A dual-mode switchable tail-sitter aircraft and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a dual-mode switchable tail shrinking machine and a control method thereof. The tail shrinking machine comprises a rack, an outer roller module and an inner mold shaft assembly which are arranged on the rack and have the same rotating shaft. The tail shrinking machine further comprises a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism which are used for driving the inner mold shaft assembly and the outer roller module to rotate, respectively. The first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are configured to work cooperatively, so that the tail shrinking machine has two working states. The outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly are independently driven to rotate, and the cooperative working is configured, so that the quick switching of the special-shaped and circular tail shrinking is efficiently completed on one device, the problem of single function and complicated model changing of the traditional device is fundamentally solved, and the production flexibility and the device utilization rate are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of metal processing machinery and equipment, and particularly relates to a dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] End-reduction processing of metal bars or tubes is a key process in manufacturing. It aims to shape the workpiece end into a specific geometry, such as a circular shaft end or a polygonal shape (e.g., quadrilateral, hexagonal), or a connector, through localized radial plastic deformation. Currently, most end-reduction machines on the market are designed based on a single processing mode and generally suffer from the following technical limitations and drawbacks: 1. Limited functionality and insufficient flexibility: Traditional tail-reduction machines are typically dedicated to a single purpose, meaning one machine can only process the tail-reduction of a specific shape, such as a circle or a fixed polygon. When production needs switch to different shapes, it often requires downtime and replacement of the entire set of molds, and even adjustments to the core transmission structure. This process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, resulting in low equipment utilization and an inability to adapt to the trend of flexible production with multiple varieties and small batches, increasing the company's equipment investment and space occupancy costs.

[0003] 2. Due to limitations in the processing mechanism, it is difficult to balance effectiveness and efficiency: For rounded, tapered ends, uniform forging is typically achieved by rotating the workpiece or having the die revolve around the workpiece. While this ensures roundness, it is ineffective for irregularly shaped cross-sections.

[0004] For irregular (polygonal) shapes, a common solution is to use a stationary forming die in conjunction with external rotating hammers or extrusion. While this "stationary die, moving hammer" method can achieve the desired shape, rigid impacts and sliding friction can easily occur between the die and the workpiece or hammer during continuous processing. This results in abnormally sharp noise and severe equipment vibration, which not only deteriorates the working environment but also affects the machine tool's accuracy and lifespan. Furthermore, the high deformation resistance makes it difficult to improve processing efficiency.

[0005] 3. Lack of integrated, efficient solutions: In existing technologies, there are few solutions that can efficiently and effectively handle the processing of circular and various irregularly shaped tails on a single machine. A few designs that attempt to integrate functions often suffer from complex structures and cumbersome controls, and fail to fundamentally address the issues of ease of mode switching and process stability, resulting in poor reliability, economy, and practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a dual-mode switchable tail-shrinking machine and its control method. By designing that both the outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly of the tail-shrinking machine can rotate, the product processing efficiency is greatly improved and the equipment versatility is enhanced.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: A dual-mode switchable tail-reduction machine includes a frame and an outer roller module and an inner mold shaft assembly mounted on the frame and arranged around the same rotation axis. The tail-reduction machine further includes: The first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism respectively drive the inner mold shaft assembly and the outer roller module to rotate. The first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism are configured to work together so that the tail-retracting machine has two working states: In the first working state, the inner mold shaft assembly is locked and prevented from rotating, and the second drive mechanism drives the outer roller module to rotate; In the second working state, the first drive mechanism drives the inner mold shaft assembly to rotate in a first direction, and the second drive mechanism drives the outer roller module to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0008] As an optimization of the above solution, the frame includes a front mounting plate and a rear mounting plate arranged parallel to each other vertically to support the outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly. The outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly are located between the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate, and both can rotate relative to the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate.

[0009] As a further optimization of the above solution, the inner mold shaft assembly includes a mold shaft, multiple forming molds installed in the mold shaft, and rolling hammers that match the forming molds. The mold shaft is installed on the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate through bearings, and achieves torque transmission through the first transmission component and the first drive mechanism.

[0010] As a further optimization of the above scheme, one end of the mold shaft is hollow, and several radially penetrating mounting grooves are evenly distributed on the surface along the circumference. The rolling hammer and the forming mold are installed in the mounting grooves in sequence from the outside to the inside along the radial direction of the mold shaft. The outer surface of the rolling hammer is a raised arc or inclined surface and is higher than the outer surface of the mold shaft. The inner surface of the forming mold extends beyond the inner wall of the mold shaft. The space formed by the inner surfaces of each forming mold is the workpiece processing cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, each rolling hammer is equipped with a locating pin at both ends and two adjusting blocks located at both ends of the locating pin. The adjusting blocks are stably installed in the grooves preset in the mold shaft, and the adjusting blocks are provided with oblong holes arranged in the radial direction of the mold shaft. The two ends of the locating pin are inserted into the oblong holes, and the outer surface of the adjusting block is provided with a grommet extending into the oblong hole. By adjusting the length of the grommet extending into the oblong hole, the radial movement stroke of the rolling hammer in the mounting groove can be adjusted.

[0012] Furthermore, springs are provided at both ends of the mold shaft, which are fastened to the mold shaft, and each rolling hammer is held in the mounting groove by the spring.

[0013] As a further optimization of the above solution, the outer roller module includes several rollers surrounding each roller hammer. Both ends of each roller are fixed on a fixed plate. The second drive mechanism drives the fixed plate to rotate through the second transmission component. During the process of the fixed plate driving each roller to revolve, the rollers squeeze the roller hammers to move towards the center of the mold shaft and push the forming mold to move towards the center of the mold shaft.

[0014] As a further optimization of the above solution, the first transmission component is a belt drive mechanism, including a first inertial pulley. The first inertial pulley is fixed to one end of the mold shaft by a fastening plate. The first inertial pulley achieves power transmission with the first drive mechanism through a reduction module. The front and rear ends of the mold shaft are movably mounted in the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate through the first front bearing and the first rear bearing, respectively.

[0015] As a further optimization of the above solution, the second transmission component includes a second inertia pulley that is coaxially fixed with the fixed disk. The front end and rear end of the second inertia pulley are respectively sleeved on the mold shaft through a second front bearing and a second rear bearing installed at the front end and rear end of the mold shaft.

[0016] Furthermore, another objective of this invention is to design a dual-mode switchable tail-retractor control method, the method comprising: Select the working mode based on the input processing instructions; If the instruction corresponds to the first working mode, then the first drive mechanism is controlled to lock the mold shaft, and the second drive mechanism is controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate. If the instruction corresponds to the second working mode, the first drive mechanism is controlled to drive the mold shaft to rotate in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism is simultaneously controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the technology in this application are as follows: This application proposes a dual-mode switchable tail-reduction machine and its control method. By setting up an independently driveable outer roller module and an inner mold shaft assembly, and configuring them to work together, it achieves efficient and rapid switching between irregular and circular tail reduction on a single machine. This fundamentally solves the problems of traditional equipment having single functions and cumbersome changeover, greatly improving production flexibility and equipment utilization. This application enables the inner mold shaft assembly to switch between "locked" and "reverse rotation" states, and precisely coordinates with the rotation of the outer roller module. This simultaneously achieves efficient die forging for irregular parts and precision rotary forging for circular parts. In the second working state, it achieves uniform and continuous rotary forging of the workpiece, perfectly suited for circular tail reduction with high roundness and high surface quality. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the decomposed state structure of this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the external roller module structure in this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded state structure of the external roller module in this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal mold shaft assembly structure in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall decomposition state structure of the mold in this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the mold assembly from one perspective in this embodiment.

[0026] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of AA.

[0027] Figure 10 for Figure 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the inner mold assembly.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the rolling hammer and the adjusting block in this embodiment.

[0029] Reference numerals: Outer roller module-2, Inner mold shaft assembly-3, First drive mechanism-4, Second drive mechanism-5, Front mounting plate-11, Rear mounting plate-12, Mold shaft-31, Forming mold-32, Rolling hammer-33, First transmission assembly-6, Mounting groove-311, Positioning pin-34, Adjusting block-35, Groove-311, Waist-shaped hole-351, Measuring screw-36, Spring-37, Roller-21, Fixed plate-22, Second transmission assembly-7, First inertia pulley-61, Fastening plate-62, Reduction module-63, First front bearing-64, First rear bearing-65, Second inertia pulley-71, Second front bearing-73, Second rear bearing-72, Feed hole-111, Main board support column-13. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To facilitate understanding and implementation by those skilled in the art, the technology of this patent application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and by way of embodiments.

[0031] Details are as attached Figure 1 Appendix Figure 3 As shown.

[0032] The dual-mode switchable tail-reduction machine disclosed in this embodiment mainly includes a frame 1. A front mounting plate 11 and a rear mounting plate 12, parallel to each other, are vertically fixed on the frame 1. An outer roller module 2 and an inner mold shaft assembly 3 are supported at both ends by the front mounting plate 11 and the rear mounting plate 12. The outer roller module 2 and the inner mold shaft assembly 3 are arranged on the same rotation axis and rotate independently under the drive of the second drive mechanism 5 and the first drive mechanism 4, respectively. In this structure, the outer roller module 2 is fitted around the inner mold shaft assembly 3. The center of the inner mold assembly 3 is the cavity for processing the workpiece. A feed hole 111 communicating with the cavity for inserting the workpiece to be processed is provided on the front mounting plate 11.

[0033] Furthermore, driven by the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5, the outer roller module 2 and the inner mold shaft assembly 3 are configured to work together, so that the tail-shrinking machine has two working states: In the first working state, the inner mold shaft assembly 3 is locked and rotation is prohibited. Only the second drive mechanism 5 drives the outer roller module 2 to rotate. In the second working state, the first drive mechanism 4 drives the inner mold shaft assembly 3 to rotate in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism 5 drives the outer roller module 2 to rotate in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, both the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5 are servo motors, which transmit torque to the inner mold shaft assembly 3 and the outer roller module 2 through the first transmission component 6 and the second transmission component 7, respectively, thereby achieving precise control over the rotation of the inner mold shaft assembly 3 and the outer roller module 2.

[0035] For example, the accompanying drawings of this embodiment... Figure 6-10As shown, the inner mold shaft assembly 3 includes a mold shaft 31, multiple forming molds 32 mounted in the mold shaft 31, and rolling hammers 33 matched with the forming molds 32. The mold shaft 31 is mounted on the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate via bearings, and achieves torque transmission with the first drive mechanism through the first transmission assembly 6. One end of the mold shaft 31 has a larger diameter and is hollow inside. Several radially penetrating mounting grooves 311 are evenly distributed on the surface along the circumference. The rolling hammers 33 and the forming molds 32 are movably mounted in the mounting grooves 311 from the outside to the inside along the radial direction of the mold shaft 31. The outer surface of the rolling hammers 33 is a raised arc shape (or an inclined surface) and is higher than the outer surface of the mold shaft 31. The inner surface of the forming molds 32 extends beyond the inner wall of the mold shaft 31. The space formed by the inner surfaces of each forming mold 32 is a workpiece processing cavity.

[0036] To maintain the relative stability of the rolling hammers 33, springs 37 are provided at both ends of the mold shaft 31, which are ringed onto the mold shaft 31. Each rolling hammer 31 is secured in the mounting groove 311 by the springs. The preload of the springs causes all the rolling hammers 33 to tend to converge toward the central axis in their natural state. The springs 37 can be ring springs fitted onto the mold shaft 31, or multiple tension springs distributed circumferentially between the rolling hammers 33 and the mold shaft 31.

[0037] Combined with the appendix Figure 11 As shown, each of the rolling hammers 33 is provided with a positioning pin 34 at both ends and two adjusting blocks 35 located at both ends of the positioning pin 34. The adjusting blocks 35 are stably installed in the groove 311 preset in the mold shaft 31, and the adjusting blocks 35 are provided with a waist-shaped hole 351 arranged in the radial direction of the mold shaft 31. The two ends of the positioning pin 34 are inserted into the waist-shaped hole 351, and the outer surface of the adjusting block 35 is provided with a grommet 36 extending into the waist-shaped hole 351. By adjusting the length of the grommet 36 extending into the waist-shaped hole 351, the radial movement stroke of the rolling hammer 33 in the mounting groove 311 can be adjusted. Specifically, the outward movement of the rolling hammer 33 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the size of the workpiece processing cavity.

[0038] For example, see attached Figure 3-4 As shown. The outer roller module 2 used in this embodiment includes several rollers 21 surrounding each rolling hammer 33. Both ends of each roller 21 are fixed on the fixed plate 22. The second drive mechanism 5 drives the fixed plate 22 to rotate through the second transmission component 7. During the process of the fixed plate 22 driving each roller 21 to revolve, the rollers 21 squeeze the rolling hammer 33 to move towards the center of the mold shaft 31, and push the forming mold 32 to move towards the center of the workpiece processing cavity along the mold shaft 31, thereby realizing the forging of the workpiece by the forming mold 32.

[0039] In this embodiment, the first transmission component 6 is a belt drive mechanism, including a first inertia pulley 61. The first inertia pulley 61 is fixed to one end of the mold shaft 31 by a fastening plate 62. The first inertia pulley 62 is powered by the first drive mechanism 4 through the reduction module 63. The front and rear ends of the mold shaft 31 are movably mounted in the front mounting plate 11 and the rear mounting plate 12 by the first front bearing 64 and the first rear bearing 65, respectively, to achieve stable position at both ends.

[0040] In this embodiment, the second transmission component 7 includes a second inertia pulley 71 that is coaxially fixed with the fixed disk 22. The front end and rear end of the second inertia pulley 71 are respectively sleeved on the mold shaft 31 through a second front bearing 73 and a second rear bearing 72 installed on the front end and rear end of the mold shaft 31.

[0041] Based on the above structure, a dual-mode switchable tail-retractor control method is thus formed, which includes: Select the working mode based on the input processing instructions; If the instruction corresponds to the first working mode, then the first drive mechanism is controlled to lock the mold shaft, and the second drive mechanism is controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate. If the instruction corresponds to the second working mode, the first drive mechanism is controlled to drive the mold shaft to rotate in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism is simultaneously controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0042] In this embodiment, the frame 1 and the front mounting plate 11 and rear mounting plate 12 on the frame 1 constitute the installation foundation and load-bearing frame of the entire equipment. To ensure overall rigidity and accurate installation of internal components, multiple main board support columns 13 (three in this embodiment) parallel to the mold shaft 31 can be set between the front mounting plate 11 and the rear mounting plate 12. The two ends of these main board support columns 13 are fixedly connected to the front mounting plate 11 and the rear mounting plate 12 by high-strength bolts, forming a stable three-dimensional frame.

[0043] It should also be noted that the forming mold 32 is preferably a segmented structure, such as two or four segments. Its inner surface shape can be made into a circle, quadrilateral, hexagon, etc., according to processing requirements, evenly distributed along the circumference, forming a processing cavity in the middle. When the workpiece to be processed is pushed into the processing cavity through the feed hole 111, the rolling hammer 33 overcomes the spring force and slightly opens outward, causing the forming mold 32 to tightly hold the workpiece.

[0044] In this embodiment, during the overall rotation of the outer roller module 2, each roller 21 contacts the arc-shaped outer surface of the rolling hammer and squeezes the rolling hammer to move towards the axis. Simultaneously, it pushes the forming mold 32 to press and apply force to the workpiece, thus processing it. Since the forming mold 32 is already in contact with the workpiece under the action of the spring when the workpiece is inserted into the cavity, there is no gap between the forming mold 32 and the workpiece. The contact between the roller 21 and the workpiece changes from the traditional "impact" to "contact," significantly reducing friction and impact noise. In the inner mold shaft assembly 3, the forming mold 32 is mounted on the mold shaft 31 via a spring 37 and a movably connected positioning pin 34 and adjusting block 35. When the workpiece is pressed in or subjected to uneven force, this structure can produce slight elastic deformation and displacement, effectively absorbing and buffering transient impact energy, avoiding direct "hard-on-hard" collisions of rigid structures, and converting sharp impact sounds into low, brief mechanical operating sounds.

[0045] In summary, the inner mold shaft assembly 3 in this embodiment is a core component integrating high-precision rotary support, elastic radial floating, modular mold installation, and precision fine-tuning functions. It achieves low-noise, automatic centering and convergence of the mold through springs, convenient and precise dimensional adjustment through unique adjustment blocks 35 and other components, and provides a crucial mechanical foundation for achieving two precisely controllable working states: "inner mold locked, outer mold rotating" and "inner and outer molds rotating synchronously in opposite directions."

[0046] Both the first drive mechanism 4 and the second drive mechanism 5 can be controlled by independent servo motors. The servo motor used in the first drive mechanism 4 has a brake lock-up function. When the first working state is selected, the servo motor of the first drive mechanism 4 is locked, and the inner mold shaft assembly 3 is also locked and will not rotate. Only the second drive mechanism 5 drives the outer roller module 2 to rotate. When the second working state is selected, the servo motor of the first drive mechanism 4 is not locked, and drives the inner mold shaft assembly 3 to rotate in the first direction, while the second drive mechanism 5 drives the outer roller module 2 to rotate in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0047] Furthermore, the control method in this embodiment transforms simple operator commands into precise, coordinated, and sequential motion control of the two drive mechanisms, thereby making complex dual-mode processing easy to operate, quick to switch, and highly repeatable.

[0048] The specific embodiments described above have provided a detailed explanation of the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above embodiments are one of the preferred implementations of the technology of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. In particular, it should be noted that any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application for those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine, characterized in that, The machine includes a frame (1) and an outer roller module (2) and an inner mold shaft assembly (3) mounted on the frame and arranged along the same rotation axis. The tail-shrinking machine also includes: The first drive mechanism (4) and the second drive mechanism (5) drive the inner mold shaft assembly and the outer roller module to rotate, respectively. The first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism are configured to work together so that the tail-retracting machine has two working states: In the first working state, the inner mold shaft assembly is locked and prevented from rotating, and the second drive mechanism drives the outer roller module to rotate; In the second working state, the first drive mechanism drives the inner mold shaft assembly to rotate in a first direction, and the second drive mechanism drives the outer roller module to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

2. The dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame includes a front mounting plate (11) and a rear mounting plate (12) arranged parallel to each other vertically to support the outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly. The outer roller module and the inner mold shaft assembly are located between the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate, and both can rotate relative to the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate.

3. The dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner mold shaft assembly includes a mold shaft (31), multiple forming molds (32) installed in the mold shaft, and a rolling hammer 33 that matches the forming mold. The mold shaft is mounted on the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate through bearings, and achieves torque transmission with the first drive mechanism through the first transmission component (6).

4. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mold shaft has a hollow interior at one end, and several radially penetrating mounting grooves (311) are evenly distributed on its surface along the circumference. The rolling hammer and the forming mold are installed in the mounting grooves in sequence from the outside to the inside along the radial direction of the mold shaft. The outer surface of the rolling hammer is a raised arc or inclined surface and is higher than the outer surface of the mold shaft. The inner surface of the forming mold extends beyond the inner wall of the mold shaft. The space formed by the inner surfaces of each forming mold is the workpiece processing cavity.

5. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each rolling hammer is provided with a positioning pin (34) and two adjusting blocks (35) located at both ends of the positioning pin. The adjusting blocks are stably installed in the groove (311) preset in the mold shaft. The adjusting blocks are provided with a waist-shaped hole (351) arranged in the radial direction of the mold shaft. The two ends of the positioning pin are inserted into the waist-shaped hole. The outer surface of the adjusting block is provided with a grommet (36) extending into the waist-shaped hole. By adjusting the length of the grommet extending into the waist-shaped hole, the radial movement stroke of the rolling hammer in the mounting groove can be adjusted.

6. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, Springs (37) are provided at both ends of the mold shaft and are attached to the mold shaft. Each rolling hammer is held in the mounting groove by the spring.

7. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer roller module includes several rollers (21) surrounding each roller hammer. Both ends of each roller are fixed on a fixed plate (22). The second drive mechanism drives the fixed plate to rotate through the second transmission component (7). During the process of the fixed plate driving each roller to revolve, the rollers squeeze the roller hammer to move towards the center of the mold shaft and push the forming mold to move towards the center of the mold shaft.

8. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first transmission component is a belt drive mechanism, including a first inertial pulley (61). The first inertial pulley is fixed to one end of the mold shaft by a fastening plate (62). The first inertial pulley is connected to the first drive mechanism through a reduction module (63) to achieve power transmission. The front and rear ends of the mold shaft are movably installed in the front mounting plate and the rear mounting plate through the first front bearing (64) and the first rear bearing (65), respectively.

9. A dual-mode switchable tail-retracting machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second transmission assembly includes a second inertia pulley (71) coaxially fixed with the fixed disk. The front end and rear end of the second inertia pulley (71) are respectively sleeved on the mold shaft through a second front bearing (73) and a second rear bearing (72) installed at the front end and rear end of the mold shaft.

10. A dual-mode switchable tail-retractor control method, applied to a dual-mode switchable tail-retractor as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: Select the working mode based on the input processing instructions; If the instruction corresponds to the first working mode, then the first drive mechanism is controlled to lock the mold shaft, and the second drive mechanism is controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate. If the instruction corresponds to the second working mode, the first drive mechanism is controlled to drive the mold shaft to rotate in the first direction, and the second drive mechanism is simultaneously controlled to drive the outer roller module to rotate in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

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