US3709023A - Automatic bending and/or punching machines for producing shaped parts from wire or strip - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place and means is provided for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner.

Description

United States Patent 1 Thode 1 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] AUTOMATIC BENDING AND/OR PUNCHING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING SHAPED PARTS FROM WIRE OR STRIP [75] Inventor: Horst Thode,Wal1bach,Germany [73] Assignee: Heinz Finzer KG., Wallbach, Germany [22] Filed: June 10, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 45,032

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,396,570 8/1968 McCardell ..72/402 1,058,942 4/l.913 Brenzinger 1,457,579 6/1923 Kranz 789,013 5/1905 Einfeldt.... 1,527,364 2/1925 Kinzel 3,451,249 6/1969 Sharon 771,921 10/1904 McGovern 1,496,583 6/1924 Lukes ..72/402 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner--Michael J. Keenan Attorney-Thomas B. Graham [57] ABSTRACT An automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place and means is provided for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 9 197a SHEET 1 0F 3 F ig.3

Inventor.-

HORST THODE ATTORNEY PATENTED JAN 9 I975 snwaurs Fig. 4

lnvenlor; %W:ORST THODE ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 91975 $709,023

SHEET 3 0F 3 lnvenfor: HORST THO DE ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC BENDING AND/OR PUNCIIING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING SHAPED PARTS FROM WIRE OR STRIP DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip; by means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support table, the individual tools being connected to driven sliding carriages for movement by the latter in relation to the central work place.

Hitherto the tools connected to the tool sliding carriages by means of stationary holders were fed under guidance by the tool sliding carriages to the work place. With this design lateral forces are transmitted from the tools to the tool sliding carriages. In addition to this change over is relatively difficult, since the individual tools have to be released from the stationary holders of the tool sliding carriages.

The present invention provides an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools grouped around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place and means is provided for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner.

In this arrangement guidance of the tools is positive and lateral forces from the tools do not adversely effect the sliding carriages. In addition to this change over is facilitated, since the form locking connection between the tools and the accompanying sliding carriages can be quickly and easily released. It is also possible to use for the less stressed parts, such as the connections material of lower quality.

It would be of particular advantage if, in this arrangement, it was possible to utilize only one tool carrying plate with the most frequent of the machine operations occuring so that nothing but the tools and the shaping parts, such as a bending mandrel or the like, need to be kept in readiness separately as variable component parts. This can be effected in accordance with a further feature of the invention in that there may be provided in each of the most frequent working directions a guide in the tool carrying plate, all the guides terminating in a central cutout which passes through the tool carrying plate, and is preferably bent through a right-angle and in which can be accommodated the foot of a shaping part such as a bending mandrel or the like, said foot being larger than the base of the shaping part. With this arrangement, for the change over, it is merely necessary to insert the tools into the guide required in each case and to accommodate in the cutout a shaping part which advantageously possesses a foot shaped to correspond with the cutout and which is the same for all the insertable parts. The shaped part can, in this case, be braced with the foot in the tool carrying plate by screws at right angles to the axis of the shaping part. It is also possible to deliver it cyclically axially along the cutout for the actual machining operation.

A further simplification of the arrangement can be attained if there is provided in axial alignment with the cutout a holder intended for cyclic delivery of an ejector, bending mandrel or the like; said holder having at its head end a multiplicity of securing holes and in which can be fixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or the like, which is wider than the base. Since according to the type of a shaping part, for example braced in the cutout, an axially blockable ejector must have variable position, which again does not permit the provision of an always identical hole arrangement for securing screws in the ejector foot, the multiplicity of securing holes in the head of the holder offers the facility of having in the foot of the ejector a hole arrangement which will always align with the holes of the holder. In this way, it is merely necessary for the adjustment to a different machining operation, to hold the required shaped parts and associated ejector on bearings by which the change over of the bending mandrel is possible with a minimum of holding in the bearings and less change over time.

Two examples embodiment of the invention are depicted schematically in the accompanying drawings by way of example wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic bending and punching machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrows 11-11 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of a part of the machine in the direction of the arrows III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of automatic bending and punching machine constructed in accordance with the invention in the direction of the arrows IV-IV of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is an axial section along line V-V in FIG. 4.

The automatic bending and punching machine of FIGS. 1 to 3 has a round table 1 with a tool carrying plate 2 secured thereon, in which are machined guides 3 for tools 4, which can be shaped dies, bending dies, shearing blades, cutting dies or the like and which, with the help of accompanying driven sliding carriages 5, can be delivered to a central work place 6 or can be moved back therefrom. The individual tools 4 are attached through claw-like formed ends turned away from the work place in suitably constructed connection parts 7, which on their side are firmly connected to the sliding carriages 5. In FIG. 1 are depicted various forms for the form locking connections; in this case the tools can be attached at the right or at the left, at the top or at the bottom and as shown in the drawing can be attached in tandem. It is also possible to form lockingly connect several tools 4 to one sliding carriage 5, as is indicated in FIG. 1 upper left. In the case of several tools suspended on one sliding carriage, it is expedient to provide an adjustment facility 8.

The tool carrying plate 2 can be covered by a cover plate 9, as shown in FIG. 2; in this way the guides 3 are jointly covered. Simply by lifting the cover plate 9 all the tools 4 can be exposed and then, for the purpose of the change over, subsequent sharpening or exchange can be removed by loosening the form locking connections with the sliding carriages 5 from the guides 3 in the tool carrying plate 2.

In the machine shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 a round table II is provided with a tool carrying plate 12 fastened thereon, in which are machined guides 13 for tools 14; only one of the guides being shown. The individual tools 14 are, as also in the case of the first embodiment, attached through'their claw-shaped ends turned away from the work place to suitably constructed connection parts 5, which are firmly connected with the accompanying tool sliding carriages, not shown. .The tool carrying plate can be covered by a cover plate 16, as shown in FIG. 5,which covers the guides, 13 so that simply by lifting the cover plate 6 all the tools can be exposed.

In the present case the guides 13 are provided in the most frequently occurring working directions of which, then, as the case may be the guides necessary at the time are fitted with tools 4. It has proved that the most frequent working directions lie at right angles to the work piece: feed side 17 as well as at acute angle a of 60 hereto. All guides and the tool feed side end in a cutout .18 of the tool carrying plate 12. This cutout l8, conveniently has a right-angled cross-section and serves to accommodate the foot of a shaping piece, such as bending mandrel or the like, which is not shown and whose foot can be braced in this cutout with setscrews l9. The cutout 18 passes through the tool carrying plate and lies c oaxially to a hole 20 in the table 11, through which, with an axially guided holder 21, there can be blocked, for example, an ejector which is not shown. The holder 21 is axially guided in a guide 23 secured to the table 11 by means of screws 23 and is actuated through the follower roll 24 by a cam, which is not shown, and held with the help of return springs 25 in predisposition on the cam, where the return springs 25 are supported on one side in a holding fixture 26 of thetable l and on the other side inbores 27 of the holder.

In the head 28., of the holder 21 there is provided in accordance. with FIG. a multiplicity of threaded holes 29 arranged in accordance with a system, so that the foot of an ejector or of another working element to be delivered to the cutout 18 can be secured on the holder 21. The threaded holes 29 are arranged in groups of eight holes each symmetrically to two axes at right angles to each other and permit it to have available for all conceivable arrangements of ejectors or other working elements a sufficient selection of holes for securing them.

The cover plate 16 is secured with simple screws 30 to the tool carrying plate which, in order to facilitate the change over, is advantageously made in two parts,

where the parting plane 31 advantageously liesin the central longitudinal plane of the work peice feed side 17. The tool carrying plate 2 is likewise secured advantageously with the help of screws on the table 1 1.

Basically, the measures in accordance with the invention, which reside in the fact of providing a central cutout in the tool carrying plate for the gripping varied shaping pieces with, in each case, an identical foot and of equipping an axially adjustable holder with groups of holes for securing working elements, are also usable in other bending tools.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of various kinds of differently shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools groups around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, the improvement wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place, a removable cover plate attachable to the tool carrying plate for covering the guides and means for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner, the tool carrying plate guide being provided in two main directions which intersect at right angles and in each of the quadrants thus formed there is a further guide which forms an angle of about 30 or 60 with the respective main directions, all the guides terminating in a central cut-out which passes through the tool carrying plate, in which cut-out can be accomodated the foot of a shaping piece, such as bending mandrel or the like, there being provided in axial alignment with the cut-out a holder for cyclic delivery of an ejector, a bending mandrel or the like, said holder having at its head end a multiplicity of securing holes, in which can be fixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or like working element.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, the improvement wherein securing holes are arranged in four groups symmetrically to the main direction of working and the holes of each group are distributed symmetrically to an intersection of axes staggered parallel in relation to the main directions.

Claims (2)

1. In an automatic bending and/or punching machine for the production of various kinds of differently shaped parts from wire or strip by means of tools groups around a central work place of a support table and connected to driven sliding carriages for movement in relation to the central work place, the improvement wherein a tool carrying plate with guide channels for accommodation of the tools is provided co-axially with the work place, a removable cover plate attachable to the tool carrying plate for covering the guides and means for connecting the tools to the sliding carriages in a form locking manner, the tool carrying plate guide being provided in two main directions which intersect at right angles and in each of the quadrants thus formed there is a further guide which forms an angle of about 30* or 60* with the respective main directions, all the guides terminating in a central cut-out which passes through the tool carrying plate, in which cut-out can be accomodated the foot of a shaping piece, sucH as bending mandrel or the like, there being provided in axial alignment with the cut-out a holder for cyclic delivery of an ejector, a bending mandrel or the like, said holder having at its head end a multiplicity of securing holes, in which can be fixed the foot of an ejector, bending mandrel or like working element.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, the improvement wherein securing holes are arranged in four groups symmetrically to the main direction of working and the holes of each group are distributed symmetrically to an intersection of axes staggered parallel in relation to the main directions.

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