Radial forging machine

Abstract

A radial forging machine comprising one or more forging devices arranged radially about a first longitudinal axis (Z) of feeding of the product to be forged, a respective tool ( 5 ) being able to be mounted on each of said forging devices, characterized in that there is provided an automatic tool loading/unloading system for automatically loading/unloading said tools ( 5 ) onto/from said forging devices without the manual intervention of an operator.

1 . A radial forging machine comprising
 one or more forging devices arranged radially about a first longitudinal axis of feeding of a product to be forged, a respective tool being able to be mounted on each of said forging devices,   a tool loading/unloading system for loading/unloading said tools onto/from said one or more forging devices,   
       wherein said tool loading/unloading system comprises
 two-sided restraining means for restraining each forging device of said one or more forging devices to the respective tool, 
 tool moving means adapted to translate along said first longitudinal axis from a first position outside the one or more forging devices to a second position at least partly inside a space delimited by the one or more forging devices, and vice versa, 
 actuation means, integrated on said tool moving means and adapted to act along the first longitudinal axis on said two-sided restraining means, for releasing the tool ( 5 ) from the respective forging device in an unloading step, and for blocking the tool ( 5 ) to the respective forging device in a loading step. 
 
     
     
         2 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means are adapted to act exclusively along the first longitudinal axis on both sides of said two-sided restraining means. 
     
     
         3 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means comprise two reaction frames restrained to one another in rotation about the first longitudinal axis and adapted to move along the first longitudinal axis simultaneously in opposite direction from one another, whereby a first reaction, frame and a second reaction frame of said two reaction frames can simultaneously apply an external force on both sides of said two-sided restraining means when the tool moving means are in said second position. 
     
     
         4 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 3 , wherein said first reaction frame and said second reaction frame are provided with respective radial arms, in number equal to a number of tools adapted to push with an end thereof on said two-sided restraining means. 
     
     
         5 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool moving means comprise a support frame provided with housings and adapted to receive simultaneously, in the unloading step of the tools from the forging devices, the tools in the respective housings in thea transition from said first position to said second position, and to restrain them to the support frame itself, and adapted to bring simultaneously, during the loading step of the tools onto the forging devices, the tools to the respective forging devices in the transition from said first position to said second position,
 whereby, in the unloading step, once the tools are restrained to the support frame the actuation means can release the tools from the respective forging device and the tool moving means can translate from said second position to said first position, thus moving the tools away from the respective forging devices,   and whereby, in the loading step, once the tools are brought to the respective forging devices, the actuation means can block the tools to the respective forging device and the tool moving means can translate from said second position to said first position, thus releasing the tools from the support frame.   
     
     
         6 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said two-sided restraining means comprise, for each tool, a pair of first plates arranged at opposite ends, along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis, of a respective toolholder of the forging device, adapted to be moved by means of said actuation means in direction opposite to one another along said second longitudinal axis, and adapted to make a shape restraint between the tool and the toolholder. 
     
     
         7 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 6 , wherein there is provided for each first plate at least one tie rod, parallel to the second longitudinal axis and crossing the toolholder which is restrained at a first end thereof to the respective first plate while it is configured at a second end thereof to react on the toolholder by means of an elastic return element. 
     
     
         8 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 7 , wherein said at least one tie rod is provided, at said second end thereof, with a second plate for the application of an external reaction force so as to perform a release of the tool by means of said actuation means. 
     
     
         9 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 7 , wherein there is provided a pair of tie rods or each first plate and, at said second end thereof, there is provided a second plate for each pair of tie rods, for the application of an external reaction force so as to perform a release of the tool by means of said actuation means. 
     
     
         10 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 8 , wherein said actuation means are adapted to apply simultaneously said external reaction force on both the second plates to move the respective first plates and release together all the tools of the forging machine. 
     
     
         11 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said support frame has a first part provided with a plurality of radial arms, that are radial with respect to the first longitudinal axis, each housing being defined by the space between two consecutive radial arms. 
     
     
         12 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 11 , wherein there are provided, on said first part of the support frame, blocking devices for restraining the tools ( 5 ), in the respective housings ( 5 ′), to said first part ( 9 ). 
     
     
         13 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 12 , wherein each blocking device comprises a base body defining a third longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis, in which there are provided, on two opposite sides, shaped profiles having a longitudinal development along said third longitudinal axis and a shape such as to be at least partly insertable in respective first cavities provided on two adjacent tools in the transition of the moving means from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
         14 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 13 , wherein there is provided an axial restraint mechanism, preferably arranged on said base body. 
     
     
         15 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said axial restraint mechanism comprises at least one cam, having a lever arm shaped such as to be at least partly insertable in a respective second cavity provided on a corresponding tool, in the transition of the moving means from said first position to said second position, thus guaranteeing an actuation of the axial restraint of the tools to the support frame. 
     
     
         16 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said axial restraint mechanism comprises two earns, which are symmetrical with respect to a plane containing the third longitudinal axis and the first longitudinal axis, and having a lever arm shaped such as to be at least partly insertable in respective second cavities provided on two adjacent tools, in the transition of the moving means from said first position to said second position, thus guaranteeing an actuation of the axial restraint of the tools to the support frame. 
     
     
         17 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 16 , wherein there is provided a slider adapted to move along said third longitudinal axis, by means of a thrust of preloading elastic means, and resting by means of an end thereof on a surface of the two cams. 
     
     
         18 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 8 , wherein a first reaction frame is arranged at least partly at a first side of a support frame and a second reaction frame is arranged at least partly at a second side of the support frame, opposite to the first side, whereby said first reaction frame and said second reaction frame can simultaneously apply said external reaction force on both the second plates when the tool moving means are in said second position. 
     
     
         19 . The radial forging machine according to  claim 18 , wherein there is provided a part of the support frame for supporting the first reaction frame and the second reaction frame said part being restrained axially to a further part of the support frame but free to rotate about the first longitudinal axis integrally to said first and second reaction frames, preferably said part being provided with a motion reversal device so as to cause the first reaction frame and the second reaction frame to move axially simultaneously in opposite direction from one another relatively to said part; said further part being provided with a plurality of radial arms, that are radial with respect to the first longitudinal axis, each space between two consecutive radial arms defining a housing for a respective tool. 
     
     
         20 . A method for unloading tools from a radial forging machine according to  claim 5 , wherein there are provided the following steps:
 providing tools blocked to respective forging devices,   translating the moving means along the first longitudinal axis from a first position outside the forging devices to a second position at least partly inside a space delimited by said forging devices, so that the tools are received simultaneously in the respective housings of the moving means and are restrained to the support frame of said moving means,   actuating the actuation means along the first longitudinal axis to act on the two-sided restraining means so as to release the tool from the respective forging device,   translating the moving means from said second position to said first position, thus moving the tools away from the respective forging devices.   
     
     
         21 . A method for loading tools onto a radial forging machine according to  claim 5 , wherein there are provided the following steps:
 providing the moving means in a first position outside the forging devices, with tools arranged in respective housings of the support frame of said moving means and restrained to said support frame,   translating the moving means along the first longitudinal axis from said first position to a second position at least partly inside a space delimited by said forging devices, so that the tools are at the respective forging devices,   actuating the actuation means along the first longitudinal axis to act on the two-sided restraining means so as to block the tool to the respective forging device,   translating the moving means from said second position to said first position, thus releasing the tools from the support frame.