US2284575A - Feeding machine for rolling mills - Google Patents

Description

FEEDING MACHINE Fon ROLLINGMILLS Filed Feb; 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j Ee. 2 l la' f ze 11 14 1 voli ,G4 138 we .P l 49 61 0 12a 1a 57 l "51 .2.a la 1 17 7 J5 ai: 3 o v A29 4a fil/,o 80 I Qo\\\ 6- 85 14 n 24 87 O G 6 `I2 Il l I l z5 i 1z0 me j 122 @M5 1 ,uz a J 1211;, 108 111 119 112 m \'\\\\\."'Z I .-.A- gg /lfa'l'm I James B. Jluzdon 116 V 11a ze. @28136 f m, www

May .26, l1942.

J. B. .loHNsoN 2,284,575

FEEDING MACHINE Fon ROLLING.4 MILLS Filed Feb. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 if 6 131 j o 131e ne .sa 61 mmf-IIN!!! 60 .lames B. Johnson Patented May 26, 1942 l a FEEDING MACHINE FOR ROLLING MILLS James B. Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Mary Anitta Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 14, 1939, Serial No. 256,297

13 Claims.

This invention relates to article feeding apparatus and is particularly adapted to feeding articles to other mechanisms whi-ch perform various operations upon them, such, for instance, as

to feeding blanks or billets to rolling mills or` the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which is capable of gripping, holding, and feeding articles into a plurality of Working mechanisms successively.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus in which the articles may be presented in a different relationship to the successive operating mechanisms.

Another object is to provide an improved feedf ing apparatus which may be readily arranged to vary the conditions of the articles being handled thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which may be automatically actuated.

Another object is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which will be compact in arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to providef an improved feeding apparatus which will be positive in action.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which will be speedy in operation.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, for illustrative purposes a pluriage is operated;

Fig. 4 is a partially elevational and partially sectional view of the feeding mechanism at its loading station;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, but taken at the first operating or rolling mill station, and showing the carriage at its outermost position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 4, the turn-table being omitted,

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the cam-ring for controlling the movement of the push-pins of the turn-table,

Fig. 8 is a view of the locking pawl for the rack-bar,

Fig. 9 illustratesthe means for releasing the locking pawl,

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section view of the carriage,

Fig. 11 is a front end View of the head of the carriage,

Fig. 12 is a side view of the carriage sleeve,

Fig. 13 an elevation of the cam for imparting a partial rotation to the carriage head,

Fig. 14 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 15 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the feeding machine illustrating the invention consists of a spider like base I having a center 2 and a plurality of radially extending and equally spaced arms or runners indicated by 3. Fixed in the center 2 of the base is a vertical shaft 4, on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 5. A suitable ballbearing unit 6 on the shaft 4 supports the sleeve 5 upon the center 2 of the base. Loosely mounted on the shaft 4 but fixed to the upper end of the sleeve 5 as indicated by screws 1 and therefore rotatable with said sleeve is a push-member or actuator 8 having four radially extending arms as indicated by 9. On the shaft 4 and resting upon the push-member 8 is a ball-bearing unit II) for supporting a circular turn-table II.

Arranged around the turn-table I I and bolted as at I2 to several of the successive runners 3 of the base are a plurality of rolling mills, each indicated as a whole by I3, I4 and I5. Also arranged around the turn-table and bolted to the next preceding and succeeding runners to which the rolling mills are secured, is a carriage operating unit I6 for loading and a similar carriage operating unit I1 for unloading. The rolling mills I3, I4 and I5 are of the back rolling type of ordinary construction, consisting of a pair of housings I8 and I9, in which are supported the segment rolls 20 and 2| having central coacting pass grooves 22 and 23, and driven by gears 24 and 25, to which power is applied.

The turn-table II is provided with equally spaced radially extending guide slots indicated by 26 and corresponding in vertical alignment with the pass grooves of the rolls of the mills. Carriages 21 having longitudinally extending bases 28 are slidably mounted in the guide slots 26 of the turn-table Il and are supported thereon by rollers 29 While retaining rollers 30 engage the underside thereof. The carriages 2l are for the purpose of carrying the billets to and into and out of the rolling mills for the successive operations thereon. For rotating the turntable il in a step-by-step movement and thereby moving the carriages 2l in the same manner to a position opposite each mill in succession, the following described mechanism is provided.

The rolls 2G and 2| of the mills may be driven from any source of power applied to the gears 24 and 25. Supported by the housings I8 and i9 of each mill I3, I4 and l5 below the rolls thereof is a cross-shaft 3i, to one outer end of which is fixed a gear 32 meshing with the roll gear 25 and the other outer end thereof a heavy fly-wheel 33. An electric motor 34, preferably fixed to the top of one of the mills, for instance i3, drives the iiy-wheel 33 by means of a belt 35. Keyed to the center of the cross-shaft 3i is a worm-wheel 36, which drives a worm 31 of a radially extending main power shaft 38 supported in bearings 39 and 4K1 bolted to the runner 3 of the base. Fixed to the inner end of the shaft 38 is a bevel gear pinion 4i, which drives a large central bevel gear 42, which is adjustably xed to the .sleeve 5 by means of a set-screw 43. Each of the other mills i4 and i5 are driven from the central bevel gear 42 by a radially extending shaft 44, a bevel gear pinion at its inner end, a worm fixed to said shaft driving a worm-wheel of a cross-shaft having a ily-wheel at one end and a gear at the other, all as just described for the first mill. Both the carriage operating unit i6 for loading and the carriage operating unit il for unloading are also driven from the central bevel gear 42 and have similar housings to those of the mills, but lower as indicated at 45, for supporting a cross-shaft 46, to which is fixed at its Center a Worm-wheel 4l. Said worm-Wheel is driven by a worm 48 fixed to a radially extending shaft 49 supported in bearings 5d and 5| secured to the runners of the base and having atits inner end a bevel pinion 52 in mesh with the bevel gear 42. The periphery of the turn-table may be supported by rollers as at 53 carried by the housings of the mills, or the carriage operating units, or from the runners of the base.

Continuous rotation of the central bevel gear 42' and the sleeve 5 causes step-by-step rotary movement of the turn-table il by an arm 9 of the push-member 8 carried by said sleeve engaging push-pins A54 which depend from the turn-table and are arranged in the arc of a circle. The push-pins 54 are pivoted at 55 to lugs 5t of the turn-table so as to swing radially out of the path of the arms 9 of the push-member 8 but be rigid and afford resistance in the rotary direction thereby causing rotation of the turn-table by said push-member. The push-pins 54 are arranged with their centers, indicated by 5l, between each radial slot 26 of the turn-table il and normally hang vertically. As the turn-table rotates,. the push-pins 54 are adapted to be swung upwardly and outwardly by engaging the inclined upper edge 53 of an inturned end 59 of a cam-ring 6i) and continuing on the upper edge 6l thereof until its abrupt ending at 62, when the push-pins return to their normal depending positions to be again acted upon by the next arm of the pushmember 8. An inturned end 63 of the cam-ring 60' is adapted to serve as a stop against backward rotation of the turn-table.

The carriages 27 are moved outwardly upon the turn-table i I to feed the billets into the mills and then returned to their original positions by the following described mechanism. Depending from the bottom of the base 23 of each carriage 2 is a stub-pin 64, which is adapted to travel in the space or recess 65 formed by two concentric rings 66 and 6l arranged around the cam-ring 69. The rings 66 and 61 are divided radially into equal sections as indicated by 6B, so that their radial centers are in alignment with the vertical centers of the mills i3, i4, l5 and the carriage operating units i6 and I'i. Each section of the rings 65 and S1 are held in spaced relation by a pair of straps as at 6d, which are fixed at 'lil to an inverted yoke 'il having depending sides i2 and T3. The yoke ll is supported by rollers at 74 carried by the inner faces of the sides thereof and engaging the upper and lower sides of a pair of tracks 'i5 and '#6, which are xed at one end in the housings of the mills and the carriage operating units, while their other ends terminate in legs as at 'H which are fastened to the runners 3 of the base. One or more of the sections 68 may, if desired, be supported in stationary position by legs 'it attached to the arms 3 of the base.

To one of the sides as l2 of each yoke 'H is pivoted as at 79, the inner offset end of a rack-bar 0, the free outer end of which rests upon a suitable cam Si xed to theoutside of a gear-wheel 32 carried by a stub-shaft 83 extending from the side of the housing of the mill or carriage operating unit and in mesh with the gear 32. The cam 8i is adapted to alternately raise the free outer end of the rack-bar 8E) to cause its teeth S4 to engage the gear 32 and then to permit same to fall sumciently that its teeth will clear said gear. A iiat spring enclosed in a circular casing Se, which is secured to a bracket 37 fastened to the runner 3, is connected to the outer end of the rack-bar 8d and tends to exert a pulling action thereon. When the teeth 84 of the rack-bar 8d are out of engagement with the gear 32, the spring 85 forces said rack-bar outwardly and moves the yoke 7l, the section of rings 63,

and consequently the carriage 2 in the same direction, and when the teeth of said rack-bar engages said gear, said rack-bar is forced inwardly by the action of said gear7 thereby moving the carriage in that direction. A stop $8 adjustable on the track 'i5 limits the outward movement of the yoke TH and the carriage 2'?.

For the purpose of holding the rackbar G in its inner position and the carriage in the same position, a locking pawl 8d is pivoted at 96 to a bracket 9i secured at 92 to the base of the housing of the mill and rests upon and is adapted to engage the teeth 34 of said rack-bar. In order to lift the locking pawl 89 out of engagement with the teeth Bti of the rack-bar to permit the spring 35 to act thereon to move the carriage 2l outwardly at the proper time, the following means is employed. On a vertical rod 93 iixed in a boss 94 of the housing is slidably mounted a tube having a bottom iiange 96. A headili is adjustably fixed to the tube 95 by means of a set-screw 93 and has a lateral nger 99 which passes loosely through an opening Ii of a lug lili of the locking pawl 89. The tube 95 is lifted and consequently the locking pawl 39 by means of a lever m2, which is pivoted at m3 to the base of the housing, The lever lill." is adapted to be actuated by a suitable cam Hifi, which is fixed to the radial shaft for engaging its inner free end while its outer forked end passes under the ange 96 of the tube 95.

The carriages 21 are adapted to automatically grab and grip the billets and also partially rotate same for each pass through the rolls, and the mechanism for accomplishing same will now be described. The base 28 of each carriage supports a pair of spaced aligning end bearings |06 and |01, in which is rotatably and slidably mounted a longitudinally extending shaft |08 having at its inner end a hub |09 carrying radial arms H0. The outer end portion of the shaft |08 is fixed to a longitudinal head III slidably in a sleeve H2 and having an inner reduced end H3 rotatably and slidably supporting said head in the bearing |06. The shaft |08 and the head III thereof are slidable in the sleeve H2 and said shaft is rotatable with said sleeve by means of a pair of longitudinal slots as II'4 in said sleeve, in which pins H5 fixed in the head III slide. Clamping jaws IIB are fixed to the outer projecting ends of right angle lever-arms H1 pivoted at H8 in recesses H9 of the head III while the other ends thereof extend through opposite transverse slots of the sleeve |I'2 leading from the slots H4 thereof, whereby said clamping jaws are opened by the outward movement of the shaft |08 and closed by the inward movement thereof. A nut I2I fixed to the reduced end H3 of the head III retains said head in the bearing |05. For locking the shaft |08 in its outer or inner positions, a lever |22 pivoted at |23 to a bracket |24 is fixed to the base 28 of the carriage 2l, the lower forked end |25 of which engages shoulders of said shaft at |26, and a tension spring |21 extends from said bracket to the upper end of said lever. As the carriages 21 travel outwardly, the arms H0 of the shaft |38 are adapted to engage the upper edge of an inclined bar |28 and the forward and longitudinal edges at |29 of a cam |30 fixed by a bracket I3I to the top of the turn-table H, thereby giving said shaft and the billet carried by the head thereof a quarter turn before each pass of the billet through the rolls. The bar |28 is pivoted at |32 to the cam |30 and has a lug |33 for engaging same at |34, thereby permitting said bar to be lifted out of the path of the arms H0 of the shaft |08 upon the return movement of the carriage 21 and retained in proper down position when serving as a cam.

Any suitable means may be provided for supporting or holding the billets in proper position to be grabbed by the clamping jaws I'IG of the carriages 21 as they are moved outwardly by the operating unit I5. For instance, a platform |35 supported in any suitable manner, and having an outer closed end |38 serving as a stop against longitudinal movement of the billets and therefore causing the clamping jaws H6 to close for gripping the billets due to the pressure against the head III from the outward movement of the carriage 21. The billets are therefore grabbed and held by the carriages 21, partially rotated before each pass through the rolls, and after the pass through the last mill, said carriages are moved outwardly at the operating unit I1 and just prior to the end of said movement, the locking lever |22 of the carriage strikes the free end |31 of an arm member |38, which is fixed to the housing of said unit I1 at |39, thereby causing forward or outward movement of the shaft |08 of the carriage and opening the clamping jaws IIB for releasing the finished product.

Operation-Assuming that the heated billets designated by |40 and from which axles are to be rolled are in place to be grabbed by the carriages 21, that the carriages are held by the pawls 89 at their inner positions, that the clamping jaws H6 are open, that the stops 88 have been set at proper positions, and that the motor 34 has been started, the belt 35 will drive the cross-shaft 3| of 'the mill I3 by thereby transmitting power through the gear 32 for turning the rolls of said mill. At the same time, the worm-wheel 36 of the cross-shaft 3| transmits power through the worm 31 to the radial shaft 38, which turns clockwise and therefore drives the central bevel gear 42, the sleeve 5 and the push-member 0 counter-clockwise. When one of the arms 9 of the push-member 8 engages the depending pin of the pins 54 carried by the turntable II, said push-member exerts pressure against said depending pin and thereby causes the turn-table to rotate one-eighth of a revolution to its next position. Upon said depending pin striking the inclined edge 58 of the cam-ring E0, it rides onto the upper edge thereof out of engagement with the arms of the push-member and permits same to pass thereunder, while the next following pin leaves the upper edge of said camring and becomes the depending pin at the end 52 of said cam-ring. While the turn-table II is moving one step, the carriages 21 are moving the same distance and the depending stub-pins or trunnions 64 thereof travel in the space 65 to the radial centers of the next ring sections. At the completion of each step-by-step movement of the turn-table, the cams |04 of the radial shafts 38 and 49 actuate the levers |02 thereby lifting the rods 93 and the pawls 89 and release the rackbars 80, which being under the tension of the springs 85 are moved outwardly, thereby moving the ring-sections 88 outwardly to the stops 88 and the carriages 21 opposite the operating units I5 and I1 and the mills I3, I4 and I5 to their proper outward positions. As the carriage opposite the operating unit I6 comes to the end of its outward movement, its clamping jaws IIB receive'the end of the billet |40 to be carried to the several rolling mills, and due to the pushing pressure of the head III thereagainst actuating the lever-arms H1, said clamping jaws grip said billet. At the same time, the cams 8| press the rack-bars into engagement with the gears 32, which force said rack-bars inwardly, thereby returning the carriages opposite the operating units IE and I1 and mills I3, I4 and I5 to their original positions, the pawls 89 again locking said rack-bars and therefore said carriages against outward movement. The turntable II is now moved to its next position by the next arm 9 of the push-member 8 pressing against the next following depending pin of the pins 54, thus moving the carriages 21 another step, and the described operations are repeated. While the carriages 21 are moving outwardly towards each mill, one of the arms I I0 of the shafts |08 thereof by striking the upper edge of the inclined bars |28 and riding up same and engaging the forward and longitudinal edge |29 of the cams |30 give said shafts and the heads I I I thereof a quarter turn and consequently the billets carried by said heads the same turning movements before each pass through the rolls 20 and 2| of the mills. As the carriages 21 move inwardly, the arms H0 lift up the inclined bars |28 and no rotary movements is imparted to the billets. After the carriages 21 move beyond the last mill still gripping the finished billets, said carriages are moved outwardly by the operating unit and just prior to the end of said movements, the locking levers |22 of the carriages strike the free end |31 of the arm member |38, thereby imparting outward movements to the shafts |68 of the carriages and opening the clamping jaws HE for releasing the finished billets. After the carriages release the finished billets, they move inwardly, and as the stub-pins or trunnions S thereof move in the space 65 of the ring sections 63 by the step-by-step movement of the turn-table, said carriages with their clamping jaws open come again opposite the operating unit I@ for the grabbing of new billets, and all operations described are repeated.

From the drawings and description, it is seen that this machine will automatically grab and feed billets into successive rolling mills; will give the billets a partial turn before each pass; and will automatically discharge the finished product. Also that the timing of the step-bystep rotary movement of the turn-table may be adjustably set and consequently that movement of the carriages and the outward travel of the carriages adjustably limited for the feeding of the billets into each mill the proper distance according to the particular product being rolled.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention in some particularity, ob-

viously many others will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details shown and described, but claim as my invention all embodiments, Variations, and modifications thereof corning within the scope of the appended claims,

lia-ving fully described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a turn-table, the turn-table having a plurality lof radial-extending slots, a carriage sldably supported in each of said slots, said carriages having means adapted to grip a billet, a plurality of rolling mills arranged around said turn-table, means for rotating said turntable in a step-by-step movement to bring said carriages opposite successive mills, each of said carriages having a depending trunnion, a ring, the ring having a space for accommodating the travel of said trunnions, said ring being divided into sections for each of said mills, said sections being movable radially, means for moving said sections outwardly to move said carriages in the same direction at each stopping of said carriages opposite said mills, means for moving said sections in the opposite direction to move said carriages in the same direction to their original positions, means for locking said sections and said carriages in their original positions during said rotary movement of said turn-table, and means for releasing said locking means after each said rotary movement of said turn-table and carriages.

2. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a turn-table, the turn-table having a plurality of radially extending slots, a carriage sldably supported in each of said slots, said carriages having means adapted to grip a billet, a plurality of rolling mills arranged around said turn-table, means for rotating said turntable to move said carriages step-by-step opposite said mills, each of said carriages having a depending trunnion, ring sections, the ring sections having spaces for the travel of said trunnions therein, said ring sections being supported for radial movement, means for locking said ring sections in their inner positions, means for releasing said looking means at the end of said rotary movement of said turn-table, means for moving said ring sections to their outer positions upon being released, means for moving said ring sections to their inner positions after said outer movement thereof and before the next said rotary movement of said turn-table, means for causing said carriages to grip a billet before moving to its position opposite the rst mill, and means for causing said carriage to release the billet after moving from its position opposite the last mill.

3. In a `feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a turn-table, a post, a sleeve rotatable on the post, the turn-table being rotatably mounted on said post and supported by said sleeve, a plurality of rolling mills arranged adjacent the periphery of said turn-table, means for rotating said sleeve, means for causing stepby-step movement of said turn-table from the rotation of said sleeve, said turn-table having a plurality of radially eatendingrslots adapted to register with the vertical centers of said mills, a carriage sldably supported in each of said slots, said carriages having means adapted to grip a billet, means for moving said carriages outwardly at the end of each step-by-step movement of said turn-table, means for moving said carriages inwardly after their outward movements, means for causing said carriages to grip a billet before its outward movement when opposite the first mill, means for causing said carriage to give a partial turn to the billet in its grip on the out- Ward movement when opposite said mills, and means for causing said carriages to release the billet gripped thereby after the inward movement thereof when opposite the last mill.

4. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a post, a sleeve rotatable on the post, a turn-table, the turn-table being rotatably Vmounted on the post and supported by said sleeve,

a plurality of rolling mills arranged adjacent the periphery of said turn-table, means for transmitting rotary motion to said sleeve from one of said mills, carriages adapted to grip a billet, the carriages being of greater number than said mills and movable radially on said turn-table for feeding the billets in their grip to said mills, means for moving said carriages outwardly, means for moving said carriages inwardly, and means for causing a stop-and-start movement of said turn-table for moving said carriages successively opposite said mills when said carriages are in their inner radial positions from said rotary movement of said sleeve,

5. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a turn-table, a plurality of rolling mills arranged adjacent the periphery of the turn-table, carriages adapted to grip a billet, the carriages being sldably supported by said turntable and adapted to move radially thereon, means for moving said carriages outwardly, means for moving said carriages inwardly, a post,

a sleeve rotatably mounted on the post, a pushmember fixed to said sleeve, pins arranged in spaced relation on the arc of a circle and pivotally connected to saidturn-table and adapted to be engaged by said push-member for moving said turn-table, and a cam-ring for causing said pins to be engaged successively by said pushmember for imparting step-by-step movement to said turn-table to move said carriages opposite said mills.

6. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a post, a sleeve rotatable on the post, a turn-table rotatably mounted on said post and supported by said sleeve, a plurality of carriages radially slidable on said turn-table, a plurality of rolling mills arranged adjacent the periphery of said turn-table, means for transmitting rotary movement to said sleeve from the operating power of one of said mills, means for operating said other mills from the rotating movement of said sleeve, means for rotating said turn-table step-by-stcp from the rotating movement of said sleeve to move said carriages opposite said mills, said carriages having means adapted to grip a billet, means for moving said carriages towards said mills, means for moving said carriages away from said mills, means for locking said carriages prior to each step-by-step movement of said turn-table, and means for actuating said locking means for releasing said carriages at the end of each step-by-step movement of said turntable.

7. In a feeding machine for rolling mills, the combination of a post, a sleeve rotatable on the post, a turn-table rotatably mounted on said post and supported by said sleeve, the turn-table having a plurality of radially extending slots, carriages adapted to grip a billet slidably supported in said slots, a plurality of rolling mills arranged adjacent the periphery of said turntable, means for transmitting rotary movement to said sleeve from the operating power of one of said mills, means for rotating said turn-table step-by-step from the rotating movement of said sleeve to move said carriages opposite said mills, means for operating said other mills from the rotating movement of said sleeve, each of said carriages having a depending trunnion, ring sections, the ring sections having spaces for the travel of said trunnions therein upon movement of said turn-table, said ring sections being supported for radial movement, means for locking said ring sections in their inner positions prior to each movement of said turn-table, spring means tending to force said sections outwardly, means for releasing said locking means at the end of each movement of said turn-table, to permit outward movement of said sections, means for returning said ring sections to their inner positions, means for causing said carriages to give the billet in their grip a partial turn on their outward movements, and means for causing said carriages to release their grip upon the billet at the end of the next outward movement after the last mill.

8. An article feeding mechanism arranged to feed articles successively to a plurality of separate operating units, which comprises a Substantially horizontal support rotatable about a vertical axis, article gripping means above said support, driving mechanism arranged to move the gripping means toward and from an edge of said support, and indexing means moving said gripping means horizontally, the gripping means by its motion toward and from the edge of said support causing the articles to approach and recede from the successive separate operating units.

9. An article feeding mechanism comprising a support having a substantially horizontal plane surface and rotatable about a vertical axis, an article feeding mechanism comprising a shaft carried above said surface and capable of translation in the direction of the shaft axis and of rotation about said axis, article gripping means carried by said shaft, feed means arranged to reciprocate the shaft in the direction of its axis, rotating means arranged to rotate the shaft about its axis, and indexing means moving the axis of the shaft in a plane parallel to the surface of the support.

10. An article feeding mechanism comprising a turn-table support having a substantially horizontal flat vsurface and rotatable about a vertical axis, an article feeding mechanism comprising a shaft carried above said surface and capable of translation in the direction of the shaft axis and of rotation about said axis, article gripping means carried by said shaft, feed means arranged to reciprocate the shaft in the direction of its axis, rotating means arranged to rotate the shaft about its axis, and indexing means moving the axis of the shaft in a plane parallel to the surface of the support.

11. An article feeding mechanism comprising a turntable having a substantially horizontal plane surface and rotatable about a vertical axis, an article feeding mechanism comprising a shaft carried above said surface, and capable of translation in the direction of the shaft axis and of rotation about said axis, article gripping means carried by said shaft, feed means arranged to reciprocate the shaft in the direction of its axis, rotating means arranged to rotate the shaft about its axis, and means rotating the turn table about its axis.

12. An article feeding mechanism comprising a turntable support having a substantially horizontal flat surface and rotatable about a vertical axis, an article feeding mechanism comprising a shaft carried above said surface substantially radially disposed with respect to said turntable, feed means for moving the shaftI toward the periphery of the table and for returning it toward the axis thereof, a plurality of movable jaws carried by the outer end of the shaft, and a snap action mechanism connected to said jaws and arranged to open and close them at the outermost position of the shaft.

13. In combination, a substantially horizontal turntable upon which articles to be worked may be received, a loading platform unit adjacent the turn-table from which articles may be moved in a generally radial direction to said turn-table, a plurality of Working units radially arranged with respect to the turn-table, an unloading platform unit also radially positioned with respect to the turn-table, and feed means for moving articles to and from the turn-table, and indexing ineans moving the turn-table to deliver articles successively to the respective units.

JAMES B. JOHNSON.

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