Flying Shear Rod Cutting with Friction Brake Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cutting wire to length using flying scissors face challenges such as kinetic energy imparted to rods causing uneven alignment, requiring complex alignment steps and increased time loss, and existing solutions do not efficiently manage the cutting process to minimize downtime and energy consumption in wire processing plants.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a turret drum with outwardly open channels and a friction brake to control the kinetic energy of cut rods, combined with a movable wire feed device that engages rod driver elements to align the cut ends precisely, allowing for efficient positioning and cutting of wire to length using flying scissors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flying shears are used to cut rods, then cutting can be done without stopping the wire production line, but the rods exit with uneven alignment due to kinetic energy transfer
Solution Approach 1:
A rod feeder device acts as an intermediary between the flying shears and the production line. This feeder captures the kinetic energy of cut rods and gradually feeds them into the production line at a controlled rate, mediating the conflict between continuous cutting and uniform alignment. The feeder serves as a buffer that decouples the high-speed cutting operation from the slower downstream processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod feeder changes the velocity parameter of the cut rods from high (immediately after cutting) to low (when entering the production line). By controlling the feed rate and using friction brakes to reduce rod speed, the system transforms the kinetic energy parameter to achieve uniform alignment while maintaining continuous cutting operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex alignment steps are added to position rod ends, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rod feeder device performs alignment automatically through its mechanical structure and controlled feed mechanism. The device uses the rods' own kinetic energy and the friction brake system to achieve positioning without requiring external alignment operations or complex additional mechanisms. The system serves itself by converting the problem of excess kinetic energy into a positioning advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is extracted from the main production line and incorporated into the rod feeder device. Instead of adding complex alignment steps to the existing production line, the patent removes the alignment requirement from the main process by handling it in the feeder subsystem, thereby maintaining production line simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If friction brake is used to slow down rods, then rod positioning precision improves, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The friction brake converts the harmful excess kinetic energy into beneficial positioning control. The energy that would otherwise cause misalignment and require additional alignment steps is instead used to gradually slow and position the rods accurately. The 'harmful' kinetic energy becomes the driving force for precise positioning when controlled through friction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise alignment and efficient cutting of wire to length, reducing time and energy losses, and simplifies the processing of rods by ensuring consistent positioning without the need for complex alignment steps, thereby enhancing production line efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a friction brake fixed to the device is provided to slow the advance of the freshly cut rod
Implementation Method 2
a wire feed device, movable back and forth in the production direction, is provided, which engages the rear end of the cut rods with wire drive elements
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
In a device for cutting individual rods from a wire running in the production direction (P) by means of shears and for precisely positioning the ends of the rods entering a wire channel after cutting, the shears are designed as flying shears with blades (3) arranged on the circumference of two rollers (2) enclosing the wire (1); in the production direction (P) downstream of the shears, a revolver drum (5) is arranged with outwardly open channels (7) for the rods (4) distributed around its circumference along the generating side of the drum (5) such that the channel (7), which is located in a position in front of the uppermost position in the direction of rotation of the drum (5), lies in the production direction (P) and can receive the rod (4) just cut to length; the feed of this rod (4) resulting from the kinetic energy transmitted by the flying shears is slowed by a friction brake (11) fixed to the device;Furthermore, a wire feed device (8) is provided which can be moved back and forth in the production direction (P) and which engages the rear end (4A) of the cut rods (4) with rod drive elements (9A, 9B, 9C) which can engage in the channels (7) and bring the rear end (4A) of the rods (4) into a precisely constant position (4B) with respect to the production direction (P); the rod (4), initially in the position before the uppermost position, reaches its lowest position after the drum (5) is rotated step by step, from where it is discharged downwards from the channel (7), which has been rotated into the lowest position, onto a storage area.