Apparatus for bending elongated metal elements, such as metal bars, round pieces or wire, and relative bending method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for bending elongated metal elements. The apparatus includes a bending station provided with a first contrasting pin, a bending support defining a first bending plane on which the elongated metal elements are positioned and advance, and a first bending pin mounted mobile around the first contrasting pin, in order to bend the elongated metal elements on the first bending plane in cooperation with the first contrasting pin. The bending station further includes a second contrasting pin mounted on the first bending pin, and a second bending pin disposed mobile with respect to a bending support in a slanting direction with respect to the first bending plane, in order to bend the elongated metal elements in cooperation with the second contrasting pin on a second bending plane, angled with respect to the first bending plane.

Claims

1. An apparatus for bending elongated metal elements comprising a bending station provided with a first contrasting pin, a mandrel defining a first bending plane on which said elongated metal elements are able to be positioned and advance, and a first bending pin mounted mobile around the first contrasting pin, in order to bend said elongated metal elements on said first bending plane in cooperation with said first contrasting pin, wherein the bending station comprises a second contrasting pin mounted on said first bending pin, and a second bending pin mounted mobile with respect to said mandrel in a slanting direction with respect to said first bending plane, in order to bend said elongated metal elements in cooperation with said second contrasting pin on a second bending plane, angled with respect to said first bending plane.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second bending pin is mounted on a support structure mobile between a first inactive position, in which the support structure is below the first bending plane, keeping the second bending pin in a condition of non-interference with an axis of feed of the elongated metal elements, and a second bending position, in which the support structure protrudes from said first bending plane and takes said second bending pin into a condition of interference with said axis of feed, in order to bend said elongated metal element on the second bending plane.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a first linear actuator, constrained on one side by a movement slider and on another side by the support structure, in order to move the support structure in a first direction of movement.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a second linear actuator disposed in a fixed position to move the movement slider in a second direction of movement substantially orthogonal to the first direction of movement commanded by the first linear actuator.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein each of the first and second linear actuators are operatively controlled by a corresponding linear transducer, so as to command a combination of the movements actuated by each of the first and second linear actuators, and to define a desired trajectory of movement of the support structure.

6. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the mandrel can be selectively positioned between a first bending position, substantially coplanar and/or raised with respect to the first bending plane, and a second lowered inactive position, completely below the first bending plane.

7. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein each of the first and second contrasting pins has a determinate diameter, able to define a bending radius for said elongated metal element.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the mandrel can be selectively positioned between a first bending position, substantially coplanar and/or raised with respect to the first bending plane, and a second lowered inactive position, completely below the first bending plane.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8, wherein each of the first and second contrasting pins has a determinate diameter, able to define a bending radius for said elongated metal element.

10. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a first linear actuator, constrained on one side on a movement slider and on another side to the support structure, in order to move the support structure in a first direction of movement.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second contrasting pins has a determinate diameter, able to define a bending radius for said elongated metal element.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a first linear actuator, constrained on one side on a movement slider and on another side to the support structure, in order to move the support structure in a first direction of movement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows schematically a detail of the bending apparatus according to the present invention in a first operating condition;

(3) FIG. 2 shows schematically a detail of the apparatus in FIG. 1 in a second operating position;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a view in section of the apparatus in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a plane view of an enlarged detail of the apparatus in FIG. 1.

(6) To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify common elements in the drawings that are substantially identical. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one form of embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other forms of embodiment without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) With reference to the attached drawings, a bending apparatus 10 according to the present invention is applied to a bending machine 15, of the substantially known type and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 only in a representative way from one of its portions.

(8) The bending apparatus 10 is of the type able to bend one or more metal bars 11, for example of the type used to make stirrups or other reinforcement shapes for the building trade.

(9) In particular, the bending apparatus 10 is conformed so as to bend the metal bars 11 both with respect to a first plane P and also with respect to a second plane P, in this case, substantially orthogonal to the first plane P.

(10) The metal bar 11 is fed along an axis of feed X by a feed unit, of a known type and indicated generically by the reference number 14, disposed upstream of the bending apparatus 10.

(11) The bending apparatus 10 according to the present invention comprises a bending station 12 provided with a first contrasting pin 13, a mandrel 17 or bending support, mounted coaxial and rotatable with respect to the first contrasting pin 13, and able to define the first plane P, and with a first bending pin 16 mounted peripherally to the mandrel 17.

(12) In this way, each first bending pin 16 can be selectively rotated in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, around the relative first contrasting pin 13, so as to effect the desired bending of the bar 11, in one direction or the other, in cooperation with the first contrasting pin 13.

(13) First double contrasting pins 13 have been schematically shown in the attached drawings, but this does not exclude that in different operating solutions, first contrasting pins 13, of a substantially cylindrical shape, shaped and of other forms and dimensions can be provided.

(14) Advantageously the bending station 12 is selectively movable in a direction orthogonal to the first plane P

(15) In this way it is possible to selectively define a first raised operating position, in which the mandrel 17 is coplanar to the first plane P and the first pins 13 and 16 are disposed above the first plane P, and a second lowered inactive position, in which both the mandrel 17 and also the two pins 13 and 16 are completely below the first plane P.

(16) The bending apparatus 10 also comprises a second bending pin 19 mounted on a mobile structure 20, and a second contrasting pin 21 mounted on the first bending pin 16.

(17) As shown in the operating sequence in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mobile structure 20 is selectively movable between a first inactive position, where it is below the first plane P and the second bending pin 19 does not interfere with the axis of feed X of the metal bar 11, and a second bending position in which it protrudes from the plane P and the second bending pin 19 interferes with the axis of feed X of the metal bar 11, bending the latter on the second plane P.

(18) In particular, as shown in FIG. 4, the assembly of the second contrasting pin 21 with respect to the first bending pin 16 is such that, during the bending steps on the first plane P, the first bending pin 16 always contacts the metal bar 11 first, during the bending, both from the right side and also from the left side, with respect to the axis of feed X.

(19) This conformation allows the most ample operating freedom to bend on the first bending plane P.

(20) Moreover, the second contrasting pin 21 remains, in any case, above the metal bar 11, holding the metal bar 11 in an adherent condition to the first bending plane P during the bending steps with the first bending pin 16.

(21) This operating condition is even more advantageous in the case of bending two metal bars 11 at the same time, so as to prevent the metal bars 11, especially the one nearest the first plane P, from rotating and from twisting upward, because of the forces in play during the bending.

(22) In this case, with particular reference to FIG. 3, the bending apparatus 10 according to the invention comprises a first linear actuator 22, constrained on one side on a movement slider 23 and on the other side to the support structure 20.

(23) The first linear actuator 22 is suitable to command the movement of the support structure 20 along a first direction of movement, for example in order to move the support structure 20 between the first inactive position and the second bending position.

(24) The bending apparatus 10 also comprises a second linear actuator 25 disposed in a fixed position to move the movement slider 23 in a second direction of movement, substantially orthogonal to the first direction of movement commanded by the first linear actuator 22.

(25) In this way, the support structure 20, and consequently the relative second bending pin 19, can determine both a bending of the metal bar 11 at an angle of about 90 with respect to the axis of feed X on the second plane P, and also a bending up to about 180 with respect to the axis of feed X on the second plane P.

(26) This because the movement commanded by the first linear actuator 22 is combined with the movement commanded by the second linear actuator 25, so that the second bending pin 19 follows a substantially curvilinear trajectory around the second contrasting pin 21, as shown by the line of dashes in FIG. 3, defining the bending radius of the metal bar 11.

(27) Advantageously, each linear actuator 22 and 25 is operatively controlled by a corresponding linear transducer 22a and 25a, so as to execute in a programmed or programmable manner the combination of movements, for example by means of a command and control unit, not shown in the drawings.

(28) It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the apparatus 10 and the method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

(29) It falls within the scope of the present invention, for example, to provide that the support structure 20 is mounted sliding along curvilinear guides, so as to have a corresponding curvilinear movement in its passage between the first inactive position and the second bending position.

(30) In this case, the curvilinear movement of the second bending pin 19 is determined by the curvilinear conformation of the curvilinear guides functional to the movement of the bending support 20.

(31) It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of apparatus for bending elongated metal products, such as metal bars, round pieces or wires, and relative bending method, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.