US1440385A - Guide mechanism for sheet-metal-rolling machines - Google Patents

Description

Jam 2, 19230 1,44%385 E. M. FOSTER.

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR SHEET METAL ROLLING MACHINES.

FILED Nov 24. 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Jaumu 2, 19230 1,44,385

E- M. FOSTER. GUIDE MECHANISM FOR SHEET'MEYAI-YROLLING MACHINES.

FILED Nov. 24, 1.919. 2 SHEETS'SHEET 2- Patenteol Tan. 2., T923.

UNTTED STATES menses EMORY M. FOSTER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGIIOR TO THE HYDRAULIC PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GUIDE MECHANISIJI FOR SHEET-METAL-ROLLING MACHIHEfi Application filed. November 24, 1919. Serial No. 340,228.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L-EMORY M. Fosrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented &a certain new and useful Improvement in Guide Mechanism for Sheet-Metal-Rolling Machines, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description, re erence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to machines for rolling strips of sheet metal into grooved or tubular form, and more particularly to a guiding mechanism to be used in connection with such machine; the object of such guiding mechanism being to insure the delivery of the flat stock to the shaping rolls so that a given longitudinal line upon the fiat stock will register continuously with a given point upon the shaping rolls.

It sometimes happens that the strip of metal is improperly sheared, and is not of uniform width from end to end, and unless some provision is made in guiding such improperly sheared strip to the shaping rolls the finished or shaped product will have an excess of material upon one side of a given line and a shortage of material upon the opposite side, and this excess and shortage 0 tends to impair the finished product at these points; and it is with the idea of compensating for such possible inaccuracy in the metal strip that the presentform of guiding mechanism has been devised. 7

With this object in view the invention consists broadly in the employment of a pair of yielding guide rollers so positioned as to contact with the opposite edges of the sheet metal strip fed between them, said rollers being connected with each other in such a manner that they operate in unison, and such connection to be of such character that the movement of one roller will effect a corresponding reverse movement in the other roller whereby the strip of material passing between said rollers will always be main-' tained in a. definite longitudinal relation with reference to the shaping rolls. The invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings "forming a part of this specification, Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of guide mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the base block; Fig. .3 is a detailed view of the upper plate; Fig. 4: is a view of the lower guide plate; Fig. 5 is a detailed view .of one of the levers; Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the guide roller; and Fig. 7 is a detailed view illustrating the modified construction of lever adjustments.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I employ'a base block 10 which is preferably cored horizontally as shown at 11 and in the upper face of this block and centrally thereof is a longitudinal keyway 12. Elongated slots 13 are produced in the upper portion of the block upon opposite sides of the central keyway, these slots being of sufiicient length to permit ample adjustments as hereinafter referred to. This block 10 is firmly bolted to the frame of the machine at proper distance in advance of the shaping rolls (not shown) and with its longitudinal edge in parallel relation with the axis of said rolls.

Adjustably mounted upon the base block 10 is the lower plate 15 having the keyway 16 in the bottom thereof corresponding with th keywayc12 in the top of the base block said keyways being adapted to receive a suitable guiding key therein. The lower plate 15 is adjustably connected to the base block by means of short bolts passing upwardly through the slots 13 and entering the bottom plate 15 and inasmuch as these bolts are located in the longitudinal slots 13 the bottom plate can be adjusted with reference to the axis of the shaping rolls. The 'bottom plate 15 is formed at one end with an ofl'set extension 17, and at each corner and at the opposite outer corners of said extended portion I provide upwardly extending lugs 18 having recesses 19 in the faces thereof to receive the ends of helical springs 20. The main portion of the bottom plate 15 has longitudinal grooves 21 cut in the upper will be made to equally and simultaneously rnent of'the'upper plate upon the lower one in order to accommodate difl'erent widths of material fed to the-shaping rolls. A lever- 26 is pivotally connected to the upper face of the ofl'set portion of the plate 15 near each end thereof by means of a stud bolt 27 and a lever 28 is connected to the upper face of th -plate 22 by means of similar stud bolts 27, said pivotal points being in a line'parallel- 'with the axis of the shaping roll. A

guide roller is jo'urnaled in the end of each lever 26 and 28-and a link 29 connects theopposite end of each lever 26 with the end of the lever 28 which carries the guide roll, and each lever 26 and 28 is 'formed with a recessed boss 30 in the end where the guide; roller is j ournaled, said recessed bosses beingadapted to receive the'opposite ends oi? the springs 20 previously referred to.- These springs are compression sprin s and tend to force the gu dlng rollers towar s each other and it is obvious that inasmuch as the 0ppositeends ofthe levers are connected by means of the diagonal link 29 that any movement of oneroller will be immediately communicated to the opposite. lever and efiect a corresponding movement in the other guide roller in the reverse direction, that is to say,

that by means of the construction and arranglement of the particular features herein s own and described, the guiding rollers approach and recede from each other. 1

I In practice Ipreter to employ two sets 35 of levers and linksas illustrated in order to more eficlently guide the strip of material to the shaping ;rolls, it being'understoodthat the guiding rolls have their peripheries shaped to engage the edges of the metal stri an hold the same in sliding contact with the face of the onset portion 'ofthe lower plate and the upper face ofth'eupper plate.

is obvious that as a strip ofmetal is fed;

between the guiding rolls, that any irregularity in the shape of said strip will be communicated to" the'guide roll-at one side or striip 4 I wi th the roller at one side will be forced.

.the' other and will affect the. position of such guide roll to the extent of such irregularlty and also that When one guide roller is afiected by! such irregularity the other gulde .roller will be simultaneously and correspondingly afi'ected in the opposite direct1on thereby maintainingthe strip in a perfectly true longitudinal line while being fed to the shaping of metal should gradually 1ncrease in outwardly and will afiect the correspondin outward movement of the other roller an I the rollers consta-ntly contacting with the opposite edgesofthestrip will maintain the strip properly" centered as it. passes to the shaping rolls.

In order to properly gauge the guiding rollers through them respective levers, I proroll; that is 'to say that if av retirees vide the end of-each lever to which no link is; connected with an elongated opening 31 and in which" fits a stop bolt 32 carried by the upper plate and .the lower plate, and

working through the end of the lever is a set screw 33"whichis adapted to contact with the stop bolt32, and this-set screw is adjustable in or out in order to stop the lever at the desired point. w

lit-desired, the end of the lever can be bored -completely through and two oppositely disposed adjustable set screws 34 can be employed. The link 29 is provided with a plurality of openings 29 therein so as to accommodate varying widths of sheet metal stocks and to accommodate the adjustments of the upper and lower plates with reference I Having thus described my invention, what I claim is I 1. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers adapted to receive a strip of metal therebetween together wlth means for simultaneously causing said rollers to move in oppositedirections, thereby to cause the longitudinal axis of said strip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

'2. In a. device of the kind described, a pair of yieldable -guide 'rollers adapted to receive a. strip of metal therebetween together with means connecting saidrollers whereby theyapproach or recedefrom each other in unison thereby tocause the longitudinal axis of saidstrip to move along a definite line between said re; rs. I

3. In a device of the kirfdfdescribed, a pair of guide rollers adapted to receive a str p of metal therebetween, levers carrylfig said rollers and meansconnecting said levers, whereby said rollers approach and recede from eaclf dther in unisonzgto automatically I retain the 'longitudinalaxis of said strip alon a definite line. 1

t ln a device of'the kind described, a pair pf guide rollers, levers carrying said .rollers, means acting upon said levers to normally force said rollers toward each other, and means connecting said'levers to cause them to move simultaneously thereby to cause the longitudinal axis of said strip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

5. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers, levers carrying said rollers, means acting upon said levers to normally force said rollers toward each other, and means connecting. said levers to cause them to move simultaneously, together with means for limiting the inward movement of said rollers.

6. A guide mechanism for sheet metal rolls, comprising a base, a plate adjustable upon said base and carrying a guide roller, a second plate adjustable upon the first named plate and also carrying a guide roller, and equalizing means connecting said rollers to cause them to move in unison in opposite directions.

7. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers, levers carrying said rollers, plates to whichsaid levers are connected, one of said plates being adjustable upon the other, a link connecting the rear end of one lever with the forward end of the opposite lever, springs acting upon said levers, and normally forcing said rollers toward each other, and means for limiting the movements of said levers.

8. In a device of the kind described, a base block, a-plate adjustable upon said block, a second plate adjustable upon the first named plate, levers arranged in pairs upon said plates. guide rollers carried at the ends of said levers, springs acting upon said levers, lugs carried by said plates and against which the springs also bear, equalizing links connecting each pair of levers, and means for limiting the movements of said levers.

9. In a device of the kind described, a pair of guide rollers adapted to receive a strip of metal therebetween together with means for automatically moving said rollers to cause the longitudinal axis of said strip to move along a definite line between said rollers.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atfix my signature.

EMORY M. FOSTER.

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