Metal deforming – With use of control means energized in response to activator... – Sensing work or product
Patent
1994-12-13
1996-12-17
Jones, David
Metal deforming
With use of control means energized in response to activator...
Sensing work or product
72 181, 72 196, 723893, 72702, B21D 502
Patent
active
055841996
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a device for measuring an angle in a workpiece, particularly an angle formed in a piece of sheet metal by bending, during the operation to bend the workpiece in a bending press having a punch and a V-shaped die which cooperate with each other.
BACKGROUND ART
Devices for measuring an angle formed in a workpiece by bending directly during the bending operation in a bending press have already been proposed.
One of these known devices, which is shown in FIG. 1, provides for the use of two or more distance-measuring sensors 100 disposed on each face 102 of the V-shaped groove in the die 104. This known device calculates the angle formed in the workpiece by bending, by means of direct distance measurements between the surface of the piece and the respective wall 102 of the V-shaped groove in the die 104, made with pointed feelers 100 at two points spaced a known distance apart in a direction perpendicular to the bending line. The main disadvantage found with this solution results from the need to miniaturize the device if it is to be used in "real time", that is, immediately after the bend has been made with the sheet metal still in the die, just after the punch has been raised to leave the sheet metal free. In fact, in order to obtain an accurate measurement of the bend angle, it is necessary to measure the distance between the workpiece and the wall of the V-shaped groove with an accuracy of the order of one micron, particularly when the V-shaped groove itself is small. Although the sensors can make measurements with this accuracy, the measurement effected is corrupted decisively by the surface roughness of the piece which is of the same order of magnitude as the precision with which the measurement has to be made.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for measuring an angle in a workpiece, which is not affected by the aforementioned disadvantages and which provides very precise and reproducible measurements regardless of the condition of the surface of the workpiece.
This device includes a base (8, 60); and a pair of feelers (12, 72) which are movable relative to the base (8, 60) and each of which has an active surface (16, 73) for contacting a respective portion (2a, 2b) of the workpiece (2) during the measurement. The feelers (12, 72) are completely free of each other kinematically. The device includes thrust mechanism (18, 82) for bringing the active surfaces (16, 73) of the feelers (12, 72) into contact with the respective portions (2a, 2b) of the workpiece (2) being measured. The thrust mechanism (18, 82) associated with one feeler (12, 72) are completely independent of the thrust mechanism (18, 82) associated with the other feeler (12, 72) and allow the respective feeler (12, 72) to perform a translatory movement relative to the base (8, 60) completely independently of the movement of the the other feeler (12, 72). The device further comprises sensors mechanism (32, 84) for detecting the positions of the feelers (12, 72) relative to the base (8, 60).
According to the invention, this object is achieved by the provision of a device having the characteristics forming the subject of claim 1, a conceptual diagram of which is shown in FIG. 2.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear in the course of the detailed description which follows, given purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior measuring device,
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the concept of the device according to the invention,
FIG. 3 is a schematic, perspective view of a device according to the invention mounted on the die of a bending press,
FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV of FIG. 3,
FIG. 4A shows a portion of FIG. 4 in greater detail,
FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line V--V of FIG. 4,
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the operation of the device according to the invention during the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3440847 (1969-04-01), Giordano
patent: 4131008 (1978-12-01), Malatto
patent: 4864509 (1989-09-01), Somerville et al.
patent: 5007264 (1991-04-01), Haack
patent: 5148693 (1992-09-01), Sartorio et al.
patent: 5375340 (1994-12-01), Gerristen
Amada Company Limited
Jones David
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