US2028618A

US2028618A - Vulcanizing press

Info

Publication number: US2028618A
Application number: US677253A
Authority: US
Inventors: Macbeth Colin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-06-25
Filing date: 1933-06-23
Publication date: 1936-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1953-01-21
Also published as: GB404999A

Description

1 c. MACBETH VULCANIZING PRESS Filed June 23, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l [A/ new r01? (24 //V /74c 5 m Jan. 21, 1936. c, MACBETH 2,028,518

VULCANI Z ING PRESS Filed June 23,- 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 21, 1936. c. MACBETH YULCANIZING PRESS Filed June 23,. 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 A 770 RNEYS J 1936- c. MACBETH VULCAQIZING PRESS Filed June 25, 1933 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [mum/roe 6%; /N M40 6517/ RTTORMEYS Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UITE STATES PATENT OFFIE Application June 23, 1933, Serial No. 677,253 In Great Britain June 25, 1932 29 Claims.

My invention has reference to vulcanizing presses of the horizontal type in which poweractuated mechanism is provided for opening and closing a hinged mould-member or members, and is particularly applicable to presses (such as used for treating the covers of pneumatic tires and the like) wherein heavy internal pressures are developed during the vulcanizing operations, and the mould members, the opening and closing mechanism and other parts require to be strong and heavy constructions in order that they may efiectively resist the distorting stresses exerted by such pressures and also stand up against the mechanical stresses to which they are subjected during opening and closing of the press.

The principal object is to provide for the simultaneous vulcanizing of two covers or other work-pieces in a power-operated horizontal press of such compact over-all dimensions that the same can be installed in the approximately same floor space as a single press for dealing with work of equal size, will enable simultaneous vulcanizing to be controlled by the same equipment as is required for controlling a single press and will considerably facilitate the performance of manual operations such as the introduction and removal of work into and from the moulds. In other words, the improvements applicable to double or multiple presses are designed to realize advantages and economies in installation and operating costs, inasmuch that, in comparison with an installation of single presses of the same production capacity, the construction and use of double presses according to my invention will reduce the initial cost oi equipment to the extent of 49-45%, save practically 50% in floor space and while it does not reduce the time per workpiece required for performing the charging-in, vulcanizing and removing operations yet the output per press is increased some 92% in addition to enabling a 50% saving in controller-equipment costs. Further, the double-press construction hereinafter described can be used, if required, for vulcanizing a single work-piece at a time.

A further object of my invention is to provide a compact and eiiicient construction of poweroperated single-mould press; and with these and other objects in View, my said invention consists in or comprises a vulcanizing press of the horizontal type in which a hinged mould member or members is or are superimposed upon a stationary mould member and arranged to swing towards the back of the press in opening, and in which the opening, closing, and locking means comprise a power-operated toggle mechanism whose main links are connected with the hinged mould-member (or with the top hinged mouldmember) by an overhead link, and whose power cylinder is arranged between the said mould member and the said overhead toggle-link.

I propose to explain my invention by first describing the same, by way of example, in its application to presses for vulcanizing wire-edge tire-covers; reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a double-mould press constructed according to one application of my invention, and

Figure 4 shows a single-mould press constructed according to another application.

In Figure 1, the double-mould press is shown in side elevation and with the several parts of the moulds and their opening and closing mechanism in the positions they respectively assume during the progress of the vulcanizing operation, when the movable members are held in their closed positions by power-cylinder pressure.

Figure 2 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1, but showing the moulds partially opened and with the hinged mould-members in the positions they assume after completion of their parallelmotion separation from one another and from the fixed mould-member.

Figure 3 is another side elevation showing in full lines, the positions assumed by the several parts after the top mould member has been fully opened and is power-locked in that position prior to the hinglng-up of the intermediate mould member. The same view shows, in dotted lines,

the intermediate mould-member hinged up to its fully-opened position.

In Figure 4, a single mould press is shown in full lines in its fully-opened position; the dotted lines showing the hinged mould member in the position it assumes after completion of its initial parallel-motion lift.

Describing first the double-mould press shown in Figures 1 to 3; this comprises two hinged mould-members A and B which, when the press is closed and'in operation, are superimposed one upon the other and upon a stationary mould member C. To reduce the over-all height of the installation, this member C is so constructed that it serves as the bed or pedestal of the press and is adapted to rest, preferably on three triangularly-disposed feet, on the supporting floor. As regards the moulds and bead-rings, the bottom-half mould-ring c and bead-ring d of the lower mould are housed in the stationary or base member C, and the complementary upper half mould-ring c and bead-ring (1 and also the bottom half mould-ring e and bead-ring of the upper mould, are housed in the intermediate member B, whilst the complementary upper half mould-ring e and bead-ring f are housed in the top member A: The intermediate and top members being independently articulated to a back-pedestal D which may be bolted to the base member C. The hinges of the two hinged members are superimposed and so arranged that, in opening, both the said members and the principal parts of the operating mechanism, swing towards the back of the press, thus providing for free or unobstructed access to the moulds from the front thereof.

The main power-cylinder 0 (that is, the cylinder which is brought into operation to break" the moulds by a parallel separation of both the hinged members from one another and from the stationary member, and also to open, and control the closing of, the top hinged member A) is of the double-acting type and is arranged above the said member A. A second and independentlycontrolled power cylinder h (hereinafter referred to as the secondary cylinder) is housed in the back-pedestal D for giving the opening movement, and controlling the closing of, the intermediate mould-member. The two cylinders are adapted to be brought into operation successively in a manner that first gives a parallel separating lift to the movable members for breaking the moulds, then swings up the top member A to the position which enables a cover to be removed from the top-half moulding of the intermediate member B, and finally swings up the said intermediate member to a position which enables removal of a cover from the mould-ring of the stationary member C.

The main cylindera operates to "break the moulds, and to open or hinge up the top mouldmember, through a toggle mechanism which is combined with a system of cams for ensuring and controlling the parallel opening movements of the mould-members during the start of each cycle of operations, and the parallel closing of the said members during the completion of each cycle.

The toggle mechanism comprises a pair of side-levers i of substantial construction, which are arranged on the opposite sides of the press and are fulcrumed on trunnions i carried near the bottom of the base member; the heads of these levers being articulated to a toggle link i which is, in turn, loosely articulated at i to the crown of the top mould-member A and carries on trunnions 9 the main power-cylinder 0 whose piston-rod is pivotally connected at a with the front of the said top mould-member. The main cylinder is located over the front of the top mould-member so that its weight may be utilized to assist the mould-closing operation of the toggle mechanism. This overhead arrangement of the main cylinder enables the same to exert its mould-opening effort on the toggle link from the fulcrum constituted by the articulation g of its piston rod with the top mould-member.

Toprovide for the initial and the final parallel movements of the hinged mould-members by and under the control of cams incorporated in the toggle mechanism, the said hinged members are independently articulated to the back bracket of the press by systems of hinge-links k is, which permit of the top mould-member having a differential movement with respect of the intermediate mould-member. A certain slack may be provided in the joints between the hinge-links and their respective mould-members A, B, for enabling internally-coned flanges or similar registers at the mould-peripheries of the said members to finally register with one another on the closing of the press and thus ensure concentricity of the complementary mould-rings.

The side-levers i are provided, at a suitable distance above their trunnions i with cams i adapted to act, from below, upon rollers I) mounted on opposite sides of the transverse centre-line of the intermediate mould-members B, and other profile-edged cams a (hereinafter referred to as the top cams) are also provided on the said levers and are adapted to act upon the said rollers from above. The side-levers are further adapted to operate, through links k k, a system of double-acting oscillatory cams k (hereinafter referred to as the back-cams) which are journalled in the back pedestal D and function (during the initial angular displacement of the said side-levers) to lift the back or hinge side of the intermediate mould-member B at the same time that the side-rollers b on the said member are being acted upon by the lifting cams i. These back-cams It also transmit movement to the hinge links 70 of the top member A so that the hinge side of the latter is lifted (as shown in Figure 3) at the same time that lifting pull is applied to the crown thereof by the power-displaced toggle linkage.

To provide for this simultaneous lift of the hinged sides of both the mould members A and B the back cams is are arranged to act directly upon back-rollers I) carried on the pivots k which connect the mould-member B to the hinge-links k and these hinge-links k transmit through links 7t angular to the hinge-links k of the mould-members A. This action of the back cams is so timed in relation to the action of the side-lever cams i that the hinge sides of both members are lifted simultaneously with and at the same rates as the bodies of the said members.

During the initial lifting of the top member A, the top cams a on the side-levers are opposed to the rollersb and prevent the intermediate member being dragged up with the said top member as the-result of adhesion of the mouldcontained covers to the mould-rings. Thus, whilst the cams ik .are performing their lifting and mould-separating functions, the control exercised by the top cams i ensures effective breaking of the adhesion between the covers and those mould-rings which are carried in the hinged mould-members.

The cams and linkages which impart the initial parallel lift to the top mould-member are so arranged and timed in its operations that the said top member is given a parallel lift from the J intermediate member which substantially exceeds the lift of the said intermediate member from the bottom member, in order that the derimming and rimming-up of the covers in both moulds may be eifectively performed. The lifting and lowering actions of the intermediate mould member are kept under control by the action of the lower cams i and top-cams 7' which are so profiled that one set of cams always maintains steadying contact with the side-rollers of the intermediate member until the other set of cams has performed its prescribed function. The side-rolls b may be of such a diameter that both cams i 7' cannot contact therewith at any one time.

On completion of the parallel de-rimming separation of the'top member A from the intermediate member B (that is to say, after the parts have beenmoved to the positions shown in Figure 3and thetop cams 7' go out of effective action) the continued displacement of the sidelevers i and toggle link i by the main powercylinder tilts the top mould-member A in the opening direction relatively to its hinge-link k and away from the intermediate member which is held stationary by its own weight. During the first stage of this tilting-up of the said member A, the forward angular displacement of the back cams k continues consequent on the continued movement of the links k Why the sidelevers i, and the cams k and i co-operate to further lift the member B away from the stationary member C, but the said cams 2' and k are so profiled that, during the final stage of the said tilting-up of the top member A, they ride idly under the respective side and back rollers b 12 and serve to horizontally support the member B in its fully-lifted position as shown in full lines in Figure 4.

After the top member has been thus tilted-up or hinged back to the position shown in Figure 3, it is locked in that position by the continued application of main-cylinder power to enable safe removal of the vulcanized cover from the fully- -accessible top mould-ring of the cam-supported intermediate member; the cams k and i being meanwhile also locked by the same power-cylinder agency.

To enable removal of the vulcanized cover from the bottom pair of moulds, the intermediate member B is hinged upwardly and rearwardly from the stationary member 0 and raised against the underside of the opened top member (as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3) by bringing the secondary power-cylinder it into operation. The ram of this cylinder then acts upon a leverextension at the hinge side of the said intermediate member, and rocks the latter on its pivotal connection with the hinge links k which latter are meanwhile held stationary by the main-cylinder power lock on the back cams k. The intermediate member remains locked in this raised position so long as the secondary cylinder power is maintained on the lever extension.

The second vulcanized cover may then be removed from the mould-ring in the stationary bottom member C, after which, the next cover to be treated is laid in this bottom mould-ring and the power is taken off the secondary cylinder to allow the intermediate member to hinge down again under control of the said secondary cylinder onto the power-locked supporting cams 1. Then a second cover is laid in the mould-ring on the upper side of the intermediate member, and the pressure in the main power cylinder is reversed to allow the top mould-member to close (under power control) into parallelism with the intermediate and. bottom members, after which the continued action of the main cylinder alone imparts the parallel rimming-up movements to the hinged members A B as the press is finally closed, due to the positive action of thelevercams 7 upon the side-rollers b of the intermediate member B and to the direct pressure of the toggle linkage on the top member A.

Control is meanwhile exercised by the cams i and k on the intermediate member and on the back hinge-link system so that the hinge sides of both members are constrained to drop in parallelism as the mould-rings are closed onto the mould-contained covers.

In'ccnnection with the'toggle mechanism of the press, interlocking safety means may be provided to render it impossible for the moulds to be mechanically broken so long as air pressure is being maintained in the air-bags of the moulds. For example, a safety-hook or catch p may be fulcrumed on the front of the toggle-link i and be adapted to engage with a pin on the top mould member in such a manner as to lock the said arm and mould member one to the other and thus preventthe press opening even if power should be applied to the main cylinder. This hook is loaded by a release-spring and controlled by the plunger or piston of a locking-power cylinder p which is housed or formed in the link member i"; the said cylinder 12 being inter-connected with the air-pressure supply to the air bags through a valve or valves so arranged that, on pressure being released from the said bags as a preliminary to the breaking of the moulds, pressure in the locking cylinder is also relieved to enable the safety hook to be disengaged by its release spring from the drive-transmission arm and thus allow the press to be opened.

In the application of the invention to a press for vulcanizing a single tire-cover or the like,as shown in Figure 4, the stationary bottom mouldmember C, which again may constitute the bed of the press, has the top mould-member A articulated to the rear thereof by a system of hingelinks 70 and the power opening and closing'oi' the said top member is provided for by a system of side-levers z, a toggle-link i, and an overhead power-cylinder g, similar to those embodied in the double press already described. The'parallel derimming and rimming-up movement of the top member isprovided for by back cams k which are linked to and moved in unison with the side levers and operate on the hinge links k to control the movements of the fulcrum side of the topmould,

' also in substantially the same manner as in the double press.

Although the invention is herein described with particular reference to presses in which the power-operated opening and closing mechanism is adapted to initially impart a parallel separating lift to the hinged mould-member or members, and to finally close the said member or members in parallelism, I wish it to be understood that in the case of presses for vulcanizing, for example, certain narrow-beaded types of tire-cover, the described arrangements for controlling the initial opening and final closing may be dispensed with, r

and the hinged mould member or membersmay be directly articulated to the stationary'backsupport of the press.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters'Patent is:

1. A vulcanizing press of the horizontal type in which 'a plurality of mould members are superimposed upon a stationary member at least one of said. members being arranged to swing towards the back of the press for opening, and in which the opening, closing, and locking means comprise a power-operated toggle mechanism whose main links are connected with a hinged mould-member by an overhead link, and whose power cylinder is arranged between the said mould-member and the said overhead toggle link.

2. A double-mould vulcanizing press as claimed in claim 1, comprising a stationary mould-mem her, and two hinged mould-members, which are superimposed upon, and articulate-d to a stationary back-support, and are adapted to be successively hinged-up and lowered relatively to one another and to the stationary mould-member.

3. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power operated opening and closing mechanism is adapted to initially impart a parallel separating lift to the hinged mould-member or members.

4. A double-mould press as claimed in claim 1, comprising a stationary mould-member, and two hinged mould-members, which are superimposed upon, and articulated to a stationary back-support, and are adapted to be successively hingedup and lowered relatively to one another and to the stationary mould-member, wherein separate power-cylinders are provided for respectively opening and closing the top mould-member and the intermediate mould member.

5. A press asclaimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon, in which the operations incidental to the hinging-open and closing of the top mould-member are performed by a power-actuated toggle mechanism, and the operations incidental to the hinging-open and closing of the intermediate mould-member are performed by directly-applied power.

6. A press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toggle-mechanism comprises a pair of side-levers and an over-head link which is articulated to the hinged mould-member, or to the top hinged mould-member, and carries the power-cylinder that performs the operations incidental to the opening and closing of the said member.

7. A press as claimed in claim 1, comprising a stationary mould-member which also constitutes the bed of the press.

8. A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon wherein the hinged mould-members are independently articulated to a stationary back-pedestal by interconnected hinge links, and the power-actuated toggle-mechanism, with the cooperation of a system of cams and linkages is adapted, at the commencement of the opening of the press, to lift the hinge sides of the said mould-members and simultaneously to lift the bodies of the members.

9. A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon wherein the hinged mould-members are independently articulated to a stationary back-pedestal by interconnected hinge links, and the power-actuated toggle-mechanism, with the cooperation of a system of cams and linkages, is adapted, at the commencement of the opening of the press, to lift the hinge sides of the said mould-members and simultaneously to lift the bodies of the members, wherein the side-levers of the toggle mechanism are associated with side and back cams which are adapted to act respectively upon rollers arranged at the sides and at the back of the intermediate mould-member for imparting the initial parallel lift; the back-cams being adapted also to transmit the hinge-side lift to the interconnected hinge-links of both the hinged mouldmembers.

10. A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon wherein the hinged mould-members are independently articulated to a stationary back-pedestal by interconnected hinge links, and the power-actuated toggle-mechanism, with the cooperation of a system of cams and linkages, is adapted, at the commencement of the opening of the press, to lift the hinge sides of the said mould-members and simultaneously to lift the bodies of the members, wherein the side-levers of the toggle-mechanism are associated with side and back cams which are adapted to act respectively upon rollers arranged at the sides and at the back of the intermediate mould-member for imparting the initial parallel lift, the back-cams being adapted also to transmit the hinge-side lift to the interconnected hinge-links of both the hinged mould-members, wherein the over-head power-cylinder is adapted to open and close the top mould-member and to lock the said member and its initial-lift cams in the hinged-up position.

11.A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon wherein the hinged mould-members are independently articulated to a stationary back-pedestal by interconnected hinge links, and the power-actuated toggle-mechanism, with the cooperation of a system of cams and linkages, is adapted, at the commencement of the opening of the press, to lift the hinge sides of the said mould-members and simultaneously to lift the bodies 01' the members, wherein, the side-levers oi the toggle-mechanism are associated with side and back cams which are adapted to act respectively upon rollers arranged at the sides and at the back of the intermediate mould-member for imparting the initial parallel lift, the back-cams being adapted also to transmit the hinge-side lift to the interconnected hinge-links of both the hinged mouldmembers, wherein the over-head power-cylinder is adapted to open and close the top mould-member and to lock the said member and its initiallift cams in the hinged-up position, and wherein, during and after the hinging-up of the top mouldmember, the initial-lift cams are power-locked in positions wherein they support the intermediate mould-member in its lifted relation to the stationary mould-member.

12. A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon, wherein the hinge side of the intermediate mould-member is provided witha lever extension, and a secondary power-cylinder is so arranged behind the stationary mould-member that its ram may act directly upon the said extension to hinge-up the said intermediate member and to control the return movement thereof. 13. A press as claimed in claim 1, having a stationary mould-member and two hinged mouldmembers superimposed thereon wherein the hinged mould-members are independently articulated to a stationary back-pedestal by interconnected hinge links, and the power-actuated toggle-mechanism, with the cooperation of a system of cams and linkages, is adapted, at the commencement of the opening of the press, to lift the hinge sides of the said mould-members and simultaneously to lift the bodies of the members, wherein the side-levers of the toggle mechanism are associated with side and back cams which are adapted to act respectively upon rollers arranged at the sides and at the back of the intermediate mould-member for imparting the initial parallel lift, the back-cams being adapted also to transmit the hinge-side lift to the interconnected hinge-links of both the hinged mould-members, wherein the side-levers of the toggle mechanism are provided with additional cams adapted to act upon the side rollers of the intermediate mouldmember from above, for the purpose herein referred to.

14. A press comprising a. stationary mouldmember and two hinged mould-members arranged on one side thereof, hinge-links connected to the hinged mould-members, and initial-lift cams associated therewith, and connections between the said hinge-links so arranged that, during the opening of the press, a parallel lift is imparted to the top mould-member, which lift substantially exceeds the parallel lift imparted to the intermediate mould member in relation to the stationary mould-member.

15. A single-mould vulcanizing press, comprising a stationary mould-member, a superimposed hinged mould-member and a power-operated means, as claimed in claim 1, for opening, closing, and locking the said hinged member.

16. A single-mould press as claimed in claim 1 in which the power-operated mechanism is adapted, during the initial opening of the press, to move the hinged mould-member in parallelism with the stationary member.

17. A power-operated double-mould vulcanizing press of the horizontal type comprising a lower stationary mould-member and two mould-members superposed thereon when in operative position, the superposed members being articulated by superposed hinges to a support, and being adapted to be swung relatively to one another and to the stationary mould-member, the pivot points of said superposed members being movable vertically to impart separating and closing movements to the said members, and means to move the pivot points during the separating and closing movements.

18. A press such as claimed in claim 17 in which separate operating mechanisms are provided for respectively opening and closing the uppermost mould-member and the intermediate mouldmember.

19. A press such as claimed in claim 17 in which separate operating mechanisms are pro vided i'or respectively opening and closing the uppermost mould--member and the intermediate mould-member, the mechanism for opening and closing the uppermost member being carried with the said member.

20. A power-operated double-mould vulcanizing press of the horizontal type comprising a lower stationary mould-member and two mouldmembers superposed thereon when in operative position, the superposed members being articulated by superposed hinges to a support, and being adapted to be swung relatively to one another and to the stationary mould-member, the swinging movement of the top mould-member being performed by a power-actuated toggle mechanism and the swinging movement of the intermediate mould-member being performed by directly applied power such as a pressure cylinder.

21. A power-operated double-mould vulcanizlng press of the horizontal type comprising a lower stationary mould-member and two mouldmembers superposed thereon when in operative position, the superposed members being articulated by superposed hinges to a support, and

being adapted to be swung relatively to one another and to the stationary mould-member, the swinging movement of the top-mould member being performed by a power-actuated toggle mechanism comprising a pair of side levers and 5 an overhead link which is articulated to a topmould-member and carries a power cylinder which performs the operations incidental to the opening and closing of the top member, the swinging movement of the intermediate mould-member 10 being performed by directly applied power such as a pressure cylinder.

22. A power-operated double-mould vulcanizing press of the horizontal type comprising a lower stationary mould-member and two pivoted 15 mould-members superposed thereon when in operative position, superposed hinges for the pivoted sections, and cams associated with the pivoted sections adapted at the commencement of the opening operation to lift the hinges and simul- 20 taneously lift the members bodily.

23. A press as claimed in claim 22 in which certain of said cams are adapted to impart the initial lift and other cams are adapted to elevate the hinges.

24. A press as claimed in claim 22 in which certain of said cams are adapted to impart the initial lift and other cams are adapted to elevate the hinges, and means to lock the upper mould section in elevated position, said means being, 30 actuated by a power cylinder which also raises the upper mould-member.

25. A press as claimed in claim 22 in which certain of said cams are adapted to impart the initial lift and other cams are adapted to elevate 35 the hinges, and means to lock the intermediate mould section in raised position.

26. A press as claimed in claim 22 in which certain of said cams are adapted to impart the initial lift and other cams are adapted to elevate the hinges, and means actuated by the opening movement to loci; the movable mould-members in raised position.

27. A power-actuated double-mould press of the horizontal type comprising a plurality of superposed mould-members comprising top and bottom members and an intermediate member, and means to move the top and intermediate mould-members vertically and then pivotally to permit access to the superposed moulds.

28. A power-actuated double-mould press of the horizontal type comprising a plurality of superposed mould-members comprising top andbottom members and an intermediate member, vertically movable hinge supports for the intermediate and top members, and separate power cylinders to operate the top and intermediate mould-members respectively.

29. A power-actuated double-mould press of the horizontal type comprising a plurality of superposed mould-members comprising top and bottom members and an intermediate member, vertically movable hinge supports for the intermediate and top members, and rollers on the intermediate member and lifting cams in engage- 65 ment therewith.

COLIN MACBETH.