Roll feeder, press system, and hoop material conveyance method

Abstract

A roll feeder is usable to convey a hoop material to a pressing machine. The roll feeder includes a paired first roll and second roll configured to be disposed so as to clamp the hoop material and feed the hoop material along a conveyance direction, a motor configured to drive at least one of the first roll and the second roll, and a controller configured to control drive of the motor. The controller includes a process drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to a pressing machine side in between one press working and next press working, and a working drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side during press working.

1 . A roll feeder adapted to convey a hoop material to a pressing machine, the roll feeder comprising:
 a paired first roll and second roll configured to be disposed so as to clamp the hoop material and feed the hoop material along a conveyance direction;   a motor configured to drive at least one of the first roll and the second roll; and   a controller configured to control drive of the motor, the controller including
 a process drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to a pressing machine side in between one press working and next press working, and 
 a working drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side during press working. 
   
     
     
         2 . The roll feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the working drive instruction component is further configured to
 drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material by a specific amount toward the pressing machine side when a slide of the pressing machine is lowered during the press working and   pull back the hoop material by the specific amount from the pressing machine side when the slide is raised during the press working.   
     
     
         3 . The roll feeder according to  claim 2 , wherein
 “during press working” is from when a pilot pin formed on an upper die attached to the slide is inserted into the hoop material until the pilot pin is removed from the hoop material, and   the working drive instruction component is further configured to
 drive the motor so as to feed the specific amount of the hoop material toward the pressing machine side from a point when the pilot pin is inserted into the hoop material until the slide reaches a bottom dead center and 
 pull back the specific amount of the hoop material from the pressing machine side by a point when the pilot pin is removed from the hoop material from bottom dead center. 
   
     
     
         4 . The roll feeder according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the working drive instruction is further configured to
 store a working pattern indicating a relation between a position of the slide and a feed amount of the hoop material when the hoop material is fed by the specific amount to the pressing machine side, and a relation between the position of the slide and the feed amount of the hoop material when the hoop material is pulled back by the specific amount from the pressing machine side, and 
 drive motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side and pull the hoop material back from the pressing machine side based on the working pattern. 
   
     
     
         5 . The roll feeder according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a tension sensor configured to sense tension of the hoop material,   the working drive instruction component being further configured to control the motor so that the tension sensed by the tension sensor is close to zero when the hoop material is fed toward the pressing machine side during the press working.   
     
     
         6 . The roll feeder according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the tension sensor has a torque sensor provided at the axis of at least one of the first roll and the second roll, and   the working drive instruction component is further configured to control the motor so that torque sensed by the torque sensor is close to zero during the press working.   
     
     
         7 . The roll feeder according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first work rolls disposed on an upstream side of the first roll along the conveyance direction; and   a plurality of second work rolls disposed on an upstream side of the second roll along the conveyance direction,   the first work rolls and the second work rolls being alternately disposed along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         8 . The roll feeder according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the motor drives at least one of the plurality of first work rolls and the plurality of second work rolls.   
     
     
         9 . The roll feeder according to  claim 4 , comprising:
 a separation component configured to separate the first roll from the second roll;   a measuring roll disposed so as to contact the hoop material, the measuring roll being configured to rotate along with movement of the hoop material; and   a roll position sensor configured to sense a position of the measuring roll,   the controller further including a working pattern generator configured to
 generate the working pattern in which movement of the hoop material is associated with a position of the slide during the press working in a state in which the first roll has been separated from the second roll by the separation component, and 
 store the working pattern in the working drive instruction component. 
   
     
     
         10 . The roll feeder according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first work rolls disposed on an upstream side of the first roll along the conveyance direction; and   a plurality of second work rolls disposed on an upstream side of the second roll along the conveyance direction,   the first work rolls and the second work rolls being alternately disposed along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         11 . The roll feeder according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the motor drives at least one of the plurality of first work rolls and the plurality of second work rolls, and   the separation component separates the plurality of first work rolls from the plurality of second work rolls.   
     
     
         12 . A press system, comprising:
 a pressing machine configured to perform press working of a hoop material; and   a roll feeder configured to convey the hoop material to the pressing machine, the roll feeder including a paired first roll and second roll configured to be disposed so as to clamp the hoop material, feed the hoop material along a conveyance direction;   a motor configured to drive at least one of the first roll and the second roll; and   a controller configured to control drive of the motor, the controller having
 a process drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side in between one press working and next press working; and 
 a working drive instruction component configured to drive the motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side during press working. 
   
     
     
         13 . A hoop material conveyance method adapted to convey a hoop material to a pressing machine, the hoop material conveyance method comprising:
 driving at least one of a first roll and a second roll with a motor as a drive source and feeding the hoop material to a pressing machine side in between one press working and next press working; and   driving the motor so as to feed the hoop material to the pressing machine side during the press working.