Bar guide and rotary peeler for continuously cast and extruded round bars and round bolts

Abstract

Rod guide (100) as a centering and clamping device for continuously cast and extruded rods (10), designed to align the rods (10) in a uniaxially controllable manner along a longitudinal axis (Z) of the rod guide (100) and to hold them displaceably along this axis, wherein the rod guide (100) has a guide channel (20) arranged around a longitudinal axis (Z) with an input and an output side (A, B), wherein the guide channel (20) is formed from a plurality of separate guide elements (22, 24, 26) arranged equidistantly around the central axis for centering and clamping the rods (10), the radial distance r from the longitudinal axis (Z) of which can be varied centrally symmetrically via a common coupling kinematics (30), wherein the guide elements (22, 24, 26) each comprise a plurality of guide rollers (22a-d; 24a-d; 26a-d) arranged one behind the other, designed to enable a pushing movement along the longitudinal axis (Z) of a rod (10) held in the guide channel (20) via the guide elements (22, 24, 26), and wherein the guide rollers (22a-d; 24a-d; 26a-d) are each arranged at the same positions along the guide elements (22, 24, 26), the guide rollers (22a-d; 24a-d; 26a-d) each have the same diameter D at the same positions and the diameter D of the guide rollers (22a-d; 24a-d; 26a-d) increases monotonically from the input side (A) to the output side (B) of the rod guide (100).

Description

The present invention relates to a bar guide and a lathe for continuously cast and extruded round bars and round bolts, and more particularly to a concentric bar guide for a lathe for removing the outer layer of a cylindrical metal bar as a preform for use in forging lines or industrial further processing.Prior ArtSome industrial manufacturing processes use, as a primary material for their respective products, continuously cast or extruded metal round bars and round pins, wherein round pins are substantially shorter round bar sections. A typical material for these semi-finished products is aluminum, but other metals or plastics can also be used for this purpose. The aluminum rods are usually produced in the so-called continuous casting process, it being possible to distinguish between vertical and horizontal continuous casting. Another method of manufacturing round rods is extrusion. In particular in the continuous casting of metals, the surface of the produced rods is relatively rough and cannot be used directly for further processing (e.g. forging). In order to smoothen the surface for a machining and to prepare it accordingly, the round rods provided are usually first machined with a rotary lathe, which peels the rods superficially by means of a corresponding peeling tool. In particular, a cast skin can be peeled off from the round rods provided with the rotary peeler.In rotary peelers, the most accurate centering of the rods with respect to the peeling tool possible, the reduction of occurring compressive forces in the transverse direction due to an incorrect positioning of the rods for prolonging the effective service life of the mechanical components of the rotary peeler, especially of the peeling tool, and the most complete suppression of mechanical oscillations along the longitudinal axis of the rods that may occur as a result of the peeling process, are particularly important. Both for turning lathe turning and for other processing methods, suitable rod guides are required which can securely and precisely pick up the supplied round rods and supply them to a respective tool.In the prior art, corresponding devices for the vibration-reduced reception, alignment and holding of semi-finished products are known from a multiplicity of machine tools. These have already been largely adapted and adapted for corresponding industrial devices, but they are, however, suitable in particular for relatively short round bolts. However, for continuously cast and extruded round bars having typical lengths in the range of several meters, further improvements in bar guidance are required.DE 10 2008 040 049 A1 relates to a device for fixing and / or guiding a body, comprising a base body and at least three jaws mounted thereon, which are arranged in a common plane perpendicular to an axis defined by a longitudinal direction or a transport direction of the body, wherein the jaws are adjustable in their position.DE 198 14 557 C1 relates to a material bar guide device for lathes for machining a material bar which can be advanced in the direction of a bar axis, having a plurality of guide units which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the bar axis and are spaced apart from one another and each of which has a plurality of guide elements which are arranged spaced apart from one another around the bar axis and are rotatable about axes which run transversely to the bar axis and lie in a common plane perpendicular to the bar axis and are coupled together for synchronous rotation, and each have on their periphery a guide channel which extends in the circumferential direction and is designed and changes in the circumferential direction of the relevant guide element such that the guide channels of the guide elements of each guide unit form a material passage whose clear diameter can be changed by synchronous rotation of the guide elements of a guide unit.DE 101 38 942 A1 relates to a lathe comprising a machine frame, a workpiece spindle which is arranged on the machine frame and can be rotated about a spindle axis and has a receptacle for a workpiece, at least one tool carrier having at least one tool for machining the workpiece, a guide device for radially supporting the workpiece by means of a guide element which, for this purpose, acts on an outer surface of the workpiece with a radial force which can be adjusted by an adjusting device, wherein the guide device and the workpiece can be moved relative to one another in the direction of the spindle axis during the machining thereof.DE 10 2015 001 422 A1 relates to a flexible guide bushing for holding rod-shaped workpieces, in particular cylindrical or n-cornered rod-shaped workpieces. Guide bushes are used to support and hold the rod material to be machined during the machining operation, in particular in longitudinal lathes. Thus, comparatively low machining tolerances can be achieved, in particular in the case of very long and also slender workpieces, although the workpiece is clamped and held at a comparatively large distance from the turning tool.DE 41 37 071 C2 relates to a guide for the centerless, radial guidance of axially moved rods, wherein a plurality of guide elements (rollers) which, resting on the rod, press the latter in the guide plane in the direction of the center of the guide, wherein furthermore a housing in which the guide elements (rollers) are movably supported, there is an at least partially flexible (springs) support of the guide elements (rollers) against the housing and no guide element is opposite another point-symmetrically with respect to the guide center (axis of rotation).Disclosure of the InventionIt is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rod guide and a lathe peeler for continuously cast and extruded round rods (hereinafter abbreviated as rods) which can also process cylindrical rods of a material several metres long for subsequent further processing (e.g. forging, extrusion) which can receive, align and hold the rods in a vibration-reduced manner and in particular can ensure a corresponding advancement of the rod through the peeling tool of the lathe peeler reliably and with a high throughput. In particular, for this purpose, the mechanical components of the rod guide should be adapted and optimized accordingly to the requirements of long round rods and round bolts.These objects are achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent claims. Practical embodiments of the invention are contained in the associated dependent claims. The features listed individually in the patent claims can be combined with one another in a technically meaningful manner and can be varied by way of illustrative facts from the description and / or details from the figures, further embodiment variants of the invention being shown.A first aspect of the present invention relates to a rod guide as a centering and clamping device for continuously cast and extruded rods, designed to align the rods in a uniaxially drivable manner along a longitudinal axis of the rod guide and to hold them displaceably along the latter, wherein the rod guide has a guide channel arranged around a longitudinal axis and having an input side and an output side, wherein the guide channel is formed from a plurality of separate guide elements arranged equidistantly around the central axis for centering and clamping the rods, the radial distance r of which from the longitudinal axis can be varied in a centrally symmetrical manner via a common coupling kinematics.The longitudinal axis of the rod guide thus defines the intended orientation of the rods. For example, when using a peeling tool arranged on the output side of the rod guide, an orientation of the rods as central as possible and above all perpendicular with respect to the plane of a working or feed opening of the peeling tool must be ensured. Preferably, the longitudinal axes of the rod guide and of the peeling tool are aligned in a collinear manner one behind the other and horizontally with respect to the ground. Even slight tilting or misalignment of the rods can lead to increased wear on the peeling tool and the entire contact. In addition, the excitation and propagation of transverse oscillations along the longitudinal axis of the rods must be able to be effectively suppressed by the rod guide.Uniaxially actuatable means that the rods are aligned and held linearly mechanically in such a way that the centering and clamping device can be actuated, for example, completely by means of a single linearly acting actuator. In particular, no rotational drives or actuators acting independently of one another in different directions are thus required for the alignment and holding of the rods. A uniaxially actuatable actuation of individual adjustable elements of the rod guide can be realized, for example, by a coupling of the elements.The guide channel serves for receiving and guiding the rods. This is formed from a plurality of separate guide elements arranged equidistantly around the central axis for centering and clamping the rods. The rods are thus held and aligned solely by the guide elements. The guide elements are preferably formed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod guide. These can be, in particular, guide rails or guide rods. The length of the guide elements in the direction of the longitudinal axis can be, for example, over 500 mm, preferably over 800 mm. The maximum diameter of the guide channel can be, for example, approximately 600 mm.The guide elements are coupled to one another via a common coupling kinematics in such a way that their radial distance r from the longitudinal axis can be varied in a centrally symmetrical manner. For example, a minimum radius r for centering and clamping the rods may be about 30 mm and a corresponding maximum radius may be about 280 mm. A centrally symmetrical variation means that the distance of all guide elements from the longitudinal axis is adjusted simultaneously and uniformly via the coupling kinematics. This ensures that rods of different thicknesses can be clamped and held. Due to the centrally symmetrical variation, the rods can always be aligned centrally and centrally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rod guide, regardless of their thickness. The coupling kinematics is preferably arranged on the entry side of the rod guide.The guide elements each comprise a plurality of guide rollers arranged one behind the other, configured to enable a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis in the case of a rod held in the guide channel via the guide elements.The guide elements thus do not hold or contact the rods directly, but rather they are mounted via a plurality of guide rollers. The alignment of the guide rollers is selected in such a way that a sliding movement of the rods along the longitudinal axis is made possible. The axis of rotation of the individual rollers is thus preferably oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod guide. Thus, the coupling kinematics enable centering and clamping of the rods by moving the rollers laterally towards the rod, while the rotation of the rollers enables a pushing movement of the rod along the guide elements and thus in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rod guide. The rollers thus have a first function of clamping and holding the rods by applying a clamping and holding force to the rods, but at the same time also serve as rolling bodies for allowing the rods to move in a direction perpendicular to the applied clamping and holding force.The guide rollers are respectively disposed at the same positions along the guide members. The guide rollers each have an identical diameter D at identical positions. The diameter D of the guide rollers increases monotonically from the entrance side toward the exit side of the rod guide. By arranging the guide rollers in each case at the same positions along the guide elements, transverse transverse forces between the different bearing points can be avoided. An identical diameter D of the rollers at respectively identical positions of the guide elements serves to ensure the centrally symmetrical alignment of the rods. A slightly monotone increase in the diameter D of the rollers toward the outlet side has the effect that the rods experience a slightly higher clamping and holding force on the outlet side than on the inlet side. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress vibrational excitation in the rods, in particular in the direction along the longitudinal axis of the rod guide. A typical diameter is about 40 mm. The diameter of the rollers can then increase, for example, from 39.4 mm for the first input-side roller to 40 mm for the last output-side roller. The difference in diameter can compensate for a distortion in the guide system of the guide elements, so that the highest clamping force is present on the output side (e.g. on a rotary peeler arranged behind the rod guide). A typical guide element can preferably have four rollers which are arranged at a distance of approximately 200 mm from one another.Preferably, a variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements from the longitudinal axis takes place by pivoting the guide elements about a spatially fixed pivot axis arranged outside the guide channel. Such an arrangement has the advantage that the guide channel is not hindered by the pivoting movement and thus remains free. Pivoting for varying the radial distance r has the advantage over other forms of movement that this form of movement enables an approximately linear adjustment of the rollers via a fixed bearing (pivot bearing). An extended guide rail extending along the adjustment direction, as is customary in linear adjusters, is not required in this case.Preferably, the spatial position of the pivot axes is defined by openings in a coupling carrier, wherein the coupling carrier has a recess for guiding the rods in the guide channel. The coupling carrier serves as a mounting plate for the coupling kinematics and can simultaneously represent the entry-side delimitation of the guide channel via the cutout. The rods can be introduced into the guide channel through the recess. In the guide channel, the rods are then centered and held by the guide elements. The coupling carrier defines the pivot axes via the corresponding openings for the pivotable mounting of the individual guide elements.Preferably, the individual guide elements are each rigidly connected to a lever element that is likewise pivotable about the respective pivot axis in such a way that a variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements from the longitudinal axis is effected by pivoting outside the guide channel via the lever elements. The lever elements are preferably located on the outer side of the coupling carrier, i.e. the guide elements and the associated lever elements are arranged on different sides of the coupling carrier. By applying force in the corresponding direction, the lever elements can be used to effect a pivoting of the associated guide element about a spatially fixed pivot axis arranged outside the guide channel, wherein the guide elements convert this force into a centering and holding force on the rod in the guide channel.Preferably, the individual lever elements are kinematically connected to one another via connecting elements. The connecting elements thus serve for coupling the individual lever elements and the guide elements rigidly connected to them. Thus, even a force effect on one of the lever elements has the effect that the rod can be aligned in the guide channel in a uniaxially actuatable manner along a longitudinal axis of the rod guide and can be held displaceably along the latter.Preferably, a lever element is coupled to an actuator for uniaxial alignment and retention of the rod along the longitudinal axis of the rod guide. The actuator can be used here for the above-described force effect on one of the lever elements and thus for actuating the coupling kinematics. By means of a corresponding autonomous control of the actuator, fully automatic centering and clamping of the rods in the rod guide can take place.The rod guide preferably comprises three guide elements arranged equidistantly from one another. Equidistant means here that the guide elements or the openings for the pivot axes are arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle. Alternatively, the rod guide can also comprise more than three guide elements, for example four guide elements arranged in the form of a square. At least three guide elements are necessary, however, in order to enable a stable mounting of the rods in all directions.A rod guide according to the invention thus enables cylindrical rods of a material having a length of several metres to be processed, wherein the rods can be accommodated, aligned and held in a vibration-reduced manner. In particular, a corresponding advancement of the rod can be ensured reliably and with high throughput by a downstream peeling tool.A further aspect of the present invention relates to a rotary peeler for continuously cast and extruded rods, comprising a rod guide according to the invention and a peeler tool, wherein a rod aligned and held in the guide channel of the rod guide can execute a pushing movement along the longitudinal axis for passing the rod through the peeler tool arranged on the input side and / or output side of the rod guide.Preferably, the peeling tool is arranged directly on the output side of the rod guide. A second rod guide can be arranged directly on the entry side of the peeling tool. As a result, any possible directional offset between the individual machine elements can be avoided in the case of an otherwise necessary mutual alignment. The rods that are centrally oriented by the rod guide and held displaceably along the latter can thus be introduced directly into the peeling tool for machining, wherein a directed continuation behind the peeling tool can be taken over by a second rod guide.Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the features mentioned in the respective dependent claims.The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be combined with one another with advantage unless stated otherwise in the individual case.Brief Description of the DrawingsThe invention and the technical field are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures. It should be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments listed. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and combine them with other constituent parts and findings from the present description. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a rod guide according to the invention in an isometric view; FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the mode of operation of a coupling kinematic system of a rod guide according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in a plan view; FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a rod guide according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in a side view; and FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a rotary peeler according to the invention in two isometric views.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a rod guide 100 according to the invention in an isometric view. The embodiment shown is designed to align the rods 10 in a uniaxially actuatable manner along a longitudinal axis Z of the rod guide 100 and to hold them displaceably along the latter, wherein the rod guide 100 has a guide channel 20 arranged around a longitudinal axis Z and having an input side and an output side A, B, wherein the guide channel 20 is formed from a plurality of separate guide elements 22, 24, 26 arranged equidistantly around the central axis for centering and clamping the rods 10, the radial distance r of which from the longitudinal axis Z can be varied in a centrally symmetrical manner via a common coupling kinematics 30. In particular, the rod guide 100 shown comprises three guide elements 22, 24, 26 arranged equidistantly from one another.The guide elements 22, 24, 26 each comprise a plurality of guide rollers 22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- darranged one behind the other, configured to enable a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis Z in the case of a rod 10 held in the guide channel 20 via the guide elements 22, 24, 26. The guide rollers 22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- dare respectively disposed at the same positions along the guide members 22, 24, 26. In this case, the guide rollers 22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- deach have an identical diameter D at identical positions. The diameter D of the guide rollers 22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- dis monotonically increasing from the input side A toward the output side B of the rod guide 100.A variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 from the longitudinal axis Z is effected by pivoting the guide elements 22, 24, 26 in each case about a spatially fixed pivot axis S 1, S 2, S 3 arranged outside the guide channel 20. The spatial position of the pivot axes S 1, S 2, S 3 are defined by openings in a coupling carrier 38, wherein the coupling carrier 38 has a recess O for guiding the rods 10 in the guide channel 20. The individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 are each rigidly connected to a lever element 32, 34, 36 which is likewise pivotable about the respective pivot axis S 1, S 2, S 3 in such a way that the radial distance r of the individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 from the longitudinal axis Z is varied by pivoting outside the guide channel 20 via the lever elements 32, 34, 36. The individual lever elements 32, 34, 36 are kinematically connected to one another via connecting elements 33, 35. A lever member 32, 34, 36 may be coupled to an actuator 40 for uniaxially aligning and supporting the rod 10 along the longitudinal axis Z of the rod guide 100.FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the mode of operation of a coupling kinematic system 30 of a rod guide 100 according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in a plan view. The embodiment shown thus corresponds to that described in detail above. The reference numerals and their respective assignment to individual features therefore apply accordingly. Whereas in the left-hand illustration the radial distance r of the individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 from the longitudinal axis Z is widened to the maximum for centering and holding a rod 10 having a large diameter, the right-hand illustration shows a situation in which the radial distance r of the individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 from the longitudinal axis Z is reduced to the maximum by pivoting the guide elements 22, 24, 26 in each case about a spatially fixed pivot axis S 1, S 2, S 3, which is arranged outside the guide channel 20, for centering and holding a rod having a small diameter. In particular, the coupling kinematics 30 achieve the effect that a force effect on the upper lever element 32 causes a uniaxially controllable effective reduction in the diameter of the guide channel 20 by a centrally symmetrical variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements 22, 24, 26 to the longitudinal axis Z.FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a rod guide 100 according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in a side view. The embodiment shown thus corresponds to that described in detail above. The reference numerals and their respective assignment to individual features therefore apply accordingly. In addition to the illustration in FIG. 1, an additional housing 60 enclosing the guide channel 20 is shown here.FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a rotary peeler 200 according to the invention in two isometric views. In particular, the views show the rear side (left) and front side (right) of the rotary peeler 200, wherein the input side A of the rod guide 100 is arranged on the front side of the rotary peeler 200 and the peeling tool 110 (only schematically indicated) is arranged on the output side B of the rod guide 100. Also arranged on the front side of the rotary peeler 200 is an actuator 50 acting on a single lever element 32 of the rod guide 100.List of reference characters10 Rod 20 Guide channel 22, 24, 26 Guide elements 22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- d Guide rollers 30 Coupling kinematics 32, 34, 36 Lever elements 33, 35 Connecting elements 38 Coupling carrier 50 Actuator 60 Housing 100 Rod guide 110 Peeling tool 200 Rotary peeler A Input side B Output side Z Longitudinal axis O Cutout S 1, S 2, S 3 Pivot axes

Claims

Rod guide (100) as a centring and clamping device for continuously cast and extruded rods (10), designed to align the rods (10) in a uniaxially drivable manner along a longitudinal axis (Z) of the rod guide (100) and to hold them displaceably along the latter, wherein the rod guide (100) has a guide channel (20) arranged around a longitudinal axis (Z) and having an input side and an output side (A, B), wherein the guide channel (20) is formed from a plurality of separate guide elements (22, 24, 26) arranged equidistantly around the central axis for centring and clamping the rods (10), the radial distance r of which from the longitudinal axis (Z) can be varied in a centrally symmetrical manner via a common coupling kinematics (30), wherein the guide elements (22, 24, 26) each have a multiplicity of guide rollers (22a-d; 24a-d arranged one behind the other; 26 a- d) are configured to allow a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis (Z) in the case of a rod (10) held in the guide channel (20) via the guide elements (22, 24, 26), and wherein the guide rollers (22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- d) are arranged in each case at the same positions along the guide elements (22, 24, 26), the guide rollers (22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- d) have in each case an identical diameter D at the same positions and the diameter D of the guide rollers (22 a- d; 24 a- d; 26 a- d) increases monotonically from the input side (A) toward the output side (B) of the rod guide (100).Rod guide (100) according to claim 1, wherein a variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements (22, 24, 26) to the longitudinal axis (Z) takes place by pivoting the guide elements (22, 24, 26) in each case about a spatially fixed pivot axis (S1, S2, S3) arranged outside the guide channel (20).Rod guide (100) according to claim 2, wherein the spatial position of the pivot axes (S1, S2, S3) is defined by openings in a coupling carrier (38), wherein the coupling carrier (38) has a recess (O) for guiding the rods (10) in the guide channel (20).Rod guide (100) according to claim 3, wherein the individual guide elements (22, 24, 26) are each rigidly connected to a lever element (32, 34, 36) which is likewise pivotable about the respective pivot axis (S1, S2, S3) in such a way that a variation of the radial distance r of the individual guide elements (22, 24, 26) from the longitudinal axis (Z) is effected by pivoting outside the guide channel (20) via the lever elements (32, 34, 36).Rod guide (100) according to claim 4, wherein the individual lever elements (32, 34, 36) are kinematically connected to one another via connecting elements (33, 35).The rod guide (100) of claim 5, wherein a lever element (32, 34, 36) is coupled to an actuator (50) for uniaxially aligning and supporting the rod (10) along the longitudinal axis (Z) of the rod guide (100).Rod guide (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rod guide (100) comprises three guide elements (22, 24, 26) arranged equidistantly from one another.A rotary peeler (200) for continuously cast and extruded bars (10), comprising: a bar guide (100) according to any one of the preceding claims; and a peeler tool (110); wherein a bar (10) aligned and held in the guide channel (20) of the bar guide (100) can perform a pushing movement along the longitudinal axis (Z) for passing the bar (10) through the peeler tool (110) arranged on the input side (A) and / or output side (B) of the bar guide (100).

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