Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or... – By loading or unloading section at selected one of a...
Utility Patent
1999-03-19
2001-01-02
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or...
By loading or unloading section at selected one of a...
C198S360000
Utility Patent
active
06168006
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a device for sorting work piece parts cut out on a machine for cutting out work pieces in the case of processing at a processing station with at least one guiding device located at the processing station under a plane of the work piece processed with at least one guide element, by means of which the work piece parts can be guided to at least two different removal devices and in this way delivered to two different storage areas.
Such sorting devices are known to be used on sheet metal cutting machines, by means of which parts with predetermined contours are cut out of sheet metal plates. The cutting station of the machine in this case also is stationary as a guide device for the work piece parts, which as a guide element for the work piece parts has two inclined planes leading in different directions. The sheet metal plate to be processed is moved by means of a numerically controlled coordinate guide opposite the cutting station of the machine. With separation of the last connecting points between the sheet metal part and the sheet metal place, the cut-out part drops down from the cutting station under the effect of the force of gravity and thus onto one of the two inclined planes of the guiding device. Onto which of the two inclined planes the sheet metal part falls, and consequently the direction of removing the sheet metal part, is determined by the position of the sheet metal part vis a vis the guiding device at that moment when its last connection with the rest of the sheet metal plate is severed, and thus by the position of the last connection of the sheet metal part. Correspondingly, the coordinate guiding of the previously known machine is to be controlled in such a way that at the time of making the last separating cut the cut-out sheet metal part is located over the one of the two inclined planes of the guiding device by means of which the removal in can be carried out in the desired removal device. The position of the last separating cut on the work piece is predetermined correspondingly by programming the machine control and varies depending on the desired direction of removal.
The sorting of the work piece parts arriving at the cutting station of the previously known sheet metal cutting machine needs a considerable control, or, as the case may be, programming, expense.
The task of the present invention consists in simplifying the sorting of the work piece parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention this task is solved by means of the fact that on a device of the type mentioned initially the guide element is controllable and different directions of removal of the work piece parts are associated with different control states of the guide element. The device in accordance with the invention permits a sorting of the work piece parts cut out at the processing station with the prerequisite that at the time of making the last separating cut these assume a position, staring from which they can reach the guiding device. The device for removing work piece parts to the different storage areas is determined only on the guiding device. The control of the guide element necessary for this purpose requires only a slight expense. Consequently, the cutting can be guided uniformly along the outer contour of the work piece parts and in this case without the sorting process following the work piece processing having to be taken into account by means of the guide element or elements.
A preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention is distinguished by means of a simple kinematics of the guide element for determining the work piece part removal device, in the case of which the guide element can be swivelled around at least one swivel axis and is controllable in at least two swivel positions, with which different work piece part removal devices are associated.
A guide vane capable of swivelling around at least one swivel axis with a guide surface for the work piece parts—as provided in a further development of the invention—is recommended as a structurally simple and functionally secure guide element.
In swivel positions, with which different directions of removal of the work piece parts are associated, the guide vane can be controlled in the case of a further version of the device in accordance with the invention by swivelling it around two swivel axes running parallel to each other, separated from one another parallel to the guide surface.
Structurally the swivelling capacity of the guide vane around two swivel axes in the sense of the invention is made possible by the fact that the guide vane is connected swivellable around a first swivel axis with a bearing plate supporting the guide vane on one side in the direction of swivelling, which bearing plate is mounted capable of swivelling around a second swivel axis and that in each case a controllable elevating mechanism engages the guide vane at a distance from the first swivel axis and the bearing plate at a distance from the second swivel axis, by means of which elevating mechanism the guide vane can be swivelled around the first swivel axis, or, as the case may be, the unit of the guide vane and the bearing plate can be swiveled around the second swivel axis. In the case of the swivel motion around the second swivel axis, the baring plate puts the guide vane supported on it in the direction of swiveling.
In the interest of a space-saving construction of the guiding device in the case of a preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention, it is provided that the guide vane is connected capable of swiveling around a first swivel axis with a bearing plate supporting the guide vane on one side in the direction of swivelling and can be locked against swivelling with the bearing plate, and that a controllable elevating mechanism engages the guide vane at a distance from the first as well as the second swivel axis, by means of which elevating mechanism the guide vane can be swivelled around the first axis, or, as the case may be, the unit of the guide vane as well as the bearing plate locked with it can be swivelled around the second swivel axis. The capability of locking the guide vane and bearing plate opens the possibility of optionally swivelling the guide vane around one or the other swivel axis with a single elevating mechanism.
In a preferred further development of the last-named embodiment of the invention, the guide vane and the bearing plate can be locked with one another by means of a locking pin, the movement of which can be controlled on one part, and a locking pin support on the other part.
In accordance with the invention in this case the locking pin is formed by a piston rod of a piston-cylinder unit, the operation of which can be controlled.
A controllable piston-cylinder unit hinged capable of turning on the guide vane or on the bearing plate around a swivel axis parallel to the swivel axis concerned is provided as a continuously functionally reliable and easy to control elevating mechanism for the guide vane, or, as the case may be, the bearing plate.
In the case of a further design of the device in accordance with the invention, the guide vane is capable of swivelling around a swivel axis located on its edge. In addition, or alternatively, the guide vane in a further embodiment of the invention is made as a rocker capable of swiveling around a swivel axis located at a distance from vane edges lying at a distance opposite each other.
As an alternative to a swivelable guide element of the type described above, in the case of one embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention an endless conveyor belt for the work piece parts, capable of being controlled in its direction of motion, is provided as a guiding element. Such a conveyor belt makes it possible to convey the work piece parts to be sorted in different directions in the case of low design heights transverse to the plane of the conveyor belt.
A secure intermediate storage of the work piece parts cut out at the processing station before they are rem
Bidwell James R.
Pepe & Hazard LLP
Trumpf GmbH & Co.
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