Wire straightening machine

Abstract

Wire straightening system with a plurality of straightening tools (1) rotatably arranged along tool axes (2) running parallel to each other in a horizontal plane and each having straightening roller arrangements (4) arranged one behind the other along the tool axis (2) and obliquely to the wire (5) also running in the tool axis (2) or a straightening jaw arranged on each of the parallel tool axes (2), wherein each straightening tool (1) can be rotatably driven by a drive motor (11) by means of a gear (6) arranged in the tool axis (2) and a toothed belt (7) resting on it, characterized in that the straightening tools (1) together with their respective gear (6) and toothed belt (7) and a roller (9) arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt (7)20) are arranged on a carriage (3) movable transversely to the tool axes (2), by means of which the straightening tool (1) to be used, together with the gear (6), toothed belt (7) and roller (9; 20), can be moved towards the drive means (10; 21) of a single, essentially stationary drive motor (11) in such a way that the lower roller (9; 20) is located near this drive means (10; 21) and the toothed belt (7) can be coupled to the drive means (10; 21).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a wire straightening system with a plurality of straightening tools which are arranged rotatably along tool axes running parallel to one another in a horizontal plane and each have straightening roller arrangements arranged one behind the other along the tool axis and obliquely to the wire which also runs in the tool axis or a straightening jaw arranged on each of the parallel tool axes, wherein each straightening tool can be driven in rotation by a drive motor by means of a gear wheel arranged in the tool axis and a toothed belt resting on the same.

[0002] Wire straightening systems are used to produce straightened rod material from material sources containing non-straightened wires or rods, such as coils of reinforcing steel wire. The wire is threaded into the axis of rotating straightening tools, each of which comprises a straightening jaw or straightening rollers arranged at an angle to the wire, and is advanced in the axial direction, where it is processed. To ensure high production output, a number of parallel straightening tools are provided, rotating around their axes and arranged in a horizontal plane. A new wire, or the next wire to be processed, must be threaded into the appropriate straightening tool, whose axis forms the next production line.Only one of the straightening tools is in operation at a time, while the others are in a standby position. While waiting, they can be adjusted for the next wire of a different dimension or quality and are ready for threading. Different geometries of the processed wire can also be adjusted. This reduces production interruptions due to necessary threading, straightening, or adjustment work. Wire straightening systems of this type are known, for example, from EP 0564445 A1 and DE 3338915 A1.

[0003] According to the current state of the art, each straightening tool requires its own drive motor. With a large number of straightening tools, this multitude of drive motors represents a significant cost factor. The invention seeks to overcome this disadvantage by simplifying the system.

[0004] In a wire straightening system of the type mentioned at the beginning, it consists in that the straightening tools, together with their respective gearwheel and toothed belt and a roller arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt, are arranged on a carriage which can be moved transversely to the tool axes, by means of which the straightening tool to be used, together with the gearwheel, toothed belt and roller, can be moved towards the drive means of a single, essentially stationary drive motor in such a way that the lower roller is located close to this drive means and the toothed belt can be coupled to the drive means.

[0005] In a first embodiment of the system according to the invention, a drive gear fixed to the drive shaft of the drive motor is provided as the drive means, and the roller arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt in use serves as a parking roller, on which the toothed belt is held in an inclined position while the straightening tools not in use are waiting. As soon as the required straightening tool is to be used, the roller is moved by the carriage into a working position to the side of and close to the drive gear, in which working position the toothed belt to be used can be pushed by means of belt clamps from the roller serving as a parking roller onto the drive gear into a vertical position. To deactivate the straightening tool in use and the associated toothed belt, the latter can be pushed from the drive gear onto the parking roller and back into the inclined position.

[0006] In a second embodiment of the system according to the invention, the roller arranged at the lower deflection point of each of the toothed belts is designed as a gear wheel with the function of a coupling half, into which a drive means connected to the drive motor can engage with the function of the other coupling half.

[0007] Further preferred features of the two mentioned embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0008] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to two exemplary embodiments of systems according to the invention, which are shown schematically in the drawings. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the first embodiment in side view or in a view from direction II of the Fig. 1 and the Fig. 3 to 5 the second embodiment, where Fig. 3 the system in a side view according to Fig. 1, but on a smaller scale, Fig. 4 the lower part of the system, which is essential for the invention, without the parts related to the toothed belt on a larger scale and Fig. 5 in a partial section including the lower section of the toothed belt along a vertical plane of the Fig. 4, where the cutting plane passes through the axis of the drive motor but does not intersect the drive motor.

[0009] In Fig. 1 shows four rotary straightening tools 1, which are movable together with their mutually parallel rotational or tool axes 2 in a horizontal plane on a carriage 3 that is movable transversely to the tool axes 2. The inlet and outlet openings for the wire to be processed are also located in the tool axes 2. Fig. 2, each straightening tool 1 has a series of straightening roller arrangements 4 arranged one behind the other along its axis 2, with pairs of straightening rollers arranged obliquely to the wire 5 running along the tool axes 2. The wire 5 is in Fig. 2 is indicated by a broken line. If a straightening jaw is provided instead of the straightening roller arrangements 4, which drive the wire 5 due to their inclined position, a pair of rollers is required for wire feeding. One end of the wire 5 to be processed must be inserted into the appropriate straightening tool 1 along its axis 2 - in Fig. 2 coming from the right or left - must be threaded before the processing of wire 5 can begin.

[0010] On the axis of each straightening tool 1 is a gear 6, which is driven by a toothed belt 7 provided for each of the straightening tools 1. The direction of travel of the carriage 3 carrying the straightening tools 1 is Fig. 1 indicated by an arrow 8. The carriage 3, with the respective straightening tool 1 to be used, into which the respective wire 5 to be processed has already been preparatory threaded, together with the respective gear 6, the respective toothed belt 7 and a roller 9 arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt 7, can be moved to the drive means 10 of a single, essentially stationary drive motor 11 in such a way that the lower roller 9 is located close to the drive means 10. The toothed belt 7, which rests in an oblique position on the roller 9, can then be pushed from the roller 9 onto the drive means 10 in the form of a drive gear seated on the shaft of the drive motor 11 into a vertical position and driven by the motor 11.Once the operating phase of the aforementioned straightening tool 1 is over, the toothed belt 7 is pushed back onto the roller 9 by the drive gear 10, and another straightening tool 1 can be used next after the carriage 3 has been moved accordingly. The roller 9 functions as a parking roller, on which the toothed belt 7 that is not needed is held. Only one essentially stationary drive motor 11 is provided for the toothed belts 7 of all straightening tools 1.

[0011] The toothed belt 7 is moved by means of a belt pliers 12, which brings the toothed belt 7 into and out of engagement with the gear wheel 10 serving as the drive means of the motor 11.

[0012] To facilitate the movement of the toothed belt 7 from the parking roller 11 to the drive gear 10 and back, the drive motor 11, together with the drive gear 10, is mounted on a frame 13, which is slightly adjustable in height by means of a piston-cylinder unit 14 in the form of a pneumatic cylinder for the purpose of loosening or tightening the currently engaged toothed belt 7. For this purpose, the frame 13 is designed as a lever, at one end of which the piston-cylinder unit 14 engages and the other end of which is pivotally mounted to a slight extent on the base 15 of the essentially stationary drive motor 11.In the oblique waiting position of the unused toothed belt 7, pivoted onto the parking roller 9 by means of the belt clamp 12, the carriage 3 can be moved unhindered until the next work unit to be used, consisting of the straightening tool 1, its drive gear 6 and toothed belt 7 with the associated parking roller 9, is in such a position that the toothed belt 7 can be pushed from the parking roller 9 onto the drive gear 10 driven by the motor 11. The belt clamp 12, which accomplishes the displacement, can be pivoted about an axis 16.

[0013] The embodiment according to the Fig. 3 to 5 differs from that according to the Fig. 1 and Fig.2 essentially in that the roller 20 arranged at the lower deflection point of each of the toothed belts 7 is designed as a gear wheel with the function of a coupling half, into which a drive means connected to the drive motor 9 with the function of the other coupling half 21 can engage.

[0014] Each roller 20, designed as a gearwheel with the function of a coupling half, has a hub 23 provided with internal teeth 22; a shaft journal 25, equipped with external teeth 24, of the other coupling half 21 connected to the drive motor 9 can engage into the hub 23. For engaging and disengaging the coupling half 21 connected to the drive motor 11, a coupling part 27 is provided that can be moved on the drive shaft 26 of the motor 11. The coupling part 27, with its hub 28, which is provided with internal teeth 29, sits on the drive shaft 26 of the motor 9. the drive shaft 26 is formed with an external toothing 30 which fits into the internal toothing 29 of the hub 28, so that the displaceable coupling part 27 rotates with the motor shaft 26 when engaged and disengaged, thereby taking the entire coupling half 21 with it.

[0015] The coupling part 27, which can be moved along the drive shaft 26 of the motor 9, is firmly connected via an elastic connection 31 to a further coupling part 32, which has the shaft journal 25, by moving which the coupling can be engaged or disengaged.

[0016] For the displacement of the coupling part 27 together with the coupling part 32 connected to it via the elastic connection 31 and having the shaft journal 24, a displacement mechanism 34 is provided which engages the first-mentioned coupling part 27 via a ball bearing 33 and is acted upon by a piston-cylinder unit 35.

Claims

[1] Wire straightening system with a plurality of straightening tools (1) which are arranged rotatably along tool axes (2) running parallel to one another in a horizontal plane and each having straightening roller arrangements (4) arranged one behind the other along the tool axis (2) and obliquely to the wire (5) which also runs in the tool axis (2) or a straightening jaw arranged on each of the parallel tool axes (2), wherein each straightening tool (1) is rotatably driven by a drive motor (11) by means of a gear wheel (6) arranged in the tool axis (2) and a toothed belt (7) resting on the same, characterized bythat the straightening tools (1) together with their respective gear wheel (6) and toothed belt (7) and a roller (9; 20) arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt (7) are arranged on a carriage (3) which can be moved transversely to the tool axes (2), by means of which carriage the respectively used straightening tool (1) together with gear wheel (6), toothed belt (7) and roller (9; 20) can be moved towards the drive means (10; 21) of a single, essentially stationary drive motor (11) in such a way that the lower roller (9; 20) is located close to this drive means (10; 21) and the toothed belt (7) can be coupled to the drive means (10; 21). [2] Wire straightening machine according to claim 1, characterized bythat a drive gear fixed to the drive shaft of the drive motor (11) is provided as the drive means (10), and that the roller (9) arranged at the lower deflection point of the toothed belt (7) used in each case serves as a parking roller, on which the toothed belt (7) is held in an inclined position while the straightening tools (1) not in use are waiting, and the roller (9), as soon as the respective straightening tool (1) is to be used, is moved by the carriage (3) into a working position to the side of and close to the drive gear (10), in which working position the toothed belt (7) to be used in each case can be pushed by means of a belt tongs (12) from the roller (9) serving as a parking roller onto the drive gear (10) into a vertical position and, in order to deactivate the respective straightening tool (1) and the associated toothed belt (7), can be pushed from the drive gear (10) onto the parking roller (9) back into the inclined position. [3] Wire straightening system according to claim 2, characterized by that the belt tongs (12) can be pivoted about an axis (16) running perpendicular to the tool axes (2). [4] Wire straightening system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the drive motor (11) together with the drive gear (10) is height-adjustable on a foundation (15) for the purpose of loosening or tightening the toothed belt (7) which is in engagement at the time before it is moved. [5] Wire straightening machine, characterized by that the drive motor (11) together with the drive gear (10) is seated on a frame (13) which is designed as a lever, at one end of which a piston-cylinder unit (14) engages and the other end of which is pivotally mounted on a foundation (15) of the essentially stationary drive motor (11) for adjusting its height to a small extent. [6] Wire straightening system according to claim 1, characterized bythat the roller (20) arranged at the lower deflection point of each of the toothed belts (7) is designed as a gear wheel with the function of a coupling half, into which a drive means connected to the drive motor (11) can engage as the other coupling half (21). [7] Wire straightening system according to claim 6, characterized by that each roller (20) designed as a gear with the function of a coupling half has a hub (23) provided with an internal toothing (22), wherein a shaft journal (25) of the coupling half (21) connected to the drive motor (11), which shaft journal is provided with an external toothing (24), can engage in the hub (23). [8] Wire straightening machine according to claim 6 or 7, characterized bythat for the engagement and disengagement of the coupling half (21) connected to the drive motor (11), a coupling part (27) which is displaceable on the drive shaft (26) of the motor (11) is provided, which coupling part (27) is seated with its hub (28), which is formed with an internal toothing (29), on the drive shaft (26) of the motor (11), which is formed along its end section with an external toothing (30) fitting into the internal toothing (29) of the hub (28), wherein by displacing the coupling part (27) the internal toothing (29) can engage with or disengage from the external toothing (30). [9] Wire straightening system according to claim 8, characterized by that the coupling part (27) which is displaceable along the drive shaft (26) of the motor (11) is firmly connected via an elastic connection (31) to a jointly displaceable coupling part (32) having the shaft journal (25). [10] Wire straightening system according to claim 9, characterized bythat for the displacement of the coupling part (27) together with the coupling part (32) connected to it via the elastic connection (31) and having the shaft journal (24), a displacement mechanism (34) is provided which engages the first-mentioned coupling part (27) via a ball bearing (33) and is acted upon by a piston-cylinder unit (35).

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