System for shaping metal bars, in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete

Abstract

A system (10) for shaping metal bars, in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete, is described, said system comprising: - a shaping unit (20; 20' ) comprising a seat (22; 22' ) for receiving one or more bars and at least one shaping member for shaping said one or more bars received in said seat according to a predefined profile; a feeding device (40; 40' ) for feeding a succession of bars to the shaping unit (20; 20' ). The system is characterized in that it comprises an apparatus (80) for orienting the bars to orient individually each bar that is on said feeding device (40) or in said seat of said shaping unit (20' ), around its respective longitudinal axis, so as to make each bar assume a predefined orientation, before said bar is subjected to a shaping operation by said shaping unit.

Description

[0001] "System for shaping metal bars , in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete"

[0002] TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a system for shaping metal bars , in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete .

[0005] In general , such a system comprises : a shaping unit , comprising a seat for receiving one or more bars and at least one shaping member, for shaping the bars received in said seat according to a predefined profile ; and a feeding device for feeding a succession of bars to the shaping unit .

[0006] A technical problem of the systems in question concerns the need to guarantee high precision in shaping the bars according to the predefined profile . This technical problem is made particularly di f ficult to address due to the fact that the metal bars commonly treated by systems of this type have considerable lengths that can reach even 10 or 12 meters , so that any shaping errors committed on a portion of the bar ( for example , an incorrect curvature ) can be greatly ampli fied in the geometric and dimensional deviations then identi fiable in the finally produced shaped bar .

[0007] In this context , the Applicant has veri fied that , in known shaping systems , substantial geometric and dimensional deviations from a predefined profile can be determined by the great variability of the orientation around their own longitudinal axis that the bars assume when they are received inside the respective seat of the shaping unit .

[0008] In fact , although the bars in question are essentially elongated bodies whose longitudinal dimensions exceed the transverse ones by several orders of magnitude , their mechanical behavior in the shaping operations performed by the shaping unit can vary greatly depending on the orientation assumed by the bar around its own longitudinal axis and, in particular, relative to the shaping means acting on it , due to the fact that , firstly, they commonly have a cross-section with a profile lacking circular symmetry, usually ovoid or anyway flattened, and, secondly, they are characteri zed by the presence on their lateral surface of ribs that develop along the bar according to various geometries .

[0009] This means that the same shaping operation performed on two bars of the same length and with the same nominal cross-section, but di f ferently oriented, can result in two shaped bars characteri zed by signi ficantly di f ferent profiles in terms of geometry and dimensions .

[0010] For example , in an application where a bar must be bent to produce a two-dimensional C-profile , certain orientations of the bar around its own longitudinal axis can instead lead to obtaining a trapezoidal , three- dimensional profile .

[0011] In this context , the Applicant proposes a system for shaping metal bars capable of overcoming the drawback discussed above .

[0012] In general , the present invention relates to a system according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 9 .

[0013] The claims form an integral part of the teachings provided herein .

[0014] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings , provided by way of non-limiting example only, in which : figure 1 schematically represents an embodiment of the system described herein; figure 2 represents the system of figure 1 in a second process phase .

[0015] As anticipated above , the system described herein is intended for shaping metal bars , in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete .

[0016] In the following description, various speci fic details are illustrated for the purpose of a thorough understanding of the embodiments . The embodiments can be reali zed without one or more of the speci fic details , or with other methods , components or materials , etc . In other instances , known material structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiment .

[0017] The references used herein are for convenience only and therefore do not define the scope of protection or the scope of the embodiments .

[0018] With reference to figures 1 and 2 , the system described herein - overall indicated by reference number 10 - comprises : a shaping unit 20 , comprising a seat 22 for receiving one or more bars B, and at least one shaping member, for shaping the bars according to a predefined profile ; and a feeding device 40 for feeding a succession of bars to the shaping unit 20 or 20 ' .

[0019] More particularly, in the embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , the shaping unit 20 is a bending unit comprising a seat 22 for receiving one or more bars , which is formed between a central pin 26 and an eccentric pin 28 , parallel to and radially spaced from the central pin 26 and movable according to a rotational movement around a rotation axis I aligned with the central pin In an alternative embodiment , instead of the central pin 26 , the bending unit comprises two shaped pins , mutually separated and symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through the rotation axis I , between which the seat 22 is formed .

[0020] Furthermore , one or more counter members (not illustrated) can be disposed along the seat 22 with the function of holding the bar in position during the bending operation; one or more heading members can be provided to define the longitudinal position of the bars to be bent .

[0021] In a per se known manner, in operation the eccentric pin 28 engages one side of the bar and is actuated in a rotational movement around the rotation axis I so as to bend the bar around the central pin 26 .

[0022] In general , the shaping unit can however be any unit of known type intended to shape the bars B in any mode , for example by bending .

[0023] Still with reference to the embodiment of figure 1 , the feeding device 40 comprises a conveyor 42 comprising a transport plane 42A movable along a feed direction K to advance the bars towards the shaping unit 20 . The conveyor 42 can for example be a loop conveyor or a walking beam conveyor .

[0024] The transport plane 42A is configured to receive a succession of bars in an arrangement where the bars are oriented transversely to the feed direction K .

[0025] The transport plane 42A can optionally be provided with dividers (not illustrated) configured to define a series of compartments arranged in succession along the feed direction K and configured to each receive one or more bars oriented transversely to the feed direction K .

[0026] Incidentally, note that the aforementioned transport plane is not necessarily a continuous plane , but can instead be a discrete plane , defined, for example , by the set of support surfaces of a plurality of bar housing cavities .

[0027] In operation, the bars arrange themselves on the transport plane 42A side by side and mutually separated, or distributed within the di f ferent compartments (where provided) , or simply ordered in the indicated manner on the transport plane 42A (without dividers ) . In a further application example , a plurality o f bars can be di sposed within each compartment of the transport plane , always side by side and separated, for example a group of bars intended to be loaded all together onto the bending unit .

[0028] The system 10 can furthermore comprise a bar accumulation zone 50 ( for example a warehouse ) , where the bars are col lected in contact with each other, for example in one or more bundles of bars , and a singulating device 60 , configured to pick up the bars from the accumulation zone and trans fer them separately, one by one , onto the transport plane 42A of the feeding device 40 .

[0029] Such a singulating device can for example consist of a loading device as described in the Italian patent IT102013902162297 owned by the same Applicant .

[0030] Such a loading device is in fact capable of picking up, via a magnet , the end of a bar that is in a bundle of bars and of extracting the bar longitudinally from the bundle via a pair of motori zed rollers .

[0031] Each bar separated from the bundle is received inside a channel 62 provided with a lowerable bottom 63 for releasing the bar onto the transport plane 42A of the feeding device 40 .

[0032] Optionally, said loading device can furthermore comprise a helical screw trans fer member, rotatable around its own longitudinal rotation axis , on which a group of bars picked up together from the accumulation zone 50 is deposited, waiting for the bars of the group to then be trans ferred inside the channel 62 .

[0033] In an alternative embodiment , the loading device is instead constituted by a robotic arm provided with gripping means , which is configured to pick up a plurality of bars from the accumulation zone 50 and arrange them on the transport plane 42A directly in said condition in which they are found oriented transversely to the feed direction K and arranged side by side .

[0034] According to an important characteristic of the system described herein, the system 10 comprises an apparatus 80 for orienting the bars , to orient each bar that is on the transport plane 42A so as to make it assume a predefined orientation around its respective longitudinal axis ( in particular relative to a Cartesian plane X' Y' disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and with the origin of the coordinate axes positioned on said longitudinal axis )

[0035] By way of example , the predefined orientation can for example correspond to a condition in which fins provided on the bar, in a plane of symmetry thereof , are found in a vertical arrangement .

[0036] Clearly, the predefined orientation can however vary from one application to another depending on the speci fic needs of the various applications .

[0037] In one or more preferred embodiments , like the one illustrated, the orienting apparatus comprises a manipulator unit 82 , which is disposed at the transport plane 42A and is configured to engage an end of each bar resting on the transport plane 42A and to subj ect it to a rotational movement around a rotation axis I I . As will be seen later, in operation, the rotation axis I I is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the same bar .

[0038] The manipulator unit 82 can present means of known type for gripping the end of the bar so as to then be able to subj ect the bar to rotation around the rotation axis I 1 .

[0039] In one or more preferred embodiments , like the one illustrated, the manipulator unit 82 comprises a gripper 82A which is rotatable around the rotation axis I I and is actuatable according to a rotational movement around this axis by an actuator 84 ; in a per se known manner, the gripper is furthermore provided with two parts movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position for gripping a bar .

[0040] In an alternative embodiment , the manipulator unit comprises , instead, a seat for receiving a bar, and, at said seat , a plurality of rotatable rollers , which are movable relative to said seat between an open position and a closed position in which the bar is clamped between said rollers , and which are actuatable in rotation by a motor so as to place the bar engaged by them in a rotational movement around the rotation axis I I .

[0041] In a further alternative embodiment , the manipulator unit comprises a plurality of motori zed belts , instead of said plurality of rotatable rollers .

[0042] The orienting apparatus furthermore comprises a handling system (not illustrated) for handling the manipulator unit . This handling system can be of a known type ; for example it can comprise a robotic arm carrying the manipulator unit 82 at its end, or a carriage movable on a guide system preferably provided with at least two handling axes .

[0043] In operation, this handling system operates to dispose the manipulator unit 82 in engagement with an end of each bar disposed on the transport plane 42A and so as to dispose the rotation axis I I in a condition substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bar . The approach to the single bar by the manipulator unit 82 can occur along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar or along a direction transverse to this axis ; in this second case , the manipulator unit 82 approaches the bar from a lateral direction, rather than from a frontal direction, and this can be advantageous in applications where , on the transport plane 42A, the bars are very close to each other, as it facilitates the insertion of the unit 82 between the bar to be gripped and the respective bars adj acent to it .

[0044] In one embodiment , the handling system can be configured to move the manipulator unit 82 along the transport plane 42A, so that it can independently reach the various bars that are on the transport plane 42A waiting to be fed to the bending unit 20 .

[0045] In an alternative embodiment , the manipulator unit 82 instead operates only at a speci fic position along the feed direction K and the handling system is simply configured to bring the manipulator unit into engagement with the end of the bar that reaches said position ( in addition to disposing the rotation axis I I in a condition aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bar ) .

[0046] Once the manipulator unit 82 is brought into said condition of engagement with the end of the bar, it is actuated to place the bar in rotation around the rotation axis I I and, in this way, to dispose it in the predefined orientation around its respective longitudinal axis .

[0047] In one or more alternative embodiments , the orienting apparatus 80 and the respective manipulator unit 82 can instead be configured so that the latter engages an intermediate portion of the single bar to be oriented, rather than a respective end .

[0048] Preferably, the orienting apparatus comprises a control unit 86 , configured to activate the actuator 84 for actuating the rotational movement of the manipulator unit 82 , or said motor for actuating the rotatable rollers , when the rotation axis I I is actually in said condition of alignment with the longitudinal axis of the bar .

[0049] In one or more preferred embodiments , like the one illustrated, the orienting apparatus furthermore comprises a sensor 88 for detecting the orientation of the bar around its respective longitudinal axis . The control unit 86 is configured to control the actuator ( or the motor of the rotatable rollers ) based on the orientation detected by the sensor .

[0050] In particular, the control unit 86 is configured to activate the actuator 84 ( or the motor of the rotatable rollers ) only i f the bar is disposed according to an orientation di f ferent from the predefined orientation .

[0051] Furthermore , the control unit 86 is configured to control the actuator ( or the motor of the rotatable rollers ) so as to interrupt the rotation of the bar as soon as it has assumed the predefined orientation .

[0052] In some embodiments , it is possible to provide for an activation of the handling system to bring the manipulator unit into engagement with the end of a given bar only i f the sensor detects , for this bar, an orientation di f ferent from the predefined orientation .

[0053] In view of the above , it will therefore be understood that the system described herein is capable of overcoming the drawback discussed in the introductory part of the present discussion, since each bar that is fed to the bending unit is disposed according to a precise and predefined orientation .

[0054] The sensor 88 can, for example , be a video camera and the apparatus 80 can comprise a control unit configured to implement an image processing algorithm to determine one or more image characteristics from the images captured by the video camera .

[0055] In an alternative embodiment , the sensor 88 can instead be a distance meter, for example a laser distance meter .

[0056] In one or more preferred embodiments , like the one illustrated, the system 10 furthermore comprises at least one loading device 70 to pick up each bar that is positioned on the transport plane 42A and that has already been treated by the orienting apparatus , and to trans fer it inside the seat of the bending unit .

[0057] Such a loading device can be of a known type , for example it can comprise one or more gripper members 72 for gripping the bar, and a robotic arm 74 movable on a rail for handling the picked-up bar . In any case, it will be understood that the loading device used must be such as to maintain the bar in the predefined orientation relative to its own longitudinal axis , for which gravity trans fer means , for example chutes , are evidently to be excluded; in other words , when the bars are gripped by the loading device , they must be prevented from rotating on themselves . On the other hand, the loading device can instead make the gripped bar perform oscillations or rotations around one or more pivots of the loading device to operate the trans fer of the bar from the transport plane 42A to the seat 22 of the bending unit .

[0058] In particular, with reference to figures 1 and 2 it can be noted that the gripper 72 of the loading device 70 grips the bars B on the transport plane 42A assuming a hori zontal orientation, while it then deposits the same bars in the seat 22 of the bending unit 20 assuming a vertical orientation, after having performed a rotation of 90 ° around a hori zontal rotation axis of the robotic arm 74 . During this movement , the bars gripped by the gripper 72 evidently maintain said predefined orientation around their own longitudinal axis (more precisely relative to the Cartesian plane X' Y' disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and with the origin of the coordinate axes positioned on said longitudinal axis ) , while their orientation relative to a fixed reference system XY has changed, having passed from an orientation in which the maj or axis of their cross-section ( generally elliptical ) is hori zontal , when they are on the transport plane 42A, to an orientation in which said maj or axis is instead vertical ; said fixed reference system XY can for example be disposed on the support plane of the bending unit 20 , on which the bars rest when they are received in the seat 22 .

[0059] Preferably, in cases where the loading device is configured to vary the orientation of the bars relative to a fixed reference system, during the trans fer of the bars from the transport plane 42A to the seat 22 of the bending unit , said predefined orientation on the basis of which the orienting apparatus 80 operates on the bars disposed on the transport plane 42A, can be selected based on a datum indicative o f said variation of orientation of the bars determined by the loading device 70 , so that the bars are then deposited in the seat 22 of the bending unit 20 assuming a second predefined orientation, this time relative to the fixed reference system, which corresponds to the desired orientation inside the seat 22 of the bending unit 20 .

[0060] In the illustrated example , the second predefined orientation corresponds to an orientation for which the maj or axis of the cross-section of the bars is found vertical in the seat 22 of the bending unit 20 , while said variation of orientation of the bars corresponds to an angle of 90 ° ; for the reasons stated above , the predefined orientation of the bars on the transport plane 42A will therefore correspond to an orientation for which the maj or axis of the cross-section of the bars is hori zontal , so that , after the 90 ° rotation performed by the loading device , the bars wil l arrange themselves in said second predefined orientation, with the maj or axis of their cross-section disposed vertically .

[0061] In operation, the bending unit 20 can be activated only after the loading device 70 has loaded, into the seat 22 of the bending unit , a plurality of mutually stacked bars all oriented according to said predefined orientation .

[0062] In one or more preferred embodiments , like the one illustrated, the loading device 70 is configured to pick up simultaneously a plurality of bars that are already in the predefined orientation, from the transport plane 42A, and to load them all together into the seat 22 of the bending unit 20 ; these bars will all be found in said second predefined orientation .

[0063] In a preferred embodiment , the apparatus comprises a control unit configured to receive a reference number identi fying the number of bars to be bent in a work cycle of the bending unit , and to control the loading device 70 so that it picks up from the transport plane 42A simultaneously a number of bars equal to said reference number .

[0064] Furthermore , preferably, the apparatus comprises at least two or three loading devices 70 that cooperate together by gripping the same bar or the same group of bars at di f ferent points along their respective longitudinal directions , in order to support the bar or bars at multiple points and limit the deformations to which it or they are subj ect due to gravity . For example , the apparatus can comprise a bar loading system as described in patent EP1375022B1 owned by the same Applicant .

[0065] Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining unchanged, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary, even signi ficantly, from what has been illustrated herein by way of non-limiting example only, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims .

Claims

CLAIMS1. System (10) for shaping metal bars, in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete, said system comprising :- a shaping unit (20) comprising a seat (22) for receiving one or more bars and at least one shaping member for shaping said one or more bars received in said seat according to a predefined profile;- a feeding device (40) for feeding a succession of bars to the shaping unit (20) ; said system being characterized in that it comprises an apparatus (80) for orienting the bars to orient individually each bar that is on said feeding device (40) , around its respective longitudinal axis, so as to make each bar assume a predefined orientation, before said bar is subjected to a shaping operation by said shaping unit.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said orienting apparatus (80) comprises: a manipulator unit (82) , which is disposed at a transport plane (42A) of the feeding device (40) , and which is configured to engage a single bar disposed on said transport plane (42A) and to subject the engaged single bar to a rotational movement around a rotation axis (II) ;- a handling system for handling said manipulator unit (82) so as to bring it into a position where it can engage said single bar and so as to dispose said rotation axis (II) in a condition substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the single bar;- a control unit (86) configured to activate said manipulator unit (82) to place the single bar in rotation around said rotation axis (II) when said manipulator unit engages said single bar and said rotation axis (II)is in said condition aligned with the longitudinal axis of said single bar.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein said orienting apparatus (80) comprises a sensor (88) for detecting the orientation of said single bar around its respective longitudinal axis and wherein said control unit (86) is configured to control said manipulator unit (82) based on the orientation detected by said sensor (88) .

4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said shaping unit (20) is a bending unit comprising a seat (22) for receiving one or more bars to be bent and a bending pin (28) movable according to a rotational movement around a rotation axis (I) , and wherein said feeding device (40) comprises a conveyor (42) comprising a transport plane (42A) which is movable along a feed direction (K) for advancing the bars towards the shaping unit (20) , and which is configured to receive the succession of bars in an arrangement where the bars are oriented transversely to the feed direction and side by side, said manipulator unit (82) (82) of said orienting apparatus (80) being configured to engage each bar that is on said transport plane (42A) of said conveyor (42) .

5. System according to claim 4, comprising at least one loading device (70) to pick up individually each bar that is positioned on said transport plane (42A) of the conveyor and that has already been treated by said orienting apparatus, and to transfer it inside said seat (22) of said bending unit (20) , said loading device (70) being configured to maintain the single bar in said predefined orientation, in particular relative to a Cartesian plane disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and with the origin of the coordinate axes positioned on said longitudinal axis, during thetransfer from said transport plane (42A) to said seat (22) of said bending unit (20) .

6. System according to claim 5, wherein said at least one loading device (70) is configured to pick up simultaneously a plurality of bars that are already in said predefined orientation, from said transport plane (42A) , and to load them all together into said seat (22) of said bending unit (20) .

7. System according to claim 5 or 6, comprising at least two loading devices (70) that cooperate together by gripping the same bar or the same plurality of bars at different points along their respective longitudinal directions .

8. System according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a bar accumulation zone (50) in which the bars are collected in contact with each other, in particular in the form of a bundle of bars, and a singulating device (60) configured to pick up the bars from the accumulation zone and transfer them separately, one by one, to said feeding device (40) .

9. Method for shaping metal bars, in particular reinforcement bars for reinforced concrete, said method comprising :- via a feeding device (40) , feeding a succession of bars to a shaping unit (20) ;- receiving one or more bars of said succession of bars in a seat of said shaping unit (20) and shaping according to a predefined profile said one or more bars received in said seat (22) , via at least one shaping member of said shaping unit; said method being characterized in that it includes, via an orienting apparatus (80) , orienting individually each bar that is on said feeding device (40) , around its respective longitudinal axis, so as tomake each bar assume a predefined orientation, before said bar is subjected to said shaping operation.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said phase of feeding said succession of bars includes disposing said succession of bars on a transport plane (42A) of a conveyor (42) , movable along a feed direction (K) , according to an arrangement in which the bars are oriented transversely to the feed direction and are side by side, and wherein said orienting phase includes orienting each bar that is on said transport plane (42A) , via said orienting apparatus (80) .

11. Method according to claim 10, furthermore comprising, via at least one loading device (70) , transferring each bar oriented according to said predefined orientation from said transport plane (42A) to said seat of said shaping unit, maintaining the single bar in said predefined orientation around its own longitudinal axis, in particular relative to a Cartesian plane disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and with the origin of the coordinate axes positioned on said longitudinal axis, and optionally disposing said bar in a second predefined orientation, in particular relative to a fixed reference system, through a rotational or oscillatory movement of said loading device (70) .

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein transferring each bar oriented according to said predefined orientation includes, via said at least one loading device (70) , picking up simultaneously a plurality of bars that are already in said predefined orientation, from said transport plane (42A) , and loading them all together into said seat (22) of said shaping unit (20) , so that said bars all maintain said predefined orientation around their own longitudinalaxis , in particular relative to a Cartesian plane disposed orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and with the origin of the coordinate axes positioned on said longitudinal axis , and optionally disposing said bars in a second predefined orientation, relative to a fixed reference system, through a rotational or oscillatory movement of said loading device ( 70 ) .13 . Method according to any one of claims 9 to 12 , wherein said shaping unit is a bending unit , said method including shaping said bar according to a predefined profile comprising a series of bends .14 . Method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 13 , including veri fying via sensor the orientation of each bar of said succession of bars and via said orienting apparatus orienting said bar only i f the detected orientation di f fers from said predefined orientation .15 . Method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 14 , including : receiving a reference number indicative of a number of bars to be shaped;- picking up from an accumulation zone a plurality of bars ;- disposing the bars picked up from the accumulation zone on a transport plane of a conveyor ( 42 ) so as to form a succession of bars lying on said transport plane ( 42A) , oriented transversely to the feed direction of the transport plane ( 42A) and mutually spaced; orienting individually each bar of said succession of bars , around its respective longitudinal axis , so as to make said bar assume a predefined orientation around its own longitudinal axis ;- picking up from said transport plane a given number of bars in said predefined orientation and depositing said bars in said seat of said shaping unit ;- shaping said given number of bars via said shaping unit ; and- repeating the picking and shaping phases until the number of bars that have been shaped reaches said reference number .16 . Method according to claim 10 or 15 , wherein the phase of orienting individually each bar of said succession of bars includes detecting the actual orientation of the bar via a sensor and interrupting said phase when the sensor detects the achievement of said predefined orientation .

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