Metal deforming – With means to handle work or product – By gripper and/or endless chain
Patent
1991-08-28
1994-09-13
Larson, Lowell A.
Metal deforming
With means to handle work or product
By gripper and/or endless chain
414758, B21D 4300
Patent
active
053458060
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present Invention relates to a device for manipulating a plurality of sheet metal pieces at the same time used for a sheet metal processing machine such as a bending machine, folding machine or punching machine.
BACKGROUND ART
Italian Patent Application No. 67224-A/88 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,287, is the U.S. counterpart) discloses a manipulator device for a sheet metal bending press, comprising the following:
a main manipulator unit provided with at least one element for gripping a sheet metal piece, which is movable in a manipulation space in front of a loading zone of the press and is arranged to move sheet metal pieces during an automatic bending cycle, and
an auxiliary manipulator unit provided with gripper means rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the bending line and arranged to grip a sheet metal piece and to turn it over about the said axis.
During a bending cycle carried out by means of this known device, there are many phases in which the manipulator device is engaged in moving a piece of sheet metal while the press is inoperative. The phases in which the press is inoperative are, for example, those in which the manipulator device discharges a finished piece and takes up a new flat metal sheet, as well as those in which the piece is overturned by means of the auxiliary manipulator unit.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a manipulator device which allows the maximum use to be made of the productive capacity of the sheet metal processing machine as far as possible reducing its down times.
The manipulator device of the present invention for manipulating sheet metal pieces, used for a sheet metal processing machine, comprises a plurality of manipulator units provided with a plurality of gripping elements for gripping and moving a plurality of sheet metal pieces or workpieces at the same time. The manipulator units associate with one another in a predetermined cycle to take up a processed workpiece from the sheet metal processing machine and pass another workpiece to the processing machine for the next or new processing to utilize the processing machine to its maximum capacity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet metal processing station including a manipulator device of the present invention.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views taken on the arrow II of FIG. 1, showing the manipulator device in two different working configurations.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section of a sheet metal piece at the end of its bending processes.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sheet metal processing station including another manipulator of the present invention.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are side views taken on the arrow VI of FIG. 5, showing the manipulator device in two different working configurations.
FIG. 8 is a front view taken on the arrow VIII of FIG. 5.
FIGS. 9a-9f are schematic views showing a cycle of bending processes of a sheet metal piece.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Now preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanied drawings.
In FIG. 1, a processing station 1 is illustrated including a sheet metal processing machine 10, a manipulator device 12 of the present invention for manipulating sheet metal pieces, and a station 4 for loading and discharging the sheet metal pieces. The processing machine 10 may be a bending, folding, punching or other processing machine for processing sheet metal pieces.
In FIGS. 1-3, a bending machine or press provided with a punch 14 and a die 16 is shown as an example of the sheet metal processing machine. The punch 14 and the die 16 cooperate along a bending line or reference line A.
With regard to the structure and operation of the loading and discharging station 4 reference may be made to Italian Patent Application No. 68065-A/89, having U.S. counterpart patent application Ser. No. 721,543, filed Jul. 24, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,967.
The manipulator device 12 is constituted mainly of a main manipulator unit 2
REFERENCES:
patent: 3910423 (1975-10-01), Killian
patent: 3954164 (1976-05-01), Bottomley
patent: 5042287 (1991-08-01), Sartorio
Sartorio Franco
Scavino Mario
Vergano Stefano
Amada Company Limited
Gurley Donald M.
Larson Lowell A.
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