Device for Joining Flat Metal Products Passing Successively Into a Strip Processing Plant

Abstract

A device for joining metal strips passing successively into a strip processing plant includes two cutting punches having a respective cutting edge which is associated with a cutting edge of the respective other cutting punch. The cutting punches are movable along a cutting axis in a cutting motion to produce an undetachable join in an adjoining region by deformation. In the same position with respect to the cutting axis, the cutting edges of the cutting punches define a cutting gap which extends in the transverse direction and occupies a gap width in a width direction oriented at a right angle to the transverse direction and to the cutting axis. The cutting edges include an acute angle with the transverse direction, viewed from the cutting direction and in that the cutting punches are movable relative to one another in the transverse direction of the cutting gap to change the gap width.

1 . A device for joining metal strips passing successively into a strip processing plant, comprising at least two cutting punches, each of which has at least one cutting edge which is associated with a cutting edge of the respective other cutting punch, wherein said cutting punches are movable towards one another along a cutting axis in a cutting motion in order to make at least one cut in two superimposed end portions of the metal strips to be joined together and to deform a region, adjoining the cut, of the end portions such that an undetachable join is produced between the metal strips, and when the cutting edges of the cutting punches meet at the same height in respect of the cutting axis during the cutting motion, the cutting punches define with their cutting edges a cutting gap which extends in a transverse direction to the cutting axis and occupies a gap width in a width direction oriented at a right angle to the transverse angle and to the cutting axis, characterised in that the cutting edges, defining the respective cutting gap, of the cutting punches include an acute angle with the transverse direction of the cutting gap, viewed from the cutting direction, and in that the cutting punches can be moved relative to one another in the transverse direction of the cutting gap to vary the gap width. 
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein each cutting punch has a plurality of cutting edges arranged next to one another in the width direction. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein viewed in a plan view from the cutting direction, respectively mutually adjacent cutting edges of the cutting punches are arranged such that they run towards one another in a V shape. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein provided on the cutting punches is a respective cutting edge which is divided in each case by an offset into at least two cutting edge portions which are joined by a connecting portion and are oriented in a mutually offset manner in the width direction of the cutting gap, and in that the cutting edges, provided with the offset cutting edge portions, of the cutting punches are associated with one another. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein corner points of the cutting edge at which the respective connecting portion merges into the cutting edge portions, joined thereto, of the respective cutting edge are arranged in a mutually offset manner in the transverse direction. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cutting punches comprises a cutting punch holder in which cutting punch elements supporting the cutting edges of the respective cutting punch are held in a releasable manner. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cutting punches is mounted displaceably in the transverse direction and an adjusting means is provided for moving this cutting punch. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the adjusting means is formed by a wedge element which is movable in a longitudinal direction and the longitudinal sides of which include between them an acute angle and the associated cutting punch is supported on one longitudinal side thereof, while the wedge element is supported with its remote longitudinal side on a stationarily mounted support. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the adjusting means is formed by two similarly configured wedge elements which are oriented in opposite directions to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein one wedge element is arranged on one longitudinal side and the other wedge element is arranged on the longitudinal side of the cutting punch opposite the first longitudinal side in the transverse direction of the cutting gap. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the cutting punches is fixed, based on the transverse direction of the cutting gap, while the other cutting punch is movable in the transverse direction of the cutting gap to adjust the cutting gap width. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein due to the relative movement of the cutting punches takes place in the transverse direction of the cutting gap, a clearance of the cutting gap is adjusted which corresponds to one twentieth to one fifth of the averaged thickness of the metal strips to be joined together.