Saw blade clamp unit

Abstract: A saw blade clamp unit for apparatus including tool(s) (6) for the machining of the side faces of hard material tips (5) provided upon the teeth (4) of saw blades (3) for clamping the actual tooth (4A) whose tip is the next tip to be machined, against displacement with respect to the machining tool(s) (6) of the machine. The clamping means (17,21,30) of the clamp unit (7) is arranged to form a reference position for the tooth (4A) to be machined whereby the tooth is automatically set to the required grinding position during the clamping thereof.

Description: This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the machining i.e., grinding of predetermined regions of workpieces according to the precharacterising portion of claim 1. In particular, the present invention is concerned with the grinding of the side faces of hard material tips mounted to the teeth of saw blades. THE PRIOR ART Machines are known for the grinding of the side faces of such tips whether on circular or linear i.e., band saws in which both side faces are ground in a single operation. Generally, after the sidle faces of a tip have been ground the tooth tip is broadest at its leading i.e., cutting edge and diminishes in width from the leading edge to the rear face of the tip. In addition, the side face grinding is such that the tip tapers from the top face of the tip towards the bottom of the tip. As is well known the purpose of the side face grinding is to produce side faces which are mutually inclined at predetermined angles to the planes of the side faces of the blade body and teeth. In addition, generally speaking the grinding must be such that the side faces are symmetrically ground with respect to the blade body that is, corresponding points on the both side faces of a tip must be equidistant from the medial plane of the blade body except where the grinding is intended to produce an asymmetrical arrangement. To achieve this it is important, during the grinding of the tips on the teeth on the blade, that the blade/tooth should not deflect from the required correct grinding position it is necessary firmly to clamp the blade against bodily displacement with respect to the grinding wheels. Also following completion of the machining of each tip it is required successively to index the blade to bring the next tip to be machined to the location of the machine at which the side grinding wheels are able to grind the side faces. This position can be termed the grinding station. During this indexing operation the clamping of the blade has to be is released so that the blade is free to be moved by an indexing finger or the like which is arranged to advance the next tooth whose tip is to be machined/ground to the grinding station by pushing against the tooth in question whilst at the same time guiding the blade through the blade clamping means. At the completion of an indexing operation the blade is reclamped to prevent further movement of the blade. For example, in French Patent No 2,531,889 there is disclosed a machine for the grinding of the top faces of hard material tips provided upon saw blades which includes a grinding wheel for machining the top faces of the tips and includes clamping arrangements for clamping, as may be noted from Figure 2, of the patent, the blade whose tips top faces are to be machined at a location adjacent to the gullet region of the blade. It is also indicated in United States Patent 1,737,216 that it is possible to use a clamping arrangements for clamping a blade in the vicinity of the teeth root regions whose tips are to be ground. It is also known from United States Patent No 3,717,052 to arrange for one of the clamping elements to be pivotable to enable require relative alignments of the blade clamping elements of the apparatus. It may be noted from the construction of these known machines it is the usual practice to clamp the body blade well below the roots of the teeth so that the clamping arrangements when released do not impede the indexing operation, and so that they do not impede operational movements of the grinding wheels themselves. With this mode of clamping reliance has historically been made upon the strength of the blade body by assuming that grinding wheel pressures upon a tip will not distort the tooth with respect to the blade body. In practice, distortion can occur, leading to an incorrectly machined tip. A further difficulty arises in relation to the known clamping arrangements in that with known machines it is in practice found relatively time consuming during the operation of blade changing since the clamping arrangements seriously impede the ease of the blade changing operation. In this connection it is convenient to bear in mind that some blades especially band saw blades can be twenty or more centimetres deep so that blade changing in practice often becomes a relatively complex time consuming operation, particularly if it is not possible conveniently to remove the blade clamping arrangements. As indicated above, an important usual requirement for the machining of saw blade tips is that their side faces should be so machined i.e., ground that the resulting ground side faces are symmetrically positioned with respect to the medial plane of the blade body. In other words it is usually required that each tip should project to the same extent to either side of this medial plane. Hitherto it has been presumed that with the known machines and their associated blade clamping arrangements that this condition of symmetry (when required) is always achieved even though before the grinding operation the tips may have projected unequally to opposite sides of a tooth tip. In other words it has been assumed whatever the initial individual widths of the tips in relation to the blade body, that following grinding the required dimensions and angles for the side faces had been achieved. More recently industry using, for example, band saw blades has been demanding thinner and thinner saw blades and associated tips so that the amounts of wood wasted during sawing operations such as are involved in reducing a tree trunk to planks is reduced. In addition, since one of the most effective materials for the production of saw blade tips, namely the material known under the trade name Stellite, is comparatively expensive it is a useful further consequence of thinner blades that the tips will also be small/thinner in size whereby the amount of Stellite required for each tip is likewise reduced. It has been found that when using the presently available clamping arrangements during the side face grinding of tips on the teeth of saw blades which are thinner than those hitherto contemplated whenever a tip, which is not initially symmetrially positioned with respect to the medial plane of the blade body, is side face ground the pressures exerted by the grinding wheels during grinding distorts the tooth with respect to the clamped blade body medial plane. Consequently where such distortion has occured the tip remains effectively offset with respect to the medial plane of the blade body and the face angles may well be incorrectly formed since the grinding operation has not removed the excess thickness to one side of the blade. As is well known the use of saw blades whose side faces are not ground to the correct angles and size are very inefficient in operation and become rapidly damaged. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reduce the chances of incorrect machining of tips on the teeth of saw blades. STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invrntion there is provided a saw blade clamp assembly for apparatus including tools (6) for the machining of the side faces of hard material tips (5) provided upon the teeth (4A) of saw blades (3), the clamp assembly (7) including first clamp means for clamping the body of the blade in the vicinity of the gullet regions of the next tooth to be machined, to prevent displacement of the blade with respect to the machining tools of the the apparatus, characterised by a second clamping means (21) for clampingly cooperating with the actual tooth (4A) which has been positioned for the actual machining operation on the side faces of the associated tip (5), and in that the clamping action effectable by the second clamping means (21) is such as effectively to clamp the complete length of the tooth (4A) thereby to prevent any undesired movements of the tooth relative to the remainder of the blade (3) during a machining operation. Conveniently, the first and second clamping means (17,21) are so mounted to the machine frame (1) as to enable them to be simultaneously readily displaceable with respect to a blade (5), and in that the second clamping means (21) is independently operable to effect its clamping action after the first clamping means (17) has been moved to its clamping position. Preferably, the first and second clampng means (17,21) being so mounted to the machine frame (1) as to enable them to be simultaneously readily displaceable with respect to said main frame (1) between the position at which the clamping means (17,21) can effect their respective clamping actions and a position remote from the blade (3) thereby to facilitate the mounting and demounting of the blade with respect to the machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a part sectional view of a first embodiment of apparatus incorporating the features of the invention; Figure 2 is an outline side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of a first detail of apparatus incorporating the features of the invention and which can be utilised with the apparatus generally disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3; Figure 5 is an end elevation in the direction of arrow A of the detail of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a elevation of a second detail of apparatus incorporating the features of the invention and which can be utilised with the apparatus generally disclosed in Figures 1,2 and 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Figures 1 2 and 3, in which a fragmentary portion of a main frame of a grinding apparatus/machine is shown at 1. A positionally adjustable guide means 2 is provided on the machine frame 1 generally to position a blade 3 for movement along a predetermined path through the machine at the location shown in the Figures and thus relative to the frame 1. As will be discussed hereinafter the guide means 2 has a further function over and above that of a simple blade guide means. The blade 3 has teeth 4 with tips 5 each comprising a hard material such as the material known under the Trade Name Stellite. In the Figures only a fragmentary portion of a blade 3 whose tips 5 are to be ground is shown. The apparatus/machine incorporates a plurality of suitably positioned support rolls (not shown) for the blade and upon which the blade rests. An indexing mechanism including an indexing finger (not shown) which engages with a tooth during indexing is provided for indexing the blade 3 so that the next tooth tip to be ground i.e., that on the tooth 4A is located at a so-called grinding position at which grinding wheels 6, of which one is schematially shown, can be caused to grind the side faces of the tips 5. As has been mentioned the blade 3 is required to be firmly clamped against movement relative to the remainder of the machine and thus the grinding wheels 6 during the side face grinding operation by a hydraulically/pneumatically operable blade clamping assembly generally indicated at 7. In general, the clamping assembly 7 includes an arm 8 connected at one end 9 to the ram rod 10 of a hydraulic ram/cylinder unit 11 whose cylinder 12 is connected by means of bolts 13 to the main frame 1. The ram unit 11 is so positioned that the ram rod 10 is axially transverse to the direction of advance of the blade along its predetermined path through the machine and bridges the saw blade 3 to allow the arm 8 to be positionable adjacent to the toothed region of the outer side of the blade blade as may be seen from Figure 2. The inner side of the blade is regarded as that surface therof that faces towards the machine frame 1. As will be discussed later the ram unit 11 incorporates arrangements whereby the rain rod 10 can be rotated within the cylinder 12 thereby to make it possible to rotate the lever arm 8 between an operational position in which it is in the full line position shown in Figure 1 i.e., adjacent to the outer face of the blade 3 and a non-operational or retracted position which is shown in Figure 1 as chain dashed lines. In this latter position it will be noted that the arm 8 has been moved to a position in which it is effectively totally above the teeth and tips the blade. In operation the arm 8 is moved to this second position to allow a saw blade 3 to be mounted to the side face grinding machine and to be removed therefrom after grinding has been completed, and returned to the position shown in the Figures in full lines after the blade has been mounted. The arrangements provided for enabling such rotation will be briefly discussed hereinafter. The ram rod 10 is associated with a piston 14 which is so resiliently loaded by a spring 15 that the rod 10 is drawn inwardly of the cylinder 12 and in so doing moves the arm 8 towards the blade 3. The arm 8 carries at its free end 16 a clamping member 17 which is intended pressurewise to cooperate with the guide member 2 which latter thus additionally serves as the anvil part of a blade clamping means. The guide member 2 and the clamping member 17 are located below the level of the tips on the blade and serve to cooperate with the blade in the immediate vicinity of the root regions of the teeth 4. The resilient loading of the rod 10 is such that the member 17 presses lightly against the blade 3 and essentially serves to guide the blade body when subjected solely to the spring force. A duct 18 for pressurised hydraulic/pneumatic fluid extends lengthwise of the ram rod 10 and has a first fluid connection 19 with the underside 20 of the piston 14 (as shown in the drawings) whereby the application of fluid pressure to the underside 20 of the piston 14 pulls the ram rod 10 inwardly and thus causes the member 17 to cramp the blade 3 between the member 2 and the member 17 thereby to prevent displacement of the blade 3 relative to the machine frame 1. The arm 8 is provided with a second blade clamping arrangement 21 which is so positioned as to be able to clamp against the actual tooth 4A whose tip is the next tip to be machined against displacements arising from the action of the grinding wheels 6. This second blade clamping arrangement 21 includes a second hydraulic/pneumatic ram unit 22 having a piston 23 slidable within a cylinder 24. This second piston 23 is resiliently loaded by spring 25 away from the blade 3. This is neccessary so as to allow the blade to be indexed. The end face 24A of the cylinder 24 lies in the same plane as the end face 17A of the clamping member 17 and forms a clamping face co-planar with that of the member 17. In other words the rest position of the second clamping means 21 is spaced away from the blade 3 at a position allowing for sufficient clearance for free movement of the blade. A second blade clamping member 26 is connected to the free end of the ram rod 27 connecting with the piston 23 movable within the cylinder 24. This second clamping member 26 is of an elongate shape and is so aligned with respect to the arm 8 that it effectively lies lengthwise of the tooth 4A whose tip is the next tip to be ground/machined. The clamping member 26 extends substantially up to the base of the tip 5 so that the complete length of the tooth 4A is clamped thereby preventing any undesired movements of the tooth 4A during a machining operation. A further clamping arrangement 30 complementary to the member 25 is mounted from the main frame 1. This second arrangement is conveniently formed a further ram unit 31 of construction generally similar to that carried by the arm 8 but in this case it is mounted from the main frame 1. That is to say the further clamping arrangement incorporates a further clamping member 32 of form and orientation similar to the clamping member 26. In view of the similarity of the two clamping arrangements further consideration of the arrangement 30 and its clamping member 32 is not thought necessary. The clamping arrangements 21 and 30 thus provide a means whereby the tooth 4A can be very firmly clamped against movement during the macining operation. In order to provide for an accurately repeatable reference position for the clamping surfaces of the above discussed clamping arrangements the travel of the piston 14 within the cylinder 12 is limited by a stop surface 34 in such manner that by the time the piston has contacted the stop surface 34 the two clamping members 17 and 26 have pressed against the blade and have clamped the blade in the position in which the medial plane thereof is correctly positioned with respect to the machine frame 1. The fluid duct 18 passing through the ram rod 10 fluidwise connects with the rear (lower end) of the piston 23 by way of a connection duct forming link 18A so that when the ram unit 10 is pressurised to advance the arm 8 and the member 25/17 towards the blade 3 and after the piston 14 has abutted the associated stop surface 34 the second clamping arrangement is subjected to pressure sufficient to press aganist the tooth. As before the piston 24 will cooperate with an associated stop surface 35 so as accurately to define the reference position for the tooth itself. At the same time the clamping means 31 will be subjected to pressure such as to hold the tooth firmly against the reference surface formed by the displacement of the ran rod 10, the arm 8, and its associated clamping arrangements. With this arrangement the tooth is firmly restrained against any movements that could result from grinding wheel pressures. After the side grinding of the tip faces of the tooth 4A has been completed the clamping effect of the clamping arrangements are released by removal of the pressurised fluid, which allows the resilient loading on the various pistons to take effect thereby to retract the clamping members from their respective clamping positions. At this stage the blade 3 can be indexed as above discussed. As has been mentioned to facilitate the mounting and removal of a saw blade 3 the ram rod 10 and the associated arm 8 are rotatable relative to the main ram unit cylinder 12 to the position shown in dashed lines in Figure 1. The ram rod 10 is held in the position shown in Figure 1 by a release pin 36 engaging in a bore 37 in the ram rod 10, the position ofthe release pin being controlled by the action of pressurised fluid on the pin. To release the ram rod 10 for pivoting the release pressurised fluid is used to displace the pin 36 to withdraw it from locking the piston against rotation within the cylinder and thereby to allow the relative rotation of the ram rod 10 within its cylinder 12. The structure of the release pin 36 is such that on returning the crank-like lever 9 to the position shown in Figure 1 the release pin automatially moves to the ram rod locking position against rotation. Figures 4 to 6 are concerned with a particular construction of the clamping members 30 and 21. For convenience those components which have already been mentioned in connection with Figures 1 to 3 will be identified with the same reference numerals. The clamping arrangement of the Figures 4 and 5 effectively corresponds to the clamping arrangement 21 and includes a ram unit 21A with a piston 23 movable within a cylinder 24, the piston 23 being connected with a ram rod 27 which is slidably supported within the cylinder by an inwardly directed guide flange 24A. The piston 23 at its free end mounts wing like clamping means 37A which are intended to press against the blade in the vicinity of the tooth 4A. The ram rod 27 slidably mounts a secondary piston 38 which in turn mounts the elongate blade clamping means 26 which is intended to engage along the length of a tooth 4A so that the slightly tapered end thereof is located very close to the actual location to which the tip is secured to this tooth. The piston 23 is resiliently loaded by the spring 25 so that the clamp member 26 is effectively urged towards a retracted position, i.e., that shown in the drawing, Arrangements are provided for ducting pressurised hydraulic/pneumatic fluid into the cylinder 24 in such manner when the presssurised fluid is so introduced the piston 23 is displaced against its resilient loading by the spring 25 into a position in which it is able to cause the piston to cooperate with the stop surface 35. At this position the wing members 37A effectively define the reference position for the blade 3. As has been mentioned the travel of the piston is limited by the stop surface 35. Once the piston reaches this stop surface 35 the pressurised fluid is able to exert sufficient pressure on the secondary piston 38 to cause it firmly to press the elongate member 26 towards and against the tooth 4A thereby to hold the latter firmly against the clamping arrangements located to the otherside of the blade. The clamp arrangement disclosed in Figure 4 is effectively similar to the arrangement 30 and in practice has the same function.

Claims: A saw blade clamp assembly for apparatus including tools (6) for the machining of the side faces of hard material tips (5) provided upon the teeth (4A) of saw blades (3), the clamp assembly (7) including first clamp means (17) for clamping the body of the blade in the vicinity of the gullet regions of the next tooth to be machined, to prevent displacement of the blade with respect to the machining tools of the the apparatus, characterised by a second clamping means (21) for clampingly cooperating with the actual tooth (4A) which has been positioned for the actual machining operation on the side faces of the associated tip (5), and in that the clamping action effectable by the second clamping means (21) is such as effectively to clamp the complete length of the tooth (4A) thereby to prevent any undesired movements of the tooth relative to the remainder of the blade (3) during a machining operation. A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 1, and characterised in that the first and second clamping means (17,21) are so mounted to the machine frame (1) as to enable them to be simultaneously readily displaceable with respect to a blade (5), and in that the second clamping means (21) is independently operable to effect its clamping action after the first clamping means (17) has been moved to its clamping position. A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, and characterised in that the first and second clampng means (17,21) being so mounted to the machine frame (1) as to enable them to be simultaneously readily displaceable with respect to said main frame (1) between the position at which the clamping means (17,21) can effect their respective clamping actions and a position remote from the blade (3) thereby to facilitate the mounting and demounting of the blade with respect to the machine. A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3, and characterised in that the first and second clamping means (17,21) are commonly mounted to an arm (8) carried by support means (10) axially and rotatably mountable from the main frame (1) of the apparatus with which the clamp assembly (7) is associated, the arrangement being such that on rotational movement of the support means (10) both clamping means (17,21) are simultaneously bodily displaceable between their remote and operation positions, and such that on said axial movement of the support means (10) the first clamping means (17) is displaceable between its clamping and non-clamping position following a rotation of the support means (10) to its operational setting with respect to the machine frame (1). A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 4, and characterised in that the support means (10) includes a portion providing the piston (10) of a first ram unit (11). A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 4 or 5, and characterised in that the support means (10) is resiliently loaded (15) with respect to the main frame (1) the arrangement being such as to produce an initial clamping action by the first clamping means (17) upon a blade (3), and in that said support means (10) is mounted from a first ram unit (11) and is arranged for controlled displacement with respect to the main frame (1) for the purposes of causing the first clamping means (17) to effect its operational clamping action upon the root regions of the blade teeth (4A). A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 5 or 6, and characterised in that the second clamping means (21) includes an elongate member (26) arranged to form a clamp element extending lengthwise of the tooth (4A) with which it is to cooperate, and in that said elongate member (26) is carried by the piston (23) of a second ram unit (22) mounted from said arm (8). A saw blade clam assembly as claimed in claim 7, and characterised in that the second clamping member (21) includes a second ram unit (21A) whose cylinder (24) is carried by said arm (8) and whose piston (23) carries at the end region there of the elongate clamping member 26). A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in claim 8, and characterised in that the first and second ram units (11,21A) are operationally inter-related, and in that they derive their operational fluids from a common source (18). A saw blade clamp assembly as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, and characterised by the provision of spring means (15, 25) serving resiliently to load the respective piston rods (10,22) of the ram units (11,21A) in such manner as to draw the associate clamping means (17,21) and the arm (8) towards the main frame (1) and by the provision stop means (34, 35) for regulating the axial movement of the piston rods within their associated cylinders.

Inventors: ISELI BENNO, ISELI, BENNO
Applicants: ISELI & CO AG, ISELI & CO. AG
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B23D63
IPC codes: B23D63