US1833658A - Material forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 24, 1931. J. F. PULLAN MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. '7, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l llll I I I fire/7f Nov. 24, 1931. J. F. PULLAN 1,333,653

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7. 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. PULLAN Nov. 24, 1931.

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK JAMES F. PULLAN, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 'IO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF

new Yon-x, n. Y., A

MATERIAL FORMING APPARATUS Application filed February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,600.

This invention relates to improvements in I material forming apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus employing rotating rolls for forming article s.

The principal object of this invention-1s the provision of an improved material forming apparatus which permits the rapid yet accurate adjustment of the forming elements tomake possible its use on articles of varying dimensions.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a supporting frame is provided which comprises vertically disposed fixed and movable members upon which forming rolls are journaled, the members being interconnectedby a horizontal stationary base member provided with guidewaysupon which the movable member is 'slidable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the rolls.

' J ournaled at one end upon the base member and threadedly engaging a nut carried by the movable member is a screw threaded member provided with a hand wheel for rotating the same and thereby varying the re apparatus, partly in section, embodying the 7 features of this lIlVelltlOIl';

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical detail section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 4-4; of 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of one of the forming rolls taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 66 of Fig. .2;

Fig. 7 is an enlargedfragmentary detail section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a blank previous to the forming operation, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an article which has been formed by the improved apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings in detail in which like reference numerals indicate similar parts, particularly Figs. 1 and 2, wherein there is illustrated fragment arily an apparatus for forming articles from metal blanks having a supporting frame indicated generally by the numeral 15. The frame comprises a horizontal stationary base member 16, shown fragmentarily, which in turn may be mounted on a suitable bench (not shown). Formed upon the upper portion of the base member 16 at the right end and at opposite sides thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, are guideways 17 upon which are mounted a pair of spaced vertical side frame members 20 and 21, each formed with oppositely disposed depending portions 22, with their lower surfaces substantially fiush with similar surfaces of the spaced guideways 17. The frame member 20 is fixed to the base member 16 at the left end of the guideway 17 (Fig. 1) by plates 23 carried by each of the depending portions 22 thereof and clamped against the lower surfaces of the guidcways 17 by bolts 24. Means is provided for moving the frame member 21 along the guideways 17 to vary the space between opposed inner vertical surfaces of the frame members 20 and 21 for permitting forming rolls, which are designated generally in the drawings by the reference numerals 27 and 28 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6), to be presently described, which may be of various lengths, for forming articles of different dimensions to be mounted, exchanged and adjusted in cooperating relationship upon the frame 15, together with suitable shaft-s for carrying the rolls to be described hereinafter.

Extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the roll shafts and arranged intermediate and below the guideways 17 of the base member 16 is a rotatable screw threaded shaft 31. The shaft 81 is journaled at its right end (Fig. 1) in a bearing 34 integral with the base member 16 and is supported at a point adjacent its left end by be ing threaded into a nut fixed to the lower surface of the movable frame member 21 by screws 36. Secured to the right end of the shaft 31 which extends through the bearing 34 is a hand wheel. 37 provided with a hub portion 38, theinner end surfaces of which abut anopposed surface of the bearing, It will be apparent that when the, movable frame member'21 is free to be movedupon the guideways 1'? that a movement thereof may be efiected, either to increase ordecrease the space between the frame members 20 and 21 by merely rotating the shaft 31 in one direction or the other by means of the hand wheel 37. Since the shaft 31 is threaded into the nut 35 and the latter is fixed to the horizontally movable frame member 21 it will be obvious that the frame member will move horizontally when the shaft 31 is rotated. After an adjustment of the movable frame member 21 with respect to the fixed frame member 20, plates 41 similar to the clamp plates 23 previously described in connection with the frame member 20 are clamped against the lower surfaces of the guideways 17, by hand screws l2 (Figs. land 2) threaded into depending portions 43 integral with the frame member 21, the portions 43 being arranged similar to the portions 22 of the framemenr ber '20. The plates 41 are each supported parallel with the under surface of the guideways 17 when not clamped thereagainst by bolts 4 extending locsely'through the plate at points equally spacedfrom the hand screw and fitted into the depending portions 43 of the frame member 21, the nuts threaded upon the bolts being spaced sufficiently from the lower surface of the plate when the latter is clamped to permita downward movement thereof when released by the hand screw 42.

As shown in Fig.1 the upper portionof each of the frame members 20 and 21 tapers to form a substantially? right angle portion, side edges 45 and l6 of which are disposed at an angle of 45 to the horizontal. Extending inwardly from the side edge-l5 and at right an les thereto is arectangular slot 48 within which is mounted the journals for the formingroll 28, the journals for the roll 2? being mounted in apertures 49 (Fig. 6) provided in each of the frame members, as will be hereinafter described.

e forming roll 27 comprises a plurality of individual annularsections 50, 51, 52, and

' 53'which are keyed or otherwise removably secured to the right end of a horizontally disposed shaft 57 (F 6). Disposed between these individual roll sections and also keyed to the shaft 57 are plurality of disks 58,

8 each of which is rovided with a oluralit" P l .l

of equidistantly spaced peripheral teeth or projections 59 (Fig. 3) extending beyond the peripheral surface of the forming roll 27. Bymeans of a sleeve 60 fitted upon the right tates in the journal66, due

end of the shaft 57 and abutting at its inner end the roll section 53 and a nut 63 threaded upon a reduced end of the outer end o-f-the shaft, the and the toothed disks 58 interposed therebetween are rigidly clamped together between a flange 65 formed upon the shaft intermediate its ends. o

The shaft 57 at its right endwith the sleeve 60 is rotatably'supported in'a journal 66 fixed in the aperture 49 in ;the frame member 21, the inner end of the journal abutting the roll section 53. Fitted upon the left end of the shaft 57 is a sleeve 6'? provided with a flange 69 at its inner end which abuts the flange 65 of the shaft. The shaft 57- at its left end with the sleeve 67 is rotatably supported in a journal 70 fixed in the aperture 49 in "the frame member 20. Formed in the 'leftend of the shaft 57fand extending across the diameter thereof is a slot 72 which receives a tongue 7 3 formed upon the inner end of a continuing sliaft'f l coaxially arranged with the shaft 57, the shaft 74 being driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) through an intermediate gear reduction unit indicated generally by the numeral 77 (Fig. 1) connected to its outer end. V-Theunit 7? includes a worm 78,'fir;ed to a shaft 79 connected to the source of power, meshing with a worm wheel 80 fixed to the continuing shaft 74. The shaft 79 atitsforward end (Fig. 1) has attached thereto a hand wheel 81 whereby the rolls 27 and 28 may be conveniently rotated by hand when found necessary for inspection of the rolls or of work being performed, or for other reasons. A key-83 secures the sleeve 67 to the continuing shaft 74; so that the sleeve rotates in the journal- '70 and likewise the sleeve 60 at the rightend of the shaft 5'? roto it being clamped between the nut 63 and the roll section 53. 1

The forming roll 28 comprises a plurality of individual annular sections 86, 87, 88 and (Fig. 6), which are in alignment with the annular sections 50, 51, 52 and 53, respectively, of the roll 27. The individual sections of the roll28 are separated by annular spacing disks 90 which are of lesser diameter than the roll secti'cns, thus providing annular spaces 93 for accommodating the peripheral -projec tions [9 of the spacingdisksi58 of the roll 2.

The sections 83V to 89, inclusive, of the roll 28' and the spacing disks 90 are keyed tea horizontally disposed shaft 94 (Fig. 6) and are rigidly clamped together by means of a sleeve 95 and a nut 96 arranged upon the shaft and a flange 97 formed upon the shaft intermediate its ends in a manner similar to that described in connection with the individual sections of the roll 27. At its left end the shaft 94 is fitted with a sleeve 100' having a flange 103 which abuts the flange 9'? of the shaft.

At each end of the'shaft 94: the sleeves 95 individual sections of the roll 27 and 100 are rotatably supported in journals 104 removably mounted in the slots 48 of the frame'members 21 and 20. Each of the journals 104 rests upon a pair of compression springs 106 mounted within suitable apertures formed in the bottom of the slots 48. Pressure plates 107 of a cross section similar to the journals 104 abut the upper end of the journals within the slots 48.

fixed supporting plate 108 (Fig. 2) extends across each of the slots 48 of the frame members and 21 and threadedthrough an aperture provided in each of the plates is a screw 109 with its inner end engaging the pressure plate 107. Secured for rotation with. the screw 109 and slidable longitudinally thereof by means of a spline connection (not shown)'- is a ring 113 provided with micrometer indications 114, a stationary index 115 being formed upon the plate 108. By turning the screws 109 in one direction or the other it will be apparent that the roll 28 may be'resiliently held in cooperating relationship with the companion roll 27 and due to the micrometer indications and the stationary index associated with each of the screws a more accurate adjustment of the roll 28 with the roll 27 may beeffected. After a desired adjustment is completed a lock nut 116 threaded onto each of the screws 109 is turned down to clamp the splined ring 113 against the stationary plate 108.

The shaft 94 at its left end like the shaft I .57 is provided with a slot 72 which receives a tongue '7 3 formed upon the right end of a continuing shaft 117 coaxially arranged with the shaft 94, the shaft 117 being keyed to the sleeve 100 as indicated at 118. The'rolls 27 and'28 are driven at the same speed in the direction of the arrows (Fig. 3) through the source of power, previously referred to, connected to the shaft 74 whichis operatively connected to the roll 27 and gearing interconnecting the shafts 7 4 and 117. Keyed to the sleeve 67 is a gear 119 and similarly secured to the sleeve 100 is a gear 120 (Figs. 2 and 6). Roller thrust bearings 121 are arranged upon the sleeves 67 and 100 toreduce outer ends of the sleeves friction between the stationary journals 70 and 104 and the rotary gears 119 and 120, respectively, atone side of the frame member 20 and'at the opposite side thereof between the'journals 70 and 104 and the sleeves 67 and 100, respectively. Threaded onto the 67 and100 are lock collars 122 which serve to hold the gears 119 and 120 from moving longitudinally upon the sleeves.

I Meshing with the gear 119 is a pinion 123 which mesheswith similar pinion 124, which i in turn meshes with the gear 120. The'pinion 123 is rotatably carried upon a stud shaft 127 fixed to the frame member 20 and the pinion 124 is rotatably carried upon a stud shaft 128 fixed to a bracket 129, the bracket being pivotally supported upon the stud shaft 127. A worm gear 130 secured to a shaft 131 j ournaled upon the frame member 20 meshes with a gear sector 132 formed upon the periphery of the bracket 129. By turning the shaft 131 by means of a hexagonal upper end the worm 130 meshing with the sector 132 rotates the bracket 129 about the shaft 127 and thus the position of the pinion 124 with respect to the gear 120 may be varied to cause an accurate meshing of the teeth thereof after an adjustment of the micrometer screw 109 to bring the roll 28 into correct cooperating relationship with the roll 27. After an adjustment of the bracket 129 a clamping screw 135 threaded into the frame 20 and extending through an arcuate slot 136 formed in the bracket 129 is clamped into engagement with the bracket to retain it in its adjusted position.

Arranged above the roll 27 is a substantially vertical magazine 137 which is removably supported by means of brackets 138 and 139 to the vertical frame members 20 and 21, respectively. The magazine 137 comprises a pair of spaced vertical side members 142 and 143 interconnected by lower horizontal cross members 144 and 145 (Figs. 1 and 3), other cross members being provided at the top (not shown). Obviously, the particular construction of the magazine 137 will depend upon the shape or type of blank to be formed and in the present disclosure the magazine is designed to contain a plurality of contact spring blanks 146 of the type shown in Fig. 8, used in the manufacture of telephonic devices. The blanks are positioned in the magazine 137 in a vertical column as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Vertical grooves 147 and 148 formed in the inner sides of the vertical. mem bers 142 and 143 serve to guide the blanks 146 as they gravitate towards the bottom or discharge end of the magazine. The lowermost blank 146 in the magazine 137 rests upon the upper surface of an arcuate portion 149 integral with. the lower cross mem ber' 144 of the magazine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 and disposed in close proximity to the peripheral surface of the roll 27 and extending towards the roll 28. The upper surface of the portion 149 which is predeterminedly spaced from lower end surfaces 150 (Fig. 7) of the magazine side members 142 and 143 serves as a bottom for the magazine, the lowermost blank of the column of blanks 146 resting thereon, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The lower spaced end surfaces 150 of the members 142 and 143 cooperating with the upper surface of the arcuate portion 149 of the cross member 144 provides a discharge passage 151 in the magazine 137 for the blanks 146 as they are successively advanced therefrom by the peripheral teeth 59 of the rotating disks 58 in the operation of the ap paratus, the depth of the passage 151 being such that only one blank at a time may be advanced from the magazine 137'. The cross sition wherein they are engaged between the forming rolls 27' and 28, the roll 27 with the disks 58 freely moving through the conduit 154. The portions 149 and 152 of the members 144 and 145, respectively, are each provided with a plurality of spaced slots or passages 157 (Figs. 1 and 3) through which the peripheral teeth 59 of the disks 58 pass during the rotationthereof. The portion 152 of the cross member145 is provided with depending side portions 158, one of which is shown in Fig. 7 which are spaced apart just sufiiciently to accommodate a blank positioned lengthwise therebetween, the opposite side portion being indicated in Fig. 3.

. the frame member The magazine bracket 139 is mounted upon 20 in such a manner that a three way movement thereof may be effected by rotating micrometer adjustable screws 159, 160 and. 161 (Figs. '1 and 2). This permits an accurate adjustment of the location of the magazine 137 with respect to the rolls 27 and 28, which is very essential to the proper feeding of the blanks 146 to the rolls for forming. Hand screws 165, 166 and 167 are associated with the screws 159, 160 and 161, respectively, for clamping the latter after the proper adjustment of the magazine 137-. A detailed description and illustration of the structure which permits this three way movement of the bracket 139 and thereby the magazine clamped thereto is not included, since it forms no part of this invention and is not considered necessary to a complete understanding thereof.

To insure that the blanks 146 after being formed between the rolls 27 and 28 will not adhere to the roll27 and to be carried thereby between the forming rolls a second time astripper device is arranged between the frame members 20 and 21. The stripper device comprises a rod 168 adjustably fixed atone end to the fixed frame member 29, its opposite end extending through an aperture in the movable frame member 21 and freely removable therefrom. when it is being adjusted as hereinbefore described when mounting or removing rolls. Individually adjustable in a plurality of directionsupon the rod 168 between the frame members 20 and 21 and extending towards and lying close to the peripheryof'each of the roll sections 51, 52 and 53 are stripper fingers 169. The upper surface ofthe fingers 169 which shaped to substantially lie close to the periphery of eachof the roll sections 51, 52 and 53 are shaped to substantially conform to the curvature thereof and terminate at their extreme inner ends in a sharp edge, as clearly shown in dotted lines inFig. 2. In the operation of the apparatus if a formedarticle adheres to the roll 27 and is carried thereby into engagement with the sharp edges of the fingers 169 the formed article will bestripped from the roll and dropped into a removable receptacle (not shown) suitably positioned therebelow. The rod 168 extends from the outer side surface of the movable frame member-21 for a distance to provide for the extreme movement of the frame 21 in the mounting of the largest roll. 3

The rolls for each particular'article are developed to suit the individual forming characteristics of the article. In the forming of articles of the type illustrated in the drawings, refering particularly to Fig. 9

which illustrates a formedartiele 17 2 having a V-shaped formation or crimp 173 formed at one end, it will be apparent'that this portion of the article cannot be supported from lateral twisting or other distortion by the peripheral teeth 59 of the disks 58 during the formingthereof.

It is, therefore, necessary to mount auxiliary spring pressed inserts of fingers 174 (Figs, 3, 4 and 5) in the roll section 50 where this crimp 173 is formed to overcome the tendency of the article to twist. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 the roll section 50 is provided on its inner side face abutting the disk 58 with a p'lurality'of equally spaced slots or guideways 175, each carrying a'reciproca-bly mounted finger 174 normally urged outwardly by a compression spring 176; As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the forward sides of the fingers 174 and the teeth 59 which engage the edge of the blank' 146 are in line. The inner end of the spring 176 is positioned in an annular channel 177 formed in a ring 178 fitted in the roll section 50. To facilitate the assembly of the different sections of the roll 27 a'retaining ring 181 is provided which embraces all of the fingers 174 and is entered in an elongated slot 182 provided therein, the slot permitting the reciprocable movement of the finger during the operation of the apparatus. The outer end surfaces of the fingers 174 are conform to the peripheral forming surface of the roll section 50 and during the forming of the crimp 173 of the article 172 the fingers 174 recede sufficiently to permit the complementary surfaces of'the rolls 27 and 28 to form the crimp and also support the end of the article against lateral twisting or other distortion during the forming of the crimp.

It is believed that the operation of the apparatus embodying the novel features of this invention will be clearly understood from thefollowing brief description. In setting up the apparatus for a particular article to be formed a set of rolls 27 and 28, each of which is a unit already assembled for the particular article isselected. Referring to the roll27 as an example, the roll unit includes the shaft 57, the sleeve 60, nut 63, and the roll sections to 53, inclusive, with the other cooperating parts between the sections. The roll units are mounted in'the frames 20 and 21 in operative association with the tongues 73 of the driving shafts 74: and 117. In mounting the rolls 27 and 28 it is of course understood that the movable frame member 21 has first been moved outwardly upon the guideways 17 of the base member 16 by the rotation of the hand wheel 37 in the manner previously described a distance sufiicient to operatively engage the shafts 57 and 94 with the shafts 7 1 and 117, respectively. Thereafter the movable frame member 21 is moved inwardly by a rotation of the hand wheel 37 until the roll units are properly mounted therebetween. The frame member 21 is then clamped to the base member 16 by the hand screw 42, in a manner previously described.

A magazine 137 adapted to carry a supply of blanks 146 of the'particular article to be formed is then mounted between the frame members 20 and 21 by being first attached to the bracket 139 and adjusted as hereinbefore described to properly locate the lower end of the magazine with respect to the forming roll 27 and thereafter is attached at its opposite side to the bracket 138 carried by the movable frame member21. A supply of blanks 146 are placed in the magazine 137 and the forming rolls 27 and 28 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows (Figs. 2' and 3) in the manner hereinbefore described. The teeth 59 of the rotating disks 58 successively engage individual blanks 1 16 as they gravitate to the bottom of themagazine and advance them through the guide channel 154: and between the peripheral surfaces of the forming rolls by which they are formed into articles 172 of the desired predetermined shape.

Although the invention has been herein illustrated and described in connection with one embodiment thereof as applied to a particular material forming apparatus, it is to be understood that the novel features thereof are capable of various other applications, limited only by the spirit and .scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an article forming apparatus, a plurality of driven shafts each having fixed thereto a roll to form an individual unitary assemblage, the rolls having cooperating peripheral forming surfaces, means for supporting the shaft/and roll assemblages in cooperati ng relationship, comprising oppositely disposed fixed and movable members upon which opposite ends of the shafts are journaled, means upon which the movable member is slidable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the rolls. means for driving the shaft and roll assemblages including a chain of gears journaled upon the fixed member, a plurality of shafts operatively connected to the chain of gears and axially aligned with the roll shafts, the adjacent end surfaces of each of the aligned shafts cooperating to form a positive driving connection therebetween, and means operatively connected to the movable member for varying the relation between the members.

2. In an article forming apparatus, a plurality of rolls having cooperating peripheral forming surfaces, means upon which the opposite ends of the rolls are journaled, comprising fixed and movable members, means upon which the movable member is slidable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the rolls, means including a micrometer device for laterally adjusting one of the rolls with respect to the other upon the members to vary the cooperating relationship of the peripheral forming surfaces of the rolls, and means operatively connected to the movable member for varying the relation between the members.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this third day of February A. D.

JAMES F. PULLAN.

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