Patent ID: 7047785

Claim:
An installation for processing metal bars for concrete reinforcement, comprising: first means for transferring the bars (B) from a first station ( 20 ) which receives bars which are to be subjected to a bending operation in said installation to a bending station, comprising a bending unit ( 22 ), and second means for transferring bars (B) from said bending station, once the bars have been bent therein, to a third unloading station ( 28 ), wherein said first means for transferring comprise: a supporting frame ( 13 ) in the installation, a gripper ( 2 ), including: a gripper supporting structure ( 5 ) guided on said supporting frame, so as to be movable in the installation, relative to the bending station along a first direction (A) which is horizontal and parallel to a longitudinal direction of the bars in the installation and along a second direction (X) which is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (A) of the bars, and a pair of jaws ( 2 a ) mounted on said gripper supporting structure ( 5 ) and movable between an opened condition and a closed condition, wherein said pair of jaws ( 2 a ) of each gripper ( 2 ) are mounted on a wrist member ( 3 ) which in turn is pivotally mounted on said gripper supporting structure ( 5 ) around a substantially horizontal axis of articulation ( 4 ), and wherein means are provided for controlling the rotation of said wrist member of each gripper about said axis of articulation ( 4 ) so as to be capable of orienting said gripper ( 2 ) in an angular position around said axis of articulation ( 4 ) relative to the gripper supporting structure, while the gripper supporting structure is movable along said longitudinal and transverse directions (A, X) relative to the bending station, wherein the gripper ( 2 ) is able to be moved along any of said two directions (A, X) to grip the bars (B) at said first station ( 20 ), keeping them substantially side by side with respect to each other in a plane having a first orientation, and to deposit said bars (B) at said bending station always keeping them substantially side by side with respect to each other in a plane having a second orientation which can be different from said first orientation, and wherein the same grippers ( 2 ) are arranged so that they can be used both as the first means for transferring the bars (B) from the first station ( 20 ) to the bending station and as the second means for transferring the bars (B) from said bending station to the third unloading station ( 28 ), wherein the supporting frame for the gripper is a frame overlying the first station, the bending station and the unloading station.