Additional bender of metal wire working machines for creation of three dimensional shapes (Forms)

Abstract: The currently existing automatic wire / rod sraightening and bending machines create planar wire or rod shapes which normally lie within a fixed and standard plane (ABΓΔ), which contains the imaginary line x-x of the straightened wire. This invention has concentrated on the construction of an extra bending mechanism 7 which by appearing at the right moment, creates wire / rod bends always in relation with the above mentioned line x-x, but within other planes (EZHϑ), also containing line x-x 15 but distinctly different than plane (ABΓΔ). In this manner it is possible to achieve the construction of wire shapes in three dimensions.

Description: The invention concerns a system according to the preamble of claim 1. The currently existing automatic wire/rod straightening and bending machines create planar wire or rod shapes which normally lie within a fixed and standard plane E1 , which contains the imaginary line x-x of the straightened wire. References most closely related to the present invention are: KIMURA U.S. patent 4961335 PICOT S.A. EP-A-0281488 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION. The invention consists of constructing one system for bending metallic rods (hereafter called "bender") which, when fitted on existing automatically bending metallic rods and forming planar shapes - machines, gives an additional possibility to these machines to form shapes of metallic rod in space or as it is normally called "three-dimensional shapes". In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for bending the wire fed to the housing in a first plane. A bender body is provided which is pivotally mounted to the housing of the machine, downstream from the primary bending means. A means is provided for pivoting the bender body about its pivotal mounting through an angle U in a second plane. A bender element is further provided which is rotatably mounted to the bender body at a point spaced from the pivotal mounting of the bender body to the housing. The bender element is adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof through an angle in a third plane which is angularly offset with respect to the first plane. In the preferred embodiment, the third plane, through which the bending element is rotated, is disposed at an angle U with respect to the first plane in which the wire is bent. The present invention differs from state of the art as follows: (a) It teaches a practical extention of operation of common 2-D bending machines, avoiding thus replacement of entire existing systems. (b) It allows the usual operation of a 2-D bending machine in its regular mode, without creating any disturbance, being mounted underneath the surface of operation and it rises only when 3-D shape formation is necessary. (c) The additional bender head can apply forces of high magnitude, something vital for processing metallic rods of large diameters. (d) The additional bender can be easily adjusted to any rod diameter and any radius of curvature of bending action. (e) The overall configuration - existing 2-D bending machine with surface of bending ABCD and additional bender - is able to produce shapes of large dimensions, without danger of distortion due to undesirable bending moments introduced by weights. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the machine in accordance with the invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the machine taken along cross-section a-a of Figure 1. 1. Body of existing machine creating planar shapes from metallic rod. 2. Existing mechanisms of advancing-straightening rod or wire. 3. Existing bender. 4. Existing bender's right pin. 5. Existing bender's left pin. 6. Metallic rod of stirrup shapes formation. 7. New (adaptable) bender. 8. New bender's mobile pin. 9. New bender's fixed pin. 10.Window 11.Window cover 12.New bender's body. 13.Mobile pin's rotation second sprocket. 14.Pin's rotation chain. 15.Mobile pin's rotation first sprocket. 16.Hydraulic motor of pin's motion. 17.Body's rotation second sprocket. 19.Body's rotation chain. 20.Body's rotation base. 21.Body's rotation hydraulic motor. 22.Rod bending sensor (measuring angle w ). 23.Planar rod bending sensor (measuring angle U ). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The operation of any existing machine producing stirrup shapes from metallic rod is as follows: The existing mechanism of feeding-straightening metallic rod, pushes the rod for a certain length with subsequent right (q-) or left (q+) bends resulting in the formation of a planar shape, for example a square frame with sides of 25cm. Such construction is done as follows: Rod advancement from line b-b of existing bender by 25 cm. Straightening mechanism stops. Bending by q= +90°. Bender (3) returns to initial position and stops. Rod advancement by 25 cm. Bending by 90°, etc. (The cutting of the rod and the separation of the stirrup shape is done by an appearing cutter which is not designed here). The bending of the metallic rod (6) on plane EFGH other than the plane of the machine ABCD (on which old planar shapes were produced) is done as follows: First, a window I'K'L'M' opens and an opening IKLM is formed on the plane of the machine ABCD. Second, the new bender (7) appears which locates the rod between its fixed pin and its mobile pin. Third, the final position of the new bender (7) is such that the following bend of the metallic rod by an angle w is done on the plane EZHQ (which forms an angle U with respect to the plane of the machine ABCD). The angle w i.e. the bent of the metallic rod on plane EZHQ is between 0° and 180°:0° <<w<<180°. By different ways, we can bring the new bender in such position that the bend rod gets given angles s and U . In section a - a we give as indication the aspect of a mechanism that creates the angles w and U . For the rotation and appearance of the bender (7) the hydraulic motor (21) is used which brings by means of sprockets (18 and 17) and chain (19) the body of the bender (12) to a given angle U . The computer detects this angle through the electronic sensor (23). For the rotation of the bender (7) on plane EZHQ and revolution on the mobile pin around the fixed pin (9) in order to achieve the bent of the rod by an angle w , the hydraulic motor (16) is used with transmission on sprockets (13), (15) and chain (14). The computer detects the angle w through the electronic sensor (22). The window I'K'L'M' opens automatically by means of a piston. OPERATION EXAMPLE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention refers to an additional bender for metal wire working machines. That is, in accordance with the invention, a mechanism is provided which can be inserted into an existing machine that bends wire in a plane (the working plane of the machine) to enable that machine to produce three-dimensional shapes in metal wire. The mechanism of the invention is placed downwards from the regular bending head of the existing machine which creates planar shapes. The device of the invention, when activated, bends the metallic wire in a plane which is different than the bending plane of the regular bending head. As originally disclosed, the bending plane of the mechanism of the invention is at an angle U relative to the plane in which the regular bending head bends the wire. The angle through which the metal wire is bent by the mechanism of the invention is defined by the symbol w . The installation of the bending mechanism of the invention as well as its parts are verified below. Figure 1 illustrates the main body of a bending machine. The plane ABCD is the plane of bending of the regular head of the machine (3). Additional bending is provided with the mechanism of the invention which is placed downwards from the regular head and in the position indicated by letters I'K'L'M'. The portion of the regular plane ABCD which is covered by the area of the I'K'L'M' region is open and is covered by gate IKLM. The gate covers the opening when the mechanism appears at the surface in plane ABCD. The bending mechanism of the invention is mounted directly below the surface of the machine adjacent the opening. Figure 2 illustrates the bender of the invention directly below place ABCD. Part (20) is the bender's rotation base. It is a bracket mounted on the surface ABCD on its inner side. On this base the assembly of the bender of the invention is mounted so that the bender is able to rotate about axis (17). Axis (17) connects base (20) and the bender's main body (12). On the bender's body, around axis (17), a sprocket is mounted for the rotation of bender's main body (12) which is connected by means of a chain with sprocket (28) connected to a driving motor. Therefore, the motor rotates sprocket (18) and, consequently, sprocket (17) forces the main body of the bending mechanism (12) to rotate about axis (17). Rotation is controlled by means of sensor (23) which is connected by means of an elastic belt to sprocket (18). For more detailed presentation of the current embodiment, an isometric view of the bender mechanism is attached (Figure 3). The main bending tool is the system of connected rollers (8 and 9). Longitudinal axes of the rollers are connected on a common plate. The rollers may rotate about axis (7) of roller (9). Axis (7) of roller (9) can rotate by means of sprocket (13) which is mounted at the end of the axis. The axis is connected to and can rotate on the main body of the bender. Sprocket (13) can rotate by means of hydraulic motor (22) using a two-stage transmission mechanism. The intermediate sprocket (15) is mounted on rotary encoder (16) for precise measurement of the bending angle. Thus, once the wire is engaged between the two rollers (8 and 9), activation of motor (22) causes the rotation of sprocket (15) and subsequently of roller (8) about the axis of roller (9). The result is the bending of the wire always in a counter-clockwise direction. In other words, bending the wire with the mechanism of the invention removes it from the plane in which the regular bending action occurs so that it is bend by angle w in plane U . In summary, angle U is the primary bending angle caused by bending head (3). This angle may be in a clockwise or counter-clockwise sense and it can vary from 0 to 180° in each direction. Angle w is the angle of bending caused by the bending head of the invention by means of rollers (8 and 9). This bending angle is only in a counter-clockwise sense and it can vary from 0 to 180°. Angle U is the angle of the plane in which additional bending occurs. This angle is unique to a given disposition of supporting bracket (20). The angle U is necessary for the additional bending rollers provided in accordance with the invention to engage the wire. Angle U is unique for a given arrangement. If it is desired, angle U may be changed but to do so the additional bender must be placed in a different manner within the body of the machine so that angle U will properly place the further bending elements with respect to the wire.

Claims: System of mechanisms (7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23) to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes by bending metallic rods (6), by means of existing benders (3) only on a first plane A-B-C-D to extend their operation by providing them the ability to additionally bend the metallic rod on a second plane E-Z-Q-H forming specific angle (+U) with respect to the plane of the machine A-B-C-D, enabling thus the machines to produce stirrup shapes in space, which system of mechanisms, is characterised by its positioning (mounting) downstream from existing benders (3) and underneath the plane A-B-C-D, in its deactivated phase of operation, covered by window IKML, while, during its activation, rising above the plane A-B-C-D, the window IKML being retracted to position I'K'M'L', engaging and bending the metallic rod on the second plane E-Z-Q-H and which system of mechanisms is comprising of bender (adaptable) element (7) rotatably mounted on bender body (12), pivotally mounted to machine housing and of means for rotating bender element about a longitudinal axis thereof through an angle w and means for pivoting bender body through said angle U to dispose said bender element (7) in a position adjacent to a length of wire fed to said housing, said bender element engaging the length of wire between mobile pin (8) and fixed pin (9), so that rotation of said bender element (7) after bender body (12) has been pivoted through angle U , bends metal wire rod on plane EZQH, at angle U , by angle w . System of mechanisms to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes to extend their operation as in Claim 1, wherein bender element (7) includes a fixed pin element (9) and a movable pin element (8), said fixed pin element being coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said bender element, said mobile pin element being laterally spaced from said fixed pin element whereby rotation of said bender element about said longitudinal axis through an angle w revolves the mobile pin (8) around said fixed pin (9) and said longitudinal axis so as to bend a wire disposed between said fixed pin and said mobile pin by said angle w . System of mechanisms to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes to extend their operation, as in Claim 1, wherein bender body (12) includes an L-shaped portion (12), an arm (17) rigidly connected to said L-shaped portion and pivotally mounted at a free end thereof to said housing, said bender element (7) being rotatably mounted to a free end of said L-shaped portion. System of mechanisms to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes, to extend their operation, as in Claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said bender body (12) comprise a first sprocket element (17) defined at said pivotal mounting (17) and a second sprocket element (21) fixedly coupled to said housing (18) and spaced from said first sprocket element, a chain element (19) interconnecting said first and second sprocket elements, and motor means (23) for rotating said second sprocket. System of mechanisms to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes to extend their operation, as in Claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said bender element (7) comprise a first sprocket element (13) mounted to a longitudinal end of said bender element (7), a second sprocket element (15) mounted to said bender body, a chain element (14) interconnecting said first and said first and second sprocket elements and means (22) for rotating said second sprocket (15) so as to rotate said bender element (7) about said longitudinal axis thereof. System of mechanisms to be additionally mounted to machines that already produce planar shapes to extend their operation, as in Claim 1, wherein said system of mechanisms being pivotally mounted to an interior surface of housing of machines, so that bender body (12) is pivotal in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to machine initial work surface ABCD said system of mechanisms rising above the surface ABCD through the aperture IKML, uncovered by window IKLM during activation mode, the window IKLM being retracted to position I'K'M'L'.

Inventors: ANAGNOSTOPOULOU MARIA, ANAGNOSTOPOULOU, MARIA
Applicants: EUROBEND S A, EUROBEND S.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B21D11
IPC codes: B21D11, B21F1, B21D7