US2228687A - Wheel making machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1941. J. 11 CAIN WHEEL MAKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheei 1 Filed March 51, 1939 INVENTOYR JbsEPH f. (A/1v 'A TORNEYS.

Jan. 14, 194-1. J c g WHEEL MAKING MACHINE v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 51, 1959 ill) Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED- STATES WHEEL MAKING MACHINE Joseph I. Cain, Rock Island, 111., assignor to French & Hecht, Incorporated, a corporation-of Iowa Application March 31, 1939, Serial No. 265,177

7 Claims.

This invention relates to wheel making machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent No. 640,548, wherein a wheel hub and rim to be connected by spokes are. supported in the machine in concentric relation to one another and heated spokes inserted through aligned openings in the rim and huband upset endwise simultaneously to head over the end of the spoke inside the hub and form a shoulder on the spoke to bear against the outer surface of the hub. While the present invention is adapted generally to the form of machine shown in the patent referred to, it finds its particular application in the machines as shown and described in a copending U. S. application Ser. No. 265,204, filed by John H. Ploehn, to which reference may be'had for a detailed understanding of the entire machine.

In these machines, the hub and rim are supported on a pivotally mounted gooseneck table, the lower arm of which is adapted to support the hub and rim and the upper arm to carry a clamp for securing the hub in position on the table. The machine is operated pneumatically, its successive operations'during each cycle being controlled by valves actuable by a foot treadle.

Initially, the table 'occupiesa position with its front end tilted upward for the insertion of a spoke through the openings in the rim and hub,

and when the cycle of operation of the machine der to raise a piston therein for actuating the vise jaws to clamp and hold the spoke against movement during the upsetting operation. After the spoke is clamped between the vise jaws, depression of the foot treadlethrough the remainder of its downward stroke causes the header inside the hub to move forwardly toward the vise jaws to upset and head over 'theheated end of the spoke against the inner surface of the hub. At the same time, the table supporting the hub moves in the same direction as the header, but only half as far, causing the por tion of the spoke between the outside of the hub and the vise jaws to be upset to form the shoulder, the vise jaws being equipped with dies into which the displaced metal fiows and by which it is confined to force it against the outer surface of the hub and mold it to the desired shape. When the upsetting operation is completed, relief of the pressure on the foot treadle permits its return stroke and the machine operates by the Further depression of the foot treadle effects the admission of air intoa cylinexhaust of air from the header and vise jaw actuating cylinders to efiect the retraction of the table and header and the opening of the vise jaws to release the spoke, and by theadmission of air to the table-lifting cylinder to tilt the front end of the'table to its original upper position so that the spoke clears the top edges of the vise jaws. The hub clamp is then released to permitthe turning of the hub and rim to the proper position for operation on another spoke. The operation of the machine as just set forth is repeated for each successive spoke. 4

In the operation of the machine, it is necessary to adjust the front-end of the table vertically to different set positions accordingto the length of the hub to be operated upon or because of various angularities of the hub walls, which frequently are not parallel with the axis of the hub. When, as is sometimes the case, the spoke holes in the hub walls are not uniformly located lengthwise of the hub (vertically when the hub is positioned on the table), it is necessary to vary the vertical position ofthe front end of the table for each individual spoke. The weight of the table is counterbalanced to'relieve the table lifting mechanism of the burden of overcoming the full weight of the table, and it frequently happens that the position of the table is such that when pressure is applied through the table to upset and form a shoulder on the spoke the pressureacts at a level-higher than the pivot point of the rear end of the table. Consequently, the turning moment about the 'pivot caused by such pressure is great enough to overcome the unbalanced Weight of the table and tends to lift the front end thereof, with the result that the finished shoulder is not perfectly symmetrical and is offset, thus producing a defective shoulder which is objectionable both from the standpoint of strength and appearance.

It is the object of the present invention to the spoke during the spoke-upsetting operation 1 of the machine More specifically, the invention provides a positive stop or table hold-down device which is automatically operated in timed relation to the movement of the table lifting piston to locate it in active and inactive positions. The stop is in the form of a pin adapted to be reciprocated by the movement of the vise jaw actuating piston to which it is connected, being moved by rising of the piston to locate it above the end of the table-lifting piston rod when the latter is in its lowermost position and the table in its lower operative position where it presents a spoke between the vise jaws. and being retracted. to inactive position when. the vise jaw actuating piston descends to open the vise jaws.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing by the dot and dash lines the tilted position of the wheel supporting table;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine, partly in section and partly broken away to show the construction;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section to show the construction and showing the stop pin in active position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the stop pin in inactive position; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine comprises a base on which front, rear and intermediate pedestals 2, 3 and 4, respectively, are mounted and which support two horizontal parallel guide bars 5 (one only being shown) which are circular in cross-section, these parts constituting the main frame of the machine. Mounted in the frame are the three fundamental units of the machine, namely, the work supporting table I with its associated hub-clamping ram 8 and lifting cylinder 9, the spoke-clamping vise jaws ID (one only being shown) and their actuating cylinder II, and the header l2 and its actuating cylinder l3.

The table 1 comprises upper and lower arms I4 and I5, respectively, spaced apart vertically at the front and joined together at the rear by bolts l6 passing through flanges H on the arms and through spacing members l8 and |9 arranged between the rear ends of the table arms, the

member l9 being adapted to be replaceable by one of different thickness to vary'the vertical distance between the arms l4 and I5 when desired. The lower arm |5 of the table is pivotally mounted at its front end on studs 20 arranged in opposite sides of the front end of a slide 2| which ismounted for reciprocation on a plate 22 by which the table unit is pivoted as at 23 to a collar 24 on the rear pedestal 3. The weight of the table I is counterbalanced by a weight 25 supported at the rear of the machine on a rod 26 pivoted to the end of an arm 21 whose opposite end is secured to the side of the spacing member |9 between the arms I4 and I5 of the table, so that in operation the tablelifting and adjusting means are relieved of the burden of overcoming the full weight of the table.

The upper arm M of the table carries the ram 8 for clamping a hub 28 on the table, which ram is mounted for reciprocation in a fixed supporting bracket 29 secured to the forward end of the arm, and an air cylinder 30 mounted on the top edge of the arm. The clamping ram 8 is connected to the air cylinder 30 by a double arm lever 3| (one arm only being shown) pivoted to the upper table arm I 4 on a pin 32 intermediate the ram and the air cylinder and extending rearwardly beyond its connection 33 with the air cylinder,

the. free ends of the arms of the lever 3| being adapted to support weights 34 to counterbalance the. weight of the ram. The ram 8, is actuated by a piston in the cylinder 30 and is under the control of a simple two-way valve 35 operable by the movement of a pull rod 36 extending to- Ward the front of the machine.

Immediately in back of the front pedestal 2, the air cylinder II is mounted on the base I between depending arms 31 of the vise jaws I0, which arms 31 are rockably mounted each on one of the parallel horizontal guide bars 5. The lower end of each of the arms 31 is connected to the rod 38 of a piston within the cylinder II, the arrangement being such that when the piston rises, the lower ends of the arms 31 are forced outwardly in opposite directions to close the vise jaws ID on a spoke 39 and, upon descent of the piston, the arms 31 are pulled toward one another to open the vise jaws l and release the spoke.

The table lifting mechanism comprises the air cylinder 9 with a piston 40 therein having its rod 4| connected to the table slide 2| by vertical side links 42. The piston 40 rests on the cylinder head 43 when in its lower position and the piston rod 4| is screw threaded into a cross-head 44 extending toward opposite sides of the machine and arranged to slide vertically on a pair of guide rods (not shown) secured at their lower ends in bosses on opposite sides of the cylinder 9 and at their upper ends in a cross-head 45 which carries a stop 46 adapted to be engaged by the end of the piston rod 4| for limiting the upward stroke of the piston 4|]. The cross-head 45 is a rearward horizontal extension formed on the upper end of a vertically disposed bracket 41 mounted on the upper edges of the cylinder 9, and which bracket has tongue and groove connections with a guide 48 rigidly secured to the rear face of the intermediate pedestal 4 by bolts 49 and adapted for guiding the table-lifting cylinder 9 as it is being adjusted. The lower ends of the links 42 are secured as at v|] to the opposite ends of the crosshead 44 and extend upwardly through bearings 5| formed in the ends of the intermediate pedestal 4 and in which they are adapted to slide vertically but are restrained against movement in. any other direction. The upper ends of the links 42 are in the form of T-shaped heads 52 formed each with an elongated slot 53 adapted to accommodate a roller 54 mounted on a stud 55 secured to the table slide 2|. With this arrangement, when air is admitted into the cylinder 9, the piston 40 rises therein, carrying with it the cross-head 44 threaded on the piston rod 4| and through the connecting links 42 raises the front end of the table 1, which rocks about the pivot 23 by which the supporting plate 22 is connected to the collar 24 on the rear pedestal 3. When air is exhausted from the cylinder 9 and the table I is in its lower operative position (full lines Fig. 1) and the slide 2| is reciprocated fore and aft to move the table during and after the spoke upsetting operation, the side links 42 are held in their vertical positions in the bearings 5| and the rollers 54 run back and forth in the slots 53 in the heads 52 of the links, thus permitting freedom of movement of the table slide 2| in a truly horizontal path and minimizing wear of the rela tively moving parts.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the table hold-down device comprises a stop pin 56 adapted to be projected to a. position above a nut 51 on the end of the'table lifting piston rod 4| when the table 1 is in its lower operative position, being moved by the rise of the vise jaw actuating piston through a series of connections between the end of the piston rod 38 and the stop pin 56. The stop pin56 is arranged to slide in a three-part bushing 58 arranged in a bearing 59 formed inthe bracket 47 carried by the table-lifting cylinder 9 and extending through an opening 60 in the fixed guide 48 and intermediate pedestal 4 for freedom of movement vertically as the table-lifting cylinder 9 is adjusted. This manner of mounting the stop a pin 56 maintains its relation to the end of the piston rod 4| which it overlies when in active position. At itsrear end, the stop pin 56 is bifurcated to receive one end of a link 5| which is pivotally connected thereto by a pin 62, the

opposite end of the link 6l being connected to twin bell-crank levers 63 (Fig. 5) pivotally mounted on opposite sides of a cross-head 64 on a pin 55 passing through the cross-head and through bearings 66 formed on the bell-crank levers. The corresponding arms of the bellcrank levers 63 are parallel with one another, the forwardly extending arms 61 being connected to the end of the link 6| by a pin 68 passing through the ends of the arms and the link and 0 through spacers 69 between the arms and the link. The rearwardly extending arms 10 of the bell-crank levers B3 are connected to the lower ends of a pair of pendant links H disposed on opposite sides of the piston rod 38 and having their upper ends pivoted on a pin 12 passing through a bearing 13 on the end of the piston rod. The stop pin 55 is kept well lubricated to prevent binding, the three parts of the bushing 58 in which it slides being slightly spaced from one another to provide oil grooves 14; and in order to obviate the accumulation of dirt and foreign matter on the stop pin when in its retracted position, it is covered by a hood 15 secured by bolts 76 to the intermediate pedestal 4.

In the operation of the machine, the stop pin 56 occupies the position shown in Fig. 4 when the front end of the table I is in its raised (broken lines Fig. 1) position and the vise jaws I0 are open. However, after the table I has dropped to its lower (full lines Fig. l) operative position, as the piston in .the cylinder ll moves upwardly to close the vise jaws ID, the rising of the piston rod 33 carries with it the links H which pull on the rear arms 10 of the bell-crank levers 63 and rock the levers counter-clockwise about the pivot pin 55, moving the stop pin 56 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to locate the end of the stop pin directly above the nut 5! on the end of the table lifting piston rod 4!. When the spoke upsetting operation is completed and the vise jaw actuating piston descends to open the vise jaws ii], the parts are returned to the position shown in Fig. 4, retracting the stop pin56 from above the nut 51 so that the table lifting piston 40 is free to rise subsequently and lift the front end of the table 7 to its tilted position.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferred form, but obviously many modifications and variations may be made therein and in its mode of application which will still be comprised within its spirit. For example, the invention is applicable equally as well to machines for making wheel spiders, that is, Wheel hubs with 05 spokes fastened. therein and to which the rim is secured subsequently. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a wheel spoke securing machine, the combination of a hub support movable vertically into and out of a lower working position, a piston having a rod connected to the support for lifting it out of working position, the support being arranged to drop into its working position by gravity, and a stop movable into position to engage the end of said piston rod when the support is in its working position to prevent upward movement of the support. a

2. In a wheel spoke securing machine, the combination of a hub support movable vertically into and out of a lower working position, a piston having a rod connected to the support for lifting it out of working position, the support being arranged to drop into its working position by gravity, and a stop movable automatically by a movable part of the machine into position to engage the end of said piston rod when the support is in its working position to prevent upward movement of the support.

3. In a wheel spoke securing machine, the combination of a pair of spoke-clamping vise jaws, means for actuating the vise jaws, a hub support movable vertically by gravity into a lower working position to present a spoke between the vise jaws,

a piston having a rod connected to the support for lifting the sup-port out of its working position, a stop movable into active position to engage the end of the piston rod when the support is: in its working position to prevent upward movement of the support, and connections between the stop and the vise jaw actuating means, whereby the stop is moved into its active position when the vise jaws are closed to clamp the spoke and moved out of its active position when the vise jaws are opened to release the spoke.

4. In a wheel spoke securing machine, the combination of a pair of spoke-clamping vise jaws, means for actuating the vise jaws, a hub support movable vertically by gravity into a lower working position to present 2. spoke between the vise jaws, a piston having a rod connected to the support for lifting the support out of its working position, a reciprocable stop pin movable into active position to engage the end of the piston rod when the support is in. its working position to prevent upward movement of the support, and connections between the stop pin and the vise jaw actuating means to effect the reciprocation of the stop pin.

5. A combination according to claim 4, wherein the vise jaws are actuated by a piston having a rod connected to the jaws, and wherein the stop pin is connected with the vise jaw actuating piston rod by lever and link connections.

6. A combination according to claim 4, wherein the wheel support and its lifting piston are adjustable vertically, and wherein the stop pin is mounted for reciprocation in a bearing formed in a bracket adjustable along with said lifting piston, whereby the stop pin occupies a fixed position relatively to said lifting piston in any adjusted position thereof.

7. In a wheel spoke securing machine, the combination of a hub support movable into and out of working position, mechanism for moving the hub support, holding means actuable to engage said moving mechanism to hold the support in its working position, and a movable part of the machine separate and distinct from the support and its moving mechanism for actuating said holding means in timed relation to the movement of the support.

JOSEPH I. CAIN.

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