US1855709A - Roller leveler - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1932- c. EKSERGIAN ROLLER LEVELER Filed April 3, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR:

CL euon Ehrergz'an.

.................. a ww.

' ATTORNEY.

April 1932- c. L EKSERGIAN 1,855,709

ROLLER LEVELER Filed April 3, 1 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

C. Levon Elrserqzaw,

- A TTORNE Y.

R m m F. MW 4 pril 26, 1932.

April 1932- c. L. EKSERGIAN 1,855,709

ROLLER LEVELER F led Aprll 3, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 x w :1: 1?

CLevonEk I} BY H F3396: M fi a April 26, 1932. c EKSERGIAN 1,855,709

ROLLER LEVELER Filed April 3, 9 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 z i 52 I A 2 1 WA R E g 64 g Z19 j lf azov :5

INVENTOR:

C. LEVon 25251812721711;

A TTORNEY.

' chine of the type shown in the Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFncE OABOIUS LEVON EKSEBGIAN, OF DETROIT, ABBIGNOB '10 EDWARD G. BUDD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A OOBPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA ROLLER LEYELEB Application filed April 8, 1929. Serial N0. 852,802.

My invention relates to a roller leveling maprior Patent No. 1,649,706 granted to G. L. Kelley and myself on November 15, 1927.

It is air-object of my iIIVBIltlOIIiO generally improve the automatic operation of a machine of this type, to increase the life of the machine, to speedup the production without subjecting the movable parts to undue shock or strain, to incorporate safety features into the machine to guard against prolonged holding up of the machine for repalrsg to provide a. machine more flexible in operat on and more readily adaptable to the regulat on and control of the work, and more precise, positive, durable, and efficient in operation than the machines of this type as heretofore constructed.

The features by which these objects and other objects are attained will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and will be pointed out in claims appended at the end of the specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine embodying my invention and the drive therefor with parts of the base frame broken away;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the section belng taken in the central longitudinal vertical pianesof the machine approximately onthe.

line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a porp tion of the front of the machine, showing the relation bet-ween the automatic control and safety switch mechanisms and the draft or pinch rolls.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail longitudinal ver-- tical sectional views taken approximately on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 4 and show ing, respectively,.the automatic control and safety-switch mechanisms.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the relay mechanism controlling the movements of the working element or brake roll. 1

Figs. 8 and 9 are further detail views of the control and motor mechanism of the brake roll, Fig. 8 being a plan view of the right-hand side the motor operatin cylinder and associated parts, and

Fig. '9 a ongitudinal sectional view through control circuits employed in connection with the present invention.

The machine embod ing the invention comprises a suitable base rame 10, upon the lefthand side of which, Fig. 1, is mounted the roller leveler mechanism pro r, and on the sion mechanism T for driving the rolls.

The roller leveler proper consists of the usual upper and lower series of straightening rolls 12 between which the sheet is passed after it passes through the working rolls at the front of the machine. The lower series is supported in upper side frame members 13 secured to the base frame and the upper series, which is arranged, as usual, in staggered relation to the lower series in the direction in which the sheet is fed through the machine,'is mounted in adjustably mounted end frames 14, as usual, to permit adjustment of the upper series of rolls toward or from the lower series.

.At the front end of the series of staggered rolls, are mounted the two pairs of draft or inch rolls 16 which are adapted to grip the sheet fed between them with sufficient force to prevent it from slippage with respect thereto, under the action of the working or brake roll 17. To provide for the ready assembly or dis-assembly of these rolls with the side members 13 of the machine, the latter are provided with the spaced guidingand retaining slots '18 open at the top,in which the bearing blocks 19 of the rolls are guided and retained'and through the open upper ends of which the rolls and blocks may be readily removed or inserted.

In a forwardly projecting portion of the side frame members 13 are mounted a pair of hold down rolls 20, spaced from the pinch and transmisrolls a distance sufiicient to permit the brake roll 17 to rise up between them to give the sheet passing between the pinch and hold down rolls the proper amount of working. These rolls are spaced (see Fig. 6) a distance slightl greater than the thickness of the sheets ing fed to permit the sliding of .the sheet between the rolls, both when it is originally fed to bring it into operative engagement with the pinch rolls, and also when it is subsequently engaged by the brake roll 17. A guidejplate 21 ides the sheets being fed to the rolls 20. T ese rolls are longitudinall offset in the direction of movement of the sheet, the upper roll being in advance of the lower, this offsetting having two purposes, to avoid a heavy drag of the sheet on the guide when it is engaged by the brake roll which might result in the marring of the sheet and causing rapid wear of the guide plate, and also, to obtain a sharper bending of the sheet around the upper roll, when the brake roll rises, which enables the sheets to be more strongly worked.

The brake roll 17 also has its ends mounted in sliding blocks 22 movable guides 23 in the frame side members 13, which are'also open at the top topermit eas removal of the brakle roll and its mounting locks, when desire It is actuated from a shaft 24 journalled in the front of a transverse frame member 25. The ends of this shaft are provided with crank arms 26 which are connected by links 27 to the sliding bearing blocks 22 for the roll. 7 At an intermediate portion theshaft is provided with a crank arm 28 connected by a link 29 extending through an'opening in the frame member to the actuating motor and control mechanism M removably mounted as a unit on the base, and removable and insertable as a unit from and into the frame through an opening at the rear thereof.

This motor and control mechanism embodying a number of novel improved features will now be described. The mechanism is shown most clearly in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The mo-' tor mechanism comprises a casting 30 having a widened base portion adapted to be secured to the main base of the machine and a compressed-air operated cylinder 31 in which operates the two- part piston 32, 32. The part 32 of the two part piston is threadedly "mounted on the piston rod 33, the one end of which is connected to the piston part 32 and the other end to a cross head 34 slidable in a guideway 35 on the opposite end of thecasting 30 from cylinder 31. The cross head 34 is connected to the arm 28 of the brake roll operating shaft through the link 29 already referred to. In Fig. 9, the two parts 32, 32 of the piston are together so that the piston has its longest stroke. By this construction of piston and cylinder I am able to make use of the same not only for controlling hasaloose fit within the regulation of the cus ioning means, all of which renders the machine more flexible and adaptable for various kinds and conditions of work and operation.

The piston art 32' has a sleeve 36 extending throu h t e stufiing box in the head of the cylin er and some distance beyond and this sleeve has secured to the end thereof a gear 37, this gear meshing with an elongated pinion 38 on countershaft 39 paralleling the piston rod and sleeve 36. A sprocket wheel 40 is secured to the shaft, through which it is connected to be operated from the hand wheel 41 at the front of the machine by means of a chain 42 connectin the sprocket '40 with a sprocket (not shown% on the-hand wheel shaft.

' Throu h the mechanism just described the distance etween piston parts 32 and 32' can be adjusted from the front of the machine to vary the len h of the working stroke. The workin stro e of the piston and the working rol is also cushioned at its end, regardless of the len h of the stroke, by using the front end of t e cylinder as a dash pot, and the movement of the piston is dually brought to a stop by a gradual closing of the smal orifice or orifices through ,which the air in front of the piston must escape. One way in which this gradual checking can be effected is ,by the provision of a series of small orifices 43 arranged helically around the end of the cylinder,so that they are successively closed by the piston approachin the end of its stroke. I desired, certain o the orifices can be rendered inoperative by inserting screw plugs therein to close them. By this means a variable cushion effect can be obtained.

I also provide for a cushionin turn or down stroke of the roll 1 under the action of avit by making use of the exhaust air om t eback of the piston 32, 32'. Through the exhaust ort 44 from the relay valve mechanism R, ig. 7; which is entirely similar to that shown and described in the atent hereinbefore referred to, the air is ed b a conduit 45 to a small cylinder 46 secure alongside main cylinder 31. The ends ofthe cylinder 46 are 0 en and a piston 47 bore of the cylinder,

and is operated in unison with the piston 32,

32', by-the connection of its rod 48 to an arm 49 bolted to the crosshead 34.

The piston 47 is of a length and is so related to the port entering the cylinder from exhaust conduit 45 that it does not block this port during the major ortion of the return or down stroke of the rake roll, but in the of the re- I the diagram last of its return, the valve closes the port thereby cushioning the stroke through the imprisoned air, but, because of its loose fit in the cylinder, it allows the imprisoned air for adj ustably regulating the admission of air to the cylinder and thus control the speed of the working stroke of the brake roll and the speed of the operation of the machine in ac cordance with the re uirements of the work being operated on. uch means consists of two parallel conduits, one an exhaust conduit 48 of relatively large diameter, which exhausts the air very rapidly from the cylinder and thus permits a rapid return of the brake roll, and the other as a conduit 49 of smaller diameter controlled by a spigot or choke valve 50. A choke valve 51 prevents passage of the air through the exhaust conduit 48 while the roll is being raised. When the speed of rise of the roll is to be varied, the valve 50 is adjusted.

The speed adjusting valve 50 may be controlled from the front of the machine to shut off the conduit either partially or entirely through the handle 51, Fig. 1, connected to the valve by suitable intermediate connections, including the shaft 5O on which the handle is mounted, and connecting rod 50 connecting a crank arm 50 on the s aft with the valve 50.

The operation of the relay valve R is controlled by electrical control circuits, the op- I crating circuit of which has in seriestherewith the electro-magnet 52. The 'energization of this electro-magnet, operates a small valve, not shown, to admit air to operate the mam valve 53 of the air relay mechanism, in the same manner as in the prior patent above referred to.

As in the prior patented construction, the main control circuit including the electro magnet 52 is completed by the passage of a sheet through the machine, but as shown in of Fig. 12, I provide a wider range of control by the selector switch panel S, the automatic control switch T and the safety switch W. In the drawings leads for the high voltage line for running the electrical motor M for driving the rolls are designated 53 and 54 and the leads from the low voltage battery circuit by 55 and 56. The hold down rolls 20 are insulated from the machine and the guide 21 is grounded with the machine. The pinch rolls 16 are grounded. 1

Now assume the battery switch 57 closed and the switch 58 thrown to the dot and dash line position shown. The circuit including the battery 59 and electro-magnet 52 is then open at two points, between hold down rolls and pinch rolls and at the automatic control relay mechanism to admit air to the cylinder and raise the brake roll through its working stroke until the sheet has entered between the first pair of pinch rolls.

To this end, the automatic switch T consists of a bell crank lever pivoted at 60 having a very short arm 60 and ,a comparatively long arm 61 carrying a contact point 63 adjacent its outer end. The short arm is adapted to bear upon the top of the upper roll 16 of the first pair of pinch rolls through a roller contact 62, being continually urged to this position by a spring 63'. Opposed to the contact point 63 is a spring pressed contact finger 64 urged in one direction, i. e. toward contact 63 by a spring 65, but adapted to be adjusted with reference to said contact by an adjusting screw 66 and locked in place by a lock nut 67. This contact mechanism is insulated from the machine by being mountedon suitably insulated supports. With the distance between contacts 63 and 64 properly adjusted. the circuit is open at this point when the pinch rolls are running idly, but as soon as a sheet enters between the rolls, the upper roll is slightly raisedwhich turns the lever 60, 61 around its pivot and, because of the great difference in the length of the arms, moves the contact point a relatively greater distance, to close the circuit. The brake roll will now be lifted to its working position and the circuit will be maintained closed until the sheet leaves the hold down rolls. This operative position of the parts is shown in Fig. 5.

.If it is desired to subject the sheets being worked to action of the working roll to the very end of the sheets, the selective switch 58 is thrown to the dotted line position, and another-circuit including the battery and electromagnet but not including the hold down rolls as an element thereof will be closed but only when the automatic control switch T is closed by the entry of the sheet between the first pair of pinch rolls 16.

If the contacts 63, 64 should happen to be wrongly adjusted to each other, so that the circuit is normally closed at the automatic control switch, when the switch 58 is at its dotted line position, the operating circuit through electromagnet and battery would be closed and the brake roll held in raised position, which would prevent feeding a new sheet to the pinch rolls and thus call the attention of the operator to the fact that the the circuit is not completed to operate the switch points 63 and 64 might possibly need adjustment. \n I The safety switch mechanism W is adapted to simultaneously open-both the high voltage 5 circuit for running the rolls 12, 16 of the ,machine and the batte circuit for controlling the operation'of't e brake roll 17., It comprises a pivoted switch arm carrying knife switch contacts for cooperating with opposed relatively stationary contacts. See Fig. 6. The switcharm is pivoted at- 22' adjacent the upper one of the first pair of pinch rolls and has a-short arm 65 curved around the roll and having its end extend down in the space between the upper rolls 16 of the pairs of indi rolls. Pivotally carried by the end of t e short arm 65' is a feeler member 66 which extends down between the rolls and substantially fills the space between the rolls at their point of closest approach.

The urpose of this arrangement will be made cliaar b the following: In a machine of this class it sometimes happens that after the front edge of a sheethas passed the first pair of pinch rolls'in its passage through the machine, it will curl up and instead of passing between the next pair of pinch rolls, 1t will pass upwardly between the pinch rolls, and if the machine isnot stopped, it may wrap itself around the roll until the roll and sheet are welded together, and the machine has to be taken down and the roll .reground. The novel safety switch construction is designed to stop the machine, in such event, before any damage can be done. As soon as the front edge of such recalcitrant sheet engages the feeler member 66, it will press it u wardly, swingthe switch arm 65 on its pivot to the dotted line, Fig. 6, and open both the main high voltage line and the battery circuit, to bring the machine to a complete stop. The switch arm 65 is also'provided at its up er end with a handle to permit its manua operation, if desired;

For convenience in installation and operation, the switch arms are located on a bracket 68 secured to the front of the frame of the machine. This bracket is adjustably secured to permit proper location of the short arms of the switch leverswith relation to the pinch rolls through the slot and screw connection 69.

To secure an even and firm grippin of the pinch rolls 16 upon a sheet being ed, the opposed rolls are forced toward each other under high pressure when a sheet is located between them, thus firmly gripping the sheet throughout its width and exerting an even eflort thereon, preventing slippage. According to my invention, I am able to readily adjust-this pressure to adapt the rolls for different thicknesses of sheets, and also to so regulate the pressure means that a large part thereof is not active during the idle running of the rolls, thereby avoiding unnecessary wear on the rolls, yet insuring the presence of adequate pressure when the rolls are op- -eratin on asheet. To prevent deflection of bottoms of these seats being parallel to the lo itudinal a'iiis of the mac he and the genera direction of travel of the sheets through the machine. Coo crating with these seats are the knife edges 2, supported on the deep transverse beam member 25 of the base frame. These seats and knife edges are of a length to positively preclude any lon 'tudinal tilting of the bearing cages 7 0, an conse uently any relative vertlcal displacement of t e two pairs of pinch rolls.

Above the rolls 16 and arranged in opposed relation to the lower bearing cages 70, are similar bearing cages 73 carrying rolls 73' and connected by an equalizer bar 74, having its central portion de ressed and forming a socket 75 'to receive t e end of the pressure applying means and its outer ends hearing centrally upon the cages 73 through ball bearings 7 6; I

The pressure applyin and adjusting means are mounted upon a heavy arched pressure bridge 77 seated and firmly secured down upon the opposite side frame members 13. A pressure head 78 is mounted centrally upon the bridge, this pressure head carrying a heavy pressure applying pin 79 guided by an opening 80 in the bridge 77, and having its lower rounded end seated in the central socket 75 of the equalizer bar 74. A suitable wear resisting plate 81 may be inserted between the end of the pin and the bottom of the socket.

The main pressure is transmitted to the pin 79 by a powerful coil spring 82 which acts through a collared sleeve 83 threaded to an intermediate threaded portion of the pin, one end of the spring bearing upon the collar of the sleeve and the other end bearing against the pressure head 78. To vary the tension of the spring 82 the pressure head is vertically adjustable. To tlns end it is mounted upon two heavy studs 84 projecting upwardly from the bridge 77 on opposite sides of the pin 79, their upperthreaded ends extending through the head, and being engaged by nuts 85, rotatably but non-translatably mounted in the head. The nuts are provided on their peripheries with worm wheels 86, which are, in turn, engaged by worms (concealed) on a worm shaft 88 operatable by a large hand wheel 89. Thus operation ofthe hand wheel will adjust the head up or down to vary the tension of the sprin 82.

When t e parts are properly adjusted and the rolls are running idle, the collar on the sleeve 83 is bottomed on the recess in the bridge receiving it, and the full tension of the spring is not transmitted to the pin. The only pressure applied to the rolls at such times is the relatively small pressure, which can be supplied by turning the small manually-operated hand wheel 90 secured to the pro jecting upper end of the pin. This is purposely made small, so that excessive pressure cannot be applied. This reduced pressure is applied when the-sleeve, which is non-rotatably mounted in the head 78 is bottomed, to insure that substantially the full pressure of the spring 82 will be applied When a sheet is fed between the rolls and a proper tractive efiect obtained. When the pin has been properly adj Listed by the hand wheel 90'it may be locked in such adjusted position by the lock nut 91 engaging the threaded upper end of the pin and the end of the sleeve.

It will be seen that the entire pressure means including the head 78, pin 79, sleeve spring 82 and sleeve 83 may be readily bodily removed and replaced as a unit, when desired, thus aifording easy access to the parts for replacement or repair.

From the foregoing detailed description,

it is believed that the operation of the machine as a whole will be apparent, and further description of its operation is believed unnecessary. It will be seen that I have provided a machine which is very compactly arranged, in which the various parts are readily accessible, and replaceable or repairable if the need arises, in which the control of the machine is centralized at the front of the machine. and which is adapted for a wide variety of work, and for automatically turning out the work, when adjusted for a given condition, at a very rapid rate. The various novel features and combinations which contribute to the general efficiency, ruggedness and adaptability of the machine are particularl pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A roller leveler machine comprising two pairs of pinch rolls provided with backing rolls, a seat parallel to the plane passing through the axis of two of said rolls on the same side of the path of a sheet through the rolls, a cradle for carrying the backing rolls for said pinch rolls and having a knife edge support on said seat and extending transversely of said pinch rolls to prevent tilting of the same.

2. A roller leveler machine comprising a pair of opposed pinch rolls and a pair of hold down rolls spaced therefrom, and a sheet bending element adapted to be moved transversely of the path of a sheet extended between said rolls for giving said sheet a loop bend, said hold-down rolls being axially offset from each other, with the upper roll nearest the pinch rolls.

3. A roller leveler machine comprising a pair of pinch rolls, a sheet bending element adapted to be moved transversely to the path of a sheet being fed to the machine, means for so moving said sheet responsive tothe displacement of one of said pinch rolls due to the entry of the sheet between said rolls.

4. A. roller leveler machine comprising a pair of pinch rolls between which a sheet is adapted to pass, a sheet bending element adapted to be moved transversely to the path of said sheetQmeans for so moving said bending means after the sheet has been entered between the pinch rolls, and means operative to cause a stoppage of said moving means and the machine should a sheet start to wrap around a pinch roll.

5. A roller leveler machine comprising a pair of opposed pinch rolls, means for backmg said rolls to apply pressure to said opposed rolls, said means normally applying relatively light pressure during idle movement of the rolls, but rendered operative automatically upon the entry of a sheet between said rolls to apply heavy pressure.

6. A roller leveler machine comprising a pair of pinch rolls, hold down rolls spaced therefrom, a sheet bending element movable between said spaced rolls transversely to the path of the sheet, means for rapidly approaching and receding said element from its operative position, and means for gradually checkingsaid movement at the end of each stroke.

7. A roller leveler machine comprising a sheet bending element movable transversely to the path of the sheet being worked, a fluid-actuated means for moving said element in its operating stroke, including a fluid-check for cushioning the final part of said stroke.

8..A roller leveler machine comprising a sheet bending element movable transversely to the path of the sheet being worked, a fluid-pressure means including as elements thereof, a piston and cylinder for moving said'element to its operative position, one of said fluid-pressure elements being adjustable to vary the length of stroke of said bending element.

9. A roller leveling machine comprising a sheet bending element movable transversely to the path of a sheet being worked, fluidpressure means for moving said sheet into its operative position, including a piston and cylinder, said piston bein adjustable to vary the length of stroke, 311C forming part of means for cushioning the final portion of said stroke.

10. A roller leveling machine comprising a sheet bending element movable transversely to the path of a sheet being worked,'fiuidpressure means for moving said sheet into its operative position, means for exhausting said fluid under pressure to permit the element to return'rapidly to inoperative positiveupon removalof the sheet of material tion, and means for automatically throttling -from between said pinch rolls.

the exhaust near the end of said-return movement to cushion the same.

11. A roller leveler machine comprism a air of opposed pinch rolls and a pair of he down r0 bending element adapted to be moved transversel of the path-of the sheet which 1s exio tenae sheet a loop bend, said hold down rolls bein positioned one above the other, the axis o l the upper hold-down roll bein positioned closer to the plane of the-oppose pinch rolls 7 than the axis of the lower hold-down roll.

1 12. A roller leveler machine comprisin a pair of opgosed pinch rolls, means norma y urging sai rolls against each other to apply heavy pressure to a sheet of material inserted m therebetween and means for rendering said pressure applyin means partially inoperative upon remova of the sheet from between said pinch rolls.

13. A rolle'rvleveler machine comprising a as pair of opposed pinch rolls, a cradle having 4 rolls mounted therein and means associated with the cradle normally urging said pinch rolls towards each other to apply heavy ressure thereto when a sheet of material so 1s inserted therebetween, a. stationary support and a projection on said last mentioned means adapted to engage said support when the sheet is removed fro'm between' the pinch rolls for relieving the pressure of the same on the opposed rolls.

"14. In. combination with a roller leveler machine comprisin a sheet bending element movable transverse y'to'the path of the sheet ls spaced therefrom and a sheet between said rolls for giving said .being worked, of a fluid pressure means ine o cludmg as elements thereof a piston and cylinder for moving said element to its operative position, said piston being adjustable to vary the length of stroke and forming a part of means for cushioning the final'por- '45 tion of said stroke, and means externally of the cylinder and remote from the same for adjusting said iston.

15. A roller eveler machine comprising a pair of opposed pinch rolls, unitary removable means normally urging said rolls against each other to apply heavy pressure to a sheet of material inserted. therebetween, including means for adjusting the amount of pressure between the rolls and means for rendering sald pressure applying means partially inoperative upon removal of the sheet from between said pinch rolls.

l6. A roller leveler machine comprisin a pair of opposed pinch rolls, means norma 1y urging said rolls against each other to apply heavy pressure to a sheet of material inserted therebetween, means forregulating the amount ofpressure between said pinch rolls and adjustable means for rendering. said 55 pressure applying means partially inoperac. LEVON EKSERGIAN.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. I

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