Bar Feed Tube Layout for Faster Supply and Internal Remnant Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for supplying bars to machine tools are structurally complex, leading to high manufacturing costs, long maintenance times, and increased risk of damaging the spindle due to residual bar portions being expelled outside the apparatus, resulting in unsatisfactory operating times and reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A simplified apparatus with tubular elements and feed finger units that contain and guide bars, allowing for efficient loading and expulsion of residual portions within the apparatus, reducing structural complexity and enhancing mechanical reliability, while minimizing bar flexure and cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If bar-pushing members are provided to push bars from the rear, then bars can be supplied to the lathe, but the apparatus requires long retraction time and has increased longitudinal dimension
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the bar from the rear end, the patent applies pushing members at the front end of the bar (near the spindle) to push it in the opposite direction, towards the rear. This inversion of the pushing direction eliminates the need for long retraction strokes and reduces the longitudinal dimension of the apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a rotational dimension by providing multiple bar-pushing members arranged circumferentially on the drum. These members push bars radially inward towards the center axis, then the drum rotates to position the pushed bar for discharge. This dimensional change from linear to radial motion reduces the longitudinal space required.
2Productivity
If bar-pushing members act from the rear, then bars can be advanced, but residual portions must be expelled outside beyond the front end, risking spindle damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the pushing direction to act from the front end towards the rear, which naturally directs residual portions towards the rear discharge zone rather than the front spindle area. This eliminates the hazard of residual portions being expelled towards the spindle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary discharge zone at the rear end of the drum, separated from the spindle by the entire drum structure. Residual portions are expelled into this intermediate zone rather than directly towards the spindle, providing a safety buffer and preventing direct contact with the spindle.
3Ease of operation
If openable guides are provided on the drum, then bars can be guided during processing, but the apparatus becomes structurally complex with high manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the guiding function from complex openable guide mechanisms and replaces it with simple circumferential grooves formed directly on the drum surface. These grooves passively guide the bars through their rotational path without requiring movable guide components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible rubber or plastic liners fitted inside the drum that provide guiding surfaces. These flexible elements can conform to the bar shape and provide guidance through simple contact, eliminating the need for rigid, complex mechanical guide structures.
4Ease of operation
If complex openable guides are provided, then bar guiding is enabled, but maintenance and parts replacement take long time causing financial loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the guiding function into simple, replaceable circumferential grooves or flexible liners that can be independently maintained. If wear occurs, only the liner or groove section needs replacement, not the entire guide mechanism, significantly reducing maintenance time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive flexible rubber or plastic liners as the guiding surface. These liners have a limited service life but are cheap to replace compared to complex mechanical guide structures. When worn, they can be quickly removed and replaced without specialized tools or lengthy procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for advancing and supplying bars (2) to a machine tool, comprises: - a plurality of tubular elements (3) each suitable for containing longitudinally a respective bar (2); - at least one first carriage unit (4) and a second carriage unit (5) supporting the tubular elements (3) and movable longitudinally on a drum structure (6) to move the tubular elements (3) parallel to an advancement direction (A) for the bars (2); - the drum structure (6) extends from a front end (EA), suitable for being placed in a position adjacent to a spindle of the machine tool, to a rear end (ER), suitable for being further from the machine tool. Each tubular element (3) is provided with a feed finger unit (7) that is suitable for clamping and pulling a respective bar (2) to advance the bar advancement direction (A).