US2162902A - Method of connecting driving elements and the article produced thereby - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1939. ADAMS 2,162,902

METHOD OF CONNECTING DRIVING ELEMENTS AND THE ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Sept. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet J H. D. ADAMS June 20, 1939.

METHOD OF CONNECTING DRIVING EL-EMENTs AND THE ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Sept. 25,' 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lil Patented June 20, 1939 pie TENT OFFICE METHOD OF CONNECTING DRIVING ELE- MENTS AND THE THEREBY ARTICLE PRODUCED 4 Claims.

This invention pertains to a method of assembling, centering, and securing rotatable machine elements relatively to each other.

More particularly, in the present instance themethod is directed to the centering of and securing together a driving element and a fan or other type of element to be driven.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of so mounting machine elements relatively that after assembly there will be no likelihood of an unbalance developing in the rotating whole where each element has been first balanced about its axis. I

A further object is to provide a method of centering and so securing in assembled relation a series of machine elements, each previously balanced on its axis, that no out-of-balance condition of the whole during rotation can develop, nor can such elements become loosened.

To the end that the invention may be understood in all its details the accompanying drawings are provided, wherein: a 1

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fanshowing certainextensions of a mounting hub onits face.

Figure2 is a side elevation of a hub, fan and pulley as parts involving the invention.

, Figure 3 is an end elevation of a hub showing extensions appearing in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the hub of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of part of the fan and pulley, together with a hub upon which those parts are mounted and to which they are secured, in addition to which a centering-pin and a die appear.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the working face of the die shown in Figure 5.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section ofa hub and part of a different form of pulley from that in Figures 2 and 5.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a pulley showing the free ends of the extensions of the hub of Figures 3 and 4 as they appear on the face thereof when in assembled relation. 7

Figure 8 is a front elevation of aportion of fan illustrating a slightly different structure from that shown in Figure 1, and in addition to that structure.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the hub shown in Figures 8 and 9, and Figure 10 is alongitudinal section of the fan, hub, and pulley of Figure 8, together with a forming die.

There are many uses fora fan and a driving element therefor necessary in cramped quarters, and an assembly of this type is illustrated in the accompanying drawings involving the fan together with a pulley as such driving element. 7

Especially when the fan has considerable weight and is to serve as a fly wheel it has been difiicult to connect it andthe driving element, the pulley, so that looseness between the two will not finally develop with consequent difficulties, including an out-of-balance condition of rotating parts. However, the sudden starting or stopping of a fan in a form of assembly of the type illustrated herein places a severe strain on the securing means, as maybe readily understood, soon rendering the whole of little value, as ordinarily constructed. After much experimenting and many trials under conditions normally existing in the varied uses of a fanassembly I have developed the structure herein to be described which fully answer the requirements, 1. e.: and assembly wherein no looseness between the parts can possibly develop even under extremely severe conditions, and wherein perfect balance will be maintained.

In said drawings I designates a fan of heavy gauge of metal which inthis instance is preferably stamped in one piece and properly balanced on its axis of rotation before being assembled in the complete device, whilev 2 is a pulley'preferably consisting of halves, in this particular instance,

stamped from sheet metal and abutting each other, being so formed as to create in the present instance a groove to receive a' driving belt not shown. Near the center of the fan a series of openings 3 is created preferably disposed in a line concentric with the central bore 4.

Likewise the halves of the pulley, 2, are provided with similar openings 5, arranged in like manner about the bore 6 of said halves. A hub 7, having a bore 1 lies between the pulley and fan and is provided with means for securement of the two latter thereto. That is to say, from each hub-end projects a series of extensions or posts, 8, agreeing in spacing and position with the said openings .3 and 5, respectively, of said fan and pulley.

These openings in the fan, and in pulley-halvesv are preferably and naturally produced by means of suitable dies, not shown, and the extensions of posts 8 formed by milling or otherwise removing the solid stock of the hub-ends so that the resultant posts will register with said openings, the latter and the posts naturally being spaced a like distance from the bores of the parts so as to be in alignment when said parts are mounted on a shaft not shown.

Since the posts must more or less freely enter the openings of the pulley and fan they must naturally be slightly less in measurement than said openings and in the completed assembly depicted in Figures 2 and 5, if no centering other than that provided by the posts, the parts when assembled may be out of balance no matter how carefully the hub, fan and pulley may have been balanced individually. Because of the unbalance that may thus arise all of the parts are preferably assembled in the following manner: That is to say, a centering pin or mandrel A is provided to slidably fit the bores of the parts in a snug manner, taking up the position shown, and since the bores of all of the parts are identical in diameter the centering pin will bring about exact alignment of such parts.

Due to the named slight variation in size of the openings 3 and 5 and the posts 8 it is clear that the free engagement thereof and the securement of the posts without properly balancing cannot be depended upon to yield the exact alignment and balance. The centering of the parts on their axes, first, therefore, is the answer, since perfect balance must result from such procedure, following which such parts may then be secured relatively.

Having properly centered the several parts, therefore, a die 9, such as that shown in Figure 5, for example, is brought into use by which the ends of the posts 8 are upset or riveted thereby forming a head on each to bear upon the part to be held as shown in said Figure 5, it being noted that the formed heads bear at their opposite sides upon the said parts beside which the pressure used in upsetting or riveting the posts causes the latter to be enlarged or spread within the openings 3, 5 to exactly fit and entirely fill the same, there being no chance for future lateral, shift of the parts relatively.

The said die 9 of Figures 5 and 6, as may be seen, may be a member provided with a circular groove ill, for example, in one of its faces which when brought down upon the posts 8 serves to turn over the opposite edges thereof creating the mentioned heads.

It is observed that the posts 8 extend from a flat end of the hub and that each post is spaced both from the bore 1 and from the outer cylindrical surface of such hub leaving faces for the abutment of the fan and pulley and since the fan body and the body of the pulley lie flat on these faces, and since, also, the heads formed on the posts are turned at opposite edges upon the parts the act of forming said heads cannot deform or buckle the fiat metal parts, the latter remaining perfectly fiat.

In addition to upsetting or riveting the post 8 as described, the fan as in Figure 8 may have its center portion 1' extended toward the axis of the counter bore 7 see Figure 10, the center portion I of the said fan being bent inward and made to seat in said counter bore through the use of a die I I, the result being shown in said Figure 10, and this die I I may be used, as well, to operate upon similar center portion l 2 of at least one of the halves of the pulley 2 of the figure named, Thus both the fan and pulley may be doubly secured with relation to the hub to aid in preventing a sidewise or lateral shifting movement of the parts relatively.

In Figure 6 a one-piece type of pulley is illustrated, being identified by the character 2'. This is shown in order to clearly bring out the fact that no particular form of pulley is relied upon for use in the assembly. Any form may be employed and this may even extend to the use of a gear or a sprocket wheel as lying with the intent of the invention and the claims to follow, and, of course, any of these may include the method of extending the central portion thereof into a counterbore of the hub T, if desired, as in Figure 10.

While I have described and shown particular or specific structures of the parts to be assembled it is to be understood that my invention contemplates any minor changes to serve the same When exact centering of previously balanced elements are involved and where pressure is used to bring about the final result of intimately con nected parts.

I claim:

1. In a method of connecting in balanced relation separate individually balanced rotatable elements, one of the elements having openings therethrough grouped about the axial center of said element, and a companion element having extensions to engage in the openings and grouped about the axial center of said companion element, said companion element having one shoulder between said extensions on the axial side thereof and a second shoulder on the outer side of said extensions, the method which includes abutting the elements one on the other and with a face of the element having the openings abutting both of said shoulders and with the extensions projecting through and extending from the openings beyond a surface of the element having said openings, applying a tool to the two elements to center them and to align their axes of rotation, and fixing the elements relatively by riveting the extensions and expanding them within the openings and forcing their extremities snugly upon the member having the openings while maintaining the centered relation of the elements.

2. In a method of connecting rotatable elements in fixed relation and in axial alignment, the method which consists in balancing an element about its axis, said element having openings extending therethrough grouped about the axial center of said element, balancing a companion element about its axis, said companion element having extensions adapted to pass through said openings in the first element and grouped about the axial center of said companion element, said companion element having one shoulder between said extensions on the axial side thereof and a second shoulder on the outer side of said extensions, both elements having a central bore, abutting the elements one on the other and with the face of the element having the openings abutting both of said shoulders and with the extensions projecting through said openings, inserting a tool into both bores of the thus assembled elements to center them and to bring the axes of rotation of the elements into alignment, and fixing the elements relatively by riveting the extensions to spread them within the openings and to force their extremities upon and into snug abutting relation with the said element having said openings.

3. The combination of a plurality of rotatable elements secured together, and including a first and a second element, said first element being characterized by a series of openings grouped about its axial center and extending axially therethrough, and said second element having extensions grouped about its axial center and projecting into said openings and beyond a surface of said first element, said second element having one shoulder between said extensions on the axial side thereof and a second shoulder on the outer Side of said extensions, said extensions being riveted against said surface of said first element,

sions grouped about its axial center and projecting into said openings and beyond a surface of said first element, said second element having one shoulder between said extensions on the axial side thereof and a second shoulder on the outer side of said extensions, said extensions being riveted against said surface of said first element, whereby the adjacent face of said first element is forced toward said shoulder on said second element, and said extensions are spread within said 10 openings.

HALE D. ADAMS.

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