US2312157A - Pressing machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 23,-1943.- P. J. GAL BREATH ET AL 2,312,157

' RESSING-MAGHINE Filed 'June 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE NT 0 R5 Feb. 23, 1943. P. JJGALBREATH ET AL. 2,312,157

- PRESSING MACHINE I Filed June 13, 1942 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1943 PRESSING MACHINE Paul J. Galbreath, Kingsport, Tenn, and Marion D. Galbrcath, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 446,878

6 Claims.

My invention relates to pressing machines, and particularly to power presses such as die presses and punch presses.

Specific stroke lengths are desirable for best results, especially in pressing machines, as in the case of punching machines, it usually is desirable that they be given shorter strokes on thin work than on thicker work. Die pressing machines commonly are built for a given length of stroke, and are suitable for only a given depth of draw. Where operations are to be performed on work pieces that require a deeper drawand in many cases for shallower draw-other presses of different stroke must be provided. In some instances press capacity limitations are such that the deeper draw Work requires successive operations on different machines, with consequent consumption of time, outlay for additional machinery and more floor space.

One object of my invention is to provide a power press which can readily be changed to operate at various stroke lengths and thereby enable a single machine to perform operations for which aplurality of machines have heretofore been deemed necessary.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine having a stroke-producing crank which is adjustable about an axis that is parallel to, but offset from, the axis of the power shaft that operates the machine.

One of the forms which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a face view of the machine partly in section; Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of .the crank of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig.4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of the crank-supporting members of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an end view on an enlarged scale of one of the pinions of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of one of the pinion-carrying screws of Fig. 1, and Fig. '8 is an end view thereof.

The apparatus may suitably comprise a framework of conventional form that includes a bench or work-table I0 and upstanding bearing brackets II. The brackets are of sleeve-like or collar form at their upper ends as shown at l2, and

serve to support housings l3 that in turn support the outer .raceways of roller bearings 14. The inner raceways of such bearings are carried by rotatable shafts :15 and 16, the shaft 15 being driven from any. suitable sourceof power.

A bracket arm I! serves as an additional'bearing support fOr the shaft l5.

Each shaft has an enlargement I8 at its inner end for supporting the inner raceways of the roller bearings, and also for supporting a crank shaft l9. The usual oil sealing rings or packings are provided at 20.

The crank H] has shaft-like extensions 2! that extend into-holes-Z? in the shaft heads I8. The axial line of these holes is radially offset a desired distance from the axis of the shafts l5-i-*Ei, and the mid portion 24 of the crank that operates a pitman or presser rod 25 is radially offset from the axis of the extensions 21. Durin rotation of the shafts l5 and It, the pitman 25 and its head or chuck 26, that will carry a press die, or punches, will be raised and lowered a distance dependent upon the extent of the radial offsets above referred to. For example, if the axial lines of the crank extensions 21 are oifset from the axis of the shafts l5i6 one inch, and the axis of the tool-supporting-element 24 of the crank is offset one inch from the axis of 21, the presser member may have a four-inch stroke. As hereinafter explained, this length of stroke can be shortened by adjustments of the crank I 9 about its axis.

The deeper portions of the holes 23 are pentagonally sided to receive the pentagonal ends 28 of the crank shaft. A snug fit is provided between these pentagonal surfaces, so that the crank shaft will not have independent rotation in the shaft heads I8. It will be understood that regular shapes other than pentagonal shapes can be employed to provide for rotative adjustment of the crank in the heads Hi. When a fiv'esided contour is provided as shown, it permits of adjustment to strokes of five different lengths.

In order to adjust the machine for making strokes of different lengths, I provide screws 29 that have threaded engagement with the collar portions I 2 of the brackets ll. At their outer ends 30 they are shaped for engagement by a wrench, whereby they can be turned. Each screw intermediate its ends has a flange 3| formed thereon which serves as'a thrust collar for engagement with the adjacent side of the housing l3, so that when the screws are turned in one direction, they will push said housing and its contained parts in a direction away from the bracket II. A retaining ring 2|, which is secured to the housing l3 by screws 22, bears against the shaft head l8 when the screws 29 are being thus turned, so as to push the shaft head [8 from the crank extension 21. Near one end, each screw 29 has a cylindrical portion 32 that is supported in the housing l3 and which supports a pinion 33. Each member 29 carries a key 34 that extends into a key slot or recess 35 in the pinion 33, so that the screw and the inion can have limited relative rotative movement.

An internal ring gear 31, finished to give a running fit in the housing 13, has meshed engagement with the adjacent pinions 33, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. An end plate 38 fits within the housing 13 to hold the ring gear in position and to serve as a protective shield, the end plate in turn being held in place by a ring 39 and screws 40.

When it is desired to change the length of stroke or throw of the crank, the screws 29 at both sides of the machine will be turned to take up any play between the keys 34 and the ends of the key slots 35. Thereupon, hammer blows will be imparted to outer ends of hardened steel pins 4| to loosen the ends of the crank in the sockets 23. A spanner wrench can be engaged with holes 43 in the ring gear shield 38. Such rotation of the ring gears in a disassembling direction will rotate the pinions 33 and the screws 29 to effect movement of the housings i3 and the shafts Iii-l6 away from the crank l9. This movement will be continued until the polygonally-sided walls of the recesses 23 have sufiiciently cleared the end portions 28 of the crank shaft to permit rotative adjustment of the crank on the shaft heads Hi. If the crank has previously been so set that its mid portion 24 is at the farthest point possible from the axis of the shafts ll6, rotative adjustment will bring such portion 24 closer to the axis of the shafts l5--I6, therefore decreasing the length of stroke. Since the ends of the crank are of regular polygonal form, as many different adjustments as there are sides on the form can be had. To facilitate adjustment of the crank and the press for a desired length of draw or stroke, a block or a jack can be placed on the bench II] to serve as a gage for the lowermost limit of stroke. The head 26 will then be brought into a position of rest upon this gage member.

Thereupon the parts are again brought into operative relation by turning the ring gears 31 so as to rotate the screws 29 in the reverse direction, nuts 44 on the outer ends 45 of the screws 29 serving to hold the pinions 33 in place and transmitting thrust through such pinions to the adjacent sides of the housings I3. At the same time, the shafts I5--l6 will be drawn toward one another, causing the shaft heads 18 to be again drawn into close fitting engagement with the polygonal ends 28 of the crank. To insure against any looseness or play, the screws 29 will then be individually turned by a socket wrench or the like. Slight turning movement of these screws independently of the pinions 33 and the ring gear 31 is permitted because of the lost motion key connection at 3435. Dowel or guide pins are provided at 46 in. order to insure correct alignment when assembling the bearings.

I claim as my invention:

1. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads formed on their adjacent ends and spaced apart, fixed bearing brackets for said heads, a crank member having extensions which are of regular polygonal form in cross section and taper toward their ends, and

which extend into complementarily-formed recesses in the said heads, at points spaced radially from the axis of the shafts, a radiallyextended portion on the crank member and operatively connected to the pressing member, and screw devices having en a em n W the brackets and the heads, for moving the heads toward and from one another, to make and break non-rotative connection between said extensions and heads, whereby the crank member may be turned to various rotative positions of adjustment on said head.

2. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads on their adjacent ends and spaced apart, fixed bearing brackets for said heads, a crank member having extensions which are of regular polygonal form in cross section and taper toward their ends, and which extend into complementarily-formed recesses in the said heads, at points spaced radially from th axis of the shafts, a radiallyextended portion on the crank member and 0peratively connected to the pressing member, and means for moving the heads toward and from one another, to make and break non-rotative connection between said extensions and heads, whereby the crank member may be turned to various rotative positions of adjustment on said head, the said means comprising screws extending through the bearing brackets along lines parallel to the shafts and having thrust engagement with the said heads.

3. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads formed on their adjacent ends and spaced apart, fixed bearing brackets for said heads, a crank member having extensions which are of regular polygonal form in cross section and taper toward their ends, and which extend into complementarily-formed recesses in the said heads, at points spaced radially from the axis of the shafts, a radially-extended portion on the crank member and operatively connected to the pressing member, and means for moving the heads toward and from one another, to make and break non-rotative connection between said extensions and heads, whereby the crank member may be turned to various rotative positions of adjustment on said head, the said means comprising screws extending through the bearing brackets along lines parallel to the shafts and having thrust engagement with the said heads, the screws each having a pinion rigidly secured thereto and the pinions at each head meshing with a rotatably-mounted ring gear whereby they may be turned as a unit.

4. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads formed on their adjacent ends and spaced .apart, fixed bearing brackets, bearing housings interposed between the brackets and the said heads, a crank member having extensions that are parallel to the said shafts and which are of regular polygonal form in cross section and taper toward their ends, extending into complementarily-formed recesses in the said heads, at points spaced radially from the axis of the shafts, a radially-extended portion on the crank member and operatively connected to the pressing member, and screws extending through the bearing brackets in directions parallel to the shafts and having thrust connection with the bearing housing which in turn has thrust e agement with the said heads, whereby p turnmg of the screws, the heads can be shifted axially to make and break the connection between the crank extensions and the said heads, to permit rotative adjustment of the crank member relative to the heads.

5. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads formed on their adjacent ends and spaced apart, fixed bearing brackets for said heads, a crank member having extensions which are of regular polygonal form in cross section and taper toward their ends, and which extend into com-plementarily-forme'd recesses in the said heads, at points spaced radially from the axis of the shafts, and said crank member, with its extensions, being retained in its rigid operative positions by axially-applied pressure from either side created by opposed tapered bearings and their respective supports, a radially-extended portion on the crank member and operatively connected to the pressing member, and means for moving the heads, together with the tapered bearings, toward and from one another, to make and break non-rotative connection between said extensions and heads, whereby the crank member may be turned to various rotative positions of adjustment on said head.

6. Press apparatus comprising a reciprocable pressing member, a pair of axially-aligned drive shafts having enlarged heads formed on their adjacent ends and spaced apart, bearings for said heads, fixed brackets for the bearings, a crank member having extensions that are parallel to said shafts and normally rigidly supported in the said heads on an axis parallel to but spaced axially from the axis of said shafts, a radially-extended portion on the crank member and operatively connected to the pressing member, and means supported by the brackets for making and breaking the rigid connection between the said extensions and the heads, whereby the crank member can be rotatably adjusted to fixed positions with respect to said heads, about an axis parallel. to the axis of the drive shafts.

PAUL J. GALBREATH. MARION D. GALBREATH.

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