Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02388521 2002-04-02
Straightening Machine for Straightening Elongated Bodies
The invention relates to a bending machine for
straightening elongated bodies, especially pipes, plastic
composite pipes, rods, or profiles according to the features
stated in the preamble of Claim 1.
Such a bending machine is known from German Patent
Application A1-197 50 616 that is designed to straighten
rolled profiles. Said bending machine comprises a number of
straightening rollers that form a straightening channel and
act on the surface of the rolled profile or elongated body
that is led into the straightening channel. In addition, an
adjustment element is provided that has an adjustable runout
roller to guide the straightened rolled profile, and that is
adjustable by means of a sensor and an adjustment regulator.
The bending machine is a complex, stationary piece of
equipment used in rolling mills, and is not suited
particularly for mobile applications at work sites, machine
shops, or workshops.
Furthermore, a bending machine for pipes, profiles, and
the like is known from German Patent C2-35 34 42$ that has a
design based on a linear, straight alignment and having bends
and curves with small bending radii. Said bending machine
comprises on the one hand feed rollers between which the pipe
or similar body is led in a specified first direction, and on
the other hand bending rollers on which slides are arranged
that can be moved at right angles to said first direction.
Although the bending machine constitutes a compact, portable
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unit, the pipes, profiles, and similar bodies that are
prepared in a curved or bent state cannot be straightened
without further processing. The feed rollers are diametrically
arranged in pairs to accommodate the diameter or outer contour
of the elongated body, so that for other diameters or outer
contours, said rollers must be replaced by other rollers of
appropriate design. This is extremely time-intensive, and
unsuitable for the austere operating conditions at the work
site. Moreover, sets of various rollers must be kept on hand.
A further significant disadvantage is that the rollers are
externally accessible, resulting in potential safety hazards.
In the current art, elongated bodies such as pipes, rods,
or profiles are often processed on rollers whose diameters
typically range from 1 to 2 m, corresponding to the
flexibility of the elongated body. After the elongated body is
rolled out, it has a corresponding bend radius such that said
body generally cannot be laid out perfectly straight. Evan
slight curvatures are undesirable, particularly for
installation techniques such as laying water pipes, especially
surface installations, but also for subsurface installations
as wall. Similar problems arise in the laying or installation
of rods or profiles, such as for cable ducts, sheathing,
scaffolding, and the like.
The object of the invention is to provide a bending
machine of the aforementioned type, having low construction
costs, which allows adjustments to be easily made for
different diameters or outer contours of the elongated body,
and which avoids the need for special modifications. It is
further proposed that the bending machine allow for easy
handling and have low material and production costs.
This object is achieved according to the features stated
in Claim 1.
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The bending machine according to the invention is
characterized by a simple construction that allows adjustments
to be easily made for different diameters or outer contours of
the elongated body to be straightened. A number of
straightening rollers are mounted along a straightening
channel on radially displaceable supports, which together may
be adjusted by a displacement plate. It is advantageous for
the supports to be diametrically opposed in pairs, said
supports having at least two diametrically opposed
straightening rollers. In a special embodiment, four supports
are offset by at least approximately 90- to one another in
relation to the straightening channel or the longitudinal
axis, whereby each respective pair of diametrically opposed
supports has at least one pair of diametrically arranged
rollers. In a special embodiment, said supports are mounted in
the machine frame so as to be radially displaceable, so that
by means of the displacement plate the radial position of the
supports, and thus of the respective straightening rollers,
can be specified with respect to the longitudinal axis by
rotating the displacement plate. Alternatively, the supports
may be pivotably mounted about a fixed pivot bearing, or may
also be mounted by means of the free bearing formed by the
displacement plate so as to be radially adjustable in the
required manner.
The displacement plate and the respective supports have
mutually corresponding guide elements which in particular are
designed as a shaft and a corresponding guide groove, whereby
the shaft is associated with the support and the guide groove
is associated with the displacement plate, or vice versa. Said
displacement plate is rotatably mounted in the machine frame
about the longitudinal axis of the straightening channel,
whereby the radial adjustment of the supports, and thus of the
straightening rollers adjoining the straightening channel, is
specified corresponding to the rotational position of the
displacement plate. The bending machine is a compact,
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preferably portable unit having a total weight of a few
kilograms, and can be easily carried by one parson to the
desired location of use.
It is advantageous to mount two displacement plates, one
on each axial end of the supports, to assure a secure mounting
of the supports along with the straightening rollers in the
machine frame. An adjustment handle is advantageously
connected to the one or two displacement plates, thereby
facilitating synchronous rotation of the displacement plates)
about the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, adjustment marks are
assigned to at least one plate in such a way that the position
at the time, and ultimately the adjusted distance of the
straightening rollers relative to the longitudinal axis and
thus to the adjusted pipe diameter, may be easily determined
by an operator.
The machine frame, which advantageously has a guide plate
on each end. has an opening at each end for inserting and
withdrawing the elongated body, With the straightening channel
and the straightening rollers being situated between said
openings. The straightening rollers are preferably mounted
radially inside each support, thus protecting against
undesired access and eliminating safety hazards for the
operator.
In a particular development of the invention, the banding
machine has a cutting device for cutting the elongated body to
a desired length. In this manner primarily pipes. especially
plastic composite pipes, may be cut to the required length for
further processing. By integrating the cutting device
according to the invention into the bending machine, said
bending machine has a double function, thus allowing elongated
bodies to be straightened and cut within a short time.
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Special embodiments and developments of the invention are
stated in the subclaims.
The invention is explained in more detail with reference
to an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawings,
without thus limiting the invention. The drawings show the
following:
Figure 1 A perspective view of the bending machine
according to the invention,
Figure 2 A longitudinal section through the bending machine
in the sectional plane II according to Figure 1,
Figure 3 A partial view in the viewing direction III
according to Figure 2,
Figure 4 A perspective view in the sectional plane II
according to Figure l, and
Figure 5 A view of a straightening roller.
Figure 1 shows in perspective view the bending machine,
comprising a machine frame having two guide plates 2, 3 that
are connected to one another by rods 4. Corresponding to rod 4
on the right in the drawing, an additional rod is present in
the region of the lower ends 6 of the guide plates 2, 3. Two
displacement plates 8, 9 are mounted on the mutually
facing inner surfaces of the guide plates 2, 3 so as to be
rotatable about the longitudinal axis 10. An adjustment handle
12, provided for rotation of the displacement plates 8, 9, is
affixed to radially outwardly projecting cams 14, 15 on the
displacement plates 8, 9. The guide plate 2 has an adjustment
mark 16 which is coordinated with markings on the outer
surface of the displacement plate 8. The markings 18 relate to
different diameters of a straightening channel 20 which is
coaxial to the longitudinal axis 10 and which can be preset by
means of straightening rollers, to be described hereinafter.
Corresponding to the straightening channel, whose diameter is
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adjusted by rotating the displacement plates 8, 9 about the
longitudinal axis 10, elongated bodies, especially pipes or
plastic composite pipes, of different diameters can be
straightened using the bending machine. The marking 18
corresponding to the respective diameter is aligned with the
adjustment mark 16 by rotating the displacement plates 8, 9 in
the direction of the arrow 22.
Four supports are mounted between the displacement
plates 8, 9 essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis
10. The two supports 24, 25 visible in the drawing are
mounted so as to offset one another by 90- in relation to
the longitudinal axis 10. A third support is mounted
diametrically opposing and below the upper support 24 as
shown in the drawing, and a fourth support is mounted
diametrically opposing the support 25. Supports 24, 25, and
correspondingly the other two supports, have bearing blocks
28, 29 for the aforementioned straightening rollers, with
only the one straightening roller 32 of the rear support
diametrically opposed to the front support 25 being visible
in the drawing.
The displacement plates 8, 9 comprise first adjustment
elements which correspond to second adjustment elements of the
respective support 24, 25. According to the drawing, the first
adjustment element 36 is constructed as a groove that is
spiral-shaped with respect to the longitudinal axis 10, within
which groove the second adjustment element of support 24 in
the form of a shaft, not visible here, engages. Said
adjustment elements, the spiral-shaped groove 36, and the
shaft engaging in said groove are designed in such a way that
rotation of the displacement plates 8, 9 corresponding to the
arrow 22 radially displaces the support 24 outwardly in the
direction of the arrow 23. It is understood that rotation in
the direction opposite to the arrow 22 radially displaces the
support 24 inwardly. In addition, it is noted that the
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adjustment elements are designed to correspond to the other
axial end of the support 24 and the displacement plate 8
mounted there. Furthermore, the three other supports are
radially adjustable in an analogous fashion by means of
adjustment elements. It is essential that all supports be
synchronously radially displaced outwardly or radially
displaced inwardly by rotation of the two displacement plates
8, 9 that are connected by the adjustment handle 12, so
that the straightening rollers of all the supports have
matching radial distances relative to the longitudinal axis
10, corresponding to the rotational position of the
displacement plates 8, 9. The guide plate 2 has an opening
42, the diameter of which is equal to or greater than the
outer diameter of the body or pipe, rod, or the like to be
straightened by the bending machine. The guide plate 3 on the
opposite end also has a corresponding opening that is coaxial
to the longitudinal axis 10. The diameters-or for profiles or
rods with different outer contours, the widths-of said
openings are significantly larger than the maximum diameters
or the maximum widths of the outer contours, thus reliably
avoiding safety hazards for the operator when inserting a body
or pipe into the opening. The fact that the straightening
rollers are shielded by the radially outwardly mounted
supports also avoids hazards for the operator.
The guide plate 2 on its inner side facing toward
supports 24, 25 has four radial guide grooves 46 through 49 in
which shafts of the respective support engage. Each support
advantageously has two radially spaced shafts, whereby the
width of the guide grooves 46 through 49 is substantially
equal to the diameter of said shafts. The radial length of the
guide grooves 46 through 49 is matched to the radial
displacement path of the supports, taking the shaft diameters
into account. Functionally reliable mounting and radial
guiding of the supports in the machine frame are thus assured.
Instead of the two essentially cylindrical shafts provided for
each support, each support may have an elongated guide body,
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similar to a feather key, which engages with the associated
guide groove, the radial length of which is specified in
accordance with the radial displacement path of the support.
It should be noted that not only the front guide plate 2
according to the drawing, but also the other guide plate 3
likewise has corresponding guide grooves. Alternatively, the
radial guide elements according to the invention can be
designed in such a way that shafts are mounted on the guide
plates 2, 3 and the supports have corresponding radial guide
grooves. In addition, the guide plate 3 has an axial
adjustment pin 58 which will be further explained hereinafter.
Although the arrangement of four supports, mounted so as to be
offset from one another by 90- relative to the longitudinal
axis, has proven to be particularly advantageous, a different
number of supports may be provided within the scope of the
invention. It is preferable to mount at least three supports.
According to the invention, the supports are symmetrically
mounted about the longitudinal axis so as to offset one
another, each by the same angle.
Figure 2 shows a section through the bending machine in
an axial sectional plane, with the two axially spaced, outer
guide plates 2, 3 and the rear connecting rod 5 of the machine
frame. According to the invention, the guide plates 2, 3 have
support or guide surfaces, coaxial to the longitudinal axis
10, for the associated displacement plates 8, 9. In the region
of the mutually facing inner surfaces of the guide plates 2, 3
are preferably provided axial projections 44, 45, having outer
surfaces coaxial to the longitudinal axis 10, upon which the
two displacement plates 8, 9 are rotatably mounted. The
aforementioned second adjustment elements, in the form of the
aforementioned axially aligned shafts 40, 41 of the respective
upper or lower support 24 or 26 shown in the drawing, engage
with the first adjustment elements 36, 38 of the displacement
plates 8, 9, said adjustment elements being designed as spiral
grooves. The displacement plates 2, 3 also contain the radial
guide grooves 46, 47 in which the second adjustment elements
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or shafts 40, 41 likewise engage. The shafts 40, 41 are
components of rods 50, 51, whose respective axial lengths are
greater than the axial lengths of the supports 24, 26. The
respective supports 24, 26 and correspondingly, the supports
situated behind or in front of the plane of projection, are
axially penetrated by two of said rods 50, 51. The radial
guide grooves 46, 48 act to radially guide and prevent
rotation of the respective supports during rotation of the
displacement plates 8,9 to adjust the straightening rollers
32, 34, 35 of the respective support. It can be seen that said
supports each have four axially spaced straightening rollers.
The different straightening rollers of the individual supports
are axially offset from one another. For each support, the
respective straightening rollers are arranged equidistantly.
The support 27 situated behind the plane of projection has two
bearing blocks 30, 31 for rotatably mounting the straightening
roller 35 situated between said bearing blocks 30, 31. It is
understood that the straightening rollers for the three other
supports are arranged and mounted in a corresponding fashion.
The bending machine further comprises a cutting device 52
having cutting rollers 54, 55. The cutting rollers may be
adjusted in the radial direction by the cutting device 52, so
that the distance between said cutting rollers may be reduced,
if needed, to cut off the body or pipe present in the bending
machine. For this purpose the cutting device 52 has a spindle,
indicated by a dotted line 56, which is mounted outside the
straightening channel and by which the cutting rollers 54, 55
may be radially adjusted as desired. Both of the cutting
rollers 54, 55 are adjusted during the straightening process
so as not to contact the outer surface of the body or pipe.
Cutting is performed by adjusting the cutting rollers 54, 55
to the outer surface of the body or pipe, successively
readjusting to reduce the radial distance from the cutting
rollers 54, 55, and rotating the body or pipe about the
longitudinal axis 10.
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Figure 3 shows the banding machine in a partial axial
view, namely, in the sectional plane III according to Figure
2. The displacement plate 9 rotatably mounted on the axial
projection 45 has four spiral-shaped grooves 36 through 39 in
or through which the radially spaced shafts 40, 41 of the
respective supports 24 through 27 engage. The straightening
rollers 32 through 35 enclosing the straightening channel 20
may be easily identified here. The guide plate situated in
front of the plane of projection has at least one adjustment
pin 58 which extends into the region of the displacement plate
9. The displacement plate 9 has an adjustment groove 60
running in the circumferential direction which has locking
positions 62 designed as indentations. Rotating the
displacement plate 9 in the direction of the arrow 22 causes
the adjustment pin 58 to move into the adjustment groove 60.
The adjustment groove 60 and its locking positions 62 are
preferably designed in such a way that during rotation of the
displacement plate 9, specified adjustment positions of the
displacement plate are occupied corresponding to specified
pipe diameters. The adjustment grooves and locking positions
are formed and constructed, for example, so that during
rotation of the displacement plate 9 the supports 24 through
27 are radially displaced in a specified adjustment range in
preset increments, for example, by 16 to 32 mm for pipe
diameters, and are sat in a fixed manner. It is advantageous
to provide four such adjustment pins 58 with corresponding
adjustment grooves, distributed over the circumference. For
simplicity, only one adjustment groove 60 is shown here.
Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the spiral-
shaped grooves 36 through 39 may have, in the region of its
lateral surfaces, corresponding notches 64, 65 as locking
positions in order to specify defined rotational angle
positions of the displacement plate 9, and thus the defined
adjustments of the straightening rollers 32 through 35,
whereby the shafts 40, 41 engage in the angle positions of the
displacement plate 9 which are thus specified.
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Figure 4 shows in an axial sectional plane a perspective
view of the bending machine comprising two guide plates 2, 3
having radial guide grooves 46, 48 for the shafts 40, 41 for
the two supports 24, 26, shown here in a diametrically opposed
arrangement. The four equidistant straightening rollers 35 of
the support 37 Isic: 27] and the associated bearing blocks 30,
31 for the respective straightening roller 35 may be easily
identified here. The rods 50, 51 engage at their ends, which
are formed by said shafts 40, 41, in the radial guide grooves
46. The supports 24, 26 are represented in the radially
adjustable position that is nearest to the longitudinal axis.
Corresponding to the free section of the guide groove 46
situated radially above the rod 50 or the shaft 40 thereof,
the support 24 and correspondingly the other supports as well
may be displaced outwardly or inwardly in the radial direction
as indicated by the arrow 23, by rotating the displacement
plates 8, 9.
Figure 5 shows a view of the straightening roller 32, the
outer surface 70 of which has a specified curvature that
allows use for different diameters of the pipes to be
straightened. To this and, the outer surface 70 is adapted, in
the canter 72 of the straightening roller 32, to the radius of
the smallest pipe diameter. At the axial and regions of the
roller 32, the roller diameter is increased out to the edge
region 74 to accommodate the largest possible pipe diameter.
The following procedure is performed to straighten a body
or pipe. First, the bending machine is adjusted to the desired
diameter by rotating the displacement plates 8, 9 by means of
the adjustment handle 12 until the marking 18 associated with
the desired diameter matches up with the adjustment mark 16,
as shown in Figure 1. In addition, the adjusting pin 58
engages in the associated locking position 62, and/or the
shafts) 40, 41 engage with the respective notches 64, 65 of
the spiral-shaped groove 36, as described above with reference
to Figure 3. The pipe which is unrolled or otherwise bent by a
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roller is pushed through the opening 42 into the straightening
channel and is than manually pushed out until it exits through
the other opening 43 in a straightened state.
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Reference Numbers
2, 3 Guide plate
4, 5 Rod
6 Lower end
8, 9 Displacement plate 10
10 Longitudinal axis
12 Adjustment handle
14, 15 Cam
16 Adjustment mark
18 Marking
20 Straightening channel
22, 23 Arrow
24-27 Support
28-31 Bearing block
32-35 Straightening roller
36-39 First adjustment element/spiral-shaped groove
40, 41 Second adjustment element/shaft
42, 43 Opening
44, 45 Projection from 2, 3
46-49 Radial guide groove
50, 51 Rod
52 Cutting device
54, 55 Cutting roller
56 Dotted line/spindle
58 Adjustment pin
60 Adjustment groove
62 Locking position
64, 65 Notch/locking position in 36
66 Section of 46
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