Patent Application
20080210075
The instant application should be granted the priority date of 15 Nov. 2006, the filing date of the corresponding German patent application DE 20 2006 017 387.0.
The present invention relates to depth adjustment for a longitudinal slitting machine having a plurality of upper knives and lower knives that are associated with one another, whereby the blade or knife holders for the upper knives are provided with a housing that is supported on a continuous crosspiece, and a raising and lowering mechanism, disposed in the housing and actuated by pressure medium, for a knife head that is carried by the raising and lowering mechanism and supports a circular knife, whereby the raising and lowering mechanism includes a piston having a piston rod for the knife head, with the path of the circular knife into its cutting position being delimited by an abutment, and whereby a depth adjuster is provided for fixing the cutting position of the circular knife when the knife head is lowered.
DE 297 12 149 U1 discloses a longitudinal slitting machine having a knife holder for the upper knife. With this known knife holder, the raising and lowering mechanism is comprised of two parallel guide rods that are guided in a housing and on the lower free ends of which the knife head is secured, and the upper ends of which are connected to a common piston that can be supplied with a suitable medium, preferably compressed air, for carrying out the lowering movement of the knife head. With this knife holder, the depth adjuster is comprised of a threaded sleeve that is disposed between the guide rods and the position of which is adjustable by means a threaded adjustment spindle that is guided out of the lower housing. The piston is fixedly connected with an abutment element that during the lowering movement of the piston rests upon the threaded sleeve, which is a counter abutment, thereby forming a fixing of the cutting position of the circular knife in its overlap with the associated lower knife of the longitudinal slitting machine. For the reproducible setting of the piston stroke or displacement, the threaded sleeve is fixedly connected with a pointer with which is associated a scale of a vertical surface of the crosspiece.
The known design of the longitudinal slitting machine, i.e. the upper knife holder of which, has the drawback that the maintenance of a prescribed stroke or travel possible by the adjustment of the abutment for all knife holders entirely ignores the configuration of the longitudinal slitting machine as well as the conditions that occur at the circular knives that are used. For example, longitudinal slitting machines that are presently conventional have a large structural width with a corresponding longitudinal extension of their crosspiece, so that also due to the weight of the knife holders placed on the crosspiece and carried thereby, the central portion of the crosspiece can sag. Thus, those knife holders that might be disposed in a sagging portion of the crosspiece must, in order to set the same overlap depth with the lower knife, have a lesser travel than do the respectively outwardly disposed knife holders. Furthermore, over the service life of the circular knives that are used, re-sharpening can be effected several times, which results in a reduction in the diameter of the circular knife. Thus, the stroke or travel must be correspondingly increased to set the same overlap depth with the lower knife.
DE 41 30 799 A1 furthermore describes a longitudinal slitting machine that is equipped with electrically operating actuators and with which the raising and flowering mechanism operates with an electrical actuator. Disposed on the holder for the knife head is a sensor that continuously measures the distance to the upper edge of the cutting edge. If re-sharpened knives are used, the changed spacing is detected, and it is adjusted in connection with a separate control of the stroke or travel of the raising and lowering mechanism that is carried out with an electric motor.
It is an object of the present invention to embody a longitudinal slitting machine of the aforementioned general type in such a way that a depth adjustment or setting for the lowering movement of the knife head is provided in a simple to operate manner.
This object, and other objects and advantages of the present application, will appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
a is a side view of the setting tool pertaining to the knife holder of
The basic concept of the present application is the provision of a setting instrument for indicating the position of the cutting edges of the upper knife relative to the lower knife with reference to the true diameter of a new circular knife, wherein the depth adjuster can be positioned in conformity with the position value determined by the setting instrument, and that a sensor is provided that is aligned with the outer periphery of the upper knife, wherein during the alignment of the sensor with the knife edges, which alignment is effected by positioning of the depth adjuster and/or displacement of the sensor, the adjusting mechanism for a movement of the circular knife into its cutting position is fixed.
The present invention has the advantage that initially, with the aid of the setting instrument, the magnitude of the required lowering movement for bringing the respectively used circular knife into its cutting position is determined, and the depth setting is then adjusted in conformity with this thus determined magnitude in such a way that with a new circular blade that hence has a true or desired diameter, the knife head respectively moves into the pertaining cutting position. Pursuant to different embodiments of the invention, either subsequently or at the same time, a sensor that is aligned with the outer diameter of the circular knife is correspondingly adjusted, so that as the knife conditions subsequently change, for example a change of the knife diameter due to a re-sharpening or subsequent remounting of a new knife having a knife diameter that is larger than that of the previously used knife, by readjusting or realigning the sensor at the same time inherently also the depth setting is adapted to the changing knife conditions. In this way it is also advantageously possible in a simple manner to change the overlap depth by adjusting the depth setting by the amount of the overlap depth that is to be changed.
Pursuant to one exemplary embodiment of the present application, the setting instrument is embodied as a setting slide that is associated with the knife head in its raised position of rest and is extendable until it rests against the lower knife, wherein a path of extension of the setting slide that covers the distance of the cutting edge of a new circular knife from the lower knife can be made visible via an indicator means. This has the advantage that the depth setting is possible without an adjusting movement of the knife head relative to the lower knife, so that the setting of the depth adjuster can be undertaken when the knife holder is not being operated and is in its position of rest. In this connection, pursuant to alternate embodiments of the invention the setting slide can be a component of a setting tool that upon set-up of the longitudinal slitting machine is to be mounted on the knife head of each knife holder supported on the crosspiece, or a setting slide can be fixedly disposed on each of the knife holders supported on the crosspiece, on which setting slide can be relied upon during the set-up of the longitudinal slitting machine.
With regard to the design of the setting slide, pursuant to different embodiments of the invention the setting slide can be a slide that is longitudinally movable relative to the knife head, or the setting slide can be embodied as a slide that can be swung out relative to the knife head, or the setting slide can be embodied as a slide that is rotatable about the knife axis.
To the extent that the depth adjuster is inventively adapted to be positioned in conformity with the position value determined by the setting instrument, pursuant to one exemplary embodiment of the invention the setting slide is provided with a measuring mark that is movable relative to a fixed scale. In this way, the value for the positioning of the depth adjuster can be read off and transferred or merged into the positioning of the depth adjuster. Instead of reading off from a scale, pursuant to another embodiment of the invention it would also be possible to convert the path of extension of the setting slide in a measuring device and to make it visible by means of a numerical indicator, so that in conformity with the numerical value made visible by the indicator the depth adjuster can also be aligned.
To the extent of that the true diameter of a new circular knife is to be utilized as the adjustment basis, pursuant to one embodiment of the invention the starting position of the setting slide can be respectively adapted or conformed to the true diameter of a new circular knife.
In this connection, initially different setting slides can be provided for the adaptation to different circular knives having different true diameters that can be used on the knife holder, with these setting slides being respectively exchangeably adapted to be fixed on the knife head. With this embodiment, it is necessary to adapt the setting slides to the dimensions of the circular knives provided for use with the longitudinal slitting machine, so that here blade holders and possibly also different setting slides must be kept available for use on different longitudinal slitting machines.
Alternatively, pursuant to another embodiment of the invention, it would also be possible to fix the setting slide to the knife head and, for the adaptation to different circular knives that can be used on the knife holder and that have different true diameters, to provide scales that are adapted to the true knife diameters. This has the advantage that the individual knife holders can have respectively identical configurations independent of the dimensions of the circular knives that are to be used on the knife holder. However, this embodiment has the problem that the distance from the lower periphery of the circular knife that is respectively to be used to the lower knife is a function of the outer diameter of the pertaining circular knife. However, to the extent that the setting slide fixed to the blade head determines the distance to the lower knife independently of the dimensions of the circular knife, an adaptation of the thus determined distance to the respective knife diameter must be undertaken, which can be effected by the use of appropriately adapted scales.
For this purpose, pursuant to exemplary embodiments of the invention the different scales can be exchangeably disposed on the knife head or displaceably disposed on the knife head is a scaling strip having different portions that contain the various scalings.
To the extent that pursuant to one embodiment of the invention the appropriate position value is made visible via a numerical indicator, with this embodiment for the adaptation of the distance or spacing to the knife size, the path of extension of the setting slide can be converted in a measuring device and can be made visible via a numerical indicator, whereby different true diameters of new circular knives are stored in the measuring device and can be supplied as a function of the circular knife that is respectively to be used.
To the extent that the depth adjuster is to be positioned in particular pursuant to the values prescribed by the setting tool, a scale can be associated with the depth adjuster for positioning it in conformity with the position value determined by the setting instrument, or alternatively, a measuring device can be associated with the depth adjuster for indicating in a numerical indicator.
The depth adjuster can itself, pursuant to various embodiments of the invention, have different configurations. For example, pursuant to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, for the configuration of the depth adjuster, the housing of the knife holder can, accompanied by the interposition of an adjustment device, be supported on the crosspiece in such a way that the knife holder can be brought into various positions relative to the crosspiece, and whereby the sensor is disposed on the crosspiece. This embodiment has the advantage that the knife holder can be configured with a fixed stroke or travel of its raising and lowering mechanism. To the extent that the knife holder is to be adjusted in conformity with its position on the crosspiece of the longitudinal slitting machine, or also due to a change of the knife conditions relative to the lower knife, this is effected via the displacement of the entire knife holder relative to the crosspiece by means of the inter posed adjustment device. In conformity therewith, the sensor can be disposed on the crosspiece, so that in the case of a readjustment, the entire knife holder can be displaced relative to the fixed or stationary sensor until the cutting edge is aligned with the sensor.
Pursuant to an alternative embodiment of the invention, for the configuration of the depth adjuster the cylinder of the raising and lowering mechanism provided for accommodating the piston having the lowering piston rod is displaceably disposed in the housing of the knife holder, and whereby the sensor is disposed on the housing of the knife holder. Also with this embodiment the stroke or travel of the raising and lowering mechanism of the knife holder is unaltered. Rather, in the housing of the knife holder, the raising and lowering mechanism, i.e. the cylinder thereof that accommodates the piston and its piston rod, is displaced relative to the housing, so that comparable movement conditions occur as with a knife holder that is adjustable relative to the crosspiece. To this extent, with this embodiment the sensor is disposed on the housing of the knife holder, so that the cylinder of the raising and lowering mechanism shifts relative to the sensor.
Pursuant to a further embodiment of the invention, for the configuration of the depth adjuster an abutment for the movement of a counter abutment connected to the lowering piston rod into the cutting position of the circular knife is adjustably disposed, and the sensor is displaceable relative to the housing of the knife holder and is coupled with the adjustable abutment for the counter abutment in such a way that a displacement of the sensor brings about a displacement of the abutment with a displacement path for the abutment that corresponds to the displacement path of the sensor. With this embodiment, a change of the travel or stroke of the raising and lowering mechanism is now effected in that the abutment for the movement of the counter abutment is displaced during the adjustment or readjustment. This embodiment has the advantage that a direct coupling results between the sensor and the abutment. With this embodiment, with regard to the direct coupling between counter abutment and abutment, a support rod that carries the sensor can be displaceably disposed on the housing of the knife holder and is held by spring bias in abutment against the displaceable abutment; alternatively, the support rod that is displaceably disposed on the housing of the knife holder can be fixedly connected with the displaceable abutment.
To the extent that initially the amount of the lowering movement of the raising and lowering mechanism must be preset on the depth adjuster in conformity with the spacing that is determined, the sensor must also be adjusted to a zero position in conformity with a respectively circular knife. In order to carry this out, the sensor can be displaceably disposed on the support rod and can be fixed in various positions thereon. During the initial adjustment of the sensor, the sensor can thus be aligned with the outer diameter of the circular knife used during the adjustment process, so that upon subsequent alteration of the knife characteristics the readjustment of the depth adjuster is effected by means of the then-effected readjustment of the sensor, including a movement of the support rod. For this purpose, pursuant to an alternative embodiment the support rod can be embodied as a telescopic rod that also enables a relative movement of the sensor along the axis of the support rod.
Pursuant to a further embodiment of the invention, the setting instrument can be embodied as a setting tool that can be mounted on each knife head of the knife holder supported on the crosspiece and that has a dimension that corresponds to the true diameter of a new circular knife; the setting tool, together with the knife head, is to be brought into the lowered cutting position of the circular knife. In this connection, on that side that faces the lower knife, the setting tool has a step that is provided with a leg that rests upon the cutting edge of the lower knife and is provided with a leg that projects beyond the cutting edge of the lower knife with a prescribed overlap depth, whereby the distance between the end of the leg that forms the overlap depth and the upper edge of the setting tool corresponds to the diameter of a circular knife that is to be used as an upper knife, so that the adjustment or positioning of the depth adjuster can be effected by means of the value that is to be read from the scale.
Pursuant to a particular embodiment of the invention, the leg of the setting tool that forms the overlap depth can have a material thickness that is suitable for the adjusting setting of the lateral adjustment path of the upper knife relative to the lower knife. With this embodiment, by means of the setting tool respectively disposed on the knife head of the individual knife holder, the position of the sensor is aligned with the dimensions of an adopted circular knife, including its desired overlap depth with the lower knife.
In this connection, pursuant to one embodiment of the invention the lower knife can be embodied as a grooved knife, and the leg of the setting tool that forms the overlap depth respectively extends into the groove that forms the cutting edge of the lower knife.
Pursuant to an expedient embodiment of the invention, the displacement path between the raised rest position of the knife head, and the position of the setting tool moved into the abutment position upon the lower knife, can be made visible by means of an indicator or gauge.
Further specific details of the present invention will be described in detail subsequently.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, longitudinal slitting machines of the aforementioned general type, as well as the associated knife holders, are described in the aforementioned publications DE 297 12 149 U1 and DE 41 30 799 A1, so that the basic construction of a longitudinal slitting machine, and corresponding knife holders, is known and it is therefore not necessary to describe them in further detail in the following description of the present invention. To this extent, the disclosures of DE 297 12 149 U1 and DE 41 30 799 A1 are hereby incorporated into this document by this reference thereto.
With the embodiment illustrated in
The distance determined via the setting instrument 40, 43 between the outer periphery of the circular knife 13 facing the lower knife, and the lower knife 29, is initially used for the adjustment of the depth setting such that by means of the depth adjuster, the abutment for the lowering movement of the circular knife 13 into its cutting position is fixed in such a way that for a newly attached circular knife, the knife head is respectively moved into the cutting position in which the circular knife 13 cooperates with the lower knife 29 with the desired overlapping depth. It is to be understood that the scale 42 that is respectively used is dictated by the theoretical or true diameter of a circular knife 13 that is to be used, and therefore appropriately differing scales can, for example, be used on the setting instrument 40, 43 or the slide housing 41.
With regard to the depth adjuster, pursuant to the embodiment illustrated in
The circular knife 13 with the hand guard 16 forms a component of a knife head 12 that is carried by a raising and lowering piston rod 23. The piston rod 23 extends into a cylinder chamber 48 that is formed in the housing 11 of the knife holder 10; a piston 49 that is connected to the piston rod 23 is displaceable in the cylinder chamber 48. During its lowering movement, the piston 49 operates downwardly in the direction of the lower knife 29 against a spring 50, so that when the cutting process is concluded, the spring 50 provides for a return of the piston 49, along with the piston rod 23, into the position of rest of the circular knife 13. With this embodiment, the piston rod 23 along with the piston 49 has a fixed, unchangeable displacement in the housing 11 of the knife holder 10.
In order, upon later changes of the diameter of the circular knife 13, for example a reduction of the diameter due to re-sharpening, to be able to reset the lowering movement, disposed on the crosspiece 45 is a sensor 18 that in a second adjustment step is lined-up to the outer periphery of the circular knife 13. If the outer diameter of the circular knife changes, then by means of the adjustment device 46 the knife holder 10, with the circular knife 13, is displaced relative to the crosspiece 45 until the outer periphery of the circular knife 13, the diameter of which has changed, is again detected by the sensor 18. Thus, if the diameter of the circular knife 13 is reduced due to a re-sharpening, then with a fixed stroke or displacement of the lowering mechanism the knife holder 10 must be set lower so that the end setting or positioning of the circular knife 13 in the cutting position can be achieved with an unaltered overlap.
As not illustrated further, the respective true position of the circular knife 13 relative to the sensor 18 can be represented by appropriate light signals, whereby a, for example green, light signal is then given off when the position of the sensor 18 coincides exactly with the position of the outer periphery of the cutting or knife edges of the circular knife 13. In addition, if desired, it would also be possible by appropriate arrows to provide an indication in which direction the resetting of the knife holder has to be effected.
The knife holder 10 shown in
Displaceably mounted on the housing 11 of the knife holder 10 is a support rod 19, which at its lower end carries a sensor 18 by means of which the exact position of the outer periphery of the cutting edges 14, 15 of the circular knife 13 respectively mounted on the knife head 12 can be detected. For this purpose, the sensor 18 can be equipped with appropriate light signals, for example in a green/red representation, whereby a green light signal is given off if the position of the sensor coincides exactly with the position of the upper edge of the cutting edge of the circular knife 13. The support rod 19, by means of an only schematically illustrated spring 20, is held in abutment against an engagement housing 21, which is adjustably disposed in the housing 11 of the knife holder 10, in such a way that a displacement of the engagement housing 21 in the housing 11 of the knife holder 10 brings about a change of the position of the sensor 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement housing 21 is embodied as a knurled-head threaded body which can be manually brought into different positions by an appropriate threading movement in the housing 11 of the knife holder 10. In this connection, schematically illustrated in
As shown in detail in
If, to achieve the cutting position of the circular knife 13, the raising and lowering mechanism is acted upon, preferably with compressed air, then due to the movement of the raising and lowering piston rod 23, the counter abutment 24 disposed thereon moves in the direction of the abutment 25 on the engagement housing 21. The illustrated position of the engagement housing 21, as illustrated in
As has already been indicated, an optical indicator can be associated with the sensor 18 that gives off an appropriate light signal at least when the position of the sensor coincides exactly with the position of the cutting edge of the circular knife 13. In addition, an indication of direction, for example in the form of arrows that light up, can also be provided in order to give operating personnel an indication of the direction of the required resetting of the engagement housing 21.
If prior to putting the longitudinal slitting machine into operation, a one time adjustment of the sensor 18 to a zero-position must be undertaken for each individual knife holder 10, for this purpose a setting tool 26 is provided that with the embodiment illustrated in
When this setting process, which has to be carried out only once during the course of placing the machine into operation, is concluded, then in the manner described, by displacing the sensor 18 into its position in which it detects the upper periphery or edge of the cutting edge 14 or 15 of the respectively used circular knife 13, the abutment 25 for the counter abutment 24 of the raising and lowering mechanism is subsequently respectively displaced, whereby the overlap depth of the circular knife 13 with the cutting edge 31 of the lower knife 25, which overlap depth is prescribed by the setting tool 26, is respectively maintained. Also for the situation where this one-time adjusted or lined-up overlap depth is to be altered, it is merely necessary to displace the sensor 18 by the amount of the alteration of the overlap depth. For this purpose, an appropriate scale can be provided on the housing of the knife holder.
It is evident that it is essentially not a matter of a true dimensioning of the setting tool 26 with respect to the matching of a new knife 13 since all deviations of the position of the cutting edge of a later used circular knife in comparison to the position of the zero setting of the sensor 18 lined-up with the setting tool 26 are to be taken into consideration with each post adjustment process as a function of the concrete knife dimensions.
As not further illustrated, the setting tool can also be utilized for an adjustment of the lateral adjusting movement of the circular knife 13 against the cutting edge 31 of the lower knife 29 by providing the leg 28 that enters the groove 30 of the lower knife 29 with a defined, great material thickness. Thus, if during the lining-up process the cutting position of the knife head 12 is simulated, the lateral adjustment of the later used circular knife 13 can be set in conformity with the thickness of the leg 28 of the setting tool 26 in order to respectively prescribe a lateral adjustment that remains the same with all knife holders that are to be provided.
The subject matter of this document disclosed in the preceding specification, the claims and the drawings can be important individually as well as in any desired combination with one another for realizing the various embodiments of the invention.
The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document DE 20 2006 017 387.0 filed 15 Nov. 2006.
The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 2006 017 387.0 | Nov 2006 | DE | national |
