[0001] This invention concerns a collection and discharge bench for shaped rods or bars
leaving a bending-shaping machine suitable to produce shaped rods or bars for building
work.
[0002] To be more exact, the invention concerns a collection and discharge bench for rods
or bars intended for building work and leaving a bending-shaping machine after the
required bends and shapes have been imparted to them, the bench being positioned alongside
the outlet edge of the bending-shaping machin.
[0003] The rods or bars may have any section or shape or be of any type.
[0004] So far as the present applicant is aware, the state of the art does not contain collection
and discharge benches of systems like that disclosed in this invention.
[0005] Nowadays the rods or bars, after the necessary bends and shapes have been imparted
to them by the bending-shaping machine, are thrust by the machine, owing to the effect
of their final shearing, outside the outline of the machine and accumulate on the
floor.
[0006] The shaped rods or bars receive a heavy thrust at the outlet of the bending-shaping
machine, so that it becomes dangerous for the machine operator to approach the neighbourhood
of the machine to collect the bent rods or bars.
[0007] With this type of working it is necessary to halt the activity of the machine temporarily
to collect the accumulated rods or bars. This halt obviously becomes a problem owing
to a great loss of ourput.
[0008] The present applicant has designed, tested and embodied the device of this invention
so as to overcome the above shortcomings.
[0009] The invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent
claims describe variants of the idea of the embodiment.
[0010] The bench of the invention is fitted parallel to, and at the edge of the outlet from,
a machine to bend and shape the shaped rods or bars.
[0011] The collection and discharge bench is divided into two parts; the first part consists
of a stationary tilted surface, whereas the second part is substantially horizontal
and comprises a conveyor belt.
[0012] The stationary surface is tilted by a given angle, which is the same as that of the
bending-shaping machine, so that when the collection bench is positioned alongside
the bending-shaping machine, they form one single tilted surface.
[0013] In this way the shaped rod or bar, when thrust downwards from the bending-shaping
machine at the end of the shaping step, slides down the stationary tilted surface
of the collection and discharge bench and is stopped on the conveyor belt, which arranges
to remove the rod or bar to an area which is safe for the machine operator.
[0014] As we said before, the shaped rods or bars leave the bending-shaping machine at a
great speed, and therefore the conveyor belt is equipped with lateral abutment teeth
to prevent the rods or bars falling and to retain them on the conveyor belt.
[0015] As we said earlier, the conveyor belt displaces the shaped rods or bars towards the
operator, who can collect them and store them readily while staying in a shielded
area.
[0016] If one dimension of a shaped rod or bar leaving the bending-shaping machine is greater
than the width of the conveyor belt, that rod or bar will abut against the abutment
teeth of the conveyor and, owing to the drawing action of the conveyor belt, will
be rotated by 90° so that it can be drawn away just the same by the conveyor belt.
[0017] A first variant of the invention provides for the collection and discharge bench
to be equipped with feet the height of which can be adjusted so as to make the stationary
tilted surface mate with that of the bending-shaping machine if the machine has a
height other than that of the collection and discharge bench.
[0018] Another variant of the invention arranges to fit adjustment means to the stationary
tilted surface of the collection and discharge bench. These adjustment means have
the task of adjusting the inclination of the tilted surface of the bench when the
surface is not tilted by the same degree as the bending-shaping machine.
[0019] In fact, the bending-shaping machines may have their bending platform capable of
being tilted by a variable angle.
[0020] When the adjustment means are operated, the stationary tilted surface is rotated
about a rotation pivot, and its inclination is modified and adapted to the slope of
the bending platform.
[0021] When the feet are adjusted, the two edges side by side are brought level to each
other.
[0022] The attached figures, which are given as a non-restrictive example, show the following:-
Fig.1 shows a three-dimensional view of the collection and discharge bench alongside
a bending-shaping machine;
Fig.2 shows a detail of Fig. 1;
Fig.3 shows a variant of the invention according to Fig. 1.
[0023] Fig.1 shows a collection and discharge bench 10 positioned alongside the outlet edge
for shaped rods or bars 13 leaving a bending-shaping machine 11.
[0024] A stationary surface 12 of the collection and discharge bench 10 is tilted by a given
angle "α" substantially the same as the angle "α'" of inclination of the bending-shaping
machine 11.
[0025] The shaped rods or bars 13 sheared on the bending-shaping machine 11 slide down the
stationary tilted surface 12 and drop onto a conveyor belt 14.
[0026] Fig.2 shows how the shaped rods or bars 13 leaving the bending-shaping machine 11
at a high speed are retained on the conveyor belt 14 by abutment teeth 11 which cooperate
with an edge 23 of the collection and discharge bench 10.
[0027] The elements of which the conveyor belt 14 consists may be made of rubber, wood,
a plastic or soft metal.
[0028] Fig.3 shows some variants which can be applied to the embodiment of Fig.1.
[0029] A first variant provides for the bench 10 to be equipped with adjustable feet 16
suitable to adjust the height of the bench 10. This adjustment is carried out, for
instance, by means of a rotary sleeve acting on the threaded stem of the foot 16.
These rotary sleeves are actuated, for instance, by a motor 21 that acts on a transmission
gear 22.
[0030] Adjustment of the height of the bench 10 enables the inlet edge of the bench 10 to
be brought to a height such that the stationary tilted surface 12 mates with the platform
of the bending-shaping machine 11 so as to provide one single tilted surface. In this
case the inclination of the bending-shaping machine 11 and that of the stationary
tilted surface 12 are the same.
[0031] Another variant provides for the inclusion of adjustment means 17, a jack for instance.
Such adjustment means 17 have the task of ajusting the angle of inclination "α" of
the stationary surface 12 when that angle of inclination "α'" is not the same as the
angle of inclination "α" of the bending-shaping machine 11.
[0032] By acting on the adjustment means 17 fitted to the stationary surface 12, that surface
12 can rotate about its axis of rotation 18. In this example, the stationary tilted
surface 12, so as to be able to rotate, is hinged to the bench 10 by a rotation pivot
19.
[0033] In the same way the angle of inclination "α'" of the bending-shaping machine 11 is
adjusted by means of a jack 20.
1. Collection and discharge bench (10) which cooperates with the outlet edge of a bending-shaping
machine (11) and is characterized in that it comprises a stationary tilted surface
(12) on which shaped rods or bars (13) leaving the bending-shaping machine (11) slide,
and also comprises a conveyor belt (14) to collect and convey the shaped rods or bars
(13), the conveyor belt (14) being positioned at the edge of the stationary surface
(12), the angle of inclination (α) of the stationary surface (12) being substantially
the same as the angle of inclination (α') of the working platform of the bending-shaping
machine (11).
2. Bench (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which the conveyor belt (14) is equipped at one
side with abutment teeth (15) to retain the shaped rods or bars (13), the abutment
teeth (15) being positioned at the side of the conveyor belt (14) farthest from the
stationary surface (12).
3. Bench (10) as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the conveyor belt (14) can run substantially
parallel to the edge of departure of the shaped rods or bars (13) from the bending-shaping
machine (11).
4. Bench (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which is equipped with adjustable
feet (16) able to adjust the height of the bench (10) itself.
5. Bench (10) as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which is equipped with adjustment
means (17) to adjust the angle of inclination (α) of the stationary surface (12).