US1953746A - Knife bar shaping machine - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1934. c. E. CLEVELAND KNIFE BAR SHAPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FlCml.

April 3, 1934. c. E. CLEVELAND KNIFE BAR SHAPING MACHINE Filed D60. 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGR. M Q W WAX.

April 3, 1934.

INVENTOR 3 W I mg Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES are OFFICE 11 Claims.

ihis invention relates to improvements in knife-bar shaping machines adapted for imparting spiral formation to straight bars as is required. in the construction of such implements as lawn mowers ofthe reel type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an automatically operating machine for spirally shaping such bars uniformly and rapidly in successive order to facilitate manufacture of lawn mower cutting reels and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

151 which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation projected from Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a transverse section on the line x of Figs. 1 and 3 upon an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a transverse section on the lines'yy'of Figs. 1 and 3.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a hollow pedestal 1 upon the top of which are disposed parallel horizontal guide ways 2 spaced apart.

Disposed upon the guide-ways 2 is a carriage 3 that has longitudinal reciprocating movement thereon, each end of the carriage having secured thereon an upwardly extending bracket 4, and a platen 5, preferably of semi-cylindrical form provided with a trunnion 6 at each end thereof, is

mounted upon the carriage, the trunnions being supported in the corresponding brackets 4 so that the platen has turning movement relative to the carriage axially upon said trunnions. A spring 7 is provided for each end of the platen that is connected at one of its ends to the corresponding head 8 of the platen and at its opposite end to the adjacent carriage bracket 4; The springs '7 have like torsional action and tend to urge turning movement of the platen in the same direction upon the axis of its trunnions, the torque being in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. i

The platen 5 has upon one side thereof a radi- 5O ally disposed face 9 exposed upwardly and which extends spirally from one end-of the platen to the other, and along the inner margin of the face 9 is formed an upwardly projecting shoulder 10.

Upon the exterior-of the platen 5, spaced 2.

suitable distance from the front end thereof and below the face 9, are a pair of projecting lugs 11 in which a fulcrum. pin 12 is mounted upon which is pivotally supported a lever 13. One end of said lever is short and constitutes a jaw 14, and the 9" outer end thereof projects a short distance past the adjacent front edge of the face 9 on the platen so as to have engagement with the outer edge of a knife-bar 15 positioned fiatwise upon the face 9 between the shoulder 10 and said jaw, so that the knife-bar is held therebetween when the tail 16 of said lever is in its outermost position.

The platen 5 has disposed therein a compression spring 1'7 that bears constantly against the tail of the lever so that outward pressure is exerted against the lever which-tends to move the jaw 14. inwardly against the outer edge of the knife-bar. The tail 16 of the lever is curved so as to conform approximately with the circumferential outer face of the platen, and has formed thereon spaced lugs 18 and 19 that project radially outward, with respect to the platen, which have operative relation severally with a prop 20 that is secured to and extends upwardly from 39 the carriage 3, which causes the tail of the lever to turn upon its pivotal support 12' inwardly in opposition to the pressure of the spring 17,WhBle-' upon the jaw 14 is moved outwardly from its clamping or knife-har holding position. i

The platen 5 has in its outer wall a transverse elongated slot 21 one end of which opens through the face 9, and into said slot projects apost 22 that is secured on the carriage 3 and constitutes an ejector by which the l nife-bar is dislodged from its position on the face of the platen when the platen is turned upon its axis to a predetermined point in its feed or knife-bar forming stroke. 1 p

Secured to each side of the pedestal 1 are upwardly extending oppositely disposed brackets23 in which is journaled a horizontal shaft 24 at a point above the platen, and upon said shaft is secured a forming roller 25 provided at its outer end with a radial flange 26. The face of the roller 1% 25 overhangs the face 9 on the platen and bears upon the knife-har 15 when situated thereon while the flange 26 overlaps the outer edge of said knife-bar so that said bar is thereby confined to its position on the platen face.

The carriage 3 has secured thereon, along one side thereof, a horizontal rack-bar 27 that meshes with a gear 28 secured on the shaft 24, so that as the carriage reciprocates said shaft is rotated alternately in opposite directions and movement is imparted to the roller 25 accordingly. The pitch circle 29 of the gear 28 corresponds in diameter with that of the face of the roller so that the travel of the circumferential face of the roller and that of the spiral face 9 on the platen, during operation of the machine, are substantially the same in extent.

Reciprocal motion is impart-e to the carriage 3 by means of driving mechanism associated with the pedestal 1. The construction of the driving mechanism and its operating relation with the carriage 3 is such that upon continuous operation the carriage is driven alternately in opposite directions the full length of its strokes. The driving mechanism herein shown, as an example, consists of a lever 30 that is vertically disposed within the pedestal and secured at its lower end therein upon a horizontal shaft 31. The upper end of the lever 30 has an elongated vertical slot 32 in which is positioned a vertically movable block 33, and the carriage has a pendent pair of lugs 34 in which is transversely secured a pin 35 that extends also through the block 33, so that upon oscillation of the lever 30 the carriage is actuated accordingly. The middle portion of the lever 30 has another vertical elongated slot 36 therein in which is disposed a. movable cross head 37 through which extends a wrist-pin 38 of a crank 39 on a horizontal drive-shaft all that is journaled in bearings i1 and .2 conveniently arranged in the pedestal and on an outrigger 43. The shaft 40 has secured thereon a belt pulley 44 to which rotary motion is impar ed from a suitable source of power by means of a belt (not shown) in the usual manner. Upon rotation of the shaft 40 oscillating movement is imparted to the lever 30 through the medium of the crank and cross-head so that upon each revolution of the shaft the carriage is accordingly driven lengthwise regularly to and fro throughout the length of its strokes, and also the platen 5 is caused to turn upon the axis of its trunnions relative to the carriage as the spiral face 9 on the platen travels under the roller while urged upwardly because of the torque of the springs 7.

The knife bars 15 preliminary to their introduction into the machine are straight flat bars of uniform length and width and are fed singly in successive order to the machine automatically at a definite period in the operating cycle of the machine by means of a suitable feeding mechanism that operates synchronously with the carriage. Such feeding mechanism, here set forth as an example, consists of a hopper 45 mounted upon at elevated platform 46 which is supported upon a bracket 4.7 that is secured to the pedestal 1. The top and bottom of the hopper i5 is open so that when a number of flat knife-bars 15' are stacked therein, on upon another, the stack rests upon the platform d6. fire lower end of the front wall of the hopper 45 is spaced from the top of the platform so as to provide an opening 48 of proper proportions to permit the lowermost knifebar in the hopper to be ejected therethrough, and

.consisting of an oscillating shaft 50 which has secured at its upper end a slotted arm 51 having engagement with a pin 52 that depends from the feed plate 49 so that as the shaft is oscillated upon its axis the feed plate is operated accordingly. The lower end of the shaft 50 has secured thereon a forked arm 53 that has operative engagement with a stud 54 secured on the carriage 3, the stud being so located on the carriage and so related with the forked arm as to actuate the forked arm during the completion of the back stroke of the carriage and thereby cause inward movement of the f ed plate 49 and consequent ejection of the lowermost of the knife bars 15' from the hopper.

A chute 5-5 is conveniently secured to the forward side of the platform 46 so as to receive through its open top the knife bars from the hopper as they are ejected therefrom. The bottom of the chute extends slantingly downward to a point adjacent the rear side of the r ller 25, and an opening 56 in the chute is provided at the lower end of the bottom thereof, so that as the knife bars are ejected from the hopper they are directed by the chute endwise onto the face 9 of the platen against the roller so that as the e bars 15' are stacked in the hopper, continuous rotary the usual manner to the motion is imparted driving pulley, whereupon the carriage is re rocated and the knife bars are fed conseouti c from the hopper through the chute onto the form us face 9 immediately back of the forming roller 25 approximately at the time when the carriage reaches the end of its stroke. Also, when the carriage reaches the end of its backward stroke the platen turned upon its axis through the action of springs 7 to such position that the lever 13 is pressed inwardly by contact of lug 19 with the prop 20, and thus the jaw 1 is me shoulder 16 and the jaw 14. As the carriage ,resses commencement of its forward stroke the platen is turned upon its axis hack-- wardly in opposition to the torque of the 7, and the lug 19 on the lever is moved from contact with the prop 20, whereupon, the jaw 14 of said lever is moved inwardly by action of the compression spring 17 that the knife bar is clamped between said jaw and shoulder, and is then drawn beneath roller n: thereby conformed to the spiral course of the platen. face 9.

During the latter part of the forward stroke of the carriage, the platen turned to ,ch position that the lug 18 on the clamp ievc. contacts with the prop 29 causing outward movement of the jaw 14 and consequent release of the knife bar 15 from the platen. This action occurs approximately at the time the rear end bar passes from beneath the forming roller 25. concurrently, said bar has contact with the ejector 21 whereby the bar dislodged from its position on the platen face 9 after haviu Also,

been shaped thereon, and in this manner is ex- 1 polled from the machine. i The carriage and the platen are then moved idly throughthe backward stroke, atthe completion of which a second knife bar is fed from the hopper through the chute to the platen and the operation is repeated untilthe supply of bars in the hopper is exhausted.

'By use of the invention, the. bars areshaped uniformly and with rapidity consistent with the endurance of the machine.

In order that the knife bars, after being shaped in the machine, shall have such spiral pitch andlateral curvatureas to conform with the particular design ofthe reel in which. they are to be assembled for use, the platen is prepared so that the face 9 thereon is shaped to have the desired pitch and radius accordingly, andtthe platen is alsoproportioned to accommodate the knife bars in respect to their length.

I claim:- a

1. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal having guides, a carriage having reciprocating movement supported on said guides and provided with end brackets, a platen supported in said brackets for turning movement upon its axis and provided with a spiral face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a rotatable shaft supported adjacentsaid platen, a forming roller onaid shaft extending across said face and provided with a radial flange that overlaps the outer edge of saidface, springs operatively associated. with theo-platen to impart torque thereto about its axis and urge said face toward said roller, a rack and gear mechanism associated with said carriage and shaft to cause rotation of said roller reciprocallyas said carriage actuated, driving means to actuate said carriage, an automatically operated mechanism associated with said carriage for feeding knife bars onto the face of said platen, a clamping meansassociated with the platen for securing and releasing knife bars fed to the platen automatically operated as said platen is actuated, and an ejector disposed to automatically dislodge a knife bar from the platen face when released by said clamping means.

2. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal having guides, a carriage having reciprocating movementsupported onsaid guides and provided with endbrackets, a platen supportedv in said brackets for turning movement upon its axis and provided with a spiral face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a rotatable shaft supported adjacent said platen, a forming roller on said shaft extending across said face and provided with a radial flange that overlaps the outer edge of said face, springs operativelyv associated with the platen to impart torque thereto about its axis and urge said face toward said roller, a rack and gear mechanism associated with said carriage and shaft to cause rotation of said roller reciprocally as said carriage is actuated, driving means to actuate said carriage, an automatically operated mechanism associated with said carriage for feeding knife bars onto the face of said platen, and a clamping means associated with the platen for securing and releasing knife bars fed to the platen automatically operated as said platen is actuated.

3. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal having guides, a carriage having reciprocating movement supported on said guides and provided with end brackets, a platen supported in said brackets for turning movement upon its axis and provided with a spiral face and an upwardly projetting. shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a rotatable shaft supported adjacent said platen, a forming roller on said shaft extending across said face and providedv with a radial flange that overlaps the outer edgeof said face, springs operatively .associated with the platen to impart torque thereto about its axis and urge said face toward said roller, a rack and gear mechanism associated with said carriage and shaft to cause rotation of 1 said roller reciprocally as said carriage is actuated, driving means to actuate said carriage an automatically operated mechanism associated with said carriagefor feeding knife bars onto the face of said platen, and an ejector disposed .to' automatically dislodge a knife bar from the platen face when released by said. clamping means.

4. In aknife bar shaping machine, a pedestal having guides, a carriage having reciprocating movement supported on said guides provided with end brackets, a platen supported in said brackets for turning movement upon its axis and provided with a spiral face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, 1

a rotatabie shaft supported adjacent said platen, a forming roller on said shaft extending across said face and provided with a radial flange that overlaps the outer edge of said face, springs operatively associated .with the platen to impart torque thereto about its axis and urge said face toward said roller, a rack and gear mechanism associated with said carriage and shaftto cause rotation of said roller reciprocallyas said carriage .is actuated, drivingmeans toactuate said carriage,

and an automatically operated mechanism associatedwithsaidcarriage for feeding knife bars onto the face of said platen.

5. In a knife; bar shaping machine, a pedestal, a carriage slidably supportedon said pedestal, an axiallyoscillating platen supported on said carriage and provided with a spiral forming face and anupwardly projecting shoulder alongthe inner edge of said face, a forming roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of which overhangs'the platen face and is provided with a radial flange that overlaps the edge of the platen face opposite said shoulder, means associated with the platen to urge the platen face toward the circiunferentialface of the roller, actuating mechanism operatively associated with said carriage androller, so constituted that as said car,- riage. is actuatedthe circumferential travel of the roller and longitudinaltravel of the. platen face are substantially equal, a feeding device for supplying knife bars to said platen face at a point back of said roller, a mechanism associated with said carriage and feeding device automatically operable as said carriage is actuated, means for holding a knife bar in place on said platen face while being shaped thereon, and an automatically operable ejector for dislodging said knife bar from said platen face after having been shaped thereon.

6. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal,

a carriage slidably supported on said pedestal, an

axially oscillating platen supported on said carriage and provided with a spiral forming face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a forming roller support- 1 55% ed for rotary movement, the circumferential face of which overhangs the platen face and is provided with a radial flange that overlaps the edge of the platen face opposite said shoulder, means associated with the platen to urge the platen face toward the circumfer ntial face of the roller, actuating mechan operatively associated with said carriage and roller so constituted that as said carriage is actuated the circumferential travel of the roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal, a feeding device for supplying knife bars to said platen face at a point back of said roller, a mechanism associated with said carriage and feeding device automatically operable as said carriage is actuated, and means for holding a knife bar in place on said platen face while being sh aped thereon.

'7, In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal, a carriage slidahly supported on said pedestal, an axially oscillating platen supported on said carriage and provided with a spiral forming face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a forming roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of which overhangs the platen face and is provided with a radial flange that overlaps the edge of the platen face opposite said shoulder, yielding means associated with the platen to urge the platen face toward the circumferential face of the roller, actuating mechanism operatively associated with said carriage and roller so constituted that as said carriage is actuated the circumferential travel of the roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal, a clamping means automatically operated upon movement of the carriage for holding a knife bar in place on said platen face while being shaped thereon, and an ejector located on the carriage for dislodging said knife bar automatically from said platen face after having been shaped thereon.

8. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal, a carriage supported on said pedestal, an axially oscillating platen supported on said carriage and provided with a spiral forming face and an upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a forming roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of which overhangs the platen face and is provided with a radial flange that overlaps the edge of the platen face opposite said shoulder, yielding means ociated with the platen to urge the platen face toward the circumferential face of the roller, actuating mechanism operatively associated with said carriage and roller so constituted that as said carriage is actuated the circumferential travel of the roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal, and automatically operable means for holding a knife bar in place on said platen face while being shaped thereon.

9. In a knife bar shaping machine, a pedestal, a carriage slidably supported on said pedestal, an axially oscillating platen supported on said carriage and provided with a spiral forming face and upwardly projecting shoulder along the inner edge of said face, a forming roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of which overhangs the platen face and is provided with a radial flange that overlaps the edge of the platen face opposite said shoulder, yielding means associated with the platen to urge the platen face toward the circumferential face of the roller, and actuating mechanism operatively associated with said carriage and roller so constituted that as said carriage is actuated the circumferential travel of the roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal.

10. In a knife oar shaping machine, a carriage mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement, a platen mounted on said carriage for movement therewith lon itudinally and rotary movement upon its axis and provided with a spiral forming face, a fOll roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of w" ich overhangs platen face, yielding means for applying torque to said platen about the axis thereof to urge the platen face toward the circumferential face of the roller, mechanism associated with the carriage and roller so constituted that upon operation of said carriage the circumferential travel of said roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal, and actuating means for said carriage.

11. In a knife bar shaping machine, a platen mounted for longitudinal reciprocating and axial turning movements, and provided with a spiral forming face, driving mechanism for imparting longitudinal movement to said platen, a forming roller supported for rotary movement, the circumferential face of wh ch overhangs the platen face, means for applying torque yieldingly to said platen about the axis thereof to urge said platen face toward the circumferential face of the roll- 1 er so that longitudinal movement of the platen is accompanied by rotation thereof upon its axis, mechanism associated with the platen and roller for imparting movement thereto so constituted that the circumferential travel of saia roller and longitudinal travel of the platen face are substantially equal.

CHARLES E. CLEVELAND.

Images