Device for cutting extruded plastic profiles to length

Abstract

A device for cutting a preferably thick-walled, extended pipe to length, has at least one cutting tool and a receiving unit for the cutting tool. The cutting tool is radially movable in relation to the extrusion axis and is rotatable via further means about the pipe to be cut to length, in order to cut the pipe to length. The receiving unit may be connected by means of a receiving disc to a sleeve via a ring element, wherein linear guiding elements are arranged on said sleeve parallel to the extrusion axis, and wherein at least four linear guiding elements are evenly distributed around the circumference of the sleeve.

Claims

1. A device for cutting to length an extruded tube, the device comprising: a cutting tool; and a support unit for the cutting tool, wherein the cutting tool is radially movable with respect to an extrusion axis, wherein the cutting tool is further rotatable, by a further unit, about the tube to be cut to length, in order to cut the tube to length, wherein the support unit is connected via a support disc to a sleeve by an annular element, wherein linear guide elements are arranged on the sleeve in parallel with the extrusion axis, and wherein at least four linear guide elements are evenly distributed over a periphery of the sleeve.

2. The device claim 1, wherein the annular element can be guided axially by one or more of the linear guide elements.

3. The device claim 2, wherein the linear guide elements are commercially available linear guide profiles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations in embodiments of the invention. The features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the following:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a typical extrusion line

(3) FIG. 2 shows the part of the cutting device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) The invention relates to a device for cutting to length an extruded tube that preferably has thick walls, comprising at least one cutting tool and a support unit for the cutting tool, the cutting tool being radially movable with respect to the extrusion axis and being rotatable by further means about the tube that is to be cut to length in order to cut the tube to length.

(5) An aspect of the invention is therefore that of developing the known specialized knowledge about a generic cutting device provided with a knife, such that it is possible to provide a device that is more simply constructed and is thus more cost-effective to produce.

(6) An aspect of the invention is characterized in that the support unit is connected via a support disc to a sleeve by means of an annular element, linear guide elements being arranged on the sleeve in parallel with the extrusion axis, at least four linear guide elements being evenly distributed over the periphery of the sleeve.

(7) Linear guide elements of this kind make a hardened and smooth surface of the annular element superfluous; it is sufficient to exactly position the linear guides on the periphery of the annular element.

(8) According to a development, the annular element is guided axially by means of the linear guide elements. In this case, it is provided for the linear guide elements to be commercially available linear guide profiles.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a typical extrusion line as used currently for profile extrusion, regardless of whether said line is used for producing window profiles or tubes. The figure shows an extruder 1, in which plastics material is melted and continuously conveyed into the extrusion die 2 to be shaped. The die is followed by a calibrating and cooling station 3; depending on the profile, further cooling stations can be used. Downstream of the cooling stations is a take-off device 4. A cutting device 5 is arranged thereafter for cutting the continuous profiles 6 to the desired length.

(10) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the cutting device according to the invention, and corresponds to position 5 according to the view in FIG. 1. A sleeve 14 comprising linear guides 22 is arranged about the extrusion axis 9 and is operatively connected to an annular element 29. Cutting tools 7 that are adjusted by means of racks 11 and 12 are arranged on the support disc 15.

(11) The annular element 29 is thus moved axially along the extrusion axis 9 by means of the linear guide elements 22 mounted on the sleeve 14.

(12) The annular element 29 can be moved along the extrusion axis 9 in or counter to the extrusion direction 10. In order to move the annular element 29, an axial drive 17 is provided that is likewise operatively connected to the annular element 29. A pneumatic cylinder 19, the direction of which is changed by means of limit switches 21, is used as the drive. A scale 20 is used to specify the position of the limit switches 21 in the event of manual adjustment.

(13) The rotary drive 16 for the support disc 15 is also shown.

(14) While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the invention refer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily all embodiments.

(15) The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B, and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B, and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B, and C, regardless of whether A, B, and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B, and/or C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B, and C.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(16) 1 Extruder

(17) 2 Extrusion die

(18) 3 Calibrating and cooling tank

(19) 4 Take-off device

(20) 5 Cutting device

(21) 6 Profile

(22) 7 Cutting tool

(23) 9 Extrusion axis

(24) 10 Extrusion direction

(25) 11 first rack (parallel)

(26) 12 second rack (radial)

(27) 14 Sleeve

(28) 15 Support disc

(29) 16 Rotary drive for 15

(30) 17 Axial drive for 29

(31) 19 Pneumatic cylinder

(32) 20 Scale

(33) 21 Limit switches

(34) 22 Linear guide

(35) 29 Annular element