US2223628A

US2223628A - Roller feed

Info

Publication number: US2223628A
Application number: US218035A
Authority: US
Inventors: Landis Arthur
Original assignee: Celotex Corp
Current assignee: Celotex Corp
Priority date: 1938-07-07
Filing date: 1938-07-07
Publication date: 1940-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1957-12-03

Description

. Dec. 3, 1940. A, LANDIS ROLLER FEED Filed July '7, 1958 INVENTOR [0000s ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES ROLLER FEED Arthur Landis, Plainfield, N. 5., assignor to The Oelotex Corporation, Chicago, 111.," a corporation of Delaware Application July '7, 1938, Serial No. 218,035 6 Claims. (c1; 101- 23).

This invention relates generally to a roller feed mechanism of general applicability for feeding or embossing sheet material of tapering crosssection and particularly to such a roller feed 5 mechanism which is driven and which is particularly adapted for feeding relatively fiat blanks for building construction members which taper across their width, that is, which have a taper in the direction along the axis of the feed rollers. v

The provision of a roller feed for feeding fiat blanks of uniform thickness across the width thereof is of course quite simple since ordinary cylindrical rollers can be used but to devise a 5 roller feed for feeding blanks tapering across their widths has been found to be quite difficult since it is necessary that the peripheral speed of each of the rollers of the feed must be maintained constant across the width of the material 20 being fed since otherwise there will be a tendency to either displace the material sideways between the feed rollers or to: cause the material being fedto be twisted angularly from its proper path of motion through the feed rollers.

25 In the feed mechanism which is disclosed herein there is provided a driven roller feed in which the mechanical requirements for proper feeding of blanks therethrough is achieved through the utilization of a pair of cylindrical rollers at least one of which is provided with universal joints in its shaft in order that the axis of the roller may be inclined from the horizontal. It will readily be seen that by the use of cylindrical rollers one of which may be tipped 35 on its axis, that as such'plain cylindrical rollers are rotated the peripheral speed at all points across the feed will be uniform.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a driven roller feed which may be utilized for feeding blanks which taper across their width and to provide in connection therewith the requisite mechanical construction for the proper operation of such a roller feed mechanism. In connection with the invention hereof, 45 attention is directed to the fact that for proper feed of material through the roller feed mechanism such as is herein involved, it is necessary that the rollers be rotated at uniform speed. For accomplishing the rotation of the feed roll- 50 ers at uniform speed there has been adopted a gear connection between the rollers, which gear connection provides for variation in distance between the axis of the rollers as they may be tipped to accommodate tapering material, which particular drive per se is not a portion of my invention excepting insofar as utilization thereof comprises a combination when incorporated as a part of the roller feed mechanism hereof. Other and additional objects of invention and further advantages of the constructions herein disclosed will become apparent upon consideration of the drawing herewith when considered in connection with the following specification. In the various figures of the drawing similar reference numerals will be used in referring to similar portions thereof in the various figures.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a complete unit of the driven feed comprising the invention;

Figure.2 is a diagrammatic view of the connecting gear mechanism utilized for driving the feed rollers at uniform speeds; and

Figure 3 is a detail taken on Figure 1, line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the adjustable bearings shown in Figure 1.

In the drawing there is illustrated a pair of driven feed rollers which are adapted to feed sheet material which tapers across the width thereof and in consequence require that the distance between the surface of the feed rollers vary across the width thereof. In the drawing there are disclosed a pair of feed rollers indicated by numerals l0 and II which feed rollers are mounted on suitable shafts l2 and I3. Suitable end frame structures l4 and I5 are provided in which are mounted bearings 16 and I"! in which are mounted the respective ends of shaft l2 of upper roll l0. Preferably, bearings I5 and I! are mounted so as to be adjustable 3'5 vertically as clearly indicated in Figure 3 wherein bearing block I8 is mounted in a vertical slot [9 in which it may slide up and down in a vertical direction and in connection with which there are provided adjusting screws 20 and 2|, threaded so that by suitable turning of the said screws 20 and 2| bearing block l8 may be secured in adjusted position.

Each of the threaded adjusting screws 20 and 2! is provided with a lock nut 22 which serves to secure the adjusting screw firmly in position after adjustment has been made. The vertical adjustment for the upper roll I0 is provided in order that the roller feed mechanism may handle materials of diiferent thicknesses by suitable adjustment of the vertical positioning of upper roll shaft l2 through suitable adjustment of the end bearing blocks I8.

The lower roller shaft I3 is at each end of roll II provided with a universal joint which. 5

as illustrated, is a conventional gimbal type universal, but for which it is to be understood any suitable universal connection may be substituted. As illustrated, each universal connection comprises yoke 25 in which is pivoted two ends of cross shape member 26 with a second yoke 21 mounted on the other two ends of the cross shape member 26 one of which yokes 21 is attached to shaft 28 with the other attached to shaft 29.

End shaft 28 which is through its universal connection with the lower roll shaft I3, in fact a prolongation thereof is mounted in a suitable bearing 30 in end frame I4 and in connection therewith attention is directed to the fact that this bearing 30 is a plain sleeve bearing or the like and that end shaft 28 may move longitudinally therethrough. End shaft '29 which at the other end of the lower roller comprises in effect aprolongation of lower roll shaft I3, connected thereto by the universal connection as described, is suitably mounted in bearing 31 in end frame 15, in connection with which there are provided end thrust take-ups 32 and 33 which prevent shaft 29 from movement laterally in bearing 3|.

The construction just described in connection with the mounting .of

end shafts

28 and 29 of lower roll Ii maintains the said lower roll in proper alignment with respect to upper roll .Hl as the axis of the lower roll may be tilted. Due to the allowable lateral movement provided by the described mounting of end shaft 28 in its bearing 30 provision is made for compensating for the change in over-all shaft length occurring .as' lower roll ll is varied in its iangularity with respect to the axis of upper roll it.

In order that the driving connection'between sh-aft l2 of upper roll 1'0 and shaft 29 of lower 'roll' l'l may be maintained, irrespective of the variation in distance between the axes of such shafts, there is provided a suitable gear train so constructed and mounted that irrespective of variation ot the distance between the axes of .said shafts there is at all ti-mes maintained a positive geared connection between the said shafts.

The gear connection between shafts 12 and '29 is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2 wherein it will be seen that on upper :roll shaft 12 there is mounted a gear 35 and on lower roll shaft 29 there is mounted a gear 26. In addition to gear 35 mounted on upper roll shaft 12 there is also mounted thereon a link--3 and also in addition to gear 36 mounted on lower roll shaft 29 there is mounted thereon a link '38.

Links

31 and 38 "at their outer ends are connected by means of stub shaft 3$ on "which "they pivot and on which is mounted an intermediate gear wheel 40 which meshes with gear wheel'36. On link 37' intermediat-ing its'ends there is mounted a stub shaft 4 which carries a gear 42 which gear meshes with upper drive 'roll gear 35 and with intermediate gear 40.

On consideration of the gearing structure just above described it will readily be apparent that 'as upper roll shaft l2 may be adjusted vertically or as lower roll shaft 29 may be adjusted vertically, in connection with the tilting of roll Ii, the angularity of links it] and .38 will :change accordinglmithe links tending to straighten out as the shafts are moved apart or tending :to "close upon one another as the distance between the shafts is decreased; but that in either case due to the construction, gear. 35 on :shaft 12 and gear 36 on shaft-29 are maintained at all times in connected positive rotational relation through the intermediate gears 42 and 40.

In accordance with the above description it will be seen that a roll feed mechanism as described will suitably accommodate and feed a member which tapers across its width, in accordance with the form of the unit 45 shown in Figure 1 as is directed to the fact that roller l0 may be either a plain feed roll or it may carry thereon printing or embossing configuration such as are indicated at 46. It is of course to be understood tha t for embossing .or printing that the pattern illustrated at 46 is merely indicative and that any-suitable pattern may be substituted therefor.

Further, in connection with the illustration of the drawing it will be seen that-the particular unit '45 illustrated. has at one end an overhang 31 in connection with which there is provided on roll l1 a suitable formed collar 48 which serves to support the lower face on the overhanging portion 41. 'Due to the fact that the axis of roll H is inclined from the horizontal, whereas the lower face of overhanging portion 41 is parallel to the axis of the upper roll, it will be necessary for each difierent inclination of roll H from the horizontal that a different and suitable formed a collar 48 be provided. In order that such collar may be removably mounted on roll I l yet securely retained thereon there is .provided internally of the collar 4'8 and in the surface or roll 11 keyways in which may be mounted key or spline 49 which in cooperation with such key-ways will properly position collar 48 circumferentially with respect to roll 1! and there is further. provided a set screw 56 which secures collar 48 securely in position on roll 11. i h

It. will be readily seen that in accordancewith the above description there has been provideda roller feed mechanism which will suitably serve for feeding therethrough units having a face in.- clined with respect to the other face thereof-and inwh-ich due to the provision made for the ad- .justable inclination of one of the feed 'rollsthe such feed is adaptable .for feeding units which the .inclined face may be at varying angularities and that further the feed is adaptable for feeding units of different thicknesses.

It .is further to be noted that although in the disclosure hereof provision is made for the -;in-

.clination of the axis .of onlyone of the feed rolls that nevertheless it is well 'within the scope :of the ability ofthose skilled in the art appertain ing hereto to construct the feed vmecha nism with provision for variation 'ofthe angularity-of upper ,roll in accordance with the specific showinghereof inconnection with the provision for'variat-ion of the angul-arity of-th e lower roll as described.

It will of course be readily understood that various detailsof the construction may readily be said disclosure.

The invention hereof having been disclosed in detail,

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for feeding tapered sheets, a roller feed mechanism comprising end mounting frames, a pair of feed rollers, each feed roller mounted on a shaft with the shafts journaled in the end frames, one of such shafts having an .end fixed against vertical movement but slidable axially in its journal bearing, and having its other end vertically adjustable in its supporting frame and provided with thrust take-ups to prevent axial movement of this end of the shaft.

2. In an apparatus for feeding tapered sheets, a roller feed mechanism comprising a pair of feed rollers, a pair of end frames having bearings, shafts for the feed rollers journaled in the bearings in the end frames, the bearings for one of the shafts adjustable vertically and the bearings for the other shaft comprising one non-adjustable vertically and the other adjustable vertically, and universal connections provided in the last mentioned shaft whereby one feed roller may be operatively accommodated and secured with its axis inclined with respect to the axis of the other feed roller.

3. A feed roller mechanism adapted for feeding therethrough sheet form material tapering across the width thereof, the said mechanism comprising a pair of feed rollers, shafts on which such feed rollers are mounted and end frames, the end frames carrying bearings therein, the shafts of the feed rollers mounted in said bearings; an end bearing for one of the shafts fixed with respect to an end frame, the bearing for the other end of said shaft adjustable vertically with respect thereto, and universal connections provided intermediate the ends of the said shaft whereby the feed roller mounted on the said shaft may be operably driven with the axis of said feed roller inclined with respect to the axis of the other feed roller.

4. A feed roller mechanism adapted for feeding therethrough sheet form material of tapering cross section, the mechanism comprising a pair of spaced end frames, a pair of feed roller shafts on which are mounted feed rollers, bearings mounted in the end frames and in which the shafts of the feed rollers are journaled, the end bearings for one of the said shafts adjustable vertically, an end bearing for the other said shaft being fixed, the other bearing therefor adapted for vertical adjustment thereof, the last said bearing having associated therewith end thrust receiving portions to prevent axial movement of the shaft journaled therein, the said shaft having intermediate its ends and adjacent the ends of the feed roller universal joints whereby the axis of said feed roller may be inclined with respect to the horizontal, and means mounted on each of said shafts for imparting rotation thereto with means connecting the said shaft in continuous uniform rotational driving connection.

5. In apparatus for feeding sheets having either a uniform or tapered cross-section, the combination of an adjustable roller feed mechanism comprising a pair of spaced end frames, feed rollers inclined with respect to each other and adapted for adjustment to the thickness of a sheet of uniform or tapered cross-section being fed therethrough, a pair of feed roller shafts on which are mounted the feed rollers, bearings mounted in the end frames for journaling the feed roller shafts,the end bearings for one of the said shafts adjustable vertically, an end bearing for the other said shaft being fixed, the other bearing therefor adapted for vertical adjustment thereof, the last said bearing having associated therewith end thrust receiving portions to prevent axial movement of the shaft journaled therein, universal connections provided intermediate the ends of said shaft whereby the feed roller mounted on the said shaft may be operably driven with the axis of said feed roller inclined with respect to the axis of the other feed roller, an adjustable compensating gear driving mechanism operatively connecting the shafts and providing for uniform rotation of the one feed roller to the other feed roller, said gear driving mechanism comprising spur gears and intermediate gears, a plurality of link supporting means adapted for mounting the intermediate gears, and means for adjusting the roller feed mechanism for taper and thickness of the material, said adjusting means including the aforesaid end thrust receiving portions and additional thrust means for the other feed roller shaft to maintain the spur gears and intermediate gears in mesh for all adjustments of the roller feed mechanism.

6. In apparatus for feeding tapered sheets comprising a pair of feed rollers, shafts on which the feed rollers are mounted and end frames, bearings for the feed roller shafts mounted in the end frames for journaling the shafts, the axis of a feed roller being adapted to be inclined with respect to the axis of the other feed roller, the bearings at the ends of the inclined roller comprising one non-adjustable vertically and the other adjustable vertically with respect to the end frame, universal connections provided intermediate the ends of the shaft whose axis is adapted to be inclined whereby the feed roller mounted on said shaft may be operably driven with the axis of said feed roller inclined with respect to the axis of the other feed roller; the combination of a driving mechanism connecting the rollsheet, and the aforesaid vertically adjustable bearing including thrust means to prevent axial movement of the roller shaft therein as well as to maintain enmeshmcnt of the gear train linkage.

ARTHUR LAN DIS.