Drawing machine and method of drawing a workpiece

A method of drawing a linear workpiece (10) through a drawing die, comprising:

• moving the workpiece to be drawn in a drawing plane (19) formed by a first chain carrier (2), a second chain carrier (3), a first tool chain (6) and a second tool chain (9) of a caterpillar conveyor (1), said first chain carrier (2), said second chain carrier (3), said first tool chain (6) and said second tool chain (9) being disposed in the drawing plane (19);
• providing a frame (15) supporting said caterpillar conveyor (1), wherein at least one of said first chain carrier (2) and said second chain carrier (3) is displaceable relative to said frame (15) via a pressure cylinder (14) rigidly coupled to said frame (15), said frame (15) comprising a first frame half (16) disposed on a first side (18) of the drawing plane (19) and a second frame half (17) disposed on a second side (20) of the drawing plane (19), wherein said first frame half (16) is substantially identical to said second frame half (17) such that said frame (15) comprises a substantially symmetrical structure with respect to the drawing plane (19), said first frame half (16) comprising a first main beam (23) and said second frame half (17) comprising a second main beam (24);
• subjecting each of said first main beam (23) and said second main beam (24) to a substantially equal tensile load (27, 28) in a respective tensile region (30) when press-on forces (13) are applied to the workpiece (10), thereby providing for a substantially equal distribution of the press-on forces (13) which are absorbed by the frame (15).

A drawing machine for drawing a linear workpiece (10) through a drawing die, the drawing machine comprising:

• a caterpillar conveyor (1) comprising a first chain carrier (2), a second chain carrier (3), a first tool chain (6) and a second tool chain (9), wherein said first chain carrier (2), said second chain carrier (3), said first tool chain (6) and said second tool chain (9) are disposed in and form a drawing plane (19) in which the workpiece to be drawn is caused to move;
• a frame (15) supporting said caterpillar conveyor (1);
• said frame (15) comprising a first frame half (16) disposed on a first side (18) of the drawing plane (19), a second frame half (17) disposed on a second side (20) of the drawing plane (19) and a cross bar (21) joining said first frame half (16) and said second frame half (17), wherein said first frame half (16) is substantially identical to said second frame half (17) such that said frame (15) comprises a substantially symmetrical structure with respect to the drawing plane (19);
• a first pressure cylinder and a second pressure cylinder (14) coupled to said frame (15), at least one of said first pressure cylinder and said second pressure cylinder disposed on said cross bar (21), wherein said first pressure cylinder (14) displaces said first chain carrier (2) relative to said frame (15) and said second pressure cylinder displaces said second chain carrier (3) relative to said frame (15);
• wherein press-on forces (13) departing from the first and second pressure cylinders (14) are absorbed by said frame (15) in a substantially equally distributed manner with one half of the press-on forces absorbed by the first frame half (16) and one half of the press-on forces absorbed by the second frame half (17).

A method for drawing a linear workpiece (10) through a drawing die, comprising:

• moving the workpiece to be drawn in a drawing plane (19) formed by a first chain carrier (2), a second chain carrier (3), a first tool chain (6) and a second tool chain (9) of a caterpillar conveyor (1), said first chain carrier (2), said second chain carrier (3), said first tool chain (6) and said second tool chain (9) being disposed in the drawing plane (19);
• providing a frame (15) supporting said caterpillar conveyor (1), a first pressure cylinder coupled to said frame (15) and a second pressure cylinder (14) coupled to said frame (15), said frame (15) comprising a first frame half (16) disposed on a first side (18) of the drawing plane (19), a second frame half (17) disposed on a second side (20) of the drawing plane (19) and a cross bar (21) joining said first frame half (16) and said second frame half (17), at least one of said first pressure cylinder and said second pressure cylinder disposed on said cross bar (21), wherein said first frame half (16) is substantially identical to said second frame half (17) such that said frame (15) comprises a substantially symmetrical structure with respect to the drawing plane (19);
• displacing said first chain carrier (2) relative to said frame (15) with said first pressure cylinder (14);
• and
• displacing said second chain carrier (3) relative to said frame (15) with said second pressure cylinder (14);
• absorbing press-on forces (13) departing from said first and second pressure cylinders (14) with said frame (15) in a substantially equally distributed manner with one half of the press-on forces absorbed by said first frame half (16) and one half of the press-on forces absorbed by said second frame half (17).