FR2718662A1 - Modular machine tool for shaping elongate profiled components - Google Patents

Abstract

A series of tool modules are supported on a mounting plate (7), articulated next to each other. The angle between the longitudinal axis of each module and that of its neighbours is variable within predetermined limits, and each module includes adjustable fasteners (27-34) for securing it to the mounting plate in its required relative angular position.A bearing component (9) which receives the profiled workpiece (1) is attached to each module by a fastening assembly which is adjustable in two orthogonal directions. Each module is formed by a base (12) with a support column (13) adjustable in the direction of its longitudinal axis, and with a height-adjustable slider (14) to which the bearing component is attachable.

Description

Tools for bending by drawing profiles.

 The present invention relates to a tool for bending by stretching the profiles. The invention applies in the case where the bending is carried out by means of a form arranged on a rotary table. The turntable is equipped with a jaw to hold one end of the profile and the other end is held by another jaw located outside the turntable and possibly comprising an adjustment means in vertical position to allow bending profiles according to a left curve. After tensioning the profile between the jaws, the table is rotated for 1 the winding of the profile against the curvature of the shape.

 I1 is of course necessary that the profile of the shape corresponds to the desired bending. If the profiles to be bent are varied it is necessary to have many forms, this can be justified if the series are large because the cost of manufacturing a form is high but in the case of medium or low series, less than two hundred coins for example, it becomes too expensive.

 The present invention provides a modular tool constituting a shape whose curvature profile can be modified at will. The tool of the invention is intended to be fixed on a turntable of a conventional machine for drawing profiles.

 The invention thus relates to a tool for bending by drawing profiles, characterized in that it comprises, mounted on a mounting plate, a plurality of modules having a longitudinal axis A, hinged side by side to each other , the respective axes of two consecutive modules making between them an angle a which can vary from 0 to K, means making it possible to fix said modules on said mounting plate in their chosen angular position, each module comprising means for fixing in a way dismountable a support piece for a profile to be bent, adapted to the section of said profile, and in that each module comprises means allowing the position of said support piece to be adjusted in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the plane of said mounting plate and means allowing adjustment according to the direction of the axis A of the module.

 According to a particular embodiment, each module comprises a base on which is slidably mounted, with the possibility of longitudinal adjustment along the axis A, a support column, said column carrying a slide adjustable in height, along Z, along the support column, said support piece coming to be fixed on said slide, and the articulation of the modules to each other being made at the level of said bases.

 According to another characteristic, the upper ends of the columns are connected by a chain of adjustable length.

 According to another characteristic, a lower reaction plate is located on said mounting plate at the rear of said bases, an upper reaction plate being situated horizontally upwards of said support columns at their rear relative to said support piece, said lower and upper reaction sheets having a profile which is homothetic to the curvature to be given, in the plane, of said section, the upper sheet being separated from the lower sheet by support spacers and the assembly being fixed by screws on said mounting plate , each base and each support column being equipped with a support adjustment screw against said sheets.

We will now give the description of an exemplary implementation of the invention with reference to the appended drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a known one-piece tool for bending a profile.

 Figure 2 is a top view of the tool according to the invention.

 Figure 3 shows a schematic elevation view of the tool of Figure 2 showing bending in a plane.

 Figure 4 shows a schematic elevation view of the tool of Figure 2 showing a left bend.

 FIG. 5 shows in elevation a module of the tooling according to the invention.

 Figure 6 shows a partial top view of the tool according to the invention.

 Figure 7 is a sectional view along VII-VII of Figure 5.

 Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the support column of a module, with its slide and the support piece for the profile to be bent.

 FIG. 9 shows in exploded perspective the clamping system of a module on the mounting plate (not shown) and the fixing with axial adjustment, of the support column of a module on its base.

 Referring to FIG. 1, we see a known device for bending a profile 1.

 The assembly includes a rotary table 2 equipped with a fixed jaw 3 coming to grip one end of the profile. The other end of the profile is gripped by a movable jaw 4 exerting the necessary traction and having a degree of freedom in the vertical direction so as to allow the realization of left curves as is the case in the figure. On the rotary table is fixed a monobloc shape 5. Once the profile is tensioned, the table is rotated and the profile is wrapped around the shape 5 at the same time as the jaw 4 rises so as to follow the ascending dimension of the support surface of the form 5. The jaw 3 is also adjustable in Z.

 It may seem surprising that the manufacture of such a form is expensive. This stems from the fact that it is necessary to carry out several touch-ups of machining on the form after several tests.

 Figure 2 shows a device for bending a profile 1 using as form the tool of the invention to adapt to all curvatures.

 Of course, this tool is expensive but once made, only a few pieces of simple and inexpensive execution are to be executed. These are specific parts adapted to each curvature and to the section of the profile to be bent. These specific parts are much less expensive than a one-piece form 5 of the prior art.

 This tool 6 is assembled and mounted on a mounting plate 7 which is then fixed on the turntable 2. The tool 6 consists of a plurality of elementary modules 8 described below in detail with reference to the figures 5 to 9 and each comprising a specific support piece 9 for the section 1 to be bent. All of the elementary modules 8 are supported on two reaction sheets: an upper 10 visible in FIG. 2 and a lower 11 visible in FIG. 5.

 Figure 3 shows an example of bending the profile 1 in a horizontal plane and Figure 4 shows the case of bending along a left curve.

 We will now describe in detail the set of tools 6, mounted on the mounting plate 7, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

 Each elementary module 8 essentially comprises a base 12, a support column 13, a slide 14 and a specific support piece 9.

 The different elementary modules 8 are articulated side by side with each other at their base 12.

A base 12 is seen in perspective in the exploded figure 9.

 FIG. 6 shows a plurality of articulated assembled modules mounted on the mounting plate 7.

 Each module (both the base 12 and the support column 13) has a longitudinal axis d (FIGS. 6 and 7).

 The bases 12 have two lateral faces which are parallel to the front and which have a slope at the rear allowing the axes A of two consecutive modules to form an angle a which can vary from 0 to K '. The maximum angle K is of the order of 10-.

 The support columns 13 have the same slopes as the bases 12.

 The support columns 13 as well as the bases 12 have grooves 15 and 16 respectively (FIG. 9), into which keys 17, 18 are introduced.

Thus, the support column 13 of each module can slide axially along its base 12. This axial relative adjustment is allowed, and limited, by an oblong slot 19 which passes through the base 20 of the support column. The adjustment is fixed by a screw 21 (FIG. 5), which enters the oblong opening 19 and is screwed into a threaded hole 22 in the base 12.

 The articulation of the modules at their base 12 is made, see FIGS. 7 and 9 by a hinge clevis system 23.

 At their upper end (see FIGS. 5 and 6), the support columns 13 are connected by a chain, the links 24 of which carry an oblong hole 25 making it possible to adjust the length of the chain according to the respective angular arrangement of the different modules. Once the length has been adjusted, the links are tightened on each column 13 by a screw 26 (Figure 5).

 When all the modules have been placed with their angular position corresponding to the desired curvature, they are fixed to the mounting plate 7 by a clamping system, (FIGS. 5 and 9), comprising a disc 27 fixed to the mounting plate 7 by a screw 28 coming to be screwed in a tapped hole 29 of the base plate 7 which has a multitude of them (see FIG. 6). The disc 27 itself comprises a plurality of tapped holes 30 in one of which is screwed a screw 31 coming to tighten a clamping beam 32 on the one hand against a rear stop 33 simply placed on the disc 27 and on the other leaves against an adjustment pad 34 of the axis A fitted into a hole 35 in the base 12. The beam 32 is orientable, in fact, it bears against the pad 34 by means of a penetrating pivot 36 in a counterbore 37 of 34. The orientation is possible thanks to the fact that the clamping screw 31 crosses the beam 32 through an elongated slot 38 allowing the screw 31 to be screwed into one or other of the tapped holes 30 of the disc 27.

 It can be seen in FIG. 6 that each module is, of course, clamped on the mounting plate 7 but that there is not a disc 27 per module.

 A disc 27 can indeed be used for clamping several modules: up to three, it depends on the angular spacing of the modules. In this FIG. 6, the clamping of only two modules has been shown and the clamping of the other modules is only shown by an axis 39 representing the beam 32.

 The stud 34 carries an adjustment screw 40 which passes freely through it and is screwed into the foot 20 of the support column 13 to ensure its adjustment in the axial position on its base 12. The screw 11 is tightened only after this adjustment .

In FIG. 9 in exploded perspective, the adjusting screw 40 has not been shown but it can be seen in FIG. 5.

 Each support column 13 therefore carries a slide 14 (FIGS. 5 and 8) which is just fixed along the column by means of two T-nuts 41 and two screws 42.

 The assembly not tightened, we just introduce the T nuts 41 in a T groove 43 of the support column 13 and, once the height along the axis Z, perpendicular to the mounting plate 7, adjusted by means of an adjustment screw 44 passing through a nut 45 fixed by two screws 46 to the support column 13, and the lower end of which carries a cylindrical bearing surface 47 penetrating into a T-shaped groove 48 of the slide 14, the screws 42 are fully tightened.

 Prior to the fixing of the slide on the column 13, the specific support piece 9 is fixed on the slide 13 by means of two screws 49.

 The special support piece 9 is, of course, a particular piece whose profile depends on the section of the profile to be bent. However, this part, identical on all the modules, is simple to make and above all does not require any retouching. This part 9 carries a tenon 50 which is housed in one of the grooves 51 of the slide 14. This tenon participates, with the screws 42, in holding the vertical force during bending.

 As seen in Figure 8, the nut 45 can be placed at several height levels on the column 13, this is to choose the position of the nut depending on the position of the slide along the column so that the screw length 44 below the nut 45 is as short as possible. Indeed, the slide 14 is locked against the column 13 by tightening by means of the T-nuts 41 and the screws 42 but, in the event of significant vertical forces, the adjustment screw 44 also partially supports a force and it is therefore prudent to decrease the length of screw 44 under nut 45 to avoid buckling of the screw.

 In Figure 5 we see in section the section 1 to bend.

 Finally, the tool further comprises two flat reaction sheets 10 and 11 (FIGS. 5, 6, 7).

 These sheets are also specific specific parts depending on the bending. They have a homothetic profile of the curvature (in the plane) to give to the profile. These sheets are flame cut and are simple and inexpensive to execute.

 The lower reaction plate 11 is fixed to the mounting plate 7, therefore at the bases 12 of the modules 8.

 It supports the horizontal bending reactions.

 The upper reaction sheet 10 is identical but located at a higher level, towards the top of the support columns 13. It is separated from the lower reaction sheet 11 by support spacers 52, 52A.

The assembly is fixed by screws 53 coming to be screwed in the tapped holes 29 of the mounting plate 7.

 The upper reaction plate 10 also supports the horizontal bending reactions but also the vertical reactions.

 To this end, the support columns 13 have at the rear a support console 54 on which are placed shells of thickness 55 (Figure 5).

 The bases 12 each have an adjustment screw 56 for pressing against the lower reaction plate 11.

This adjusting screw comprises a ball-and-socket foot 57 making it possible to orient itself along the curvature of the sheet metal 11.

 Likewise, each support column 13 is equipped with an adjustment screw 58 for pressing against the upper reaction plate 10, with a ball-and-socket foot 59 clearly visible in FIG. 7. The screw 58 can be erased in a vertical plane it is screwed into a journal 60 introduced into a cylindrical bore 61 of the column 13. this system makes it possible to dock the ball joint 59 on the upper reaction plate 10, with the aim of resuming the radial reaction exerted on the module at time of bending. The height of the upper reaction plate 10 is adjusted by the spacers 52A which are chosen to be higher or lower depending on the level to be given to the reaction plate 10.

 The entire tooling is thus adjusted by playing on the angular position of the different modules, the axial position along the axis d of the support columns 13 on their respective base 12 and the position of each support piece 9 according to the vertical direction Z.

 Once the adjustment has been made, the mounting plate 7 is fixed to the rotary table 2 by means of screws 63.

Claims (6)

 1) Tool (6) for bending by drawing profiles (1) characterized in that it comprises, mounted on a mounting plate (7), a plurality of modules (8) having a longitudinal axis A, articulated side- side by side with each other, the respective axes of two consecutive modules making between them an angle a which can vary from 0 to K-, means (27 to 34) for fixing said modules on said mounting plate in their angular position chosen, each module comprising means (49) for removably fixing a support piece (9) for a profile (1) to be bent, adapted to the section of said profile and in that each module comprises means ( 44) allowing the adjustment of the position of said support piece in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the plane of said mounting plate and means (40) allowing adjustment according to the direction of the axis A of the module.  2) Tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that each module comprises a base (12) on which is slidably mounted, with the possibility of longitudinal adjustment along the axis A, a support column (13), said column carrying a slide ( 14) adjustable in height, along Z, along the support column (13), said support piece (9) being fixed on said slide (14), and in that the articulation (23) of the modules ( 8) to each other is made at said bases (12).  3) Tool according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper ends of said columns (13) are connected by a chain (24) of adjustable length.  4) Tool according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a lower reaction plate (11) is located on said mounting plate (7), behind said bases (12), a upper reaction sheet (10) being situated horizontally upwards of said support columns (13) at their rear relative to said support piece (9), said lower and upper reaction sheets having a homothetic profile of the curvature, in the plane, to be given to said profile (1), the upper sheet (10) being separated from the lower sheet by support spacers (52, 52A) and the assembly being fixed by screws (53) on said mounting plate (7 ), each base (12) and each support column (13) being equipped with an adjustment screw (56, 58) bearing against said sheets (11, 10).  5) Tooling according to claim 4, characterized in that each support column (13) comprises at the rear a console (54) of support allowing the recovery of vertical forces by means of shims of thicknesses (55) between said console and the upper reaction plate (10).  6) Tooling according to claim 2, characterized in that said means for fixing said modules (8) on said mounting plate (7) comprise, for each module, a beam (32) clamping said base (12) against said mounting plate (7).