US1790946A - Method and apparatus for making button blanks - Google Patents

Description

M. PLATT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTTON BLANKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 3, 1931. 1,790,946

Filed Nov. 1926 ATTORNEY Feb; 3, 1931. -r

METHOD AND. APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTTO N BLANKS Filed Nov. 26, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ebls, 1931. 1 M. PLATT 1,790,946

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTTON BLANKS Filed Nov. 26, 1926 4 Sheets$heet 4 f? I/Q ATTORNEYS.

Reunion PLATT, or .oemnnmfunvf JERSEY;

Assess s 'To' PEERLESS PEARL oomrm, or cemnnmnnwannsnv, a conronnirron on NEW JERSEY mnrrron m nrimws r031 ii'nnmeinurrron BLANKS' Application med November 265- 6; "ser'iai no} isojeee.

This invention has relation .to a new and useful method and-apparatus for cutting .or

dividing pearl stock into blanks or (llSCS,-21I1Cl it=relates more particularly to the :novel man-f ner and apparatusfor automatically and- 5 economically producing button blanks from pearlsstock sor :mother of pearl, for the manufacture-of buttons and the like. i illhis invention further relates toanovel apparatus whereby :a large numberof button blanks :may be produced simultaneouslyand whereby the uniform thickness of suchg blanks ;;may be accurately gauged andspre determined.

- This invention be produced, having their opposed'faces pa-rallel to each other and perpendicular to the periphery thereof, and of a' thickness closely approximating the desired thickness of the finished button, thus greatly reducing the work and time otherwise consumed in the finishing and backing operations and there by effecting a great saving lIllllII18,-lil-b0l, and

material.

The leading object of the present-invention may 'be said to reside in the provision of a new and novel method of blank formation which maybe practiced more efiiciently 'and more economically than heretofore accomplished.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of new, novel and zippreciably simplified mechanism for attaining the etiiciency and economy above referred to.

Other and further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts for attaining the results sought in the foregoing objects.

. Another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus for severing pearl stock into button blanks, whereby a great number of such pearl stock is firmly gripped in position with respect to a plurality of regulated, automatic cutting means, thus producing a plura lity'of such blanks in one operation and at minimum cost.

nether object of the present invention is further relates to a novel apparatus whereby button bla-nksgmay toprovidenovel apparatus for cutting parallel faced button :blanks' from pearl stock, and producing, moreover, button blanks of a-a'elatively *small thickness and varying the thickness of such blanks at will.

Other and iurther objects of the present invention "will I be more apparent from the i followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, formin-g part hereof, and in wllich zna-xn x ..i i

igi1re l represents a view in side elevation ofzapp'aratus formatting pearl stock,embedy in%the invention. I

i=- igure' -Q represents a top or plan view ofl the -same'w flii g-rrrefia-iepresents a perspective View of the chuck holder in 'detached position.

=Fci gure 3 represents an end \"lBW looking towards'the left hand side or" Figure 1. Y

.l igure i, represents an end View of the rightihand sicleioit Figure 1.

:LFi-gure 5, represents a vertical sectional viewhvkenmpon the line 55 of Figure 2, certainof the parts being shown in elevation.

Figure 6,-representsa view in side elevation'sof th'e: shaft actuatingthe cutters and .the chuck holder, the gears and :bearings therefor beingshown in section. 3

Figure "T represents a sectional View taken upon the line-77 of Figure 2, and showing, upon a n' -e n'larged scale, the chuck holder seen in section inthe toppert of Figure 5.

.igu'rela,represents a -perspective view of the cam :shaft around which the chuck holder-revolves.-

:Figure 8, represents a view in elevation hereinafter referred .to. v

Figurel-9, represents a top or plan view of Figure' S.

. Figure 10, represents a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of thechuck and its jaws.

Figure 11, represents a perspectiveview of-one-of the chuck jaws seen in Figures 7, 8, 9,-:and '10, in -detached position.

Figure 12, represents a perspective view of a piece of the pearl stock to be-severed.

Having now generally stated the nature and objects of the present invention, it may be proper to at this time state that the present invention, generally and broadly stated, comprises a housing, suitably anchored to a stationary base, a plurality of power driven cutters carried by a laterally movable slide on said housing, means for accurately adjusting said cutting means with-respect to the pearl stock to becut, means forspacing said cutters with respect to each other to determ ne the thickness of the blanks to be produced, means-for shielding said cutters, a

plurality of power driven rotary gripping elements mounted on said housing in fixed operative relation to said cutters, and adapted to grip the pearl stock-while the same is being cut, and means intermediate said outfollowing description taken in connection.

pearl stock into button blanks, the same com-- ters and said pearl stock for accurately aligning said cutters during the cutting operations. Other elements of my novel apparatus will be described more in. detail in the with the accompanying drawings:

Referring to the drawings, in which hke reference characters indicate like parts, 1 designates,my .novel apparatus for severing prising a hollow, tapering standard or hous- 1ng,2,1supported.;upon the fiat base. 3, the

standard being provided with -the= upp er. flange 4 upon which the upper portion of ;-,the apparatus proper is bolted orotherwise secured. The reference numeral 5 designates the main driving .shaft to which power is applied by the tight pulley 6, the pulley 7 being loose, power being transmitted from said main shaft am the shaft 8 bybelt 9,

which latter passes around the pulleys l0 and- 11. The shaft 8 is mounted inthe pendant bearings or brackets 12 and 13 and carries the pinion 14, meshing with gear wheel 15,

.vhichlatter is loose on the shaft 16, as' is the pinion 17, which is integral with or fas tened to the gear 15. The pinion l7 meshes with the gear wheel 18, the latter being"- mounted on shaft 19 which shaft carries the ,pinion 2O which-in turn meshes with gear wheelv 21 fastened on shaft 16. Shaft 16 is. mounted in'the bearings 19m, 20m, and 21%,

which is apparent from an inspectionof igs.

5 and 6, and at its right hand end carries'the cam member 22 which 1s provided with a;

cam groove 23, whose inner walls engage the roller 24 carried on the pin 25, which roller issecured to the slide 26, which latter slides in the ways 2?, as will be understood from an ,inspection ;of F ig. 4. The upper slide 28,

mounted on the slide 26, (see Fig. 4), carries the shaft 29 having the pulley 30 to which power is applied by a separate belt 31 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. On the shaft 29 00 I mount the cutters 32, arranged in groups-of understood from Figure 2.

In practice six groups of cutters are employed, four cutters or blades to a group, as will be understood from Figure 2, the number of such groups of cutters or blades in each group being increased or diminished at will -fl he cutters 32 are preferably ofthin, carborundum dises' andthey are protected by the guard 35, as will be understood from Fig.

5. As it is essential that provision be made for the adjusting position of the" cutters 32 carried: thereby, are moved towards or away from the pearlstockto be cut, thus effecting a very fine and accurateadjustment of the d1's tanee betweensaid cutters and pearl stock to be cut. The reference numeral 40 designates a vertically. disposed-slotted guide plate through which plate the CZLIbOIlIII dIlHI discs or cutters 32 project, whereby thelatter are more accurately aligned-as they move inwardly towards the, pearlstock to be severed.

.Referringnow specifically tolligures 1 and 2, it will'be seen that the loose gear 15 previously referred to is in mesh with the pinion 41 carried by the shaft 42 which is mounted in suitable bearings andwhich has on its inner end theiworm 43 which engages the underside of the pinion 44. On the inner end of the shaft 45 is fixed the disc 46 which carries the roller 47 which engages the radially disposed slots 48 the disc 49, the construction of which will be understood from Figures 1 and 2a. 49 designates the chuck holder and its adjuncts hereinafter described, which. revolves freely about the stationary shaft 50, the outer ends ofwhich are cylindrical and the intermediatepertion of which is eccentric or cam shaped, as indicated at 51, as will be seen from Fig. 7a. The cvlindrical ends of the station .baft 50 are mounted in suitable bearings i i, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Still referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the generally cylindrical chuck holder 49 carries the chuck arranged thereon in longitudinal, horizontal rowsparallel to each other and pcrpemlicnlar to the periphery of said disc. In the preferred embodiment of my lllVOllLlOll, shown particularly in Figs. 2a. 5, and 7, I employ four such rows of chucks 55 disposed at right angles to each other. said chuck holder 49 and its adj uncts, being adapted to revolve as a unit about the stationary, elliptical cam shaft 50. in a manner hereinafter described. Each chuck 55, partly enclosed in the frame 61, comprises the chuck ill-I) stem-62,1 the solid inner end of which vpassesis held in position, within the housing 61, by

the coil spring 66, the inner end of which secured thereto, by the threaded nut 67, while the outer end of said spring 66, bears against the inner surface of l the flange of closure 68 on the outer end of said .housing 61. The prongs 65 outwardly flare near the outer extremity thereof to form the inwardly tagering portions 69, which are adapted to tightly seat in the wedge opening 70, in the flange or closure 68 of said housing 61 when the stem 62 is urged inwardly by the force of the coil spring 66, on said stem 62, as will be described more in detailhercinafter. The tapering portions 69 terminate in the blocks or heads 71, in each of which is adapted to be rigidly and detachably secure-c a jaw member 72, by means of the screw 74, passing through the base portion 73, of said jaw 72, on which is arranged the inwardly curved or concave row of teeth 76 (see Fig. 11) spaced from each other a suitable distance, as at 77. The chuck holder 49 carrying the rows of chucks 55, is revolved around the stationary shaft 51 by means' of the roller 47, which engages the radial slots 48 in the outer face of said chuck holder 49. The roller 47 in turn is carried by the disc 46,.which is fast on the shaft 45 and which is revolved in a counter clockwise direction by means of the pinion 44 in mesh with the worm gear 43 on the shaft 42, which in turn is revolved or actuated by the pinion 41 which meshes with the loose gear wheel 15 on the shaft 16, said shaft 16 being supplied with power by the lclt 9 in the manner already described.

In carrying out my invention, 1 place pearl stock 78 on the board or feed table 78, from which pearl stock 7 8 is fed to the jaws 7 2 of a chuck when said chuck is in the vertical position indicated by A in Fig. 7. In this position a chuck is in its outermost position, since the inner end 63 of the chuck stem 62 bears against the raised or cylindrical surface of the shaft 50, thus forcing the portions 69 out from the said opening against the force of the coil spring 66 and thus maintaining the jaws 72 on the outermost extremity of said chuck 55 in open or nongripping position, thus facilitating the feeding thereto of pearl stock to be severed, as will be understood from Fig. 7. When the chuck holder 49, carrying the chucks 55, is revolved in a clockwise direction by the action of the roller 47, engaging the radial slot 48 in the face thereof, the inner end 63 of the chuck stem 62, leaves the raised or cylindrical surface of the shaft 50 and enters upon the low surface 51 of said cam shaft 50, the chuck 55 at the same time traveling from the vertical position A to the horizontal position B.:'.' As the lfillli8l'ld.=63*0f'lZl'lQiStQlll 62 ridesupon the cam surface 51 of the-loam shaft 50, the. coil spring;66 gradually-"urges a chuck .55 inwardly' and gradually forces the flared portion 69; thereofinto the wedge shaped opening 7.0;(see Fig.- .7.) thus bringing the jaws 72 firmly together and closing thesa-me on the pearl .stock 78. VVhenrthe chuck 55 reaches the li'orizotal position l5, inwhich the pearl stockisto be cut bythe cutters 32, the inner end 63 of a chuck stem 62 bears against the lowermost part'of the cam surface 51 of the shaft 50, and the spring 66 thereupon urges the chuck; 55 inwardly until theflared portionsr69 of saidstemarc very tightly wedged in the opening 70 thus further strengthening the grip of said jaws 72 on the pearl vstock't'8 clamped therein. In this horizontal position B of a chuck 55 in which the pearlstock 78 'is' firmly gripped bythe jaws 3 2, the cutters 32 are moved forward into cutting-1 engagement with the-pearl stock 78, by-the action ofthe rollerj24, cooperating with :thc 'camgroove 23 and actuated by the shaft 16 in timed relation to the rotation of a chuck 55. around the shaft 50 and in timed relation to the rotation of the disc 46,-in the manner already described. p'lhus, the width of thecam groove 23 is slightly greater than the diameter of the pearl stock 7 8 to be cut, while the circumference of the cam member 22 is such that it makes one complete revolution to every quarter revolution of the disc 46, thus bringing the-cutters 32 into cutting engagement with the pearl stock 78 and withdrawing the same therefrom after the cutting operation has be 1 completed and again bringing the cutter 32 forwardly into cutting position in time to out the stock held in the next succeeding set of chucks 55. .The range or limit of travel of the cutters 32, as determined by the cam groove 23, is further sub ject to adjustment by proper manipulation of the hand wheel 37 of the set screw 36 and the stud 39 carried by the underside of the upper slide 28 carrying said cutters 32. The roller 47, carried by the disc 46, revolving in a counter clockwise direction, enters and engages a radial slot 48 in the face of the chuck holder 49, (see Fig. 1) and revolves the same in a clockwise direction around the cam shaft 50, from the point A to the point B, or an arc of 90 degrees, at which latter point B the roller 47 drops out of a radial slot 48 and the chuck holder 49, as well as a chuck 55, carried thereby remain-stationary until the disc 46 and the roller have made three quarters of a revolution. during which time the cutters 32 are moved forward into cutting engagement with and cut the pearl stock 78 in the j aws 7 2 of a chuck 55 which is now in the gripping, horizontal position B in the manner already described. The four radial slots 48in the face of the chuck holders 49 aresoarrangedwith respect-to the four sets or rows of chucks thatwhen the chuck azi arcro-f 90 degrees, where they remain until the.- cutting operation is completed, the disc in the meantimehaving "completed a revolution and the roller 47 carried thereby is again ready'to-engage the next succeeding radial slot at the point A. It is thus seen that-the cam member-22 and the disc 46 make four complete revolutions to each one revolution of the chuck holder 49. By the provision of a plurality of rows or sets of chucks55 onthe chuck holder s9, and a cor-' responding plurality-of radial slots 4-8 and by properly regulating the width andcir cumference of the cam member 22 as well as the circumference of the disc 46, with respect to the number of chucks 55, one row of chucks 55 will be always in the vertical position A, at which point pearl stock is fed thereinto, while another row of chucks 55 is simultaneously in the horizontal position B, where the stock is cut, thus carrying on the feeding and cutting operations simultaneously Without any interruption orinterference and eiiecting a saving of time and cost. When a chuck 55 is revolved from horizontal position 13, after the pearl stock has been cut, into the pendant, vertical position C, the inner end 63 of a stem 62 gradually leaves the cam surface 51 of the shaft 50, and again enters upon and bears. against the raised or cylindrical surface of the shaft 50, thus forcing a-chuck 55 outwardly against the force of the coil spring 66 and dislodging the tapering portions 69 from the wedge openin 70, thereby gradually loosening the grip of the' jaws'72 on :the said pearl stock 78. When a chuck 55 has reached the point C, said chuck is in its lowermost position, and the jaws 7 2 are completely open and the severed pearl stock 78 drops out by its own weight into a chute or'other receptacle 90, see Fig. From the pendant vertical position C, a chuck ismoved into the idle horizontal position D, from which it is again moved into the vertical position A, to re;

ceive another supply of pearl stock 7 8 from the feed board 78, and the cycle of operations is continued;

Thus, in'the three positions A, C, and l), the inner end' 63 of the stem 62 bears against the raised or cylindrical surface of the shaft 50 and maintains a chuck in its outerm position against the force of the coil spr1. g 66, andthereby maintains the jaws 72 in their loose, or non-gripping position. In the position B, however, that is, the position in which it is Il8CBSS211 to support the pearl stock against the pressure of the cutters 32,'the inner end 63 of the chuck stem 62 bears against the depressed or cam surface5 lof said shaft 50,

thus enabling the spring-66 to draw or urge said chuck stem 62 inwardly thus tigl'itly'to wedge the tapering portions 69 o-f' said stem into the corresponding opening "70,. and thereby bringing the jaws 7 2 together and closing them upon the pearl stock 78, firmly to grip the same during the cutting operation. By the provision of theconc'aved or inwardly bent teeth 76 on the gripping jaws 7 2 thus substantially enclosing the pearl stock 78, see Fig.'7, and by making the spaces 77' between said teeth relatively small, the

pearl stock 78,-is notonly firmly gripped and supported against the pressure of the cutters 32, but such stock if further hacked and reinforced against such pressure, andthe danger of the pearl stock giving way, or splitting along the natural lines of cleavage is entirely eliminated, thus producing parallel faced button blanks of any-desired thickness the thickness of the blanks'to be produced depending upon and being varied by the thickness of the spacing washers 33 intermediate said cutters 32.= .3

I am aware ofand fully conversant with U. S. Letters'Patent No. 1,493,283, dated May 6, 1924, as granted to oneTJG: Robinson, for process'and apparatus for making but ton blanks from pearl stock. My present invention differs materially from and I disclaim the structure shown and described in said patent upon the following grounds:

(1) My device operates by having a fixed cam shaft about which revolves a frame carrying pearl stock; m1 V (2) My frame operates in four sequential movements timed, to wit: from'A to B; from B to G 5 from G to D; and from D to A, said frame movement operating intermittently from station to station,

(:1) From station A to' B my: 'pearl'stocl; is gradually gripped more firmly'until st-ation B isreached, at which -tinie the cutting operation takes place. I

(4)11 moving from"statidn'- B to C my pearl stock is gradually released and deposited as shown'atC in-Fi flnmy case the jawsininovement' from statioaO to'l) are idle.

(5) The above operations are performed by reason of a so-called Geneva movement.

' Thus, the patent "to-fltobinwn does 'not d sclose the rotary, intermittentcarriage of 5- it nor the {fiencvamoveincntfor opera the chips or'small particles of pearl fromlodgmg between a pair "of'cutters 32 and thereby throwing the same out of their proper parallel alignment and causing breakage thereof. The guide plate 40 thus serves the dual function as above explained and is an element of very great importance in the organization above described. I desire to also call attention to the manner in which the jaws 72, as seen in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, are constructed and collocated, it being apparent that upon the removal of a screw 74 any jaw can be readily replaced in case, of injury, and upon the removal of a pair of the screws 74, a pair of larger or smaller jaws can be substituted for those shown.

-h1s feature enables my novel machlne to be enabled to readily handle the pearl blanks or stock 7 8, as seen in Fig. 12, which may be of varying diameters for the purpose of making buttons of various thicknesses and slzes. This feature of my invention is one of great importance in practice as is evident.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

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

1. A button blank dividing machine comprising a carrier, means for intermittently rotating said carrier to move work holding devices thereon and to bring them to rest successively at a plurality of stations; work holding devices comprising spindle chucks mounted radially on the carrier and means for moving them radially of the carrier and for causing them when so moved to open tangentially of the carrier as they move toward one station, to so close as they move from a station and to remain closed at the work performing station. said chucks comprising two opposed parallel jaws slotted to permit the passage of a dividing tool in combination with one or more dividing tools and means to move the same radially of the carrier toward and from the work performing station.

2. A button blank dividing machine comprising a carrier, means for intermittently rotating said carrier to move work holding devices thereon and to bring them to rest successively at a plurality of stations; work holding devices comprising spindle chucks mount-ed radially on the carrier and means,

for moving them radially of the carrier and for causing them when so moved to open tangentially of the carrier as they move toward one station, to so close as they move from a station and to remain closed at the work performing station, said chucks comprising two opposed parallel jaws slotted to permit the passage of a dividing tool in combination with one or more dividing tools, means to move the same radially of the carrier toward and from the work performing station, and a slotted guide plate for said dividing tools positioned between said tools and carrier.

3. A button blank dividing machine comprising a carrier, means for intermittently rotating said carrier to move work holding devices thereon and to bring them to rest successively at a plurality of stations; work holding devices comprising spindle chucks mounted radially on the carrier and means for moving them radially of the carrier and for causing them when so moved to open tangentially of the carrier as they move toward one station, toso close as they move from a station and to remain closed at the work performing station, said chucks comprising two opposed tensioned parallel jaws slotted to permit the passage of a dividing tool in combination with one or more dividing tools, means to move the same radially of the carrier toward and from the work performing station, and a slotted guide plate for the dividing tools positioned between said tools and carrier. I

MAURICE PLATT.

Images