DIVIDING-UP DEVICE AND BRUSH-MANUFACTURING MACHINE HAVING A DIVIDING-UP DEVICE

Abstract

Improvements in the technical field of brush manufacture are provided by a dividing-up device (1), which includes a dividing-up disc (5) with at least two dividing-up indents (6) formed at its circumference. In order for it to be possible to adapt an effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents (6) as desired, the dividing-up device (1) also includes an adjusting device (8), which is designed to adjust the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents (6) that is available for dividing up clusters (2) of bristles.

Claims

1. A dividing-up device (1) for dividing up clusters (2) of bristles from a bristle supply (3), the dividing-up device (1) comprises: a bristle magazine (4) for receiving a bristle supply (3); a dividing-up disc (5) comprising dividing-up indents (6) on a circumference thereof, the dividing-up disc (5) being movable with the dividing-up indents (6) past a removal opening (7) of the bristle magazine (4) for dividing up clusters (2) of bristles from the bristle supply (3) located in the bristle magazine (4); and an adjusting device (8), which is designed to adjust an effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents (6) that is available for dividing up of the clusters (2) of bristles.

2. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjusting device (8) for adjusting the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents (6) comprises at least one adjuster that is movable relative to at least one of the dividing-up indents (6).

3. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjusting device (8) for each of the dividing-up indents (6) has a slider (10) that is movable relative to the respective dividing-up indent (6), for adjusting the effective indent volume of the respective dividing-up indent (6).

4. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one adjuster is a slider (10) which is displaceable relative to at least one of the dividing-up indents (6) for adjusting the effective indent volume of the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6), and the slider (10) is displaceable at least one of into or against the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6) for adjusting the effective indent volume of the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6), radially outwardly starting from a center point (11) of the dividing-up disc (5).

5. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dividing-up disc (5) has at least one sliding guide (12) for the at least one slider (10).

6. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the adjusting device (8) comprises at least one restoring element (13), against a restoring force of which, the at least one slider (10) is displaceable for adjusting, the effective indent volume of the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6).

7. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adjusting device (8) comprises at least one displacement mechanism (14) which is designed to displace the at least one adjuster relative to the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6).

8. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one displacement mechanism (14) comprises a spindle drive (15) with a rotatable spindle (16) and a spindle nut (17), the spindle nut (17) is connected via a lever (18) to the at least one adjuster, in order to displace the at least one adjuster, by a rotation of the spindle (16) and a resultant axial movement of the spindle nut (17) with respect to the spindle (16), relative to at least one of the dividing-up indents (6).

9. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spindle drive (15) comprises an actuator (19) for driving the spindle (16).

10. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the adjusting device (8) comprises a locking mechanism (20) which is designed to lock the at least one adjuster an adjusted position thereof, and the locking mechanism (20) is designed to lock a rotational position of the spindle (16) of the spindle drive (15).

11. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjuster comprises, an adjusting disc (21) which has a number of adjusting indents (22) which corresponds in at least one of a number, arrangement, geometry, or dimension to a corresponding at least one of a number, arrangement, geometry, or dimension of the dividing-up indents (6) of the dividing-up disc (5).

12. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the adjusting disc (21) is rotatable relative to the dividing-up disc (5) in order to change a relative position of the adjusting indents (22) to the dividing-up indents (6) of the dividing-up disc (5) and thereby adjust the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents (6).

13. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the adjusting device (8) comprises a control device for changing a relative rotational position of the dividing-up disc (5) with respect to the adjusting disc (21), and the control device is part of a, displacement mechanism (14).

14. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control device is rotatably mounted on the dividing-up disc (5) and an eccentric cam (24) of the control device is guided in a slot (25) of the adjusting disc (21), in order to convert a rotary movement of the control device into a rotary movement of the adjusting disc (21) relative to the dividing-up disc (5).

15. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one adjuster is continuously movable.

16. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adjusting device (8) has at least one setting indicator (26) which is designed to display at least one of a setting of the at least one adjuster or to an adjusted effective indent volume of the at least one of the dividing-up indents (6).

17. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dividing-up disc (5) has at least two of the_dividing-up indents (6) having different sizes.

18. The dividing-up device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transport device (27) which is designed to transport the clusters (2) of bristles held ready in the dividing-up indents (6) to a downstream processing station (29) of a brush-manufacturing machine (28).

19. A brush-manufacturing machine (28) comprising at least one of the dividing-up devices (1) as claimed in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The invention is explained below in greater detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments, but is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. Further exemplary embodiments result from combining the features of individual or of several claims with one another and/or by combining individual or several features of the exemplary embodiments.

[0043] In the figures:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a dividing-up device, which comprises a dividing-up disc with a total of nine dividing-up indents formed on its periphery, wherein the dividing-up device is equipped with an adjusting device for adjusting the effective indent volumes of its dividing-up indents,

[0045] FIG. 2 shows the detail marked in FIG. 1 with the circle K1 in an enlarged representation, wherein it can be seen that the adjusting means of the adjusting device assigned to each dividing-up indent are in each case inserted into the respective dividing-up indents to different extents, such that each of the dividing-up indents has a different effective indent volume,

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the dividing-up device shown in FIG. 1, wherein here the individual clusters of bristles are already removed from the dividing-up indents of the dividing-up disc by means of a transport device of the dividing-up device,

[0047] FIG. 4 shows the detail marked in FIG. 3 with the circle K2 in an enlarged representation,

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a representation of the dividing-up disc of the dividing-up device shown in the previous figures, in isolation and partially cut in the edge region, wherein functional elements of the adjusting device can be seen on an upper flat side of the dividing-up disc,

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a sectional side view of the functional elements of the dividing-up device shown in FIG. 5,

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a top view of a further dividing-up disc that can be used on the dividing-up device in the previous figures,

[0051] FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of a control means in the form of an eccentric, with which a relative position of the adjusting disc shown in FIG. 9 in relation to the dividing-up disc shown in FIG. 7 is changeable,

[0052] FIG. 9 shows a top view of an adjusting disc which, with regard to its adjusting indents, is identical to the dividing-up indents of the dividing-up disc shown in in FIG. 7 and serves as adjusting means of the adjusting device of a dividing-up device in the sense of the invention,

[0053] FIG. 10 shows a top view of the dividing-up disc from FIG. 7 and the adjusting disc from FIG. 9 arranged in complete overlap, wherein the eccentric from FIG. 8 is rotatably mounted on the dividing-up disc and is arranged in a position in which it holds the adjusting disc relative to the dividing-up disc arranged in such a position that the adjusting indents and the dividing-up indents are arranged in complete overlap relative to one another, so that a maximum effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents is available,

[0054] FIGS. 11-13 show the two discs shown in FIG. 10 in different relative rotational positions in relation to each other to illustrate the possibilities for adjusting the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents of the dividing-up disc, and

[0055] FIG. 14 shows a schematic view of a brush-manufacturing machine comprising a processing station and a dividing-up device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In the following description of various embodiments of the invention, elements having the same function are denoted by like reference numbers, even if their design or shaping differs.

[0057] FIGS. 1-14 show at least parts of a dividing-up device denoted as a whole by 1, which is designed for dividing up clusters 2 of bristles from a bristle supply 3.

[0058] The dividing-up device 1 has a bristle magazine 4 for holding a bristle supply 3 of loose bristle filaments and a dividing-up disc 5. The dividing-up disc 5 has, on its circumference, a plurality of dividing-up indents 6, in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures a total of nine dividing-up indents 6. The dividing-up disc 5 can be moved with its total of nine dividing-up indents 6 past a removal opening 7 of the bristle magazine 4 for dividing up clusters 2 of bristles from the bristle supply 3 located in the bristle magazine 4.

[0059] The dividing-up device 1 has an adjusting device 8, which is designed for setting an indent volume of the dividing-up indents 6 that is effective for dividing up clusters 2 of bristles.

[0060] The adjusting device 8, for adjusting the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents 6, has at least one adjusting means 9, which is movable relative to at least one of the dividing-up indents 6.

[0061] FIGS. 1-6 show adjusting means 9 in a first embodiment, while FIGS. 9-13 show an adjusting means 9 in a second embodiment. The indent volumes of the individual dividing-up indents 6 can be individually specified using the adjusting means shown in FIGS. 1-6. The adjusting means 9 shown in FIGS. 9-13 can be used to adjust the indent volumes of the dividing-up indents simultaneously and uniformly.

[0062] In the exemplary embodiment of the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6, the adjusting device 8 for adjusting the effective indent volume of the total of nine dividing-up indents 6 comprises, in each case, an adjusting means 9 in form a slider 10 movable relative to the respective dividing-up indent 6.

[0063] The adjusting device 8 in the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6 is designed for individual adjustment of the effective indent volume of each of the total of 9 dividing-up indents 6.

[0064] To adjust the indent volume of the dividing-up indents 6, the sliders 10 can be moved relative to the respective dividing-up indents 6. To adjust the respective indent volume of the individual dividing-up indents 6, the respective slider can be moved starting from a center point 11 of the dividing-up disc 5 radially outwardly into the respective dividing-up indent 6.

[0065] The dividing-up disc 5 has, for each slider 10, in each case a sliding guide 12, which is formed according to the sectional view of the dividing-up disc 5 of FIG. 6 within the dividing-up disc 5. The adjusting device 8 of the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6 has, for each slider 10, in each case a restoring means 13 in form of a tension spring. The sliders 10, for adjustment, in particular for reduction, of the effective indent volume of the respective dividing-up indent 6, can be displaced relative thereto against the restoring force of the respective restoring means 13 oriented in the radial direction toward the center point 11 of the dividing-up disc 5. The restoring means 13 serve to keep the respective sliders 10 positioned without play, whereby the adjusted effective indent volume of the respective dividing-up indent 6 can be kept constant in each case, even if the dividing-up disc 5 is moved to divide up clusters 2 of bristles.

[0066] All of the adjusting means 9 shown in the figures, also the adjusting means 9 shown in FIGS. 9-13, are continuously movable for continuous adjustment of the effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents 6.

[0067] The adjusting device 8 has a displacement mechanism 14, which is designed to displace the respective adjusting means 9, in particular if it is formed as slider 10, relative to the individual dividing-up indents 6.

[0068] In the exemplary embodiment of the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6, the displacement mechanism 14 comprises a spindle drive 15. The spindle drive 15 comprises a rotatable spindle 16, which is designed as a threaded spindle, and a spindle nut 17. The spindle nut 17 is connected via a lever 18 to the adjusting means 9, here to the respective slider 10, in order to displace the adjusting means 9 by a rotation of the spindle 16 and a resultant, in respect of the spindle 16, axial movement of the spindle nut 17 relative to the respective dividing-up indent 6.

[0069] The lever 18 is articulated here at one end to the spindle nut 17 and at the other end to the adjusting means 9, in particular to the slider 10. In this way the axial movement of the spindle nut 17 on the rotatable spindle 16 of the spindle drive 15 can be converted into a sliding movement of the adjusting means 9, in order to predetermine the effective indent volume of the respective dividing-up indent 6 as desired and, if required, even individually for each dividing-up indent 6.

[0070] The spindle drive 15 comprises an actuator 19 for driving the spindle 16. The actuator 19 can be designed as a motor and/or also as a manually operable rotary handle and/or as a manually operable handwheel. The spindle 16 is designed as a threaded spindle and can have a thread of which the pitch is selected depending on the movement range of the adjusting means 9.

[0071] It is possible, to equip the spindle 16 for example with a standard thread or also with a fine thread. The adjusting device 8 furthermore has a locking mechanism 20. The locking mechanism 20 is designed to lock the respective adjusting means 9 in its adjusted position, in order to prevent the position of the adjusting means 9 from changing during a movement of the dividing-up disc 5. The locking mechanism 20 shown in the figures is designed for locking, in each case, an adjusted rotational position of the respective spindle 16 of the spindle drives 15. For this purpose, the locking mechanism 20 has pawls 40 that prevent the spindle 16 from continuing to rotate unintentionally.

[0072] Each adjusting means 9 shown in FIGS. 1-6 is in each case assigned its own locking mechanism 20. This is advantageous and expedient since each adjusting means 9 can be moved individually relative to the respective dividing-up indent 6 for individual specification of the effective indent volume of the individual dividing-up indents 6.

[0073] To save weight, the dividing-up disc 5 according to FIGS. 1 to 6 has material-free regions 38.

[0074] FIGS. 7-13 serve to illustrate a further embodiment of an adjusting device 8. The adjusting device 8 shown in these figures has an adjusting disc 21 as at least one adjusting means 9. FIGS. 9-13, which show this adjusting disc 21, illustrate that the adjusting disc 21 has a number of adjusting indents 22, namely nine, which correspond in number, arrangement, geometry and dimension to the dividing-up indents 6 of the dividing-up disc 5.

[0075] The adjusting disc 21 has the same diameter as the dividing-up disc 5 and is, exactly like this, circular. The adjusting disc 21 is rotatable relative to the dividing-up disc 5, namely about the same axis of rotation which runs both around the center point 11 of the dividing-up disc 5 and also through the center point 39 of the adjusting disc 21. By way of a relative rotation of the adjusting disc 21 in relation to the dividing-up disc 5, a relative position of the adjusting indents 22 in relation to the dividing-up indents of the dividing-up disc 5 can be changed and thereby the effective indent volumes of the dividing-up indents 6 can be adjusted. This becomes clear from a comparison of FIGS. 10-13, which show the adjusting disc 21 below the dividing-up disc 5 in different relative rotational positions in relation to the dividing-up disc 5.

[0076] For changing a relative rotary position of the dividing-up disc 5 in relation to the adjusting disc 21, the adjusting device 8 comprises a control means 23, which here is designed as an eccentric and is part of a displacement mechanism 14 of the adjusting device 8 of this exemplary embodiment.

[0077] The control means 23 is shown in FIG. 8 and rotatably mounted on the dividing-up disc 5. The control means 23 has an eccentric cam 24, which is guided in a slot 25 of the adjusting disc 21, said slot being oriented in the radial direction on the adjusting disc 21, in order to convert a rotational movement of the adjusting means 23 into a relative rotational movement of the adjusting disc 21 in relation to the dividing-up disc 5.

[0078] The arrow superimposed on the control means 23 in each of the illustrations in FIGS. 10-13 illustrates the position of the eccentric cam 24 and the resultant rotational position of the adjusting disc 21 relative to the dividing-up disc 5. FIG. 10 shows the dividing-up indents 6 with their maximum effective indent volume. Due to the change of the relative position of the adjusting disc 21 relative to the dividing-up disc 5, the respective effective indent volume of the dividing-up indents 6 according to the situations shown in the FIGS. 11 and 12 reduces to a minimum, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0079] FIGS. 1-6 illustrate that the adjusting device 8 of the dividing-up device 1 illustrated there for each adjusting means 9 in each case has a setting indicator 26, which is designed to indicate the respective setting of the respective adjusting means 9 and thereby to indicate the respective set effective indent volume of the respective dividing-up indent 6.

[0080] The dividing-up disc 5 of the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6 has dividing-up indents 6 which differ from one another in terms of their size, namely their width, and/or in terms of their geometry. This can be seen in particular in FIG. 2. There, it can be seen that the uppermost dividing-up indent 6 in the detailed view has a greater width than the other dividing-up indents 6 shown in the detailed view of FIG. 2.

[0081] The dividing-up device shown in the FIGS. 1-6 further comprises a transport device 27, which is designed for transporting the clusters 2 of bristles, held ready in the dividing-up indents 6, to a downstream processing station 29 of a brush-manufacturing machine 28. The transport device 27 is designed according to FIG. 14 for transport of the clusters 2 of bristles to the downstream processing station 29 of the brush-manufacturing machine 28 by means of negative pressure. For this purpose the transport device 27 has a total of 9 transport lines 30, with the aid of which the clusters 2 of bristles can be removed from the dividing-up indents 6 and transported to the processing station 29 of the brush-manufacturing machine 28.

[0082] The processing station 29 can, for example, be a processing station at which the clusters 2 of bristles are reworked, for example milled and/or ground and/or connected to carrier plates and/or brush bodies of brushes to be manufactured.

[0083] According to FIGS. 1-6, the dividing-up device 1 further comprises a counter-holding device 31, which has a movable counter-holder 32, which is assigned to the dividing-up disc 5.

[0084] The counter-holder 32 can be moved from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which it has been approached toward the dividing-up disc 5, into the spaced-apart position shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4, in which the dividing-up indents 6 and clusters 2 of bristles positioned therein are released in order to be transported away with the aid of the transport device 27. Each of the total of nine dividing-up indents 6 of the dividing-up device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-6 is assigned in each case a cluster pusher 33 of a pusher device 34, by which the clusters 2 of bristles located in the dividing-up indents 6 can be pushed out radially outwardly from the dividing-up indents 6 by means of the transport device 27 in order to be transported away.

[0085] The dividing-up device 1 further comprises a rotary drive 35, with which the dividing-up disc 5 can be set into rotation in order to divide up the clusters 2 of bristles from the bristle magazine 4. In order to secure the divided-up clusters 2 of bristles on their path from the bristle magazine 4 to a transfer position located at the transport device 27, the dividing-up device 1 also has counterparts 36, which pick up the outer contour of the dividing-up disc 5 and are assigned to the dividing-up disc 5. The counterparts 36 have, at their flanks assigned to the dividing-up disc 5, in each case a circular-arc-shaped contour, serving to secure the clusters 2 of bristles in the dividing-up indents during a movement of the dividing-up disc relative to the counterparts 36.

[0086] In order to be able to push the bristle supply 3 located in the bristle magazine 4 against the dividing-up disc 5, the dividing-up device 1 has a corresponding material pusher 37, with which a corresponding pressure can be applied to the bristle supply 3 arranged in the bristle magazine 4. This favors the reliable and uniform removal of clusters 2 of bristles from the bristle supply 3 of the bristle magazine 4 with the aid of the dividing-up disc 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0087] 1 dividing-up device [0088] 2 cluster of bristles [0089] 3 bristle supply [0090] 4 bristle magazine [0091] 5 dividing-up disc [0092] 6 dividing-up indent [0093] 7 removal opening [0094] 8 adjusting device [0095] 9 adjusting means [0096] 10 slider [0097] 11 center point of 5 [0098] 12 sliding guide [0099] 13 restoring means [0100] 14 displacement mechanism [0101] 15 spindle drive [0102] 16 spindle [0103] 17 spindle nut [0104] 18 lever [0105] 19 actuator [0106] 20 locking mechanism [0107] 21 adjusting disc [0108] 22 adjusting indent [0109] 23 control means [0110] 24 eccentric cam [0111] 25 slot [0112] 26 setting indicator [0113] 27 transport device [0114] 28 brush-manufacturing machine [0115] 29 processing station [0116] 30 transport line [0117] 31 counter-holding device [0118] 32 counter-holder [0119] 33 cluster pusher [0120] 34 pusher device [0121] 35 rotary drive [0122] 36 counterpart [0123] 37 material pusher [0124] 38 material-free region in 5 [0125] 39 center point of 21 [0126] 40 pawl