US2073967A - Bolt turning machine and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1937. K R 2,073,967

BOLT TURNING MACHINEAND THE LTKE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet l Mi 5 iii INVENTOR.

BY I V Y %+4% ATTORNEY.

March 16,1937. A. KIEFER 2,073,967

BOLT TURNING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1 932 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 16, 1937. A, KEFER 2 ,073,967

BOLT TURNING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 H H* l vBY %AQL% ATTORNEY.

March 16, 1937. A, EFER 2,073,967

BOLT TURNING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 44, ATTORNEY.

March 16, 1937. ,A. KIEFER I BOLT TURNING MACHINE.AND THE LIKE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1937 TL TURNING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Albcrt Kie fer,.Cincinnati, hio, assignor to The Hisey-Wolf. Machine Ohio, a partnership composed of Walter .I. Friedlanderand John December 12, 1932, Serial No.

Renewed April 1, 1935 1: y Application Company, Cincinnati,

W. Friedlander Claims. (c1;v 192-450) Myinvention relates to the provision of a machine primarily forqthe purpose of turning down v operation without any shock or jar to the operator of the machine. a In machines used. at present forthe turning downcf bolts, as for examplain automobile factories, the torque is. applied to the .bolt head with an amount of power depending upon the pressure applied by the operator with the ma chine. Thus, the uniformity with which the bolts ,are driven. home is dependent upon a variable human element. In the next place, when the bolts are driven homeby the mechanisms in use at present, there is a violent jerk which results in the mechanism jumping away from the bolt in opposition to the force applied to it by the operator. As a result, practiced operators cancrew of men must turn about. According to. my invention, as noted above, the torque applied to the bolt is of uniform quanbe employed, taking turn and throw out of thernachine'operates without shock to the operator. I q r The throw out mechanism employed by me consists of a caxnmember axially. movable and op-- posed by a measured force, such as aregulatable compressionspiral spring. This cam member, which in the' preferred form isaclutch like memher having spiral cut teeth, does not itself re-,

lease its driving function, throws out another clutch and the driving motor.

It is one of my objects to provide a remote control for the machine located adjacent the bolt-engaging chuck, this being in the form of a momentary contact switch which makes and breaks a circuit to a master solenoid that throws in and latches the clutch. The driving motor remains in operation at all times. It is my object in connection with the remote control, to provide a switch for a second solenoid which will trip the latch when desired.

I have provided in connection with the various mechanisms for a simple and powerful construction readily manufactured and assembled and 50 highly-fool-proof in operation.

My mechanism is to be distinguished from safety couplings or release clutches where the releasable member rides out of operative relation,

since such a mechanism would be impractical in 55s. bolt turning machine which requires a powerbut by its movement interposed between it not operate ,these machines continuously, and a" tity controlled by the machine itself and the ful and adequate clutch which itself is operated by a member which forms part of the driving train, but which of itself is never removed from driving relation.

I have illustrated in the drawings a typical 5 embodiment of my invention, and I now refer to the appended claims in which I have set forth the essentials in mechanisms such as the one illustrated which are required to accomplish my objects. In other words, I will describe my preferred mechanisms in detail, and refer to the claims for those generalizations which will indicate to the man skilled in the art the essential elements of said illustrated embodiment.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a side elevation of my machine.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section of the machine, from which the chuck and flexible shaft have been omitted.

FigureB is a plan view, partly section, of the machine.

Figure 4 is a front end elevation of the machine. I

Figure 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view of the torque control spring.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l-l of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a section of the parts shown in Figure 7, but at right angles thereto.

Figure 9 is a detail of the clutch latch lever.

Figure 10 is a. detail section of the remote control switch.

Figure 11 is a detail of the flexible drive shaft.

. Figure 12 is a plan and elevation of one of the long links.

Figure 13 is a plan and elevation of one of the short links of the flexible shaft driving elements.

Referring first to the elevation of the entire machine, I is an electric motor; 2, the main casing of the machine to which is pivoted a yoke 3 to be suitably suspended, thereby giving mobility to the apparatus; 4 is a housing for the main clutch operating solenoid; 5, the external lever of the main clutch yoke; 6, the main spring which pulls the said lever into a normal position with the main clutch open; I is the casing for the flexible operating shaft; 9 is the chuck housing; 9a, the chuck; and ID the casing for the remote control switch.

In operating the device, the operator holds the chuck housing in his hand and presses the switch operating lever II. This energizes the magnet in the housing 4 which pulls over the lever 5, thereby engaging the main driving clutch. The 5 in horizontal is a detail section on the line 5-5 motor is always in operation when the machine is running, and the engagement of the clutch causes the chuck to revolve. The chuck is then applied to a nut and held there until the nut is turned down as tightly as the machine is set to accomplish, whereupon the releasing mechanism located within the machine trips the latch which has been holding the parts controlled by the lever 5, and permits the spring 5 to pull the lever 5 over, thus opening the clutch. I

As I will describe, a depression of the member II will release the machine for one operation only, and the clutch is opened without any Jar to the operator when the required torque has been applied by means of the chuck Furthermore, the release of the main operating clutch is positive and accompanied by no preceding diminution in the power applied to the flexible shaft and chuck. Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the main housing portion 2 has a boss I! in which is a roller bearing l3, and has attached at the opposite end a ring member ll having a boss I5 in which is another roller bearing l5. The flexible shaft has at its inner end a member H which is secured to the end of a stub shaft it supported in the bearing ll.

As indicated more clearly in Figure 5, a toothed cup I! is secured on the inner end of the stub 0 shaft. The toothed cup I! meshes with another toothed cup 20, which cup has a sleeve portion 2| splined to the end 22 of the main-shaft 23 of the device. The shaft 23 terminates at 24 within the clutch,'and is coaxial with the shaft 25 of 35 the driving motor.

There is a transverse partition generally indicated at 25 which forms part of the main casing 2, and where the shaft passes through this partition it is provided with discs 21 to prevent oil 40 leakage. The master clutch which I have illustrated is the one shown in United States Patent No. 1,753,085, to which reference is made for its operation. Any other suitable friction clutch can be substituted for the particular one that I v 45 have selected.

Referring toFigures 2 and 8, the master clutch includes a grooved collar 25, a cam flnger 29, friction disc assembly held in a housing II. The housing 3! is supported in the roller hearso ing i5, and is splined to the motor shaft 25. In-

stead of a double clutch, as shown in the patent to which I have referred, I provide at the forward end of the clutch a relatively few friction discs 32 to act as a brake when the clutch collar is thrown to open position. I also utilize the housing II to drive a gear 33 which operates an oil pump 34 by means of a shaft 35. This oil is confined to that portion of the housing which surrounds the master clutch.

Referring back to the toothed cups l9 and 20,

it should be noted that these cups have spiral engaging faces 35 in the driving direction, which is illustrated as being clockwise in Figure 5. The cup 20, when the rotation of the cup I! is prevented, rides away from mesh position in a spiral manner so as to move to the right on the splined end 22 of the main shaft in the illustrated embodiment of the machine. Mounted on the sleeve 2| of the toothed cup 20 is a bearing 31 which mounts the sleeve portion 38 of a grooved collar 35. The bearing and the parts 38 and 39 move with the cup 20 along the splined shaft, a nut ll being used to hold together the sleeve or hub 2|, the bearing 31, and the sleeve portion 38 7 of the collar .38. located around the sleeve portion 88 and bearing against the collar portion ll is a spiral spring 4|, which spring is arranged with a lead so that these spiral convolutions are increasingly far apart. Such a spring opposes a force tending to collapse it with a fairly constantly increasing force, which is quite necessary in the present device. The spring II also bears against the inner end 42 of a housing 43, and the housing is threaded into a circular flange 44 of the partition 25. This housing has gear teeth 45 which mesh with a gear 45. The gear is mounted on a shaft 41 which projects through the front face of the casing, where it is provided with a head for the application of a wrench.

The purpose of this last mentioned construction is to enable the operator to adjust the tension of the spring 4| since, as the housing 45 is threaded to the right for example in the illustrated embodiment, this will tend to collapse the spring ll and thus increase its force applied against movement of the collar 30 and the parts which move with it, including the toothed cup Referring now to the operation of the machine when the chuck is being driven to turn down a nut or bolt, the cup 20 will start in full mesh with the cup I9, and will drive the cup i9, and through it the flexible shaft which extends to the chuck. When the bolt is turned down, the cup 20 continues to apply a torque to the cup i9, and at the same time to move along the shaft portion 22 axially, thus pressing the spring 4|. The greater the compression that must be overcome in the spring ll, the more force the cup 20 will apply to the cup I9 before the former has a any retrograde movement. when the cup 20 has moved back, however, the predetermined distance, the collar 38 will accomplish a release of the master clutch as will be described.

The movement of the cup 20 will not be willcient to disengage thesaid cup from the cup I8, and as the cup 20 moves to'the right it does not cease to apply its full driving force to the cup is.

By this means, the torque applied to a bolt or nut by the machine can be controlled with a large degree of accuracy, and can be adjusted by adjusting the preliminary compression of the spring, as has been described.

To hold the bearing IS in place at the front end of the casing, I preferably employ a heavy spririg 49 held in place by a cap 50, so as to apply a cushioned backing to the cup member I9.

The clutch latch and release Referring to Figures 2, 3, and '7. I have indicated a clutch yoke 5| having arms Sla and shoes 52 which engage in the clutch collar 28. This clutch yoke 5| is supported in bosses 53, 53, in the sides of the main casing on suitable trunnions, one of them being of special nature. This special trunnion has a squared end 54 engaging a socket in the yoke, a rounded portion 55 mounted in the boss 53 and held against sliding by a set screw 54a, and a squared portion 56 on which is mounted the lever 5, to which reference has already been made, said lever serving to operate the yoke.

The central portion of the yoke within the casing is provided with a slotted lug 51 in which is mounted a. latch plate 58, the arrangement being such that when the yoke is rocked with its upper end forwardly to apply the clutch, the latch bar will hold the yoke in this position until released. The latch bar is shown by itself in Figure 9, and consists of a long bar 59 pivoted at in the rear part of the main casing, and having a notched portion 6| serving as a latch to engage the member 58. The forward end of the latch bar is bent at 62 and terminates in a roller 88. By reference to Figure 3 it will be noted that this roller is mounted on a stud 64 which extends through the end of the bar 59 and mounts a lever 65. By means of this lever, as will be described, the latch bar can be operated independently of the torque release that has already been described.

The latch bar is held down by means of a spring 68 engaging a pad 61 on the portion 82 of the latch bar. The latch bar also passes through the central partition 28, and I have shown a shield 68 mounted on the latch bar to prevent oil from being dashed into the forward part of the casing.

The latch bar is lifted to release the clutch yoke of the master clutch by means of a clutch yoke 89 having trunnions 69a in the casing, and having legs with shoes 69b in the grooved collar portion 39. The yoke 69 has a rearwardly slanting central arm I0 which mounts a roller II at its upper end. This roller lies under the roller 63 on the latch bar, the arrangement being such that when the collar 39 is moved rearwardly or to the right in the illustrated showing, the yoke 69 is rocked so as to thrust the roller II upwardly, thereby raising the end of the latch bar. As has been described, this releases the yoke of the master clutch, permitting the clutch to open.

Referring now to the auxiliary means for raising the latch bar, the lever 65 which, as has been noted, is mounted on the end of the latch bar, is secured fast to a stub shaft I2 which extends out through the top of the main casing, where it is engaged by a link I3. The link I3 is secured by means ofanother link I4 to the solenoid stem I5. The solenoid is housed in a casing I6 independent of the main casing, but secured thereon, and consists of a coil TI and an E-shaped solenoid armature 18 arranged to slide in the casing and connected to the stem I5. 9

With this construction, an energizing of the coil 11 will withdraw the armature I8 inwardly, pull the link I3 to the right, rock the lever 65 to the left, and lift the latch bar.

In connection with the yoke 69, in order to avoid any shock or jar when this yoke is rocked to lift the latch bar, I provide an abutment I9 backed up by a spring 80 located in a suitable socket in the main casing.

The main solenoid Referring more particularly to Figures 3 and 7, it will be noted that in the solenoid case 4 there is mounted a coil 8| and a sliding E-Shaped armatu're 82, the stem 83 of which is forked. Pivotally secured in the stem 83 is a link 84 which is acted on by a spring 85 which tends to hold the armature in its retracted position. The link 04 is slotted, as shown at 86 in Figure 1, and the external operating lever 5 for the master clutch yoke is bifurcated as at 8 1 so as to accommodate a stud 00 that passes through the slot in the link. The stud also provides a mounting groove 89 for the main spring 0, the arrangementbeing such that the spring 6 tends to hold the lever 5 in position to hold the main clutch open.

Starting with the machine in condition for operation with the motor I rotating and the master clutch in its. spring-held position, the operator closes the circuit to the main solenoid coil 8i for an instant. This draws the link 84 toward the solenoid case 4 and pulls over the main clutch lever to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 511. This operates the clutch yoke so as to engage the clutch and drive the chuck. When the yoke is pulled over the latch plate 58 rides behind the latch plate 6| on the latch bar 59 which holds the clutch in its operative position until the latch bar is raised by the mechanism which has already been described.

The flexible shaft, chuck and switch The casing of the flexible shaft which has been indicated at I, is flanged at 90 so as to be engaged and held in place by the cover plate 50. The flexible shaft itself is formed of any standard design, the one I have selected consisting of long links 9| and short links 92, the long links having rounded heads 93 which enter rounded pockets 94 in the short links. The terminal member II of the flexible shaft is directly connected to the stub shaft I8, as has been described.

As has been noted, a chuck housing 9 and switch case l0 are secured on the flexible shaft casing I adjacent the end of the shaft. The housing 9 provides for roller bearings 95 and 98 for the chuck spindle 91 terminating in the hollow chuck indicated at 9a. The switch member in the casing I0 may be of any standard make which will provide a momentary contact and no more upon each depression of the actuating member.

In the form shown, there is a dielectric block 98 which. slides against spring tension on a pair of posts 99. The block carries at its rear end a finger I00 with a contact bar IOI at its lower end. A spring I02, bearing against the under side of the block 98, presses on the contact member, holding it down. A member I 03 on the finger I00 limits the downward movement of the contact member so that when the block 98 is in its upward position, no contact is established. The block 98 is depressed to make a contact by means of a plunger I04 which is normally held in upward position by a spring I05. The plunger engages a lip I06 on a pivoted latch I 01 which is formed of two parallel plates which straddle the plunger I04. When the plunger is depressed, it will move the block 98 downwardly and establish contact; but a full depression of the plunger will cause the end of the latch I01 to strike an abutment I08, thus rocking the latch, and move the lip I08 rearwardly away from engagement with the plunger I04. This permits the entire block and switch contact to be moved upwardly independent of whether the plunger is held down or not.

As a convenient method of operating the plunger, I provide a bell crank lever I09 in the casing I0, and another bell crank lever I I0 which engages one end of the lever I09, so that by depression of the lever IIO, which the operator can readily accomplish with the hand that is holding the chuck housing, the lever I09 is rocked so as to depress the plunger. As already noted, this will cause a momentary contact which is at once broken, so that the operator, by holding down on the member IIO, cannot effect the operation of the device. The short period of contact of the switch is suflicient, however, to energize the main solenoid, and thus throw in the master clutch.

In addition to the main switch I provide another switch, in the form of a snap button switch III, in the casing, which closes the circuit to the latch bar raising solenoid 11, so that the operator can, if anything goes wrong, stop the operation of the machine.

It is not believed to be necessary to state again the operation of the various parts of the device, since this has been done as the description has progressed. It will be apparent that various 5 modifications can be made in the structure described without departing from the novel elements and combinations of elements which the structure illustrates.

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

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing having an apertured partition across the same. a friction clutch, a

5 motor, and a shaft extending from the clutch at one side of the partition, said shaft extending through the aperture of the partition, a torque release forming part of the transmission from said shaft to the member to be driven at the other 20 side of the partition, and means mounted in the aperture around the shaft, preventing passage of oil from the clutch side of the casing to the torque release side thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing having a partition across the same, a friction clutch, a motor, and a shaft extending from the clutch at one side of the partition, said shaft extending through the partition, a torque release forming part of the transmission from said shaft to the member to be driven at the other side of the casing, and means for preventing passage of oil from the clutch side of the casing to the torque release side thereof,

said clutch having an operating yoke, a latch bar for said yoke to hold it in on position, said latch bar extending through the partition, and means for preventing oil from splashing through the partition alongside of said latch bar.

3. In a device of the character described, the 40 combination of a casing having a partition across the same, a friction clutch, a motor, and a shaft extending from the clutch at one side of the partition, said shaft extending through the partition, a torque release forming part of the trans- 45 mission from said shaft to the member to be driven at the other side of the casing, and means for preventing passage of oil from the clutch side of the casing to the torque release side thereof, an electromagnetic member for operating the 50 clutch, said member located outside of the casing, a yoke for the clutch located within the casing, one of the trunnions of the yoke being extended through the casing for interlinkage with the said electromagnetic member.

4. In a machine of the character described. comprising a casing, a motor mounted at one end of the casing, a chuck rotatably connected to the opposite end of the casing, and a master clutch in said casing, connected to the motor, 50 means tendingto bring said clutch into inoperative condition, a shaft connected to the motor by the master clutch, mutually engaging members relatively rotatable coaxially with the master clutch and connected to the shaft and the chuck, respectively, having their engaging surfaces adapted to slip one on the other under increased load on the chuck, and means contained in said casing including a latch restraining the master clutch in operative condition to transmit the motion from the motor to said shaft, and an operative connection from the latch to one of said members, operative to release the latch after a desired degree of slippage of the members, and thereby allow the master clutch to be brought into its inoperative condition, the two members having their mutually slipping surfaces inclined at an angle to the line of movement imparted to the one member due to the slippage, which angle decreases as the slippa e progresses, and in which said one member is resisted by a spring constructed to maintain a substantially uniform resistance to the movement of the member as the slippage progresses.

5. In a machine of the character described, comprising a casing, a motor mounted at one end of the casing, a chuck rotatably connected to the opposite end of the casing, and a master clutch in said casing, connected to the motor, means tending to bring said clutch into inoperative condition, a shaft connected to the motor by the master clutch, mutually engaging members relatively rotatable coaxially with the master clutch and connected to the shaft and the chuck, respectively, having their engaging surfaces adapted to slip one on the other under increased load on the chuck, and means contained in said casing including a latch restraining the master clutch in operative condition to transmit the motion from the motor to said shaft, and an operative connection from the latch to one of said members, operative to release the latch after a desired degree of slippage of the members, and thereby allow the master clutch to be brought into its inoperative condition, the casing having a partition between the clutch and the mutually sliding members, and in which the latch connection includes a swinging element extending through said partition, said partition having an extension surrounding said element in the part of the casing enclosing the clutch, and said element having an extension surrounding the partition extension, the extensions being spaced from each other and the partition extension being spaced from said element to allow the swinging of the element, and by their relation being adapted to hinder passage of oil from the clutch containing part of the casing to that part containing the mutually sliding members.

ALBERT mm.

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