US1848493A - Method and apparatus fob reforming worn mining chain lugs - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1932. QLDACRE 1,848,493

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFORMING WORN MINING CHAIN LUGS Filed Feb. 26. 1931 INVENTOR Albert L. Olaacre ATTO RN EYS Patented Mar. 8, 1932 SUIE v ALBERT OLDACRE, E MANcHEsTEE, ALAB MA, AssIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF To 1 A'USBY H. atoms, 0F MANCHESTER, L BAMA METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFORMING WORN MINING CHAIN LUGS Application filed February 26, 1931. Serial No. 518,448.

My invention relates to a new and improved-method and apparatus for reforming worn mining chain lugs and like devices, which in use have the eyes that receive the chain link bosses subjected to wear and stresses which deform such eyes and render the lug or device thereafter unusable.

My invention has its most important field .in the coal mining industry where power driven chains carrying lugs in which cutters are mounted are utilized to'undercut the coal and to otherwise serve in connection with mining operations.

I have found by long experience with such mining chains that after relatively short usage due to the severe duties imposed by the work. the mine chain lugs have their eyes v subjected to such wear and stresses that these eyes become worn and deformed and as a result the coaction of the sprockets with these lugs is interfered with and excessive wear results, and if this is permitted to continue the sprocket teeth or the chain will break. Therefore. the practice in the industry is that when. substantial wear appears in these chain lu s the chain. is discarded.

The purpose and object of my invention is to recover the value in. these used chains and to reform the chain lugs by a simple and comparatively inexpensive operation which renders them. practically as .qood as new and thus restores full value to the mining chain when reassembled. with such reformed lugs.

My invention contemplates removing the worn chain lugs from the mining chain. heatinc: their eyes to cherry red. and placing them in a press and. mounting in the lug eyes mandrels slightly tapered and o such diamj eter as to render the eye reformed about them slie'ht-lv smaller than the original eve. Power is then applied to the press and the metal is unset against these mandrels. after which the lug is removed from the press. the ta er mandrels are knocked out and the'sli htlv tapered holes are reamed to a true diameter correspondinn' to that of the original new chain lug. Thus I obtain a reformed or reconditioned lun' which is substantially as strong and mechanically as accurate as the original lug and this process can continue until the gradual loss of metal through the reaming operation and wear will render the eyes too weak for service.

To enable my improved reforming process to be carried into effect, I have shown the preferred mechanism to this end which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part'of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of the press showing a chain lug in position at the completion of the reforming operation with the mandrels shown in cross section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view 3 taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is antenlarged side elevation of a Wornchain lug showing" the mandrels in position and illustrating the extent of the wear and deformation which is to be corrected by the reforming operation.

In the practice of my invention, I have shown the same as especially applied to the reformation of. chain lugs which comprise a body portion 5 having end eyes 6 which re- W ceive the bosses on the mine chain links. The body of the lug 5 is provided with a suitable aperture such as is formally illustrated at 7 to receive a mining tool (not shown) which held in placeby a set screw adapted to be received in the threaded aperture 8. It will be understood that the body of the chain lug will vary widely according to different designs an'duses. and my invention is not thereforeflconcerned with the body structure of the lug but onlywith the reformation of its eyes 6. I

Fig. .3 illustrates the result of wear and strain upon these eyes and shows eyes 6a which are worn and deformed. When eyes get in this condition the chain becomes unserviceable and heretoforehas been discarded. In recovering such a chain the lugs are removed. theyare heated and while hot. the lug is set between. the lower jaw 10 and the upper aw 11 of a. press and the mandrels are inserted in the eyes 6a. v These aws are separated at their outer end in order to permit the extension 12 of the body portion, which carries the cutting tool, to be received there- 1 in with ample clearance so as to be unaffected by the operation of the press. The press jaws are recessed at 13 to receive the rounded ends ofthe lugs in which the eyes are formed and these recesses are semi-circular in shape and conform to the correct diameters of .the reformed eye. The jaws are formed with back walls 14 and 15 which engage and brace the wall 16' of the lug body and thus hold it against deformation or strains during the reforming .op erati0n- The press; jaw. 10 carries a pair of vertical pins-26 which ,1 scope with a loose sliding fit into holes 17 formed'in the upper press jaw and a-co il spring 18, housed in suitable recesses in the jaws, will tend to separate them.

.U-shaped links 19am pivotally mounted on the press element lObya. pin 20 with its aXis in alignment With the axes of the lug eyes Between thenpper ends of th se links 19 .I mount ever 21 on a pin 22, the l er carrying. an offset yoke 2.3 in which a roller 2; is pivotally mounted and adapted to -en gage the upper press jaw 11. AS the lever the mandrels!) until the eyes are reformed g to conform to mamm ls, after which the lag is removed from the press, the taper mandrels are knocked out and. the taper eyes left are. eamed out, removing just sufiicient linetal'to true up the eye. to the correct die o ameter. after which the leg i ready to be einstalled in the, e ai i nd'will render practjlcally as good service as a new 111g, because al 9f the wear in service takes place on the outer half of the lug eyes and the inner half i left nnworn, Therefore when the outer half cf the eyeis r formed the centers cf h eye. opening are no disturbed and all refer.

ma-ticn is confined o .thathalf 0f he y wh ch is subjected. to; wear and deformation bedone Without skilled labor.

Though Ihave described withgreat partie lerity th deta ls of the mbodiment of the nvention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as hanges in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may he madeby thoseskilled in the a t Withoutdeparting from the invention a d fined in the appended claims- WhatfIclaim' is I V ,l- Thelhereiil escribed method forrthe v refo m ioncf .worn cha n lugs, which conists in removing the wornlug frQm the chain, hea ingits eyes, and swaging the worn portions of, the deformed lug eyes against mandrels resting against the unworn portions of the lug eyes. until the centers of the eyes. assume their original distance fromeach other.

2. The herein described method e e reformation of worn chainlugs, which'consists in removing the worn lug from the chain, heating its eyes, swaging the wornportions of the deformed lug eyes against mandrels resting against the unworn portions of the lug eyes until the centers of the eyes assume their original distance from each' other, and reaming" out the reformed eyes. I 8. An apparatus for reforming chain lugs comprising arpresshaving jaws rece d to receive and conformto the body-portion of a new unworn lug in which the eyes are formed andle-verage means to force the jaws against deformedlug eyes to swage the worn portion of the lug eyes until the centers of the eyes assume their original distance from each other, in combination with mandrels seated against the unworn portion of the lug eyes and against which the worn portion of the eyes are adapted to be swaged by the press.

4:. An apparatus according to ciaim 3, in which themandrels are slightly tapered. 5. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which the press comprisesxspring separated members, means to guide said members in rectilineal movement, and leverage means comprising links pivoted to one press memher and carrying a roller bearing lever e11- aging the other press member with the axis of the links and .of the roller insubstantial alignment with the center sof the eyes of the chain lug interposed between the press elements. ii

6. A press according to claim in which in use. This will result. in. large ecqnemies Y in mining operatmnsand the reforming can-

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