EP3876790B1 - Bundle separator of a brush filling tool - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a bundle separator of a brush tamping tool, with a bundle collector which can be pivoted back and forth about an axis between a transfer position on a tamping tool and a pivoted-back position, and in doing so travels along a bristle magazine with an outer side and a recess on the outer side and receives a bundle in the recess, wherein the outer side has a front section extending from the recess towards the front end and a rear section extending from the recess towards the rear end, and wherein in the direction of movement towards the transfer position of the magazine to the bristle magazine there is a stripper with a counter surface that is concave and complementary to the outer side of the bundle collector, wherein the front section is in the shape of a circular segment.

Such brush tamping tools have sickle-shaped bundle collectors that can be pivoted along a usually vertical axis and, due to the pre-tension in the bristle magazine, separate bundles pressed into their recess when the recess is closed by the stripper. You can imagine these strippers as a knife that separates the bundle in the recess from the rest of the magazine.

The transition from the magazine to the outside of the bundle collector and to the stripper forms a critical section of the bundle separator because it must be ensured that individual bristles, which are moved at the transition from the recess to the magazine in the direction of the stripper, do not get caught and become wedged in this transition area.

In order to avoid this, it has been considered advantageous in the prior art to position the stripper in the area of its magazine-side end, where it separates the bristles located outside the section from the bristles located in the recess. The stripper that separates the bristles should actually be designed as a sharp corner, sometimes even as a knife-like sharp corner, which should fit as close as possible to the outside of the bundle collector in order to create the smallest possible gap. Such strippers are subject to wear in order to be able to maintain their functionality permanently. In addition, it requires a great deal of know-how and craftsmanship to make the sharp corner sufficiently sharp-edged, but not razor-sharp.

From the WO 2011/030685 A1 A device is known with a pivotable bundle remover, which has a recess that serves to remove bristles in bundles from a bristle supply. A pivoting lever is also provided, with the help of which the amount of bristles that are removed as a bundle by the bundle remover can be adjusted. To do this, the pivoting lever is moved more or less strongly over the recess, so that the cross-section is changed.

From the EN 10 2016 011 337 A1 A bundle removal device is known with a pivotable bundle remover in which a recess is provided which serves to remove a bundle of bristles. The brush manufacturing machine also comprises a counterpart which is fixed relative to the movable bundle remover, the counterpart having a dividing edge facing the bundle remover which can be rounded transversely to its longitudinal extension.

The EN 10 2008 018 883 A1 shows a brush manufacturing machine with a bundle holder which has a recess for bristle bundles, wherein a loading point is provided for transferring a bristle bundle from a bundle separator to the bundle holder.

The object of the invention is to improve a bundle separator according to the prior art so that it has a high functional reliability and is characterized by lower wear.

This is achieved in a bundle separator of the type mentioned above by the stripper being blunt at its magazine-side end adjacent to the outside and the bundle collector at the rear section having a radially extending radius of the front section has a protruding pickup extension with which bristles at the end of the scraper are pushed back into their associated bristle magazine.

The present invention takes a diametrically different approach to the prior art, since the end on the magazine side, with which the bristles in the recess are separated from the bristles in the bristle magazine, is not tapered but blunt. This would normally mean that bundles would always remain in the resulting gap between the end and the circular segment-shaped outer side. Bristles would then increasingly press into this gap if the bundle remover was moved back and forth several times. In the invention, however, these bristles located in the aforementioned gap are pressed out and into the magazine by a remover extension while the bundle remover is still moving forward. The remover extension achieves this because it protrudes further outwards than the front section, the outer side of which forms a circular segment.

When viewed from above, the removal process runs in a continuous curve, which means that there is no step or ledge on which bristles could get caught.

Between the recess and the beginning of the collector extension, there is optionally a short intermediate section on the bundle collector, in which the outside is shaped like a circular segment, with the same radius as the front section. This ensures that the recess has already been moved a little way along the complementary counter surface before the bristles can be pushed back from the aforementioned gusset.

The collector extension preferably runs offset from the stripper in the axial direction, which is defined by the pivot axis. This means that the collector extension does not collide with the counter surface, but can also move along the counter surface, i.e. along the top and/or bottom of the stripper. When the bundle collector pivots, the collector extension thus reaches over or under the stripper.

The collector extension can be present on just one side of the stripper, or two collector extensions can be provided so that the bundle collector has a U-shaped cross-section in the area of the collector extensions. The stripper is then accommodated between the legs of the "U" when the bundle collector is pivoted far enough.

The collector extension should extend radially outwards so far that when it reaches the blunt end on the magazine side when swivelled, it completely covers the end when viewed from above. This ensures that the previously mentioned gusset is no longer present and is closed by the collector extension(s). All material in the gusset, i.e. all bristles in it, are thereby pushed back into the magazine.

The collector extension can be a separate part which is attached to a plate-shaped base body of the bundle collector. The front section is formed on this base body, preferably also the recess. The collector extension is then applied to the top or bottom of the base body. Alternatively, the collector extension or extensions can be an integral part of the base body.

If there are two pickup extensions, one can be located and attached as a separate part on the top of the base body and a separate part, which forms the other pickup extension, can be located on the bottom of the base body. The two pickup extensions should have the same outer contour when viewed from above, at least in the area in which they travel along the magazine.

The bundle separator according to the invention not only shows its advantages with a single magazine, but also with several magazines arranged next to each other. In this case in particular, it is particularly important that no bristles remain in the aforementioned gussets. Because if, for example, something is first removed from a magazine and then this magazine is moved away and another one is moved in, it could be that bristles with a different property remain in the gusset, which could then get into the recess and cause waste. Thus, according to a Embodiment of the invention, several magazines are arranged next to each other, which can be moved laterally relative to the stripper so that the bundle collector can remove bristles from several magazines.

The scraper preferably at least partially closes the removal opening of at least one magazine. The previously mentioned blunt end protrudes in front of the open side of at least one magazine in order to partially close it. If several magazines are present, the scraper can also close a magazine that is not in use and that is adjacent to the bristle magazine that is currently open for removal.

The scraper is particularly plate-shaped.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the stripper becomes increasingly narrower towards the magazine-side end of the stripper and is defined on the one hand by the complementary counter surface and on the other hand by an oppositely directed boundary surface that faces away from the bundle collector and preferably faces an adjacent magazine. This means that the stripper becomes increasingly narrower towards its magazine-side end, but the end is then blunt.

Preferably, the end face defining this end on the scraper extends at 80° - 100° to a tangent to the counter face at the transition of the counter face to the end face.

Furthermore, this front surface is particularly flat. However, this is not to be understood as limiting; there can of course also be a slight radius.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the following drawings, to which reference is made.

• Figur 1 ein schematisch dargestelltes Bürstenstopfwerkzeug mit einem nicht komplett dargestellten Bündelvereinzelner,
• Figur 2 eine Draufsicht auf einen Bündelvereinzelner nach dem Stand der Technik,
• Figur 3 einen erfindungsgemäßen Bündelvereinzelner in Draufsicht gemäß einer ersten Position,
• Figur 4 den Bündelvereinzelner nach Figur 3 in einer zweiten, darauf folgenden Position,
• Figur 5 den Bündelvereinzelner nach Figur 3 in einer noch späteren Position,
• Figur 6 den Bündelvereinzelner in der Position nach Figur 3 in einer Perspektivansicht gemäß der Positionen in Figur 3,
• Figur 7 den Bündelvereinzelner in einer Perspektivansicht gemäß der Stellung nach Figur 4,
• Figur 8 den Bündelvereinzelner in einer Perspektivansicht gemäß der Stellung nach Figur 5,
• Figur 9 den Bündelvereinzelner nach der Erfindung mit einem Mehrfach-Borstenmagazin.

The drawings show:

• Figure 1 a schematically shown brush tamping tool with a bundle separator not shown in full,
• Figure 2 a plan view of a bundle separator according to the state of the art,
• Figure 3 a bundle separator according to the invention in plan view according to a first position,
• Figure 4 the bundle separator Figure 3 in a second, subsequent position,
• Figure 5 the bundle separator Figure 3 in an even later position,
• Figure 6 the bundle separator in the position Figure 3 in a perspective view according to the positions in Figure 3 ,
• Figure 7 the bundle separator in a perspective view according to the position according to Figure 4 ,
• Figure 8 the bundle separator in a perspective view according to the position according to Figure 5 ,
• Figure 9 the bundle separator according to the invention with a multiple bristle magazine.

In Figure 1 a brush stuffing tool is shown which pushes bundles of bristles 18 into a bristle carrier 14 by means of a reversibly movable tip 10 and a stuffing tongue 12. The bundles are taken from one or more bristle magazines 16 and separated, with the standing bristles 18 being pre-tensioned in a direction A towards a bundle collector 20 of a bundle separator 22. The bundle collector 20 can be reversibly pivoted about a preferably vertical axis X in order to feed individual bundles to the stuffing tool by a pivoting movement in the direction of arrow Y.

In Figure 2 The bundle separator 22 is shown in more detail according to the state of the art. In addition to the bundle collector 20, it also comprises a stripper 24. The bundle separator has an outer side 26 facing the bristle magazine 16 and the bristles 18, which represents a circular segment around the axis X. On the outer side 26, the bundle collector 20 has a recess 28, which when the recess is open directly to bristles 18 in the bristle magazine 16, it receives a bundle of bristles 18.

During the pivoting movement forwards in the direction of the tip 10, indicated by the arrow Z, the bundle collector 20 moves with the bundle it has picked up along the remaining bristles 18 in the bristle magazine 16 until it reaches the stripper 24. This stripper 24 has a so-called magazine-side end 30, which forms a transition from a concave counter surface 32 to an oppositely directed boundary surface 34. The counter surface 32 can protrude up to the open side of the magazine 16 and there also prevent the movement of the bristles 18 pressed towards the bundle collector 20.

In the embodiment shown, the end 30 is essentially blunt and runs parallel to the so-called boundaries 36 of the bristle magazine 16. This results in a gusset 38 marked with an arrow, which is defined by an extension of the boundary surface 34, the outer side 26 and an end face 40 of the stripper 24 at the end 30, shown with broken lines. Bristles are pressed into this gusset 38 by the pivoting movement of the bundle collector 20 on the one hand and by the pre-tension of the bristles 18 on the other hand in the bristle magazine 16 and are very strongly compressed there. For this reason, in the prior art, this gusset 38 is also closed by a pointed end 30 of the stripper 24.

In the Figures 3 to 8 a bundle separator according to the invention is shown, in which only the differences to the bundle separator according to Figure 2 so that the previously used reference symbols are used, which continue to designate the same or functionally equivalent parts, sections, surfaces, etc. For the sake of simplicity, Figures 3 to 8 the magazine 16 is not shown, which, however, also projects downwards from the boundary surface 34, based on the drawings, and borders on it.

The special features of the bundle separator are created, among other things, by the fact that the stripper 24 has a blunt end 30. This means that the gusset 38 is not closed, cf. Figure 2 Rather, the end 30 is defined by an end face 40, which is preferably flat and at an angle α of 80° to 100° to a tangent to the circular segment-shaped concave counter surface 32. The tangent is applied at the transition of the counter surface 32 to the front surface 40.

The angle α is measured on the side which is at least partially covered by the scraper 24 in plan view.

Similar to the prior art, the scraper 24 becomes increasingly narrower towards the end 30, whereby this tapered region 42 is defined by the counter surface 32 and the boundary surface 34.

In order to limit the magazine 16 at the other end if necessary, a second stripper 44 may be present.

Another special feature is the bundle collector 20. This is divided into two sections with respect to its outer side 26, namely a front circular segment-shaped section 48, which has the radius up to the pivot axis X and runs from the recess 28 to the front end 50. In addition, there is also a so-called rear section 52, which runs from the recess 28 to the rear end 54.

The rear section 52 has a so-called pickup extension 56 at a certain distance from the recess 28, i.e. a section in which the outer side 26 projects radially outward beyond the radius of the front section 48. This results in a kind of minimal hump compared to the variant according to Figure 2 behind the recess 28.

As in Figure 4 As can be seen, an intermediate section 58 can optionally be present between the recess 28 and the pickup extension 56 on the outer side 26, wherein in this intermediate section 58 the outer side 26 still has the radius that the front section 48 also has.

The pickup extension 56 runs in a continuous curvature and also continuously curved into the intermediate section 58, i.e. the entire outer side 26 has only a continuous curvature, except at the recess 28.

Optionally, the outer side 26 can also protrude further outwards to the rear end 54 than the front section 48. This means that the pickup extension 56 can extend very far to the rear, even to the End 54. In any case, the collector extension 56 should extend along the circumference of the bundle collector 20 to the end 54 so that when the bundle collector 20 is pivoted completely forwards, the collector extension 56 still covers the end 30.

In Figure 5 It can be seen that the collector extension 56 extends radially outwards to such an extent that it completely covers the end 30 and thus the front surface 40 when viewed from above when the bundle collector 20 is pivoted forwards a little way so that the recess is already closed by the counter surface 32.

In the Figures 6 to 8 It can be seen that the scraper 24 is plate-shaped.

In addition, the bundle collector 20 has a base body 60 which is, for example, plate-shaped and whose thickness corresponds to the thickness of the stripper 24.

For example, two axially spaced collector extensions 56 are provided, which are part of arc-shaped, separate parts 62 that are attached to the top and bottom of the base body 60 and protrude laterally from it. The bundle collector 20 thus has a U-shaped cross section in the rear section 52, with a horizontal "U".

When the bundle collector 20 is pivoted far enough forward and reaches the end 30, the parts 62 take the edge of the stripper 24 forming the counter surface 32 between them (see Figure 8 ). Due to the axial offset of the parts 62 and thus of the pickup extensions 56, it is possible that in plan view the end 30 is covered by the pickup extensions 56 and the front surface 40 is no longer visible.

The base body 60 can have the same radius in the rear section 52 as in the front section 48. The pickup extension 56 is then formed only by corresponding sections of the part 62, here the parts 62.

Of course, it is theoretically possible to develop only one receptor extension 56.

A further option is that the bundle collector 20 is designed in one piece, i.e. the base body 60 merges into the part(s) 62 in one piece.

The functionality of the bundle separator is explained below.

In the Figure 3 In the position shown, bristles 18 press against the outer side 26 of the bundle collector 20, which closes the front end of the magazine 16. Bristles press into the recess 28 and fill it.

The bundle collector 20 is pivoted forwards about the axis X. As soon as the end 30 is reached, the recess 28 is closed and the separated bundle is transported further along the counter surface 32 until it reaches a corresponding receptacle in the tip 10.

In the gusset which is created by the blunt end 30 and which is formed and limited by the front surface 40, a fictitious extension of the boundary surface 34 and by the front section 48, there are bristles which have not been received by the recess 28.

However, if according to Figure 5 the pickup extension(s) 56 have reached the end 30 and, due to the steadily increasing, increasing radius, push more and more radially outwards with further pivoting in the area of the end 30, they press the bristles located in the gusset in the direction of arrow B into Figure 5 from the closing gusset back into the bristle magazine 16. The collector extensions 56 move like a wedge over/under the gusset in order to close it.

Generally speaking, the distance of the outer side 26 in the rear section 52 increases steadily when it reaches the pickup extension 56 until the front surface 40 is completely covered in plan view. After that, the radius of the pickup extension 56 does not need to be increased any further and can remain constant, for example, until the end 54.

In the embodiment according to Figure 9 the bundle collector 20 is designed as in the embodiment according to the Figures 3 to 8 , that is, there is still one or more pickup extensions 56 present. However, multiple magazines are used, that is, in the least case, a first magazine 16 and a second magazine 116, which are immediately adjacent to each other and contain different bristles 18, 118. The two magazines 16, 116 are pivoted about an axis C, which can run parallel to the axis X. In Figure 9 the axis C is shown closer to the bundle collector 20 than it actually is. It would otherwise not be visible in the figure.

The boundary surface 34 and the corresponding boundary surface 134 of the second scraper 44 are concave and have a radius in plan view that extends up to axis C.

If bristles other than the bristles 18 have to be processed, a motor drive pivots the two magazines 16, 116 in a clockwise direction until the bristles 118 are in the appropriate position and can be pressed into the recess 28 when the bundle collector is moved along.

The pivoting of the magazines 16, 116 takes place at a time when the pickup extension(s) 56 cover the end 30 and the gusset, so that no more bristles 18 are in the gusset. This ensures that after the last bristles 18 have been transported in the recess 28, only bristles 118 are separated from the magazine 116 during the next stroke.

After pivoting the magazines 16, 116 clockwise, the magazine 16 is closed by the limiting surface 134.

Instead of pivoting the magazines 16, 116, linearly movable magazines 16, 116 can of course be used. The boundary surfaces 34, 134 can then run linearly in plan view.

Claims (14)

1. A bundle individualizer of a brush tufting tool, comprising a bundle remover (20) which is adapted to be swiveled back and forth about an axis (X) between a transfer position at a tufting tool and a swiveled-back position and, in doing so, moves along a bristle magazine (16; 116) by an outer face (26) and a recess (28) provided in the outer face (26) and takes up a bundle in the recess (28), the outer face (26) having a front portion (48) starting from the recess (28) and extending towards a front end (50) and a rear portion (52) starting from the recess (28) and extending towards the rear end (54), and wherein a wiper (24) having a concave mating surface (32) complementary to the outer face (26) of the bundle remover (20) is provided at the bristle magazine (16; 116) in the direction of movement towards the transfer position, the front portion (48) being circular segment-shaped, characterized in that the wiper (24) is blunt towards a magazine-side end (30), adjacent to the outer face (26), of the wiper (24) and wherein the bundle remover (20) has at the rear portion (52) a remover extension (56) which projects radially over the radius of the front portion (48) and by means of which bristles standing at the end (30) of the wiper (24) are pushed back into their associated bristle magazine (16; 116).
2. The bundle individualizer according to claim 1, characterized in that when viewed in a top view, the remover extension (56) extends in a continuous curvature.
3. The bundle individualizer according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that provided on the bundle remover (20) between the recess (28) and the beginning of the remover extension (56) is an intermediate portion (58) in which the outer face (26) is circular-segment-shaped with the same radius as in the front portion (48).
4. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the remover extension (56) is located offset from the wiper (24) in the axial direction, which is defined by the swivel axis (X), at least in the area in which the remover extension (56) runs along the wiper during swiveling.
5. The bundle individualizer according to claim 4, characterized in that the remover extension (56), as viewed in a side view, is located above and/or below the wiper (24) in the area at which the remover extension (56) runs along it during swiveling, and engages over or under this area.
6. The bundle individualizer according to claim 5, characterized in that two axially spaced apart remover extensions (56) are provided and the bundle remover (20) has a U-shaped cross-section at the edge in the area of the remover extensions (56).
7. The bundle individualizer according to any of claims 4-6, characterized in that the remover extension (56) protrudes radially outwards to such an extent that, when it reaches the magazine-side end (30) during swiveling, it completely covers the end (30) when viewed in a top view.
8. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the remover extension (56) is a separate part (62) which is attached to a plate-shaped base body (60) of the bundle remover (20), the front portion (48) being molded on the base body (60), preferably also the recess (28).
9. The bundle individualizer according to claim 8, characterized in that a separate part (62) is located on the upper side of the base body (60) and a separate part (62) is located on the underside of the base body (60), which form remover extensions (56) and preferably have the same outer contour when viewed in a top view.
10. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of bristle magazines (16, 116) is arranged next to each other, which can be moved laterally relative to the wiper (24) so as to allow the bundle remover (20) to remove bristles from a plurality of bristle magazines (16; 116).
11. The bundle individualizer according to claim 10, characterized in that the wiper (24) can at least partly close the removal opening of at least one bristle magazine (16; 116).
12. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wiper (24) is plate-shaped.
13. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wiper (24) becomes increasingly narrower towards the magazine-side end (30) of the wiper (24) and is defined on the one hand by the complementary mating surface (32) and on the other hand by an oppositely directed boundary surface (34) which faces away from the bundle remover (20).
14. The bundle individualizer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that an end face (40) defining the end of the wiper (24) is at an angle of 80 degrees to 100 degrees to a tangent to the mating surface (32) at the transition of the mating surface (32) to the end face (40) and/or in that the end face (40) is flat.

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