US2345123A - Machine for making t's of metal tubing - Google Patents

Description

March 28,1944. J, Q, HOLMES ETAL 2,345,123

MACHINE FO MAKING TEES OF METAL TUBING Filed April 14, 1941 March 28,' 1944. J, Q HOLMES ET AL 2,345,123

MACHINE FOR MAKING TEES OF METAL TUBING Filed April 14,l 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZZ I 554 March 28, 1944.

J. Q. HOLMES ETAL 2,345,123 MACHINE FOR MAKING TEES OF METAL TUBING l Filed Apri'l 14, 1941 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 If. i 1| i March 28, 1944. .1. Q. HOLMES ETAL MACHINE FOR MAKING T EES OF METAL TUBING Filed April- 14, 1941' Sheets-Sheet 5 BY uw 7% wila/ATTORNEY Patented Mar. Z8, 1944 MACHINE! FOR MAKING TS OF METAL TUBING John Q. Holmes and Basil S. Sanziple, Anderson, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 1941, Serial No. 388,396

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of fabricating metal tubing into articles such as manifolds for delivering lubricating oil to the crank shaft bearings of an internal combustion engine. The patent of Nichols and Weiser No. 2,297,013, issued Sep't. 29, 1942, discloses a method by which a section f metal tubing can be provided with a side opening and socket, the inside diameter of which is equal to the outside diameter of the tube. This socket receives another section of tubing of the same outside diameter as the first section in order to provide a T. One section of the tubing conducts liquid to the other section which may be provided with branches of smaller diameter spaced so as to distribute oil properly to the crank shaft bearings of an engine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine by which the operations disclosed in the Nichols and Weiser application can be economically carried out.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and is drawn twice the scale of Fig. 2.

:Figs 4, 5 and 6 show the three operations which are successfully performed upon a fragment of tubing by the tools shown best in Fig. 3.

Figs. '7 and 8 taken together constitute a sectional view on line 1--1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 9-9 of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of a compressed air system including control valves and air cylinders for operating the tools which perform the operations indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Referring to sections I, 2, 1 and 8 the machine comprises a base 2i) providing an opening 2l for the discharge of the completed Work and supporting bearing brackets 22 and 23 upon which a shaft 24 is journalled, said bearings being completed by bearing bracket caps 22a and 23a secured by screws to the brackets 22 and 23. The shaft 24 supports spiders 25, 26 and 21 providing cylindrical surfaces 25a, 26a and 21a to which are secured sheet metal sleeves 28 stiffened by bars 29 attached by screws 3D. The spiders 25, 26 and 21 are provided respectively with eight fiat surfaces 25h, 2Gb and 21h. Each of the flats;25b supports a block 3| provided with notch 32,for receiving the flattened end 33 of a tube T. The other end of the tube T rests upon a groove block 34 there being eight of these blocks attached respectively to the eight flats 21h 'of spider 21. Intermediate its ends, the tube T is supported by a grooved block 35 having a central socket 36 (Fig. 2), for the purpose lof receiving portions of the tube which are enlarged during the third operation performed by the machine. The tube T is clamped in the required position upon its workholder by a lever 40 having a socket 4I for receiving the round end of the tube as shown in Fig. 8. Lever 40 is pivoted upon a pin 42 supported by a pair of ears 43 integral with spider 21. A spring 44 conned in a socket 45 of spider 21 urges the lever 40 counterclockwise (Fig. 8). The right end of spring 44 isv retained by a pin 46 in` lever 40. Lever 40 is provided with a handle 41 against which the 'operator presses to move the lever 4l] clockwise'whenhe places the tube T in position.

By a ratchet mechanism to be described', the shaft 24 is rotated intermittently clockwise as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 to carry the work into the work stations A, B and C (Fig. 3) and finally into a discharge station D. At station D the Work retaining lever 40 is moved into the position 40 (Fig. 8) so that the work may gravitate from the workholder and move down a chute into a suitable receptacle not shown. As a lever, 40 approaches station D its stud 46 is engaged by a cam 56 carried by a plate 5I secured to a plate 52 fixed to bracket 23.

A ratchet 60 having pawl receiving notches 6l is secured to shaft 24 by pin 62. Shaft portion 24a (Fig. 8') provides a journal for a bearing 63 for a collar providing a hub 64 welded to a plate 65 providing a ratchet carrier. Parts 64 and 65 are retained by a disc 66 attached by a screw 61 to shaft 24. Plate 65 supports a screw vstud 68 secured by nut 68a providing a pivot for a pawl 69 for successively engaging the notches 6I of ratchet 60. These notches are successivelyrengaged also by a locating pawl 10 journalled on a screw 1I fixed to bracket 23. PaWl 10 is urged counterclockwise (Fig. 1) about its pivot 1I by a rod 12 guided by a bracket 13 housing ,a spring 14 for urging the pawl 10 upwardly. When the plate 65 ismoved counterclockwise (Fig.. l) by mechanism to be described to cause pawl 69 tc order to lock the work-holder in a new work position.

The plate 65 is oscillated by a mechanism comprising an air cylinder 80 cooperating with a piston, not shown, which is connected with a piston rod 8| connected by a pin 82 with a block 83 attached to a slide 84 guided in ways 85 provided by a bracket 86 (Figs. 3 and 9). The right end of slide 84 (Fig. 9) is attached by pivot screw 81 to a link 88 having a slot 89 for receiving a pivot screw 90 on an arm of a bell crank lever 9| pivoted on a screw 92 fixed to a bracket 93 attached to base 20. The other arm of lever 9| is connected with rod 94 by a ball and socket connection at 95. The other end of rod 94 is connected by a ball and socket connection 96 with plate 65. When air is admitted to the head end of cylinder 80 the rod 8| moves downwardly (Fig. 2) or toward the right (Fig. 9) in order to effect counterclockwise movement of plate 65 in order to back the ratchet-moving pawl 69 and to retract the ratchet-locating pawl 10. When air is admitted to the piston rod end of cylinder 80 the plate 65 is moved clockwise in order that the workholder may be indexed 45 and then be located by the pawl 10. The slot in the end of link 88 provides a lost motion connection between the operating piston rod 8| and the paWl carrier 65. This lost motion is required because the piston rod 8| is connected with another mechanism to be described, said mechanism requiring greater movement than is required by the indexing mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 3, 'l and 8 a bracket |00 mounted upon the base 20 is provided with three mounting pads IOI, |02 and |03 which are machined surfaces located at 45 with respect to each other. Surface I| supports cylinder |04 containing a piston, not shown, connected with a piston rod |05. Rod is threadedly engaged by a screw having a knurled head |06 and a shank |01 terminating in a plan cylindrical head |08 received in a socket |09 provided by the cooperation of a tool supporting base |I0 and an annular ring III secured by screws II2 and having an integral ange |I3 engageable with the head |08 of screw |06. By turning the knurled part |06, the distance between the piston rod |05 and the tool supporting base I I0 can be adjusted. Base I|0 is provided with bushings II5 (Figs. '7 and 8) for receiving stationary pilot pins or rods ||6 fixed to the mounting pad I0| of frame |00. The rods H6 guide the workholder base IIO during movement thereof by the piston rod |05. To the base IIO is secured a block |20 by screws I2I. Block |20 guides a pressure block |22 having notches |23 for receiving the tube T when the block |22 has been moved into engagement with the block 35 adjacent thereto. The pressure block |22 is prevented from turning with respect to the block |20 by a key |24 fixed to the block |20 and received by a notch in the ange I 25 of block 22. The block |20 retains a plate |26 to which is xed the upper end of a punch |21 for performing the operation upon the tubing while at station A. A spring |28 conned between a shoulder |29 of block |22 and the plate |26 urges block |22 downwardly until its ange |25 engages a shoulder I25a of block |20. When air under pressure is admitted to the head end of cylinder |04 through opening |04a to which a pipe is attached, rod |05 moves downwardly to cause pressure block |22 to engage tubing T and to force the same against block 35 while at station A and to hold said block |22 against the work under yielding pressure afforded by spring |28 while the tool |21 so changes the tube T that a rectangular hole |I (Fig. 4) is changed into a circular hole |2 bounded by arcuate anges I3 which extend outwardly. As disclosed in the patent to Nichols and Weiser #2,297,013, the rectangular hole'II is formed by a shearing punch which leaves those edges of hole extending lengthwise of the tube 'I' relatively sharp. The curvature of the punch |21 in an axial direction is such that, when the punch |21 engages these sharp edges, they move outwardly, rather than inwardly toward the interior of the tube, because it is easier for the metal of the tube to move in an outward direction rather than to follow down with the punch |21. These edges of hole II are relatively thin and are easily bent upward as the punch 21 engages them. The displacement of the rest of the metal surrounding the hole II readily follows in an upward and outward direction. Thus the rectangular hole II becomes a circular hole I2 bounded by arcuate flanges I2. Following this operation, air is admitted through a pipe connected with the ypiston rod end of cylinder |04 through the tapped opening |041) to cause the block |22 and tool |21 to be retracted.

Mounting pad |02 supports an air cylinder |30 containing a piston connected with a piston rod I3| which is associated with parts similar to all of the parts which have been described in connection with cylinder |04 with the exception that the tool |32 diiers from the tool |21 at station A with respect to its contour. Tool |32 is so shaped as to cause the flanges I3 (Fig. 4) to be spread apart to form the somewhat arcuate flanges I4 (Fig. 5) surrounding a hole |5 of somewhat elliptical shape. As the pressure block |22 at station B is retracted from the work, tube T is prevented from being dislodged from the block 35. For this purpose, there are two bars |35 (Figs. 7 and 8) fixed at their lower ends by screws |36 to bracket |00.

The third operation performed at station C is to shape the opening I5 into a circular opening as shown in Fig. 6 and to cause the side walls of the tube T to be enlarged as indicated at I1 in Figs. 3 and 6, thereby providing a cylindrical socket for receiving a tube whose outside diameter equals the outside diameter of the tube T being operated upon by this machine. The tool |40 (Fig. 3) for performing this operation has an end |4| of oblong cross section adapted to enter the opening I5 of Fig. 5. While the tool |40 is thus entered, it is caused to rotate thereby changing the elliptical hole I5 into the circular hole I6 (Fig. 6). The tool |40 has a shank |42 extending through a hole in a retainer :plate |43 fixed to a sleeve I 44 by screws I 45 which also secure a ring |46 providing a socket |41 for receiving a pressure block |48 having a notched end |49 for receiving the tube T when said block |48 moves toward the work supporting block 35. The tube T is thus held by the block |48 under yielding pressure` afforded by springs |50k confined b y sockets provided by ring |43 and sockets |52 provided by block |48. While the tube T is thus clamped between the blocks |48, and 35 at station C under yielding pressure, the tool |40 is positioned into the opening |5 (Fig. 5) and is caused to rotate. To accomplish this the tool |40 is provided with a anged head |55 having a cross rib |56 entering a groove in the head |51 of a shaft |58 journalled in bearings |59 and |50 supported by the sleeve |44. Sleeve |44 is slidably guided by a bushing |6| and is prevented from rotating relative thereto by a key |62 providing a splined connection between sleeve |44 and bushing ISI. Bushing |0| extends through a circular opening |03 in frame |00 and it is provided with an annular flange |04 attached to the mounting pad |03. The shaft |58 is moved axially by moving the sleeve |44 axially. This is accomplished by an air cylinder cooperating with a piston, not shown, connected with a rod |1| connected by a turnbuckle screw |12 with a yoke |13 integral with an annular flange |14 secured by screws |15 to sleeve |44. The turnbuckle |12 is ciamped in adjusted position by knurled head lock nuts |16 and |11 (Fig. 2).

The shaft |58 is rotated by movement of the i piston rod 8| cooperating with cylinder 00. The slide 84 connected with rod 8| (Fig. 9) operates a rack |80 attached by screws |8| and meshing with a pinion |82 connected with shaft |58 by keys |83 (Fig. 3) and locked by a set screw |84 (Fig. 3).

Referring to Fig. 10, a pipe 200 connects a compressed air source with a valve 20| connected with an inlet pipe 202 leading into a reducing valve assembly included within the dot dash line rectangle 203. The outlet pipe 204 of this assembly is connected with a four-way valve 205 and by a branch pipe 206 with a four-way valve assembly 201. Valve 205 is connected with the head end of cylinder |10 by pipe 208 and with the piston rod end of cylinder |10 by pipes 20S and 2|0. Valve 205 is connected with the head end of piston by pipes 208 and 2| l, and with the piston rod end of cylinder |30 by pipe 200.

Valve 205 is connected with the head end of cylinder |04 by pipes 208, 2|| and 2|2 and with the piston rod end of cylinder |04 by pipes 209 and 2|3. Valve 205 is controlled by foot operated pilot valve 2|5 connected by pipe 2| 0 with pipe 204 and connected with valve 205 by pipe 2i1. When the foot of the operator is not applied to an operating member (not shown) of valve 225 communication between pipes ZIB and 2|1 is blocked 01T, thereby permitting a spring (not shown) in valve 205 so to move a movable valve part so that pipe 204 is connected with pipes 209, 2|0 and 2|3 so that the piston rod ends oi all off the air cylinders |04, |30 and |10 are connected with the air line 200 thereby causing all of the tools at stations A, B and C to be retracted. During this status of valve 205, the head ends of the cylinders are vented through pipes 2|2, 2| l, 208, pipe 208 being connected with atmosphere through the valve 205. At this time the valve 201 causes a pipe 220 to be connected with pipe 200 thereby connecting the piston rod end of cylinder 80 with the air line 200. Therefore the piston rod is moved all the way toward the left in Fig. 9 and the indexing mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The operation of cylinder 80 is controlled by valve 201; and valve 201 is controlled by pilot valves 22| and 222. Valves 201, 22| and 222 are interconnected by pipes 223 and 224 and valve 222 is connected by pipe 225 with pipe 206. When airis being admitted to the piston rod end of cylinder |10 the yoke |13 associated with said piston |10, due to its connection with rod |1|, will be in the position shown in Fig. 1. When in this position it causes pilot valve 22| (Figs. l0 and l) to be opened while valve 222 remains closed. This is accomplished by connecting the yoke |13 by a link 230. am arm 23| and a shaft 232 with a lever 233' carrying an adjustable screw 234 for engaging the operating member of valve 22| to open said valve. When valve 22| is opened, there is no air pressure present in valve 201 to cause its movable valve member. not shown, to move into such position as to connect pipe 206 with the head end of cylinder 00. Therefore a spring .maintains this movable valve member in such position as to connect only the pipe 222 with the pipe 206 while the head end of cylinder 80 is being vented through a pipe 228. When air is admitted into the head end of piston |10 to cause tool (Fig. 3) to move toward the left and the yoke |13 (Fig. 1) to move toward the left, the lever 233 will cause a screw 235 carried thereby to engage the operating member of valve 222 to move downwardly in order to open valve 222 while valve 22| is closed by a springcontained within it. Under these conditions air is admitted through pipes 225, valve 222, pipe 223 to a control member of valve 201, thereby causing thc movable valve member to move into a position against the action of a spring to connect pipe 200 with pipe 228 and to vent pipe 220. Air being admitted through the head end of cylinder 00. the` piston rod 8| Will move downwardly in Fig. 2 or to the right in Fig. 9, thereby causing rack to move toward the right and to cause the pinion |82 to rotate counterclockwise in Fig. and to cause thetool |40to rotate counterclockwise looking in the direction of the arrow |40a of Fig. 3 or torotate clockwise as indicated by the arrow |4011 in Fig. 6. This causes-the tool |40 shown in section in Fig. 5 to rotate 180 and then stop. By this time the elliptical opening i5 has been changed intovthe circular opening l0 and a cylindrical socket has been provided for the reception of another tube of same outside diameter as the tube T. The displaced metal is caused to be shaped into arcuated flanges |8 by camming surfaces |400 provided by tool |40. The operations of the various tools |21 and |32 and |40 are described in detail in the copending application of Nichols and Weiser referred to.

Following the completion of the operations performed at stations A, B and C, the operator releases pressure of the foot upon the operating member of valve 2|5 and the tools are retracted and the tool |40 is rotated'back to normal position. As the result of restoration of the yoke |13 to normal position shown in Fig. 2 which effects the reclosing of valve 22| and the opening of valve 222. During the operation of the machine, all that is required of the operator is to load tubes T at station L, the loading station, upon the workholder block 35 and then depress a pedal control valve 2|5 to cause the tools |21, |32 and |40 to operate upon the tubes which are located at stations A, B and C respectiveiy. Release of the foot pressure upon the operating member of valve 2 l5 is followed by restoration oi the tools from the Work and the indexing of the workholder shaft 24 clockwise (Fig. l) into'the next position. The nished work is discharged at discharge station D. and gravitates upon a chute to whichguides it to v-a receptacle.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, al1 coming within the scope oi' the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. A machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube comprising, in combination, a conveyor provided with a plurality of workholders each for supporting a tube having an opening previously formed therein, means for intermittently moving the conveyor in order to move the workholders progressively into a plurality of operating stations, devices located respectively at the operating stations for progressively shaping the tube so that the preformed opening becomes a larger circular opening defined by outwardly projecting arcuate flanges, then an elongated opening formed by spreading said arcuate anges, and finally a still larger circular opening, each of said forming devices including a forming punch, means for actuating said punches toward and away from the tubes and means for rotating the punch at the last operating station while said punch is entered within the tube.

2. In a machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube, the combination comprising a work holder for supporting a tube having a previously formed opening of substantially elliptical shape, a forming punch for entering the opening, said punch being rotatable to form the tube so as to provide an opening of circular shape, a shaft connected with the punch, means for moving the shaft axially, means for rotating the shaft, and means responsive to movement of the shaft axially to carry the punch into the tube for causing the shaft rotating means to become eii'ective.

3. In a machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube, the combination comprising work holders each for supporting a tube having a previously formed opening of substantially elliptical shape, a forming punch for entering the opening, said punch being rotatable to form the tube so as to provide an opening of circular shape, a conveyor for supporting the workholders and movable intermittently to locate tubes successively adjacent to the punch, means for operating the conveyor and including a reciprocating member and a one-way motion transmitting means between the reciprocating member and conveyor, means for moving the punch axially through the opening in the tube adjacent thereto, and means for rotating the punch while within the tube, said means being operated by the reciprocating member when moving in such direction that the one-way motion transmitting means is non-operative and the conveyor is stationary.

4. In a machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube, the combination comprising work holders each forsupporting a tube having a previously formed opening of substantially elliptical shape, a forming punch for entering the opening, said punch being rotatable to form the tube so as to provide an opening f circular shape, a conveyor for supporting the work holders and movable intermittently to locate tubes successively adjacent to the punch, means for operating the conveyor and including a reciprocating member and a one-way motion transmitting means between the reciprocating member and conveyor, means for moving the punch axially through the opening in vthe tube adjacent thereto, means operated by said reciprocating member for rotating the punch, and apparatus rendered effective in response to the retraction of the punch from lthe tube for causing said reciprocating member to operate in a direction to cause said one-way motion transmitting mechanism to be eiective to move the conveyor, and said apparatus rendered effective in response to entry of the punch within the tube for causing said reciprocating member to operate in the opposite direction whereby the conveyor is stationary while the punch is rotated when within the tube.

5. A machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube comprising, in combination, a conveyor provided with a plurality of Workholders each for supporting a tube having an opening previously formed therein, means for intermittently moving the conveyor in order to move the workholders progressively into a plurality of operating stations, devices located respectively at the operating stations for progressively shaping the tube so that the preformed opening becomes a larger circular opening dened by outwardly projecting arcuate flanges, then an elongated opening formed by spreading said arcuate flanges, and nally a still larger circular opening, each of said forming devices including a forming punch, means for actuating said punches toward and away from the tubes, means for rotating the punch at the last operating station while said punch is entered within the tube and a controller for said punch rotating means rendered effective by the positioning of the punch at the last operating station within the tube to cause the punch rotating means to operate.

6. A machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube comprising, in combination, a conveyor provided with a plurality of workholders each for supporting a tube having an opening previously formed therein, means for intermittently moving the conveyor in order to move the workholders progressively into a plurality of operating stations, devices located respectively at the operating stations for progressively shaping the tube so that the preformed opening becomes a larger circular opening dened by outwardly projecting arcuate flanges, then an elongated opening formed by spreading said arcuate iianges, and finally a still larger circular opening, each of said forming devices including a forming punch, means for actuating said punches toward and away from the tubes, means for rotating the punch at the last operating station while said punch is entered within the tube, and a controller for the conveyor moving means rendered effective by the positioning of the punches outside the tube for conditioning the controller for causing the conveyor moving means to operate.

7. A machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube comprising, in combination, a conveyor provided with a plurality of workholders each for supporting a tube having an opening previously formed therein, said conveyor being movable intermittently to carry the tubes progressively into a plurality of operating stations, devices located respectively at the operating stations for progressively shaping the tube so that the preformed opening becomes a larger circular opening dened by outwardly projecting arcuate iianges, then an elongated opening formed by spreading said arcuate flanges,

agudiza and finally a still larger circular opening, each-I" of said forming devices including a forming punch, means for actuating said punches toward and away from the tubes, apparatus operablel either to effect rotation of the punch at the4 last operating station While said punch is entered 'y within the tube or to effect movement of the conveyor While said punches are withdrawn fromA the tube, and a controller rendered eiective by the entry of the rotatable punch within the tube for causing the apparatus to perform the iirst mentioned function and rendered effective by the retraction of the rotatable punch from the tube for causing said apparatus to perform the second mentioned function.

8. In a machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a tube, the combination l comprising, a Workholder for supporting a tube having a previously formed opening of substantially elliptical shape, a forming punch for entering the opening, said punch being rotatable to form the tube so as to provide an opening or circular shape, means for axially moving the punch into and out of the tube, a rotary shaft supporting the punch, a pinion connected with the shaft, a gear meshing with the pinion, means for moving the gear in either direction, and a controller for the gear moving means conditioned in response to the positioning of the punch Within the tube for causing the gear to be moved in one direction and conditioned in response to the positioning of the punch outside the tube for causing the gear to be moved in the opposite direction, and conveyor moving means operated by movement of the gear in said opposite direction. Y

9. In a machine for progressively enlarging an opening in the side of a. tube, the combination comprising, a workholder for supporting a tube having a previously formed opening of substantially elliptical shape, a forming punch for entering the opening, said punch being rotatable to iorm the tube so as to provide'an opening of circular shape, means for axially moving the punch into and out of the tube, "a rotary shaft supporting the punch, a pinion connected with the shaft, a gear meshing with the pinion, means for moving the gear in either direction, a oneway motion-transmitting mechanism including ratchet and pawl members for moving the conveyor, means connecting one of said members with the gear and a controller for the gear moving means conditioned in response to the positioning of the punch within the tube for causing the gear to be moved in such direction that the ratchet and pawl members are operatively disconnected and conditioned in response to the positioning of the punch outside the tube for causing the gear to be moved in such direction that the ratchet and pawl members are operatively connected.

JOHN Q. HOLMES. BASIL S. SAMPLE.

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