GB2279896A - Tooling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A tooling apparatus for performing simultaneous machining operations on several components 43, in particular on components of window blinds, in which a tool-head 11 carries a plurality of tools 12 and the components 43 are held on a carrier 2 which is movable with respect to the tool-head 11, so that clean and accurate tooling operations may be carried out simultaneously at predetermined positions on the components 43 which may then be moved together relative to the tool-head so that a further tooling operation may be carried out at different positions on the components 43. <IMAGE>

Description

TOOLING APPARATUS The invention relates to a tooling apparatus, in particular for use in tooling holes in the components of window blinds, though the invention is of general application. The tool in question is preferably a punch.

Window blinds are available in many shapes and forms. For example, one of the more common types is the venetian blind which is composed of adjustable horizontal slats (often of plastics) suspended one above the other on cords so as to be distributable across the area of a window. The cords are arranged so that their manipulation by an operator may respectively cause the slats to be raised, i.e. the slats are displaced upwards so as to be compacted together at the upper area of the window, or lowered. The slats may be set so as remain in any position between fully raised and fully lowered. A further control means is provided which tilts the slats between an orientation where the faces of the slats are horizontal to a position where the slats are substantially vertical. In such a way, varying degrees of light and privacy may be attained.

In another arrangement pleated blinds are provided with which the entry of light may be controlled by manipulating a fabric or plastics sheet, pleated in a concertina-type manner to be extended or compacted as required over the area of a window. In such a blind a channel-shaped anchor bar is provided at the upper edge of the window to which one edge of the pleated sheet is anchored. In a normal window, the lower edge of the sheet is provided with a second channelled movable bar, and via a suitable cording arrangement the blind may be extended or compacted by moving this lower bar. In this case the blind is allowed to hang freely.

However, such pleated blinds may also advantageously be used in sloping or horizontally orientated windows.

Here a further channelled anchor bar is secured at the lower edge of the window and parallel tensioned cords provided, fastened at either end to the anchor bars.

Holes are provided in the pleats and the movable bar through which the tensioned cords run so that the cords can act as guides and supports for the sheet when extended. Depending upon the width of the sheets, a greater or lesser number of cords will be required and a corresponding distribution of holes provided in each pleat or bar. Further components, for example plastics filler strips to fit into the channel section of the bars, would of course also require holes.

The holes in the solid components of blinds can be provided by drilling or punching. It is important, particularly in the case of pleated blinds, to ensure that the holes are accurately located and that the edge of the holes is smooth enough not to wear the cords unduly when in use. The bars and filler strips have therefore been processed in one of two ways. In the first case, the pieces are punched or drilled individually which provides a cleanly cut hole requiring the minimum of cleaning after cutting but which is time-consuming to carry out and requires care to ensure that the location of the holes in each piece is precise in order to ensure matching on assembly.

The second procedure entails assembling a pile of the bars and filler strips and forming the holes in all pieces at one time. Although this method of forming the holes is quick and the siting of the holes matches in each piece, the quality of the hole deteriorates the more layers the drill or punch has to pass through, since there is no adequate die for the upper components in the pile. The pile of components consequently then has to be disassembled for cleaning and the time advantage in the cutting process is lost. Furthermore, poor hole quality has repercussions later in that in some arrangements of blind further components are required, for example bungs, which are fitted into the holes as runners for the cords. Securing of such components into accurately tooled holes involves only pushing the elastic component into a hole which is then resiliently held in place. Where the holes are not accurately tooled, an additional step is necessary to glue or otherwise secure the further component into place.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus suitable for forming holes in the bar- or channel-shaped components of blinds which produces clean and accurately positioned holes more quickly and efficiently than in previous arrangements.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a tooling apparatus including a toolhead adapted to carry a plurality of tools for performing operations on a plurality of components, an actuating means for the tool-head, and a carrier adapted to hold the components; wherein the carrier is moveable so as to locate the components with respect to the tools so that on actuation of the actuating means the tools act simultaneously on the components at locations determined by the position of the carrier relative to the tool-head In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the tooling components of the apparatus are punches. It might be possible in other arrangements to use drills, although in many situations the occurrence of drill wobble makes the choice of punches preferable.

In one preferred embodiment it is envisaged that the tools may be oriented in a line perpendicular to the movement of the components to be tooled. The components in this case are preferably arranged in the same plane and are to be moved together in a line. A set of bar-like components is acted on by such a machine so as to be given a row of precisely correspondingly shaped holes or indentations. In one variant, however, the individual tools could be capable of selective disablement so as to leave out some of the holes, if desired.

A tooling apparatus having the arrangement in accordance with the present invention presents a number of advantages over known arrangements currently availa e for machining holes into the components of blinds. Each tool cuts through only one component at a time thereby ensuring that the hole quality is at an optimum and reducing the need for individually cleaning the holes. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that cleaning should be necessary, there is no need for the time-consuming exercise of disassembling a pile of components. Since the components on the carrier move simultaneously along an axis perpendicular to the plane in which the tools are arranged and (in the simplest case) one tool is mounted so as to correspond to one component, holes may be punched simultaneously in each component at the same specified intervals along their length. Precise positioning of the holes is therefore attained.

In one embodiment the tooling arrangement is actuated manually by manipulation of a lever. Pulling a lever actuates all punches or drills mounted in the tool head thereby forming holes in the components. In this embodiment it is envisaged that the operator will cause the carrier holding the components to be moved along its axis of movement to predetermined positions of the components in relation to the punches or drills.

In a simple set-up -this might be achieved by visually lining up a pointer on the movable carrier with a point on a scale fixed in relation to the tool-head.

Alternatively a more sophisticated arrangement might include mechanical stops adapted to stop the carrier at set positions for punching. Equally, the apparatus according to the invention might include hydraulic or other actuating means for the punches and/or for the movement of the carrier. A linear encoder drive or simply proximity sensors might also be provided in order to halt the movement of the carrier at the predetermined positions of the carrier.

The carrier can be in the form of a carriage mounted on rails fixed with respect to the frame of the machining section of the apparatus. Preferably it clamps all the components in a single action, for instance by means of a transverse clamping bar.

In a preferred embodiment of the tooling apparatus, it is envisaged that a second tooling arrangement is provided so as to form holes in the side flange of an outermost component in a plane perpendicular to the holes formed by the first arrangement. This second arrangement is fixed in relation to the first arrangement so that one or more holes may also be formed at any point along the side flange depending on the position of the carrier holding the components. Such holes are used in window blinds for anchoring the guide cords in one anchor bar.

In a further preferred embodiment it is envisaged that the tooling apparatus will be provided with guide pieces which are adapted to separately retain the bars and filler strips of a pleated blind, so that all the components of one blind may be tooled at one time.

The invention also relates to a method of performing simultaneous machining operations on a set of elongate components, preferably bars of window blinds, by holding-the components relative to each other, carrying out a multiple machining step on the components using a tool-head having a plurality of tools, moving the components relative to the tool-head, and carrying out a further multiple machining step.

The invention will be illustrated further in the following description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 shows a sectional front view of a hole tooling apparatus having first and second hole-forming arrangements in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a sectional side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Fig. 3 shows a rear sectional view of the component carrier in the direction AA of Fig. 2; Fig. 4A shows a detail of two punches; Fig. 4B shows a sectional side view of the punch head; and Fig. 5 shows a view of a pleated blind.

With reference to Figures 1 to 4 a specific embodiment in accordance with the present invention is shown.

The hole tooling apparatus, shown generally at 1, essentially comprises first and second hole-forming arrangements 3 and 5, which in this embodiment are constructed as punching devices, and a movable carrier 2 adapted to retain bars and filling strips suitable for use in pleated window blinds.

A base 20 is provided on which supports 7 and 8 of the first hole forming device 3, a multiple punch and the second hole-forming device 5, in this case a drill, are mounted.

The punching device 3 has a vertical plate 9 secured by means of bolts 10 to the supports 7 and 8.

Mounted on the vertical plate 9 is a punch head 11 which carries a row of punches 12 arranged side by side in the plane of the vertical plate 9 so as to act downwards. The plate 9 is provided with a spring plunger 14 (Fig. 2) which acts so as to retain the punch head 11 in the resting position when not in use.

This it does by engaging into a recess in the head of one of two adjusting screws 15 (Fig. 4B) provided for adjusting the punch head position against the plate 9 so that the punches 12 are aligned with a corresponding row of dies 18.

The punching device 3 also includes a guide block 16 which is provided with guides 17 (Fig.2) adapted to receive the components 43 to be machined so that the components 43 are slidable along the guides 17 but are not able to move laterally or twist. The components 43 comprise the bars of a pleated blind 43a, b and filler pieces 43c for assembling into the bars 43a,b.

An actuating means, shown generally at 22, is mounted on the frame 9 and comprises a handle 23 pivotally attached to a lever system 24 so that on manipulation of the handle 23 a common plunger 25 acts via a plate 26 simultaneously on the individual punches 12 causing them to interact with and machine holes into the components held on the guide block 16. Generally cylindrical clamping means 19 are provided around each punch which on actuation are lowered by the movement of the plate 26 so as to contact respectively each component to be worked on and hold it firmly against the dies 18 and guide block 16. The punch is arranged so that the cylindrical clamping means 19 are able to slide along the shafts of the punches 12 and are held in relation to the punch head 11 by springs 13. The clamping means 19 are guided on respective pins 21 preventing rotation. Lowering of the punch head 11 causes the cylindrical clamping means to contact the components 43. Upon further downward movement of the punch head 11, the springs 13 become compressed and thereby resiliently push the guide means against the components 43. Meanwhile, the punches 12, which are attached fixedly to the punch head 11, are lowered to pass through and beyond the clamping means 19 so as to punch into the components to be tooled against the dies 18. The clamping means 19 and springs 13 also act to push the tool head 11 away from the components 43 when the actuation means is released on completion of the tooling process.

The second tooling device 5 is secured to the base 20 adjacent and to the side of the punching device 3.

The second device 5 includes a drill 30 arranged horizontally and perpendicular to the punches 12 of the first device 3. The drill 30 is actuated by means of a second lever 31 and acts on one lateral flange of the outermost component 43a.

Tracks 41 and 42 are also mounted securely onto base 20 so as to run horizontally and perpendicularly to the plane of the vertical plate 9. The carrier 2 is slidably mounted in the tracks 41 and 42 so as to be movable along the longitudinal axis of the runners.

The components 43 are supported slidably at one end on the guide block 16 of the punch and in a fixed manner at the other end on the carrier 2. The carrier 2, shown most clearly in Fig.3, is provided with supports 45 terminating with wheels or runners 39,40 which are movable along the tracks 41 and 42 respectively. On the supports 45 is mounted a plate 47 on which the other ends of the components 43 rest, via guides 48 which correspond to the shape of the respective components: the wider guides 48a correspond to the open-channel plastic inserts, while the narrower guides 48b correspond to the half-closed aluminium bars themselves. The components 43 are held securely in relation to the guides 48 by means of individual clamping pins 46 which are mounted on a clamping bar 49 so that the securing of all components may be achieved simultaneously. In this way, when the carrier 2 is moved along the tracks 41 and 42, the components 43 move with it while sliding easily over the guides 17 and dies 18 of the guide block 16. To facilitate the clamping of the components 43 onto the carrier 2 a handle 50 is provided which acts on the clamping bar 49 and thus on the clamping pins 46. To prevent movement of the carrier 2, for example during the punching operation, a locking screw 52 is provided which is adapted to interact with the track 41 when screwed down thereby anchoring the carrier 2 securely.

In use, the window blind components 43 are placed onto guides 17 on the carrier block 16 upon which the slats may slide longitudinally but not laterally. The other ends of the components are clamped by lowering the clamping bar 49 over the carrier guides 48 corresponding to the guides 17 on the carrier block so that the components are arranged adjacent one another and in a fixed relationship to one another. The carrier 2 is then displaced along the tracks 41 and 42 either manually or automatically until it reaches a position chosen visually, via a linear encoder or by some other means, whereupon it is fixed in that position by means of the locking screw 52. By operation of the handle 23 the punches 12 of the first punching device 3 form holes simultaneously in the components 43. By operation of the handle 31 of the second punching means 5 a hole may similarly be formed in the lateral flange of the right-hand bar 43a.

Through subsequent repositioning of the carrier 2, further holes can be formed at corresponding positions on each bar or filler strip.

Where the components to be tooled are long, there can be problems in the simultaneous tooling of components constructed from materials of varying rigidity. For example, in the case of pleated blinds, the anchor bars and movable bars are made from a rigid and lightweight material such as aluminium whereas the filler strips are generally of a plastics material such as PVC. If these components are sufficiently long and are supported only on the guide block 16 and on the carrier 2, then when the carrier 2 is at its most distant position from the guide block 16 so that holes may be formed in the ends of the components, the less rigid components can sag causing errors in the location of the holes. It is therefore envisaged that a collapsible support (not shown) is provided mounted on the tracks 41, 42 which comprises a folded semi-rigid sheet. This support is mounted with the fold uppermost and perpendicular to the axis of the tracks, and is dimensioned so that the otherwise unsupported sections of the components can rest on the fold thereby preventing sagging. The material selected for the support is chosen for its resilience so that it is rigid enough to support the components, but is resilient enough to be deflected downwards by the carrier 2 as it is moved towards the first punching device 3 so that the carrier 2 may pass over the support. It is envisaged that the support 60 might be designed with moulded sections, or cut-outs adapted to receive the components 43 and act as a further guide means.

In the present embodiment, the hole tooling apparatus has been described with particular application to forming holes in the bars and filler strips of window blinds. It is envisaged however that the invention might be applied to tooling holes in other kinds of component particularly wherever close matching or spacing of operations on a set of similar elongate components is required for subsequent assembly purposes.

Equally it is-also envisaged that the arrangement of the punches or other tools such as drills might be varied depending on the requirements for the components to be machined.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS:

1. A tooling apparatus including a tool-head adapted to carry a plurality of tools for performing operations on a plurality of components, an actuator for the toolhead, and a carrier adapted to hold the components, wherein the carrier is movable so as to locate the components with respect to the tools so that on actuation of the actuator the tools act simultaneously on the components at locations determined by the position of the carrier relative to the tool-head.

2. A tooling apparatus according to claim 1 in which the tools of the t6ol-head may be selectively disabled for a particular tooling operation.

3. A tooling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further including a positioning means by which the carrier is positioned so that the components may be located with respect to the tools at predetermined tooling positions.

4. A tooling apparatus according to claim 3 in which the positioning means includes mechanical stops or proximity sensors for locating the carrier.

5. A tooling apparatus according to claim 3 in which the positioning means includes a linear encoder for locating the carrier.

6. A tooling apparatus according to claim 3 in which the positioning means includes a visual indicator.

7. A tooling apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the tools are arranged in a straight line and the components are moved in a direction perpendicular to this line.

8. A tooling apparatus according to any preceding claim, and further including a guide means for locating each component on the carrier.

9. A tooling apparatus according to any preceding claim and further including a clamping means for securing the components on the carrier.

10. A tooling apparatus according to any preceding claim including a second tool-head arranged to act in a direction perpendicular to the main tool-head so as to perform a tooling operation in the side of a component on the carrier.

11. A tooling apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the tools are punches.

12. A method of performing simultaneous machining operations on a set of elongate components, the method comprising the steps of holding the components relative to each other, carrying out a multiple machining step on the components using a tool-head having a plurality of tools, moving the components relative to the toolhead, and carrying out a further machining step.

13. A method according to claim 12 in which the simultaneous machining operations are performed on a set of window-blind components.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13 including a further step of carrying out a machining step in the side of one component in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the machining operation carried out by the main tool-head.

15. A method according to any one of claims 12, 13 and 14 including the step of actuating the tools by manual means.

16. A tooling apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of performing simultaneous machining operations substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.