GB1590759A

GB1590759A - Manufacture of brushes

Info

Publication number: GB1590759A
Application number: GB4920777A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-12-01
Filing date: 1977-11-25
Publication date: 1981-06-10
Also published as: DE2654365A1; DE2654365C2

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES (71) I, HEINZ ZAHORANSKY a German citizen trading as ANTON ZAHORANSKY of Schwarzwaldstrasse 8, 7868 Todthau, Germany do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:: This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the manufacture of brushes and is more particularly concerned with a method of filling brushes of the kind wherein by means of a forward and a return movement of a slide, a piece of wire of predetermined length is cut off a length of wire which is delivered, the piece of wire is formed into a staple and pushed over a bundle of bristles and the bundle of bristles with the staple therearound is then delivered to and inserted into a brush body and anchored therein. Such a method is hereafter referred to as a method of the kind described. The invention is further concerned with filling tools for brush making machines for carrying out such methods.

Methods of the kind described are already known.

By "forward" and "return" movements of the slide I mean respectively movement towards and away from the front end of the filling tool of which the slide forms part.

A principal problem is that there is only a short period of time available for the individual work phases such as e.g. delivery of the wire, the cutting of the wire etc; as a rule, this is a small period of the advancing or forward movement of the slide, within which other work cycles (staple formation etc), also have to be carried out. For example, a filling tool works at a working frequency of 4 Hz, i.e. 4 filling operations are carried out per second. Only a time of e.g. 1/24 of a second is available to introduce the wire. This rapid "shooting in" of the wire frequently causes faults which have an adverse effect on the work cycle as a whole.

A further disadvantage consists in that an approximately U-shaped staple is not conveyed to the tool head in a continuously closed guide, since in the region of the wire delivery from one side and in the staple forming region a break in the side wall of the guide must be provided. This practically "free" transfer can lead to faults especially with short staples. A filling tool has, therefore, also been created, which has a closed guide for the wire staple. This has proved successful in obtaining safe guidance of the staple. However, it requires two slides, namely a feed slide and a forming slide, and is therefore expensive. The time available to form the staple is also comparatively short.

It is one object of the invention, therefore, to provide a method of the kind described, in which a longer period of time is available for the individual stages of forming and fitting the staples at least while maintaining the conventional, comparatively high working frequency.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of the kind described wherein said piece of wire is cut off said length of wire and formed into a staple during the return movement of the said slide.

In contrast to already known methods in which these operations take place during forward movement of the slide, both the forward and the return movement of the slide are used for the wire processing operations in the method according to the invention. As a result, correspondingly longer periods of time' are available for the individual steps. For example, the period available for pushing in the wire is approximately tripled in relation to conventional methods.

Susceptibility to faults can thereby be substantially reduced.

It is also possible, where appropriate, to increase the working frequency, in which case, however, yet again, longer periods can be available for the individual steps in comparison with known methods.

The invention is also concerned with a filling tool for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Such a filling tool for brush making machines, which is arranged to eject bristle bundles at the front end thereof and is provided with a slide arranged to perform a forward and a return movement and a guide for said slide, with a push rod guided in the said slide, with a cutting device, having a cutter blade, for wire delivered to said tool and with a device including a plunger for bending a piece of wire cut to a predetermined length into generally U shape to form a staple, will hereafter be referred to as a filling tool of the kind described.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a filling tool of the kind described wherein the said plunger and a cutter blade are fixed on the slide and the cutter blade is arranged in front of the plunger in the direction of return movement of the slide and with its cutting surface pointing to the rear end of the slide.

A wire supplied e.g. during a forward movement of the slide can thus be cut off and formed into a staple during the su'bsequent return movement. Hence, also the return movement of the slide is utilised for processing operations, so that there is altogether more time available for the individual operations. This is particularly noticeable to advantage when the wire is introduced, because the "shooting in" of the wire otherwise necessary and frequently causing faults can now be avoided. Advantageously, delivery of the wire takes place at least partly during the forward movement of the slide and appropriately extends also into a part of the return movement, so that, altogether, a comparatively large amount of time is available for introducing the wire.

It is also of advantage that the plunger is fixed on tht slide and participates in the movement thereof. As a result, a separate drive for a relative movement, e.g. the otherwise provided lifting movement of the plunger relative to the slide, can be avoided.

The end face of the plunger pointing to the rear end away from the outlet stresses the wire piece to form a staple during a return movement of the slide. By the (rear) end away from the outlet is meant the end of the filling tool turned away from the tool head delivering to the brush body in a filling operation or delivering thereto the bristle bundle with the wire staple.

Advantageously, a guide channel for the staple is closed at least on three sides, appropriately on four sides, and preferably forms a continuous guide at least as far as the delivery of the 'bristle bundle. This continuous guide enables the wire staples to be delivered safely and faultlessly.

Another advantageous feature of tools according to the invention provides that the plane on which the wire is delivered is offset in relation to the plane of displacement of the push rod and means are provided for introducing the staple from the delivery plane into the track of the push rod. By this offsetting of planes the wire can be delivered in the delivery plane as early as during a forward movement of the slide whilst simultaneously, in the plane of displacement of the push rod a wire staple is being conveyed by said push rod to the front outlet end of the filling tool. During the subsequent return movement of the predetermined length of the delivered wire is then cut-off, formed into a staple and introduced by suitable means from the delivery plane into the plane of displacement or into the track of the push rod.

Preferably, a delivery for the wire provided in the slide guide is formed as a counter blade for the cutter blade which is connected to the slide. This provides a simple construction of cutting device.

In a further form of the invention the side of the slide having the cutter blade and the plunger is turned towards a fixed plate which has surfaces arranged to effect the U-shaped bending of the wire piece round the plunger and means for introducing the staple into the push rod track. During a return movement of the slide the wire piece is pressed between these surfaces and bent into the form of a staple by the plunger fixed to the slide and it is subsequently conveyed into the region of the means to introduce the staple into the push rod track.

There are arranged, preferably in an extension of the groove which follows the said surfaces about which bending is effected, guide plates, engaging in the track of the push rod with rising slopes. On these rising slopes the wire staple is pressed into the push rod track during a lifting movement of the slide.

Advantageously, the rising slopes lie at the rear dead-centre position on parallel slopes on the slide which are offset towards the front end of the slide in relation to the end surface of the plunger. In this posies tion the staple is situated in the push rod track The slopes testing against each other provide advantageously for the staple, a guide channel, closed all round, in which the staple can be pushed forwardfaultlessly by the push rod.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will'be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a brush ;filling machine equipped with 'a filling tool according to the invention, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the filling tool, Figure 3 is a perspective side view of' a slide with guide plate raised up, Figure 4 is an underneath view of the guide plate, Figure 5 is a partial side view of the slide with plate raised for the sake of clarity, Figure 6 is a view corresponding approxi mately to Figure 5, but here with slide and plate displaced relatively to one an other, Figure 7 is a side view of the filling tool with the slide partially illustrated, Figure 8 is a modified embodiment of a filling tool according to the invention, Figure 9 is a side view and Figure 10 is a top plan view of this modified filling tool, Figure 11 is a cross section on the line XI-XI in Figure 10, Figures 12 to 14 are plan views of a filling tool slightly modified with respect to Figures 2 to 7 and with different positions of the slide.

A brush filling machine 1 shown in Figure 1 has two parts 2 and 2a. The part 2a supports by means of a mounting 3, a brush body to be processed. Opposite this brush body 4 there is situated on the other part 2 of the brush filling machine 1, a filling tool designated as a whole by 5. This has a slide 6 and a guide 7 therefore. At the end 8 on the outlet side and facing the brush body 4 is a tool head 9. The slide 6 is movable to and fro according to the double arrow PFI to perform a filling operation.

The structure of the filling tool 5 according to the invention can be seen clearly in the plan view according to Figure 2. The slide 6 is mounted in the guide 7 which here supports a plate 10 on the top side.

A delivery 11 for wire is provided on the guide 7. The delivery plate of the wire 12 lies directly above the top side of the slide.

For this, the delivery 11 is flattened in the region of the slide 6 on the side facing the latter and there has a channel 13, open at the bottom edge, which then emerges into a bore 13a outside the region of the slide.

The delivery 11 is designed as a counter blade 14 to a cutter blade 15 connected to the slide 6. The cutter blade 15 is arranged on the side of the slide 6 and projecting above the surface thereof. In a return movement of the slide 6 the flat cutter blade 15 slides along the plane end face of the wire delivery 11, also serving as counter blade 14, and can thus cut off a wire 12 projecting out of the channel 13.

Opposite the delivery 11 there is provided a stop 46 on guide 7 which is intended to prevent the wire piece 12a from springing away especially when the delivered wire 12 is being cut off. The cutting plane and the stop 46 are arranged, in an embodiment of the cutter blade 15 according to Figures 3, 5 to 7, symmetrically to the longitudinal centre line M of the slide 6. With a plunger 16 moving along this line M, as provided in the embodiment according to Figure 2, wire staples with an equal leg length are obtained. In the embodiment according to Figures 12 to 14 the longitudinal centre line M of the slide 6 lies symmetrically to the stop 46 and the side, opposite and facing it, of the cutter blade 15.

The plunger 16 is connected to the slide 6 and points with its end side 17 which strikes the cut-off wire piece 12a to form a staple towards the rear end 18 of the slide 6 remote from the outlet. The cutter blade 15 is arranged in front of the plunger 16 in the direction of return movement of the slide. Because the plunger is fastened on the slide, staple formation takes place flxedly in relation to the slide, the staple being carried along by the plunger.

In the slide 6 can be seen a guide groove 19 for a push rod 20 (Figure 3) which conveys the formed staple 31 underneath the delivery plane of the wire 12 forwards to the tool head 9.

The slide 6 and the plate 10 are shown in Figure 3 spaced from one another. This reveals on the underside 24 of the plate 10 facing the slide top side 23, opposed surfaces 21 which serve for the U-shaped bending of the wire piece 12a around the plunger 16. The surfaces 21 are aligned with one another and lie in a plane parallel to the end face of the plunger 16. The spacing apart of the surfaces 21 is greater than the width of the plunger 16 approximately by double the thickness of the wire used. The height of surfaces 21 corresponds at least to the wire thickness used.

Between the surfaces 21 there is provided a groove 27 whose width corresponds to the spacing apart of the surfaces 21 and whose length corresponds at least approximately to the leg length of the staples 31. The finished staples 31 can thereby be received over their entire length. Figure 2 shows that the corner regions, facing one another, of the surfaces 21 are rounded in order to assist bending of the wire piece 12a into a wire staple. There are also provided on the plate 10 means to introduce the staple 31 into the push rod track in the form of guide plates 22.

As the cutting plane lies between the cutter blade 15 and the counter'blade 14, the cut-off wire piece 12a must be able to evade the cutter blade 15 or be capable of being diverted from same. This can be effected either by diverting it above and beyond the cutter'blade 15 (e.g. Figures 3 to 7) or by lateral axial displacement of the wire piece 12a, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. For this, the cutter blade 15 is provided with appropriate cutting and deflecting slopes 25 or 25a. With the deflecting slope 25 shown in Figure 3 it is necessary to ensure that the wire piece 12a can execute an appropriate evasion movement upwards.This is achieved by the fact that the underside of the plate 10 lying in front of the surfaces 21 has a lateral bevel 26 which ends in a plane lying above the upper end side of the cutter blade 15 and spaced apart from it by approrimately the thickness of the wire. With the cutting and deflecting slope 25 a shown in Figures 12 to 14 the wire piece 12a must still be displaceable axially by the thickness of the cutter blade 15 after cutting to length.

As already mentioned above, the plate 10 here also supports the means to introduce the staple 31 into the push rod track.

The guide plates 22 provided are arranged in extension of the groove 27 following the surfaces 21. The guide plates 22 engage in the push rod track (Figure 7). They possess rising slopes 28 which start from the bottom 30 of the groove 27 and project over the side walls of the groove approximately in their extension. The rising slopes 28 are carried over at their rear projecting ends into shoulders 29 which run approximately parallel to the plane of displacement lying inside the push rod track and whose spacing to the bottom of the push rod guide 19 (Figures 5 and 7) is approximately equal to the wide diameter.

The maximum height, projecting over the groove bottom 30, of the guide plates 22 thus corresponds approximately to the height difference between the delivery plane and the plane of displacement.

To ensure that the staples 31 are guided safelyeven during conveyance from the delivery plane into the plane of displacement, the rising slopes 28 of the guide plates 22 can have an inlet aid in the form of slopes pointing obliquely to the groove bottoms 30.

The guide plates 22 arranged in extension of the groove 27 have a clear spacing corresponding to the width of the plunger 16, so that after a staple 31 is formed the plunger 16 can enter between these guide plates 22. The inner faces, turned towards each other, of the guide plate 22 are offset to the inside of the groove approximately by the wire thickness in relation to the side walls of the groove.

Formation of a staple 31 and conveyance thereof into the plane of displacement of the push rod 20 proceeds as follows: Firstly, wire 12 can be delivered via the delivery 11 as early as during the forward movement of the slide 6. The cutter blade 15 sliding past the counter blade 14 during the return movement of the slide according to arrow PF2 in Figures 12 to 14 then cuts off a wire piece 12a (Figure 13) and the plunger 16 arranged a little further behind in the direction of displacement (PF2) subsequently guides the wire piece 12a against the surfaces 21, enters the groove 27 and bends the wire piece 12a into a staple 31 (Figure 14).By the continued movement of the slide 6 the staple 31 then reaches the region of the guide plates 22, on the rising slopes 28 of which it then slides downwards into the plane of displacement 40 and assumes the position shown in Figure 5 by way of the shoulders 29. In this Figure the plate 10 is shown as removed for clarifica tion. In this position of the slide 6 which represents the rear dead-centre position the rising slopes 28 of the guide plates 22 rest against parallel slopes 32 (see also Figure 7) which are arranged on the slide 6 offset to the front end of the slide 6 in relation to the end face of the plunger 16.

This has the substantial advantage that in this position of the slide 6 there is formed a guide channel, closed all round, which guarantees safe and faultless conveyance of the staple 31 by means of the push rod 20 to the front region of the slide 6.

A separator 33 engages the front region of the slide 6. This separator is shown by a broken line in Figure 2, and is movable to and fro according to the double arrow PF3. At each working stroke of the slide 6 it brings a'bristle bundle 34 from a supply container into the delivery track of the staple 31. The push rod 20 then presses the bristle bundle 34 surrounded by the staple 31 into the brush body 4, together with the staple 31, and anchors it there.

A modified embodiment of means to introduce the staple 31 into the push rod track is shown in Figures 8 to 11. There is provided a rocker arm 35, mounted on the guide 7 approximately centrally, one end of which is guided in a cam track 36 and the other end of which has a pressure face 37 to stress the staple 31 (Figure 8).

The rocker arm end having the pressure faces 37 is divided in the form of a U (Figures 10 and 11). The two legs of the U 37a, 37b stress the legs of the staple 31 in the functional position (Figure 11). They are sized appropriately so that their length corresponds approximately to that of a staple leg and their width to the wire diameter.

The cam track 36 to actuate the rocker arm 35 is provided in the slide. It is sensed by a bolt 38 connected to the rocker arm 35. A part region of the cam track 36, namely the region lying nearer the rear end of the slide, runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide 6, while the end region of the cam track 36 turned towards the outlet end 8 points obliquely to the top side 23 of the slide 6. In the rear return position of the slide 6 the rocker arm 35 will thus assume the position shown in Figure 8, where the pressure face 37 is situated above the bottom 30a of the groove, spaced apart therefrom by the wire thick ness of the staples 31. On each return of the slide 6 the rocker arm 35 thus presses a formed staple 31 from the delivery plane of the wire 12 into the plane of displacement of the push rod 20.Where appropriate, the means to introduce the staple 31 into the push rod track can also have an external drive. It should also be mentioned that the plunger 16 and the stop 46 can be arranged on a common, interchangeable plate, so that this plate only needs to be changed for different staples 31. The cutter blade 15, also, is appropriately interchange able and variable in its position and in its length. The plunger 16 is connected to the slide so as to be likewise detachable and easily exchangeable.

The above-described filling tool 5 ac cording to the invention is espcially suitable for high working speeds by virtue of which a more economical manufacture of brushes is also possible. The mechanical outlay is reduced advantageously, so that despite a higher working speed reliability against faults can thereby be improved over known filling tools.

It should also be mentioned that the fit ting position of the filling tool is optional.

Accordingly, the above-mentioned designa tions such as e.g. top side, bottom side and the like have been chosen for the position shown'by way of example in the Figures purely for the sake of better illustration.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A method of filling brushes of the kind described wherein said piece of wire is cut off said length of wire and formed into a staple during the return movement of said slide.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the staple formation takes place at a fixed position in relation to the slide.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the delivery of said length of wire from which said piece is cut takes place at least partly during the forward movement of the said slide and preferably extends also into a part of the return move ment of said slide.

4. A method of filling brushes of the kind described substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A filling tool of the kind described for brush making machines, for carrying out a method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said plunger and a cutter blade are fixed on the slide and the cutter blade is arranged in front of the plunger in the direction of return movement of the slide and with its cutting surface pointing to the rear end of the slide.

6. A filling tool according to claim 5, wherein a guide channel for a staple is closed at least on three sides, and preferably on four sides, and forms a continuous guide at least up to a delivery for a bristle bundle delivery.

7. A filling tool according to claim 5 or 6, wherein means are provided to deliver wire on a plane which is offset in relation to the plane of displacement of said push rod, means also being provided to introduce a staple from said delivery plane into the push rod track.

8. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a delivery means, provided in the slide guide, for the wire is designed as a counter blade to said cutter blade connected to the slide.

9. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the plunger is connected to the slide so as to be detachable and easily exchangeable.

10. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the slide supports the plunger approxlimately in its central region, the end face of said plunger which serves to engage a piece of wire to form a staple being directed towards the end of the slide remote from the front end of the tool.

11. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the cutter blade is arranged on the side of the slide to project over its surface and a stop is provided on the opposite side to engage delivered wire, the arrangement being such that said predetermined length of wire corresponds to the spacing between said stop and the side of the cutter blade facing it, the side of the cutter blade facing the stop and the stop being arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal centre line of the slide.

12. A filling tool according to claim 11, wherein the plunger and the stop for the wire are mounted on a common, prferably interchangeable plate and the cutter blade is interchangeable and variable in its length.

13. A filling tool according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the side of the slide having the cutter blade and the plunger is turned towards a fixed plate which has surfaces thereon arranged to effect the U-shaped bending of the wire piece round the plunger and means for introducing the staple into the push rod track.

14. A filling tool according to claim 13, whrein said fixed plate forms at least a part of a side of the slide guide.

15. A filling tool according to claim 13 or 14, wherein there is provided between the said surfaces a groove whose width corresponds to the clear spacing of the said surfaces.

16. A filling tool according to claim 15 wherein in an extension of said groove

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ness of the staples 31. On each return of the slide 6 the rocker arm 35 thus presses a formed staple 31 from the delivery plane of the wire 12 into the plane of displacement of the push rod 20. Where appropriate, the means to introduce the staple 31 into the push rod track can also have an external drive. It should also be mentioned that the plunger 16 and the stop 46 can be arranged on a common, interchangeable plate, so that this plate only needs to be changed for different staples 31. The cutter blade 15, also, is appropriately interchange able and variable in its position and in its length. The plunger 16 is connected to the slide so as to be likewise detachable and easily exchangeable. The above-described filling tool 5 ac cording to the invention is espcially suitable for high working speeds by virtue of which a more economical manufacture of brushes is also possible. The mechanical outlay is reduced advantageously, so that despite a higher working speed reliability against faults can thereby be improved over known filling tools. It should also be mentioned that the fit ting position of the filling tool is optional. Accordingly, the above-mentioned designa tions such as e.g. top side, bottom side and the like have been chosen for the position shown'by way of example in the Figures purely for the sake of better illustration. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A method of filling brushes of the kind described wherein said piece of wire is cut off said length of wire and formed into a staple during the return movement of said slide.

16. A filling tool according to claim 15 wherein in an extension of said groove

following the said surfaces there are arranged as means to introduce the staples into the push rod track, guide plates engaging in said track, and having rising slopes.

17. A filling tool according to claim 16, wherein the guide plates have a clear spacing from one another corresponding to the width of the plunger.

18. A filling tool according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the guide plates are arranged approximately as an extension of the said groove, their inner faces being turned towards one another and offset to the inside of the groove.

19. A filling tool according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the maximum height, projecting above the groove bottom, of the guide plates corresponds approximately to the height difference between the delivery plane of the wire and the plane of displacement of the staples in the push rod track.

20. A filling tool according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the rising slopes of the guide plates have an inlet aid in the form of bevels pointing obliquely to the groove bottom and the rising slopes have at their rear projecting end, shoulders which run approximately parallel to the plane of displacement.

21. A filling tool according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the rising slopes rest in the rear dcad centre position of the slide against parallel slopes on the slide which are offset towards the front end of the slide relative to the end face of the plunger.

22. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 15, wherein there is provided as means to introduce a staple into the push rod track a rocker arm, one end of which is guided in a cam track and the other end of which has a pressure face to stress a staple.

23. A filfing tool according to claim 22, wherein the rocker arm end having the pressure face is divided in the form of a U.

24. A filling tool according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the cam track is provided in the slide and the mounting of the rocker arm on the slide guide.

25. A filling tool according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein a part of the cam track runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide and the end of the cam track turned towards the outlet end of the slide points obliquely to the top side of the slide.

26. A filling tool according to any one of claims 5 to 25, wherein for the wire delivery means a free space and guide means are provided to guide the cut-tolength wire past the cutter blade.

27. A filling tool according to claim 26 when dependent on claim 13 wherein the underside of the said fixed plate has a lateral bevel directed towards the wire delivery, which ends in a plane lying above the upper end side of the cutter blade and spaced therefrom, the cutter blade having on its end side turned towards the end remote from the outlet a cutting and deflecting slope serving to carry one end of a piece of wire over the cutter blade.

28. A filling tool according to claim 26, wherein on a stop, opposite the wire guide means, for the wire, space is provided for an axial displacement of the wire piece corresponding to the thickness of the cutter blade and the end face of the cutter blade turned towards the end remote from the outlet possesses a cutting and deflecting slope.

29. A filling tool of the kind described substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

30. A brush making machine including a filling tool as claimed in any of claims 5 to 29.