SHEET METAL BENDING MACHINE WITH STOP SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet metal processing machine for processing sheet metal along a processing line.

[0002] Such sheet metal processing machines, which may in particular be a swivel bending machine for bending sheet metal along a bending line or a bending line (corresponding to the processing line), typically have a stop system with at least one stop element for an edge of the sheet metal to be processed and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the at least one stop element (relative to the processing line). A (continuous or discontinuous) stop bar can be used as the stop element, which typically runs parallel to the processing line. The distance of the stop bar from the processing line can be adjusted within specified limits using the adjustment mechanism.In sheet metal processing machines of this type, a plurality of separate stop elements are often provided instead of a single stop bar, which form stop points for the edge of a sheet to be processed, wherein the stop points lie on a straight line (typically running parallel to the bending line), and wherein the distance of the stop points to the bending line can be suitably adjusted by means of the adjustment mechanism for the respective desired bending process.

[0003] In folding machines, the processing (bending) of a sheet metal takes place in that the sheet metal, which has been suitably positioned by means of at least one stop element, is first clamped between an upper and a lower beam. The upper beam, previously in an open position, is moved downwards into a closed position by suitable (e.g. hydraulic or electric) servomotors, in which the sheet metal is firmly held between the upper and lower beams. The processing or bending process can then take place along the (straight) processing or bending line. A bending beam of the folding machine, which is brought into contact with the sheet metal, performs a defined pivoting process with which the sheet metal is bent around the bending line by a predetermined angle.

[0004] While many folding or sheet metal working machines of the type discussed above have a stop system in which a stop bar or a plurality of stop points formed by individual stop elements always lie on a line oriented parallel to the bending line, there is sometimes also a need for the so-called conical bending of sheet metal, in which the stop points (or the stop bar) lying on the stop for the sheet metal to be processed do not have to lie on a line parallel to, but (in plan view) diagonally to the bending line.

[0005] For example, to produce metal drainage channels with non-parallel edges of the side rail for slopes, it is necessary to create a conical or trapezoidal sheet metal blank, or to bend a sheet metal around a bending line that is not parallel to the edge of the sheet (i.e., one that runs diagonally to it at a certain angle). This requires the stop system with at least one stop element to be able to be moved into a correspondingly inclined position. Similarly, with guillotine shears, it may be necessary to cut a sheet metal section along a cutting edge that runs diagonally to the edge of the sheet metal section, which also requires a stop system that can be adjusted to an appropriate angle.

[0006] The production or processing of such conical sheet metal blanks is difficult to achieve with the common stop systems, which typically use two linear guides provided on the left and right sides to adjust at least one stop element, especially since when the stop system is inclined using a pivot point located on the edge of one of the two guides, strong lateral deflections typically occur on the stop elements arranged on the other side, which is disadvantageous.

[0007] EP 1 681 111 A1 also discloses a sheet metal processing machine according to the preamble of claim 1, which is designed as a production device for bend-formed workpieces made of blanks, in particular sheet metal blanks. No special measures for conical bending of sheet metal are provided therein.

[0008] Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a sheet metal processing machine of the type mentioned above, which has a stop system that is as simple as possible in design, reliable and space-saving, with the possibility of inclining the stop relative to the processing line.

[0009] This object is achieved within the scope of the present invention by a sheet metal processing machine for processing sheets along a processing line according to claim 1.

[0010] The sheet metal processing machine according to the invention comprises a stop system with at least one stop element for an edge of the sheet metal to be processed and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the at least one stop element. The adjustment mechanism comprises two support rails arranged parallel to one another and a plurality of finger rails, wherein each finger rail is articulated (in particular rotatably) to both support rails and, with its front end, predetermines the position of the at least one stop element or forms such a stop element. Each support rail is articulated via compensating levers to two carriages of the adjustment mechanism arranged to the left and right of the support rail center, each of which can be moved perpendicular to the bending line along a (linear) guide provided for this purpose.

[0011] Furthermore, it is provided within the scope of the invention that the support rails are aligned parallel to the processing line in a basic position of the adjustment mechanism and obliquely to the processing line in an inclined position of the adjustment mechanism, while the finger strips, in particular due to the articulated attachment to the support rails, are aligned perpendicular to the processing line both in the basic position and in the inclined position.

[0012] Finally, the invention also provides that the adjustment mechanism has a centering mechanism acting on at least one support rail, with which the pivot point of both support rails is held in a central region of the respective support rail - relative to the longitudinal axis of the support rail - during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position.

[0013] The present invention simultaneously achieves a number of advantages.

[0014] The stop system of the sheet metal processing machine according to the invention, which can in particular be a swivel bending machine (often also referred to as a folding machine), has a plurality of finger rails, each of which forms a stop element with its front end for the edge of the sheet to be processed or bent or which predetermines the position of at least one stop element. All of the finger rails, preferably in their rear region, are hinged, in particular rotatably, to two mutually parallel support rails in such a way that they are always aligned (with their longitudinal axis) perpendicular to the processing line, even when the support rails are transferred from a basic position oriented parallel to the processing line to an inclined position inclined thereto.This ensures that the front end of the respective finger bar, which defines the stop for a sheet, and which is preferably rounded, always points perpendicularly in the direction of the bending line, thus ensuring an equally well-defined stop for the sheet in every position of the adjustment mechanism.

[0015] The two support rails oriented parallel to each other are each hinged on the left and right sides (relative to the center of the support rails viewed in the longitudinal extension) via suitable compensating levers to a carriage which can be moved linearly along a guide, whereby the compensating levers are provided and necessary to compensate for the offset resulting from the inclination of the support rails.

[0016] Due to the finger rails always being aligned perpendicular to the bending line and their articulated attachment to the two support rails, the lateral distance between any two adjacent finger rails is smaller in the inclined position than in the basic position.

[0017] Because the centering mechanism used according to the invention ensures that the support rails are rotated about a pivot point that is always located in a central area of ​​the respective support rail when changing from the basic to the inclined position, it is achieved that - based on the longitudinal extent of the support rails - finger strips hinged in the central area of ​​the support rail show no or only a very slight lateral offset when changing from the basic to the inclined position, while the finger strips mounted on the edge of the support rails move slightly inwards when changing to the inclined position.

[0018] If, on the other hand, the pivot point were located on a lateral edge of the support rail, then the finger strips located on the side of the pivot point would not show any lateral offset during the transition from the basic to the inclined position, while the finger strips arranged on the opposite side would disadvantageously have a significantly greater lateral offset than is the case with the present invention.

[0019] The centering mechanism provided according to the invention also stabilizes the linkage of the support rails to the linearly guided slides via the compensating levers, since this linkage alone would not be suitable for specifying the position of the pivot point of the support rails when tilting.

[0020] It should also be noted that the adjustment mechanism of the stop system of the sheet metal working machine according to the invention requires exactly two linear guides arranged to the left and right of the center (i.e. preferably at the edge) in relation to the longitudinal extent of the bending line or the support rails for adjusting the stop system, which means that in particular no third linear guide, e.g. one hinged centrally to the support rails, has to be provided for the stop system on the sheet metal working machine.

[0021] The transition of the adjustment mechanism from the basic position to the inclined position can be achieved by moving one of the two carriages on its assigned guide while the second carriage is not moved. This results in a change in position for both support rails, which is composed of a linear displacement perpendicular to the machining line and a rotation about a pivot point, wherein the pivot point is located in a central area of ​​the respective support rail. If both carriages are moved simultaneously and at the same speed in opposite directions on their respective guides, the support rails rotate about a point in the central area of ​​the respective support rail without any additional linear displacement.

[0022] If the claim stipulates that the pivot point of the support rails be maintained in their central region during the transition from the basic to the inclined position, it is naturally particularly preferred if the pivot point is always located exactly in the center of the respective support rail. However, in principle, it is sufficient to realize the advantages of the invention if the pivot point is located only in a central region, which can, for example, constitute the middle 20% or 10% of the total support rail length.

[0023] The centering mechanism provided according to the invention can in principle be implemented in various ways, in particular by a suitable lever mechanism as described in more detail below, by an arrangement of two racks pivotally attached to the support rails, which are coupled by means of a pinion, or by a suitable cable arrangement, by means of which the pivot point could also be held centrally on the support rail.

[0024] As already noted, the centering mechanism is advantageously implemented by a lever mechanism. In this respect, it is preferably provided within the scope of the invention that the centering mechanism comprises a centering rocker with a pivot joint and two free ends, wherein the pivot joint is mounted approximately centrally on one of the two support rails with respect to a longitudinal extent of the support rails, and wherein each of two articulation points of the respective support rail, arranged eccentrically and symmetrically to the center of the support rail with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support rails, is coupled to the centering rocker via a coupling rod in the region of each of the two free ends.

[0025] Such a design of the centering mechanism is simple in construction, requires little installation space and proves to be reliable in operation.

[0026] Furthermore, it can then be expediently provided that a finger strip fastened centrally to the two support rails with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support rail is hinged to a support rail at the same location as the pivot joint of the centering rocker, so that the finger strip in question does not have any lateral offset during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position.

[0027] A further preferred development of the invention provides that the finger strips are arranged at least partially in recesses provided for this purpose in a machine table, a support or the lower beam of the sheet metal working machine or can be moved into these, wherein the recesses are dimensioned such that the lateral offset of the finger strips resulting during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position is taken into account.

[0028] In particular, it can then be provided that for those finger strips which are fastened more centrally to the support rails and which therefore show little or no lateral offset during the transition from the home position to the inclined position, narrower recesses are provided in the machine table or high holder than is the case for the finger strips fastened laterally to the support rails, since the latter show a somewhat larger lateral offset.

[0029] With regard to the stability of the adjustment mechanism, it proves to be expedient if each support rail is hinged to each of the two carriages by means of an angled compensating lever, wherein the two compensating levers assigned to each carriage are coupled to one another by means of a coupling rod.

[0030] Furthermore, it can preferably be provided that the plurality of finger strips are hinged to the support rails at locations relative to the longitudinal extent of the support rails that are symmetrical to the center of the support rail.

[0031] As already mentioned above, the finger rails preferably each form a separate stop element for the sheet metal to be machined with their front end. However, within the scope of the invention, it can also be provided that each finger rail has a stop rail acting as a stop element, or that the plurality of finger rails define the position for a stop rail connecting all finger rails.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be noted again that the sheet metal processing machine according to the invention is advantageously a folding machine, in which the processing line is thus a bending line. Such a folding machine typically has—in addition to the stop system designed according to the invention—a lower beam, an upper beam, and a bending beam, as already described in the introduction to the prior art.

[0033] However, a sheet metal processing machine according to the invention can also be a guillotine shear, in which the processing line is formed by a cutting edge. In a guillotine shear, the sheet metal to be cut is typically held by a hold-down device and cut by a cutting tool consisting of a movable upper blade and a fixed lower blade.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 a perspective view of an embodiment of a sheet metal processing machine according to the invention in the form of a folding machine before carrying out a bending process, Fig. 2 a side view of the folding machine according to arrow II from Fig. 1 , where the Fig. 1 For the sake of clarity, the upper beam is omitted, Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 und 2 after performing a bending process, again without showing the upper beam, Fig. 4 a side view of the folding machine according to arrow IV from Fig 3 , Fig. 5 and 6 perspective detailed views of the stop system with adjustment mechanism installed in the embodiment from above ( Fig. 5 ) and below ( Fig. 6 ), Fig. 7 to 9 various detailed representations of the stop system with adjustment mechanism installed in the embodiment, and Fig. 10 the stop system in three different positions to better illustrate the functionality of the given adjustment mechanism.

[0035] The Fig. 1 - 10 The illustrated embodiment of the present invention relates to a sheet metal processing machine 1 for processing sheets 2 along a processing line B, wherein in the illustrated embodiment it is a swivel bending machine for bending sheets around a bending line (corresponding to the processing line B).

[0036] This has a fixed lower beam 3, which can be moved in the usual way in the vertical direction between an open position and a closed position (cf. Fig. 2 and 4) movable upper beam 4 and one for bending the sheet 2 clamped between upper beam 4 and lower beam 3 around the processing or bending line B according to arrow S (cf. Fig. 2 and 4 ) pivoting bending beam 5.

[0037] The Fig. 1 - 4 The sheet metal working machine 1 shown further comprises a Fig. 5 - 10 A stop system illustrated in more detail with, in the given example, a total of five stop elements A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 for the edge R of the sheet 2 to be bent, as well as an adjustment mechanism 6 arranged on the rear of the machine for adjusting the position of the five stop elements A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5.

[0038] The adjustment mechanism 6 in turn comprises two support rails 7, 8 arranged parallel to one another and a plurality of finger strips F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 , wherein each finger strip F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 is pivotally connected to the rear support rail 7 at first pivot points D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , D 4 , D 5 and is pivotally connected to the front support rail 8 at second pivot points E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , E 4 , E 5 (cf. Fig. 6 ) and forms with its front end a stop element A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5. The articulation points D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , D 4 , D 5 , E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , E 4 , E 5 are arranged on the respective support rail 7, 8 symmetrically to its center, wherein one of the articulation points D 3 , E 3 is located centrally on the respective support rail 7, 8 with respect to its longitudinal extent.

[0039] Each support rail 7, 8 is articulated via compensating levers L 1, L 2 and R 1, R 2 (coupled to one another by means of a coupling rod K 1, K 2 and angled) to two slides 9, 10 of the adjustment mechanism 6 arranged to the left and right of the center of the support rail, each of which can be moved perpendicular to the bending line B along a guide 11, 12 provided for this purpose.

[0040] Of course, it is preferably provided within the scope of the present invention that the carriages 9, 10 are movable with the aid of an electric motor (not shown) or another suitable (e.g. hydraulic) drive unit on the linear guide 11, 12, independently of each other, in order to transfer the adjustment mechanism 6 from the basic position into the inclined position by moving only one of the two carriages 9, 10, which will be explained further below with reference to Fig. 10 will be explained in more detail below. When the home or inclined position is assumed, a suitable control system can be used to ensure that the two carriages 9, 10 can be moved in a coupled manner, if necessary, while maintaining the home position or a specific inclined position.

[0041] The support rails are in the (e.g. in the Fig. 5, 6 and 9 shown) basic position of the adjustment mechanism 6 parallel to the processing or bending line B and in a (e.g. in the Fig. 1 and 3 shown) inclined position of the adjustment mechanism 6 is aligned obliquely to the processing or bending line B, while the finger strips F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 are aligned perpendicular to the processing or bending line B both in the basic position and in the inclined position.

[0042] Finally, the adjustment mechanism 6 has a Fig. 7 - 10 shown in more detail centering mechanism 13, with which the pivot points P 1 , P 2 (cf. Fig. 10 ) of both support rails 7, 8 during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position in a central area Z of the respective support rail 7, 8 (or in this case exactly in the middle of the respective support rail 7, 8.

[0043] The initial position with support rails 7, 8 running parallel to the bending line B is naturally assumed when the two carriages 9, 10 are arranged on their respective guides 11, 12 at the same distance from the bending line B. The two guides 11, 12 are also attached to a solid machine base frame 29, which, in the given embodiment, also supports the fixed lower beam 3 of the folding machine. Other parts of the folding machine, as known from the prior art and which are not necessary for explaining the present invention, are not shown in the figures.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the centering mechanism 13 is implemented by a lever assembly comprising a centering rocker 14 with a pivot joint 15 and two free ends 16, 17. The pivot joint 15 is mounted approximately centrally on one of the two support rails 7, 8 with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support rails 7, 8, in the given example on the support rail 8 located closer to the bending line B. Each of two articulation points 18, 19 of the respective support rail 8, which are arranged eccentrically and symmetrically to the center of the support rail 8 with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support rail 8, is coupled to the centering rocker 14 at corresponding articulation points 22, 23 via a coupling rod 20, 21 in the area of ​​each of the two free ends 16, 17 (cf. Fig. 8 ), whereby in the present case the finger strip F 3, which is articulated centrally on the two support rails 7, 8, is articulated at the same location E 3 on the support rail 8 as the swivel joint 15 of the centering rocker 14.

[0045] Furthermore, recesses 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 are provided on the lower beam 3, in which the finger strips F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 are at least partially received with their lower edge when approaching the bending line B, wherein a machine table not shown in the given figures has corresponding recesses for (partially) receiving the finger strips F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5.

[0046] The Fig. 10 Finally, shows a plan view of the essential components of the adjusting mechanism 6 used according to the invention in three positions shown one above the other, the top view consisting of Fig. 10 shows a basic position of the adjustment mechanism 6 with support rails 7, 8 oriented parallel to the bending line B.

[0047] To transfer the adjustment mechanism 6 into one of the two Fig. 10 In the inclined positions shown in the middle and below, the two slides 9, 10 arranged to the left and right of the center of the support rail can be moved independently of each other according to the double arrows U, V on the respective linear guide 11, 12.

[0048] Is based on the Fig. 10 If the left slide 9 is moved closer to the machine base 29 from the basic position shown above, the Fig. 10 tilt shown in the middle.

[0049] Is based on the Fig. 10 If the right slide 10 is moved closer to the machine base 29 from the basic position shown above, the Fig. 10 inclination shown below.

[0050] The transition to the respective inclined position corresponds to a rotation of the support rails 7, 8 about the pivot points P 1 , P 2 located centrally thereon (with additional linear displacement perpendicular to the bending line) due to the lateral articulation of the support rails 7, 8 to the carriages 9, 10 via the compensating levers L 1 , L 2 , R 1 , R 2 and due to the centering mechanism 13 already described in more detail above, whereby the finger strip F 3 pivoted centrally to the support rails 7, 8 does not show any lateral offset during the transition to the respective inclined position, as is the case with the Fig. 10shown by a continuous dashed line from top to bottom. When the support rails 7, 8 are inclined, the other finger rails F 1 , F 2 , F 4 , F 5 experience a certain lateral offset towards the center of the support rail 7, 8 compared to the basic position, which is greatest for the outer finger rails F 1 , F 5. All finger rails F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 are aligned perpendicular to the bending line B both in the basic position and in the inclined position of the adjustment mechanism 6.

Claims

1. Sheet metal processing machine (1) for processing sheet metal (2) along a processing line (B), wherein the sheet metal processing machine (1) has a stop system with at least one stop element (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) for an edge (R) of the sheet metal (2) element to be processed and an adjusting mechanism (6) for adjusting the position of the at least one stop element, wherein the adjustment mechanism (6) comprises two support rails (7, 8) arranged parallel to one another and a plurality of finger bars (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) characterised in that, each finger bar (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) is hinged to both support rails (7, 8) and determines with its front end (E) the position of the at least one stop element (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) or forms with its front end the at least one stop element (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5), wherein each support rail (7, 8) is attached via compensating levers (L1, L2, R1, R2) at two carriages (9, 10) of the adjusting mechanism (6), wherein the two carriages (9, 10) are arranged to the left and right of the centre of the support rails and can be moved along a guide (11, 12) provided for this purpose perpendicular to the processing line (B), wherein the support rails (7, 8) in a basic position of the adjusting mechanism (6) are aligned in parallel to the processing line (B) and wherein the support rails (7, 8) in an inclined position of the adjusting mechanism are aligned at an inclined angle to the processing line, while the finger bars (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) are aligned perpendicular to the processing line (B) both in the basic position and in the inclined position, and wherein the adjusting mechanism (6) has a centring mechanism (13) which acts on at least one support rail (7, 8) and by means of which the pivot point (P1, P2) of both support rails (7, 8) is held in a central region of the respective support rail (7, 8) during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position.

2. Sheet metal processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the centring mechanism (13) has a centring rocker (14) with a swivel joint (15) and two free ends (16, 17), wherein the swivel joint (15) is mounted approximately centrally on one of the two support rails (7, 8) with respect to a longitudinal extension of the support rails (7, 8) and wherein one of each of two pivot points (18, 19) of the support rails (7, 8) is attached via a coupling rod (18, 19) to the centring rocker (14) in the region of one of the two free ends (16, 17), whereby the pivot points are arranged off-centre with respect to the longitudinal extension of the support rails (7, 8) and symmetrically with respect to the centre of the support rails (7, 8).

3. Sheet metal processing machine according to claim 2, characterised in that a finger bar (F3), which is in relation to the longitudinal extent of the support rail fixed centrally to the two support rails (7, 8), is hinged at the same location (E3) as the swivel joint (15) on a support rail (8), so that the corresponding finger bar (F3) has no lateral offset during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position.

4. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, the finger bars (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) are arranged at least partially in recesses (24, 25, 26, 27, 28) provided for this purpose in a machine table, a high holder or a lower beam (3) of the sheet metal processing machine (1) or can be moved into these, wherein the recesses are dimensioned such that the lateral offset of the finger bars (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) resulting during the transition from the basic position to the inclined position is taken into account.

5. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, each support rail (7, 8) is hinged by means of an angled equalising lever (L1, L2, R1, R2) to each of the two carriages (9, 10), whereby the two equalising levers (L1, L2, R1, R2) assigned to a carriage (9, 10) are coupled to each other via a coupling rod (K1, K2).

6. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, the plurality of finger bars (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) are hinged in relation to the longitudinal extent of the support rails (7, 8) at such locations (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5; E1, E2, E3, E4, E5) to the support rails (7, 8), which are symmetrical to the centre of the support rail (7, 8).

7. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, the at least one stop element is a stop bar.

8. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, the sheet metal processing machine (1) is a swivelling bending machine and that the processing line is a bending line.

9. Sheet metal processing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the sheet metal processing machine (1) is a plate shear machine and that the processing line is formed by a cutting edge.