EP0431418B1 - Apparatus for bending rod-shaped radially non-rotatable material - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for bending rod-shaped, radially non-rotatable material (8), the bending device (3, 4, 5) being arranged replaceably on a bending swivel arm (1) which can be rotated as desired about the longitudinal axis (X) of the material to be bent. The bending apparatus is driven via a hydraulic cylinder extending in the longitudinal axis of the bending swivel arm. The swivelling radius (r) of the bending swivel arm itself is approximately equal to the diameter of a bending roller (5) around which the material is bent. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for bending rod-shaped material, which is essentially non-rotatable about the longitudinal axis, according to the preamble of claim 1.

A corresponding device for bending ring material can be found in US-A-4,782,684. The material is unwound from a coil in order to be fed to the bending device after passing through a straightening station, which is arranged at the free end of a projecting bending swivel arm. The bending device comprises two stationary bending rollers, to which a crank roller is rotatable in order to bend the material to the desired extent. The cantilever bending arm itself can be pivoted clockwise and counterclockwise by a maximum of 360 °. To actuate the bending device, hydraulic fluid is guided in bores running in the longitudinal direction of the bending swivel arm, which in turn are connected to chambers which radially surround the bending swivel arm in a stationary part of the device and are connected to the bores. This stationary unit is located outside the swivel bearing, which could result in disadvantages not only in terms of dimensions but also in terms of production technology and therefore economy. Due to the dimensioning of the bending head receiving the bending device, it is not possible to 180 ° Bend bends with a short leg to a spatial shape, provided that the short leg is not a length of a multiple of the bending roll diameter. Measures to bend materials of different diameters are neither described nor recognizable, since the stationary bending rollers have a fixed, predetermined distance in relation to the longitudinal axis of the bending swivel arm. As a result, bending can only take place at the same distance between the axis bending roller and the axis bending material. This is understandable for the use of the device for bending only installation pipes. There are no recognizable ways to record and control the bending angle. A similar device, which has the same disadvantages, can be found in EP-A-0 281 488.

The present invention lies u. a. based on the problem of developing a device of the type described at the outset in such a way that the material can be bent into almost any spatial shape without difficulty, without the already bent material itself leading to a disability. It should also be possible to bend both different material and bending roll diameters with one and the same device. Finally, there should be the possibility of an exact detection and control of the bending angle without hindrance.

The problem is essentially solved according to the invention in that the bending roller, comprising the bending roller as a bending crank, can be rotated about the bending roller axis with the bending device designed to rotate about this bending roller, via a force transmission element which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the bending pivot arm and which interacts with an intermediate gear, one of which rotates Element forms a unit with the bending crank, that the bending crank is connected to the bending head interchangeably with the bending swivel arm, an element set in rotation by the force transmission element remaining as part of the intermediate gear on the bending swivel arm.

When using a toothed rack as the force transmission element, the piston rod itself is preferably one of the hydraulic cylinder pressurized. The power transmission element could also be a chain.

Through the teaching according to the invention, the bending crank causing the bending of the material is rotated with simple measures, whereby the intermediate gear ensures that when the toothed or piston rod is fully extended, it comes to rest with its free end in the region of the bending roller, so that consequently the drive does not result in an extension of the bending head, which limits the bending possibilities, and thus the cantilevered bending swivel arm. Furthermore, with the device according to the invention, one and the same bending swivel arm can be assigned different bending heads with different bending roller dimensions, so that materials of different diameters and / or material can be easily bent around bending rollers of different diameters.

According to the invention, there is a connection or disconnection between an unchangeable drive unit and a drive unit exchangeable bending unit without, for example, control, drive lines or the like having to be plugged or unplugged.

A unique solution can also be seen in the fact that the swivel radius of the bending swivel arm is approximately equal to the diameter of the bending roller plus that which is twice the diameter of the material.

The compact structural unit results in particular from the fact that the drive unit extends essentially along the axis of rotation x of the bending swivel arm and lies on the side of the bending arm facing away from the bending plane.

According to the invention, the cantilevered, overhung flexible swivel arm is consequently designed in its radial dimensions such that material can be bent into the bending plane, since the swivel radius of the flexible swivel arm and its end bending area itself is essentially only determined by the diameter of the bending roller.

The length of the cantilever arm also specifies the bending area in the bending plane in the direction of the pivot bearing at a maximum bending of 180 °. Consequently, surface and / or space bends can occur which can develop freely along and in front of the swivel arm without the pivoting of the bending swivel arm itself being hindered by curved material.

This in turn means that the swivel arm can be rotated by any angle about its longitudinal axis, so that consequently any position can also be defined as a zero position from which it can be bent and the swivel arm can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise. The device according to the invention consequently does not have the limitation in the pivoting movement known from the prior art.

The hydraulic cylinder is supplied via the radial encircling chambers embedded in the pivot bearing, which are open towards the bearing journal and sealed laterally with respect to it, with holes being provided in the bearing journal in the region of the chambers, which are connected to the hydraulic cylinder via e.g. Holes or lines are connected. Depending on the application of fluid to one of the chambers, the piston is moved in the cylinder, so that the fluid displaced by the piston movement can flow out on the chamber not supplied with fluid. The chambers preferably run between ball bearings, by means of which the bearing journal is supported with respect to the stand.

According to a further embodiment of the invention which enjoys independent protection, the fluid flow is used to control or detect the angular position of the bending roller or of a bending crank receiving it. For this purpose, an oil flow meter with an angle of rotation pulse generator is essentially used, which detects and displays the respective angular position of the bending crank in proportion to the flow rate of the fluid actuating the hydraulic cylinder. Since the quantity of measurement oil and the quantity of oil output are the same, the oil flow meter can be arranged in an oil supply line in which the drive output is transmitted simultaneously with control data. This makes it possible to keep the bending swivel arm free of rotating power or control lines, which otherwise lead to a hindrance and limit the swiveling movement.

The measure which enables the control or detection of the angular position of the bending roller is also to be used independently of the device according to the invention, so that the relevant development is to be given independent protection.

So that when bending material into the bending plane, namely in the area where the material is fed to the bending device, there is no obstruction by this, it is further provided that either the material to be bent partially runs in a recess of the bending swivel arm or to which a deflector is assigned, by means of which bent material is lifted over the unbent material. The distance between the longitudinal axis of the material and the plane is approximately a maximum of twice the maximum diameter of the material to be bent. These measures ensure that there is no permanent deformation of material when moving along the plane.

Further details, advantages and features of the invention result not only from the claims, the features to be extracted from them — individually and / or in combination — but also from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment that can be found in the drawing.

Fig. 1

eine Vorrichtung zum Richten, Biegen und Schneiden von Ringmaterial,

Fig. 2

die Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 in Draufsicht,

Fig. 3

einen Ausschnitt der Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 und 2 mit in der Biegeebene gebogenem Material,

Fig. 4

der Ausschnitt der Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 3 mit vorgeschobenem gebogenen Material,

Fig. 5

eine im wesentlichen um 90° gegenüber den Darstellungen 3 und 4 verschwenkte Biegeebene zum Biegen des gebogenen Materials aus der Biegeebene,

Fig. 6

Biegen von gebogenem Material in einer weiteren Biegeebene,

Fig. 7 bis 10

Vorderansichten der Biegevorrichtung mit jeweils um 90° zueinander gedrehten Biegeebenen,

Fig. 11

ein Antriebsschema für die Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 und

Fig. 12

eine Schnittdarstellung entlang der Linie Y-Y in Fig. 1.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a device for straightening, bending and cutting ring material,

Fig. 2

1 in top view,

Fig. 3

1 and 2 with material bent in the bending plane,

Fig. 4

3 the section of the device according to FIG. 3 with the bent material advanced,

Fig. 5

a bending plane pivoted essentially by 90 ° with respect to the representations 3 and 4 for bending the bent material out of the bending plane,

Fig. 6

Bending of bent material in a further bending plane,

7 to 10

Front views of the bending device with each of the bending planes rotated by 90 °,

Fig. 11

a drive diagram for the device of FIG. 1 and

Fig. 12

2 shows a sectional illustration along the line YY in FIG. 1.

The teaching according to the invention will be described below with the aid of a device with which round material coming from a winding is to be bent. Of course, however, the teaching according to the invention is also intended for radially non-rotatable rod material or the like.

In Fig. 1, a device for straightening and bending ring material is shown purely schematically. The device comprises a stand or a swivel bearing housing (2) from which a flexible swivel arm (1) extends. The bending swivel arm (1) is designed as a cantilever arm, which is supported via a shaft end or pin (23) in a swivel bearing (32) via ball bearings (33).

That e.g. Basically round material (8) originating from a coil which is arranged on a ring material stand is straightened in a straightening system consisting of rollers, which can be arranged in the area of the reference number (7), from which the material passes through a central bore in the shaft stub ( 23) is guided into the region of the free end of the bending swivel arm (1), where a bending crank (3) composed of crank roller (4) and bending roller (5) is arranged. The latter can be pivoted around the center point of the bending roller (5) by a desired bending angle or bending crank angle (Z). The crank roller (4), through which the material (8) to be bent is bent around the bending roller (5), is pivoted synchronously.

The bending crank (3) is rotated via a crankshaft (29) of a bending drive, which comprises meshing gears of an intermediate gear and a toothed piston rod (22) acting thereon, which extends in a longitudinal direction of the bending swivel arm (1) extending hydraulic cylinder (34) in the manner described below is displaceable (see Fig. 11).

In order to prevent uncontrolled deflection of the material when pivoting the bending crank (3) for bending the material (8), a counter-holder (6) is arranged on the bending pivot arm (1), which protrudes from the bending plane (H). This bending plane (H) is predetermined by a surface of the bending swivel arm (1), into which material (8) to be bent runs and from which the crank roller (4) and the bending roller (5) protrude.

The projecting bending swivel arm (1) can be rotated about the longitudinal axis (X) of the material (8). To this end, swivel gearwheels (27) mesh with one another, one of which stems from the shaft end (23) and the other from a swivel drive (9) which is fastened to the stator housing (2).

The projecting bending swivel arm (1) is now dimensioned such that its swiveling radius (r) is approximately equal to the diameter of the bending roller (5) plus twice the diameter of the material (8). This results in the possibility of carrying out room bends without the bending swivel arm (1) leading to an obstruction (see also FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6).

So that the material which is not yet bent in the bending plane (H) by more than 180 ° is not hindered by the bending crank (3), this material can either be guided in a recess or recess in the bending arm (1) and / or the bent material can be lifted over the unbent material (8) by means of a deflector (30). This clarifies the detailed representation according to FIG. 12.

The distance (q) between the material axis and the flat surface (13) of the bending arm (1), which preferably has the shape of a half cylinder, along which curved material can be moved, should be at most twice the diameter of the Of rod material (8) to prevent permanent deformation.

The cantilevered swivel arm (1) is rotated about its longitudinal axis (X) by the intermeshing swivel gearwheels (27), which coincides with that of the directional material (8) to be bent. A pivoting of the bending crank (3) and thus the crank roller (4) around the bending roller (5) takes place by means of the hydraulic cylinder (34) and the piston which can be displaced therein.

In order to act upon the cylinder chambers (20) and (21) separated from the piston stage to the desired extent with fluid, in particular oil, which causes the translational movement of the externally toothed piston rod (22), which meshes with the bending crank (3) Interacting gears (40), (41) and (42) existing gears, lines (36) and (37) lead to the pin (23) to open into fluid chambers (18), (19) which radially circumferentially in the pivot bearing (32) recessed and laterally sealed with sealing rings (16), (17). Fluid is supplied or discharged to these chambers (18), (19) via lines (a) and (b), the conveying being carried out by means of a pump unit (26) in order, according to the illustration in FIG. 11, for the hydraulic control to comprise a pressure line (p) to supply a return line (t) and a hydraulic switching valve system (28). Via the latter, the fluid line (a) or the fluid line (b) is optionally pressurized in order to supply either the cylinder space (21) or the cylinder space (20) with the fluid, as a result of which the piston rod (22) moves, the maximum of which Stroke w is. This ensures that at maximum stroke the free end of the piston rod (22) does not protrude beyond the bending roller (5), so that consequently the space bending process cannot be impaired.

The piston rod (22) extending in the longitudinal direction of the bending swivel arm (1) with the hydraulic cylinder (34) receiving it is dimensioned such that no parts have the swivel radius (r) protrude outwards, so that the bending process or the bent material cannot be hindered as a result.

The exchangeable bending crank (3) can be regarded as a further characteristic feature of the invention. Since there is inevitably a change in dimension V, i.e. the distance of the material axis X from the axis of rotation of the bending roller (5) and the positions of the crank roller (4) and the counter-holder (6), with different material diameters and / or bending roller diameters, the invention proposes that this unit consisting of a bending crank (3) and counter-holder (6) is designed to be replaceable as a bending head (14).

The line (k) illustrates a cutting line that indicates the dividing line between the bending head (14) and the bending swivel arm (1). The intersection line (k) runs between the toothed wheel (40) meshing with the toothed rack (22), which remains on the bending arm (1), and the toothed wheel (42) meshing with the toothed wheel (42) forming a rigid unit with the crankshaft (29) (41). The interface separates the drive unit from the bending head (14), so that lines pressurized with pressure medium and control lines or the like. do not need to be separated.

In order to be able to bend materials of different diameters and / or bending radii, it is only necessary for the axis of rotation of the bending roller (5) and thus of the crankshaft (29) and thus of the gearwheel (42) to be offset with respect to the longitudinal axis (x) and / or the bending roller is replaced by one with a different diameter. Depending on the change in the position of the gearwheel (42) or its diameter, a change in the gearwheel (41) must of course also take place, so that when a new bending head (14) is connected to the bending swivel arm (1) an adaptation to the gearwheel ( 40) is guaranteed.

Fig. 11 illustrates once again that the rack (22) located at the top in the exemplary embodiment meshes along the path (w) with the gear (40) located below, as a result of which the Bending crank (3) to the extent necessary about the axis of the gear (42) or the crankshaft (29) and thus about the bending roller (5) can be pivoted. When the rack (22) is extended, the front end lies in the area of the crank (5), and consequently does not protrude from the front thereof, so that the bending process by the rack (22) is not obstructed on the end side.

The intermediate gear consisting of the gear wheels (40), (41) and (42) in the exemplary embodiment can of course also comprise other transmission means and / or a different number of gear wheels. The decisive factor, however, is that the force transmission takes place via an element remaining in the flexible swivel arm (1) with the linear drive arranged in the flexible swivel arm (1), in order to be able to transmit a rotary movement to the removable bending head (14).

11 shows a further feature to be emphasized. The fluid is supplied to the annular chambers (18) and (19) and thus to the lines (36), (37) connected to the cylinder (34) via the oil line (b) in which an oil flow meter (24) is arranged, which in turn actuates an angle encoder (25). Consequently, depending on the flow rate, the respective angular position (z) of the bending crank (3) can be read on the angle transmitter (25) or on a display device controlled by it.

The construction of the device according to the invention opens up the possibility that the bending swivel arm (1) can assume any position with respect to its axis of rotation (x). This clearly shows the advantage that the material to be bent can be bent in any spatial direction, depending on the position of the bending plane. As an example, FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show four different positions of the bending plane, the bending direction, which is predetermined by the pivoting of the crank roller (4) around the bending roller (5), being identified by the reference symbol (10).

3, 4, 5 and 6, bending processes are also illustrated.

In Fig. 3, the material (8) has been bent by pivoting the crank roller around the bending roller (5) by 180 ° in the bending plane (H), so that the bent leg runs parallel to the unbent material (8). In order to make a further bend, the material is first shifted to the right in the drawing, as can be seen in FIG. 4. Before that, of course, the bending crank is pivoted back into the starting position, as is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In order to then bend the material by 90 ° to the plane spanned by the curved U, the bending swivel arm (1) is rotated by 90 ° to the plane (H) as shown in FIG. 5, wherein in the solid representation the material is bent out of the plane of the drawing and when the bending swivel arm (1) is pivoted into the plane of the drawing in accordance with the broken line, so that a shape is subsequently obtained in a side view which is to be indicated by FIG. 6.

The advantages resulting from the invention can consequently be clarified in particular by the bending sequences shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for bending rod-shaped material which is essentially non-rotatable about the longitudinal axis with a bending device comprising a bending roller (5) and a crank-type roller (4) as well as a back rest (6) for bending the material (8), said bending device being part of a bending head (14) of a pivoted bending arm (1) protruding from a stationary swivel bearing, said pivoted bending arm in turn being mounted in the swivel bearing via a journal bearing (23) having an axial bore for carrying the material through and being capable of pivoting about the longitudinal axis (x) of the material, whereby the material is capable of moving along a bending plane of the pivoted bending arm, the longitudinal axis of the material to be bent lying in said bending plane, and the bending device is preferably capable of being operated via a drive unit (22, 40, 41, 42) activated by pressure means, said drive unit being capable of being supplied with pressure means via bores or ducts (36, 37) running in the longitudinal direction of the pivoted bending arm, said bores or ducts being connected with circulating chambers (18, 19) in a stationary section of the device,
      characterised in that,
      the bending device in the form of a bending crank (3) comprising the bending roller (5) with the crank-type roller (4) which is rotatable about the latter, said bending device being rotatable about the bending-roller axis (29), is rotatable via a gear-train element (22) which is moveable in the longitudinal direction of the pivoted bending arm (1), said gear-train element interacting with an intermediate gearing (40, 41, 42), a rotatable element (42) of which forms a unit with the bending crank (3), the bending crank (3) with the bending head (14) is connected interchangeably with the pivoted bending arm (1), whereby an element (40) caused to rotate by the gear-train element remains on the pivoted bending arm as part of the intermediate gearing (40, 41, 42)
2. Apparatus according to claim 1,
      characterised in that,
      the gear-train element is designed as a toothed-bar rack (22) which is a piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder (34) operated by pressure means.
3. Apparatus according preferably to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that,
      the swivel radius (r) of the pivoted bending arm (1) is roughly equal to the diameter of the bending roller (5) plus twice the diameter of the material (8).
4. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that,
      it is possible to arrange bending heads on the bending arm which differ from one another with respect to the spacing (v) between the longitudinal axis of the material (x) and the axis of rotation of the bending roller (5), whereby each part of the intermediate gearing (40, 41) arranged on the bending head interacts with the element (42) as toothed wheel (42) capable of being caused to rotate by the gear-train element (22) as toothed-bar rack.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1,
      characterised in that,
      when the toothed-bar rack (22) is located in the outer end position the free end of said toothed-bar rack terminates within the dimensions of the bending roller (5).
6. Apparatus preferably according to at least one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that,
      regulation and/or recording of the angular position of the bending crank (3) is effected via a fluid flow meter (24) arranged in a line (b) leading to or coming from the chambers (18, 19) and supplying or conducting away power.
7. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that,
      the material to be bent (8) runs at least zonally in a recess of the pivoted bending arm (1), said pivoted bending arm exhibiting a free surface (13) with spacing (q) in relation to the axis of rotation (x).
8. Apparatus according at least to claim 1,
      characterised in that,
      the gear-train elements (22, 40, 41, 42) are arranged in relation to the axis of rotation (x) of the pivoted bending arm (1) essentially opposite the free surface (13) and along the axis of rotation (x) of the pivoted bending arm (1).
9. Apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that,
      the chambers (18, 19) connected with the bores (36, 37) for the pressure means are arranged in the swivel bearing (32) accommodating the journal bearing (23) of the pivoted bending arm (1) preferably between ball bearings (33) circulating axially.

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