US1629464A - Metallic-ball-making machine - Google Patents

Description

y M. w. MAGANN METALLIC BALL MAKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y M. w. MAGANN METALLIC BALL MAKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, 1927.

UNITED STATES MERRITT w. MAGANN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ST. LOUIS STEEL BALL CORPORATION, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

METALLIC-BALL-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed October 11, 1923. Serial No. 667,895.

My invention relates to a metallic ball making machine for rolling non-spherical pieces of metallic stock having a volume of material equal to the finished ball, and, it is a distinct and practical improvement in the line of the art to which the invention relates to overcome certain practical objections to,

and defects in the class of machines to which it relates.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for making balls by rolling the stock in an orbital channel between two ball forming members that will cause the axis of the stock to be constantly changed in rotation in all directions while being formed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine wherein one of the ball rolling members will yield from its coacting member when necessary to prevent choking of the orbital channel traversed by the stock being rolled into balls.

- A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine, one member of which is provided with an annular ball forming groove which is semi-circular in cross-section and provided with depressions and a co-acting member provided with a circular groove which is also semi-circular in cross section, said groove having a wall or obstruction in its path and provided with a stock feed passage and a finished ball discharge passage both communicating with the ball forming groove on opposite sides of the obstruction or wall.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts and their equivalents, hereinafter more fully described andfinally pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1, is a top plan view of a metallic ball making machine embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view of the machine.

Fig. 3, is a front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 4:, is a rear elevation of the machine.

'Fig. 5, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in sectional elevation, taken on hne 5 -5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6, is a plan view of the inside face of one of the ball forming members.

Fig. 7, is a plan view of the inside face of the co-acting ball forming member.

Fig. 8, is a detail of a modified form of ball forming member.

In carrying out the aim of my invention, I employ a suitable base 1 having the up: right bearing supports 2 and 3 carried thereby. The supports 2 and 3 are each provided with opposed bearings 4: within which is journaled a suitable drive shaft 5 and further provided with opposed bearings 6 within which is journaled a suitable drlven shaft 7. A suitable pinion 8 is suitably fixed to one end of the drive shaft 5 which meshes with a suitable driven gear 9 suitably fixed to the inner end of the driven shaft 7. A suitable belt pulley 9 is fixed to the outer end of the drive shaft. 5 which may be revolved by any suitable source of power.

A ball forming plate 10 of suitable size, shape and material is suitably and removably fixed to a suitable standard 11 extending upwardly from the base 1. The plate 10 is provided upon its inner face with an annular sen'ii-circular, or concaved groove 12. The groove 12 is provided with apartition 13 and upon opposite sides thereof with the passages 14; and 15. Passage 14 acts as a feed passage for stock to be fed to the ball forming mechanism and passage 15 acts as a discharge passage for the ball when fully formed or shaped.

A second ball forming plate 16, preferably aring plate, of suitable size, shape and material is suitably and removably fixed to the driven gear 9 in opposed relation to the ball forming plate 10. The ring plate 16 is'also provided upon its inner face with an annular semi-circular or conca-ved groove 17 disposed opposite the facial groove 12 in plate 10 so as to provide a ball forming channel between the ball forming plates, which is circular in cross-section.

The groove 12 of plate 10 is provided with a plurality of suitably spaced transverse stock feeding depressions, or grooves 18. The grooves 18 are preferably, although not necessarily diminished in length, and they preferably do not GXLGIICl. around the annular groove 12, but stop short of the discharge passage 15 to provide the smooth surfacedsection 19 for ren'iovlng any burrs formed in the ball by the facial grooves or depressions and for finishing the surface of the ball before being discharged.

The'groove 1'? of plate 16 is provided with a plurality of suitable spaced transverse facial depressions or grooves 20. The grooves or depressions 2O preferably extend con'ipletely around the circular groove 17 so as to positively keep on the move, the ball being formed in the orbital ball forming channel.

21 representsa heavy resilient strap which is suitably fixed at each end to the bearing Support 3 in such a manner as to cover the shaftopening in the bearing 5 thereof. A suitable ball bearing; 22 is disposed between the outer end of shaft 7 and the resilient strap 21. A suitable bearing disc 23 is dis posed between the two ball forming plates 10 and 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The disc bearing keeps the two plates spaced the desired distance apart to provide suitable clearance 2st for scales to escape from the orbital ball forming channels 25 formed between the two plates by the grooves 12 and 1'? and the spring member 21 permits longitudinal movementof the shaft 7, including plate 16 to prevent choking of the stock in the ball forming channel 25.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stock to be rolled into balls, is in the shape of cubes, cylinders and any other design or irregular shape having a sufficient [area of material to form the size balls to be made in the orbital passage or channel between the ball forming plates. The ball forming stock designated A. is fed to the ball forming mechanism through the feed passage 1 1 from where it enters the orbital passage 25 and is rolled in the annular grooves of the opposed ball shaping plates. constantly changing its axis of rotation until it is discharged through the discharge passage 15. The grooved member 16 being rotatable and its co-acting member 10 being stationary, permits the facial channel grooves to grip the stock being formed into ball shape to keep the stock in a constant state of rotation with its axis constantly changing 'so that the stock will be discharged in a substantial ball shape and not egg shape.

The stationary and revoluble grooved members 10 and 16 may be segmental in shape and duplicates, if desired, where the ball forming course can be conveniently made long enough to form the stock in ball shape, as clearly shown in the modification shown in Fig, 8. The facial groove in each segmental member is arcuate in shape 111- stead of annular or circular and the wall 13 and the discharge channel 15 are eliminated.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that 1 provide a ball making machine which is small in size, consisting of a minimum number of parts, strong, durable, and highly eilicient for the purpose intended.

The many advantages of the herein described invento'n will'readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. I

1 do not wish to be understood as having [limited myself to the details of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I have shown in, the drawings ismerely illustrative, as it is manifest that various minor changes may bemade in the exact construction and particular arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit 0t my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any such. changes, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is:

1. In a ball forming machine structure, a base, a standard directed upwardly from said base, a pair of spaced supports directed upwardly from said base, a front bearing carried by each support,a rear bearing carried by each support, a stationarydie plate having a facial annular ball forming groove having a slug inlet passage and a ball out let passage removably fixed to the inner side face of the standard, a driven shaft journal-ed in the front bearings, a driven gear having an annular groove in its inner face fixed to the inner end of said driven shaft, a ring shaped die member having a facial annular ball forming groove removably lined in the annular groove of the gear and disposedin opposed relation to the ball forming groove ofthe stationary die plate, a that spring member fixed at opposed ends to one of the supports and closing; one end of one of the fr-ontbearings, a ball bearing disposed between the-outer end of the drivgear for revolving the forming machine strucstandard fined to the base, a

pair of spaced supports fixed to said base.

a front bearing for each support in axial al gnmeutwith each other, a rear bearing for each support in axial alignment with each other, a stationary die plate for said standard provided with an annular shaped facial groove having; depressions therein and having a slug inlet passage and a ball outlet passage separated by means of a partition, a driven shaftjournaled in the front bearings, a. driven gear having an "annular end ofsaid drive shaft facial groove fixed to said driven shaft, a ring shaped die member provided with an annular facial groove having depressions seated in the annular facial groove of the gear in opposed relation to the groove of the stationary die plate, means to accommodate the outward end thrust of the driven shaft, a drive shaft journaled in the rear bearings and a pinion fixed to the drive shaft meshing; with said gear.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

MERRITT WV. MAGANN.

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