US2146217A - Grading machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7,1939. J. wvJoHNsToN GRADING MACHINE 5`Sheets-Sheet l lr'p/Erlfmr:

Filed July 27, 1936 UUIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIVW f5 4 VM Feb. 7,1939. J. w, JQHNSTON 2,146,217

GRADING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRADING MACHINE Application July 27, 1936, Serial No. 92,777

13 Claims.

This invention relates to grading machines of the kind which grade blanks or pieces of sheet material, such as leather, -in accordance with the thickness lof the thinnest spot as determined by the detector, and more particularly to the Wellknown Nichols grading machines of the general kind shown in a number of patents to Elmer P. Nichols, Leander A. Cogswell and James W. Johnston, a characteristic example of which will I? be found in the Nichols PatentNo. 1,130,321 dated March 2, 1915.

In my application Serial No. 78,627 led May 8, 1936, Patent No. 2,093,694 dated September 21, 1937, to -which reference is hereby made, I deliliV scribed a long strip grading machine, so called,

in which the `marking or stamping device was operated by the rear or trailing `end of the blank passing through the machine instead of by the advance `or leading end, with the result that the 2U marking device was actuated only after the blank,

no matter how long, had been measured its entire length. In this machine the marking was applied near the rear or trailing end of the blank and at a definite and invariable distance from that end. There was no provision for varying the position of `the marking with relation to the end of the blank.

A principal object ofthe present invention is to provide for varying the position of the marking 80` on the blank by varying the time when the marking device will be operated by the trailing end of the passing blank with relationrto the travel of the blank through the machine.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate necessary to an understanding of the present invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a grading machiney embodying `the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of parts of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of parts of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail partly in section and partly in plan on an 4enlarged scaleof a portion `of the mechanism shown in Fig., 2.

The machine contains the usual pair of de- 50 tecting `or `measuring rolls II] and II between which the blanks B are fed forwardly in the direction of the arrows into position beneath -a marking wheel I2 which is automatically adjusted to register .the thinnest spot of the blank as found by the detecting rolls and is then automatically such parts of a Nichols grading machine as areV reciprocated vertically so as to strike against and mark the top side of the blank.

During the passage of the blank between the detecting rolls I6 and II the thickness of its thinnest part is detected and measured and the `5 lower roll III, which `moves up and down in response `to variations `in thickness of the blank, acts through the usual setting mechanism to adjust the marking wheel I2 to accord with the thickness of the thinnest part of the blank as determined by the detecting rolls. The periphery of the marking wheel I2 is provided as usual with ty-pes to indicate numerals or characters designating different thicknesses or grades, and during the passage of the blank between the detecting rolls the lower roll actuates the usual setting mechanism automatically to adjust the marking wheel angularly so as to :bring the appropriate type into marking position.

The frame of the machine as usual is provided with a shelf or table I3 on which the blanks B are successively fed forwardly, either manually or automatically, to the detecting and measuring rolls Il)` and -II which are continuously rotated. The upper roll I is jour-naled in normally fixed bearing boxes and is continuously driven through gearing by the continuously rotating main drive shaft I4. The two measuring rolls are provided at ltheir ends with intermeshing gears so that the upper roll drives the lower roll thereby positively to feed the blank forwardly into position between the presser bar I5 and a continuously traveling feed chai-n IB. The feed chain i6 is driven by the main shaft I4 through the usual gearing and after the rear vend of the blank leaves the measuring rolls I0 and -II the `forward movement of the blank is continued by the feed chain I6 until the rear end of the -blank is about opposite the marking wheel I2.

When the advance end of a blank being fed into the machine emerges from between the measuring rolls I- and II it operates a start grading trip Il (Fig. 2) thereby causing the pawl or detent I8 (Fig. 1) to engage the usual ratchet wheel I9 which constitutes part of the setting mechanism by which the lower measuring roll adjusts the marking wheel I2. From the time the leading end of the blank actuates the start grading trip I'I until just as its trailing end is about to pass the measuring rolls .IU and I.I, during which time 50 the pawl I8 will remain in engagement with its teeth .on ratchet wheel i9; the .paw-121 will remain disengaged from its` teeth on ratchet wheel I9. Consequently the measurement .of `the blank for the thinnest spot, as .determined by the detecting 55 rolls I0 and I I, will be preserved and will be transmitted to the marking wheel I2 in the manner well known in machines of this type.

Each blank is fed forwardly on table I3 beneath the usual pivoted gate which, at the time the blank first enters the nip of rolls I0 and I I, is held in elevated position by link 2l and lever 22, the latter being fulcrumed at 23 on the frame of the machine and having a downwardly extending arm carrying a cam following roll 28 which cooperates with a cam 24 forming a part of or lixed to the start grading trip I1. When the leading end of the blank emerges from between the detecting rolls I0 and I I and swings the trip arm I1 to the left on its pivot 25 (Fig. 2) the cam 24 is also swung to the left and thereby raises right-hand end of lever 22 and lowers the right-hand end of lever 22 thus permitting the gate 20 to rest on top of the blank. When the trailing end of the advancing blank passes out from under the gate 20 the gate falls to the table (which is permitted by the slotted connection between link 2I and lever 22) and acts through link 26 (Fig. 1) to engage the usual stop grading pawl 21 with ratchet wheel I9. The ratchet wheel I8 is now locked by the pawls I8 and 21 against movement in either direction and consequently the marking wheel I2 is similarly locked in its grade registering adjustment against rotation in either direction. The engagement of the stop grading pawl 21 with ratchet wheel I9 occurs just before the rear end of the blank passes the detecting rolls I0 and II so that the blank will have been measured throughout substantially its whole length.

The cam following roll 28 of the lever 22 is as usual disposed beneath a short arm 29 fast on a rock shaft 3l] (Figs. 2 and 4). Fixed to the rock shaft 30 near the middle of the machine is a longitudinally extending arm 3l to which is adjustably affixed a weighted blank-engaging shoe 32. The shoe 32 is of usual construction except that its blank-engaging feet 33, which straddle the feed chain I6, are somewhat longer than in the standard Nichols machine so that by adjustment of the shoe on arm 3| the feet can be placed nearer the marking wheel I2 than heretofore, if desired. The shoe 32 is raised when cam 24 acts through roll 28 and arm 29 to rock the shaft 30. When the blank has moved forwardly out of engagement with the trip I1 the latter is restored to its normal position by the usual spring and allows the shoe 32 to rest on top of the blank. Thus the engagement of the shoe 32 with the top of the blank maintains the pawl I8 in engagement with the ratchet wheel I9 until the rear end of the blank has passed out from under the shoe 32, whereupon the latter falls and disengages the detent I8 from ratchet wheel I9. Simultaneously, when the shoe 32 drops off from the end of the blank the arm 29 on rock shaft 30 swings downwardly and thereby acts through lever 22 and links 2| and 28 to open the gate 20 and to disengage the pawl 21. Thus both locks I8 and 21 are unlocked to release the marking mechanism for a new adjustment by a succeeding blank as the trailing end of each blank passes the shoe 32.

The marking wheel I2 is fixed to a shaft journaled as usual in a bearing at the lower end of the vertically movable slide or plunger 34, which is strongly and yieldingly urged downward by a spring 35 but which is normally held in elevated position by the usual cam, not shown, which is mounted on the inner end of shaft 3B (Fig. l). Shaft 36 is connected through the usual train of gears 31 with a gear 38, the outer face of which constitutes one member of a onerevolution-and-stop clutch. The gear 38 is splined to move axially on a stud shaft 39 (Figs. 1 and 2). The other member of the clutch is provided on the inner face of a gear 4D which is mounted to rotate freely on shaft 39 and is continuously driven by a gear 4I on the main drive shaft I4.

The clutch gear 38 is controlled by the usual shipper member 42, which is pivotally mounted at 43 on the frame of the machine. This shipper member as usual carries a spring-pressed latch 44 (Figs. l and 2) and is normally maintained in a position to hold the gear clutch member 38 retracted and disengaged by means of the usual spring 45 (Fig. 2).

When the shipper member 42 is swung toward thel right it is disengaged from the gear clutch member 38 and the latter is thrown forward by the usual spring, not shown, into engagement with the gear clutch member 40, whereupon the clutch member 38 makes one revolution, at the end of which it is again retracted and stopped by the shipper member 42. This rotation of the clutch member 38 acts through the train of gearing 31 to impart a single revolution to the shaft 36 which results in the operation of the marking wheel I2 by causing the slide 34 to make one reciprocation.

'I'he lower end of the latch 44 is cooperatively disposed with relation to an arm 48 pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine at 48a (Fig. l). The movement of arm 48 to the left, that is, in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. l), will carry the upper end of arm 48 past the latch slide 44, the latter yielding upwardly to permit the arm 4S to pass when the end of arm 48 engages the beveled end of the latch 44, and as soon as the arm 48 has passed the latch slide 44 the latter is again projected downwardly by its spring into the path of arm 48. When the arm 48 is thereafter swung back toward the right, in a clockwise direction, it will engage the straight side 0f latch 44 and swing the shipper member 42 with it. This return movement of the arm 48 iirst causes the engagement of clutch member 38 with clutch member 40 after which continued movement of the arm 48 carries it out of engagement with the latch 44 and thereby permits spring 45 (Fig. 2) to restore the shipper member 42 to its normal position in time to retract and disengage the gear clutch member 38 from the clutch member 40 as it completes one revolution.

The single revolution thus imparted to the shaft 38 acts through the usual cam on the inner end of said shaft to raise the slide 34 against the pressure of spring 35 and then to release it whereupon the spring forces the slide downward causing the wheel I2 to strike and mark the blank.

It will be observed that this operation of slide 34 is effected only by the movement of arm 48` toward the right (Fig. 1).

The frame work of the machine includes the usual bed plate 50 (Figs. 2 and 3) which extends from the measuring rolls to a point just beyond the marking wheel I2 and supports the part of the blank which is struck by the marking wheel.

The construction and mode of operation of the machine as thus far described may be substantially the same as that of the already wellknown Nichols grading machines.

The principal `object of the present invention is to make it possible to vary the time, with respect to the travel of the blank past the marking wheel |2, when the marking wheel will be actuated so that the blank will be marked at any desired distance from the rear or trailing end oi the blank within limitations imposed by the dimensions of the machine.

To this end the arm 48, which initiates the operation of the marking device, is connected by a link 49 with an arm 5| fast on the end of a rock shaft 52. The shaft 30 instead of being solid as heretofore is made hollow orvtubular and the rock shaft 52 extends loosely through the tubular shaft 30. Fixed to rock shaft 52 is a depending arm 53 (Figs. 2 and 3) the lower end of which is connected by a straight link or bar 54 with the end of a similar depending arm 55 pivoted at 56 on a bracket fixed to the frame of the machine. The two arms 53 and 55 are parallel and of the same length and support the bar 54 in a position lengthwise of the machine in proximity to and parallel with `the path of the blanks passing through the machine. Y

Adjustably mounted on the bar 54 is a depending trip 51 whose lower end is normally in the path of the blanks. The trip 51 has a beveled or inclined front face and is made with an upper yoke portion 58 which embraces the link 54 and is fixed in adjustedposition on the link 54 by a set screw 59. A spring B (Figs. 1 and 2) nor- Inally urges the parts just described toward the right with the trip 51 occupying its lo-wermost position in the path of the blanks and the arm j 48 against a stop 6| (Fig. 1).

, shaft 52, arm .and link 4.9 to swing the arm 48 toward the left (Fig. 1) .past the lower end of the latch 44, where it remains so long as trip 51 is held up by the blank and until they trailing end of the blank passes clear of the trip 51,

whereupon the spring 50 acts through arm 5| and link 49 to return arm 48 to its position against stop 5| and also acts through sai-d arm 5|, rock shaft 52 and .arm 53 to restore the bar 54 to its lowermost position.

During the movement of the arm 48 toward the right under the inuence of spring 60 it rst engages latch 44 and operates the shipper member 42, as already described, to effect a marking operation of the marking wheel I2. The end of arm 48 then passes beyond and out of engagement with the latch 44 thereby permitting the spring 45 (Fig. 2) immediately to restore the shipper member to its normal position so that it will disengage the clutch gear 38 as the latter completes its single revolution.

By adjusting the trip 51 lengthwise of the bar 54 it will be observed that the marking stroke of the type wheel I2 which is eifectedby the passage of the trailing end of the blank outfrom under trip 51 may be timed with relation to the passage of the blank so as to mark the blank at varying distances, as desired, from the rear or trailing end of the blank.

I claim:

1. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks: of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine for actuating the marking device to mark the blank and means to vary the position on the blank at which the marking device will apply its mark.

, 2. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stockaccording to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of `a blank passing through the machine for actuating the marking device to mark the blank and means to vary the time when the marking device will be actuatedowith `relation to the travel of the blank through the machine.

3. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable markinjg device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a movable bar extending lengthwise of the machine in proximity to the path of the blanks and a trip fixed tothe bar and normally projecting into the path of the blanks.

4. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a movable bar extending lengthwise of the machine in proximity to the path of the blanks and a trip xed to the bar and adjustable lengthwise thereon and normally projecting into the path of the blanks in all positions of adjustment of the trip.

5. A grading machine comprisingl detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustableV marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, 'and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a i movable bar above and parallel to the path of the blanks and a trip fixed to the bar and normally projecting into the path of the blanks.

v6. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a movable bar parallel to the path of the blanks and a trip fixed to the bar and adjustable lengthwise thereon` and normally projecting into the path of the blanks.

7. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking `device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a movable bar extending lengthwise of the machine in proximity to the path of the blanks, a pair of swinging arms by which the bar is supported so as to be movable endwise and away from the path of the blanks, and a trip xed to the bar and adjustable lengthwise thereon and normally projecting into the path of the blanks.

8. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and control mechanism constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of a blank passing through the machine to operate the marking device, said mechanism including a movable bar parallel to the path of the blanks, a pair of swinging arms by which the bar is supported so as to be movable endwise in parallelism with and away from the path of the blanks, and a trip fixed to the bar and adjustable lengthwise thereon and normally projecting into the path of the blanks.

9. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, and mechanism including a trip engaging the top side of a blank passing through the machine and constructed and arranged to be operated by the trailing end of the blank for effecting the operation of the marking device to mark the blank.

10. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, a movable trip normally in the path of a blank passing through the machine for operating the marking device, said trip being adapted to be displaced and to be held displaced by the blank without operating the marking mechanism so long as it is engaged by the blank and to cause the 0peration of the marking device when the trailing end of the blank passes the trip, and means to adjust the trip lengthwise of the machine to vary the time when the marking device will be operated with relation to the travel of the blank through the machine.

1l. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, an endwise movable bar extending lengthwise of the machine in proximity to the path of the blanks, a trip carried by the bar and normally extending into the path of the blanks by which the bar is displaced and held displaced so long as the trip is engaged by a passing blank, means to return the movable bar to its normal position when the trailing end of the blank passes the trip, and mechanism controlled by the return movement of the bar to operate the marking device.

12. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for measuring successive blanks of stock according to thickness, an adjustable marking device responsive to the detecting mechanism, an endwise movable bar extending lengthwise of the machine in proximity to the path of the blanks, a trip carried by the bar and normally extending into the path of the blanks by which the bar is displaced and held displaced so long as the trip is engaged by a passing blank, means to return the movable bar to its normal position when the trailing end of the blank passes the trip, and mechanism controlled by the return movement of the bar to operate the marking device, said trip being adjustable lengthwise on the bar to vary the time when the marking device will be operated with relation to the travel of the blank through the machine.

13. In a machine as dened in claim 7, mechanism through which the setting of the marking device in response to the measurements of the detecting mechanism is started, said mechanism including a hollow rock shaft, and a rock shaft extending through and rotatable within said hollow rock shai't and constituting part of the mechanism for operating the marking device.

JAMES W. JOHNSTON.

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