Patent Publication Number: US-5836195-A

Title: Automatic cutter rotating mechanism for wire forming machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject invention relates to a type of automatic cutter rotating mechanism for wire forming machine, particularly to one that enables more convenient operation and applications. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     A wire forming machine is a machine that bends the wire material into desired shapes and forms, such as springs or other parts. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the prior art of wire forming machine comprises several sets (8 sets) of forming units, 11a on the machine body 10a; each of said forming units 11a has a cam 12a that is driven by a servo motor (not shown in drawing), on the side of the cam 12a is a moving arm 13a; one end of the moving arm 13a is fitted with a roller 14a; the roller 14a is located on the working curve of the cam 12a; when the cam 12a rotates, the roller 14a will move up and down along the curve of the cam 12a, to drive the linked lever 15a on the other end of the moving arm 13a; the other end of the linked lever 15a is connected to a cutter unit 16a; on the cutter unit 16a is fixed with a forming cutter 17a; the linked lever 15a drives the forming cutter 17a to move up and down; so that the wire material delivered from the wire delivering device on the rear of the rotating spindle 18a is bent and formed by the forming cutter 17a. 
     However, in said prior art of wire forming machine, the forming units 11a will operate only within a restricted angle; in case of eight sets of forming units 11a, the forming cutter 17a will form the wire material only within a preset 45-degree angle, and will not operate the forming process at other angles; therefore, the applications of the wire forming machine are restricted, and the operation is less convenient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main purpose of the subject invention is to provide a type of automatic cutter rotating mechanism for wire forming machine, comprising mainly a rotating unit that will rotate freely at all angles (360 degrees) on the machine body of the wire forming machine; and the cutter unit of each forming unit is located on the rail on the rotating unit; the driving transmission unit and cutter unit of each forming unit are connected by a roller and groove; the roller can move freely within the arched groove; so that even if the transmission unit is not preset at a specified angle, the force from the transmission unit will be transmitted to the cutter unit; thus the forming unit will be able to operate the wire forming process at an angle beyond the preset angle; so the wire forming machine will be less restricted in its applications; furthermore, each set of cutter unit, forming unit and roller can be connected at random with any set of transmission unit and groove on the outside circumference, instead of one-to-one combinations; so its operation is more convenient; besides, the forming cutter of the subject invention employs a compulsory pulling back method for reset functions, so there is no worry that it will be stuck on the wire material. 
     The design approaches and functions employed in the subject invention to achieve the above purpose and configuration are described below in details with drawings: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is the front view of a prior art of wire forming machine. 
     FIG. 2 is the front view of a single forming unit of a prior art of wire forming machine. 
     FIG. 3 is the front view of the subject invention. 
     FIG. 4 is the front view of a single forming unit of the subject invention. 
     FIG. 5 is the side view of a single forming unit of the subject invention. 
     FIG. 6 is the perspective view of a single forming unit of the subject invention. 
     FIG. 7 is the front view of a single forming unit of another embodiment of the subject invention. 
     
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Brief Description of Numerals                                             
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10  machine body                                                          
            11  forming unit                                              
                         12  third servo motor                            
13  transmission gear                                                     
            14  transmission gear                                         
                         15  transmission shaft                           
16  cam     17  cam groove                                                
                         18  first rail                                   
19  transmission unit                                                     
            20  first roller                                              
                         21  second rail                                  
22  cutter unit                                                           
            23  forming cutter                                            
                         24  reset spring                                 
25  rotating spindle                                                      
            26  rotating unit                                             
                         27  second roller                                
28  groove  29  first servo motor                                         
                         30  driving wheel                                
31  driven wheel                                                          
            32  driving belt                                              
                         33  second servo motor                           
34  transmission gear                                                     
            35  transmission gear                                         
                         36  transmission shaft                           
37  transmission gear                                                     
            38  transmission gear                                         
                         39  material feeding tube                        
40  wire material                                                         
            41  moving arm                                                
                         42  driven roller                                
43  feeding roller                                                        
10a machine body                                                          
            11a forming unit                                              
                         12a cam                                          
13a moving arm                                                            
            14a roller   15a linked lever                                 
16a cutter unit                                                           
            17a forming cutter                                            
                         18a rotating spindle                             
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     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the subject invention relates to providing a type of automatic cutter rotating mechanism for wire forming machine, wherein, on the machine body 10 of said wire forming machine is fitted a rotating spindle 25 that protrudes to the front; inside said rotating spindle 25 is a material feeding tube 39; on the circumference of the rotating spindle 25 at the front of said machine body 10 is a round rotating unit 26; said rotating unit 26 can be rotated freely in all angles (360 degrees); on the rear of the machine body is fixed a first servo motor 29; at the axis of said first servo motor 29 is fixed a driving wheel 30; on the rear of the rotating unit 26 is fixed a driven wheel 31; the driving wheel 30 and the driven wheel 31 is connected by a driving belt 32; when the first servo motor 29 rotates, the driving force can be transmitted from the driving wheel 30 to the driven wheel 31, the driving belt 32 and such transmission mechanism to drive the rotating unit 26 to rotate an appropriate angle. 
     On the rear of the machine body 10 is fixed a second servo motor 33; said second servo motor 33 is connected via transmission gears 34 and 35 to a transmission shaft 36; said transmission shaft 36 is fitted onto the machine body 10; the other end of the transmission shaft 36 is connected via transmission gears 37 and 38 to the rotating spindle 25; when the second servo motor 33 rotates, the driving force is transmitted via the transmission gears 34 and 35, the transmission shaft 36, the transmission gears 37 and 38, and such transmission mechanism to drive the rotating spindle 25 to rotate. 
     On the machine body 10 and the rotating unit 26 are several sets (eight sets) of forming units 11; each of said forming units 11 has a third servo motor 12 that is fitted on the rear of the machine body 10; the first servo motor 12 is connected via transmission gears 13 and 14 to a transmission shaft 15; said transmission shaft 15 is fitted on the machine body 10; the other end of the transmission shaft 15 is fixed with a cam 16; on the rear of the cam 16 is a cam groove 17; on the front of the machine body is fixed a first rail 18; the sliding on the first rail 18 is coordinated by a transmission unit 19; the transmission unit 19 can be guided by the first rail 18 to move up and down; on the front of the transmission unit 19 is fixed a first roller 20; the first roller 20 is fitted inside the cam groove 17 of the cam; when the third servo motor 12 rotates, the driving force is transmitted via transmission gears 13 and 14, the transmission shaft 15 and such transmission mechanism to drive the cam 16 to rotate; when the cam 16 rotates, the first roller 20 will move up and down along the curve of the cam groove 17. 
     Each of said forming units 11 has a second rail 21; said second rail 21 is fitted on the front of the rotation unit 26; the second rail 21 is coordinated by a cutter unit 22; on the cutter unit 22 is fixed a forming cutter 23; below the cutter unit 22 is fixed a second roller 27; said second roller 27 is located in the arched groove 28 on the rear of the transmission unit 19; when the first cam 16 rotates, it drives the first roller 20 to move up and down, then the first roller 20 will drive the transmission unit 19 to move up and down; the transmission unit 19 then drives the second roller via the groove 28, and the cutter unit 22 and the forming cutter 23 are driven to move up and down. On the transmission unit 26 are two reset springs 24; the ends of said two reset springs 24 are fixed to the rotation unit 26, while the other ends are connected to the cutter unit 22 to pull the cutter unit 22 to reset to its original position; by said configuration, the automatic cutter rotating mechanism for the wire forming machine is constituted. 
     The wire material 40 to be processed is delivered by the wire feeding device of feeding roller 43 at the rear of the rotating spindle 25, and fed in from the rear of the material supplying tube 39, then delivered out from the front of the material supplying tube 39; and the second servo motor 33 drives the rotating spindle 25 to adjust to an appropriate angle; then, the third servo motor 12 drives the forming cutter 23 to move up and down, so that the wire material 40 delivered from the rotating spindle 25 is pushed by the forming cutter 23, thus is bent and formed to produce springs or other parts. The subject invention relates mainly to a rotating unit 26 that can rotate freely at all angles (360 degrees); and the transmission unit 19 of each forming unit 11 and the cutter unit 22 are connected by a second roller 27 and the groove 28; the second roller 27 can move freely in the arched groove 28; whenever the second roller 27 is located at any point in the groove 28, the transmission unit 19 can drive said second roller 27 in the groove 28; therefore, even if the rotating unit 26 is not preset at a specified angle, the force of the transmission unit 19 will still transmit force to the cutter unit 22 and the forming cutter 23; in case of eight sets of forming units 11, even if the angle is beyond the specified 45 degrees, the forming operation will be processed if only the second roller 27 does not go out of the arched groove 28; so the wire forming machine is not restricted in its applications; furthermore, each cutter unit 22, forming cutter 23 and the second roller 27 that are fixed on the rotating unit 26 can be connected at random with any one set of the transmission unit 19 and groove 28, instead of one-to-one combinations, thus enabling more convenient operation; besides, the forming cutter 23 is reset by compulsory pulling method, so there will not be the occurrence of stuck wire material 40. 
     Furthermore, referring to FIG. 7 which is another embodiment of the subject invention, wherein, between the cam 16 and the transmission unit 19 is a moving arm 41; said moving arm 41 is fitted on one side of the transmission unit 19; one end of the moving arm 41 is joined to a driven roller 42; the driven roller 42 is fitted inside the cam groove 17 of the cam 16; when the cam 16 rotates, the driven roller 42 will move up and down along the working curve of the cam groove 17, to drive the transmission unit 19, connected to the other end of the moving arm 41, to move up and down. 
     Summing up, the subject invention is actually an unprecedented novelty product with improvement on the weaknesses in conventional types of wire forming machine which forming units operate within a restricted angle, and which applications are restricted; with its novelty and originality that will fully satisfy the requirements for the application for a patent right, this application is filed in accordance with the Patent Law to protect the subject inventor&#39;s rights and interests. Your favorable consideration should be appreciated. 
     It is hereby declared that the above description, covering merely the preferred embodiments of the subject invention, should not be based to restrict or limit the subject claim, and that all equivalent configurational variations deriving from the subject description with drawings and contents therein should reasonably be included in the subject claim.