US1634913A - Method and apparatus for bending spokes - Google Patents

Description

v 1,6 4, 1 P 1 1927' T. F. RAINSFORD 3 9 3 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING SPO KES Filed March 16, 1925 3 sheets-shut INVENTOR 720777614; ffiafiysfara July 5, 1927.

P. RAHNSFQRD,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING SPOKES Filed March 16, 1925 3 Sh'eets-SE1 Q-2 iNVENTOR 72a masjfiamsflf 1 y 927 T. F. 'RAINSFORD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING SPOKES 3 Sheets-$116M H Filed March 16. 1925 INVENTOR fjmmsfiazfisffiai BY I ATTORNEYS Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,634,913 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. RAINSFORID, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WHITEHEAD 85 KALES COMPANY, OF RIVER ROUGE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING SPOKES.

Application filed March 16, 1925. Serial No. 15,982.

The invention relates to wheel manufactures and refers more particularly to a 1neth- 0d and apparatus for bending the spokes of wheels. j

An object of the invention is to provide means for quickly bending the spokes of a wheel preparatory to placing the rim in position. In manufacturing wheels, after the spokes have been connected with the hub and especially when the spokes are cast in the hub, the spokes are disarranged and must be straightened or bent into proper position preparatory to receiving the wheel rim. My invention provides a simple means for quickly bending or straightening all of the spokes of a wheel simultaneously. The invention further contemplates means for permitting quick replacement of a wheel on the machine after the bending operation has taken place.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine showing the spider in cross-section.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the table of the machine showing the spider in operative position. I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine base. v

Figure 4 is a plan of the machine base along 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a plan of the die block ring.

Figure 6 is a section view of the same along 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a plan of the spider, and

Figure 8 is a section View of the same along 88 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings reference character A indicates the base of the machine which may be cast of suitable metal and having a table B.

C represents a spider which is adapted to be reciprocated to bend the spokes of the wheel E preferably about a cooperating stationary die block D. V

For reciprocating the spider C, I provide a suitable source of power such as the motor 10, adapted to drive a gear 11 through a pinion 12, the drive then progressing through suitable reduction gearing such as pinion 1.3 and gear 14. The latter gear is provided with clutch jaws at 15 adapted to cooperate with complementary clutch jaws carried by a clutch member 16 splined at 17 to a driven shaft 18. The clutch member 16 is normally urged forwardly into driven contactuvith the clutch jaws of gear 14 by reason of a spring 19 one end of which bears against a stationary set collar 20. The clutch member 16 is preferably provided with actuating means for permitting driving engagement with gear 14 for one revolution of the clutch member 16. With this in View the clutch member 16 may be provided with a circumferentially extending groove 21 terminating in an offset 22. Engageable with the groove 21 is a pin 23 normally urged forwardly into engagementwith the groove by reason of a spring 24. The pin 23 may be withdrawn from the groove by any suitable operating means (not shown) connected with the pin. It will be noted that, with the motor 10 continuously rotating gear 14, the pin 23 will, after a revolution of the clutch member 16,

engage the offset 22 and automatically move the clutch member 16 to the right, thus withdrawing the clutch member from driven engagement with gear 14. Whenever it is desired to cause a revolution of the shaft 18 the pin 23 is momentarily withdrawn from the offset 22 whereupon the spring 19 will move the clutch member into driven engagei'nent with the clutch jaws of the gear 14 thereby rotating the shaft 18 for a single revolution or until the ofiset 22 again comes into engagement with pin 23 to disengage the clutch.

The shaft 18' terminates in a crank disc 25 having a driving pin 26 engaged by a connecting rod27. The driven end of the connecting rod operates a wrist pin 28 connected with a suitable crosshead 29 reciprocable in vertical guides 30. Connected with the crosshead 29 is a spider pull rod 31 adjacent the upper end of which is a reduced portion'32 adapted to receive the bi furcations 33 of a key 34 for temporarily holding the wheel in position and at the same time permitting quick removal of the key 34 as will be hereafter understood.

The table B may be provided with an annular seat 35 for receiving the die block D, and a portion 36 for supporting a mandrel 37 which slidably receives the rod 31. The mandrel may be tapered at 38 in accordance with that of the hub 39 of the wheel E. An annular portion 40 of the mandrel engages the portion 36 for supporting the mandrel and wheel hub in poeition to be acted on b v the spider C.

The die block 1) may be il'iinrniedwith cut out portion'h or slots l1 leaving the rai ed lower spoke guides 4-2 between s'ucces ive slotted portions. The elotted portiong are adapted to receive the upper spoke guides ii -l. The guides l2 and el l prejlerabl have their upper faces eurved and inclined outwardly to eonl orm readily with the/angle of bending of the. spokes, the guides thus serving as .lulcrums. The die block D is adapted to be secured to the annular seat; 85 by meiins ot the screws ll passing through the holes l5. l-loles ltl extend through the slotted portions l1. lo' aeeonnnedating e re 1's :l-T by means oil? which the upper spoke guides l3 are held seated within the slotted portione all. It will thus be noted that the die block I) is formed of alternzite lower epolie guidee l2 and relatively hip-her upper spoke guides aid, the guides being; spaced to contorin with the spoken of thewheel 1C.

The wheel E is shown having a hub 89 'lornied with an upper ai'inulus ltl and a lower annulus ll). ti eeured to the upper a11- nului's l8 and extendin indiull theret'roni are the upper epohes l the lower spoken at extending radially from the lower annulus l9. lhe upper spokes (it) and the lower s-ipolcee ill are verti'ally olhset so that, it projceted vertically the upper and lower Spoken would alternate.

'lhe spoltes may be secured to the hub in any manner desired although it. is preferred to ttbll' the ends ol the spokes with the wheel hub. Alter the spokes have been t -listened to the hub the;' are disarranged, my invention providing means for readily bending them into a proper predetermined position "tor receivinnthe rim (not shown).

'lhe spider O is provided with a central hub portion 52 adapted to slidably rceeive the pull rod 31. lllrttendintg adially from th spider hub 52 are a plurality of arms terminating; in a ring portion 54; having its under l'ace curved at 55 tor engagement with the upper spohee lit). The arms 53 are preferably the same in number as the lower spoken ii and are provided with downward- 13' extending lingers 56 terminally curved for engagement respectively with the lower spokes.

In operation the wheel E, comprising the hub 39 and the diearrangred upper and lower sets of spokes 5t) and 51 rcspertivel v, is placed on the rod 31.. being guided there by until it engages the mandrel. 237. The whee is thus positioned and supported with timeppcr epoltes 5O lying above the upper spoke pguides l3, and the lower spokes 51 lying above the lower spoke guides 42. hile the pull rod 31 is shown in Fig. 1 in its lower-meet position as just completinn the extreme bending of the spokes, itehould he ui'iderstood that at; the Completion of a cycle otf ope 'atioln the parts: are brought to rest with tlle pull roll 31 prelefitbly in its uppermoet poeition. Thus the wheel E is positioned preparato 1 to the bending operation when the pun iod ill is in its uppermost position as determined by the uppermont travel of the erosshead 25). The spider C is then lower-ed into position on the pull rod, the arms 53 being poeitionei above and alignedwith the lower spoken 5i whereby upon the downward movement of the spider, the lingers 56 will engage the lower spokes 51 and the ring 5-1 will engage the upper spokes fill. in large forms ol 1n y machine, the epider C may be.iplite heavy, malting it desirable to employ a suitable hoist (not shown) above the t-lpltlel tor lifting the same oil and on the pull rod to permit poeiticniing ot the eut' ire wheels. If desired suitable guide} might. be provided tor auton atieally properly poeitioninpi the epide' and wheel as the 'tloriner is placed into ptltll ltll'l on the pull rod. mile].- the epider has been lowered into p ofition the he illplaee d an :ihown in Fig. 1 with the hiturcations 3Z5 engaging the reduced portion 3211f the pull rod 31. "ilhe parts are then ready for the downward movement oi? the spider whieh is accomplished by niolneritarilv withdrawing the pin 2* establishing; a driviiur eonneotion between gear 1d: and the elutrh member 16. Thus rotation ot shaft 'ltl is produeeih cans ingthe pull rod ill to move downwardly by rear-Jon ol thepin 1th and eonneetin g rod 27. As the pull rod moves downwhrdlv the spider C i i i the key ill, causing; all ol the upper spokes {it to be bent: over the spoke guides 4-3 to the sauna extent by reason of their enti'hg'einent with the ring portion 54:. At; thelian'ic time the lingers so engage the lower spoken 51 to bend them over lhe guides the bending of such SlllOlitlrl being alt o all. to the name extent.

After 1 single revolution (which will ordinaril be sutlieient) the nnu'hine is auto-- .matically brought to rest by the movement of the clutch 16 produced b1;ensnurenient of the pin 23 and the olii'set nlot The key ill then withd 'awn permittingready removal of spider C a nd wheel I) preparzitory to posiitioniiur ot the next wheel.

lt will be noted that I have provided means :tor nimultaneounlv bending all 0t the spores; oi. a wheel. Since the upper spoke. and lower spokes; are bent the same A extent. they will all assui'ne a final position, a'fter springing back when the spider is removed, which will present a definite desired arrangement. By 1.)roperlv iiranging the guides 42 and $3 with respect the movement of the spider C, the spokes ion is carried with it by l'ltlSOll ot a ten may be made to assume any final position desired.

It is apparent that instead of having two groups of spokes termed upper and lower respectively for purpose of identification, my invention is equally adapted for bending spokes of a single group, or of any number of spokes.

l/Vhile it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages of my invention will be readily understood, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A spoke-bending machine for wheel spokes, comprising a support for said Wheel, a bending element, a fulcrum adapted for contact with a spoke intermediate the point of connection of the spoke with the hub of the wheel and theouter end of the spoke, and means for relatively moving the bending element and wheel for bending a spoke about the said fulcrum.

2. A spoke-bending machine for wheel spokes, comprising a support for said wheel, a pull rod, a spider removably mounted on said pull rod, and means for axially moving th pull rod to bring the spider into contact with the spokesfor bending the same.

3. A machine for bending the spokes of wheels of the kind embodying a hub and a plurality of groups ofspokes extending radially in ofi'set. relation from said hub, a support for the wheel, a bending member, and means for relatively moving the bending member and wheel for simultaneously bending all'the spokes in all of said groups.

4. A machine for bending the spokes of wheels including a hub and spokes extending radially therefrom, a pull rod act-uable through the hub, a support for the wheel, a spider, means for detachably connecting said spider and pull rod, and means for causing reciprocation of the pull rod for bringing the spider into engagement with the spokes for bending the same.

5. In a wheel spoke-bending machine, a base, a table supported by the base, a pull rod extending reciprocally through the table, a die block secured to the table including spoke guides, means for mounting the wheel above the table with the said pull rod ex tending through the hub of the wheel, a bending-member carried by the upper portion of the pull rod, and means for reciproeating the pull rod to cause bending engage ment of the spokes by said bending member.

6. A machine for bending the spokes of v wheels of the kind embodying a hub and a plurality of groups of spokes extending radially in oft'set relation from said hub, a support for the wheel, a spider provided with means for engaging all of the spokes of the wheel, spoke guides positioned in the line of bending of the respective spokes, and means for moving the spider into bending engagement with the spokes.

7. A machine for bending the spokes of wheels of the kind embodying a hub and a plurality of groups of spokes extending radially in ofi'set relation from said hub, a support for the wheel, a spider formed with a hub portion and ring portion adapted to engage the spokes of one of said groups for bending the same, arms connecting the hub and ring portions and bending means carried by said arms adapted to engage the spokes of the other group, and means for relatively moving the spider and wheel for. bending the spokes.

8. In awheel spoke-bending machine, a pull rod mounted for reciprocation through the axis of the hub of the wheel, means for supporting the wheel, a bending member operably'and removably connected to one end of the pull rod, means permitting quick detachment of the pull rod and bending member, and means for exerting a pull on the other end of said pull rod for bringing the bending member into engagement with the spokes of the wheel for bending the spokes.

9. The step in the manufacture of wheels consisting in subjecting the wheels, with cast 7 hubs and spokes extending from the hubs in disarranged fashion, to the influence of bending whereby the spokes thereof are bent into a definite predetermined arranged condition preparatory to receiving the rim.

1 0. A machine for bending the spokes of Wheels of the kind embodying a hub and a plurality of groups of spokes extending radially in offset relation from said hub, a support for the wheel, a bending member reciprocably mounted above said wheel and provided with means for engaging all of the spokes of the wheel, and means for causing a downward movement of said member for bringing the same into engagement with the spokes for bending the same.

11. A sp0ke-bending machine for wheel spokes, comprising a support for said wheel, a reciprocable member, and a spider removably mounted upon said reciprocable member provided with means for bending all of the spokes of the wheel simultaneously upon a downward movement of said member.

In testimony whereof I atfixmy signature.

THOMAS F. RAINSFORD.

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