Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01M13/00—Testing of machine parts
  • G01M13/02—Gearings; Transmission mechanisms
  • G01M13/023—Power-transmitting endless elements, e.g. belts or chains

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device for testing the articulation of a chain segment around one or more rotation axes.
• the conventional process for manufacturing a chain provides for its elongation by the progressive connection of various modular elements to one end thereof.
• each chain element or member to be assembled is joined to a chain of a certain length, which becomes increasingly longer as its manufacture proceeds.
• This invention is therefore placed in the previous context, proposing to provide a new device for testing the articulation of a section or a segment of the chain, for example of a cutting chain, designed to check in a simple and repeatable manner the correct union of the links of which it is made.
• Figures 1 and 2 show front views of a test device according to this invention, according to a possible embodiment, with a chain segment engaged, the latter being respectively in a rest configuration and in a partially rotated configuration;
• Figure 3 shows a view from above of the device according to Figure 1.
• the reference number 1 identifies, in its entirety, a device for testing the articulation of a chain segment 10 around one or more rotation axes R.
• a chain segment 10 is, for example, schematically shown in Figure 1. This figure illustrates a chain segment testable in this device. According to this variant, provided as an example of a chain, the chain is a cutting chain, being in particular a chain for a chain saw. This should not be considered as limiting the scope of this invention. [0013] In addition, the chain segment illustrated is a section isolated and mechanically disengaged from the chain, but this corresponds only to a variant.
• the chain segment is a section of a chain of a certain length, and the length of such a chain is being progressively subjected to the testing step with the device described, advancing from one section to the other disposed adjacent to each other along an assembled chain.
• the chain segment 10 is composed of a plurality of links 2, 4, 6, positioned side by side in a chain- extension direction X between opposite segment ends 10', 10" and joined by a plurality of pivot pins 12 identifying said axes R.
• segment ends 10', 10" need not be terminal ends, but may also be intermediate positions of the chain of predefined length.
• the pivot pins 12 may be cylindrical or at least partly tubular.
• the rotation axes R are substantially parallel with each other.
• At least one rotation axis R or the plurality thereof could be incident or perpendicular .to the chain-extension direction X.
• each of the links discussed below is in the form of a metal plate, for example with a very thin thickness with respect to its height and/or width.
• the links testable in the device according to this invention may be performed according to document GB2109455A.
• the chain segment 10 comprises or consists of at least four drive links 2, four connection links 4 (only two of which are visible, the other two being hidden behind the drive links) and two cutting links 6 with allochiral cutting edges .
• the terra "allochiral" means - specifically - cutting edges with reciprocal inverse symmetry.
• the symmetrical cutting edges of the cutting links 6 are mounted along each chain segment 10 with an orientation such as to create an alternation of right and left cutting edges in the chain-extension direction .
• the device 1 comprises one or more retention members 14, 16 of at least one segment end 10', 10" (preferably of both such ends), suitable to position the chain segment 10 in a rest configuration.
• the rest configuration is a substantially rectilinear configuration of this segment.
• pivot pins 12 are distributed along the (or parallel to the) chain-extension direction X.
• the chain segment 10 has its maximum linear length.
• the retention member 14, 16 could comprise a pair of jaws, at least one of which is movable with respect to the other to retain and/or release the respective segment end.
• the device 1 further comprises longitudinal movement means 20 of at least one retention member 14, 16, configured to bring the member 14, 16 close to an opposite retention member 16, 14, or to bring the single member to a fixed abutment.
• At least one link 2, 4, 6 is rotated around a pivot pin 12, from the rest configuration to a partially rotated configuration (for example shown schematically in Figure 2) .
• an axial compression of the chain segment 10 causes the rotation of at least one link around the respective rotation axis R, so that this , segment will be deformed with respect to the rest configuration, preceding the moving together of the axial ends .
• the links 2, 4, 6 are rotated around each of the present pins, with respect to the rest configuration.
• one or more pivot pins 12 are staggered in relation to the chain-extension direction X and, preferably, they are all staggered on ⁇ the same side, with respect to this direction (for example, all disposed above or below with respect to a horizontal plane - with respect to the orientation of Figures 1 and 2) .
• the longitudinal movement means 20 are configured to move the retention member 14, 16 along or parallel to the chain-extension direction X.
• the longitudinal movement means 20 act upon each retention member 14, 16.
• the device 1 comprises optical capturing means 22 of at least one image of the actual rotation of the link 2, 4, 6 in the partially rotated configuration, and storage means 24 of one or more template images, provided for a chain segment 10 having a reference articulation, i.e. for a segment suitable to achieve one or more predetermined partially rotated configurations.
• the image of the actual rotation corresponds to the real configuration reached by the chain segment tested at that time.
• the template image corresponds to the ideal or desired configuration of a reference segment, when provided with the necessary mobility between the links.
• the optical capturing means 22 comprise a camera or a video camera, optionally digital.
• the device 1 further comprises comparison means 26 between the image of the actual rotation and the template image, configured to determine - optionally within certain tolerances - whether the chain segment 10 is provided with the reference articulation.
• the image of the partially rotated configuration will conform to one of the template images, these latter being graphical representations of the shapes that are expected for a chain segment articulated in an acceptable or correct manner.
• this segment could therefore not be incorporated in the chain or, if the segment was already part of the chain, it may be removed from the latter to make it qualitatively acceptable.
• the device 1 could comprise transversal movement means 28, configured to work on the chain segment 10 in an incident direction Y (for example, a perpendicular direction) with respect to the chain- extension direction X.
• transversal movement means 28 configured to work on the chain segment 10 in an incident direction Y (for example, a perpendicular direction) with respect to the chain- extension direction X.
• the transversal movement means 28 can induce a reduced number of partially rotated configurations (at the limit: a single configuration) of the chain segment 10), and will therefore provide a decreased number (or a single image) of the actual rotations to the optical capturing means 22.
• the mere axial compression of the chain segment may generate different configurations of partially rotated links, for which the corresponding template images could be multiple and, thus potentially difficult to manage.
• transversal movement means 28 it is possible to guide the chain segment along a precise trajectory, so as to make the partially rotated configuration repeatable, and so reduce the number of template images to be compared.
• the longitudinal movement means 20 and/or the transversal movement means 28 comprise at least a linear actuator.
• This invention also covers an assembly comprising a device 1 according to any of the embodiments illustrated previously, and at least one chain segment 10 joined to one or more retention members 14, 16 of said device.
• any possible inaccuracies or defects of assembly can be reliably detected and, in some variants, before the incorporation of the segment in the chain.
• the device covered by this invention is extremely simple, so it can be implemented in any existing production line.
• the device covered by this invention is extremely safe from the functional point of view since the techniques described ensure reliability and long- lasting precision.
• each of. the variants described as belonging to a possible embodiment can be performed independently of the other variants described.

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Citations (4)

• 2015
  • 2015-08-17 WO PCT/IB2015/056252 patent/WO2016034965A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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