Patent Application
20070017271
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a method and a machine for parallel production of similar products, by straightening and bending mechanisms. The supplied material is wire, wire rod or any other material of prismatic cross section, and it may be fed simultaneously at several production lines, where controlling and driving is common.
The products are widely used in the construction of machine parts, of various consumer products made of wire, of products made of wire rods, and of parts made of metal tubes.
2. Description of Related Art
The machines, which are available in the market, consist of one straightening and one feeding mechanism, which straighten and advance the wire respectively, and of one bending mechanism, for bending at a single plane (2-D) or at multiple planes (3-D). Each mechanism disposes its own independent motor, its own means for measuring of length or rotation angle, and its own means for transferring of motion from the motor towards each particular mechanism. Furthermore, the machine disposes a central computer for programming (planning) of the production parts and for controlling of the various mechanisms motion.
Any competitors' machines exhibit the above characteristics but they differ from each other with respect to the straightening method, the advancement mechanism, and the bending mechanism.
Starting from the supplied material, each machine constructs products in a serial mode, one after the other. The need for high productivity leads to the construction of very fast machines, which operate at high speeds, and hence they have particular requirements of robustness, housing, construction material, and high-speed electronic controllers. As a direct consequence of this, the resulting machines are very complicated and particularly expensive.
As an example, the only way for doubling the production in a given production line, is by introduction of another similar machine, which disposes all the mechanisms, motors and electronics parts, which were mentioned previously. This is an expensive solution, since it requires procurement of another machine.
It is an object of the present invention to present a method, which will resolve the problems of the existing methods, and will lead to the construction of a simple-in-design, low-cost, and high-productivity machine.
Another object of the present invention is to describe a machine, which implements the method of the invention, where the machine exhibits high productivity at lower production cost, less machine bulk, and automated operation.
It is a further object of a version of the invention to provide a machine for production of similar products from wire, that may comprise at least two wire advancement mechanisms; a first drive shaft kinematically connecting said at least two advancement mechanisms; a first motor operatively linked to said first drive shaft for driving said at least two advancement mechanisms; at least two wire straightening mechanisms each being respectively disposed for receiving wire from a respective one of said at least two wire advancement mechanisms; at least two wire bending mechanisms each being respectively disposed so as to receive wire each from a respective one of said at least two wire straightening mechanisms; a second drive shaft kinematically connecting said at least two wire bending mechanisms; a second motor operatively linked to said second drive shaft for driving said bending mechanisms; and, a control unit operatively controlling said first and second motors for forming bent wire products at each of said at least two bending mechanisms.
It is also a further object of versions of the invention to provide a machine for production of similar products from wire, which may comprise at least two wire advancement mechanisms; a first drive shaft kinematically connecting said at least two advancement mechanisms; a first motor operatively linked to said first drive shaft for driving said at least two advancement mechanisms; at least two bending plane selection mechanisms each being respectively disposed for receiving wire each from a respective one of said at least two wire advancement mechanisms; a third motor linked to drive said at least two bending plane selection mechanisms for selectively rotating the respective wires; at least two wire bending mechanisms each being respectively disposed so as to receive wire each from a respective one of said at least two bending plane selection mechanisms; a second drive shaft kinematically connecting said at least two wire bending mechanisms; a second motor operatively linked to said second drive shaft for driving said at least two bending mechanisms; and, a control unit operatively controlling said first and second motors for advancing two wires and for forming bent wire products at each of said at least two bending mechanisms.
It is also a further object of versions of the invention to provide a method for production of similar products from wire comprising, advancing a first wire from a supply through a first wire advancement mechanism by operating a first motor; advancing a second wire from a second supply through a second wire advancement mechanism by operating the first motor; passing the first wire through a first straightening mechanism to straighten the first wire; passing the second wire through a second straightening mechanism to straighten the second wire; feeding the first wire through a first bending plane selection mechanism; feeding the second wire through a second bending plane selection mechanism; receiving the first wire at a first bending mechanism; receiving the second wire at a second bending mechanism; and, operating a second motor to operate the first and second wire bending mechanisms so as to bend the first and second wires.
It is a yet further object of versions of the invention to provide a machine for production of wire products comprising a bending unit, the bending unit including a first bending mechanism, the bending unit including a second bending mechanism, with a first motor configured to drive said first and second bending mechanisms; a first bending plane selection mechanism configured to selectively axially rotate wire passing therethrough to said first bending mechanism, and, a second bending plane selection mechanism configured to selectively axially rotate wire passing therethrough to said second bending mechanism.
As a still further object of versions of the invention, there is provided a machine for production of wire products comprising a bending unit, said bending unit including a first bending mechanism, said bending unit including a second bending mechanism; and, a first bending plane selection mechanism configured to selectively axially rotate wire passing therethrough to said first bending mechanism, a second bending plane selection mechanism configured to selectively axially rotate wire passing therethrough to said second bending mechanism, and, a motor configured to drive said first and second bending plane selection mechanisms to effect the selective axial rotation of the respective wires passing through said first and second bending plane selection mechanisms.
In yet a further object of versions of the invention, there is provided a method for production of wire products comprising the steps of feeding a first wire through a first bending plane selection mechanism, feeding a second wire through a second bending plane selection mechanism, receiving the first wire at a first bending mechanism, receiving the second wire at a second bending mechanism; and, operating a first motor to drive the first and second bending plane selection mechanisms to selectively axially rotate the first and second wires.
More details about the machine and method according to the present invention will be better comprehended during the following description of versions of the invention. The machine and method are described in the attached figures, in the sense of non-restrictive examples and without limitation in the range of the applications of the apparatus and method. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:
Definitions: For simplicity and ease of reference thereto, the terms “wire,” “wire rods,” “rods,” “tubes,” and “material of prismatic cross-section” are used interchangeably and equivalently throughout the remainder of the detailed description and appended claims. Thus artisans in the art will readily understand that the term “rods” within the appended claims encompasses and includes the aforesaid “wire,” “tubes,” and generally “material of prismatic cross-section” without differentiation unless such differentiation is explicitly set forth. Thus, known utilizable materials of prismatic cross-section may be conveniently and clearly referred to in non-limiting brief form by the terms “rods,” or “wires.”
A version of the invention is schematically presented in
Consequently, the material (1) advances to a bending unit (24) that includes the bending mechanism (6), where it is bent via rotation of a moving pin about a fixed pin. The bending angle depends on the operation of the motor (15), which drives the rotating pin, through the mechanism (18). When production of each part is completed, the material (1) may be cut.
In versions of the invention, the operation plane of the bending mechanism (6), which is defined by the fed and the bent wire, can be changed upon rotation (5) with respect to the axis of the longitudinal wire (1), through the mechanism (17), which is driven by the motor (14).
After production of a part is completed, a cutter (21), as shown in
The advancement, straightening, bending and change of bending plane mechanisms are driven by motors, through appropriate mechanisms, where the referred motors are controlled and driven by a central controlling unit (19). A terminal (20) may be used as an interface between the controlling unit and the user, where all programming is implemented.
The material (2) is being processed simultaneously in parallel with the material (1), where the material (2) is fed on a second feed path through the advancement mechanism (8), is straightened through the straightening mechanism (9), advances to the bending unit (24) and is bent through the bending mechanism (111), is rotated for 3-D bending through the mechanism (10), and is cut after production of the part is completed through the cutter (22).
The advancement mechanism (8) of the second material (2) may be similar to the advancement mechanism (3) of the first material (1), and they may be driven by the same motor (13), through a common driving mechanism (16).
Furthermore, the straightening mechanisms (4) and (9) may be similar. Similar are also the bending mechanisms (6) and (11) for the materials (1) and (2) respectively, which may be driven by a common motor (15), through a common driving mechanism (18).
The mechanism (5) for the changing of the bending plane in space for the material (1) may be similar to the mechanism (10) for the material (2), and they may be driven by a common motor (14), through common driving mechanism.
The two cutters (21) and (22) in the two production lines may be similar and they may be driven by a common driving source.
The controlling unit (19) remains the same for both production lines, and the number of controlled rotation axes is also the same. Similarly, the terminal unit (20), which is used for communication with the user, may be common for both production lines.
According to the present invention, more production lines can be added to the above two-line system, where all production lines have similar mechanisms, where these mechanisms include common driving motors and driving mechanisms. Furthermore, all production lines have a common controlling unit and a common terminal for communication with the user.
For simplicity, the machine (
The wire (1) is fed through the roller couples (30) of the advancement mechanism (3), which are driven by the shaft (31), through the chain (32). The wire (2) is fed through the roller couples (33), which are driven by the same shaft (31), through the chain (34). The shaft (31) is rotated by the motor (13), through the chain (35), where the motor (13) is a servomotor controlled by the controller (19).
Consequently, the wires (1) and (2) are fed towards the straightening mechanism (4) and (9) respectively, for straightening of the wires. In this version, the straightening mechanism comprises of a two-level straightening.
The straightened wire (1) is fed towards the mechanism (5) for the selection of the bending plane, which consists of a fixed gripper (36) and a rotating gripper (37), where the axis of rotation of the gripper (37) coincides with the axis of the wire (1). The rotating gripper (37) is driven by the servomotor (14), through the chain (38), where the servomotor (14) is controlled by the system controller (19). In the second production line for the wire (2), similar mechanisms are in operation, namely a fixed gripper (39) and a rotating gripper (40). The rotating gripper (40) is driven by the same motor (14), through the chain (41).
The change in the bending plane may be implemented as follows. The fixed (36) and the rotating (37) grippers are activated and constrain firmly the wire (1), and the fixed (39) and rotating (40) grippers are activated and constrain firmly the wire (2). Then, the motor (14) drives the rotating grippers (37) and (40), which rotate the wires (1) and (2) respectively relative to the fixed grippers. The torsional deformation of the two wires causes the rotation of the semi-formed products (7) and (12), with respect to the fixed parts of the wires. The rotation of the wires causes permanent plastic deformations due to torsion, thus producing 3-D geometries of products.
Consequently, the wire (1) is advanced towards the bending mechanism (6), which includes a first bending head (27) with a fixed pin (29) and a rotating pin (42), which rotates about the fixed pin (29). The rotating pin is supported on a shaft, and is driven by a shaft (44), through the cogged belt (43). The shaft is driven by the servomotor (15), which is controlled by the controller (19). Simultaneously, the wire (2) is advanced towards the bending mechanism (11), which includes a second bending head (28) with a fixed pin (45) and a rotating pin (46). The rotating pin is supported on a shaft, and is driven by the common shaft (44), through the cogged belt (47). The shaft is driven by the common servomotor (15). Upon activation of the rotor (15), the pins (42) and (46) are rotated about the fixed pins (29) and (45) respectively, and bend the wires, moving along the under-production parts (7) and (12).
The cutter (21) cuts the wire (1) after completion of each formed product part in the first production line. The cutter comprises a moving cutting tool (48), which is driven by a hydraulic cylinder with respect to a fixed cutting tool (49), and finally cuts the material (1). A similar cutter (50, 51) operates in the second production line, where the two cutters (21) and (22) may share a common source of high-pressure oil system.
As will be understood from the aforegoing description, in one version of the invention there is presented a method for simultaneous and in parallel production of similar products, through straightening and bending of wires, wire rods, tubes or any other material of prismatic cross section, which is characterized by production lines, consisting of an advancing mechanism (3) and a straightening mechanism (4) for the material (1), where the material may be advanced and straightened before a bending mechanism (6), where the material is subjected to pre-programmed bendings, where the bending plane can be changed, through the mechanism (5), and of a cutter (21) for the cutting of the material, after each part is concluded, and which is characterised by the existence of more than one similar production lines, which produce similar products, and by the existence of similar mechanisms, driven by common motors and common driving mechanisms for all production lines, such as the advancement mechanisms (3), (8) etc., which are all driven by a common motor (13), through common driving mechanisms (16), the bending mechanisms (6), (11) etc., which are all driven by a common motor (15), through common driving mechanisms (18), the mechanisms for the changing of the bending plane (5), (10) etc., which are all driven by a common motor (14), through common driving mechanisms (17), and the cutters (21), (22) etc., which are all driven by a common power source, and which is characterised by the existence of one central controller (19) for controlling motor operation, and of one terminal station (20) for communication between machine and user and for the machine programming.
As will also be understood from the aforegoing description, in a version of the invention there is presented a method for simultaneous and in parallel production of similar products, through straightening and bending of wires, wire rods, tubes or any other material of prismatic cross section, that is characterized by the existence of more than two similar feeding lines (1), (2) etc., which advance (3), (8) etc., and straighten (4), (9) etc., the material and are driven by a common source (13), and by respective bending units (6), (11) etc., which perform 2-D bending of the material, and which are driven by a common source (15), and by cutters (21), (22) etc. for the cutting of the material, which are all driven by a common power source, and which is characterised by the existence of one central controller (19) for controlling motor operation, and of one terminal station (20) for communication between machine and user and for the machine programming.
As will further be understood from the aforegoing description, a version of the invention presents a machine for simultaneous and in parallel production of similar products, through straightening and bending of wires, wire rods, tubes or any other material of prismatic cross section, which is characterized by production lines, consisting of an advancing mechanism (3) and a straightening mechanism (4) for the material (1), where the material is advanced and straightened towards a bending unit (24) with a respective bending mechanism (6), where the material is subjected to pre-programmed bendings, where the bending plane can be changed, through the mechanism (5), and of a cutter (21) for the cutting of the material, after each part is concluded, and which is characterised by the existence of a common motor (13) driving a common shaft (31) for the advancement of all materials (1), (2) etc., towards the advancement mechanisms (3), (8) etc., through the roller couples (3), (8) etc., which are driven be the chains (32), (34) etc., by the existence of a common motor (14) driving a common shaft (17) for the changing of the bending plane, which is performed at the mechanisms (5), (10) etc., or through the chains (38), (41) etc., by a common motor (14); a common motor (15) driving a common shaft (44) for the bending of the wires (1), (2) etc., on the bending mechanisms (6), (11) etc., where the rotating pins (42), (46) etc., bend the materials around the fixed pins (29), (45) etc., through the belts (43), (47) etc., by the existence of a common power source for driving the moving cutting tool on the fixed tool of the cutters (21), (22) etc., for the cutting of each part (7), (12) etc., after its production is completed, and which may include one central controller (19) for controlling motor operation, and of one terminal station (20) for communication between machine and user and for the machine programming.
The machine operation is programmed through a communication terminal (20), the operation of the servomotors and consequently the motion of each mechanism is controlled by a controller (19). These mechanisms may include the advancement of the wires, the selection of the bending plane and the wire bending.
In the case of a machine of the present invention that can only perform bending on one plane and not 3-D bending, the mechanisms (5) and (10) for changing the bending plane, and the motor (14) transmission mechanisms may be omitted.
The 3-D bending mechanism may be of different construction. For example, the bending mechanisms (6) and (11) can be rotated about the axes of the wires (1) and (2) respectively, in order to obtain the changing of the bending plane.
The straightening mechanisms (4) and (9) may be of the two plane type or may be of the rotor type.
The present invention is characterised by the straightening and bending of a large number of similar wires, on a large number of similar production lines, where similar products may be produced.
Furthermore, it is characterised by the common driving of similar mechanisms by a common servomotor, and by the existence of one common controller and one terminal unit for communication by the user.
The machine of the present invention exhibits the following advantages: When, for example, the machine operates with three feeding lines, it has the same production capacity with this plurality of three independent machines, operating at the same speed. The machine is much cheaper, due to common motors, mechanisms and controller. The machine occupies less space.
The invention leads to the construction of a machine, which can maintain high production capacity, due to existence of more than one wire-feeding lines, even during operation at lower speeds.
Various exemplary devices and methods have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description but it will be understood that the claims to the devices and methods shown and described are not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, as these may be capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims set forth below. Consistent with legal precedent, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. Accordingly, the techniques and structures described and illustrated herein should be understood to be illustrative only and not limiting upon the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, including known equivalents and unforeseeable equivalents at the time of filing of this application.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20020100266 | Jun 2002 | GR | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/493,025, now ______, which has an international filing date of Jun. 3, 2003 and a 35 USC sec.371 (c) date of Apr. 19, 2004. Application Ser. No. 10/493,025 is a national-phase entry under 35 USC sec.371 of PCT application no. PCT/GR03/00019 which has an international filing date of Jun. 3, 2003. The priority of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/493,025 and of international application PCT/GR03/00019 is claimed, and the entirety of both of these prior applications is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, foreign priority of Greek application no. 20020100266 filed Jun. 5, 2002 is also claimed.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10493025 | Apr 2004 | US |
| Child | 11469925 | Sep 2006 | US |
