Metal fusion bonding – With means to cut or separate work – filler – flux – or product
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-12
2003-04-01
Dunn, Tom (Department: 1725)
Metal fusion bonding
With means to cut or separate work, filler, flux, or product
C228S005700, C228S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06540126
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a clamping band manufacturing machine and a method of manufacturing a clamping band, more precisely relates to a machine and a method for full-automatically manufacturing a clamping band.
Clamping bands have used to clamp rubber boots of vehicles, etc. Conventionally, the clamping bands are used to clamp relatively soft materials, e.g., rubber. These days, the clamping bands are used to clamp hard materials, e.g., hard plastics.
A front view of a clamping band having a plate is shown in FIG.
21
. The clamping band comprises a band section
10
, a clasp
12
, a lever
14
and a plate
16
. The band section
10
is made of a metal, formed into a circular-shape and both end portions are overlapped. The lever
14
is fixed to the overlapped portion by welding. The lever
14
is welded at a position “X”. The lever
14
is turned from a position shown in
FIG. 21
to an outer face of the band section
10
. By turning the lever
14
until reaching the outer face of the band section
10
, an article (not shown) to be clamped is fully clamped by action of lever, then the lever
14
is fixed on the outer face of the band section
10
by the clasp
12
. Therefore, a great clamping force is required, so the lever
14
is made of a proper material having enough durability. Further, the lever
14
must be laid along the outer face of the band section
10
, so it is formed into an arc-shape.
The clasp
12
is bent to cover the lever
14
, which has been fully turned to clamp the article, so as to hold the lever
14
on the outer face of the band section
10
. The clasp
12
is welded to the band section
10
at a position “Y”. The plate
16
is positioned by sliding along an inner face of the band section
10
until one end of the plate contacts an end of the clasp
12
, so that the other end of the plate
16
is extended beyond the overlapped portion of the band section
10
. The plate
16
is welded to the band section
10
at a position “Z”. Reinforcing portions
16
a
are respectively formed along side edges of the plate
16
so as to reinforce the plate
16
. The plate
16
closes a space formed by the overlapped portion of the band section
10
before clamping the article; the plate
16
covers a step portion, which is formed when a part of the band section
10
is moved and located under another part thereof by turning down the lever
14
so as to clamp the article. By employing the plate
16
, the article can be wholly clamped with even force.
In the case of clamping hard materials, it is important to control inner diameter of the band section in a clamping state. The inner diameter in the clamping state is defined by length of the band section and length of the overlapped portion of the band section and the lever, so they must be correctly controlled. The lever, the clasp and the plate are fixed to the band section by welding, so welding accuracy also highly influence reliability of the clamping band. If the parts are not fully welded, they will be peeled off from the band section while claming an article. Further, if over current passes and sparks while welding, sharp flashes are formed near the welded positions and they make the clamping band dangerous.
Therefore, the clamping band must be manufactured with fully considering the above described points. The clamping band is manufactured by the steps of: welding the clasp to the band section; overlapping both end portions of the band section and welding them each other; welding the lever to the end portion of the band section; forming the band section into a circular loop; and welding the plate to the inner face of the band section. Namely, many actions, e.g., forming the band sections by cutting a long band-shaped material, forming the clasps, welding the parts, are combined, so the manufacturing steps cannot be full-automatically executed by conventional machines. Two or three steps or actions are executed in one machine, then work pieces must be transferred to another machine for next steps or actions.
Since the clamping bands are manufactured by a plurality of machines, the work pieces must be transferred. So manufacturing efficiency cannot be increased. And, it is difficult manufacture the clamping band having higher accuracy without producing bad products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is invented to solve the above described disadvantages.
An object of the present invention is to provide a clamping band manufacturing machine and a method of manufacturing the clamping band, which are capable of full-automatically manufacturing the clamping bands, highly increasing the manufacturing efficiency, and improving the accuracy of the clamping bands without variation.
To achieve the object, the present invention has following structures.
The clamping band manufacturing machine of the present invention comprises:
a main machine part including:
a band shaping stage for forming a clasp material into a U-shape, welding the U-shaped clasp on a band section made by cutting a long band-shaped material with a prescribed length, bending a mid portion of the band section in an arc by a guide rod, and overlapping both end portions of the band section;
a lever welding stage for welding a lever material on the overlapped portion of the band section so as to extend the lever material from the overlapped ends;
an examination stage for measuring a length of an overlapped portion of the band section and the lever material;
an arc shaping stage for bending the lever material in an arc by a fixed die and a shaping die;
a circular shaping stage for expanding the bent portion of the band section so as to form the band section into a circular loop; and
a conveying mechanism synchronously conveying the work piece including the band section to each of the sages, which are serially arranged, with machining action of each of the stages; and
feeding mechanisms for feeding the band-shaped material, the clasp material and the lever material to the main machine part.
In the clamping band manufacturing machine of the present invention, the clamping bands can be full-automatically manufactured, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be highly increased and mass production of the reliable clamping bands can be easily realized.
In the clamping band manufacturing machine, the main machine part may further include a plate welding stage for making one end of a plate, which is bend in arc with curvature corresponding to that of the loop-shaped portion of the band section and which has reinforcing portions formed along both side edges, contact with an end of the clasp so as to position the plate on the loop-shaped portion of the band section and welding the plate thereon. With this structure, the clamping band can be manufactured easily.
In the clamping band manufacturing machine, the circular shaping stage may include:
a bending section for bending the band section at a position near the overlapped portion of the band section and the lever so as to leave the band section away from a front end of the lever;
an expanding section for pressing an outer face of the band section, whose end portions have been overlapped, so as to expand the looped portion of the band section;
a circular shaping section for inserting a bunch of wires into the expanded looped portion of the band section and inserting a columnar shaft into the bunch of the wires so as to shape the looped portion into a circular loop shape; and
a finishing section for inserting splitable dies into the circular looped portion of the band section and expanding the same by the splitable dies so as to form into a prescribed circle. With this structure, the band section can be formed into the circular loop with higher accuracy.
In the clamping band manufacturing machine, the arc shaping stage may include:
a fixed die;
a first shaping die for pressing the overlapped portion of the band section and the lever material with the fixed die so as to bend the overlapped portion in an arc; and
a second shaping die for pressing the lever material wit
Dunn Tom
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Kabushiki Kaisha Mihama
Pittman Zidia
LandOfFree
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