Background of the Invention
This invention relates to a control circuit for a press in which a rotary cam switch for stopping the press at the top dead center is also used for preventing the re-start thereof.
In general, a press is provided with a one-stroke one-stop mechanism, so that, even if the operating push button is maintained depressed, the press is stopped at the top dead center after every stroke.
In order to stop a press at the top dead center and to prevent the restart of the press, a conventional control circuit is provided with two separate switches, namely, a top dead center stop rotary cam switch and a restart prevention rotary cam switch,
One example of the conventional control circuit is as shown in FIG. 1, in which the above-described rotary cam switches are employed in combination.
The operation of the conventional control circuit will be described. FIG. 2 shows the intervals (or slide stroke angles) during which the restart prevention rotary cam switches RCLS1 and RCLS2 and the top dead center stop rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 are maintained closed (ON), respectively. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a relay coil having contacts 1a and 1b, and reference numeral 2 designates a relay coil having contacts 2a, 2b and 2c.
(1) Before the starting operation is effected (with the slide stroke angle 0.degree.)
Since push buttons PB1 and PB2 for effecting the starting operation are not operated yet, i.e., their contacts a are closed (on) while their contacts b are open (off), the operating relay coil 2 is not energized yet. Accordingly, the normally closed contact 2a is closed (on), the restart prevention relay coil 1 is energized to close its normally open contact 1a. In this case, as is clear from FIG. 2, the restart prevention rotary switches RCLS1 and RCLS2 are closed, and therefore the restart prevention relay coil is self-held.
(2) Effecting the starting operation
Upon operation of the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2, the operating relay coil 2 is energized to close its contact 2c because, in this case, the normally open contact 1b of the relay coil 1 is maintained closed. As a result, a clutch brake solenoid SOL for driving the press is energized to start the press.
(3) Before the slide stroke angle 140.degree.
Before the slide stroke angle reaches 140.degree., the top dead center stop rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 are maintained open, and therefore the relay coil 2 is not self-held by its relay contact means 2b. Accordingly, the press can be stopped by restoring the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 when necessary.
(4) From the slide stroke angle 140.degree. to 260.degree.
At the slide stroke angle 140.degree., the top dead center stop rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 are turned on and the relay coil 2 is self-held by its contact 2b. The press thereby continues its operation regardless of depression or non-depression of the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2.
(5) From the slide stroke angle 260.degree. to 330.degree.
When the slide stroke angle has reached 260.degree., the restart prevention rotary cam switches RCLS1 and RCLS2 are opened to deenergize the restart prevention relay coil 1. Even if the restart prevention rotary cam switches RCLS1 and RCLS2 are closed again when the slide stroke angle has reached 280.degree., the operating relay coil 1 is not energized again because the self-holding of the operating relay coil 1 by the contact 1a has been released. That is, the contact 1b is placed in "off" state. Accordingly, even if the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 are kept depressed, the press can be stopped (i.e., the restart prevention function can be effected) when the rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 are opened.
(6) To the top dead center
When the slide stroke angle has reached 330.degree., the top dead rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 are opened, and the self-holding of the operating relay coil 2 is released. As a result, the clutch brake solenoid SOL is deenergized, and the press, being run by its inertia, is stopped at the top dead center (i.e., the top dead center stop function is effected).
As is clear from the above description, in the conventional control circuit, the functions of preventing the restart of the press and stopping the press at the top dead center are performed by using the separate rotary cam switches.
A rotary cam switch which requires precision machining is expensive and, besides, adjustment of mounting position thereof is difficult.
Summary of the Invention
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a control circuit for a press, in which a top dead center stop rotary cam switch is used commonly for preventing the restart of the press and stopping the press at the top dead center, thereby to reduce the number of rotary cam switches used therein.
Furthermore, in the control circuit according to the invention, the rotary cam switches are not connected directly to the clutch brake solenoid to which large current is applied, with the result that the service lives thereof can be increased.
Brief Description of the Drawings
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing one example of a conventional control circuit for a press, which has been already referred to;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one example of the operation angles of rotary cam switches shown in FIG. 1, which has been already referred to;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing one example of a control circuit for a press according to this invention; and
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation angles of rotary cam switches, a restart prevention relay contact means, and a top dead center stop relay contact means.
Detailed Description of the Invention
One preferred example of a control circuit for a press according to this invention is shown in FIG. 3, in which those components which have been described with reference to FIG. 1 have been designated by similar reference characters, and parts newly added or modified with respect to FIG. 1 are surrounded by the one-dot chain lines.
Instead of the above-described restart prevention rotary cam switches RCLS1 and RCLS2 and top dead center stop rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 in FIG. 1, a relay contact 4a (hereinafter referred to as "a restart prevention relay contact 4a" when applicable) and a relay contact 3a (hereinafter referred to as "a top dead center stop relay contact 3a" when applicable). These relay contacts 4a and 3a are operated by a relay contact operating control circuit 10 incorporating rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4', thereby to obtain the same function as those described with reference to FIG. 1.
In the relay contact operating control circuit 10, the rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4' are substantially the same as the top dead center stop rotary cam switches RCLS3 and RCLS4 in FIG. 1. The rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4' are closed when the slide stroke angle is in a range from 140.degree. to 330.degree., and opened when it is out of the range, as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, a relay coil 3 is maintained energized when the slide stroke angle is in the range, to close the top dead center stop relay contact means 3a (cf. FIG. 4). A relay coil 4 is energized when the relay contact 2d of the relay coil 2 and the relay contact 3b of the relay coil 3 are closed, i.e., when the relay coil 3 is energized with the press being in the operating state (or when the press stroke angle is 140.degree.), and the relay coil 4 is self-held by its relay contact 4b. When the relay coil 2 is deenergized (i.e., when the press stroke angle has reached 330.degree.), the relay coil 4 is also deenergized. Accordingly, the normally closed contact of the relay coil 4, namely the restart prevention relay contact 4a is maintained closed (on) when the press stroke angle is in a range from 330.degree. through 0.degree. to 140.degree.. The time period during which the contact 4a is on is denoted by reference character T.sub.1 in FIG. 4.
The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 3 will be described.
(1) Before the starting operation is effected (the slide stroke angle 0.degree.)
The operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 for effecting the starting operation are not depressed yet (i.e., their contacts a are closed, while their contacts b are open), and therefore the operating relay coil 2 is not energized yet. However, the restart prevention relay coil 1 is energized, and its normally open contact 1a is kept closed. In this case, as the relay contact 2d of the relay coil 2 is open, the relay coil 4 is not energized, and its normally closed contact 4a is closed. Accordingly, the restart prevention relay coil 1 is energized and then self-held by the relay contact 1a.
(2) Effecting the starting operation
Upon depression of the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 (i.e., when the contacts a are opened, and the contacts b are closed), the operating relay coil 2 is energized because the normally open contact 1b of the relay coil 1 has been closed. As a result, the relay contact 2c is closed, to energize the clutch brake solenoid SOL thereby to start the press.
(3) Before the slide stroke angle 140.degree.
The rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4' are maintained open until the slide stroke angle reaches 140.degree.. Therefore, the relay coils 3 and 4 are not energized, and the operating relay coil 2 is not self-held. Accordingly, the press can be stopped by restoring the push buttons PB1 and PB2.
(4) From the slide stroke angle 140.degree. to 330.degree.
When the slide stroke angle has reached 140.degree., the rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4' are closed (This time period is denoted by T.sub.2 in FIG. 4), and the relay coil 3 is energized. As a result, the top dead center stop relay contact 3a is closed (This time period is denoted by T.sub.3 in FIG. 4) and the relay coil 2 is self-held by its relay contact 2b so that the press continues its operation even if the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 are restored. When the relay coil 3 is energized as described above, its relay contact 3b is closed to energize the relay coil 4 (with the relay contact means 2d being closed). The relay coil 4 is self-held by its relay contact 4b. When the relay coil 4 is energized, the restart prevention relay contact 4a is opened, and therefore the restart prevention relay coil 1 is deenergized, as a result of which the relay contact 1b is opened. Thus, if the top dead center stop relay contact 3a is opened, the self-holding of the operating relay coil 2 can be released (i.e., the restart prevention function can be performed) even though the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 are erroneously maintained depressed.
(5) Until the slide stroke angle reaches the top dead center
When the slide stroke angle has reached 330.degree., the rotary cam switches RCLS3' and RCLS4' are opened to deenergize the relay coil 3. As a result, the top dead center stop relay contact 3a is opened, to deenergize the clutch brake solenoid SOL, and the press is run by the inertia to the top dead center (i.e., the top dead center stop function is performed). Even if the operating push buttons PB1 and PB2 are erroneously maintained depressed, the operating relay coil 2 is deenergized by opening of the contact 1b and the press is positively stopped (i.e., the restart prevention function is performed). The operating relay coil 1 has been deenergized by the restart prevention relay contact means 4a.