Feed control system
AssigneeDynamic Feeds, Inc.
InventorRobert T. Allred
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed control system for a metal forming machine. The feed control system includes a feed assembly mounted on the metal forming machine. The feed assembly includes a slide assembly and a rotating ball-screw operatively connected to the slide assembly. The slide assembly is linearly movable in response to rotation of the ball-screw which is driven by a servo-motor. A control system is operatively connected to the feed assembly for automatically cycling the feed assembly in synchronization with the press so as to feed the metal stock into the press.
Claims41
A control system for a metal forming machine having a cycling press and a cycling stock feeding mechanism, the stock feeding mechanism including a motor-driven screw assembly and a feed apparatus that is linearly movable in response to rotation of the screw assembly for engaging and feeding stock into the cycling press, said control system comprising:
- (a) a microprocessor for controlling cycling of the feed apparatus and for synchronizing the cycling of the feed apparatus with the cycling of the press;
- (b) a resolver interconnected between said screw assembly and said microprocessor for monitoring rotational position of the screw assembly and for communicating the rotational position of the screw assembly to said microprocessor;
- (c) a feed control sensor interconnected between said press and said microprocessor for communicating the position of the press in a press cycle to said microprocessor;
- and
- (d) wherein the metal forming machine includes a hand wheel for manually cycling the press, and said microprocessor includes a hand mode encoder operatively connected to said hand wheel for determining the position of the press in a manually driven press cycle.
A feed control system for feeding metal stock into a press of a metal forming machine, said feed control system comprising:
- (a) a feed assembly mounted on said metal forming machine and including:
- (i) a slide assembly, (ii) a rotating ball-screw operatively connected to said slide assembly, said slide assembly linearly movable in response to rotation of said ball-screw, and (iii) a servo-motor for driving said ball-screw;
- and
- (b) a control system operatively connected to said feed assembly for automatically cycling said press and said feed assembly in synchronization with each other to feed said metal stock into said press, said control system including:
- (i) a microprocessor for controlling cycling of the feed apparatus and for synchronizing the cycling of the feed apparatus with the cycling of the press;
- (ii) a resolver interconnected between said ball-screw and said microprocessor for monitoring rotational position of the ball-screw and for communicating the rotational position of the ball-screw to said microprocessor;
- and (iii) a feed control sensor interconnected between said press and said microprocessor for communicating the position of the press in a press cycle to said microprocessor;
- (c) a gripping apparatus attached to said slide assembly for engaging and moving the metal stock into the press, wherein said gripping apparatus includes a roller gripper assembly including a roller head, an actuator, and a base plate mounted in a frame, said actuator adapted for moving said roller head towards said base plate to grip the metal stock therebetween;
- and
- (d) wherein the metal forming machine includes a hand wheel for manually cycling the press, and said microprocessor includes a hand mode encoder operatively connected to said hand wheel for determining the position of the press in a manually driven press cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.