US2116639A - Metal threading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 10, 1938. E. J. PROTIN METAL THREADING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 10, 1938. E. J. PROTIN METAL THREADYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 INVENTOR W WW May 10,. 1938. E. J. PROTIN METAL THREADING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1936 B Sheets-Sheet} 6 INV?OIRW; WLW

May 10, 1938. E. J. PROTIN 2,116,639

METAL THREADINQ APPARATUS Filed Oct; 14, 1 936 8 SheetsSheet 4 May 10, 1938. J. PRoTlN METAL THREADING APPARATUS Fi1ed Oct. 14, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 lym'ola I.

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I V METAL THREADING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nun-m Q l l l 74 120 120\ A INVENTOR 123 data/mi 6W May '10, 1938. E, J PRJQTIN 2,116,639

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E. .1. 'PROTIN METAL THREADING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1936 8 Sheets-Shet a INVEN;R%

Patented May 10, 1938 r v UNITED STATES PATENT O'FFICET 2,116,639 METAL THREADING APPARATUS Edward J. Protin, Charleroi, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 14, 1936, Serial No. 105,539, 4 Claims, (Cl. 16-105) or the like in an externally gripping chuck, rela- V tive to threading tools.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a chuck apparatus which is movable toward threading dies and which has a range of rapid traveling movement and a range of slower advancing movement, means for automatically stopping the rapid travel of the chuck when it reaches apredetermined position with relation to the-threading device.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide in a chuck carriage of the character referred to, mechanism for mechanically advancing the chuck apparatus, and mechanism for manually advancing the same, in combination with means for automatically disconnecting the manual advancing means when the mechanically actuated advancing means is in operative position.

25 Still another object of my invention is to provide in traveling chuck apparatus of the character referred to, a stop gauge for engagement by the end of a pipe which is inserted in the chuck apparatus preliminary to a threading oper- 30 ation, the stop device being automatically mov able out of the path of the pipe as it is advanced to a threading die and being automatically restored to operative position upon withdrawal of the pipe from the threading tool. V 35 Another object of my invention is to provide a chuck apparatus having a set of chuckjaws for aligning a pipe, or the like, and a second set of chuck jaws for holding thev pipe against the torque of threading tools, the second-named jaws being so supported as to permit of their automatic accommodation to the aligned position of the pipe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the chuck apparatus and the threading machine; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof; Fig.3 is an end elevational view of the chuck apparatus; Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged view'looking in the direction of the arrows VIVI of Fig. 2, partly in section; Fig. '1 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line VIII--VIII of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a view taken on the line IX-IX of Fig.-7; Fig. 10 is a by the threading machine.

the base l0. whereby .are of somewhat similar structure.

view on an enlarged scale taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1; Fig. 11 is a view taken on the line XIXI of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a plan view, partly in section, of the carriage for supporting the chuck apparatus; Fig. 13 is a view taken on the line )HII-XEH of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is a View taken on the line XIV-XIV of Fig. 12.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, I show a threading machine A and chuck apparatus B for moving the pipe into position to have threads cut thereon The threading machine per se does not constitute a part of my invention, but may be of any various known types and will, therefore, be described here in somewhat general terms.

The threading machine is mounted on a base l0 and comprises a casing or housing H within which is mounted a spindle l2 secured within a supporting sleeve l3 rotatable in bearings 14 and 15, formed in the end walls of the casing. The spindle l2 has a flared end I6 to which is bolted a head or holder I8 within which are mounted threading chasers' or dies 18a, commonly termed receding chaser dies, which are radially movable toward and from threading position. Amotor I!) (Fig. 1) is mounted on the casing II and drives a shaft 20 on which are mounted pinions 2| and 22 with which gear wheels 23 and 24 can be respectively brought into engagement after the manner of ordinary change-speed mechanisms. The gear wheels 23 and 24 are mounted upon a shaft 25 that also carries gear wheels 26, which mesh with gear wheels 21 that are mounted on a shaft 28. The shaft 28 carries a pinion' 29 which drives a ring gear 3|] that .is'secured to the sleeve l3, which sleeve is in turn keyed to the spindle I2. The driving connections just described serve to rotate the threading head l8.

The chuck apparatus includes a housing 32 .which is mounted upon a carriage 33 that is supportedupon slideways 34 which are carried by the carriage can be moved toward and from the threading mechanismin a manner to be hereinafter described.

A pipe-gripping chuck 35 and a pipe-aligning chuck 36 are mounted within the casing 32 and The pipealigning chuck 36 includes three jaws 31 which are movable radially of the chuck body 38, in suitable guideways38a, formed therein, the chuck body 38 being an integral part of the casing 32.

The jaws 31 are radially movable by means of screws 39 which have threaded engagement therewith, and each of which carries a bevel (Fig. 11), the Sleeve being cent wall of the casing.

The chuck jaws 31 are moved inwardly and outwardly by a bevel ring gear 43 which meshes with the pinions 48. A spur ring gear 44 is rigidly secured to the bevel ring gear and the ring gears are oscillated by a rack bar 45 which meshes with the spur ring gear. It will be seen that oscillation of the ring gears will effect radial movements of the chuck jaws to engage and release a pipe 46. The ring gears 43 and 44 are rotatably supported upon a hub-like portion of an end plate 41, of the chuck body portion 38 of the casing 32.

The rack bar 45 has pivotal connection with a piston rod 48 which extends into a cylinder 49 and has a suitable piston, so that when fluid pressure is admitted to the ends of the cylinder alternately, the rack bar will be reciprocated.

Suitable ports 58 and 5! (Fig. 6) are provided bringing the pipe into axial alignment with the threading tool l8. Operation of the valve 52 in reverse direction will, of course, effect retractive movement of the rack bar 45 and opening of the chuck jaws.

The chuck 35 serves primarily-to rigidly grip and hold the pipe against turning movement under the torque of the threading dies, and includes jaws 54 which are mounted in the chuck housing 32 in substantially the same manner as that in which the chuck jaws 31 are mounted in the chuck body 38. The chuck jaws 54 are operated by a rack bar 56 in the same manner as the chuck jaws 31 are operated by the rack bar 45. The chuck body 35 is supported by hanger bolts 63 and springs 64 that are in turn supported upon bridge plates 65 which are secured to the upper edge of the casing 32.

The rack bar 56 is operated from a piston and cylinder 68 which is controlled by-a hand-operated 'valve 69 (Figs. 1 and 3) the operation being the same as described in connection with the rack bar 45 and the piston and cylinder construction 49. Fluid pressure for the cylinders at 49 and 68 may be generated by a motor 18 and a compressor 1| driven thereby; fiow of fluid from the compressor to the pistons being controlled by the valves 52 and 69, as heretofore explained.

The provision of the aligning chuck 36 is of particular utility because the chuck jaws 31 are smooth faced and do not bite into the pipes. as do the usual holding jaws such as the jaws 54. The peripheries of pipes are not usually of uniform hardness, and the teeth of the respective holding jaws 54 will, therefore, not all bite into or indent the pipe to the same depth. There is consequently a tendency toward slight misalignment of the pipe by the usual toothed holding jaws, which danger is avoided where smooth faced aligning jaws, such as 31, are employed to prevent such misalignment.

As heretofore stated, the chuck carriage 33 is mounted upon the slideways 34 for movement toward and from the threading tool. Reciprocation of the carriage is mechanically eflzected by a feed screw 13 which advances the carriage rapidly until the front end of the pipe is in position adjacent to the threading tool. A feed screw 14 thereafter advances the chuck carriage slowly while the threading operation is being performed. The feed screw 14 is journalled at 15 and 16 in the lower portion of the housing II and extends to the opposite end of the base I8, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 11 and 12, where its opposite end is supported in a bearing I1. The feed screw 13 is similarly supported in bearings 18 and 19, Figs. 10 and 12.

The feed screws are driven from the ring gear 38, through a ring gear 98 that is mounted upon the rotating sleeve member I3 and meshes with a gear. wheel 8|, the gear wheel 8| being mounted upon a shaft 82 which issupported in the lower part of the casing II and carries gear wheels 83, 84 and 85. The high-speed shaft 13 carries change- speed gear wheels 86 and 81 which are selectively shiftable into engagement with the gear wheels 83 and 84 respectively. The preliminary feeding or advancement of the pipe to the threading tool may be faster where the pipe is of relatively light weight, in which case the gear wheel 85 will be brought into engagement with the gear wheel 83. For slower advancing speeds for heavier pipe, the gear wheel 81 will be brought into engagement with the gear wheel 84. The gear wheels 86 and 81 are manually operated by shifting fork 88, from a lever or pedal 89 (Fig. 10).

The slow feed shaft 14 is provided with changespeed gears 98, SI, 92 and 93 which are keyed thereto, and which may be selectively engaged by change-speed pinions'94, 95, 96 and 91 respectively. These pinions are slidably mounted upon a counter-shaft 98 and are shiftable thereon by means of shifting forks 99 and I88. The counter-shaft 98 carries a gear wheel I8I which meshes with the gear wheel 85. The changespeed gears just referred to are utilized to effect various rates of advancing movement of the pipe into the threading tool, in accordance with the pitch of thread being cut on the pipe. In other words, if a thread of very small pitch is being cut, the pinion 91 will be brought into engagement with the gear wheel 93, and for larger pitch threads the pinion 94 will be brought into driving engagement with the gear wheel 98, etc.

The high-speed feed shaft 13 has two wide pitch helical threads reversely arranged with respect to one another, one thread being employed when advancing the chuck carriage and the other thread being utilized to effect retractive movement thereof. A cylindrical nut I83 has engagement with the advancing thread of the shaft 13 and is positioned between the clutch or gripping members I84 (Figs. 12 and 13). The nut I83 is held against movement in one axial direction longitudinally of the carriage by a flange I85 that is formed integrally with, the nut and engages a thrust bearing I86 that abuts against a plate I81 which is rigidly mounted in the carriage. Movement of the nut I83 in the opposite direction is prevented by reason of its abutment with a nut' I88 that is similarly formed and mounted, and engages the reverse thread of the a shaft IIO that has threaded engagement with swivel nuts III (Fig. 13) which are oppositely threaded. When the shaft I I0 is rotated in one direction, the gripping jaws I04 whicirare connected at their lower ends by a link II2 will be drawn into tight engagement with the nut I03. Turning of the shaft H0 in the opposite direction will, of course, cause release of the nut. The shaft H0 is journalled in bearing bushings such as II4, formedv in the carriage 33. A hand lever H5 is secured to one end of the shaft H0.

The shaft IIO, at its other end, has geared connection at II6 with a shaft II! which extends parallel to the shaft H0, and through mechanism such as that shown in Fig. 13, controls a clutch, or gripping jaws, IIB for the nut I08. When the lever H5 is turned in one direction, the clutch members I04 are drawn together, and the clutch members II8 released. while when turned in the opposite direction, the clutch members I04 will be released and the clutch members II8 caused to engage the nut I08. In the latter instance, the chuck carriage will be retracted quickly at the completion of a threading operation. The clutch lever II5 has a neutral position, as shown in Fig. '7, wherein the clutches I04 and H8 are both out of gripping engagement with their respective nuts.

A divided nut I20 is arranged to be brought into cooperative engagement with the thread of the slow-feed shaft I4 when the carriage is in advanced position with the pipe adjacent to the threading tool and the advancing nut I03 released, (Figs. 12 and 14). Engagement and disengagement of the nut I20 with the shaft I4 is effected by a screw shaft I2I that has reversely threaded engagement with the respective halves of the nut I20. The halves of the nut I20 are mounted upon rods I22 which are supported in a frame I23 suitably secured within the carriage 33. The shaft I2I is operated by a hand lever I24.

The lever H5 is provided with a gear sector I25 whose periphery is grooved rearwardly of its teeth, to form a flange I26 at its rear face, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12. The flange has a slot I2I cut therethrough into which may enter a flange I28 formed on a segmental extension carried by the lever I24, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7. As above explained,the lever I I5 in Fig. 7 is shown in its neutral position with the high speed nuts of the shaft 13 released. At this time, the lever I24 can be swung clockwise to bring the slow-feed nut I20 into engagement with its shaft I4. The lever H5 is, therefore, locked against movement while the lever I24 is in its operative position. On the other hand, when the lever I24 is in its released position, as shown in Fig. ".7, the lever II5 can be turned to effect either advancing or retractive movements of the chuck carriage. In either of these positions, the slot I21 will be out of registry with the flange I28 of the lever I24, and the lever I24 is, therefore, positively maintained in its released position.

The rapid advancing movement of the chuck carriage is automatically limited by the gear sector I25 operating upon a rack bar I30 which is slidably mounted on the chuck carriage, and which meshes with a rack pinion I3I that in turn engages a slidably mounted rack bar I32 (Figs. 7 and -12). When the lever II 5 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to effect rapid advancemovement of the chuck carriage, the rack bar I30 will be shifted rearwardly to rotate the ment of the chuck carriage.

movement of the chuck carriage, the rack bars pinion I3I and push the rod I32 to'the left. The shaft of the pinion I3I is provided with a cranklike extension or arm I33, which carries a roller I34. By the movement just referred to, the crank I33 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

As the chuck carriage advances, it carries with it the rack bars I30 and I32. During this adv'ancing movement, the roller I34 will be brought into engagement with a camming member I35 which is rigidly mounted upon the base of the machine. This cam tilts the crank I33 in a clockwise direction, to effect clockwise rotation of the rack pinion I3I and consequent shifting of the rack bar I30 to the left, with the result that the lever H5 is turned in a clockwise direction a distance sufficient to effect release of the feed nut I03, and thus automatically bring the carriage to a stop. The lever I24 can then be operated to effect slow advance movement of the carriage as above described.

At the completion of a threading operation, the lever I24 will be swung to its released position, the threading tools disengaged from the pipe, and the lever II5 then swung to bring the retracting clutch II8 into gripping engagement with the nut I08, to effect rapid retractive move- During retraction I30 and I 32 will be carried rearwardly until a nut I38 on the forward end of the bar I32 engages a stop I39, whereupon continued rearward movement of the carriage will cause the pinion I33 to rotate on the rack bar I32 and such rotative movement will effect movement of the rack bar I30 rearwardly, thus rocking the gear seg-, ment I25 to bring the lever II5 to neutral position, and thereby automatically stopping rearward travel of the carriage.

If desired, the chuck carriage can be manually advanced when the levers I I5 and I24 are in neutral positions, by means of a hand lever I40, that operates a pawl and ratchet mechanism I for rotating a shaft I42 (Figs. '7 and 9). The ratchet wheel is loosely mounted on the shaft I42 and is'normally held in driving engagement with a clutch disc I43 by a spring I44. The clutch disc I43 is rigidly secured to the shaft, and the shaft carries a pinion I45 that meshes with a gear wheel I46 which is mounted on a shaft I41 that carries a rack pinion I48. The rack pinion I48 meshes with'arack bar I49 that is secured to the under side of one of the stationary guide rails 34. It willbe seen that when the lever I40 is oscillated, the chuck carriage will be gradually advanced'along the track slide or guideways 34.

It is. important that the manually operated lever I40 be automatically declutched when the automatic feeding and retracting mechanisms are in operation. To this end I provide on the rack bar I30 a reduced section at I50 which,

when the lever H5 is in neutral position, will lie behind a lever arm I 5I which is fastened on a rock shaft I52. The rock shaft carries a clutch fork I53 whose fingers engage the'inner face of a disc I54. In the position of the parts shown in rocked to force the clutch fork I53 against the wearing disc I56, thereby forcing the ratchet wheel I4I away from the clutch disc M3, against the pressure of the spring I44. The carriage will then be moved independently of the hand lever In order that a pipe to be threaded can readily be positioned in the chuck carriage with its forward end projecting a proper distance from the carriage, I provide a gauge stop I60 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) that is secured to a rod I6I. At its one end, the rod IIiI is rigidly secured against endwise movement, but rotatably supported in a bracket I62 that is formed on the casing 32, and at its other end, the rod I6I is slidably supported in a bracket I63 that is carried by the casing II. The rod I6I carries an arm I64 which is provided with a cam roller I65 that cooperates with a cam track I66 of a bracket I61 which is secured to the casing II. It will be seen that when the lever H5 is moved to cause rapid advance movement of the carriage 33, the rod I6I will be moved therewith, causing the roller I65 to move along the cam track I66 and rock the shaft I6I. Rocking of the shaft IBI causes the gauge stop I60 to be raised to the position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, in which position it will be above the threading head that projects forwardly from the housing II, so that continued advancing movement of the chuck carriage can be eiTected without interference of the gauge I60 with the threading devices. During withdrawal movement of the carriage 33, after a threading operation, the bar I6I will also be drawn back, so that the gauge arm I60 will fall in front of the threaded end of the pipe and thus be in position to serve as a positioning stop when another pipe is inserted into the chuck apparatus.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with threading die mechanism for pipes and the like, of a chuck carriage, a wide-pitch screw and nut device for moving the carriage toward and from the die mechanism at a rapid rate, a smaller pitch screw and nut device for advancing the carriage at a slower rate, a rack bar mounted on a stationary support for longitudinal movement thereon, a rack bar carried by and shiftable longitudinally of the carriage,-said bars being disposed parallel to the path of carriage movement, a pinion meshing with the rack bars and journalled in the.

carriage, a lever on the carriage movable in opposite directions from a neutral position to selectively effect forward and rearward driving engagement between the wide-pitch screw device and the carriage, a connection between said lever and the secondnamed rack bar whereby the bar is shifted longitudinally when the lever is moved and whereby the lever is moved through movement imparted to said bar by the pinion.

means for imparting'rotative movement to the operation of either of said levers when the other lever is in operative position.

2. The combination with threading die mechanism for pipes and the like, of a chuck carriage, a wide-pitch screw and nut device for moving the carriage toward and from the die mechanism at a rapid rate, a smaller pitch screw and nut device for advancing the carriage at a slower rate, a rack bar mounted on a stationary support for longitudinal movement thereon, a rack bar carried by and shiftable longitudinally of the carriage, said bars being disposed parallel to the path of carriage movement, a pinion meshing with the rack bars and journalled in the carriage, a lever on the carriage movable in opposite directions from a neutral position, to selectively effect forward and rearward driving engagement between the wide-pitch screw device and the-carriage, a connection between said lever and the second-named rack bar whereby the bar is shifted longitudinally when the lever is moved and whereby the lever is moved through movement imparted to said bar by the pinion, means for imparting rotative movement to the pinion at a predetermined advanced position of the carriage, for shifting the lever to neutral position, a stop device for limiting rearward movement of the first-named rack bar whereby the pinion is rotated to effect movement of the lever to neutral position at a predetermined point in the rearward travel of the carriage, a lever on the carriagemovable to effect driving engagement between the smaller pitch screw device and the carriage, a lever-actuated device for manually advancing the carriage, and means for disconnecting the last-named lever from the carriage when the first-named lever is in operative position.

3. The combination with threading die mechanism for pipes and the like, of a chuck carriage, awide-pitch screw and nut device for moving the carriage toward and from the die mechanism at a rapid rate, a smaller pitch screw and nut device for advancing the carriage at a slower rate, a rack bar mounted on a stationary support for longitudinal movement thereon, a rack bar carried by and shiftable longitudinally of the carriage, said bars being disposed parallel to the path of carriage movement, a pinion meshing with the rack bars and journalled in the carriage, a lever on the carriage movable in opposite directions from a neutral position, to selectively eflect forward and rearward driving engagement between the wide-pitch screw device and the carriage, a connection between said lever and the second-named rack bar whereby the bar is shifted longitudinally when the lever is moved and whereby the lever is moved through movement imparted to said bar by the pinion, means for imparting rotative movement to the pinion at a predetermined advanced position of the-carriage; for shifting the lever to neutral position, a stop device for limiting rearward movement of the first-named rack bar whereby the pinionis rotated to effect movement of the lever to neutral position at a predetermined point in the rearward travel of the carriage, a lever on the carriage movable to effect driving engagement between the smaller pitch screw device and the carriage, a lever-actuated device for manually advancing the carriage, means for preventing operation of the second-named lever when the firstnamed lever is in operative position, and means for disconnecting the said lever-actuated device from the carriage when the first-named lever is in operative position.

4. The combination with thread die mechanisms for pipes and the like, of a chuck carriage, a wide-pitch screw and nut device for moving the carriage toward and from the die mechanism at a rapid rate, means for advancing the carriage at a slower rate, a rack bar mounted on a stationary support for longitudinal movement thereon, a rack bar carried by and shiftable longitudinally of the carriage, said bars being disposed parallel to the path of carriage movement, a pinion meshing with the rack bars and journalled in the carriage, a lever onthe carriage movable in opposite directions from a neutral position, to selectively effect forward and rearward driving engagement between the wide-pitch screw device and the carriage, a connection between said lever and the second-named rack bar whereby the bar is shifted longitudinally when the lever is moved and whereby the lever is moved through movement imparted to said bar by the pinion, means for imparting rotative movement to the pinion at a predetermined advanced position of the carriage, for shifting the lever to neutral position, a stop device for limiting rearward movement of the firstnamed rack bar whereby the pinion is rotated to effect movement of the lever to neutral position at a predetermined point in the rearward travel of the carriage; a lever-actuated device for manually advancing the carriage, and means for disconnecting the said lever-actuated device from the carriage when the first-named lever is in operative position.

EDWARD J. PROTIN.

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