat.
  • the cambering machine comprises a member for moving the movable cleat, constituted by a jack whose rod comes, in a certain angular position of the disc, in alignment with a bore of the latter, open on its periphery, in which slides a rod secured to the movable cleat.
  • the third drive mechanism ensuring the rotation of the disc comprises a motor coupled to a shaft which carries, over at least part of its length, a toothing meshing with a toothed crown carried by the periphery of the disc and tangent to the tree.
  • each folding member is constituted by a folding finger mounted to slide on said third axis in a support head which has an axis of symmetry constituting the second axis and which is kept in rotation around it. the latter inside a movable frame on a rail parallel to the first axis.
  • This folding finger is of a very reduced weight and opposes an almost negligible inertia to the actuation of its movement mechanism. As a result, its back and forth movement is instantaneous, which has a favorable influence on the working speed and the productivity of the bending machine according to the invention.
  • the first folding finger drive mechanism comprises an endless chain extending parallel to the first axis around two toothed wheels, one of which is fixed coaxially around the support head and the other is carried by a loose shaft mounted for free rotation in the frame, parallel to the axis of rotation of the support head, one of the strands of the endless chain being connected to the free end of the rod of a jack which is parallel.
  • the endless chain is a silent chain and the free end of the cylinder rod is slidably mounted along a guide rail parallel to the rod.
  • This mode of driving the folding member in rotation has the advantage, on the one hand, of being very precise as regards the repeatability of the folding angles, and on the other hand, of produce very low angular rotations of up to 1/10 of a degree.
  • the second folding finger drive mechanism comprises a jack integral with the frame, the rod of which passes freely through the support head along the axis of rotation of the latter, the free end of this rod being connected to the folding finger by a rotating side link.
  • the first, second and third drive mechanisms as well as the jaw control system and that of the movement of the folding members are actuated in synchronism by a programmable digital control with programming. assisted.
  • the bending machine shown in FIG. 1 comprises a bench 1 on which is mounted, substantially at mid-length, a support clamp 2 which can undergo angular rotation around a horizontal axis X which passes through its center.
  • the bench 1 also carries, located on either side of the support clamp 2, two identical folding devices 3 and 4 which, by means of a lateral support frame 5, 6, are mounted to slide. on a horizontal cylindrical rail 7 fixed to the bench 1.
  • Two hydraulic jacks 8, 9 of great length, carried by the bench 1, are further provided for moving the folding devices in successive stages along the rail 7, respectively one side and the other of the support clamp 2, the rods 10, 11 of these two jacks 8, 9, which are respectively integral with the folding devices 3 and 4, extend in opposite directions in a horizontal direction.
  • the admission and evacuation of the working fluid into and out of the cylinders of the two jacks is done through conduits 14, 15 connected, by means of a relay 16, to a hydraulic unit not shown.
  • each of the folding devices 3 or 4 carries, on a vertical flat face, two jaws 17, 18 mounted on either side of the axis of rotation X of the support clamp 2, the upper jaw 17 being able to be moved away from the lower jaw 18 by means of a hydraulic jack 19 visible in FIG. 2, which represents in section, one of the folding devices 3 or 4.
  • the essential member of this folding device is constituted by a folding finger 20 projecting from the front face 21 of a support head 22 rotatably mounted about its axis of symmetry Y and, by means of two bearings 24, 25, in the frame 23, l ' axis of rotation Y of the support head 22 being horizontal and perpendicular to the axis of rotation X of the support clamp 2.
  • the folding finger 20 is eccentric with respect to this axis of rotation Y, as can be seen clearly from Figure 4 which also shows that the two jaws 17, 18, which have been discussed above, are carried by the front face 21 of the support head 22 while being positioned so that their beaks 26, 27 s 'stop at the right of the axis of rotation Y of the latter.
  • the support head 22 can be driven in an angular rotational movement under the action of a first drive mechanism 28 housed in an interior cavity 29 of the frame 23.
  • this first drive mechanism 28 comprises an endless chain 30, preferably a silent chain, which is wound around two toothed wheels 31, 32, the one 31 is fixed coaxially around the support head 22 and the other 32 is carried by a loose shaft 33 held in rotation in the frame 23 about an axis parallel to that Y of the support head.
  • One of the two strands of the endless chain 30 is connected by a connecting link 34 to the end of the rod 35 of a hydraulic cylinder 36 fixed on the underside of the frame 23.
  • the free end of the rod the jack 35 is also slidably mounted by means of a ball bushing 37, along a cylindrical rail 38 parallel to the strands of the chain 30 and fixed by its ends to the frame 23.
  • the endless chain 30, driven in one direction or the other by the jack 36 rotates the support head 22 by an angle determined by the stroke of the jack rod, this angular rotation being transmitted to the folding finger 20 which describes an arc of a circle with the same angle in the center, around the axis Y.
  • the finger 20 and the spouts 26 and 27 of the two jaws 17 and 18 are each provided with a groove intended to receive the wire F, these grooves having the shape of a V to be adapted to all wire diameters.
  • the folding finger 20 is slidably mounted in the support head 22 and that it is also associated with a second drive mechanism 39 capable of imparting to it a movement of back and forth along an axis Z parallel to the axis of rotation Y of the support head 22.
  • This second drive mechanism 39 more specifically comprises a pneumatic cylinder 40 externally fixed on the rear wall 41 of the frame 23, in which an opening 42 is made through which the rod 43 of the cylinder is formed.
  • the cylinder rod 43 passes freely through the support head 22, along the axis Y and, at its free end, opens into an interior cavity 44 of the support head where it is connected to the folding finger 20 by a rotary link 45. Thanks to this link, the finger 20 can be rotated about the axis Y while being able to be moved in translation by the jack rod 43, whatever its angular position. In this way, after having made a folding, the finger 20 can be retracted to then be placed on the other side of the wire in order to practice on it folding in the opposite direction, after a displacement of the folding device relative over.
  • the three jacks 19, 36 and 40 which have just been mentioned, are put into action by means of a working fluid coming from a power station through the relay 16 and conveyed by flexible conduits 19a held inside curved gutters 19b which are formed by several U-shaped elements 19c hinged end to end, so as to be able to follow the movement of the two folding devices 3 and 4 (see FIG. 1).
  • the support arm 48 of this clamp is fixed to the bench 1 of the machine and the clamp itself is constituted by a circular disc 49, provided with a radial slot 50 s opening on its periphery, this disk being mounted for rotation in a vertical plane and around the axis X visible in FIG. 1, inside an extension 51 of the support arm 48.
  • the disk 50 is more precisely retained in a circular slide 52 carried by the edge of a recess of corresponding shape formed in the extension 51 in the front face of which is formed a notch 53 substantially in V, which communicates with the slot 50 of the disc 49, when the latter is in its rest position shown in Figures 5 and 6.
  • FIG. 6 shows that the disc 49 carries on its periphery an oblique toothed crown 54 which meshes with a complementary toothing formed on a sleeve 56, itself fixed around a shaft 57 rotatably mounted in an oblique position of tangency with the ring gear 54, inside a cylindrical housing 58 arranged in the support arm 48.
  • the shaft 57 is coupled at 59 to a electric motor 60 carried by the arm 48 while its other end 61 is rotatably retained in a bearing 62 integral with the wall of the housing 58.
  • the shaft 57 is also retained inside a bearing 63.
  • the disc 49 can be placed in any angular position under the action of the motor 60 which acts on the toothed ring 4, by means of the toothed sleeve 56 of the shaft 57.
  • the disc 49 contains two clamping lugs 64, 65 which project slightly opposite one another, in the center of the disc, on the two edges of the slot 50. L 'one of these tabs 65 is fixed while the other 64 is movably mounted inside an interior cavity 66 of the disc, a spring 67 being interposed between the bottom of this cavity 66 and the movable cleat 64. Furthermore , the latter is integral with a rod 68 which slides tightly in a bore 69 extending parallel to the direction of movement of the movable cleat 64, this bore opening at 70 on the periphery of the disc 49.
  • a hydraulic cylinder 71 which rod 72 can slide inside said extension 51 to come into alignment with the bore 69 and penetrate the inside the latter, when the disc 49 is in its rest position shown in FIG. 6.
  • the actuator 71 can be actuated so that its rod 72 pushes the rod 68 upwards, thereby moving the movable cleat 64 away from the fixed cleat 65, against the force of the spring 67, the displacement of the movable cleat being limited by a stop 73.
  • the motor 60 by rotating the disc 49 around the axis X, makes it possible to orient the wire F in any angular position relative to the folding fingers 20 of the two folding devices 3 and 4 and therefore to fix the folding direction around the X axis at each stop of the folding devices along the rail 7.
  • the various jacks 8, 9, 19, 36, 40 and 71 of the cambering machine according to the invention are supplied with working fluid, under the control of a digital console which also governs the operation of the motor 60 ensuring the rotation of the clamp 2.
  • the digital control panel contains a playback device into which a magnetic tape cassette can be inserted, on which a program is pre-recorded in the form of a succession of digital instructions which govern and synchronize the operations of the various moving parts of the machine depending on the type of folded wire article you want to make.
  • these instructions relate, for each folding cycle, to the speed and the angle of rotation of the folding finger 20 around the Y axis and of the clamp 2 around the X axis, to the movement of back and forth of the folding finger 20, at the amplitude of movement of the two folding devices 3 and 4 and at the instant of opening of the jaw 17 of the latter.
  • the program also makes it possible to automatically search for the origins of the various movements of the bending machine and to manage faults.
  • this programmable digital control makes it possible to considerably increase the profitability in the case of a medium or small series production, since a change in the type of production requires only one replacement of one program cassette by another.
  • the program of an article can also be viewed on a standard video screen in the form of a table and the operator has the possibility of modifying any parameter of the table by the cursor of the video screen.
  • the cambering machine according to the invention is of very high precision since the folding finger 20 can undergo a minimum angular rotation of 0.04 ° around the axis of rotation Y of the support head. 22, which allows it to make folds, according to non-polygonal curves and in particular according to arcs of circles.
  • the advance precision of the folding devices 3, 4 is ⁇ 0.05 mm and that of the angular rotation of the clamp 2 is ⁇ 0.24 °.
  • the cambering machine according to the invention also has the advantage of allowing a high production rate since it is equipped with two folding devices which operate simultaneously on either side of the clamp. It should be noted here that the two folding devices can produce different folding spatial configurations since they can be programmed individually.
  • cambering machine according to the invention, one can also cite its very great flexibility of use. Indeed, it can bend metal wires whose diameter can reach 8 mm as well as metal strips or ribbons.
  • the machine according to the invention can even produce bent tubes, more particularly thanks to the very high precision of the second drive mechanism 39 of the folding finger 20 which allows bending in an arc by successive close keys.

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/FR84/00245 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 2, 1985 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 2, 1985 PCT Filed Oct. 31, 1984 PCT Pub. No. WO85/01898 PCT Pub. Date May 9, 1985.The present invention provides an automatic machine for curving thin and rectilinear metal elements of the wire, strip or tube type. According to the invention, this machine comprises a nipper (2) adapted for positioning and holding on a first axis (X) a metal element section to be bent, as well as two bending devices (3, 4) movable on each side of the nipper (2) along a rail (7) parallel to the axis (X). Each bending device comprises two jaws (17 and 18) between which the metal element section may be clamped at each stop of the bending device, as well as a bending finger adapted for rotating about an axis perpendicular to the axis (X) in line with the noses of the jaws (17, 18) which form the counter bending parts. According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the nipper (2) may further execute an angular rotation about the axis (X).

Description

La présente invention se rapporte à une machine pour cambrer des tronçons d'éléments métalliques minces et rectilignes du genre fils, feuillards ou tubes, cette machine comprenant des moyens de positionnement pour maintenir un tronçon d'élément métallique à plier sur un premier axe, et au moins un organe de pliage qui coopère avec une contre-partie de pliage placée sur ledit premier axe et qui, d'une part sous l'action d'un premier mécanisme d'entraînement, peut être animé d'un mouvement de rotation angulaire autour d'un deuxième axe perpendiculaire au premier au droit de la contre-partie de pliage et, d'autre part, au moyen d'un deuxième mécanisme d'entraînement, peut être déplacé selon un mouvement de va-et-vient sur un troisième axe parallèle au deuxième, ledit organe de pliage étant en outre déplaçable, conjointement avec la contre-partie de pliage, selon une direction parallèle au premier axe, tandis que lesdits moyens de positionnement comprennent une pince qui est destinée à immobiliser le tronçon d'élément métallique à plier sur ledit premier axe et qui est en outre accouplée à un troisième mécanisme d'entraînement apte à lui imprimer un mouvement de rotation angulaire autour de cet axe.The present invention relates to a machine for bending sections of thin and straight metal elements of the son, strip or tube type, this machine comprising positioning means for maintaining a section of metal element to bend on a first axis, and at least one folding member which cooperates with a folding counterpart placed on said first axis and which, on the one hand under the action of a first drive mechanism, can be driven by an angular rotation movement around a second axis perpendicular to the first at right of the folding counterpart and, on the other hand, by means of a second drive mechanism, can be moved in a reciprocating movement on a third axis parallel to the second, said folding member being further movable, together with the folding counterpart, in a direction parallel to the first axis, while said positioning means comprise a clamp which is intended to imm obilize the section of metal element to be folded on said first axis and which is also coupled to a third drive mechanism capable of imparting to it an angular rotation movement around this axis.

Dans les machines de ce type, dont on se sert couramment pour cambrer des fils métalliques en vue plus particulièrement de la fabrication d'articles en fil plié, le mouvement de rotation angulaire de l'organe de pliage intervient, à chaque cycle de pliage, entre les courses aller et retour de son mouvement de va-et-vient.In machines of this type, which are commonly used for bending metal wires with a view more particularly to the production of folded wire articles, the angular rotation movement of the folding member occurs, at each folding cycle, between the back and forth races of its back and forth movement.

La succession de ces mouvements permet tout d'abord d'amener l'organe de pliage en contact latéral avec le fil, puis de le faire tourner sur un certain angle, dans un sens ou dans l'autre, pour qu'il plie le fil autour de la contre-partie de pliage, et enfin de le rétracter avant que l'organe de pliage soit déplacé avec la contre-partie de pliage. Le degré de pliage du fil est fonction de l'angle dont on fait tourner l'organe de pliage et le pas d'avance de ce dernier détermine la longueur du segment de fil plié.The succession of these movements makes it possible first of all to bring the folding member into lateral contact with the wire, then to make it rotate through a certain angle, in one direction or the other, so that it folds the wire around the folding counterpart, and finally to retract it before the folding member is moved with the folding counterpart. The degree of bending of the wire is a function of the angle by which the bending member is rotated and the advance of the latter determines the length of the segment of bent wire.

Par ailleurs, la possibilité de rotation de la pince autour du premier axe permet de modifier à volonté l'orientation de l'organe de pliage, par rapport au fil, dans un plan perpendiculaire à ce dernier et par voie de conséquence, l'organe de pliage peut, à chacun de ses arrêts le long du fil, cambrer ce dernier selon une direction spatiale différente.Furthermore, the possibility of rotation of the clamp around the first axis makes it possible to modify at will the orientation of the folding member, with respect to the wire, in a plane perpendicular to the latter and consequently, the member bending can, at each of its stops along the wire, arch the latter in a different spatial direction.

De telles machines permettant de cambrer, selon une configuration spatiale, des fils métalliques ou autres éléments minces et rectilignes sont connues d'après US-A-3 245 433 et DE-A-3 236 663.Such machines for bending, according to a spatial configuration, metal wires or other thin and straight elements are known from US-A-3,245,433 and DE-A-3,236,663.

Toutefois, dans ces machines connues, le fil à plier est, de chaque côté de la pince, retenu entre deux ergots de positionnement à écartement fixe, solidaires de la face inférieure de la tête de pliage correspondante, l'un des ces ergots constituant l'organe de pliage et l'autre, centré sur le deuxième axe ou axe de rotation susmentionné, constituant la contre-partie de pliage associée.However, in these known machines, the bending wire is, on each side of the pliers, retained between two positioning pins with fixed spacing, integral with the underside of the corresponding folding head, one of these lugs constituting the 'folding member and the other, centered on the second axis or axis of rotation mentioned above, constituting the associated folding counterpart.

Cette structure particulière à ergots de positionnement fixes présente l'inconvénient de limiter le pliage à un seul type de fil ayant un diamètre donné correspondant à l'écartement mutuel des deux ergots. De surcroît, ces ergots de positionnement qui enserrent le fil à plier, risque d'entraver le déplacement en translation, le long de ce dernier, de la tête de pliage qui les porte.This particular structure with fixed positioning lugs has the drawback of limiting bending to a single type of wire having a given diameter corresponding to the mutual spacing of the two lugs. In addition, these positioning pins which enclose the wire to be bent, may hinder the movement in translation, along the latter, of the folding head which carries them.

La présente invention vise à remédier à tous ces inconvénients en proposant une machine à cambrer du type spécifié en préambule, qui se caractérise en ce que ledit mécanisme de positionnement comprend en outre une paire de mâchoires, déplaçables en bloc conjointement avec l'organe de pliage, et dont l'une au moins est déplaçable latéralement pour être éloignée de la seconde mâchoire, sous la commande d'un mécanisme d'actionnement qui intetvient lors du déplacement de l'organe de pliage le long du premier axe, les becs de ces mâchoires constituant ladite contre-partie de pliage. Cette paire de mâchoire remplace avantageusement les ergots de positionnement de l'art antérieur en supprimant les inconvénients susmentionnés liés à ces derniers.The present invention aims to remedy all these drawbacks by proposing a cambering machine of the type specified in the preamble, which is characterized in that said positioning mechanism further comprises a pair of jaws, movable in block together with the folding member. , and at least one of which can be moved laterally so as to be distant from the second jaw, under the control of an actuating mechanism which occurs during the movement of the folding member along the first axis, the beaks of these jaws constituting said folding counterpart. This pair of jaws advantageously replaces the positioning pins of the prior art by eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks linked to the latter.

Dans un mode de réalisation préféré, la machine à cambrer selon l'invention comprend deux organes de pliage associés chacun à une contre-partie de pliage et disposés de part et d'autre de la pince.In a preferred embodiment, the cambering machine according to the invention comprises two folding members each associated with a folding counterpart and arranged on either side of the clamp.

Comme on le comprendra aisément, cette disposition permet de doubler la cadence de production de la machine. Il est à noter d'ailleurs que, de part et d'autre de la pince; les deux organes de pliage peuvent plier le fil selon des configurations spatiales complètement différentes sans que cette cadence de production en soit affectée.As will be readily understood, this arrangement makes it possible to double the production rate of the machine. It should also be noted that, on either side of the clamp; the two folding members can bend the wire according to completely different spatial configurations without this production rate being affected.

Avantageusement,. la pince est formée par un disque pourvu d'une fente radiale s'ouvrant sur sa périphérie et monté à rotation autour de son centre sur un bras de support solidaire du bâti de la machine, ce disque comprenant en outre des organes de serrage du tronçon d'élément métallique à plier.Advantageously ,. the clamp is formed by a disc provided with a radial slot opening on its periphery and mounted for rotation about its center on a support arm secured to the frame of the machine, this disc further comprising members for clamping the section of metal element to be folded.

Grâce à cette structure, la pince oppose une inertie extrêmement réduite à sa mise en rotation.Thanks to this structure, the clamp opposes an extremely reduced inertia to its rotation.

De préférence, les organes de serrage sont constitués par des taquets faisant saillie sur les bords de la fente l'un en face de l'autre au centre du disque, l'un au moins de ces taquets étant mobile et déplaçable à l'encontre de l'action d'un élément élastique qui le sollicite vers l'autre taquet.Preferably, the clamping members are constituted by tabs projecting from the edges of the slot opposite one another at the center of the disc, at least one of these tabs being movable and displaceable against the action of an elastic element which urges it towards the other cleat.

Par ailleurs, la machine à cambrer selon l'invention comprend un organe de déplacement du taquet mobile, constitué par un vérin dont la tige vient, dans une certaine position angulaire du disque, dans l'alignement d'un alésage de ce dernier, ouvert sur sa périphérie, dans lequel coulisse une tige solidaire du taquet mobile.Furthermore, the cambering machine according to the invention comprises a member for moving the movable cleat, constituted by a jack whose rod comes, in a certain angular position of the disc, in alignment with a bore of the latter, open on its periphery, in which slides a rod secured to the movable cleat.

Dans un mode de réalisation préféré, le troisième mécanisme d'entraînement assurant la rotation du disque comprend un moteur accouplé à un arbre qui porte, sur une partie au moins de sa longueur, une denture engrenant avec une couronne dentée portée par la périphérie du disque et tangente à l'arbre.In a preferred embodiment, the third drive mechanism ensuring the rotation of the disc comprises a motor coupled to a shaft which carries, over at least part of its length, a toothing meshing with a toothed crown carried by the periphery of the disc and tangent to the tree.

Selon une autre caractéristique de l'invention, chaque organe de pliage est constitué par un doigt de pliage monté coulissant sur ledit troisième axe dans une tête de support qui présente un axe de symétrie constituant le deuxième axe et qui est maintenue en rotation autour de ce dernier à l'intérieur d'un bâti déplaçable sur un rail parallèle au premier axe.According to another characteristic of the invention, each folding member is constituted by a folding finger mounted to slide on said third axis in a support head which has an axis of symmetry constituting the second axis and which is kept in rotation around it. the latter inside a movable frame on a rail parallel to the first axis.

Ce doigt de pliage est d'un poids très réduit et oppose une inertie presque négligeable à la mise en action de son mécanisme de déplacement. Par suite, son mouvement de va-et-vient est instantané, ce qui a une influence favorable sur la vitesse de travail et la productivité de la machine à cambrer selon l'invention.This folding finger is of a very reduced weight and opposes an almost negligible inertia to the actuation of its movement mechanism. As a result, its back and forth movement is instantaneous, which has a favorable influence on the working speed and the productivity of the bending machine according to the invention.

Par ailleurs, le premier mécanisme d'entraînement du doigt de pliage comprend une chaîne sans fin s'étendant parallèlement au premier axe autour de deux roues dentées dont l'une est fixée coaxialement autour de la tête de support et l'autre est portée par un arbre fou monté à rotation libre dans le bâti, parallèlement à l'axe de rotation de la tête de support, l'un des brins de la chaîne sans fin étant relié à l'extrémité libre de la tige d'un vérin qui lui est parallèle.Furthermore, the first folding finger drive mechanism comprises an endless chain extending parallel to the first axis around two toothed wheels, one of which is fixed coaxially around the support head and the other is carried by a loose shaft mounted for free rotation in the frame, parallel to the axis of rotation of the support head, one of the strands of the endless chain being connected to the free end of the rod of a jack which is parallel.

De préférence, la chaîne sans fin est une chaîne silencieuse et l'extrémité libre de la tige du vérin est montée à coulissement le long d'un rail de guidage parallèle à la tige.Preferably, the endless chain is a silent chain and the free end of the cylinder rod is slidably mounted along a guide rail parallel to the rod.

Ce mode d'entraînement en rotation de l'organe de pliage présente l'avantage, d'une part, d'être d'une très grande précision en ce qui concerne la répétibiiité des angles de pliage, et d'autre part, de produire des rotations angulaires très faibles pouvant atteindre le 1/10 de degré.This mode of driving the folding member in rotation has the advantage, on the one hand, of being very precise as regards the repeatability of the folding angles, and on the other hand, of produce very low angular rotations of up to 1/10 of a degree.

En outre, le deuxième mécanisme d'entraînement du doigt de pliage comprend un vérin solidaire du bâti dont la tige traverse à coulissement libre la tête de support le long de l'axe de rotation de cette dernière, l'extrémité libre de cette tige étant reliée au doigt de pliage par une liaison latérale toumante.In addition, the second folding finger drive mechanism comprises a jack integral with the frame, the rod of which passes freely through the support head along the axis of rotation of the latter, the free end of this rod being connected to the folding finger by a rotating side link.

Enfin, selon une autre caractéristique importante de l'invention, les premier, deuxième et troisième mécanismes d'entraînement ainsi que le système de commande des mâchoires et celui du déplacement des organes de pliage, sont actionnés en synchronisme par une commande numérique programmable à programmation assistée.Finally, according to another important characteristic of the invention, the first, second and third drive mechanisms as well as the jaw control system and that of the movement of the folding members, are actuated in synchronism by a programmable digital control with programming. assisted.

Cette disposition permet d'augmenter considérablement la productivité de la machine selon l'invention dans le cas d'une fabrication moyenne série, voire même petite série. En effet, les fonctionnements des mécanismes d'entraînement et du système de commande du déplacement des organes de pliage qui déterminent les paramètres de pliage, sont commandés en synchronisme par un programme qui contient une suite d'instructions numériques et qui peut être enregistré sur une cassette à bande magnétique classique. Ainsi, le passage d'un type de fabrication à un autre nécessite simplement un changement de cassette dans l'appareil de lecture du pupitre de commande numérique, changement qui peut être effectué en un temps très court de l'ordre de deux minutes.This arrangement considerably increases the productivity of the machine according to the invention in the case of a medium series production, or even a small series. In fact, the operations of the drive mechanisms and of the system for controlling the movement of the folding members which determine the folding parameters are controlled synchronously by a program which contains a series of digital instructions and which can be recorded on a conventional magnetic tape cassette. Thus, the transition from one type of manufacturing to another simply requires a change of cassette in the reading device of the digital control console, a change which can be carried out in a very short time of the order of two minutes.

Un mode de réalisation de la présente invention va maintenant être décrit à titre d'exemple non limitatif en référence aux dessins annexés dans lesquels :

  • la figure 1 représente une vue d'ensemble de ce mode de réalisation de la machine à cambrer selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 2 est une vue en coupe de l'un des dispositifs de pliage de cette machine, effectuée selon la ligne II-II de la figure 1 ;
  • la figure 3 est une vue en coupe effectuée selon la ligne III-III de la figure 2 ;
  • la figure 4 est une vue agrandie de la face de travail de ce dispositif de pliage, faite dans le sens de la flèche IV de la figure 2 ;
  • la figure 5 est une vue de côté de la pince-support ; et
  • la figure 6 est une vue agrandie en coupe longitudinale de cette pince.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
  • Figure 1 shows an overview of this embodiment of the cambering machine according to the invention;
  • Figure 2 is a sectional view of one of the folding devices of this machine, taken along line II-II of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2;
  • Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the working face of this folding device, made in the direction of arrow IV of Figure 2;
  • Figure 5 is a side view of the support clamp; and
  • Figure 6 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section of this clamp.

La machine à cambrer représentée sur la figure 1, comprend un banc 1 sur lequel est montée, sensiblement à mi-longueur, une pince-support 2 qui peut subir une rotation angulaire autour d'un axe horizontal X qui passe par son centre.The bending machine shown in FIG. 1 comprises a bench 1 on which is mounted, substantially at mid-length, a support clamp 2 which can undergo angular rotation around a horizontal axis X which passes through its center.

Le banc 1 porte en outre, situés de part et d'autre de la pince-support 2, deux dispositifs de pliage identiques 3 et 4 qui, par l'intermédiaire d'une armature latérale de support 5, 6, sont montés à coulissement sur un rail horizontal cylindrique 7 fixé sur le banc 1. Deux vérins hydrauliques 8, 9 de grande longueur, portés par le banc 1, sont en outre prévus pour déplacer les dispositifs de pliage par paliers successifs le long du rail 7, respectivement d'un côté et de l'autre de la pince-support 2, les tiges 10, 11 de ces deux vérins 8, 9, qui sont respectivement solidaires des dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4, s'étendent en sens opposés selon une direction horizontale. L'admission et l'évacuation du fluide de travail dans et hors des cylindres des deux vérins se font au travers de conduits 14, 15 reliés, par l'intermédiaire d'un relais 16, à une centrale hydraulique non représentée.The bench 1 also carries, located on either side of the support clamp 2, two identical folding devices 3 and 4 which, by means of a lateral support frame 5, 6, are mounted to slide. on a horizontal cylindrical rail 7 fixed to the bench 1. Two hydraulic jacks 8, 9 of great length, carried by the bench 1, are further provided for moving the folding devices in successive stages along the rail 7, respectively one side and the other of the support clamp 2, the rods 10, 11 of these two jacks 8, 9, which are respectively integral with the folding devices 3 and 4, extend in opposite directions in a horizontal direction. The admission and evacuation of the working fluid into and out of the cylinders of the two jacks is done through conduits 14, 15 connected, by means of a relay 16, to a hydraulic unit not shown.

On observera encore sur la figure 1 que chacun des dispositifs de pliage 3 ou 4 porte, sur une face plane verticale, deux mâchoires 17, 18 montées de part et d'autre de l'axe de rotation X de la pince-support 2, la mâchoire supérieure 17 pouvant être éloignée de la mâchoire inférieure 18 au moyen d'un vérin hydraulique 19 visible sur la figure 2, qui représente en coupe, l'un des dispositifs de pliage 3 ou 4.It will also be observed in FIG. 1 that each of the folding devices 3 or 4 carries, on a vertical flat face, two jaws 17, 18 mounted on either side of the axis of rotation X of the support clamp 2, the upper jaw 17 being able to be moved away from the lower jaw 18 by means of a hydraulic jack 19 visible in FIG. 2, which represents in section, one of the folding devices 3 or 4.

Comme on peut le voir sur cette figure, l'organe essentiel de ce dispositif de pliage est constitué par un doigt de pliage 20 faisant saillie sur la face frontale 21 d'une tête de support 22 montée à rotation autour de son axe de symétrie Y et, par l'intermédiaire de deux roulements 24, 25, dans le bâti 23, l'axe de rotation Y de la tête de support 22 étant horizontal et perpendiculaire à l'axe de rotation X de la pince-support 2. En outre, le doigt de pliage 20 est excentré par rapport à cet axe de rotation Y, comme cela ressort clairement de la figure 4 qui montre aussi que les deux mâchoires 17, 18, dont il a été question plus haut, sont portées par la face frontale 21 de la tête de support 22 en étant positionnées de telle façon que leurs becs 26, 27 s'arrêtent au droit de l'axe de rotation Y de cette dernière.As can be seen in this figure, the essential member of this folding device is constituted by a folding finger 20 projecting from the front face 21 of a support head 22 rotatably mounted about its axis of symmetry Y and, by means of two bearings 24, 25, in the frame 23, l ' axis of rotation Y of the support head 22 being horizontal and perpendicular to the axis of rotation X of the support clamp 2. In addition, the folding finger 20 is eccentric with respect to this axis of rotation Y, as can be seen clearly from Figure 4 which also shows that the two jaws 17, 18, which have been discussed above, are carried by the front face 21 of the support head 22 while being positioned so that their beaks 26, 27 s 'stop at the right of the axis of rotation Y of the latter.

La tête de support 22 peut être animée d'un mouvement de rotation angulaire sous l'action d'un premier mécanisme d'entraînement 28 logé dans une cavité intérieure 29 du bâti 23.The support head 22 can be driven in an angular rotational movement under the action of a first drive mechanism 28 housed in an interior cavity 29 of the frame 23.

En se reportant simultanément aux figures 2 et 3, on peut voir que ce premier mécanisme d'entraînement 28 comprend une chaîne sans fin 30, de préférence une chaîne silencieuse, qui s'enroule autour de deux roues dentées 31, 32, dont l'une 31 est fixée coaxialement autour de la tête de support 22 et l'autre 32 est portée par un arbre fou 33 maintenu à rotation dans le bâti 23 autour d'un axe parallèle à celui Y de la tête de support. L'un des deux brins de la chaîne sans fin 30 est relié par un maillon de raccordement 34 à l'extrémité de la tige 35 d'un vérin hydraulique 36 fixé sur la face inférieure du bâti 23. L'extrémité libre de la tige de vérin 35 est en outre montée à coulissement par l'intermédiaire d'une douille à billes 37, le long d'un rail cylindrique 38 parallèle aux brins de la chaîne 30 et fixé par ses extrémités au bâti 23.Referring simultaneously to Figures 2 and 3, it can be seen that this first drive mechanism 28 comprises an endless chain 30, preferably a silent chain, which is wound around two toothed wheels 31, 32, the one 31 is fixed coaxially around the support head 22 and the other 32 is carried by a loose shaft 33 held in rotation in the frame 23 about an axis parallel to that Y of the support head. One of the two strands of the endless chain 30 is connected by a connecting link 34 to the end of the rod 35 of a hydraulic cylinder 36 fixed on the underside of the frame 23. The free end of the rod the jack 35 is also slidably mounted by means of a ball bushing 37, along a cylindrical rail 38 parallel to the strands of the chain 30 and fixed by its ends to the frame 23.

On comprendra que, dans ce mécanisme, la chaîne sans fin 30, entraînée dans un sens ou dans l'autre par le vérin 36, fait tourner la tête de support 22 d'un angle déterminé par la course de la tige de vérin, cette rotation angulaire étant transmise au doigt de pliage 20 qui décrit un arc de cercle de même angle au centre, autour de l'axe Y.It will be understood that, in this mechanism, the endless chain 30, driven in one direction or the other by the jack 36, rotates the support head 22 by an angle determined by the stroke of the jack rod, this angular rotation being transmitted to the folding finger 20 which describes an arc of a circle with the same angle in the center, around the axis Y.

Dès lors, si un tronçon de fil F ou de tout autre matériau allongé à cambrer est positionné sur l'axe X, en étant immobilisé, d'une part, à l'intérieur de la pince-support 2 et, d'autre part, entre les deux mâchoires 17 et 18 en position fermée, le doigt 20, placé en contact latéral avec le fil, pliera ce dernier autour du bec 26 ou 27 de l'une des mâchoires, sur un angle fonction de l'amplitude de sa rotation angulaire, tel que représenté en traits mixtes sur la figure 4.Consequently, if a section of wire F or of any other elongated material to be arched is positioned on the axis X, while being immobilized, on the one hand, inside the support clamp 2 and, on the other hand , between the two jaws 17 and 18 in the closed position, the finger 20, placed in lateral contact with the wire, will bend the latter around the beak 26 or 27 of one of the jaws, at an angle depending on the amplitude of its angular rotation, as shown in phantom in Figure 4.

. Il est à noter qu'en vue de ce pliage, le doigt 20 et les becs 26 et 27 des deux mâchoires 17 et 18 sont pourvus chacun d'une gorge destinée à recevoir le fil F, ces gorges ayant la forme d'un V pour être adaptées à tous les diamètres de fil.. It should be noted that in view of this folding, the finger 20 and the spouts 26 and 27 of the two jaws 17 and 18 are each provided with a groove intended to receive the wire F, these grooves having the shape of a V to be adapted to all wire diameters.

En se reportant à la figure 2, on peut voir que le doigt de pliage 20 est monté à coulissement dans la tête de support 22 et qu'il est en outre associé à un deuxième mécanisme d'entraînement 39 apte à lui imprimer un mouvement de va-et-vient le long d'un axe Z parallèle à l'axe de rotation Y de la tête de support 22.Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the folding finger 20 is slidably mounted in the support head 22 and that it is also associated with a second drive mechanism 39 capable of imparting to it a movement of back and forth along an axis Z parallel to the axis of rotation Y of the support head 22.

Ce deuxième mécanisme d'entraînement 39 comprend plus précisément un vérin pneumatique 40 fixé extérieurement sur la paroi arrière 41 du bâti 23, dans laquelle est pratiquée une ouverture 42 traversée par la tige 43 du vérin. La tige de vérin 43 traverse à coulissement libre la tête de support 22, le long de l'axe Y et, à son extrémité libre, débouche dans une cavité intérieure 44 de la tête de support où elle est reliée au doigt de pliage 20 par une liaison tournante 45. Grâce à cette liaison, le doigt 20 peut être mû en rotation autour de l'axe Y tout en pouvant être déplacé en translation par la tige de vérin 43, quelle que soit sa position angulaire. De la sorte, après avoir réalisé un pliage, le doigt 20 peut être rétracté pour être ensuite placé de l'autre côté du fil en vue de pratiquer sur celui-ci un pliage en sens inverse, après un déplacement du dispositif de pliage par rapport au fil.This second drive mechanism 39 more specifically comprises a pneumatic cylinder 40 externally fixed on the rear wall 41 of the frame 23, in which an opening 42 is made through which the rod 43 of the cylinder is formed. The cylinder rod 43 passes freely through the support head 22, along the axis Y and, at its free end, opens into an interior cavity 44 of the support head where it is connected to the folding finger 20 by a rotary link 45. Thanks to this link, the finger 20 can be rotated about the axis Y while being able to be moved in translation by the jack rod 43, whatever its angular position. In this way, after having made a folding, the finger 20 can be retracted to then be placed on the other side of the wire in order to practice on it folding in the opposite direction, after a displacement of the folding device relative over.

Il convient encore de noter, à l'examen de la figure2, que le vérin d'actionnement 19 de la mâchoire mobile 17 est fixé lui aussi sur la paroi arrière 41 du bâti 23 et que sa tige 46, qui s'étend le long de la paroi supérieure 47 de ce dernier, est reliée à ladite mâchoire mobile 17 par une liaison articulée non représentée.It should also be noted, on examining FIG. 2, that the actuating cylinder 19 of the movable jaw 17 is also fixed on the rear wall 41 of the frame 23 and that its rod 46, which extends along of the upper wall 47 of the latter, is connected to said movable jaw 17 by an articulated connection not shown.

On ajoutera encore que les trois vérins 19, 36 et 40, dont il vient d'être question, sont mis en action au moyen d'un fluide de travail provenant d'une centrale d'alimentation au travers du relais 16 et acheminé par des conduits flexibles 19a maintenus à l'intérieur de gouttières recourbées 19b qui sont formées par plusieurs éléments en U 19c articulés bout à bout, de manière à pouvoir suivre le mouvement des deux dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4 (voir figure 1).It will also be added that the three jacks 19, 36 and 40, which have just been mentioned, are put into action by means of a working fluid coming from a power station through the relay 16 and conveyed by flexible conduits 19a held inside curved gutters 19b which are formed by several U-shaped elements 19c hinged end to end, so as to be able to follow the movement of the two folding devices 3 and 4 (see FIG. 1).

On va maintenant se reporter aux figures 5 et 6 pour décrire la pince-support 2.We will now refer to FIGS. 5 and 6 to describe the support clamp 2.

Comme on peut le voir sur la figure 5, le bras de support 48 de cette pince est fixé sur le banc 1 de la machine et la pince en elle-même est constituée par un disque circulaire 49, pourvu d'une fente radiale 50 s'ouvrant sur sa périphérie, ce disque étant monté à rotation dans un plan vertical et autour de l'axe X visible sur la figure 1, à l'intérieur d'un prolongement 51 du bras de support 48. Le disque 50 est plus précisément retenu dans une glissière circulaire 52 portée par le bord d'un évidement de forme correspondante ménagé dans le prolongement 51 dans la face frontale duquel est formée une encoche 53 sensiblement en V, qui communique avec la fente 50 du disque 49, lorsque celui-ci est dans sa position de repos représentée sur les figures 5 et 6.As can be seen in Figure 5, the support arm 48 of this clamp is fixed to the bench 1 of the machine and the clamp itself is constituted by a circular disc 49, provided with a radial slot 50 s opening on its periphery, this disk being mounted for rotation in a vertical plane and around the axis X visible in FIG. 1, inside an extension 51 of the support arm 48. The disk 50 is more precisely retained in a circular slide 52 carried by the edge of a recess of corresponding shape formed in the extension 51 in the front face of which is formed a notch 53 substantially in V, which communicates with the slot 50 of the disc 49, when the latter is in its rest position shown in Figures 5 and 6.

La figure 6 montre que le disque 49 porte sur sa périphérie une couronne dentée en oblique 54 qui engrène avec une denture complémentaire formée sur un manchon 56, lui-même fixé autour d'un arbre 57 monté à rotation dans une position oblique de tangence avec la couronne dentée 54, à l'intérieur d'un logement cylindrique 58 aménagé dans le bras de support 48. A l'une de ses extrémités, l'arbre 57 est accouplé en 59 à un moteur électrique 60 porté par le bras 48 tandis que son autre extrémité 61 est retenue à rotation dans un palier 62 solidaire de la paroi du logement 58. A proximité du moteur 60, l'arbre 57 est en outre retenu à l'intérieur d'un roulement 63.FIG. 6 shows that the disc 49 carries on its periphery an oblique toothed crown 54 which meshes with a complementary toothing formed on a sleeve 56, itself fixed around a shaft 57 rotatably mounted in an oblique position of tangency with the ring gear 54, inside a cylindrical housing 58 arranged in the support arm 48. At one of its ends, the shaft 57 is coupled at 59 to a electric motor 60 carried by the arm 48 while its other end 61 is rotatably retained in a bearing 62 integral with the wall of the housing 58. Near the motor 60, the shaft 57 is also retained inside a bearing 63.

Grâce à ces dispositions, on comprendra que le disque 49 peut être placé dans n'importe quelle position angulaire sous l'action du moteur 60 qui agit sur la couronne dentée 4, par l'intermédiaire du manchon denté 56 de l'arbre 57.Thanks to these arrangements, it will be understood that the disc 49 can be placed in any angular position under the action of the motor 60 which acts on the toothed ring 4, by means of the toothed sleeve 56 of the shaft 57.

Sur la figure 6, on peut encore voir que le disque 49 renferme deux taquets de serrage 64, 65 qui font légèrement saillie l'un en face de l'autre, au centre du disque, sur les deux bords de la fente 50. L'un de ces taquets 65 est fixe tandis que l'autre 64 est monté mobile à l'intérieur d'une cavité intérieure 66 du disque, un ressort 67 étant interposé entre le fond de cette cavité 66 et le taquet mobile 64. En outre, ce dernier est solidaire d'une tige 68 qui coulisse étroitement dans un alésage 69 s'étendant parallèlement à la direction de déplacement du taquet mobile 64, cet alésage débouchant en 70 sur la périphérie du disque 49.In FIG. 6, it can still be seen that the disc 49 contains two clamping lugs 64, 65 which project slightly opposite one another, in the center of the disc, on the two edges of the slot 50. L 'one of these tabs 65 is fixed while the other 64 is movably mounted inside an interior cavity 66 of the disc, a spring 67 being interposed between the bottom of this cavity 66 and the movable cleat 64. Furthermore , the latter is integral with a rod 68 which slides tightly in a bore 69 extending parallel to the direction of movement of the movable cleat 64, this bore opening at 70 on the periphery of the disc 49.

Par ailleurs, sur le bord inférieur du prolongement 51 du bras de support 48, est monté un vérin hydraulique 71 dont la tige 72 peut coulisser à l'intérieur dudit prolongement 51 pour venir dans l'alignement de l'alésage 69 et pénétrer à l'intérieur de ce dernier, lorsque le disque 49 est dans sa position de repos représentée sur la figure 6.Furthermore, on the lower edge of the extension 51 of the support arm 48, is mounted a hydraulic cylinder 71 whose rod 72 can slide inside said extension 51 to come into alignment with the bore 69 and penetrate the inside the latter, when the disc 49 is in its rest position shown in FIG. 6.

On comprendra dès lors que, dans cette position du disque, on peut mettre en action le vérin 71 pour que sa tige 72 pousse vers le haut la tige 68 en éloignant ainsi le taquet mobile 64 du taquet fixe 65, à l'encontre de la force du ressort 67, le déplacement du taquet mobile étant limité par une butée 73.It will therefore be understood that, in this position of the disc, the actuator 71 can be actuated so that its rod 72 pushes the rod 68 upwards, thereby moving the movable cleat 64 away from the fixed cleat 65, against the force of the spring 67, the displacement of the movable cleat being limited by a stop 73.

On peut ainsi introduire entre les taquets 64 et 65, au travers de l'encoche 53 du prolongement 51 et de la fente 50 du disque 49, un tronçon de fil F ou de tout autre élément métallique allongé à cambrer. Lorsqu'il est complètement poussé au fond de la fente 50, et s'il est en même temps introduit entre les deux mâchoires 17 et 18 de chacun des dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4, le tronçon de fil F se trouve ainsi positionné sur l'axe X. On peut alors désactiver le vérin 71, pour que le taquet mobile 64 ramené contre le taquet fixe 65 par le ressort 67, immobilise le fil F dans cette position.It is thus possible to introduce between the tabs 64 and 65, through the notch 53 of the extension 51 and the slot 50 of the disc 49, a section of wire F or any other elongated metal element to be bent. When it is completely pushed to the bottom of the slot 50, and if it is simultaneously introduced between the two jaws 17 and 18 of each of the folding devices 3 and 4, the section of wire F is thus positioned on the X axis. We can then deactivate the jack 71, so that the movable cleat 64 brought back against the fixed cleat 65 by the spring 67, immobilizes the wire F in this position.

Par suite, le moteur 60, en faisant tourner le disque 49 autour de l'axe X, permet d'orienter le fil F dans n'importe quelle position angulaire par rapport aux doigts de pliage 20 des deux dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4 et donc de fixer la direction de pliage autour de l'axe X à chaque arrêt des dispositifs de pliage le long du rail 7.As a result, the motor 60, by rotating the disc 49 around the axis X, makes it possible to orient the wire F in any angular position relative to the folding fingers 20 of the two folding devices 3 and 4 and therefore to fix the folding direction around the X axis at each stop of the folding devices along the rail 7.

Les différents vérins 8, 9, 19, 36, 40 et 71 de la machine à cambrer selon l'invention sont alimentés en fluide de travail, sous la commande d'un pupitre de commande numérique qui régit également le fonctionnement du moteur 60 assurant la mise en rotation de la pince 2.The various jacks 8, 9, 19, 36, 40 and 71 of the cambering machine according to the invention are supplied with working fluid, under the control of a digital console which also governs the operation of the motor 60 ensuring the rotation of the clamp 2.

Le pupitre de commande numérique renferme un appareil de lecture dans lequel peut être introduite une cassette à bande magnétique sur laquelle un programme est pré-enregistré sous la forme d'une succession d'instructions numériques qui régissent et synchronisent les fonctionnements des différents organes mobiles de la machine en fonction du type d'article en fil plié que l'on souhaite réaliser.The digital control panel contains a playback device into which a magnetic tape cassette can be inserted, on which a program is pre-recorded in the form of a succession of digital instructions which govern and synchronize the operations of the various moving parts of the machine depending on the type of folded wire article you want to make.

Plus précisément, ces instructions sont relatives, pour chaque cycle de pliage, à la vitesse et à l'angle de rotation du doigt de pliage 20 autour de l'axe Y et de la pince 2 autour de l'axe X, au mouvement de va-et-vient du doigt de pliage 20, à l'amplitude du déplacement des deux dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4 et à l'instant d'ouverture de la mâchoire 17 de ces derniers.More precisely, these instructions relate, for each folding cycle, to the speed and the angle of rotation of the folding finger 20 around the Y axis and of the clamp 2 around the X axis, to the movement of back and forth of the folding finger 20, at the amplitude of movement of the two folding devices 3 and 4 and at the instant of opening of the jaw 17 of the latter.

Le programme permet en outre une recherche automatique des origines des différents mouvements de la machine à cambrer et la gestion des pannes.The program also makes it possible to automatically search for the origins of the various movements of the bending machine and to manage faults.

On comprendra que cette commande numérique programmable permet d'augmenter considérablement la rentabilité dans le cas d'une fabrication moyenne ou petite série, puisqu'un changement du type de fabrication ne nécessite qu'un remplacement d'une cassette-programme par une autre. Le programme d'un article peut en outre être visualisé sur un écran vidéo standard sous la forme d'un tableau et l'opérateur a la possibilité de modifier un quelconque paramètre du tableau par le curseur de l'écran vidéo.It will be understood that this programmable digital control makes it possible to considerably increase the profitability in the case of a medium or small series production, since a change in the type of production requires only one replacement of one program cassette by another. The program of an article can also be viewed on a standard video screen in the form of a table and the operator has the possibility of modifying any parameter of the table by the cursor of the video screen.

Il convient aussi d'insister sur la vitesse de travail particulièrement élevée dont est dotée la machine à cambrer selon l'invention. A titre d'illustration, on peut mentionner que la vitesse de rotation du doigt de pliage autour de l'axe Y peut atteindre 277 t/mn et que la vitesse d'avance des dispositifs de pliage 3 et 4 peut aller jusqu'à 1 m/s.It is also appropriate to emphasize the particularly high working speed with which the cambering machine according to the invention is endowed. By way of illustration, it can be mentioned that the speed of rotation of the folding finger around the Y axis can reach 277 rpm and that the speed of advance of the folding devices 3 and 4 can go up to 1 m / s.

On fera encore observer que la machine à cambrer selon l'invention est d'une très grande précision puisque le doigt de pliage 20 peut subir une rotation angulaire minimum de 0,04° autour de l'axe de rotation Y de la tête de support 22, ce qui lui permet de réaliser des pliages, selon des courbes non polygonales et notamment selon des arcs de cercles. En outre, la précision d'avance des dispositifs de pliage 3, 4 est de ± 0,05 mm et celle de la rotation angulaire de la pince 2 est de ± 0,24°.It will also be observed that the cambering machine according to the invention is of very high precision since the folding finger 20 can undergo a minimum angular rotation of 0.04 ° around the axis of rotation Y of the support head. 22, which allows it to make folds, according to non-polygonal curves and in particular according to arcs of circles. In addition, the advance precision of the folding devices 3, 4 is ± 0.05 mm and that of the angular rotation of the clamp 2 is ± 0.24 °.

La machine à cambrer selon l'invention présente en outre l'avantage d'autoriser une cadence élevée de production étant donné qu'elle est équipée de deux dispositifs de pliage qui opèrent simultanément de part et d'autre de la pince. Il est à noter ici que les deux dispositifs de pliage peuvent produire des configurations spatiales de pliage différentes puisqu'ils peuvent être programmés individuellement.The cambering machine according to the invention also has the advantage of allowing a high production rate since it is equipped with two folding devices which operate simultaneously on either side of the clamp. It should be noted here that the two folding devices can produce different folding spatial configurations since they can be programmed individually.

Enfin, parmi les autres avantages de la machine à cambrer selon l'invention, on peut encore citer sa très grande souplesse d'utilisation. En effet, elle peut aussi bien plier des fils métalliques dont le diamètre peut atteindre 8 mm que des feuillards ou rubans métalliques. La machine selon l'invention peut même réaliser des tubes coudés, plus particulièrement grâce à la très grande précision du deuxième mécanisme d'entraînement 39 du doigt de pliage 20 qui permet un cambrage en arc de cercle par touches successives rapprochées.Finally, among the other advantages of the cambering machine according to the invention, one can also cite its very great flexibility of use. Indeed, it can bend metal wires whose diameter can reach 8 mm as well as metal strips or ribbons. The machine according to the invention can even produce bent tubes, more particularly thanks to the very high precision of the second drive mechanism 39 of the folding finger 20 which allows bending in an arc by successive close keys.

Claims (13)

1. A machine for curving thin and rectilinear lengths of metal elements, such as wires, strips, tubes or the like, said machine comprising positioning means for holding a length (F) of metal element to be bent on a first axis (X), and at least one bending member (20) which cooperates with a counter-bending part (26, 27) placed on said first axis (X) and which, on the one hand, may be driven by means of a first drive mechanism (28), with an angular rotation movement about a second axis (Y) perpendicular to the first axis (X) and aligned with said counter-bending part (26, 27) and, on the other hand, may be moved, by means of a second drive means (39), with a reciprocal movement along a third axis (Z) parallel to said second axis (Y), said bending member (20) being further movable jointly with the counter-bending part in a direction parallel to said first axis (X), said positioning means comprising a nipper (2) which is used for immobilizing on said first axis (X) the length (F) of metal element to be bent and which is furthermore coupled with a third drive mechanism (54, 56, 57, 60) for imparting to said nipper an angular rotation movement about said first axis, characterized in that said positioning mechanism also comprises a pair of jaws (17, 18) movable jointly with the bending member (20), at least one (17) of which can be laterally moved away from the other jaw (18), by means of an actuating mechanism, upon movement of the bending member (20) along the first axis (X), and the noses (26, 27) of these jaws constitute said counter-bending part.
2. A curving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two bending members (20) each associated with a counter-bending part (26, 27) and disposed on each side of said nipper (2).
3. A curving machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said nipper (2) consists in a disk (49) having a radial slit (50) opening at the periphery of the disk and mounted for rotation, about the center of the disk, on a support arm (48) fixed to the machine frame (1), said disk (49) further comprising means for clamping the length of metal element to be bent.
4. A curving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the clamping means are blocks (64, 65) projecting from the edges of the slit (50), one opposite the other, in the center of the disk, at least one (64) of said blocks being mobile and movable against the action of a resilient element urging said one block towards the other block (65).
5. A curving machine according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises means for moving said mobile block (64), said moving means being composed of an actuating cylinder (71) having a rod (72) which, in a determined angular position of said disk (49), comes into alignment with a bore (69) of the disk, open at the periphery thereof and in which slides a rod (68) fixed to said mobile block.
6. A curving machine according to anyone of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said third drive mechanism for rotating the disk (49) comprises a motor (60) coupled to a shaft (57) having on a part at least of this length, teeth meshing with a toothed ring (54) carried by the periphery of said disk (49) and tangent to said shaft (57).
7. A curving machine according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each bending member (20) is a bending finger mounted for sliding along said third axis (Z) in a support head (22) which has an axis of symmetry forming said second axis (Y) and which is held for rotation about said second axis inside a frame (23) movable along a rail (7) parallel to said first axis (X).
8. A curving machine according to claim 7, characterized in that said first drive mechanism (28) for moving said bending finger (20), comprises an endless chain (30) extending parallel to said first axis (X) about two toothed wheels (31, 32), one (31) of said toothed wheels being fixed coaxially about said support head (22) and the other toothed wheel (32) being supported by an idle shaft (33) mounted for free rotation in the frame (23), parallel to the axis of rotation (Y) of said support head, said endless chain (30) having one side connected to the free end of the rod (35) of an actuating cylinder (36) which is arranged parallel thereto.
9. A curving machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the endless chain (30) is a silent chain.
10. A curving machine according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the free end of the rod (35) of cylinder (36) is mounted for sliding along a guide rail (38) parallel to said rod (35).
11. A curving machine according to anyone of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that said second drive mechanism (39) for moving the bending finger (20) comprises an actuating cylinder (40) which is fixed to said frame (23) and the rod (43) of which passes in free sliding relation through said support head (22) along the rotation axis (Y) thereof, the free end of this rod (43) being connected to said bending finger (20) by a rotary lateral connection (45).
12. A curving machine according to anyone of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said mobile jaws (17) is connected by a hinged connection to the rod (46) of an actuating cylinder (19).
13. A curving machine according to anyone of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the different drive mechanisms (28, 39, 60) as well as the system for controlling the movement of the bending members and the cylinder (19) for operating the jaw are actuated in synchronism through a programmable digital control.
EP84402196A 1983-11-02 1984-10-31 Automatic machine for bending thin and rectilinear elements, especially metal wire, into a spatial configuration Expired EP0141745B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT84402196T ATE43803T1 (en) 1983-11-02 1984-10-31 AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR BENDING IN A SPATIAL CONFIGURATION FINE AND STRAIGHT ELEMENTS, ESPECIALLY METAL WIRE.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8317379A FR2554021B1 (en) 1983-11-02 1983-11-02 IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR CAMBERING ACCORDING TO A SPECIAL CONFIGURATION OF THIN AND STRAIGHT ELEMENTS, ESPECIALLY METAL WIRES
FR8317379 1983-11-02

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0141745A1 EP0141745A1 (en) 1985-05-15
EP0141745B1 true EP0141745B1 (en) 1989-06-07

Family

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP84402196A Expired EP0141745B1 (en) 1983-11-02 1984-10-31 Automatic machine for bending thin and rectilinear elements, especially metal wire, into a spatial configuration

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US4655069A (en)
EP (1) EP0141745B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS61500257A (en)
AT (1) ATE43803T1 (en)
CA (1) CA1252030A (en)
DE (1) DE3478582D1 (en)
ES (1) ES537629A0 (en)
FR (1) FR2554021B1 (en)
PT (1) PT79443B (en)
WO (1) WO1985001898A1 (en)

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DE3825393C1 (en) * 1988-07-26 1989-08-03 Alpha Maschinenbau Ag, Zuerich, Ch
JPH0565440U (en) * 1992-02-03 1993-08-31 安川商事株式会社 Wire bending equipment
GB9212878D0 (en) * 1992-06-17 1992-07-29 Tube Tooling Limited Pipe bending apparatus and method
JP3685526B2 (en) * 1995-07-14 2005-08-17 臼井国際産業株式会社 Pipe bending machine
FR2758281B1 (en) 1997-01-14 1999-04-02 Robolix Sa MACHINE FOR BENDING LOW DIAMETER TUBES, IN PARTICULAR LESS THAN 10MM, PRECUT AND PRESENTING CONNECTION SYSTEMS AT EACH OF THEIR ENDS, AND BENDING HEAD FOR SUCH A MACHINE
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CN112170741A (en) * 2020-09-14 2021-01-05 昆明铁新建设工程管理有限公司 Automatic hook bending machine for reinforcing mesh

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0141745A1 (en) 1985-05-15
ES8600616A1 (en) 1985-10-16
JPS61500257A (en) 1986-02-20
WO1985001898A1 (en) 1985-05-09
CA1252030A (en) 1989-04-04
US4655069A (en) 1987-04-07
FR2554021B1 (en) 1987-09-04
DE3478582D1 (en) 1989-07-13
PT79443B (en) 1986-08-08
PT79443A (en) 1984-12-01
FR2554021A1 (en) 1985-05-03
ES537629A0 (en) 1985-10-16
ATE43803T1 (en) 1989-06-15

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