US1504076A - Manufacture of tapering metal disks - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5 1924. 1,504,076

I. H. PRICE MANUFACTURE OF TAPERING METAL DISKS Filed: Feb. 2. 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 as 1,, r a Wm 11 HII Aug. 5 1924-.

I. H. PRICE MANUFACTURE OF TAPERING METAL DISKS Filed P- 920 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,wgw J I. H. PRICE 'Aug. 5. 1924.

MANUFACTURE OF TAPERING METAL DISKS Filed Feb. 2, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet v Swuwtoz SHOT/14m;

Aug. 5 1924. 1,504,076

I. H. PRICE MANUFACTURE OF TAPERING METAL DISKS Filed Feb. 2. 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 4' I. H. PRICE MANUFACTURE 0F TAPERING METAL DISKS Aug; 5 1924.

6 Sheets-sheet Filed Feb.

.1920 F 'LQT 1. H. PRICE Aug. 5, 1924.

Filed Feb. 2, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNTTED STATES ISAAC H. PRICE, OF-WARREN, OHIG.

MANUFACTURE OF TAIERING METAL Application filed February 2, 1920. Serial No. 355,788.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Isaac I-I. PRICE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Tapering Metal Disks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of tapered metal disks, which are especially designed and intended for use as automobile wheels of the so-called disk-wheel type.

The wheel disk, to which my present improvement relates, has a central portion of uniform thickness, and an elongated out wardly tapering portion extending from the outer edge of the central uniform thickness to the periphery of the disk, the width of the elongated tapered portion being preferably more than two-thirds of half the diameter of the disk, the periphery of the tapered portion being preferably half the thickness of the untapered uniform central portion.

in disks for vehicle wheels, and especially for use in automobiles, it has been found advantageous to have the disk with an elon gated outwardly tapered portion extending from a relatively smaller central portion, which is untapered and of uniform thickness.

Metal disks of the above described construction have been produced by slow, expensive and unsatisfactory methods, and it is the primary object of my present invention to provide a quick, cheap and effective method of producing the said described construction of disks.

I carry out my present invention by a novel rolling of the disks while they are in a heated condition.

In carrying out my present invention, I take a disk having a workable rolling heat, say eighteen inches in diameter, and of a uniform thickness of one-eighth of aninch, and expand it by an improved rolling method two inches on each side of its center with an elongated outwardly tapered. portion of about seven and one-half inches in width, the periphery of the disk being one half of its original thickness, thus effecting a two inch expansion with aseven and onehalf inch taper. i

' It is found in practice, that a disk having an eighth of an inch thickness will retain its rolling workable heat only about seven seconds, thus requiring that the two inch expansion with the seven and one-half inch width taper be effected in seven seconds. So far as I am aware, no practical method has heretofore been devised whereby a disk could be simultaneously expanded with a tapered portion having an elongated width, and in the instance stated the width of the taper being more than three times the expansion of the disk.

The limited time in which the expansion and tapering must take place requires a rapid expansion and tapering and a great deal of expansion to be ra'pldlytaken cai e of to prevent itfrom buckling, and so far as. I am aware, such result has not been heretofore accomplished.

In general terms, my present improvement may be broadly characterized as consisting in subjecting the periphery of a heated disk to a rolling pulling action in a direction tangential to the periphery of the disk substantially equal to the rate of expansion of the disk and extending over an area of the disk several times greater than its expansion, as fully set forth hereinafter.

My present invention further pertains to a machine of a novel construction for practicing the method.

In giving a specific description of my improved method and the manner of practically practicing the method, reference will be made to my improved machine, which is also the subject matter of this application.

This application may, therefore. be said to be for a method and machine for the manufacture of tapered metal disks.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, for the practical carrying forward of my novel method of producing tapered metal disks.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the disk carrying portion of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the rollcarrying part of my improved machine and taken together with Fig. 2, makes a top plan view of the machinecomplete.

ig- 4: a top plan. i w 9 the djace ends of the disk carrying and roll carrying mechanisms, showing them in their proper workable relative positions for carrying out in a practical manner my improved method.

Fig. 5 is an end view looking in the di: rection indicated by arrow in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the 4/ of rolls A and a disk-carrying mechanism B, which is movable towards the roll-carry ing mechanism, both of which mechanisms are supported upon a suitable base or bedplate C.

Roll mechanism.

The roll mechanism A, comprises an upper roll 1 and a lower roll 2, which are provided with shafts 3 and 4, which carry at their outer; ends meshing gears 5. The power for driving these rolls may be applied to the outer end of either of the shafts 3 and 4, in any well-known suitable manner. The shaft 4 of the lower roll is suitably journaled in the housings 5, and the shaft 3 of the upper. roll 1 is journaled in housings which have a slight vertical movement in the housings 5. Located above the front end of the shaft of the front roll 1, is a suitable hydraulic cylinder 6, carrying a piston 7, which has its stem 8 adapted to bear upon the front end of the sliding housing of the shaft 3, for the purpose of holding the upper roll 1 in its working position in relation to the 4 lower roll 2. The faces of the rolls 1 and 2 are of a width at least equal to and, preferably, a little greater than the width of the elongated tapered portion of the disk after it has been expanded and tapered. Preferably, one roll has a straight surface and the other a tapered surface, and in the example here shown, the lower roll 2 has a straight surface and the upper roll a tapered surface. Means is provided, which will hereafter be described, for causing the hy draulic pressure of the roll 1 to be applied when the disk is being expanded and tapered, and for releasing the hydraulic pressure when the expansion and tapering have been completed for permitting the tapered portion of the disk to be readily withdrawn from between the rolls.

The disk carrying mechanism B, 00111- prises a base 9, which is adapted to slide back and forth on a suitable track 10. Projecting upward from the rear end of the base 9 is a rigidly supported standard 11, to which is secured a suitable frame 12. This frame is constructed to form a U-shaped space 13 to accommodate the disk 14. The disk is supported between the upper and lower revolvable clamping heads 15 and 16, the upper head being attached to a vertically movable rod 17, and the lower head carried at the upper end of a stationary rod 18. An intermediately pivoted lever 19 is supported above the top of the frame 12 by suitable links 20. The front end of the lever 19 is pivoted to the upper end of the vertically movable rod 17 at the point 21, and has a depending adjustable link 22 which has its upper end 23 pivoted to the rear end of the lever 19. The lower end of the link 22 is pivoted at the point 24 to a crank lever 25. With the crank lever 25 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the rod 17 has been pushed down and the disk 14 is clamped between the revolvable heads 15 and 16. By turning the crank 25 towards a horizontal position, the rod 17 and its head 15 are lifted so that the disk 14 may be placed between the heads to be clamped and it may be removed therefrom after the expanding and tapering of the disk have been completed.

The ends of the bed-plate C, opposite the rolling mechanism A, are provided with a front cylinder 26, and a rear cylinder 27. These cylinders carry suitable pistons with their rods extending towards each other and connected with a cross-head 28, which extends through and beyond an opening 29 between the said cylinders. The opposite ends of this cross-head 28 are connected with the rear end of the sliding base 9, by means of suitable links 30. The pistons within the cylinders 27 and 28 are one-way-acting pistons, and are operated by hydraulic pressure v in the manner hereafter described, whereby hydraulic pressure is admitted to first one and then the other cylinder. With the parts in the positions shown in Fig. l, the rear piston is at the rear end of the rear cylinder, and the forward piston is at the rear end of the forward cylinder. Hydraulic pres sure is then admitted to the rear cylinder, and the exhaust of the front cylinder opened, whereby the rear piston is moved forward and slides the base 9 with the disk-carrying mechanism towards the rolls 1 and 2 and the edge of the disk between the rolls. For the purpose of controlling the movement of the disk between the rolls, the exhaust from the front cylinder 26 is regulated so that the disk is caused to travel between the rolls at a speed equal to or approximately equal to the rate of the expansion and tangential pulling action of the rolls 1 and 2.

The hydraulic pressure to the cylinders 26 and 27 is controlled by a valve 31, located within a valve housing 32. A pipe 33 extends from this housing to and communicates with the front end of the front cylinder 26, and a pipe 34 communicates with the valve housing and with the rear end of the rear cylinder 27. The valve 31 is provided with a suitable handle 35. When the handle is in the position shown by dotted lines a, Fig. 2, the valve 31 is in the position for admitting the hydraulic pressure to the rear cylinder and forcing its piston forward carrying the disk-carrying mechanism to the rolls, asbefore described. When the valve is intliis position, its adjustable by pass opening 3 6 controls the speedat which the front cylinder 26 is exhausted and,

' therefore the speed at which the disk 14 is the rolls 1 and 2.

The hydraulic, pressure of the cylinder 6 acts upon the upper roll 1 is controlled a lever 88, and this lever controls a v a lve 8,9 of suitable construction so that} when the lever is moved in one dis rection, hydraulic pressure is admitted to then-win er thro gh t e P p n whenjthe 1 ,8 .11 38 is in its other position, the hydraulic pressure is released and the outlet pipe 41 is thrown into communica tion with the cylinder 6, thus releasingthe hydraulic pressure, so that the clamping action of the rolls is released and the disk 1 1 can be readily drawn from between them. Attention is directed to the fact that the outlet pipe 41 and 41, extends to a point at least as high as the top of the cylinder 6, to prevent the liquid from siphoning therefrom, so that the cylinder 6 is always practically full of liquid, whereby the clamping action is practically instantaneous with the, proper movement of the lever 38 for that purpose. A liquid inlet pipe 42 communicates with a housing 82 of the valve 31, and an exhaust pipe 43 also communicates with the valve housing 32, whereby' the valve 31 is adapted to controlthe inlet and exhaustto the cylinders .26 and 2 Particular attention is. directed to Fig. 4,; for showing'therelative positions of the center of the disk and the axes of the rolls 1 and 2. It will be observed that the axes of the rolls 1 and 2, as indicated by dotted line '0, is to one side of the center of the disk, as indicated by dotted line (Z. This is the relative position of these parts, when the upper roll is rotating in the direction indicated by, arrow in Fig. 4;. It will be understood, of course, that in Fig. 4f the lQ- e per phe fthe r .1 is re v in the opposite direction from its upper Periphe y "as ndicate y. arrow in t as With theistic rei is in i science axes f he'ro l x n Out .1

. line with the center a of the disk, and at that sid ewe hic the engaging n tins of the disk andth'e rolls are rotated. By reason of this, relative location, the rolls effecta pull in a direction tangential to the periphery of the disk, as shown by arrow f in Fig. 6. I have discovered that it is essential to carry out my method and the production of the expanded disk with the elongated taper, that the axes of the rolls and the center 6 of the disk be out of line a distance to cause a tangential pull approximately equal to the rate of expansion of the disk. That is to say, the distance the axis of the rolls 1 and 2 are out of line with the axis of the disk 14, controls the amount or rate of tangential pull of the rolls upon the expanding periphery of the disk. Therefore, in carrying out my invention, the axes of the rolls 1 and 2 are located out of line with the axis of the disk 14 the proper distance to cause the tangential pull of the rolls to be approximately equal to the expansion of the disk, and the ideal realization of my invention is to have the tangential pull of the rolls exactly equal to the rate of expansion of the disk, but it will be understood that the relation of these parts may be varied within certain practical limits. The limits of variation cannot well be stated here, as this depends upon the character and condition of the metal of which the disk is composed; the amount of pressure on the disks; the speed of rotation of the disks etc. However, the location of the axes of the rolls should not be so close to the axis of the disk as to cause crowding or buckling, nor so far away as to cause the pull to tear the metal. By reason of this relative arrangement of the axes of the rolls and the axis of the disk being expanded a puckering of the disk is prevented and a tearing away of the metal is prevented, so that the result is an evenly expanded disk with an elongated taper.

Attention is called to 7, which shows a cross-section of the disk before it is expanded and tapered, and a cross-section of the disk after it is expanded and tapered. In making a completed twenty-two inch expanded and tapered disk, I take a disk 18 inches in diameter and of a one-eighth inch uniform thickness. In the expanding and tapering of this disk its center is at one side of the center of the rolls the distance between the lines a, c, Fig. 6, which is five and one-half inches, and the disk is expanded two inches forming an elongated taper having a width of seven and one-half inches. The disk is moved forward between the rolls a distance equal to the length of the taper (7!, inches) less half the expansion of the disk (2 inches) making the movement of the disk five and one-half inches between the rolls, plus the expansion of two inches causing the extension of the disk between the rolls of seven and one-half inches, thus producing the disk with a taper having a width of seven and one-half inches In the practical working of my improved method and apparatus, the disk is revolved about sixteen times, thus causing an expansion of one-eighth of an inch for each revolution. These sixteen revolutions taking place in seven seconds in which it is expanded two inches, the expansion is very rapid and T have discovered that this rapid expansion can be taken care of to prevent buckling or tearing of the metal by having the axes of the rolls out of line with the center of the disk, as above described, to cause What I term a pull in a direction tangential to the periphery of the disk approximately equal to the rate of expansion, whereby the expansion is taken care of by this tangential pull and buckling and tearing of the metal is prevented.

For the purpose of adjusting this out of line of the centers of the rolls and the disks, I have the frame 12 swing on the supporting rod 11 and provide the frame 12 with a curved member 44:, against the ends of which adjustable bolts 45 engage for the purpose of swinging the frame 12 nearer to or further from the axes line 0, Fig. 4, of the rolls 1 and 2. These adjustable bolts45 extend through a curved member 46, which is suitably fastened to the base 9. By means of this adjustment, the relative positions of the centers of the rolls and disk can be set according to the speed of the machine, the size of the disk and the character of the metal being acted upon, but in all cases involving what I have termed the tangential pull substantially equal to the rate of expansion of the disk, for the purpose described.

While I show and describe a hydraulic hold-down means for the rolls 1 and 2, I desire it to be understood that other forms of hold-down may be used without departing from my generic invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of expanding and tapering a metal disk, which consists in subjecting the opposite sides of the periphery of the heated metal disk to a tapering rolling action pulling the periphery of the disk in a direction parallel to a tangent to the periphery of the disk, the tangential pulling action being substantially equalto the rate of expansion of the disk. a

2, An apparatus for expanding revolving heated disks, comprising a revolvable disk clamping support, means for operating said clamp, a pair of rolls. a table for the support movable toward the rolls, hydraulic pressure mechanism for said table to move it toward the rolls and to control its movement to an adjusted speed.

3. An apparatus for expanding revolving 5. An apparatus for expanding revolv-v ing heated rolls, comprising a base, apair of rolls at one end of the base, a pair of cylinders at the other end of the base, a

movable revolvable disk support between the cylinders and the rolls, pistons for the cylinders operatively connected with. the disk support for -moving it toward and away from the rolls,- and means for controlling pressure to and from the cylinders.

6. An apparatus for expanding revolving heated disks, comprising a movable revolvable disk support, a pair of rolls atone side of the support, and pressure actuated means at the opposite side of the support connected with the movable support and controlling the movement of the support toward and away from the rolls. i

7. An apparatus of the type described, comprising a pair of rollers, a revolvable disk support mountedon a slidable base, a hydraulic mechanism connected with "the base and adapted to slideit'back and forth, and. a valve controlling the action of the hydraulic mechanism, whereby the slidable base is controlled, for the purpose de scribed. p v

8. An apparatus of the type described comprising a pair of rollers, a revolvable disk support, mounted on a slidable base, a hy-v draulic mechanism consisting of two 'cylin ders, the cylinders operative'ly connected with the slidable base, passages operatively connected with the said cylinders, and a valve inthe passage of the cylinder moving the base toward the rollers, the said .valve havinga'passage adaptedto cause the base to move forward at a speed substantially equal to the expansion of the disk.

9. An apparatusof the type described, comprising a pair of rollers, a revolvable disk support mounted on a slidable base, two cylinders arranged in tandem and having their adjacent ends connected with the base, means for supplying pressure to the opposite ends of the said cylinders, said means including a valve for controlling the passage. of pressure out of the innercylinder for controlling the speed at which the base is moved toward the rollers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ISAAC H. PRICE

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