ORIENTATION STATION FOR MULTI-STATION METAL-FORMING MACHINES

摘要

A reorientation station has front and rear vertical drives that are spaced apart from each other along a flow axis of the orientation station that coincides with the flow axis of the machine. A pivot carriage support bar is coupled at its front end to the front vertical drive and at its rear end to the rear vertical drive. The vertical drives are operable to move the pivot carriage support bar to predetermined heights and to orient the pivot carriage support bar at predetermined tilt angles. A pivot carriage is mounted on the pivot carriage support bar for rotation about a roll-axis defined by the pivot carriage support bar. A roll drive coupled between the pivot carriage support bar and the pivot carriage rotates the pivot carriage about the roll axis to a selected roll angle. The pivot carriage supports front and rear template carrier bars, which are positioned transversely with respect to the roll axis and are mounted on the pivot carriage in spaced-apart relation axially with respect to the roll axis for movement along paths parallel to the roll axis. Linear drive devices move the template carrier bars along the paths on the pivot carriage to predetermined positions. Automated and remotely controllable devices are provided for releasing the template carrier bars from the carrier brackets that support them on the pivot carriage to pedestals for tool changes.