Automatic bending machine for manufacturing of steel rule cutting dies
A setup method for preventing a “two-leaf cutting” by only operating a machine without using fingers in cutting an end of a strip blade material having an enclosed rectangular geometry. The steps include: the strip blade material being once advanced to a position, where “two-leaf cutting” will not occur; then a cutting tool being lowered; a cutting tool tip of a cutting tool component being lowered to a level of the same as or under that of a top edge of the strip blade material; then the strip blade material being retracted; and finally, the strip blade material being retracted by the same amount as that of the advance from the desired position.
This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 11/201,133, filed Aug. 11, 2005, now allowed, which claims the benefits of Japanese Patent Application 2005-184059, filed May 27, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to an automatic bending machine for manufacturing of steel rule cutting dies which are used to form a prescribed cut or rule on a cardboard, a corrugated board, or the like, in manufacturing a paper container, a corrugated board container, or the like, and particularly to an automatic bending machine for carrying out bending, cutting, and the like, of a strip blade material constituting a steel rule cutting die.
Since, in 1988, Suchiro Mizukawa published the world-first automatic bending machine for manufacturing of steel rule cutting dies (provided with a trade name of BBS-101), the automatic bending machine of this type has been greatly improved. For example, in the following patent documents 1 and 2, an automatic bending machine for carrying out bending, cutting, and the like, of a strip blade material constituting a steel rule cutting die is disclosed, respectively.
Patent documents 1: U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,442
Patent documents 2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,750
Patent documents 3: Japanese Patent Publication No. JP/11-347828A/1999
Patent documents 4: Japanese Patent Publication No. JP/2001-314932A
The bending tool of U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,264 by Suchiro Mizukawa was a bending tool which is concentrically operated, as shown in
Conventionally, bending tools which have a bending capacity of more than 90 degrees have been available; for example, those as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,255 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,750. With these tools, two bending members are alternately moved in a vertical direction on both sides of the strip blade material 5. There is the possibility that the two bending members may be struck against the bottom of the workpiece, resulting in jamming, when they are moved upward. In addition, the number of bending members provided is two rather than one, which takes an increased working time. Because the bending members are only inserted, there was the need for introducing a synchronizing mechanism in order to eliminate the possibility of damaging them. In addition, an extra mechanism for vertically moving the bending members is required. (Referring to the construction as shown in
With the cutting mechanism as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,750, both ends of the workpiece are straight-cut or miter-cut prior to the bending by the bending mechanism. This method will not provide accuracy of the length. The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,442 uses the cutting mechanism as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,953. However, the type of cutting is limited to straight cutting.
When any of these cutting mechanisms is used to cut a blade material having an enclosed rectangular geometry as shown in
The bending mechanism as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,442 provides a complex construction in which two bending tools are incorporated in a double gear, one of them being turned in a clockwise direction by the gear which is vertically moved by a separate motor, while the other being turned counterclockwise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe most important purpose of the present invention is to provide a bending tool which is sturdy and having precision, having a capability of bending the workpiece to an angle as deep as over 90 degrees, without the need for using any extra device, such as motor, cylinder, and the like.
The present invention provides an automatic bending machine for automatically bending a strip blade material, wherein the automatic bending machine intermittently feeds a strip blade material 5 through a nozzle 3 until the strip blade material 5 is jutted out from a nozzle gate 31 at the end of the nozzle 3, and causes a CW-direction bending tool 4 or a CCW-direction bending tool 40 to be turned in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, respectively, to strike the strip blade material 5 for bending it; the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40 being provided with a bending tool support 42 extending at right angles thereto and having a concentric hole 41, at the top and bottom of the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40, respectively; the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40 being superposed one upon the other; a nozzle column 32 or a reinforcing rod 1021 provided on the top of the nozzle 3, penetrating through the concentric hole 41; and a protrusion 22 being provided on the top of a lower belt wheel 21 turned under the control of a computer, being in contact with the bending tool support 42. More specifically, when the lower belt wheel 21 is turned, the protrusion 22 thereon is also turned. And, when the protrusion 22 is turned clockwise or counterclockwise, it forces the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40 to strike the strip blade material 5 for bending it in a CW or CCW direction, respectively.
The automatic bending machine for automatically bending a strip blade material of the present invention may be configured such that an upper belt wheel 2 is provided in a lower machine cabinet 101 extending from a machine cabinet 1 in concentricity with the nozzle column 32 or the reinforcing rod 1021 independently of the nozzle column 32 or the reinforcing rod 1021.
Further, the automatic bending machine for automatically bending a strip blade material of the present invention may be configured such that the nozzle column 32 is connected to an upper reinforcing tube 321 provided in an upper machine cabinet 102 extending from a machine cabinet 1 for reinforcement, in order to allow the nozzle 3 to withstand the striking impact applied by the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40.
In addition, the automatic bending machine for automatically bending a strip blade material of the present invention may be configured such that a magnet 221 or a ball plunger 222 is provided for a protrusion 22 or a groove stopper 44, or a spring 223 is provided for a bending tool support 42, in order to rapidly return the CW bending tool 4 or the CCW bending tool 40 from the working position to the retract one.
Further, the automatic bending machine for automatically bending a strip blade material of the present invention may be configured such that the nozzle column 32 is connected to a reinforcing tube 321 provided in the upper machine cabinet 102 extending from the machine cabinet 1 by means of a screw. By providing such a configuration, removing the reinforcing tubes 321 will allow the nozzle 3, the CW-direction bending tools 4, the CCW-direction bending tools 40, and the like to be pulled forward from the machine cabinet 1 together with the nozzle supports 11, facilitating the tooling replacement.
The cutting mechanism is formed in the scissors-like shape as shown in FIG. 11-A-1, and is capable of cutting a strip blade material 5 as high as 23.8 mm at once.
In addition, the setup method of the present invention will allow a workpiece having an enclosed rectangular geometry as shown in
The present invention has the following effects.
Because, with the present invention, two different bending tools are provided as described above, bending by an angle of over 90 degrees can be performed.
Because, with the present invention, two different bending tools are provided as described above, there is no need for the bending tool being vertically moved to the opposite side, thus tool jamming will not occur.
Because, with the present invention, two different bending tools are provided as described above, there is no need for the bending tool being vertically moved to the opposite side, thus the working time can be saved. In addition, the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40 turned for striking can be retracted with the magnet 221 or the spring 223 for the subsequent bending.
Because, with the present invention, two different bending tools are provided as an integral part, as described above, the rigidity of the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40 can be maintained, which assures bending with high accuracy. The “integral part” means that the tool is fixed with screws, or the like, rather than being temporality inserted.
Because, with the present invention, no extra motor and cylinder are required as described above, the control system can be manufactured at a lower cost. In addition, the problems which would be caused by the extra motor and cylinder can be eliminated.
Because, with the present invention, the nozzle column 32 may be connected with the reinforcing tube 321 in the upper machine cabinet 102 as described above, the nozzle 3 can be adapted to withstand the striking impact applied by the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40.
With the present invention, the nozzle column 32 may be connected to a reinforcing tube 321 provided in the upper machine cabinet 102 extending from the machine cabinet 1 by means of a screw, as described above, thus by providing such a configuration, removing the reinforcing tubes 321 will allow the nozzle 3, the CW-direction bending tools 4, the CCW-direction bending tools 40, and the like to be pulled forward from the machine cabinet 1 together with the nozzle supports 11, facilitating the tooling replacement. For example, the tooling for blades of 2 P with a thickness of 0.72 mm can be easily replaced with that for blades of 3 P with a thickness of 1.08 mm.
In addition, the cutting tool of the present invention is capable of cutting a strip blade material 5 as high as 23.8 mm at once.
In addition, the setup method of the present invention will allow a workpiece having an enclosed rectangular geometry as shown in
FIG. 12-A-1 is a front view of an embodiment of the cutting tool of the present invention, the components thereof being in one position, respectively;
FIG. 12-A-2 is a sectional plan view of the cutting tool, the components thereof being in one position, respectively, and the workpiece before being cut;
FIG. 12-A-3 is a sectional front view of the cutting tool, the components thereof being in one position, respectively, and the workpiece before being cut;
FIG. 12-B-1 is a front view of the cutting tool, the components thereof being in the other position, respectively;
FIG. 12-B-2 is a sectional plan view of the cutting tool, the components thereof being in the other position, respectively, and the workpiece after being cut;
FIG. 12-B-3 is a sectional front view of the workpiece after being cut;
Hereinbelow, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
In addition, the nozzle column 32 on the top of the nozzle 3 may be reinforced because it is subjected to the bending pressure by the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40. To do this, a reinforcing tube 321 penetrating through the upper machine cabinet 102 extending from the machine cabinet 1 is provided concentrically with the nozzle column 32, and the nozzle column 32 is fixed thereto by means of a screw at the end. Thereby, the back of the nozzle 3 is inserted into the machine cabinet 1, and the top and bottom thereof are fixed to the reinforcing tube 321 in the present embodiment, which allows the nozzle 3 to withstand the striking impact applied by the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40. In
With the protrusion 22 as shown in
In the present invention, the puller-back element for the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40 is not particularly limited to a magnet, and any type thereof may be adopted, provided that the puller-back element can return the CW-direction bending tool 4 or the CCW-direction bending tool 40 to the retract position when the protrusion 22 is reversely turned. Examples of other types of puller-back element are shown in
With the embodiment as shown in
In the present invention, the CW-direction bending tool 4 and the CCW-direction bending tool 40 are not limited to those as shown in
In the embodiment as shown in
FIG. 12-A-1, FIG. 12-A-2, FIG. 12-A-3, FIG. 12-B-1, FIG. 12-B-2, and FIG. 12-B-3 illustrate how the strip blade material 5 is cut by the miter cutting unit 60. In this case, the three cutting tool components are provided with different die geometries (in other words), a workpiece front end miter cutting edge 63 and a workpiece rear end miter cutting edge 631 as shown in FIG. 12-A-1, FIG. 12-A-2, FIG. 12-A-3.
The respective higher-profile cutting tool components 650 and lower-profile cutting tool component 651 for miter geometry cutting have a cutting edge on both sides. Therefore, the strip blade material 5 can be pinched with the higher-profile cutting tool components 650 and the lower-profile cutting tool component 651 being positioned as shown in FIG. 12-B-1 and 12-B-2. Then, the positions of the higher-profile cutting tool components 650 and the lower-profile cutting tool component 651 can be changed into those as shown in FIG. 12-A-1 and FIG. 12-A-2 to cut the strip blade material 5. In other words, cutting can be carried out regardless of whether the higher-profile cutting tool components 650 and the lower-profile cutting tool component 651 are positioned as shown in FIG. 12-A-1 and FIG. 12-A-2, or in FIG. 12-B-1 and 12-B-2.
Especially when the strip blade material has a geometry of an enclosed rectangle as shown in
For a rectangular geometry as shown in
Thus, there is no longer the need for using fingers to give a spacing between the overlapped portions of the workpiece.
DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
- 1: Machine cabinet
- 101: Lower machine cabinet
- 102: Upper machine cabinet
- 1021: Reinforcing rod
- 11: Nozzle support
- 2: Upper belt wheel
- 21: Lower belt wheel
- 210: Hollow belt wheel
- 211: Needle bearing
- 212: Tubular connecting element
- 22: Protrusion
- 221: Magnet
- 222: Ball plunger
- 223: Spring
- 23: Guide groove
- 24: Synchronous lower belt wheel
- 25: Timing belt
- 26: Synchronous shaft
- 27: Upper and lower synchronous belt wheel
- 3: Nozzle
- 31: Nozzle gate
- 32: Nozzle column
- 321: Reinforcing tube
- 3211: Insertion hole
- 322: Handwheel
- 33: Column base
- 4: CW-direction bending tool
- 40: CCW-direction bending tool
- 41: Concentric hole
- 42: Bending tool support
- 43: Guide protrusion
- 45: Screw
- 44: Groove stopper
- 5: Strip blade material
- 6: Scissors-like movable tool (cutting tool)
- 61: Stationary blade
- 60: Miter cutting unit
- 601: Straight cutting unit
- 650: Higher-profile cutting tool
- 651: Lower-profile cutting tool
- 652: Through pin
- 653: Bar
- 654: Mini-cylinder
- 655: Elevating motor
- 63: Workpiece front end miter cutting edge
- 631: Workpiece rear end miter cutting edge
- 65: Cutting tool tip
- 7: Bridge die
- 71: Feed rollers
Claims
1. An apparatus for cutting both ends of a strip blade material, comprising a miter cutting unit and a straight cutting unit provided together with an automatic bending machine, wherein i.e., a workpiece front end miter cutting edge and a workpiece rear end miter cutting edge.
- a cutting tool consists of two higher-profile cutting tool components on both sides, a lower-profile cutting tool component in the middle, and a through pin penetrating through these three;
- the three cutting tool components are connected to mini-cylinders through a bar at the top thereof, respectively; the miter cutting unit is vertically moved by an elevating motor;
- when the strip blade material is to be cut, the miter cutting unit is lowered by the elevating motor to the position where the strip blade material can be cut, being pinched by the above-mentioned three cutting tool components; then, the mini-cylinders are operated, the positions of the three cutting tool components being changed to cut the strip blade material; and
- the three cutting tool components are provided with different die geometries,
2. A setup method for preventing a “two-leaf cutting” by only operating the machine without using fingers in cutting the end of a strip blade material having an enclosed rectangular geometry using the apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising the steps of:
- after the three cutting tool components being positioned such that the two higher-profile cutting tool components are positioned on the side opposite to the rectangular geometry side, the strip blade material being once advanced to a position where “two-leaf cutting” will not occur;
- then the cutting tool being lowered;
- the cutting tool tip of the cutting tool component being lowered to a level of the same as or under that of the top edge of the strip blade material;
- then the strip blade material being retracted; and
- finally, the strip blade material being retracted by the same amount as that of the advance from the desired position.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 28, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 1, 2009
Inventor: Toshinaga URABE (Sagamihara-shi)
Application Number: 12/219,753
International Classification: B21D 43/28 (20060101);