CONCERTINA RAZOR WIRE PRODUCTION MACHINE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is related to a Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine, where all necessary production phases of the end product (i.e. Concertina Razor Wire) are automatically performed by a single machine.

PRIOR ART

Concertina Razor Wire (CRW) is a very powerful security fence application used for preventing unauthorized trespassing on private or public terrains. When compared to the other types of wires, such as barbed wire, wire fence, fence panel, CRW provides the top security level; so that it is the most preferred security fence product globally.

CRW is made by combining two raw materials, razor tape and wire, in four fundamental processes;“Forming”,“Hooping”,“Clipping”, and“Cutting/Separating”. The most important and challenging of them is Clipping. In a CRW, metal clips tie serial circular segments of a helix together, making CRW expandable and contractible as in its namer concertina, which is an accordion-like musical instrument.

State-of-the-art semi automatized machinery can form these raw materials (i.e. combining the razor tape and the wire, and shaping) and hoop them (i.e. making a circular geometry). Formed and hooped outputs of these conventional machines are intermediate products, as they need to be clipped to become a CRW.

CRW manufacturing process globally depends on extensive human labour, since clips can only be tied to wires by using hand tools. This clipping task is universally performed by human labour with no exception. Moreover, an operator continually stands by the state-of-the- art machinery as they always need human intervention.

Throughout the world, CRW manufacturers try to sustain a large number of clipping laborers, although their factories are fully equipped with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. Besides its financial burden, sustaining this“clipping” labour is compelling. Turnover rates are too high within those workers since the job requires hard physical effort and can cause serious wounds/injuries because of razors.

As the workers refuse to work on this demanding, tiring and unsafe field, production quality decreases and the costs are growing indispensably. Moreover, the clipping process by its nature, is technically very difficult to be performed by machines. Although different inventions and approaches have been introduced to overcome this issue, the problem itself, that is human dependent nature of the CRW production, has not been solved yet.

The patent application with the publication number EP 1 799 377 B1 can be given as an example of an unsolved human-dependency problem for the clipping process. Said patent application is related to a clipping gun used in the production of CRW. This clipping gun operates hydraulically or pneumatically. In this invention, work accidents have been tried to be prevented, however, clipping operation still requires manpower.

THE PURPOSE AND THE BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention combines four essential processes (Forming, Hooping, Clipping, Cutting/Separating) required for the production of Concertina Razor Wire and provides a process for producing CRW independent of man-labour.

The present invention does not alter the CRW manufacturing process. Instead, the main objective of the invention is to eliminate manpower and combine all processes required for CRW production on a single machine.

The aim of the invention is to standardize CRW production, increase product quality, prevent manufacturing defects caused by human (diameter errors, clip location errors, clipping faults, standard conformity, etc.) and to protect workers from a potentially dangerous production process. Another objective of the invention is to decrease unit CRW production costs by reducing labour costs and to increase production capacity.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate human injuries and occupational accidents. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES ILLUSTRATING THE INVENTION

The following illustrations are used to explain better the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine that is developed by the present invention.

Figure 1 shows the general view of the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine and its auxiliary equipment.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 reveal the main subcomponents of the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine.

Figures 5 and 6 denote the subcomponents of the straightener station.

Figure 7 shows the clipper subsystem.

Figure 8 indicates circumferential positions of clips over razor wire.

Figure 8. a shows circumferential clip positions in projection view of 3-clip coil.

Figure 8.b shows circumferential clip positions in projection view of 5-clip coil.

Figure 9 mentions the clipping position of two adjacent coils of razor wire over the drum.

Figure 10 schemes the tightening location of a clip and pits of two adjacent coils (shaded area).

Figure 11 exhibits the end product, Concertina Razor Wire (bundle).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTS FORMING THE INVENTION

In order to further illustrate the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine developed by the present invention, the items in the figures are numbered separately and listed below.

1 Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine

2 Razor Tape Pay-Off

2a Razor Tape

3 Wire Pay-Off

3a Wire

4 User Panel

5 Straightener Station

5a Wire Straighteners 5b Razor Tape Straightener 5c Wheel Encoder

5d Razor Tape Sensor

6 Clip Feeder Unit

6a Clip

6b Clip Magazine

7 Forming Station- 1

7a Forming Motors- 1 7b Rolls- 1

8 Forming Station-2

8a Forming Motors-2 8b Rolls-2

9 Hooping Station

10 Drum

10a Drum Motor

11 Drum Flaps

12 Clipping Station

12a Clipper Jaw

12b Clipper Actuator

13 Bundle Separator

13a Separator Actuator

14 Cutting Station

14a Cutter

14b Cutter Actuator

15 Main Body

16 Covers

17 Electrical Cabinet

18 Pneumatic Cabinet

19 Hydraulic Power Unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) draws the Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) from the Razor Tape and the Wire Pay-Offs (2, 3). The Razor Tape Pay-Off (2) and the Wire Pay-Off (3) are auxiliary equipment, which are not the parts of the invention itself.

Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) is built on its main body (15). All sub components are attached on main body (15). Covers (16) provide safety for the operator beside accessibility to interior components. Controllers, motor drivers, voltage converters and other electrical equipment are placed in the Electrical Cabinet (17); whereas the pneumatic equipment like the air conditioner and pressure regulators are located in the Pneumatic Cabinet (18). Electrical cabinet (17) use to be enclose electronic devices. Pneumatic cabinet (18) use to be shelter pneumatic equipment.

Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) works with electricity and pressurized air. Prior to its start, the operator must assure that these supply connections are made correctly. Likewise, the operator must feed the Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) to the machine, and fill the Clip Feeder Unit (6) with Clips (6a). Thereby, the required raw material and energy sources are provided to the machine. The clip feeder unit (6) is used to feed the clips (6a). Also, the clipping station (12) use to press clips (6a) onto hooped razor wire coils.

At first, the user introduces operation parameters such as the number of clips per circumference, coil diameter and number of coils, by using the User Panel (4) and starts the operation.

The Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) are drawn by the machine using Rolls- 1 (7b) and Rolls-2 (8b) driven by Forming Motors-1 (7a) and Forming Motors-2 (8a), respectively. These are electric motors with gearboxes, and they work synchronously with no phase difference.

The raw materials, that are the Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a), are typically wrapped around the carriage drums. Therefore, from the very beginning, they are preloaded in circular shapes. Therefore, the Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) have to be straightened first to be combined for Concertina Razor Wire production.

The Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) reach the machine from the Straightener Station (5). Straightener station (5) use to be straighten/flatten wire and razor raw materials. Two-stage Wire Straighteners (5a) plastically deform the wire and straighten it in two planes that are perpendicular to each other. Similarly, the Razor Tape (2a) passes through the Razor Tape Straightener (5b) to be straightened/flattened. As a result, both of the raw materials become neutralized, meaning that the existing preload is relieved. Eventually, in the outlet section of the Straightener Station (5), both of the raw materials become aligned with each other correctly and ready for the upcoming operations.

Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) has two forming station for mechanical forming of wire and razor raw materials, in order to obtain razor wire. Forming Station- 1 (7) and Forming Station-2 (8) operate in synchronization and they draw two raw materials together. The aligned Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3a) are firstly drawn by Rolls-1 (7b). These rolls rotate adversely to pull raw materials linearly. Rolls-1 (7b) cascades the Wire (3a) into the Razor Tape (2a) and plastically deforms the Razor Tape (2a) to a certain level. After this process, the semi-formed“Razor Wire” enters Rolls-2 (8b) and it is deformed to its omega-shaped final geometry. In the outlet section of Forming Station-2 (8), the Razor Tape (2a) and the Wire (3 a) in the downstream are turned into omega-shaped razor wire in strip form.

To become circular, the Razor Wire is let into the Hooping Station (9). Another set of rolls encircle the Razor Wire Strip and wind it to the Drum (10). The Drum (10) use both to pull razor wire and to ensure the correct location for clipping for adjacent coils. The Drum (10) is rotationally driven by the Drum Motor (10a), independent of the Forming Stations (7, 8). The Drum Motor (10a) is also an electric motor with a gearbox. As this motor rotates (along with the forming motors), encircled Razor Wire Strips, winded by the Hooping Station (9), forms a coil on the Drum (10). The Drum Flaps (11) press onto the coils and ensure them not to separate from the Drum (10). The Hooping Station (9) can be adjusted mechanically to ensure the coil diameter precisely.

The resultant circular-shaped razor wire coil is commonly called Helical Razor Wire. In order to make a Concertina Razor Wire from a Helical Razor Wire, two adjacent helical coils must be clipped together. Typically, this clipping process is realized by using 3 or 5 clips along the circumference, depending on the coil diameter. In both cases, the total number of clips must be evenly distributed along the circumference of the coil. Therefore, if 3 clips option is desired to be used, clips should be placed at 120-degree intervals. This angular interval is 72 degrees in 5 clips per circumference option. In order to insert a clip between two adjacent coils, these coils must be positioned accurately. To be in the correct clipping position, coils must be aligned with their humps and pits. In each clipping sub-cycle, the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) runs and draws raw materials as mentioned, then it accurately stops at the clipping position of two adjacent coils to make clipping possible.

This invention solves several drawbacks of the state-of-the-art, manually operated Concertina Razor Wire production technologies. The first drawback is the slippage. As Rolls-1 (7b) and Rolls-2 (8b) pull the raw materials from their Pay-Offs (2a, 3a), the mass moment of inertia of the raw materials and the pay-offs resists rotating. This resistance creates a negative force along the pulling direction. If the magnitude of this negative force is greater than or equal to the friction force between the rolls and the razor wire, rolls will rotate but they cannot pull the razor wire stream. Simply, they will rotate, but they will not do any work. This issue is called slippage. The second drawback is the drawing directions of raw materials. In a system where both linear and circular segments of a material must be drawn simultaneously, a single driver will disrupt the flow continuity and increase slippage.

In order to draw raw materials suitably, two groups of drivers are present in the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1). Forming Motor-1 (7a) and Forming Motor-2 (8a) are driven simultaneously by a single motor controller; whereas the Drum Motor (10a) is driven by another motor controller independently. The main purpose of forming motors is to pull the raw material; whereas for the Drum Motor (10a), achieving the correct clipping position for a coil is the essential objective.

There are Wheel Encoder (5c) and Razor Tape Sensor (5d) sensors in the Straightener Station (5). Razor Tape Sensor (5d) ensures the continuity of the razor strip, while the Wheel Encoder (5c) simply measures the linear distance of the razor strip flow. This two sensory information are combined to measure the actual travelled distance of the razor strip.

Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) has a slippage compensation ability. The Drum Motor (10a) is differentially driven by Forming Motor-1 (7a) and Forming Motor-2 (8a). By considering the actual travelled distance of the razor strip, the Drum Motor (10a) rotates slightly faster or slower than the Forming Motor-1 (7a) and Forming Motor-2 (8a) to diminish the effect of slippage. By the end of a cycle, the linear razor strip is encircled and the Drum Motor (10a) positions the Drum (10) accurately for clipping. Clip Feeder Unit (6) is a vibratory system that delivers Clips (6a) to Clipper Jaw (12a) with the aid of a Clip Magazine (6b). The Clipper Jaw (12a) filled with a Clip (6a) is pneumatically motioned by a Clipper Actuator (12b) to tighten the Clip (6a) through the pits of two adjacent coils, in the clipping position of two adjacent coils.

One sub-cycle of the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) starts with drawing the raw materials and ends with clipping. After clipping, one sub-cycle is completed and the next one starts. The Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) continually performs those sub-cycles until the desired number of coils are reached.

With clipped coils, a Helical Razor Wire becomes a Concertina Razor Wire; where multiple clipped coils are called as“bundle”. The coil quantity in a bundle depends on the user, but typically, a bundle includes 56 clipped coils. When a bundle is formed, operation sub-cycles of the Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) ends, and the last operation, cutting/separating starts.

A Cutting Station (14) use to cut to concertina razor wire bundle. Pneumatically driven Cutter Actuator (14b) locates Cutter (14a) onto the last coil of the bundle. Cutter (14a) is a guillotine type, hydraulically driven unit, powered by the Hydraulic Power Unit (19). Hydraulic Power Unit (19) creates and distributes fluid power. Cutter (14a) cuts the bundle from downstream and the Bundle Separator (13), which is pneumatically driven by Separator Actuator (13a), spares the end product (i.e. a Concertina Razor Wire bundle) from the rest. Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) automatically executes this whole cycle perpetually.

The Concertina Razor Wire Production Machine (1) eliminates the need for“clipping labour” and significantly reduces the “operator labour”. It decreases injuries and occupational accidents; whereas increases production capacity, quality and profitability, with its integration ability of production phases.