Bending press and/or loading device

25:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the transfer device (15) is displaceable along the guide structure (10) parallel with the longitudinal extension of the rail (7) and, in the direction perpendicular to the rail (7), is held by the guide structure (10) in the direction from the rail interior towards the rail opening.

26:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the bending tool (5, 6) is held in the rail (7) by the same guide structure (10) as that by which the at least one portion of the transfer device (15) is guided.

27:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the guide structure (10) is formed by a region of the inner profile (8) of the rail (7) that is wider than the rail opening (17).

28:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the guide structure (10) comprises at least one groove extending in an internal wall (9) of the rail (7).

29:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 28, wherein the guide structure (10) is formed by at least two oppositely lying grooves disposed in oppositely lying internal walls (9) of the rail (7).

30:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the guide structure (10) is provided in the form of discrete guide elements extending out from an internal wall (9) into the interior of the rail (7) and distributed in the longitudinal direction of the rail (7), wherein preferably the bending press (1) and/or the loading device (2) has a clamping device (11) for clamping the bending tool (5, 6) in the rail (7) and the discrete guide elements are provided in the form of drivable clamping elements (12) of the clamping device (11).

31:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the portion of the transfer device (15) guided by the guide structure (10) is an elongate, preferably flexible, pull and/or push transmitting means (16), in particular a belt, a cable, a rod or a chain.

32:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 31, wherein the pull and/or push transmitting means (16) is wider than the rail opening (17) and/or than the portion of the bending tool (5, 6) extending into the rail (7).

33:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 31, wherein the pull and/or push transmitting means (16) guided in the guide structure (10) extends for the most part, preferably entirely, inside the rail (7).

34:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the transfer device (15) comprises a shuttle (22) which is guided in the guide structure (10) provided in the rail (7).

35:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 34, wherein the shuttle (22) comprises at least one functional component, such as a coupling, a sensor for detecting a bending tool, an illuminating device, etc.

36:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 34, wherein the shuttle (22) is connected to the pull and/or push transmitting means (16) at one of its ends and has a releasable coupling (18) at its other end for connecting to a bending tool (5, 6), the coupling (18) preferably being a mechanical coupling, a magnetic coupling or a suction device.

37:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 34, wherein the shuttle (22) is of a self-propelling design, in which case the drive (21) is disposed in or on the shuttle (22).

38:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein a number of tool holders (3, 4;
• 13, 14) form a bending tool storage (23) and the tool holders (3, 4;
• 13, 14) can preferably be moved individually or in a co-operating unit relative to the transfer device (15).

39:

• Loading device according to claim 24, wherein the loading device (2) is a tool changer for changing one or more bending tools (5, 6) inserted in a bending press (1).

40:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 38, wherein the bending tool storage (23) is provided in the form of a. shelf, a turntable, a transfer table, a drum, a paternoster elevator and/or one or more racks.

42:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 41, wherein the transfer device (15) guided in the rail (7) of one of the tool holders (3;
• 13) has a coupling (19) for connecting to a bending tool (6) inserted in the other tool holder (4;
• 14).

43:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the bending press (1) and/or the loading device (2) comprises at least two tool holders (4) which are disposed adjacent to one another in the direction extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of their rails (7), wherein their rails (7) open in the same direction, and at least one further tool holder (3), the rail (7) of which lies opposite the rail (7) of one of the adjacently disposed tool holders (4).

44:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 43, wherein at least one of the tool holders (4) is displaceable in a direction extending transversely, preferably substantially perpendicular to, the longitudinal direction of its rail (7) and transversely, preferably substantially perpendicular, to the direction in which its rail (7) opens, the two adjacently disposed tool holders (4) preferably being mounted on a common platform or forming a common platform which can be displaced relative to the further tool holder (3).

45:

• Bending press and/or loading device according to claim 24, wherein the bending press (1) and/or the loading device (2) comprises at least two transfer devices (15) which can preferably be activated independently of one another, wherein preferably one transfer device (15) is associated with the upper tool holder (3) and one transfer device (15) is associated with the lower tool holder (4).

46:

• Method for setting up a bending press (1) with bending tools (5, 6) and/or for changing one or more bending tools (5, 6) inserted in a bending press (1) using a loading device (2), wherein one or more bending tools (5, 6) are displaced by a transfer device (15) between the tool holder (13, 14) of the loading device (2) and the tool holder (3, 4) of the bending press (1), wherein the bending press (1) and/or the loading device (2) is/are as defined in claim 24.

47:

• Method according to claim 46, wherein the bending tool (5, 6) is held in the rail (7) of the tool holder (3, 4) of the bending press (1) and/or in the rail (7) of the tool holder (13, 14) of the loading device (2) by the same guide structure (10) as that through which the at least one portion of the transfer device (15) is moved.

48:

• Arrangement of a bending press (1) and a loading device (2) coupled therewith for setting up the bending press (1) with bending tools (5, 6), wherein the bending press (1) and/or the loading device (2) is/are as defined in claim 24.